Union Vale July 12, 2009 Emily Maynard Places Top 3 in the Cat 4 race!

Union Vale, NJ July 12, 2009 Emily Maynard another natural joins Radical Media for a top 3 place.

My goal for the race was just to feel more comfortable in a pack and to try to anticipate breaks. It was comforting to be riding with Dara and to hear her advice from time to time, or to just see her nod at me when we were near each other.

We were on a long uphill on the first lap, nearing the top but still with the crest to go, and I decided to have some fun with it and attack. To my surprise, my attack stuck! And I just kept pushing it and pushing it and kept the break for a few miles. I knew that it was a foolish move because it was so early in the race and there was no way that I could sustain it (much as I'd to incarnate Evie), but I also felt like "What the heck! I'm only a beginner once!'" :) I can make all the silly mistakes I want to now and figure out things in the meanwhile. Besides, when else am I going to get the chance to feel what a break is like? It gave me some satisfaction that it took the group a while to catch up with me, and at least I shook up the race a bit! I think that the group broke into two at this point but I'm not sure...

So after that I just hung back and avoided pulling or doing any effort. There were a few short breaks from time to time but nothing that the front group couldn't pull back. The big event of the middle of the race was Dara's flat at mile 21 (of 30); Colleen told her she could use her wheels but Dara disappeared for about 5 miles and then all of a sudden she was there again, before the build-up to the end.

During the last half of the race, everyone seemed to be holding herself back in order to have enough energy left for the big hill. About a mile or so before the final hill Caroline from Proasshit and a Kissena woman broke away from the front group and we let them go; no one wanted to sprint to catch them so close to the end. At the beginning of the hill I was sure to position myself in front because I didn't want to have to wind my way around people falling back. I took the hill really steadily and was in 4th for most of it; Dara, Lindsay from Velocity, and Caroline were ahead for most of the way. I knew that Dara and Lindsay were too far for me to catch them but Caroline started to drop back and I pulled up behind her and passed her at about 300M. My father-in-law was right there and he kept yelling at me so I started to get out of my seat at 200M and had a bit of a sprint finish (it probably didn't look like that, but it sure felt that way!). I was sure that Caroline was going to catch me at the last minute but I stayed ahead of her and took 3rd!