Yesterday evening I raced a criterium for the first time, ever. It was the Glenlyon Crit put on by Escape Velocity Cycling Club, and was the second crit race of the season so far.

World Tuesday Night Championships are held, as the name suggest, every Tuesday evening at either the Glenlyon location or the UBC location. It's an affordable event to join in on, at $10 each (unless you prepay for the season, in which case you'll pay less).

I raced in the Women's Cat 4 group and there were quite a few of us out there. I haven't seen that many women in one category, EVER, in a cyclocross or road race here in BC. It was great to see such high numbers turning out, and so many first-time crit racers, such as myself. I hope they all return and continue to race for the rest of the season. #cyclelikeagirl

The races began with Cat 5 Men, followed by the Cat 1-2-3 Women, and finally all of us eager, anxious Cat-4 Women. The course was marked by four right-hand turns, on a very flat, paved road. The speed for the group was nothing I couldn't handle - and I was happily surprised. It's hard to know what to expect as a first-timer. I wasn't sure if I would be out of breath the entire 40 minutes, or if I would get dropped from the pack right away, or be out at the front with a lead. Neither of those situations occurred, and instead I stuck with the pack, mid-pack most of the time.

I never did manage to locate the lap board, and I don't have a fancy bicycle computer (a.k.a. Garmin), so I had no clue how many laps were left or how much time had passed. We neutralized at one point in order to let a different Cat group go by, and then later on we passed the Cat 5 Men group (yeah ladies!!). I heard a bell go, and didn't realize this was an indication for a special lap with a prize for whoever finished the lap first....had I have seen the lap board, I would have realized this wasn't an indication of last lap.

Last lap came with another ding of the bell, and the pace picked up just a tiny bit. I think we are all being overly cautious and careful not to cause any accidents. As we all came around the last corner, the pace picked up as women and girls alike did their best to sprint towards the finish line. I finished the race with a big smile on my face and a happy beat in my heart. Cyclocross may still have my full love and admiration, but crit racing will keep my hunger for 'cross at bay, until the season arrives.

I officially placed 14th, out of 31 Cat 4 Women, with a final time of 37.20 minutes. Race results can be found here.

Things To Improve On

Racing Strategy

I know there's a lot more to racing on a bicycle than just clipping in and heading for the finish line, but it's going to take me a few more races (or, more likely, seasons) to grasp the strategy and apply it to racing. For now, I'm sitting in the pack, watching what other people seem to do well, or not so well, listening to the coaches who are working with the younger girls, and trying to critique myself so that I can improve.

Cornering

Taking corners in a pack and at higher speeds is something that I have yet to master. It was clear in yesterdays' race that I'm not the only one who gets a bit uncomfortable. I'm sure that cornering more smoothly, faster and straighter will come with practice.

Average Speed

 My average speed while riding solo is not that high - Strava tells me that it'll be anywhere from 20-30 km/hr depending on the route. I figure that if I can improve my average solo speed, I'll have better ability to stay at the front of the pack in a race.

Overall, I had a lot of fun in this race. Seeing so many women out there killing it, so many people organizing the event, and the number of smiling faces, just resonated with me. I will certainly come take part in the rest of the series races!