Steel City Endurance Racing

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Barb places top 5 in PA Masters State Road Race

Posted by Barb on 6/16/10 • Categorized as Race Report

PA Masters State Road Race
I had not planned on adding the Pa Masters State Road Race to my race calendar since it seemed a bit far (Bloomsburg PA) and in the past, there has not been a separate women’s race, but a peek at the race flyer revealed that there was a women’s race this year, although we were blended in with the men’s 55+ and it was a wolmen’s 35+ race – meaning no separate breakout for different age groups.  When I saw the list of confirmed riders, though, I was encouraged as there were as many women as men and my racing friends Lorraine Lipfert and Betty Tyrell were signed up. And so, a road trip was launched.  When I race out east, I inevitably face the question of “how on earth do you do it – drive so far to race?”  The answer being “I just do” and “there are so few races near Pittsburgh with big fields.”  But  honestly, it is a question I ask myself.  The Masters Road Race meant a 7:30 am departure, a 4 1/2 hour drive, 2 hours of racing, and a 4 1`/2 hour drive home.  You can do the drive:race ratio math!   The way to do it is to break things into smaller and smaller chunks – the drive from here to Altoona is one; the drive from Altoona to I-80 is another, I-80 to Bloomsburg is another; then the Bloomsburg exit to the race venue.  Then you focus on the race, then the drive home.  The race course was a nice loop with low traffic, some rollers, some flat, and a sharp climb at the end of the loop that lead to a false flat for several meters to the start/finish.  Starting with the men changed the dynamic considerably:  it became a question of staying  with the guys as long as possible.  The first lap was fast, I stayed tucked in, kept count of where the other women were, tried to move up at the end of the loop as we approached the climb.  The climb, of course, was the decisive factor – I dropped off the back along with my friend Lorraine, another guy, and a woman from the Philly area.  I hoped there were only three women up with the men, one of whom was Betty, who as a New Jersey resident, was not a contender for the Pa Championship.  As it turned out, there were four women who stayed with the men, including Betty, which meant I just missed the medals.  Lorraine, the woman from Philly and I rode together but for whatever reason could not get a good rotation going.  I dropped them on the climb for lap #2 and just kept going.  Although I would have liked to ride the last lap with at least one or two other riders, I was concerned that the Philly woman would sit on, manage to hang with me on the climb, then outsprint me.  I have raced with her enough times to know that she is notorious for not working, even in small groups.  So it was that I rode by myself for the last lap, finishing 5th overall for women, 4th for Pa.  The race was a good test of my fitness, I was happy to visit with old friends, and I got to see a  lot of highway.

32098_1183799534562_1815463661_359105_5018360_nDan Spencer Memorial Road Race Masters State Championship

Bloomsburg, PA

Saturday, May 22, 2010

I had not planned on adding the PA Masters State Road Race to my race calendar since it seemed a bit far, and in the past there has not been a separate women’s race, but a peek at the race flyer revealed that there was a women’s race this year, although we were blended in with the men’s 55+ and it was a wolmen’s 35+ race – meaning no separate breakout for different age groups. When I saw the list of confirmed riders, though, I was encouraged as there were as many women as men and my racing friends Lorraine Lipfert and Betty Tyrell were signed up. And so, a road trip was launched. When I race out east, I inevitably face the question of “how on earth do you do it – drive so far to race?”  The answer being “I just do” and “there are so few races near Pittsburgh with big fields.”  But  honestly, it is a question I ask of myself.  The Masters Road Race meant a 7:30 am departure, a 4 1/2 hour drive, 2 hours of racing, and a 4 1/2 hour drive home.  You can do the drive:race ratio math!  The way to do it is to break things into smaller and smaller chunks – the drive from here to Altoona is one; the drive from Altoona to I-80 is another, I-80 to Bloomsburg is another; then the Bloomsburg exit to the race venue.  Then you focus on the race, then the drive home.

The race course was a nice loop with low traffic, some rollers, some flat, and a sharp climb at the end of the loop that lead to a false flat for several meters to the start/finish. Starting with the men changed the dynamic considerably: it became a question of staying with the guys as long as possible. The first lap was fast, I stayed tucked in, kept count of where the other women were, tried to move up at the end of the loop as we approached the climb. The climb, of course, was the decisive factor – I dropped off the back along with my friend Lorraine, another guy, and a woman from the Philly area. I hoped there were only three women up with the men, one of whom was Betty, who as a New Jersey resident, was not a contender for the Pa Championship. As it turned out, there were four women who stayed with the men, including Betty, which meant I just missed the medals. Lorraine, the woman from Philly and I rode together but for whatever reason could not get a good rotation going. I dropped them on the climb for lap #2 and just kept going.

Although I would have liked to ride the last lap with at least one or two other riders, I was concerned that the Philly woman would sit on, manage to hang with me on the climb, then outsprint me. I have raced with her enough times to know that she is notorious for not working, even in small groups. So it was that I rode by myself for the last lap, finishing 5th overall for women, 4th for PA. The race was a good test of my fitness. I was happy to visit with old friends, and I got to see a  lot of highway.

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