The following entries are race reports I have submitted as a member of the SJBC Women's Race Team.  These reports will give you the feel of an actual cycling race as perceived by Kim Taylor.  They vary from time trials, criteriums, road races and hill climbs.  Please feel free to comment or ask any question about my experiences.  And, thanks for reading!

Place: 2nd (Silver Medalist)
Category: 55+ Masters
Team Mates: none
Field Size: 4
Conditions: Very windy; showers

Race Report: Race:  Bay Area Senior Games: 10K ITT

I woke up at 5 a.m. to a very windy but cloudy morning Sunday in San Jose.  Let the cats out back, who were very excited to go outside in the early morning darkness.  Made that very necessary cup of Starbucks Sumatra coffee, ate oatmeal, and with my little car all packed up and ready to go, I drove to Canada Road in San Mateo where the time trial was to be raced.

Thanks to Scott Lewis, I warmed up (literally and figuratively) on his fluid trainer for 45 minutes, getting my heart rate up to 168 in the process: a much-needed warm-up for such a short time trial, only a 10K (6.2 miles) out-and-back course.  You see, us old fogies can't go much farther than that in one go - many have early-onset Alzheimers like me and can't recall the intricacies of a long course! Ha ha!) 

My field, ages 55-59, was small.  There are not a lot of older women who want to take on a time trial in more than a 25-mile-an-hour wind and showers!!  Except me and three other gals.  I noticed a Vela Bella rider who had the complete package:  TT bike, aero helmet, skinsuit, and aero wheels; I thought, she's my competition today.  And I was right!  The only concessions I made in aerodynamics were an SJBC skinsuit (which I wore proudly, BTW) and, you won't believe this, a shower cap stretched over my helmet that I saved from a past stay in a hotel (you see, I'm Scottish)!!!  Looked kinda weird, but I think it did a fine job of blocking the vents in my helmet (kinda helped with the showers as well!).

Joking aside, although this was a short race, the conditions made it difficult.  I heard an eerie wailing from my clip-on aerobars as I rode into the headwind; crosswinds pummeled me at unexpected times.  Then came the turnaround and a welcome strong tailwind!  I felt I flew at more than 34 mph, then made another turnaround into the stronger headwind and accompanying showers.  But oddly enough, the last section of tailwind did not seem as strong, and I only reached around 28 mph to the finish line. 

I rode as hard as I could muster my creaking old body; my Max HR was 180, and my Average HR was 169, so my heart told me that I put in a strong effort as well as a strong mental one.  After minutes waiting for the older racers to finish and the results to be posted, I found that I came in 2nd and picked up a silver medal.  I've qualified for the State Games in Pasadena in June which I plan on attending.  There will be 10K and 20K time trials as well as 20K and 40K road races there; I think I'll register for one of each of the longer ones!

Luckily, there were no seniors who crashed and signaled with their medic alerts, "I've fallen and I can't get up!"