The ride was actually quite fun, and I'd do it again today if my body would let me. The main puller was a cat-3 racer. Im looking to register for my first cat-5 crit a week from tomorrow. But getting back to the issue......
Im guessing that my lactate is not clearing out fast enough. My average cadence for the 62.xx miles was 86.. so Its not a mashing issue. Also, they were nice enough to wait for me. When I hooked back up with them I had no problems with the 22-26mph pace for the 20+ miles in between their surges. When the leader pushed it to 30+ for sustained periods- that's when I was in a world of hurt of not being able to clear the lactate fast enough to continue that pace. What kind of drills can I work on to increase my ability to clear lactate at this level of exhertion. Or, is this a base training issue?