my first bike race

I've done plenty of racing... triathlon, adventure racing and running; but until now, I haven't done a pure bike race.

Yesterday I rode the Univest bike race. (http://www.spartacycling.com/rides/) ...

Wake up at 4:40, in the car by 5 at the course by 6:15. Race start 8am - could have slept an extra hour.

Constant drizzle sucked the energy out of everything.

Lined up too far back with someone I knew and spent the first 20 minutes weaving through wet roads, on-coming traffic, and slow / inexperienced riders to get to the lead group of riders. Bobby Julich, celebrity pro rider was at the front group which was pretty cool.

Once we caught the lead group, we were moving at a really BORING PACE - I like to go fast and I expected to go fast today, but it was early in the ride, in a big group of unfamiliar riders on an unexplored course in rainy conditions, and everyone was being conservative.

Visibility sucked through my prescription cycling glasses due to the rain and the fact they were fogged up. Water was spraying up into my face from the rider in front of me, so taking off the glasses wasn't a good option either (not to mention my nearsightedness).

At one point, while I was leading the pack, I started to shift over to let someone else lead, and I bumped into the rider next to me (apparently he was looking back to the left and I was looking back to the right - bad timing) - fortunately, no harm done, but a scary moment going 25mph or more in the rain.

5 minutes later as we descend a bumpy downhill, I hear a KLUDUNK - not sure what it is, but a moment later when I look at my bike computer... IT HAS VANISHED - CRAP... Decision time - stay the course or go back and see if I can find this $150 bike computer. I decide to go back and find it...

... there are a few hundred additional riders coming in the opposite direction., visibility sucks and I'm going up hill now and they are barreling downhill at 30mph or more not expecting me... so after scanning for the bike computer for 5 minutes whilst dodging other cyclists, I decide to give up this effort and try to play catch up.

It didn't take long for me to over take the next group, but soon after I passed them I missed a turn. I didn't find this out until I had already gone halfway up a big hill, and an grizzly old dude pulls next to me in an cool vintage car and tells me I missed a turn.... ugh...

... so I turn around, get back on course and hit a monster hill that pretty much everyone is walking up (IT WAS THAT STEEP) - I was glad to have made it to the top without walking, but it took a lot out of me. Brutal!

At some point, I decide to take off the glasses so maybe I can see the course markings telling me when to turn! I catch up with another group, but the splash from other riders burns my eyes, so I pull ahead and ride solo the rest of the course, having to stop only one more time to look at the cue sheet to make sure I was still on course.

I didn't catch back up with the lead group - but was only a couple minutes back at the finish.

I might have to try another race with better conditions.