Sane Bike Loony Rider EP 7 : The First Race

So, it's been a really long time since we had a riding tale. While I did say earlier that it was because I hadn't been on any interesting ones lately, I have also not been riding much since that post. And yes I do feel guilty that I was missing out on rides because of oversleeping, but this one is totally gonna make up for it.

A fellow rider from the cycling group had shared a link to an event, a cycling race, being organized by the Decathlon Anubhava, and I had signed up for it. I registered for the Road Bike category since I was more familiar with that surface and my treads didn't give great grip on what I assumed would be the MTB track. The event was yesterday, 24th of April.

There was a slight logistical issue, as in, this Decathlon was on the outskirts of the city so I'd need a lift to get there at 6 in the morning. Luckily the rider who shared the event was also participating so I took his help to solve that  problem. We were supposed to reach at 5:40 according the mail we got but in typical Indian fashion, people were still showing up at 6:30 and we all just waited. 

There were sooo many cool riders and bikes there, which I didn't expect considering this was just a 30k ride. The road bikers were all in spandex and aerodynamic clothing too with brands and sporting companies logos all over them. Not to sound creepy, but I saw the legs of these riders and they were packing serious muscle. I on the other hand, had shown up on 3 hours of sleep, no good diet and without having done any riding for the last two weeks.

Anyway, for a lil warm up we rode to the starting point, and it was an uplifting feeling to ride with such a crowd of passionate and semi-pro riders. It was cool to see so many female cyclists who were in it for the rush and not just to look good in cycling shorts, and that's because there was a category for them which was a shorter riding distance as an option. 

At the start line, there was the disappointing news that these guys wouldn't be tracking times and I had forgotten to wear my watch. I didn't carry my phone to use Strava because it was in the rules and it turns out that phones were allowed anyway but I'm not gonna go into that rant right now.  Another disappointment was for the MTB riders who would be riding the same route as us and not on dirt tracks as they were hoping for, and I kinda feel sorry for them, BUT the guys did pretty well. 

I had a simple goal, participate and finish, do the best you can, and I did exactly that. I got overtaken by just about everyone in the road bike category even by the other Hybrid guys, but I was okay with that. I just wanted to do the whole thing with zero stops and at a steady pace, and without pulling any muscles (which I almost did ). Keeping those objectives, and my lack of preparation for the race, I did rather well. The route was nice and scenic, one straight-ish road, no major inclines, a bit of rough road here and there, but still quite pleasant. I did manage one overtake, so kinda proud about that, and I think I finished in the top 20 of all the people who did the 30k. 

I got my medal and certificate for finishing the race, and it was super fun, and I'm glad I could do it. I hope you enjoyed reading, and stay tuned for more. You can also subscribe to the Lunatic's blog from the top option on the right side of your screen. Thanks!



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