There was no track racing this week, so instead I took G up on his offer to team up for the Rockleigh Criterium, an evening race over the GWB and up in New Jersey a little ways. We were running a bit late, but made it over the river and through the woods with about five minutes to spare. They say you're supposed to get to the line sweating, and we were.

The official warned us about some bumps on the back stretch. "Just relax and ride through it," he said, and I stopped my inner bravado from talking about the crappy roads I ride on regularly... even when on the Velodrome...

It was a smallish field of maybe thirty riders, riding around a small complex that felt like a public school - some lawns, some buildings, some fields, ringed by parking lots and access roads.

We took off at the whistle for two neutral laps, G and I at the front getting to check out the terrain. Some bumps and a grate on turn 1; a bit of sand and a close curb on turn 2. The back stretch had some awful pavement, like the official said - a few potholes and patches with some deep gouges in it, leading in to a turn that offered maybe about 18 inches of good line and a narrow path through the worst of it; once out of that and out of the shadow of the buildings, there was another short straight stretch, turn 5, and a fast, wide stretch to turn 6 and the long straightaway back to the line.

On the 3rd lap, I attacked just before the rough stuff, opening up some distance that I held for a lap until they rang the bell announcing a prime. The field caught up to me and some sprinters went for it, largely uncontested.

We settled into a rhythm; I got used to working my way around the line and getting in to good cornering position, navigating the corners, coming out of them. A few moves off the front and I realized that, much like a Flying 200, fast lines are everything. If you want to be fast you have to be efficient.

Halfway in my calves cramped, hard and painfully. I had lots of water, but suppose I was low on nutrients. I kept drinking and took opportunities to stretch.

In the second half of the race I tried to stay near the front, on the wheels of some of the big guys; I followed a few good moves but spent a bit too much time in the wind, I suppose. It's really nice to attack a bit, look behind, and see the field just rounding the corner...

My cyclocomputer was handy - I could see my speed, which helped me think about pacing myself; but more importantly I could see how much time to go before they called out 2 to go. I made sure I was near the front - the field was together but I felt like there were places where it could snap in the last couple of laps. The pace picked up but with no real attempt to catch the 3 people who were off the front. We rounded that last turn at about 31mph; I didn't ramp up my speed and other riders started to slowly swarm around me; I caught a wheel and moved up the inside, ducking branches leaning over the road, and then one person jumped in front of me - I caught a wheel and fought to keep it. I was maybe fifth wheel. Somebody else jumped and Gui, in front of me, responded. Time to go - I gritted my teeth and dropped my chain to a smaller cog and kicked, riding around my wheel and into some open road to catch 3rd in the sprint!

Needless to say I was pleased with the ending, as was G, who took 1st in the sprint and 4th overall. But I'm still learning a lot about how to race the rest of the race - when to chill, when to work, and how best to conserve energy and put myself where I want to be. And, of course, what to expect at the end of the race. I was somewhat surprised how I finished - that I stayed near the front when the sprint started, and then was able to launch from it.

I'll try to get out to one or two more of these, if I can. We'll see.