Hutchinson Zoo Crit

A bunch of Undiscovered guys decided to race the Hutchinson Zoo crit outside of Wichita on Sunday. The fields looked to be a decent size for the masters and cat 4/5s, but they got smaller for the 3/4 guys and the 1/2/3 guys. It was kind of a bummer. I was really hoping more riders would stick around or show up for the 1/2/3 race. It didn't look like too many Oklahoma and Kansas guys made the 6 hour drive to Pacebend/Walburg and even less seemed to go over to Froze Toes in Missouri, so I thought there would be a halfway decent turnout.

The race would have been really cool if there were more people. It's a pretty family-friendly venue. There is a free zoo with some bobcats, bald eagles, owls, and even a badger (not of the honey variety). There were also some parks and other stuff to keep the families occupied. The course was flat and fast. They call it a crit, but it was really a 2+ mile circuit.

I decided to use my powertap instead of the zipps. The race lasted 46 minutes and my normalized power was right about what I thought my FTP was. I think I could have held that tempo for another 14 minutes, so that was pretty reassuring after 2 really taxing days of riding before this race (8 hours between the two prior days).

There are still 2 more races in the series. I don't think I'll make it back to either. I'm planning on hitting Lago Vista next weekend. I've never done that race, so I figured it's about time for me to press my luck. The following weekend in the big Oklahoma showdown at Salt Creek/Tall Chief.