After a week of being sick I was a bit nervous for the weekends racing. Well I did ride once last week, Thursday and after 35min of tempo riding my legs suddenly lost all power…I eased of for a few minuets and continues my ride home. I took Friday of also, although I had initially planned a short ride to test my legs, but by the time I got home I decided it was better to rest.
Saturdays race was new course, which is always fun. When we arrive we lean that there are “two” hills on each lap…oh…I have to be careful… My goal was to hang is as long as possible, and don’t do anything crazy…to last to the end. I told myself that the goal of the race was to last as long as possible, and that getting dropped would be ok, if that was the best I could do. Deep down I know, that if I finish in anything but at least the main pack would be disappointed. No matter how sick or tired I am, I can’t relinquish the fact that I need to finish. Setting a team mate up for a good result would be perfectly ok, If I could make a difference to help somebody finish high up in the results that would be an acceptable goal. For our team to have a good chance, it would either be get a rider up in the break, or once our sprinter got over the last climb help get the pace up and take him to the front.
80 miles with 8 climbs… well I’d better start carefully and see how I feel. First climb came only a few miles into the race… it was fast, but not too bad I was ok… on the descent I somehow managed to drift to the back..(on a new decent and my first ride since September on my carbon rims).. when I suddenly realize that I’ve been here before…two years ago we had our training camp here…once I realize this, I remember the descent and the fact that there were no sharp hidden corners… and I’m a lot more comfortable and bomb down the rest.
A few brakes go up the road, Nathan is in a few but nothing wants to stay. I somehow get in a move or two…not on purpose really I just happen to be in the right spot and instinct takes over.
Second time up the big hill, I drift all the way back…ops…that’s not good, we have long way to go. I get over the shorter climb ok. Third time up I’m nervous, I make sure I start the climb right up front…. I do fine..and crest mid pack or so.. five riders are of the front as this point, but with the way I’m feeling I’m happy to fight it out for 6th. Going onto the final lap my legs are like jelly…I’m sure I’m not going to make it. I push those thoughts out as I start the climb in 5th wheel. I concentrate and try to relax, half way up a small group of six riders have a slight gap, I look up and decide that this could be it, I put everything aside, shift a gear and stand up, I surge up to the group and proceed in leading them over the top…I look back we have slight gap. Now being more comfortable on the descent I hit the front and go down it as fast as I can.
I’m slightly shocked…how did I do that?…go from being sure I wasn’t going to make it, to leading the split over top. Your worst enemy id self doubt. Nobody really wants to keep pushing it, we slow down . A little while later our group swells as most people catch back on. Pete is here, if he can just get over the last climb coming up in 10miles or so, we have a great chance of taking out the sprint.
Going into the climb I’m too far back, but my biggest misstate was I wasn’t committed to a plan. I told Pete I’d wait for him at the top, in doing this I hesitated slightly and let 12 rides or so get a gap at the top. I think I could have got up to them at the crest, but I hesitated because I didn’t want to get too far ahead of Pete… he would need all the help he could get to get back on. Over the top we (7 of us) are only a few seconds back… I drift to the back and look for Pete…halfway down there is no sign of him…I look ahead…the group ahead isn’t getting closer…They are going flat out to keep us from catching. We have a rival sprinter in our group and they don’t want to let him back on. The next five miles we are going as hard as we can, but just can’t close the gap. Only 4 of us are actively chasing, some more then others…with two miles to go I realize that it’s not going to happen… I attack to tray and shake some of the guys just sitting on. Finally we sprint in for 17th, I get passed by two riders and end up 19th.
I’m a bit frustrated at myself, I made a big mistake by not committing to either wait, or make sure I got with the front group….getting stuck in the middle was no use to anybody. Turns our Pete was cramping and me staying back to help pull him up probably wouldn’t have worked anyway…. This is why a clear plan is so important, or if I would have know early in the climb that Pete was cramping and there was no chance for him, maybe, just maybe I could have made it.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Monday, March 20, 2006
More early season racing
Another weekend a two more races.
This is the best spring for racing since I moved to Seattle in 2000.
It’s unheard of to race the entire Mason lake series without once getting rained on. I don’t even think I’ve made it without seeing snow. Saturday was a pretty good race, I tried with all my might to get in a break… but to no avail… 3 of our riders got gapped by a crash with 3 laps to go. With only two of us left and the fact that we already done more then our share at the front made it so much harder. When the break finally went I was exactly at the right spot, but made the conscious decision not to go with that attack. Obviously I made the wrong choice, how could I have known, all I knew was that my legs knew very well that they didn’t want to go. A few miles later a two man bridge attempt took of, once again I was right there, but not ready. One rider made it, so they were now three up the road….and they all just happened to be some of the best time trailers around… we were now fighting for 4th… I managed to take 5th in the pack sprint, finishing 8th for the day and 4th in the series.
Sunday, a new day and new race…The sun was out and it was probably the best weather I’ve ridden in since last fall. It was borderline but I decided to race with no legwarmers. The first ride in months without something over your knees, that always a great feeling, finally summer is here!..(well maybe not quite yet).
An early break got of. Too early to commit our team to chase quite yet. When we did start chasing our team did a great job, with several rides sacrificing their chances to give me a better chance.
On the final lap there is only one rider left of the front, and just like yesterday it’s down to a pack sprint for 2nd… After all that work from my teammates I mess it up slightly by being too far back when the sprint starts… I still manage 10th, but can only image what could have happened if I’d been a bit more aggressive the last mile…. The team rode a lot better then I managed to finish it of, oh well. We did a good job in chasing the break back, but we had some communication problems as we couldn’t reach each other to organize a solid combined effort….for once race radios would really have helped.
A weekend with great weather and two top 10’s… I can’t be greedy…
This is the best spring for racing since I moved to Seattle in 2000.
It’s unheard of to race the entire Mason lake series without once getting rained on. I don’t even think I’ve made it without seeing snow. Saturday was a pretty good race, I tried with all my might to get in a break… but to no avail… 3 of our riders got gapped by a crash with 3 laps to go. With only two of us left and the fact that we already done more then our share at the front made it so much harder. When the break finally went I was exactly at the right spot, but made the conscious decision not to go with that attack. Obviously I made the wrong choice, how could I have known, all I knew was that my legs knew very well that they didn’t want to go. A few miles later a two man bridge attempt took of, once again I was right there, but not ready. One rider made it, so they were now three up the road….and they all just happened to be some of the best time trailers around… we were now fighting for 4th… I managed to take 5th in the pack sprint, finishing 8th for the day and 4th in the series.
Sunday, a new day and new race…The sun was out and it was probably the best weather I’ve ridden in since last fall. It was borderline but I decided to race with no legwarmers. The first ride in months without something over your knees, that always a great feeling, finally summer is here!..(well maybe not quite yet).
An early break got of. Too early to commit our team to chase quite yet. When we did start chasing our team did a great job, with several rides sacrificing their chances to give me a better chance.
On the final lap there is only one rider left of the front, and just like yesterday it’s down to a pack sprint for 2nd… After all that work from my teammates I mess it up slightly by being too far back when the sprint starts… I still manage 10th, but can only image what could have happened if I’d been a bit more aggressive the last mile…. The team rode a lot better then I managed to finish it of, oh well. We did a good job in chasing the break back, but we had some communication problems as we couldn’t reach each other to organize a solid combined effort….for once race radios would really have helped.
A weekend with great weather and two top 10’s… I can’t be greedy…
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Sucess
On Saturday my cycling team and I personally had a very successful race.
Our goal was to be aggressive and always have somebody up the road, if not we would chase immediately. It started of with Jason going of the front, during the first lap. Now this was domed from the start, solo was no way to ride the 72 miles…but we were hoping for a few riders to bridge up, for some reason this never happened. As soon as he was back Nathan our new rider gets of with Ian Tubs. This had a lot better chance of working. Although two riders would still l have a hard time succeeding at this point. I spent next 30-40 min at the front, trying to slow the pack down, disrupt the chase enough to allow the gap to grow. I would jump on the back of a few bridging attempts and allow me to get pulled up to Nathan if they succeeded, but never actually pulled through myself. Despite all this it was all together with about 2 laps to go. Over the next few miles our team did a great job in attacking and staying close to the front. With about 16 miles to go, Jason goes with an acceleration of the front, it really doesn’t go anywhere. I’m right up front and right as it is caught I launch an attack up the next roller. I instantly get a gap….thankfully after a few minuets I’m joined by one of the strongest riders in the field; I jump on as he comes by.
As we pass the finish line with one lap to go, we have less than a 200m lead. Every time James pulls though I’m digging deep to get back on, every time I pull though I digging deeper to keep the speed up. To stay away with one lap to go, you can’t save anything, its full speed or don’t even try. A few miles later we have a follow car and we are told we have a minute lead. At the far corner we find out there is a chase group of six riders at 30 seconds. The pack might slow up, there is sometimes a hesitation, who is going to pull, who is going to take the responsibility to lead their sprinter out, this is what makes it possible for a few riders to stay of the front, the pack going slow. With a chase group of 6 riders there would be no such thing, all these riders unless teammates of James and I would be working flat out to catch us. After 65miles of racing we could only hope that they were just as tired or more so then James and I… to tell the truth if they were any more tired then I, they wouldn’t be a threat at all. I was digging deep pushing through the pain as much as possible. With 2 miles to go as I pulled of the front, expecting James to come around for his turn, he accelerated slightly…. It wasn’t that much, but enough to cause a gap that I couldn’t close. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but now after working so hard for so long it was too much. If I wanted to at least finish second I now had to really push though to finish ahead of the chasing group. There were only a few small hills left…if I could just make it over those, then at 1km to go there was a downhill where I should be able to keep my gap. James wasn’t that far ahead… I could always see him up there…but now I was more worried what was coming up from behind. As I got to 300m I was starting to feel a lot safer, but this last part was on a slight uphill, which normal is barely noticeable, but now…it a mountain. Finally as I reached the last 100m I felt safe, I could see the group behind, coming around the last corner at about 300m…. It was a nice feeling…finally, the pain and effort was worth it.
The last few miles I fought the urge to lessen the pain and let up, but something kept me going.
Maybe it was the realization that anything but my best effort, no matter how it turned out would be a lot worse then the physical pain, knowing that I let of would haunt me a lot longer then anything my body could come up with. I can’t control who is fast, who wins, who is lucky all I can do I my best with what I have at the moment…and take it as far as I can.
After, I can go back and analyze why or why not it worked, and try and change next time.
I ended up second…which is a really good result for me, but what could I do to get first next time.
Our goal was to be aggressive and always have somebody up the road, if not we would chase immediately. It started of with Jason going of the front, during the first lap. Now this was domed from the start, solo was no way to ride the 72 miles…but we were hoping for a few riders to bridge up, for some reason this never happened. As soon as he was back Nathan our new rider gets of with Ian Tubs. This had a lot better chance of working. Although two riders would still l have a hard time succeeding at this point. I spent next 30-40 min at the front, trying to slow the pack down, disrupt the chase enough to allow the gap to grow. I would jump on the back of a few bridging attempts and allow me to get pulled up to Nathan if they succeeded, but never actually pulled through myself. Despite all this it was all together with about 2 laps to go. Over the next few miles our team did a great job in attacking and staying close to the front. With about 16 miles to go, Jason goes with an acceleration of the front, it really doesn’t go anywhere. I’m right up front and right as it is caught I launch an attack up the next roller. I instantly get a gap….thankfully after a few minuets I’m joined by one of the strongest riders in the field; I jump on as he comes by.
As we pass the finish line with one lap to go, we have less than a 200m lead. Every time James pulls though I’m digging deep to get back on, every time I pull though I digging deeper to keep the speed up. To stay away with one lap to go, you can’t save anything, its full speed or don’t even try. A few miles later we have a follow car and we are told we have a minute lead. At the far corner we find out there is a chase group of six riders at 30 seconds. The pack might slow up, there is sometimes a hesitation, who is going to pull, who is going to take the responsibility to lead their sprinter out, this is what makes it possible for a few riders to stay of the front, the pack going slow. With a chase group of 6 riders there would be no such thing, all these riders unless teammates of James and I would be working flat out to catch us. After 65miles of racing we could only hope that they were just as tired or more so then James and I… to tell the truth if they were any more tired then I, they wouldn’t be a threat at all. I was digging deep pushing through the pain as much as possible. With 2 miles to go as I pulled of the front, expecting James to come around for his turn, he accelerated slightly…. It wasn’t that much, but enough to cause a gap that I couldn’t close. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but now after working so hard for so long it was too much. If I wanted to at least finish second I now had to really push though to finish ahead of the chasing group. There were only a few small hills left…if I could just make it over those, then at 1km to go there was a downhill where I should be able to keep my gap. James wasn’t that far ahead… I could always see him up there…but now I was more worried what was coming up from behind. As I got to 300m I was starting to feel a lot safer, but this last part was on a slight uphill, which normal is barely noticeable, but now…it a mountain. Finally as I reached the last 100m I felt safe, I could see the group behind, coming around the last corner at about 300m…. It was a nice feeling…finally, the pain and effort was worth it.
The last few miles I fought the urge to lessen the pain and let up, but something kept me going.
Maybe it was the realization that anything but my best effort, no matter how it turned out would be a lot worse then the physical pain, knowing that I let of would haunt me a lot longer then anything my body could come up with. I can’t control who is fast, who wins, who is lucky all I can do I my best with what I have at the moment…and take it as far as I can.
After, I can go back and analyze why or why not it worked, and try and change next time.
I ended up second…which is a really good result for me, but what could I do to get first next time.
Monday, March 06, 2006
First race of 2006
The first race this season happened on Saturday. It’s as 12mile loop around a lake, mostly flat but with some short hills. Usually these first few races of the season draw a very big crowd.
There are several groups of people who show up for there races.
1:Riders who have been training gradually all winter and are ready to get going with a new season.
2: People who have been training for a later peak and have no expectations..
3 The few who have been doing hard intervals all February targeting these March races… “might as well peak for something I have a chance at”. These riders usually last until mid to late April when the rest of the field catches up. This is how we like to label all the riders who do good… secretly we hope they will all burn out and fade away… but sometimes these riders just are group 1’s and are simply just very well prepared.
4: And then there is the group that sits in the back trying to get into shape after spending all winter skiing.
It’s an interesting mix. During the race even though the peloton can he huge, only a limited few actually stray away from there early positions in the pack. The fit generally stay up front, attacking and getting a race going, the big majority will sit behind and maybe once and a while hit the front of follow something, the unfit or late starters in or off the back. There are a few exceptions, a certain Broadmark rider no matter what kind of shape he is in will continuously attack and shoot of the front more times than you can count. No matter what you think about this tactic you have to admire his ability to recover and go again. And more then not he makes the break and either finishes the race in the front group or in the right at the back.
So the first race started in the best conditions I’ve ridden in all year…sunny and relatively warm…high 40’s…low 50’s I guess. It was only my second ride on by race bike since October… and it sure felt different. I tried to line up close to the front, but showed up a bit late, but after some maneuvering snuck in at mid pack or so. Historically the first race usually ends up in an early break staying away, so I wanted at least give my self a chance of getting in it.
Only 3 rides including I from our team showed up, there were several good reasons for this low turnout. However this did make it very hard to get a rider in each early break. I managed to get up front pretty quick and went with as many of the early flurry of attacks I could, that seamed likely or at least looked like they had the possibility of staying away. Our team with only three riders could not afford to having to chase a break with most of the other teams represented, it would have worn us down and make it just that much harder to get in the next break, and if we missed that one we would have to do it all over again. I was most likely a bit to eager and should have showed a bit more constraint…did I really have to bridge to all those groups… ¾ though the first lap I jumped across to Ian Tubs and Rob Campbell, here were to riders from the two strongest teams… I though I’d better get up there quick before it goes too far. Once I bridge I immediately start working hard, and quickly realize that Rob is just sitting on…Ian and I keep at it though…soon we are joined by a few more riders, Rob still does nothing… He was waiting for one more teammate before committing to this break…Recycled get a rider up there, BRI, Broadmark now has two, soon Dan Harm and Mike Hone also join up, although Mike never leaves the back as he is hanging on for dear life, getting pulled up by Dan Harm just about killed him by the looks of it. A mile or so later Rob has his teammate as Derrick and Ian McKissick of Recycled join us. We are now 13 in the break. By now I’m a bit too tired; this was a hard first lap…5more to go…ohhhh.
As we turn out on the main road and up the hill attacks start going, Rob who is rested gets of in one with a Recycled, Broadmark…and the gap is growing fast….oh oh… now(next day) I realize my misstate, but at the time and tried to bridge, when I was 3/4 there I look back, everybody is on my wheel, I’m cooked so I swing of, now I do the rookie mistake and mess up getting back on. Derrick is the last guy…no wait it’s Hone….wait Hone is dropped…and before I know it I’m gapped off, going up the little riser….just like that I’m off….I can’t believe it…how did that happen?... I shouldn’t have worked so hard earlier, I guess it’s just the excitement of the first race. I should have let the four guys go, if I wasn’t on it right away, somebody else probably would have tried to close it, and if not fighting for 5th is better then nothing…. Oh well next time…I can tell I haven’t raced since last fall. As son as I was back in the field Jason took of and was joined by a Andrew(WOW)… the duo never managed to bridge but go close for a while and stayed away for a lap. As we passed the finish line the brake and 2min, then next lap 4, 5 it was over.. we were not strong enough to bring it back ourselves and no one else seamed willing. Since there was nothing to lose at this point I stayed aggressive and tried to get of the front or chase down moves. good training. With a few miles to go I got away with five riders, we worked good and basically went flat out. At 1 k to go the pack was getting closer though. I pulled though for the last time coming down the last hill, I was a bit worried that I would nor be stuck in front, but the two WOW riders came around. At 400m the pack was probably not more then 3 sec back, at 300 I had to go to have any chance of making it before getting caught…at 200m Justin Morgan came of my wheel and took of….I was left in my own misery. Those last 200m were pure pain, during the last 50m I had to stand up and sit down 3 times just to keep moving….
I finished just in head off Matt Quann, and the rest of the pack…. That was cutting it close.
13th overall… could/should have been better….but that’s why it’s a training race.
Next week it will most likely come down to a pack sprint, unless the “right” riders with points get in the break.
There are several groups of people who show up for there races.
1:Riders who have been training gradually all winter and are ready to get going with a new season.
2: People who have been training for a later peak and have no expectations..
3 The few who have been doing hard intervals all February targeting these March races… “might as well peak for something I have a chance at”. These riders usually last until mid to late April when the rest of the field catches up. This is how we like to label all the riders who do good… secretly we hope they will all burn out and fade away… but sometimes these riders just are group 1’s and are simply just very well prepared.
4: And then there is the group that sits in the back trying to get into shape after spending all winter skiing.
It’s an interesting mix. During the race even though the peloton can he huge, only a limited few actually stray away from there early positions in the pack. The fit generally stay up front, attacking and getting a race going, the big majority will sit behind and maybe once and a while hit the front of follow something, the unfit or late starters in or off the back. There are a few exceptions, a certain Broadmark rider no matter what kind of shape he is in will continuously attack and shoot of the front more times than you can count. No matter what you think about this tactic you have to admire his ability to recover and go again. And more then not he makes the break and either finishes the race in the front group or in the right at the back.
So the first race started in the best conditions I’ve ridden in all year…sunny and relatively warm…high 40’s…low 50’s I guess. It was only my second ride on by race bike since October… and it sure felt different. I tried to line up close to the front, but showed up a bit late, but after some maneuvering snuck in at mid pack or so. Historically the first race usually ends up in an early break staying away, so I wanted at least give my self a chance of getting in it.
Only 3 rides including I from our team showed up, there were several good reasons for this low turnout. However this did make it very hard to get a rider in each early break. I managed to get up front pretty quick and went with as many of the early flurry of attacks I could, that seamed likely or at least looked like they had the possibility of staying away. Our team with only three riders could not afford to having to chase a break with most of the other teams represented, it would have worn us down and make it just that much harder to get in the next break, and if we missed that one we would have to do it all over again. I was most likely a bit to eager and should have showed a bit more constraint…did I really have to bridge to all those groups… ¾ though the first lap I jumped across to Ian Tubs and Rob Campbell, here were to riders from the two strongest teams… I though I’d better get up there quick before it goes too far. Once I bridge I immediately start working hard, and quickly realize that Rob is just sitting on…Ian and I keep at it though…soon we are joined by a few more riders, Rob still does nothing… He was waiting for one more teammate before committing to this break…Recycled get a rider up there, BRI, Broadmark now has two, soon Dan Harm and Mike Hone also join up, although Mike never leaves the back as he is hanging on for dear life, getting pulled up by Dan Harm just about killed him by the looks of it. A mile or so later Rob has his teammate as Derrick and Ian McKissick of Recycled join us. We are now 13 in the break. By now I’m a bit too tired; this was a hard first lap…5more to go…ohhhh.
As we turn out on the main road and up the hill attacks start going, Rob who is rested gets of in one with a Recycled, Broadmark…and the gap is growing fast….oh oh… now(next day) I realize my misstate, but at the time and tried to bridge, when I was 3/4 there I look back, everybody is on my wheel, I’m cooked so I swing of, now I do the rookie mistake and mess up getting back on. Derrick is the last guy…no wait it’s Hone….wait Hone is dropped…and before I know it I’m gapped off, going up the little riser….just like that I’m off….I can’t believe it…how did that happen?... I shouldn’t have worked so hard earlier, I guess it’s just the excitement of the first race. I should have let the four guys go, if I wasn’t on it right away, somebody else probably would have tried to close it, and if not fighting for 5th is better then nothing…. Oh well next time…I can tell I haven’t raced since last fall. As son as I was back in the field Jason took of and was joined by a Andrew(WOW)… the duo never managed to bridge but go close for a while and stayed away for a lap. As we passed the finish line the brake and 2min, then next lap 4, 5 it was over.. we were not strong enough to bring it back ourselves and no one else seamed willing. Since there was nothing to lose at this point I stayed aggressive and tried to get of the front or chase down moves. good training. With a few miles to go I got away with five riders, we worked good and basically went flat out. At 1 k to go the pack was getting closer though. I pulled though for the last time coming down the last hill, I was a bit worried that I would nor be stuck in front, but the two WOW riders came around. At 400m the pack was probably not more then 3 sec back, at 300 I had to go to have any chance of making it before getting caught…at 200m Justin Morgan came of my wheel and took of….I was left in my own misery. Those last 200m were pure pain, during the last 50m I had to stand up and sit down 3 times just to keep moving….
I finished just in head off Matt Quann, and the rest of the pack…. That was cutting it close.
13th overall… could/should have been better….but that’s why it’s a training race.
Next week it will most likely come down to a pack sprint, unless the “right” riders with points get in the break.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
