Shoes?

I decided to go race the Opus season opener today. It is at the same course as the race was a Sunday. So pretty easy. But, the racing make going hard lots of fun. Especially because it was a 1/2/3 race. A good chance to mix it up with the faster guys. However, I knew I would not get that much ride time in up there, so I did a hour 15 ride in the early afternoon with a couple of sprints.

As I was getting ready my bike shoes were sitting off to the side. I thought to myself, you know, I should put those right next to my bag so I don't forget them. When we (Krueger, and Kyle) got up there I remembered what I forgot. Yup, my shoes! Well done Jake...
Luckily Kyle did the first race, and his feet are close to my size. So after his race he let me take his shoes and pedals. Thanks! It was a bit weird to use different pedals, not so comfortable. But I had no choice. I did a nice hour warm up just cruisin around the one way maze of streets at the Opus park. Soon enough 7:30 rolled around and it was time to go. The previous races had been only 9 laps. So short, Sunday we did 20 something I think, maybe more.
Anyways the 1/2/3 race was 18 laps, and the field was 68 people. Massive!
Some of the guys looked a bit sketchy, so my plan was to get near the front and avoid all the danger in the middle and at the back. Off the start I had a bit of trouble clipping in. And was about half way back. I got a few chances to move up, and I did so. Slowly but surely, I made it up. The whole time worrying about being taken out. A few times off to the side I heard some guys who were really pissed at some guy.
On one of the prime laps in the middle of the race I saw a chance to attack. So I made my debut of the day and took off. It was actually mildly successful, I brought two Grandstay guys with and one GP. We got a nice gap off the pack, but since I had initiated the others were able to go around to get the points. I had thought for some reason 4th got points as well. So I did not push it to get third which I could have easily done. Oops! (not the only time that happened)...
But after the prime one of the guys who came with said well done to me, sweet. In the next prime I followed and attack, and again got fourth.
After that I was in the front 10 for most of the rest of the race. At one point I lost a contact, so I had to drop back while that figured itself out. My sight was a bit off after that. Makes things challenging. After that I got right back in the front. I wanted to do some hard as it was a training race. So I took some pulls to keep the pace high. As the last lap started a grandstay guy (Swanson) and a GP guy got away. I thought for sure they would be caught (partly because I could not see who it was). So I did not chase, bad choice. Some guy was also trying to bridge up, but did not make it by the end. I was then right in the field for the sprint. I decided to have a whirl on the sprint, so took off when I felt it was right. And what do you know, I managed a third in the field sprint. Crazy...
After the race I got a couple of comments on my riding, everyone who was up front liked it. One guy even said he just sat on my wheel because it was safe and a good spot to be. I like getting complemented by 1s. I am happy with this race.

Sitting in

The sprint