May 29, 2009
I was off work today. I checked the weather forecast and radar this morning and saw that the rain forecast had changed, yet again. I had a 2 ½ hour window to get in a ride if I got ready and left right then. I killed ½ an hour getting ready and got on the road around 10:45 am. Today the workout ramped up the intensity a bit. I had to get in a good warm up and do 2 x 12 minute sets at LT (lactate threshold) followed by a long steady cool down. It was already 71 degrees, but breezy and cloudy. It actually felt pretty nice. I had some good tunes and podcasts on the iPod to pass the time. About 30 minutes into the warm up I started feeling those familiar signs of hunger creeping in. I had a shot of Hammer gel and some drink mix. This seemed to do the trick. I felt much better by the time I was to start the real work. I had timed the warm up to place me at the foot of a climb when the first interval was due to begin. This is the climb I got soaked on earlier in the week. Off I went. I felt really good, very strong. I actually had to back off several times to stay within the LT zone. The 12 minutes went by relatively fast. I did a 10 minute cool down and got ready for the next interval. This one was going to take place on a pretty flat route. It turned out to be much harder to maintain my watts on this session. I don’t know if it was due to maintaining a higher speed or if I was just a bit fatigued from the first effort. This seemed to be a LONG 12 minutes. I was glad to see it end. I averaged only 2 watts over my LT. I was about 14 watts over that for the first interval. Seems like I would have had lower numbers going up a hill that on the flats. This is a question for the coach. The 45 minute cool down was nice except for the head wind, which caused me to do more work than I wanted or needed, and the rain that started 10 minutes before I got home. Luckily it was a light shower and I didn’t get soaked. It has been almost 7 hours since I finished and I am a little sore already. I will have to break out the massage stick and maybe sit in a bath of Epsom salt tonight. I have rides scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday. There is no time for sore muscles. Saturday looks nice and sunny. Sunday I will have to get in an early session to beat the rain.
More later…
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Races, rain and recovery
May 21, 2009
I took the Time Trial bike out in preparation for the weekend TT. It was the first time I had been on it this year. I did a good warm-up then a pretty hard effort to see what kind of speed I could generate. I felt very sluggish and was not happy with the numbers. I could only hope that the race day jitters and adrenaline would give me a significant boost.
May 23, 2009
Time Trial
Race day! I had to leave the house at zero dark thirty to make the TT start at 7:32 am. I got there; registered, got my bib number drove the course. The profile looked like a steady incline to the turnaround with a steady descent back to the finish line. WRONG! There was no flat area on this course at all. It was either up or down. The road consisted of roller after roller. Glad I saw this before I got started. I wanted to get at least a 30-40 minute warm-up. I quickly heard that the officials were running about 40 minutes behind. That was fine by me. That gave me a little more time to prepare. I warmed up on the road in and around the small town square. I rolled up to the line with about 3 minutes to spare. I was a little nervous and sweating. Good and warm. I got my last drink of water before being held upright for the start. I was clipped in, ready to go. The route was 11 miles long. I wanted to do it in less than 27 minutes. Not a great time, but a good first TT effort for the season. I finished 14th with a time of 25:45.
Criterium
The course was in an industrial park. It was a ‘P’ shaped course that consisted of 5 turns. One of those was a 180 degree, SHARP left turn. I found out quickly that the inside line was NOT the one to take. You had to slow so much it was hard to get started again. This was not a place to get left behind. Everyone was out of the saddle and hammering out of the turn. I could gain some spots out of the turn and into the next turn which started up the only climb on the course. It was a climb that you could shift into a smaller gear and spin up while seated. Once up the climb, there was a left turn that started you down hill into a fast left turn heading toward the start/finish line and that tight 180 degree turn. I could make up ground on this section too. I was proud just to hang with the group, not get lapped and finish without being completely wasted. I finished 27th out of a field of 33. Not a great finish, but improvement since I wasn’t lapped.
I spent the rest of the day taking pictures of my team mates in their races. I got some great shots for our website.
Sunday
I was scheduled to start the road race at 8:25 am Sunday morning. I woke up at 7:55 am. It was a 60 mile drive and it was raining. There was no way I could make it. My power had gone off in the early morning hours and my alarm clock failed to go off and wake me. I rolled over and slept in.
Monday
I had been emailing an “almost local” cycling coach over the last few days and today was the day I was going to enlist his help, advice and knowledge to try and get me to the next level. He had gotten great results with some other racers I know. I hope it will work with me as well. So, he sends me my workouts via email and I send him the power files recorded by my power meter during the workouts. Today was an easy spin day, just an hour and a half of easy spinning in an easy gear. No worries, all was right with the world.
Tuesday
Today I had to do a lactate threshold test to get a baseline # to build from. I had to do a good, solid warm-up followed by a 15 minute, all out, hard effort on a climb. I got caught in a torrential downpour ¾ of the way up the climb. I kept going. I did not want to stop in the middle of this effort. I made it the 15 minutes and turned around. I was already soaked to the bone and getting chilly. The descent was going to be far from fun. I pulled into a pull off and sat underneath a low hanging branch from a tree and waited for 15-20 minutes for the rain to slack up. It finally did, a little. I headed back down the hill ever so carefully at 30-35 mph, with a steady grip on the brakes. The last ¼ of the hill was bone dry, but windy. The storm had not made an impact here at all. I was getting blown all over the road on the way back to my vehicle. I saw that the storm cloud was ahead of me and going in the same direction. I pulled into a service station and got under the awning to let the storm pass. I did not want to ride back into it again. It had been like riding in my shower, only colder. Once I got back on the road, I was on a straight road with an intersecting road on the right. A car was coming up to the intersection as I was about to pass by. This little teenage girl, on her cell phone, no doubt, never looked my way and proceeded to come on out and turn left, which would put her going in my direction of travel. When she finally looked up and saw me, her front bumper was literally 8 inches from my left thigh. I had nowhere to go, as I had already taken evasive action and moved as far to the side of the road as possible. I think she wet herself from the expression on her face when she made eye contact. She immediately swerved left and slowed as I moved passed. She stayed way back for a while then finally sped past. That’s the closest I have come to being struck by a motorist. I hope I’m never that close again!
Oh yeah, the rain fried my iPod. It is trashed. I tried everything to get it going again, but it has played its last song. Father’s day gift idea…
Wednesday
Today was a Zone 2 easy spin day. I had to keep my power output around 140 watts. It seemed almost a dragging pace, but I got used to it and it was a very good recovery, mind clearing ride.
Thursday
Today I had to substitute Friday’s workout for todays. I got home very late, had only about an hour to squeeze in a ride and try and beat the thunderstorms that were predicted. I did a 20 minute warm up followed by 10 sets of single leg drills. Then I did a moderate cool down back to the house. I felt very good. My legs were good today, very strong. I kept wanting to shift to a bigger gear, but I held fast and stuck to the program. There will be time for that tomorrow. I have LT intervals tomorrow. FUN!
I took the Time Trial bike out in preparation for the weekend TT. It was the first time I had been on it this year. I did a good warm-up then a pretty hard effort to see what kind of speed I could generate. I felt very sluggish and was not happy with the numbers. I could only hope that the race day jitters and adrenaline would give me a significant boost.
May 23, 2009
Time Trial
Race day! I had to leave the house at zero dark thirty to make the TT start at 7:32 am. I got there; registered, got my bib number drove the course. The profile looked like a steady incline to the turnaround with a steady descent back to the finish line. WRONG! There was no flat area on this course at all. It was either up or down. The road consisted of roller after roller. Glad I saw this before I got started. I wanted to get at least a 30-40 minute warm-up. I quickly heard that the officials were running about 40 minutes behind. That was fine by me. That gave me a little more time to prepare. I warmed up on the road in and around the small town square. I rolled up to the line with about 3 minutes to spare. I was a little nervous and sweating. Good and warm. I got my last drink of water before being held upright for the start. I was clipped in, ready to go. The route was 11 miles long. I wanted to do it in less than 27 minutes. Not a great time, but a good first TT effort for the season. I finished 14th with a time of 25:45.
Criterium
The course was in an industrial park. It was a ‘P’ shaped course that consisted of 5 turns. One of those was a 180 degree, SHARP left turn. I found out quickly that the inside line was NOT the one to take. You had to slow so much it was hard to get started again. This was not a place to get left behind. Everyone was out of the saddle and hammering out of the turn. I could gain some spots out of the turn and into the next turn which started up the only climb on the course. It was a climb that you could shift into a smaller gear and spin up while seated. Once up the climb, there was a left turn that started you down hill into a fast left turn heading toward the start/finish line and that tight 180 degree turn. I could make up ground on this section too. I was proud just to hang with the group, not get lapped and finish without being completely wasted. I finished 27th out of a field of 33. Not a great finish, but improvement since I wasn’t lapped.
I spent the rest of the day taking pictures of my team mates in their races. I got some great shots for our website.
Sunday
I was scheduled to start the road race at 8:25 am Sunday morning. I woke up at 7:55 am. It was a 60 mile drive and it was raining. There was no way I could make it. My power had gone off in the early morning hours and my alarm clock failed to go off and wake me. I rolled over and slept in.
Monday
I had been emailing an “almost local” cycling coach over the last few days and today was the day I was going to enlist his help, advice and knowledge to try and get me to the next level. He had gotten great results with some other racers I know. I hope it will work with me as well. So, he sends me my workouts via email and I send him the power files recorded by my power meter during the workouts. Today was an easy spin day, just an hour and a half of easy spinning in an easy gear. No worries, all was right with the world.
Tuesday
Today I had to do a lactate threshold test to get a baseline # to build from. I had to do a good, solid warm-up followed by a 15 minute, all out, hard effort on a climb. I got caught in a torrential downpour ¾ of the way up the climb. I kept going. I did not want to stop in the middle of this effort. I made it the 15 minutes and turned around. I was already soaked to the bone and getting chilly. The descent was going to be far from fun. I pulled into a pull off and sat underneath a low hanging branch from a tree and waited for 15-20 minutes for the rain to slack up. It finally did, a little. I headed back down the hill ever so carefully at 30-35 mph, with a steady grip on the brakes. The last ¼ of the hill was bone dry, but windy. The storm had not made an impact here at all. I was getting blown all over the road on the way back to my vehicle. I saw that the storm cloud was ahead of me and going in the same direction. I pulled into a service station and got under the awning to let the storm pass. I did not want to ride back into it again. It had been like riding in my shower, only colder. Once I got back on the road, I was on a straight road with an intersecting road on the right. A car was coming up to the intersection as I was about to pass by. This little teenage girl, on her cell phone, no doubt, never looked my way and proceeded to come on out and turn left, which would put her going in my direction of travel. When she finally looked up and saw me, her front bumper was literally 8 inches from my left thigh. I had nowhere to go, as I had already taken evasive action and moved as far to the side of the road as possible. I think she wet herself from the expression on her face when she made eye contact. She immediately swerved left and slowed as I moved passed. She stayed way back for a while then finally sped past. That’s the closest I have come to being struck by a motorist. I hope I’m never that close again!
Oh yeah, the rain fried my iPod. It is trashed. I tried everything to get it going again, but it has played its last song. Father’s day gift idea…
Wednesday
Today was a Zone 2 easy spin day. I had to keep my power output around 140 watts. It seemed almost a dragging pace, but I got used to it and it was a very good recovery, mind clearing ride.
Thursday
Today I had to substitute Friday’s workout for todays. I got home very late, had only about an hour to squeeze in a ride and try and beat the thunderstorms that were predicted. I did a 20 minute warm up followed by 10 sets of single leg drills. Then I did a moderate cool down back to the house. I felt very good. My legs were good today, very strong. I kept wanting to shift to a bigger gear, but I held fast and stuck to the program. There will be time for that tomorrow. I have LT intervals tomorrow. FUN!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Back in the saddle
May 20, 2009
I took several days off the bike due to a strained Achilles tendon. I have dealt with this before. 2 years ago I did RAGBRAI (ride across Iowa) and on day 4 or 5 I started having pain in my right ankle. So, I knew what it was when I felt it this time. Not much to do except take time off, ice the ankle and take some anti-inflammatory medicine.
I did the Tuesday night ride last night and all seems well with the ankle. I experienced no pain. Well, at least no ankle pain. My legs felt a lot of pain and my lungs burned as if I had doused them in gasoline.
It was a decent ride, but not as good as last week. At mile 15 a gap opened up with about 10 riders in front of me and 4 or 5 behind me. We thought the guys at the front of this group would bridge the gap, but they made no attempt. So, about 4 or 5 of us started working on closing the gap and getting back on with the main field. We made slow, but steady progress. 2 riders got out front a little and caught the group at a red light. Before the rest of us could get up to them, the light changed and they took off like scalded dogs. We could not catch them. I got out in front and made a solo attempt to catch on. It was in vain and I almost blew up. I backed off and let a single rider catch up. We decided to wait at the next stop light and let a few more join so we could work together to complete the ride. 2 riders soon joined us and we were off. We got a rotating pace line going and kept it smooth and steady at around 23 mph. One guy was getting pretty tired and struggling to pull through each time. I told him to just sit in and skip the rotation until he had recovered. He did this for several turns and got back in. He only made it for 4 or 5 pulls until he was cooked. He sat in the rest of the ride. 2 of us never skipped our pulls. One other rider would take a break about every 12 rounds or so. We cut about 4 ½ miles off the route and finished in just under 2 hours. On the last turn into the parking lot, I hit some loose sand and slid a little, but managed to stay upright. Another rider in another group wasn’t so lucky. He went down, but only suffered minor scrapes.
I may get out again tonight, I haven’t decided yet. But tomorrow, I will take out the TT bike in prep for Saturday morning’s TT. I also have a crit Saturday afternoon and a road race Sunday morning. It will be a busy weekend. I’m glad Monday is a holiday and I will be off. It will be a blissful, well needed day of recovery.
I took several days off the bike due to a strained Achilles tendon. I have dealt with this before. 2 years ago I did RAGBRAI (ride across Iowa) and on day 4 or 5 I started having pain in my right ankle. So, I knew what it was when I felt it this time. Not much to do except take time off, ice the ankle and take some anti-inflammatory medicine.
I did the Tuesday night ride last night and all seems well with the ankle. I experienced no pain. Well, at least no ankle pain. My legs felt a lot of pain and my lungs burned as if I had doused them in gasoline.
It was a decent ride, but not as good as last week. At mile 15 a gap opened up with about 10 riders in front of me and 4 or 5 behind me. We thought the guys at the front of this group would bridge the gap, but they made no attempt. So, about 4 or 5 of us started working on closing the gap and getting back on with the main field. We made slow, but steady progress. 2 riders got out front a little and caught the group at a red light. Before the rest of us could get up to them, the light changed and they took off like scalded dogs. We could not catch them. I got out in front and made a solo attempt to catch on. It was in vain and I almost blew up. I backed off and let a single rider catch up. We decided to wait at the next stop light and let a few more join so we could work together to complete the ride. 2 riders soon joined us and we were off. We got a rotating pace line going and kept it smooth and steady at around 23 mph. One guy was getting pretty tired and struggling to pull through each time. I told him to just sit in and skip the rotation until he had recovered. He did this for several turns and got back in. He only made it for 4 or 5 pulls until he was cooked. He sat in the rest of the ride. 2 of us never skipped our pulls. One other rider would take a break about every 12 rounds or so. We cut about 4 ½ miles off the route and finished in just under 2 hours. On the last turn into the parking lot, I hit some loose sand and slid a little, but managed to stay upright. Another rider in another group wasn’t so lucky. He went down, but only suffered minor scrapes.
I may get out again tonight, I haven’t decided yet. But tomorrow, I will take out the TT bike in prep for Saturday morning’s TT. I also have a crit Saturday afternoon and a road race Sunday morning. It will be a busy weekend. I’m glad Monday is a holiday and I will be off. It will be a blissful, well needed day of recovery.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Just hanging on
May 13, 2009
What a difference a week can make. I did the Tuesday night training ride again last night. Once again, the “A” ride had over 30 riders. My goal was to sit in, hang on and try to survive for a few miles longer than last week. I felt really good and I had eaten a little about an hour and a half prior to the ride. The pace was a little more civil for a while, allowing for a good warm up before the hammer dropped. When it did drop, I saw 30-32 MPH on my computer. I gritted my teeth and held on. A few times during the ride I could actually breathe. As we got into a steady rhythm, I saw my heart rate come down to a descent, manageable number. Okay, this is going to be okay, I thought, I can handle this. The biggest obstacle to deal with was getting gapped due to other riders, in front of me, falling off the pace. This happened a few times and I really started to watch for it. When I passed the 15 mile mark, I had satisfied my short term goal. The miles clicked off, very quickly, because we were flying. I think the lowest speed I saw was 24 mph. Finally, at mile 34, a gap opened up as we rounded a sharp turn. I thought the rider at the front of the gap was going to kick up his pace and bridge. He didn’t and the gap started getting wider and wider. Two others riders and I gave chase. We pushed hard and made some progress for the next 2 miles, but the gap was too much for only 3 riders to close. We let reality consume us and we backed off a little on the gas. We knew there was no chance of catching such a group of strong cyclists. With only 7 miles left, we held a good pace of about 21-24 mph. 3 miles from the end of the ride we lost one of our three. He turned off to head home. I was on the front when I heard the other guy say he was starting to cramp. I backed off a little and we soon rolled into the parking lot. I was tired, but not totally spent. This had turned out far better than I’d expected. I’d held on for 34 miles and felt sure I could have finished with the group if I had been more attentive and not let them get away in that turn. I had stuck to my plan and sat in, taking no turns in the rotation in order to save my energy and maintain the pace. My average for the 43.5 miles was 23 mph. A few more times of sitting in and finishing with the group and I will start adding a few pulls in the rotation. This weekly ride is sure to get me in better form. The biggest deterrent I have is the 2 ½ hour wait I have after work before the ride starts. So many things run through my head that I could or should be doing at home. I just have to stick with it, stay positive and see results.
What a difference a week can make. I did the Tuesday night training ride again last night. Once again, the “A” ride had over 30 riders. My goal was to sit in, hang on and try to survive for a few miles longer than last week. I felt really good and I had eaten a little about an hour and a half prior to the ride. The pace was a little more civil for a while, allowing for a good warm up before the hammer dropped. When it did drop, I saw 30-32 MPH on my computer. I gritted my teeth and held on. A few times during the ride I could actually breathe. As we got into a steady rhythm, I saw my heart rate come down to a descent, manageable number. Okay, this is going to be okay, I thought, I can handle this. The biggest obstacle to deal with was getting gapped due to other riders, in front of me, falling off the pace. This happened a few times and I really started to watch for it. When I passed the 15 mile mark, I had satisfied my short term goal. The miles clicked off, very quickly, because we were flying. I think the lowest speed I saw was 24 mph. Finally, at mile 34, a gap opened up as we rounded a sharp turn. I thought the rider at the front of the gap was going to kick up his pace and bridge. He didn’t and the gap started getting wider and wider. Two others riders and I gave chase. We pushed hard and made some progress for the next 2 miles, but the gap was too much for only 3 riders to close. We let reality consume us and we backed off a little on the gas. We knew there was no chance of catching such a group of strong cyclists. With only 7 miles left, we held a good pace of about 21-24 mph. 3 miles from the end of the ride we lost one of our three. He turned off to head home. I was on the front when I heard the other guy say he was starting to cramp. I backed off a little and we soon rolled into the parking lot. I was tired, but not totally spent. This had turned out far better than I’d expected. I’d held on for 34 miles and felt sure I could have finished with the group if I had been more attentive and not let them get away in that turn. I had stuck to my plan and sat in, taking no turns in the rotation in order to save my energy and maintain the pace. My average for the 43.5 miles was 23 mph. A few more times of sitting in and finishing with the group and I will start adding a few pulls in the rotation. This weekly ride is sure to get me in better form. The biggest deterrent I have is the 2 ½ hour wait I have after work before the ride starts. So many things run through my head that I could or should be doing at home. I just have to stick with it, stay positive and see results.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Race Weekend Recap
May 11, 2009
I made it through the weekend Crit series. I stayed upright, on 2 wheels and finished all 3 races in dry conditions. Others were not so lucky and had to deal with rain from sprinkles to steady rain. The cycling gods smiled on me in that respect. But only in that respect! I can honestly say I am not in race form yet. Note to self: More training needed next winter!
Crit #1
I suffered badly in the first race Saturday morning. As usual, I was in a rush to get loaded and on the road. So, in my haste, I forgot my trainer and was not able to get in a good, proper warm-up before the race. The course was short and pretty fast. In true criterium fashion, everyone dropped the hammer from the start. We were all staying pretty tight for the first few laps. Then, once again, in true crit fashion, a crash at the bottom of the hill in a right turn changed all that. I was behind the crash along with several other riders. We managed to avoid the crash and going down ourselves by swerving far to the outside. We had to slow considerable to do this as we were going pretty fast down the hill. Due to our detour, a gap opened up and we were never able to catch back onto the tail of the main group. We burned ourselves out trying. I finished at the back, maybe even dead last. I am not really sure who, if anyone was behind me. I was just trying to survive the chaotic pace and stay in the race. I avoided another crash in the final turn heading to the finish line. I was glad to be finished and unscathed. The race winner, a European, was found to be sandbagging and disqualified from the race and was made to move up a category. No wonder he was killing us!
Crit #2
I almost bailed on this one. I did not recover well from the effort I put out in the first race. I borrowed a team mate’s trainer and was able to get in a good 30 minute warm-up before this race. I was nice and sweaty at the start line. This course was around a 2 city blocks with one narrow, 1 lane, road, 6 turns, one descent and an uphill finish. I learned quickly that the only place I could gain any ground was on the uphill portion of the course. I could shift to an easy gear and basically spin up the hill and pass a rider or 2 each time. I’d get passed on other parts of the course, but could regain a lost spot or two there. That is until all hell broke loose and the riders on the very front kicked it up a few notches and blew a bunch of us off the back. Okay, here we go, time to play catch up again. Or try to catch up as it was. I was in a group of 4. We worked “ok” together, not a great show of cycling teamwork, but better than a solo effort. As we got close to the end of the race it was down to 2 of us and we were at the very back of the race. At 2 laps to go, I thought it was the final lap…delusional I guess. Anyway, I sprinted for the line on that lap for nothing. The next lap, we both thought we were finished and he sprinted for the line. “ONE LAP TO GO! ONE LAP TO GO!” we finally heard the announcer say. Another wasted effort on our part. I was pretty much cooked and heaving for any smidgen of oxygen I could find by the end of the final lap. I got gapped by about 30 meters as we came down the straight-a-way before the final turn. I kept pedaling, but struggled to catch my breath. I could breathe a little better at the final turn. #414 was still ahead and he looked back at me when I made the turn. “If he looks back again, I’ll give it everything I have and go for it.” I told myself. He looked, he turned and I went. I closed the gap by 15 meters before he turned and saw me coming. He was out of the saddle and it was full on. We both gave it all we had and lunged for the line. We had no clue who had won the sprint for…next to last! Sad but true, neither of us wanted to finish dead last. I asked the officials who finished last and got a really strange look. They pulled up the results via the finish line camera. I GOT HIM at the line by about 2 inches. (see photo)Such satisfaction for such a trivial sprint. But, that’s racing and it was fun, what else is there?
Crit #3
Okay, last race of the weekend with a bright, sunny sky. I felt VERY sluggish driving to this race. All I could think was, “what am I doing? My legs are anchors, why bother?” I went through the motions, did my warm-up and started to feel better. Okay, race strategy, first, finish the race, second, do not finish last, and do not crash! This race seemed to start a little calmer than the previous 2. Maybe everyone was just tired or maybe a little more wary of their opponents, I was just grateful. But, as always, sooner than late, someone got jumpy and went off the front. The pace kicked up to warp speed and it was a struggle to hang on. I managed to stay in the last 1/3 of the group. Then 4 of us started working together, but I could tell it was not going to work and we started getting gapped off the back. The other 3 guys would take pulls for an entire lap, which was insane at this pace. I would do my pull for about ¼ lap and get off the front. By the time I was back at the front, they were all slowing down and we were losing ground each lap. On the stretch to the start/finish I could gain ground because I would continue to pedal on the downhill, while they would coast and try to recover from their efforts. I finally went off on my own and finished ahead of 5 riders. I was 18th. I had gotten progressively better in each race. I guess I just needed about 5 or 6 more races to get into the top 10, wishful thinking, right? I have a long way to go to hang with this bunch and be competitive. But, I’m working on it. I am looking forward to a recovery day, I’m all about that!
I made it through the weekend Crit series. I stayed upright, on 2 wheels and finished all 3 races in dry conditions. Others were not so lucky and had to deal with rain from sprinkles to steady rain. The cycling gods smiled on me in that respect. But only in that respect! I can honestly say I am not in race form yet. Note to self: More training needed next winter!
Crit #1
I suffered badly in the first race Saturday morning. As usual, I was in a rush to get loaded and on the road. So, in my haste, I forgot my trainer and was not able to get in a good, proper warm-up before the race. The course was short and pretty fast. In true criterium fashion, everyone dropped the hammer from the start. We were all staying pretty tight for the first few laps. Then, once again, in true crit fashion, a crash at the bottom of the hill in a right turn changed all that. I was behind the crash along with several other riders. We managed to avoid the crash and going down ourselves by swerving far to the outside. We had to slow considerable to do this as we were going pretty fast down the hill. Due to our detour, a gap opened up and we were never able to catch back onto the tail of the main group. We burned ourselves out trying. I finished at the back, maybe even dead last. I am not really sure who, if anyone was behind me. I was just trying to survive the chaotic pace and stay in the race. I avoided another crash in the final turn heading to the finish line. I was glad to be finished and unscathed. The race winner, a European, was found to be sandbagging and disqualified from the race and was made to move up a category. No wonder he was killing us!
Crit #2
I almost bailed on this one. I did not recover well from the effort I put out in the first race. I borrowed a team mate’s trainer and was able to get in a good 30 minute warm-up before this race. I was nice and sweaty at the start line. This course was around a 2 city blocks with one narrow, 1 lane, road, 6 turns, one descent and an uphill finish. I learned quickly that the only place I could gain any ground was on the uphill portion of the course. I could shift to an easy gear and basically spin up the hill and pass a rider or 2 each time. I’d get passed on other parts of the course, but could regain a lost spot or two there. That is until all hell broke loose and the riders on the very front kicked it up a few notches and blew a bunch of us off the back. Okay, here we go, time to play catch up again. Or try to catch up as it was. I was in a group of 4. We worked “ok” together, not a great show of cycling teamwork, but better than a solo effort. As we got close to the end of the race it was down to 2 of us and we were at the very back of the race. At 2 laps to go, I thought it was the final lap…delusional I guess. Anyway, I sprinted for the line on that lap for nothing. The next lap, we both thought we were finished and he sprinted for the line. “ONE LAP TO GO! ONE LAP TO GO!” we finally heard the announcer say. Another wasted effort on our part. I was pretty much cooked and heaving for any smidgen of oxygen I could find by the end of the final lap. I got gapped by about 30 meters as we came down the straight-a-way before the final turn. I kept pedaling, but struggled to catch my breath. I could breathe a little better at the final turn. #414 was still ahead and he looked back at me when I made the turn. “If he looks back again, I’ll give it everything I have and go for it.” I told myself. He looked, he turned and I went. I closed the gap by 15 meters before he turned and saw me coming. He was out of the saddle and it was full on. We both gave it all we had and lunged for the line. We had no clue who had won the sprint for…next to last! Sad but true, neither of us wanted to finish dead last. I asked the officials who finished last and got a really strange look. They pulled up the results via the finish line camera. I GOT HIM at the line by about 2 inches. (see photo)Such satisfaction for such a trivial sprint. But, that’s racing and it was fun, what else is there?
Crit #3
Okay, last race of the weekend with a bright, sunny sky. I felt VERY sluggish driving to this race. All I could think was, “what am I doing? My legs are anchors, why bother?” I went through the motions, did my warm-up and started to feel better. Okay, race strategy, first, finish the race, second, do not finish last, and do not crash! This race seemed to start a little calmer than the previous 2. Maybe everyone was just tired or maybe a little more wary of their opponents, I was just grateful. But, as always, sooner than late, someone got jumpy and went off the front. The pace kicked up to warp speed and it was a struggle to hang on. I managed to stay in the last 1/3 of the group. Then 4 of us started working together, but I could tell it was not going to work and we started getting gapped off the back. The other 3 guys would take pulls for an entire lap, which was insane at this pace. I would do my pull for about ¼ lap and get off the front. By the time I was back at the front, they were all slowing down and we were losing ground each lap. On the stretch to the start/finish I could gain ground because I would continue to pedal on the downhill, while they would coast and try to recover from their efforts. I finally went off on my own and finished ahead of 5 riders. I was 18th. I had gotten progressively better in each race. I guess I just needed about 5 or 6 more races to get into the top 10, wishful thinking, right? I have a long way to go to hang with this bunch and be competitive. But, I’m working on it. I am looking forward to a recovery day, I’m all about that!
Friday, May 8, 2009
The sky is crying, AGAIN!
May 8, 2009
I registered for the Tomato Head Criterium Series last night or this morning, I’m not really sure which. I had TONS of trouble and errors trying to get registered. It finally showed that I was registered this morning, but I was charged twice. That is sure to be a hassle to get a refund.
We had storms this morning and chance of rain and scattered T-storms all weekend. I hope the rain will scatter somewhere there is not a bike race taking place. Crits aren’t my favorite, especially on a wet course. They usually start like horses out of a gate and go full speed the whole time.
I didn’t get in my planned ride yesterday and I’m not sure I will be able to squeeze one in this afternoon before the rain moves back into the area. The night before a race is always stressful. I never seem to get enough rest and when I do sleep, I am up very early the day of the race. I try to eat a good breakfast at least 2 ½ to 3 hours before the race so it will be digested before I roll onto the start line. I’ll have a shot of Hammer Gel or some Heed about 15 minutes before the race and that will be it, other than water, until the finish. No worries though, each race will only last about an hour. Saturday morning’s race will be my first Crit of the year. I’ll cross my fingers, tighten up my butt cheeks and hope for the best.
The list of registered riders is pretty familiar. I know a lot of these guys and know how they race. It’s the ones I don’t know that I worry about…
Rain or shine, the fun starts @ 10:10 am.
I registered for the Tomato Head Criterium Series last night or this morning, I’m not really sure which. I had TONS of trouble and errors trying to get registered. It finally showed that I was registered this morning, but I was charged twice. That is sure to be a hassle to get a refund.
We had storms this morning and chance of rain and scattered T-storms all weekend. I hope the rain will scatter somewhere there is not a bike race taking place. Crits aren’t my favorite, especially on a wet course. They usually start like horses out of a gate and go full speed the whole time.
I didn’t get in my planned ride yesterday and I’m not sure I will be able to squeeze one in this afternoon before the rain moves back into the area. The night before a race is always stressful. I never seem to get enough rest and when I do sleep, I am up very early the day of the race. I try to eat a good breakfast at least 2 ½ to 3 hours before the race so it will be digested before I roll onto the start line. I’ll have a shot of Hammer Gel or some Heed about 15 minutes before the race and that will be it, other than water, until the finish. No worries though, each race will only last about an hour. Saturday morning’s race will be my first Crit of the year. I’ll cross my fingers, tighten up my butt cheeks and hope for the best.
The list of registered riders is pretty familiar. I know a lot of these guys and know how they race. It’s the ones I don’t know that I worry about…
Rain or shine, the fun starts @ 10:10 am.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
OMG, who's after us?
May 6, 2009
I did the Tuesday night "A" training ride last night. I think a better description would be that I took a ride on a PAIN train. There were 25-30 riders at the start. The first mile or 2 were civil, then, apparently someone must have been chasing us, because everyone seemed hell bent for glory to get away from “something”. I was at the front of the group when this all started. Id did my turns in the rotating paceline. We were averaging 27-29 mph. I kept in the rotation, did my pull and moved back each time. Every turn at the front seemed progressively harder. The occasional red light was a welcome, yet brief, relief. I had no false hopes or delusions of grandeur. I knew I could not hold this pace for 43 miles. My turns in the rotation were done. I moved to the line of riders who were sitting in at the back.
The elastic started to stretch for me around mile 10. I would gain a little ground, and fall off a bit. It snapped at 11.5 miles and I was spent. I was not alone, however. There was a line of scattered riders behind the main field like litter on the road. My only thought was to breath and try to keep upright. A pace of 20 mph now seemed like a day at the beach. Oh, guess what, we must have lost our pursuer or whatever we were running from because no one ever caught up to us. Believe me, I’d have known, because I was an easy target at this point. Time to regroup, suck it up, walk it off and get with the program. I did a steady TT effort for a mile or so picking up a rider here and there, we soon had a solid group of 8 riders. Each of us took our turns at the front and eventually started a rotating paceline. We were averaging a respectable 23-25 mph unless we hit hills. We knew we’d never catch the lead group, but we were determined to take as much time out of the gap as possible. No one said a word. There was no time to talk, much less eat. An occasional, hurried gulp of water was a luxury and one relished when the opportunity presented its self.
With the exception of one rider who always accelerated through his pull and surged off the front, we had a steady smooth group. We finished our 43.12 miles in 2 hours, 1 minute with an overall average speed of 21.4 mph. My reward for the suffer-rama was a Hardees’s Thickburger! SOOO good.
Today, I am feeling that ride in my legs.
I will not be defeated by the Tuesday night ride. Next week, my goal is 13-15 miles with the group. If I get spit out the back then, so be it. Baby steps…a mile or 2 more each week until I can hold on and stay in the rotation for the duration. What doesn’t kill me will only make me faster.
“And you call that fun?” my wife asked after my ride recap. Yeah, for some sick, twisted reason, I guess I do. Go figure…
Today is recovery day. Some stretching and relaxing are in order and maybe a Lynchburg Lemonade.
I did the Tuesday night "A" training ride last night. I think a better description would be that I took a ride on a PAIN train. There were 25-30 riders at the start. The first mile or 2 were civil, then, apparently someone must have been chasing us, because everyone seemed hell bent for glory to get away from “something”. I was at the front of the group when this all started. Id did my turns in the rotating paceline. We were averaging 27-29 mph. I kept in the rotation, did my pull and moved back each time. Every turn at the front seemed progressively harder. The occasional red light was a welcome, yet brief, relief. I had no false hopes or delusions of grandeur. I knew I could not hold this pace for 43 miles. My turns in the rotation were done. I moved to the line of riders who were sitting in at the back.
The elastic started to stretch for me around mile 10. I would gain a little ground, and fall off a bit. It snapped at 11.5 miles and I was spent. I was not alone, however. There was a line of scattered riders behind the main field like litter on the road. My only thought was to breath and try to keep upright. A pace of 20 mph now seemed like a day at the beach. Oh, guess what, we must have lost our pursuer or whatever we were running from because no one ever caught up to us. Believe me, I’d have known, because I was an easy target at this point. Time to regroup, suck it up, walk it off and get with the program. I did a steady TT effort for a mile or so picking up a rider here and there, we soon had a solid group of 8 riders. Each of us took our turns at the front and eventually started a rotating paceline. We were averaging a respectable 23-25 mph unless we hit hills. We knew we’d never catch the lead group, but we were determined to take as much time out of the gap as possible. No one said a word. There was no time to talk, much less eat. An occasional, hurried gulp of water was a luxury and one relished when the opportunity presented its self.
With the exception of one rider who always accelerated through his pull and surged off the front, we had a steady smooth group. We finished our 43.12 miles in 2 hours, 1 minute with an overall average speed of 21.4 mph. My reward for the suffer-rama was a Hardees’s Thickburger! SOOO good.
Today, I am feeling that ride in my legs.
I will not be defeated by the Tuesday night ride. Next week, my goal is 13-15 miles with the group. If I get spit out the back then, so be it. Baby steps…a mile or 2 more each week until I can hold on and stay in the rotation for the duration. What doesn’t kill me will only make me faster.
“And you call that fun?” my wife asked after my ride recap. Yeah, for some sick, twisted reason, I guess I do. Go figure…
Today is recovery day. Some stretching and relaxing are in order and maybe a Lynchburg Lemonade.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Training ride
May 5, 2009
I am watching the weather to see if the Tuesday night training ride will happen tonight. It is looking much better than this morning. I think we will roll out as planned. I have not done this ride before and have heard a lot about it. Sounds like an all out hammerfest. I hope I am up for it. I did a 45 mile ride last night, partially in the rain. I hope I have recovered enough for the punishment that is sure to insue this evening.
I am watching the weather to see if the Tuesday night training ride will happen tonight. It is looking much better than this morning. I think we will roll out as planned. I have not done this ride before and have heard a lot about it. Sounds like an all out hammerfest. I hope I am up for it. I did a 45 mile ride last night, partially in the rain. I hope I have recovered enough for the punishment that is sure to insue this evening.
Sumner County Classic Road Race
May 1, 2009.
Nasty drive to the race just north of Nashville. We went through tons of rain and had our doubts about the race conditions. All was not lost though. We got a few sprinkles in the parking lot before the race and that was it.
The course was 2 laps of a 24 mile loop. I race Cat 4. This was my first race of the season and my goal was just to finish and not be dead last.
We started with about a mile and a half neutral start. Once we were clear to go, everyone stayed together for the first few miles. Finally at around 7 miles in the race a group of 6 got off the front. There were members of 3 teams in the break that had at least 2 team mates in the pack. These team members were on the front trying to control the pace of the group. I got with 3 others to chase down the break and easily brought it back. Everyone settled down again and we just cruised along.
Then a solo break was started. The guy making the break had 3 team menbers sitting on the front to control our pace. No one seemed to want to chase him down. I waited for someone to go after him and still, no takers. So, off I went. My thought was that if I could bridge the gap and work with this rider, maybe the 2 of us could stay away. It was not to be. Once I caught his wheel, he backed off his pace and his 3 team mates brought us back to the group.
4 riders went down on the slick road in a sweeping left turn on a descent. One of the rider's front wheels went airborne off his bike. They all got back into the group pretty quickly.
The climb on this course was a slow, gradual one with a kick at the end of about 200 meters. When we got there, I was toast. I had expended far too much energy chasing breaks.
I was shelled down to about 25th position from where I had been holding in at around 15th.
It took the next lap for me to recover and work with a couple other riders to work our way back to the group. We never got back on. I dropped those 2 on the final climb and passed a couple more riders before my solo finish. I finished 27th of 35. After 2 hours and 17 minutes in the saddle, I finished and I wasn't last. Good enough for my first outting this season. I have to step up my training for sure. I know where I suffered and where I felt good. Unfortunately, there was more suffering than I wanted.
My team mate won his Masters 50 race in a 2 person breakaway from 4 miles into the race. It was his first win EVER. He was stoked for the rest of the day. It was a good race and worth the 5 1/2 hours of ride time to and from the race.
Nasty drive to the race just north of Nashville. We went through tons of rain and had our doubts about the race conditions. All was not lost though. We got a few sprinkles in the parking lot before the race and that was it.
The course was 2 laps of a 24 mile loop. I race Cat 4. This was my first race of the season and my goal was just to finish and not be dead last.
We started with about a mile and a half neutral start. Once we were clear to go, everyone stayed together for the first few miles. Finally at around 7 miles in the race a group of 6 got off the front. There were members of 3 teams in the break that had at least 2 team mates in the pack. These team members were on the front trying to control the pace of the group. I got with 3 others to chase down the break and easily brought it back. Everyone settled down again and we just cruised along.
Then a solo break was started. The guy making the break had 3 team menbers sitting on the front to control our pace. No one seemed to want to chase him down. I waited for someone to go after him and still, no takers. So, off I went. My thought was that if I could bridge the gap and work with this rider, maybe the 2 of us could stay away. It was not to be. Once I caught his wheel, he backed off his pace and his 3 team mates brought us back to the group.
4 riders went down on the slick road in a sweeping left turn on a descent. One of the rider's front wheels went airborne off his bike. They all got back into the group pretty quickly.
The climb on this course was a slow, gradual one with a kick at the end of about 200 meters. When we got there, I was toast. I had expended far too much energy chasing breaks.
I was shelled down to about 25th position from where I had been holding in at around 15th.
It took the next lap for me to recover and work with a couple other riders to work our way back to the group. We never got back on. I dropped those 2 on the final climb and passed a couple more riders before my solo finish. I finished 27th of 35. After 2 hours and 17 minutes in the saddle, I finished and I wasn't last. Good enough for my first outting this season. I have to step up my training for sure. I know where I suffered and where I felt good. Unfortunately, there was more suffering than I wanted.
My team mate won his Masters 50 race in a 2 person breakaway from 4 miles into the race. It was his first win EVER. He was stoked for the rest of the day. It was a good race and worth the 5 1/2 hours of ride time to and from the race.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
