rain

oh yeah... 3 1/2 h in pouring rain...thats racing...
only the real races show up and finish something like that...thats why I like that kind of racing...quiting never ever even enters my mind....no way.
Once you quit a race once...you will quit again and again and sone you will pull out for any small excuse.

other then that it went ok... My legs were really sore from the previuous week of training. I make an consious decision though to stay in the front...this skill is just as important as climbing or sprinting and once you feel good....you have the skills to be where you need to be.

Rain

The weather has been so good the last few weeks, so it's hard getting out after work to train in the rain.
The winter/rain bike has been put away, well at least metaphorically... and it needs a new drive chain.
So I guess it's the race bike with a clip on fender... it works pretty good I guess...at least for a while..... Well it's time to head home.... sprints today. Just a few so to not wear out the legs for this weekend.

back on track

Well it's back on the trainer..I finally think I'm over my cold...
Going to do some Lt work tonight...well see how it goes seeing i'm fatigued from this weekend still...and after today probably not much more hard this week...this weeknd I have 2 races, both over 80miles.

Work is going ok...just need more time to rest... thats the life we choose though...can't have everything.

Another weekend

Another weekend are two more races.... Two races in two days...Each one more then 3hours....it's pretty hard for this early in the season. Saturdays road race was fast, lap two(of six) dropped plenty riders of the back...I hung in there and made some attacks late in the race...Soloed (mostly involuntary) of the front for a mile or so starting the last lap...why is it That my attacks don't bring anybody else with me, to share the load...I was countering an attack by a teammate and suddenly I was of the front by myself...I went at it for a few minutes....but it was coming back for a field sprint...so I sat up and received as much as possible....It was panic...No team took responsibility of leading it out, maybe they couldn't....But it got scary and tight, wheels touching, swearing and speed...Not a good mix... I eked out a 10th,,,not what I had hopped for but at least I was alive and considering such a dangerous finish with 80guys all going for it...not too bad. Actually what was dangerous was the photographer leaning out that I hit going 30..right after the line .man I jammed my shoulder and neck pretty hard... My team mate took 4thm and with a 3ed last week he is in second overall going into the last one next week. Sunday I was still pretty tired,,,, but hey everybody else should be to, right. it was 3 1/2 hours of pain...intermixed with agony...lap 2 of 10 the field split in the side wind, only two guys from my team made it, me and one other guy.... the rest of the race we were so outnumbered it wasn't even funny.... we took 10th and 11th....I was so exhausted... Well the plan is that two days of hard racing will make me stronger, if I rest...which now is really important... I'm just about over my cold...so it that goes away I should be ready to go... I hope.

Race season has started....
4th, and an 8th to my name so far...
The road race were I was most active and felt the best, and where I should have placed I finished in the pack behind a last lap break away of 10 riders.... though constant attacking we got a rider in it...should have been me....but that’s what team work is all about...some times it just doesn’t work out the way you expect and that’s ok... we took 3ed which is pretty good.
What was actually better was the fact that we were in every break... so there was no way we could have missed it...we rode really aggressive... especially considering some of my team mates early season form isn't quite up to par.
After the race though I wasn't feeling good...I was starting to get a cold earlier that week...just about avoided it I thought. but the effort brought it back.... I woke up Sunday feeling bad...but still did the TT, (not smart)...so this week I've been nursing a cold. I can feel myself getting over it but still have a runny nose and stuffed up head etc...

two road races this weekend...a good way to get used to stage races..you have to be able to race even when you are tired....be smart and make the efforts count.

So race season has started...well just about..
I raced Saturday on a small training race...Thought I'd better get it in before the rain comes next week.
The real racing starts Saturday with a road race and Sunday with a TT.
I just finished putting the TT bike together last night...Cutting it kind of close...I'm going to
ride it tonight for a while and see how it feels.

Last week I was doing Vo2 interval's, now I'm back doing LT stuff at 300W...so It shouldn't be too bad....
Tomorrow I will be trying to do some climbing below my LT..it's always hard to know how hard
to go on a climb...Especially in the dark when you can't see your HR monitor...oh well