Tampa Classic Inline Speed Skating Races

The 2009 Tampa Classic is a 3 day event consisting of indoor and outdoor short and long distance speed skating races. Indoors I race the Elite Veteran Men (45-49 age group) and the Novice Master Men (35+ age group). Outdoors I race the 45+ age group. Indoor races consist of 2 races in each division, a 500 meter race and a 1000 meter race on a 100 meter oval track. Outdoor races consist of 2 races on a closed 500 meter asphalt road course, a 1500 meter race and a 10,000 meter race.

Indoor races started Thursday evening with the 3-person relays. Friday morning (6am) starts the Elite division individual races. My first race is the 500 meter Veteran men race. I start the race off of the line in 2nd place. After about 3 laps, I pass up to 1st place. I have so much momentum going into the corner that I have to go out wide. When I do this 3 guys pass me back and I am now in 4th place. After a couple of guys get together on the last lap, I am back in 2nd place and going for the lead. We hit the last corner and I try to pass him and he hawks me at the line for the win by inches. I finish in 2nd place.

My second race is the 1000 meter race. I start off of the line in 5th place. I hold my position until about 5 laps when I start to move up. I pass every guy one by one until I get back into 2nd position. I can't quite get him and finish in 2nd place again. So I finish with 2nd place overall in the Veteran Men division.

Saturday morning starts the Novice division races. I start my 500 meter race in 4th place and am catching the 3rd place position when I slip and fall down with only one lap to go. So I get a DNF for that race, which really pissed me off. I know that I can beat these guys, so I have to really go for it in the 1000 meter race.

The 1000 meter race starts and I am in last place off of the line because I slip on the start. I slowly start to pass up during the race and am in 3rd place with 3 laps to go. I am getting set-up to pass up to 2nd place when I slip again and fall. I jump up and take off to try to finish the race, but am too far back and finish in last place. So I do not place at all in the Novice division.

Sunday concludes with the outdoor races. I have a 1500 meter (3 laps) race and a 10,000 meter (20 laps) race. The first race is the 1500 meter race. I come off of the line in 3rd place. I decide to stay there and draft behind them until the last lap. The 4th place guy passes me on the last lap and we hit skates as he goes around me. I thought that we were going to fall down, but we didn't. I am in last place when we come around the last corner. As I am setting up the turn, I am crossing over as hard as I can. I am right behind the guys as I hit the corner with a lot of momentum and sprint to the finish line passing all by the leader for 2nd place.

So now it is time for the last race of the weekend for me. They are going to run all age groups 17 years old and up together because the race is too long to run each age group separately. So we are off and I am somewhere towards the middle of the pack. I goal is to try to stay close to the other guys in my age group. I am right behind the 2nd place guy and stay with him for about 5 or 6 laps. The lead pack to going way too fast for me and I have to back off if I am going to finish the race. My heart rate monitor is reading 183 after only a half lap.

So I back off some and get dropped in the process, but I am maintaining my pace. I know that I can finish the race as long as I don't do anything stupid. I am skating a fast pace for me, but don't know how fast it actually is. Slowly people start to drop off their pace and I start passing them. I am skating the rest of the race all by myself now. After about 17 laps, the leaders finally cath me and pass me. I try to just in behind them but just can't keep up with their pace. I never see the guys in my age group again.

I finish the race in 18:01 at an average speed of 20.66 miles per hour and a heart rate average of 182. I get 3rd place in my age group and 3rd place overall for the outdoor races.

So this brings the end to another long weekend of tough inline speed skating races. I accomplished some goals and am disappointed in some others. Overall I had a great time and came home with 4 medals, a t-shirt, bike jersey and an insulated water bottle. Congratulations to all of the other skaters and thanks to the good folks at United Skates of America and the Stardust Speed team for hosting and sponsoring the Tampa Classic.