This weeks edition went pretty well.  I commuted in, and after work rode over to the course and warmed up for awhile.  Stashed my backpack in Kevin's truck, and also met Ryan Lange, a fellow LSR rider who has been doing well in these and will likely move up to the B race after tonight.  I didn't make a count of heads but looked to be about 30 or maybe slightly more.  I started in a little further back tonight since I came to the line a little later, and tonight the guy in front of my biffed the tire in front of him and went down, and it was all I could do not to ride over him at the start.  Stayed upright, and managed to get around him and not hit the curb, but now I'm 50 yards behind the pack and they are leaving pretty hard.  I chase back onto the pack and decide I'm just going to sit in for awhile.  Things got pretty crazy early though with a high pace being set and the pack started shattering in the first few laps.  I kept having to close up to the remainder and finally after about 15 minutes I see we're starting to lap people and I look around and there is really no one back, so its just us 12 or so left.  Ryan goes to the front with about 3 or 4 left and throws down a fast lap, and now I think we're 10 or so going into the bell lap.  I figure I'm waiting until the final corner tonight, but midway down the west side Ryan takes off hard, and we start chasing.  What do you know you can get a gap there, not a lot but he has one, and going into the final corner I put all I have left on the table, like everybody else I suppose.  I move up to maybe 6th maybe 5th some lapped folks in there so hard to tell.  But Ryan takes it by a good 10-20 yards.  Now I remember why I always tried to escape early, I'm not a sprinter.  But I guess placing is better than attacking like an idiot and getting caught.  Once again fun had by all.
 
Take Care,
Nelson.

Ahh, I though I heard a few words exchanged as I was rejoining, didn't know what that was about, but now it makes sense!
 
Nelson.

Hey Nelson...you coming out tonight if the weather allows?

Rained out  , I'll be gone next week as well, heading to Alabama to visit my mom, sister, and the inlaws for the holiday.  Be back for the 10th though.
 

For clarification...I stopped to pick up my computer somewhere between getting dropped and getting caught.  Sat on Nelson's wheel until 2 laps to go and pulled out.  No sense risking messing up someone elses sprint or line when you're a lap down.
 
Considering my last two crits were DNFs...I call finishing a lap down improvement.  maybe I can get back to pack finishes again if I ramp up the base miles a bit
 
Nelson's sandbagging a bit...he's much stronger out there than he wants to let on

I'm coming, hopefully will hang in there this week.  Look forward to seeing you there!