Nov 12, 2006
The course was hard. It would have been hard if it was dry, but what made it really bad was the MUD. Saturday night it rained pretty consistently, and made the course surfaces consist of Soup, Peanut Butter, and Play-Doh. Then there was the gravel, and leaves which of course came mostly after the Peanut Butter and Soup. The 45 degree weather wasn't really that bad.
Race started well- I was in the lead going into the first turns and first set of barriers, and up until the first run-up. I was still in good position on the 2nd and 3rd laps, but losing about 1 position a lap as I started to blow up. I'm not sure if pushing a 35 pound 'cross bike was causing me to blow up, or if it was the course, or if it was the fact that my wheels, tires, brakes, cranks, and pedals were so caked with mud, pine needles, grass, leaves, and gravel that carrying it wasn't an option due to the weight, and pushing it was very difficult due to the extra resistance of the aforementioned hangers-on. Pedalling it was hard enough. Did I mention I had virtually no traction?
Fast forward to 5 laps in out of 7. Bike getting heavier. Barriers getting harder. Run-ups (of which there are about 5 due to the mud) getting damn near impossible. But I trudged through them knowing I only had 2 laps to go. One of the climbs was paved, and steep. It came after a muddy descent that if you didn't pedal down you weren't going to get to the bottom. I had the bike in the lowest gear (36-26 in my case), and started cranking up the paved climb, and the bike suddenly stopped. I hopped off to find my rear derailleur 1) bent all to hell in my spokes and 2) split in half. By this I mean the inside part of the cage was wrapped around one spoke, and the outside part of the cage, along with the chain, pulley, and the pulley bolt wrapped around another spoke. I haven't yet seen the threads on the bolt, but it appears I may have ripped the two apart. It's also possible that the added friction on the pulley could have unthreaded the bolt.
So, while running in about 8th place, I had to DNF with a lap and a half to go.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Chimborazo 'cross
Oct 29th, 2006
The top section would be key- there was a 20mph headwind across the field that makes up the first half of the lap, and even on the only downhill the course offers. I went out hard, and made up a few spots early to take up about 8th. After the main grass section, we crossed a road and charged onto a gravel sidewalk. This is where my race effectively got harder- the guy in front of me washed out in the gravel (exactly like Poolesville.) I rode into his right thigh and flipped over the bars in a spectacular fashion. Thus, I started the race effectively in second-to-last (the guy I ran over being behind me).
I made up a little ground in the early going, passing a few guys in the top section, and making up time on the downhill. I kept catching the same group of guys, only to have them power away on the paved climb back to the top. I stayed within sight of them for the rest of the race, and even caught them a few more times, but I just couldn't stay with them long enough to make an attack.
I paid for the early effort later in the race when I was unable to climb anything with efficiency. I did manage to power up the final climb on the last lap to make up one spot, however. I think it was easier to hammer up that climb than it was to try to spin it out, but unfortunately I found that out too late.
I'm not sure where I finished, but I know I wasn't lanterne rouge (last place), and I know I didn't get into the top 10.
The top section would be key- there was a 20mph headwind across the field that makes up the first half of the lap, and even on the only downhill the course offers. I went out hard, and made up a few spots early to take up about 8th. After the main grass section, we crossed a road and charged onto a gravel sidewalk. This is where my race effectively got harder- the guy in front of me washed out in the gravel (exactly like Poolesville.) I rode into his right thigh and flipped over the bars in a spectacular fashion. Thus, I started the race effectively in second-to-last (the guy I ran over being behind me).
I made up a little ground in the early going, passing a few guys in the top section, and making up time on the downhill. I kept catching the same group of guys, only to have them power away on the paved climb back to the top. I stayed within sight of them for the rest of the race, and even caught them a few more times, but I just couldn't stay with them long enough to make an attack.
I paid for the early effort later in the race when I was unable to climb anything with efficiency. I did manage to power up the final climb on the last lap to make up one spot, however. I think it was easier to hammer up that climb than it was to try to spin it out, but unfortunately I found that out too late.
I'm not sure where I finished, but I know I wasn't lanterne rouge (last place), and I know I didn't get into the top 10.
Sunday, May 7, 2006
Poolesville HS Road Race
May 6, 2006
Five 10.5 mile laps (53 miles total), on one of my favorite courses. I have never done well, but the course is a blast- rolling, mostly. There's a 1.4 mile section of dirt/gravel road that I like riding, mostly because I don't mind the bumps or the lost traction, and I'm confident in my ability to stay upright and find a good line. The only problem with the gravel is that every year the DOT puts new gravel down, which primarily collects at the end of the road, where you make a turn onto pavement again. This is often where guys attack, and those who can't follow the pace get dropped.
Rolled out of Poolesville HS at 12:10pm - 75 riders, most of which were from Coppi or NCVC. A disproportionate amount of light blue and red/white jerseys, actually. Probably half the field was made up of those two teams.
The first two miles were neutral, so the race effectively started at Turn 2. The pace started off pretty quickly, with the Coppi and NCVC teams pushing the pace pretty hard. They had enough guys in this race to make it hard from start to finish and still have guys left in the dwindling field. There were some nerves and near-crashes in the first bit of the race- I was in the latter half of the field, but starting to move up a few riders at a time.
The dirt road came at about the third mile. There are plenty of signs and people telling you it's coming, and telling everyone to slow down. It's a 90 degree right hand turn, which shouldn't be a problem for most Cat 3 riders.
I, however, was beside some jackass who crashed in the gravel. He slid to his left, and I rolled over his front wheel- I dismounted and landed on my feet, avoiding actually going down in the gravel. My bike was behind me, though, and on the ground. The rear wheel was run over by someone who was behind me. It was tweaked enough to not be able to go through the brake pads. I didn't think fast enough- I could have opened up the brakes with the adjuster, and probably ridden back on the back of the main field after putting my chain back on. Of course, I didn't think about that- I just panicked that I couldn't roll my wheel. By the time I'd realised what I could have done, I was already in an Audi A4 Quattro, bike on top, screaming down that same dirt road at 50mph, rally-car style. That, unfortunately, was the best part of my day.
3 freakin' miles. At least I can repair the wheel, and my frame/derailleur is fine. 3 hour drive up, 20 minute race, 3 hour drive back... $30 entry fee, $35 in gas... Arrrrgghhh.... As I've said before- maybe next year.
Side note- I was entered in the Wintergreen Ascent but decided to do Poolesville instead. Somehow, having not shown up and not ridden the 7 mile uphill TT, the results show I rode a horrible 1:07:06, which still put me in 10th... I probably got some BAR points out of it... Think I should tell the promoter? ;)
Five 10.5 mile laps (53 miles total), on one of my favorite courses. I have never done well, but the course is a blast- rolling, mostly. There's a 1.4 mile section of dirt/gravel road that I like riding, mostly because I don't mind the bumps or the lost traction, and I'm confident in my ability to stay upright and find a good line. The only problem with the gravel is that every year the DOT puts new gravel down, which primarily collects at the end of the road, where you make a turn onto pavement again. This is often where guys attack, and those who can't follow the pace get dropped.
Rolled out of Poolesville HS at 12:10pm - 75 riders, most of which were from Coppi or NCVC. A disproportionate amount of light blue and red/white jerseys, actually. Probably half the field was made up of those two teams.
The first two miles were neutral, so the race effectively started at Turn 2. The pace started off pretty quickly, with the Coppi and NCVC teams pushing the pace pretty hard. They had enough guys in this race to make it hard from start to finish and still have guys left in the dwindling field. There were some nerves and near-crashes in the first bit of the race- I was in the latter half of the field, but starting to move up a few riders at a time.
The dirt road came at about the third mile. There are plenty of signs and people telling you it's coming, and telling everyone to slow down. It's a 90 degree right hand turn, which shouldn't be a problem for most Cat 3 riders.
I, however, was beside some jackass who crashed in the gravel. He slid to his left, and I rolled over his front wheel- I dismounted and landed on my feet, avoiding actually going down in the gravel. My bike was behind me, though, and on the ground. The rear wheel was run over by someone who was behind me. It was tweaked enough to not be able to go through the brake pads. I didn't think fast enough- I could have opened up the brakes with the adjuster, and probably ridden back on the back of the main field after putting my chain back on. Of course, I didn't think about that- I just panicked that I couldn't roll my wheel. By the time I'd realised what I could have done, I was already in an Audi A4 Quattro, bike on top, screaming down that same dirt road at 50mph, rally-car style. That, unfortunately, was the best part of my day.
3 freakin' miles. At least I can repair the wheel, and my frame/derailleur is fine. 3 hour drive up, 20 minute race, 3 hour drive back... $30 entry fee, $35 in gas... Arrrrgghhh.... As I've said before- maybe next year.
Side note- I was entered in the Wintergreen Ascent but decided to do Poolesville instead. Somehow, having not shown up and not ridden the 7 mile uphill TT, the results show I rode a horrible 1:07:06, which still put me in 10th... I probably got some BAR points out of it... Think I should tell the promoter? ;)
Monday, April 24, 2006
Casey Auto Group Criterium, Todd Stadium, Newport News, VA
April 23
I did two races- the Cat 1/2/3 and the Cat 3 (in that order).
Cat 1/2/3 race
I said I was going to sit in. I always say I'm going to sit in. I had one teammate who was unsure of his fitness level, so we agreed to race our own races and see what happened. In the first part of the race, a breakaway with one of the dominant teams got away (eventually lapping the field), and all early efforts to bring it back were futile. I did, however, help chase a few smaller chase groups down. We had 60 half-mile laps to do, and I lasted for 45 of them before deciding to save some energy for the Cat 3 race. I dropped out, chilled out with Brian M. and had some food and drink before the...
...Cat 3 race
First few laps were fast. Too fast, if you ask me. I felt horrible, but managed to sit in long enough for the legs to warm back up. We were doing 40 laps, and I was the only rider from my team in the race, so again, I was working for myself. A breakaway got away about lap 10, and many chase groups tried to reel them in. Again, the dominant team from the 1/2/3 race was controlling everything, and because of it, the pace was variable. Fast, slow, faster, slow, moderate, really fast, really slow... you get the idea. This took a serious toll on my legs, as did the many accelerations and my attempts to chase down the chase groups that formed every other lap or so. I did my share of work considering my situation, and probably did too much. In the last 5 laps, when the pace was picking up, I just couldn't turn the gear fast enough to make up any ground. I sprinted to stay in the group, but was nowhere near the front when the finish line arrived.
All in all, I'm happy with the day. I felt a lot better in the 1/2/3 race than I did in the 3, and probably could have placed better if I'd stayed in (but wouldn't have had anything left for the later race...) It proves that my form is there, and that I'm still capable of staying in a fast group...
I did two races- the Cat 1/2/3 and the Cat 3 (in that order).
Cat 1/2/3 race
I said I was going to sit in. I always say I'm going to sit in. I had one teammate who was unsure of his fitness level, so we agreed to race our own races and see what happened. In the first part of the race, a breakaway with one of the dominant teams got away (eventually lapping the field), and all early efforts to bring it back were futile. I did, however, help chase a few smaller chase groups down. We had 60 half-mile laps to do, and I lasted for 45 of them before deciding to save some energy for the Cat 3 race. I dropped out, chilled out with Brian M. and had some food and drink before the...
...Cat 3 race
First few laps were fast. Too fast, if you ask me. I felt horrible, but managed to sit in long enough for the legs to warm back up. We were doing 40 laps, and I was the only rider from my team in the race, so again, I was working for myself. A breakaway got away about lap 10, and many chase groups tried to reel them in. Again, the dominant team from the 1/2/3 race was controlling everything, and because of it, the pace was variable. Fast, slow, faster, slow, moderate, really fast, really slow... you get the idea. This took a serious toll on my legs, as did the many accelerations and my attempts to chase down the chase groups that formed every other lap or so. I did my share of work considering my situation, and probably did too much. In the last 5 laps, when the pace was picking up, I just couldn't turn the gear fast enough to make up any ground. I sprinted to stay in the group, but was nowhere near the front when the finish line arrived.
All in all, I'm happy with the day. I felt a lot better in the 1/2/3 race than I did in the 3, and probably could have placed better if I'd stayed in (but wouldn't have had anything left for the later race...) It proves that my form is there, and that I'm still capable of staying in a fast group...
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Smithfield TT, 16.5 miles, Cat 3
Saturday April 8
Rolling course, lots of turns (including one blind hairpin into a short, steep climb), and a lot of open farmland. Wind was coming from all directions...
I rode my newly configured Orbea TT bike, which is basically my normal road position with cowhorns and aerobars mounted. I have STI shifters on the cowhorns (which actually helped on this particular course, as I was able to stand and shift around the blind hairpin).
I started out a little harder (174bpm) than I would normally, being that it was 8 miles shorter than our normal TTs are. I got into a rhythm on the first section, and took the first turn pretty fast. I felt pretty good until a junior with junior gearing passed me. Turns out he's trying to qualify for Junior Worlds, and is a supa-fast dude from NJ. It wasn't until the backside of the course that I turned into a false flat through some farmland that the effort started to take its toll. I was pushing 181bpm and going about 16.5mph. Not fun at all... But once the next turn came about 2 miles later, I started to get the HR back down and the speed back up. I finished with a time of 43:30, averaging 22.5. Not my best TT, but certainly not my worst, either. I think I beat two people for 15th. Still got one BAR point out of it, though! Looking at the results, I would have been 22nd in the Cat 5s. Now that's depressing.
Rolling course, lots of turns (including one blind hairpin into a short, steep climb), and a lot of open farmland. Wind was coming from all directions...
I rode my newly configured Orbea TT bike, which is basically my normal road position with cowhorns and aerobars mounted. I have STI shifters on the cowhorns (which actually helped on this particular course, as I was able to stand and shift around the blind hairpin).
I started out a little harder (174bpm) than I would normally, being that it was 8 miles shorter than our normal TTs are. I got into a rhythm on the first section, and took the first turn pretty fast. I felt pretty good until a junior with junior gearing passed me. Turns out he's trying to qualify for Junior Worlds, and is a supa-fast dude from NJ. It wasn't until the backside of the course that I turned into a false flat through some farmland that the effort started to take its toll. I was pushing 181bpm and going about 16.5mph. Not fun at all... But once the next turn came about 2 miles later, I started to get the HR back down and the speed back up. I finished with a time of 43:30, averaging 22.5. Not my best TT, but certainly not my worst, either. I think I beat two people for 15th. Still got one BAR point out of it, though! Looking at the results, I would have been 22nd in the Cat 5s. Now that's depressing.
Norfolk Waterside Crit, Cat 3
Sunday April 9
50 degrees- cold, hellishly windy. Wind chill down in the high-30s/low 40s. Got to the race early, good warmup. I was relaxed going into the race. On the start line, I lined up in front. I was solo, with no teammates, and decided to ride for myself, and just sit in. However, I went through the first 180 degree turn first, because it's been known to be an early-race tough spot with all the nerves. I pedalled around the turn, stood up and got going again. I looked back, and I'd gotten almost 50m on the group. At this point I'm debating what to do, so I kept pedalling at a decent clip thinking the group will pick up a bit. Again, being where I am and not wanting to get caught in a turn, I dive into the next turn (a chicane with cobblestone pavers) first. The wind coming through the buildings is horrendous, probably 25-30mph headwind. I still have 25m going into the second-to-last turn, so I back off even further. Still a 25m gap, and I'm going less than 18mph into the last turn, waiting for the overtaking. It comes right as we begin the final stretch of the first lap, and an attack goes immediately. I am forced to wait for the last rider to pass, and I get back on, struggling a little after that initial effort.
I stay on the back until we get back into the 180 for the second time. The wind coming through is again 25-30mph, and I push hard to stay where I am on the back. As we round the turn, though, and the pace picks up with the exit, I get dropped. Dropped haaaard. I struggle to maintain some semblance of contact with the group, and cannot. I time trial for 2 more laps and realise I'm about 1/4 lap down in a race with two hellish sections of stiff headwinds. I will get pulled if I stay out and am close to getting lapped, so I pull out after 4 laps.
STUPID STUPID STUPID!!!! No teammates, and I pull that shit. What was I thinking? I felt good, and look where it got me. 2 weeks ago I felt awful for 15 laps, and then moved up with 5 to go.
I've learned my lessons. #1- no teammates, don't work! #2- just 'cuz you feel good at the beginning doesn't mean you can solo to victory on the first lap...
50 degrees- cold, hellishly windy. Wind chill down in the high-30s/low 40s. Got to the race early, good warmup. I was relaxed going into the race. On the start line, I lined up in front. I was solo, with no teammates, and decided to ride for myself, and just sit in. However, I went through the first 180 degree turn first, because it's been known to be an early-race tough spot with all the nerves. I pedalled around the turn, stood up and got going again. I looked back, and I'd gotten almost 50m on the group. At this point I'm debating what to do, so I kept pedalling at a decent clip thinking the group will pick up a bit. Again, being where I am and not wanting to get caught in a turn, I dive into the next turn (a chicane with cobblestone pavers) first. The wind coming through the buildings is horrendous, probably 25-30mph headwind. I still have 25m going into the second-to-last turn, so I back off even further. Still a 25m gap, and I'm going less than 18mph into the last turn, waiting for the overtaking. It comes right as we begin the final stretch of the first lap, and an attack goes immediately. I am forced to wait for the last rider to pass, and I get back on, struggling a little after that initial effort.
I stay on the back until we get back into the 180 for the second time. The wind coming through is again 25-30mph, and I push hard to stay where I am on the back. As we round the turn, though, and the pace picks up with the exit, I get dropped. Dropped haaaard. I struggle to maintain some semblance of contact with the group, and cannot. I time trial for 2 more laps and realise I'm about 1/4 lap down in a race with two hellish sections of stiff headwinds. I will get pulled if I stay out and am close to getting lapped, so I pull out after 4 laps.
STUPID STUPID STUPID!!!! No teammates, and I pull that shit. What was I thinking? I felt good, and look where it got me. 2 weeks ago I felt awful for 15 laps, and then moved up with 5 to go.
I've learned my lessons. #1- no teammates, don't work! #2- just 'cuz you feel good at the beginning doesn't mean you can solo to victory on the first lap...
Monday, March 20, 2006
Dismal Dash TT
Aptly named for many reasons, the Dismal Dash takes you on the outskirts of and briefly through one of Virginia's natural wonders, the Great Dismal Swamp. It is also boring, relatively flat and open, with a lot of farmland on each side of the course, creating a plethora of head-, cross-, tail-, and swirlwinds.
My personal dismalady was evident in the first mile, when my right hip flexor started to cramp up- I backed off until I settled in and got up to speed, and consequently a higher heart rate than I had planned to race with. Not long after I got settled, I started to feel pain in my right IT band, a location I've previously had problems- problems that kept me off of a bike for almost an entire year. I decided it best to back off enough to allow the pain to subside, and this left me pretty much pedalling with only my left leg for about 40% of the 25.4 miles.
In short, this was likely my worst TT effort, ever. 25.4 miles in one hour and 14 plus minutes. The winning time in my category was likely around one hour and 1 to 3 minutes.
I am an advocate of not changing saddle heights or anything else right before a race. I've discussed this with teammates at great length. Saturday afternoon, I moved my saddle forward by 1cm (I had been riding on the nose, and figured this was a minimal change), and also lowered my handlebars by about 1cm as well for maximum aerodynamics.
I also had one other major problem- dehydration. I had been very good about eating well and drinking a lot of water leading up to yesterday. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I ate regular meals at regular times. Yesterday broke the pattern. I woke up with less time than I usually do for a race day, and ate Eggo waffles. I then had about 2 cups of coffee, which is normal, and filled up my Nalgene bottle for the drive. I finished that at around 10am, drank another 16-20 ounces of Gatorade by 1pm, then didn't drink anything else leading up to my 2:30 race. I realised this at 2:28 or so.
I can at least say this- all other time trials this year will be better than this one.
My personal dismalady was evident in the first mile, when my right hip flexor started to cramp up- I backed off until I settled in and got up to speed, and consequently a higher heart rate than I had planned to race with. Not long after I got settled, I started to feel pain in my right IT band, a location I've previously had problems- problems that kept me off of a bike for almost an entire year. I decided it best to back off enough to allow the pain to subside, and this left me pretty much pedalling with only my left leg for about 40% of the 25.4 miles.
In short, this was likely my worst TT effort, ever. 25.4 miles in one hour and 14 plus minutes. The winning time in my category was likely around one hour and 1 to 3 minutes.
I am an advocate of not changing saddle heights or anything else right before a race. I've discussed this with teammates at great length. Saturday afternoon, I moved my saddle forward by 1cm (I had been riding on the nose, and figured this was a minimal change), and also lowered my handlebars by about 1cm as well for maximum aerodynamics.
I also had one other major problem- dehydration. I had been very good about eating well and drinking a lot of water leading up to yesterday. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I ate regular meals at regular times. Yesterday broke the pattern. I woke up with less time than I usually do for a race day, and ate Eggo waffles. I then had about 2 cups of coffee, which is normal, and filled up my Nalgene bottle for the drive. I finished that at around 10am, drank another 16-20 ounces of Gatorade by 1pm, then didn't drink anything else leading up to my 2:30 race. I realised this at 2:28 or so.
I can at least say this- all other time trials this year will be better than this one.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Acceptance is the first step to recovery
I had my Lactate Threshold test yesterday. Here are the results:
I begin producing lactic acid at 112bpm. This means that I have almost ZERO endurance. I have been told to spend the next month riding at about the 110-120 range. This will equate to my riding in the vicinity of 10-12 mph. I WILL be the slowest guy on the team. I have been told that this will make me go fast later on in the season. I haven't finished a road race since I was a Cat 4, and this is likely why.
My Threshold is about 165, which is about 12-15 beats lower than I thought. This equates to my efforts in a time trial being terrible because I'm going too hard in the beginning and struggling like mad to keep pace at the end. It will be interesting to see how my time trials are this year if I'm trying to stay around 165- will I feel better towards the end and increase my pace well enough to be competitive? Or will the lower HR equate to slower times regardless of how I feel? In crits, I'm usually above 175 for the entire race. No wonder I'm fried. I'm basically spending all of my time on the bike trying to recover from hard races, but working too hard during that recovery.
I was told my cadence was too low for the power I was putting out. My positioning could use some work as well- I'm using my upper body so much that I'm always tense on the bike (thus increasing my HR unnecessarily.)
Basically, I suck as a cyclist. I must change my ways. I must be diligent and mentally prepared to ride slower on the road than I ride my mountain bike.
While this is good info to know, it's hard to accept. I have been finishing Cat 3 and 30+ races rather consistently, but I do struggle to stay in the race. Hopefully this new information will lead to me being more comfortable in the middle of the race, so that in the end I'm capable of moving to the front when the race really matters...
I begin producing lactic acid at 112bpm. This means that I have almost ZERO endurance. I have been told to spend the next month riding at about the 110-120 range. This will equate to my riding in the vicinity of 10-12 mph. I WILL be the slowest guy on the team. I have been told that this will make me go fast later on in the season. I haven't finished a road race since I was a Cat 4, and this is likely why.
My Threshold is about 165, which is about 12-15 beats lower than I thought. This equates to my efforts in a time trial being terrible because I'm going too hard in the beginning and struggling like mad to keep pace at the end. It will be interesting to see how my time trials are this year if I'm trying to stay around 165- will I feel better towards the end and increase my pace well enough to be competitive? Or will the lower HR equate to slower times regardless of how I feel? In crits, I'm usually above 175 for the entire race. No wonder I'm fried. I'm basically spending all of my time on the bike trying to recover from hard races, but working too hard during that recovery.
I was told my cadence was too low for the power I was putting out. My positioning could use some work as well- I'm using my upper body so much that I'm always tense on the bike (thus increasing my HR unnecessarily.)
Basically, I suck as a cyclist. I must change my ways. I must be diligent and mentally prepared to ride slower on the road than I ride my mountain bike.
While this is good info to know, it's hard to accept. I have been finishing Cat 3 and 30+ races rather consistently, but I do struggle to stay in the race. Hopefully this new information will lead to me being more comfortable in the middle of the race, so that in the end I'm capable of moving to the front when the race really matters...
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