Drop out

The fourth day on the bike this week.  Ride with the boys at 5:50am.  Seems to get later and later all the time.  Family is very supportive and set their alarms so they'd be awake after I got home! 

So...  out I go.  Pitch black, but tired enough that my nerves don't get the best of me.  At least not today.  We wait at the bridge for quite some time.  I don't think we even started riding until 5:55!!!  It will be nice when the days get longer again (no, the Winter Equinox is NOT 12/21, and I don't understand what the deal is and would really appreciate an explaination!)

chit chat w/ Alex and Tuan, and stretch.  My back is killing me and a good massage would do wonders.  Actually a chiropractor would be better... but...yeah...  I am in Vietnam.

Out we go.... 

I hang through and over the white bridge...yeah...

Then the next bridge....

Then the red bridge.... manage to even take the lead until I get blown away by Alex and nother on the left.  I am burning up and my thighs are on FIRE (oh, hurts SOOO GOOD!) but speed is 44kph, yeah!  I am back!  Speed is quickly reduced to 35kph....oopps...

Alex said, "The fast guys aren't here today, stay with the pack!"  So I fight.

but not hard enough.

The group doesn't know if they are turning or going straight...  for some reason, I had fallen slightly behind, but the indecision allows me to catch up.  Then we race to the end, I am one of the last on the turn around.  I don't know what it looks like as the construction is very busy.  So, I fall back but cut the corner sharp and improve position.  At this time, the peloton is a single line and who ever started the sprint is full speed and I am just getting back on the road...

I grab a truck,

aauugghh... more and more behind.  I know the result...  then at the light, there's full 3 lanes of traffic and teh Quan 4 guy is just day dreaming..  I yell at him to go.  Oh, I am going to be humilated if I can't catch up.

FINALLY, he gets out of the way, but at this time, the peloton is at the top fo the bridge, I am just approaching the bottom...hoping they are having some sort of rest/collection, I go as hard as I can...

but it's official,

I dropped out, got dropped, and in  my own words, just plain suck.

of all days, today was my day of success if I wanted it... but clearly I didn't fight hard enough, and I allow myself to fall back when tricky parts of the road approach (toll booth, turn around and scary intersection).  I have to trust my fellow riders or I will alwyas be in the back and always fall off.  I know I don't have the turbo it takes to catch a surge from so far behind.  I never have... its a gender issue I think.

and on the way home, the only thing through my head was, "I know the others would have stuck"  referring to all the girls I will race against in Thailand.

I need to toughen up, of just ride my market bike.  Its come to that!