Mutual of Enumclaw Omnium Report

Short version:
It was a great event. The TT course was mostly smooth with three high-speed turns; the crit had eight (eight!) slippery (slippery!) turns; and the road race was a rainy, dirty, gritty mess. I loved it. All of the events (Cat 5, at least) started precisely on time, and results were posted quickly. I've put every Cycle U photo I could find from the WheelsInFocus.com photog in a Flickr set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42598252@N00/sets/72157605420930611/ The picture of Ken on the climb is priceless.

Long version:

Preamble
I committed the cardinal sin of changing components the night before the race. Specifically, I switched from Shimano SPD-SL pedals to Speedplay. I spent some time in front of the house practicing clip-in to the new platform. Just as I was wrapping up, I made a slow turn into gravel I didn't see, and took a nice hard spill onto my left hip. Thankfully I wasn't pregnant. It hurt like hell and tore my pretty red saddle (which matches my red bar tape, and is therefore completely absurd), but the bike and bibs were fine.

Time Trial
The drive to Enumclaw was about an hour. There wasn't much on the radio, and I recommend against listening to Carl Kasell if you're trying to get pumped for a TT. Registration at the hotel took less than 10 minutes, and it was off to the fairgrounds to warm up. I've got a trainer and a good playlist, but no real plan or method for riding a warmup. I've heard people say that short TT's require a longer warmup, so I rode for about 45 minutes. Unlike Wenatchee, there was a holder at the start line. I always appreciate that. I had chosen 53x23 as my starting gear. It was a bit much, and I got off to a slow start but picked up quickly. I elected to go without HR and instead committed to ride the entire TT on the verge of vomiting. I tried to sprint the last 100m, and it wasn't happening. I left everything on the course (except breakfast) and that felt good. I think the biggest takeaway from this TT is that I really need to get 1) aerobars, 2) an aero helmet and 3) faster.

Criterium
The course was flat, but it had eight corners. Probably the last thing you would want in an eight-corner crit is rain. So it rained. It started a few hours before the race, picked up with about an hour to go, and was very lightly drizzling at the start line. The pack was pretty thin with less than 30 riders, and I was able to secure a coveted spot wedged tightly between two others at the front. I stuck to my plan to get out with the lead group immediately. I was somewhere in the top 10 going into the 6th corner of the first lap when someone took a bad line over a wet manhole cover and slid out. This split the pack into a lead group of 9 or 10 guys, and a chase group of 7 or 8. I was in the chase group for the next few laps when another guy slid out, taking one or two more with him. Knowing that bad things happen in 3's, I decided that I would finish solo rather than duke it out (or slide it out, as it were) for 18th place.

The 4's race also had a few crashes. Ken almost got knocked down by a kid who slid out, then decided to pick up his bike and run it across the road without looking; Alex put in a solid effort in the chase group. I'd really like to hear Kenton's account of the Master's C/D race. He rocked and rolled to a 7th place finish, bringing glory to the Cycle U colors. Nice work, Kenton!

Road Race
I didn't pre-ride or drive the course. I went on Ken's report, the GPS elevation numbers, and Alex's advice to be at the front for the climb. Jeff and I started the neutral rollout together somewhere in the middle of the pack. It was chilly, but warmed up quickly. Immediately at the end of neutral rollout, the top two GC contenders kicked it into high gear and tried to go off the front. The pack reeled them in quickly, and I ended up on the second man's wheel. The pace stayed between 25 and 30mph until the base, and I stuck to the plan of being at the front for the climb. It was a relatively short but grueling climb, and the pack had broken up. 4 of us re-grouped at the top and formed a great echelon in chase of the lead pack. We caught them (or so I thought, until the results were posted and it was apparent that we had actually caught the chase group, and the 7 leaders were really minutes ahead of us, likely trading tips on how to sandbag in the Cat 5's. Hah!) on the rainy downhill, and the twelve of us worked together fairly and efficiently to complete the first lap and begin the second and final climb. The group split on the climb. A few of us regrouped at the top, but they weren't interested in either working together or pushing the pace, so I did my best impersonation of me riding a TT, and pedaled until I felt like puking.

The Feel-Good Takeaway
I learned a few things from this event, and the road race in particular: As much as I really enjoy cycling, I @#$#@!%^ love racing. In the chase group in the road race, it was rainy, dirty and gritty. The echelon rotated at high speed for miles, inches from the next guy's wheel, eating the spray from his tire, all with the same objective. I don't know that anyone said a word the whole time. But at the end of the race, we all regrouped in our dirty kits and reveled in the camaraderie. That was definitely the payoff for me.

The Practical Takeaway
Aerobars and an aero helmet are your friend in a TT. I need to get them. I'm also becoming curious about/interested in a power meter for training and racing. I'd appreciate anyone's advice on the practicality of a Cat 5 using power versus HR, etc.

Bottom Line
Cycling is fun, racing is funner, and cycling/racing with the very cool guys and girls on the Cycle U team is funnest.