Sometimes racing for 45 minutes just isn’t enough.
This past weekend Jared and I lined up in Leonardtown MD, a quaint little port town on the Western Shore of Maryland. It was my first crit of the season and while I took 3rd in 2011 I was now in the Cat 3′s. Jared and I discussed tactics and a possible leadout but I knew if a break went off I would not likely have the strength to go with. I was right. The photo below is about half way through the race – see the guy in back barely hanging on? That’s me. My aerodynamic skin suit was countered by my tongue hanging out. 
Thanks for some great photos Sigberto. Check out how low some guys were getting in the divot corner:
I didn’t notice the locals but this one seemed intrigued. The GoPro is on Jared’s bars.
I’ll let Jared chime in from his perspective:
“The race was fast and intense, with the field lined out for much of the race.
We had a plan to not be too aggressive early on, and save our efforts for a sprint finish for Jason with myself working as a leadout for him. Which was good, as it was all I could do to fight for position and hang on for the early laps of the race!
Something like quarter to a third of our field was shelled by halfway through the race. Jason and I rallied near the front with a few laps to go, and it was hectic. 5 were off the front and stayed off so the sprint would be for 6th.
Congrats to Matt Means of Charm City Cycling on a well earned win.
I could have done a better job positioning myself, and Jason and I got separated. I was able to smoothly wind it up at the front with only a few guys coming around in the end, but alas Jason got chopped in a corner. It was satisfying to have a plan and work to execute, even if things didn’t play out as well as we would have liked. {Jared scored a 10th while I sat up and got 26th or something pathetic}.
Jason and I marveled at the salt stains on our skinsuits from racing in the unusually dry air.
We refilled bottles, and set out for Piney Point and St George Island. It was a mellow, moderate ride down where we were greeted with the sight of quaint beach cottages, soaring ospreys, and a tiny lighthouse. 
Some tempo on the way back rounded out our efforts for the day, with a little over 80 miles in the saddle. Good riding, better company, and great scenery. ” – Jared
I got to thinking on the ride back how many guys showed up to do that race but never explored the area outside the town.
Part of the experience for me is the exploration – I’m sure I’ll remember my post-race-ride with Jared more than the 45min race. Racing provides a date and destination but it can be so much more than that. We tacked on a few extra hours, riding down roads we had never seen before leading to a lighthouse somewhere surrounded by beautiful land and marshes – all so much more enjoyable than the intense suffering of the race. However, from the effort of racing I thoroughly enjoyed a margarita that evening. That’s when thoughts turned to Colorado and my upcoming 100 mile mountain bike race at altitude. Stay tuned… – Jason