carpediemracing 

I was thinking about that. The VO2 max thing started when I was sick and I basically only did the 2 rides per week for a while (plus two of the three races in March, the 3rd one I skipped because I felt so sick). Luckily for me the rest week showed up when I was sick - I didn't do my scheduled test until a few days late. Then I started feeling much better and I could ride more.

I definitely went much harder during the VO2 efforts than normal, and combined with the other stuff I have to do, I feel much better than normal.

Plus I'm 20 lbs lighter, give or take, than I was when I started. Still not skinny but definitely not as chunky.

If I hadn't been sick I think the Series would have been a bit different. I could tell I was much lighter at Bethel but I went empty in about 15 minutes, probably due to being sick. I still ended up in reasonable position in both the Bethels, blowing up in one (I was on @globecanvas wheel with about 100m to go and he placed in the points), stopping in the other because of the crash (and guys around me placed in the points). Both those results I think were influenced by me being sick.

Missing the 3rd race obviously didn't help.

There's something to be said about these Z5 efforts. Hard enough to tax me, not too hard that I give up. I was doing it for someone's study so I'm trying to be good about doing everything by the book, not sure if I'd put in the same efforts for me.

shovelhd

I think it had a lot to do with your consistent and varied training on Zwift.

spdntrxi

there might be some truth to that... I'm in the same study as CDR... holding 250w on the virtual rolling hills is harder then it sounds.

echappist

well done!

carpediemracing 

Zwift is interesting because it's motivating me to actually sprint. I even did a sprint basically as soon as I got on the bike (I appeared in Zwift by the orange banner, sprinted at the green) before a scheduled set of intervals.

I also went hard to get a real time on the KOM, not the 2:00 that my Z5 intervals give me. I did a 1:25, tried to sustain a real 350-380w (about 300-330w Zwift) but faltered down into the 300w real 250 Zwift range. One of the harder 1:25 efforts I've done on the trainer.

The intervals (5-6-7 minute long x 4? reps) is regardless of Zwift, so that's sort of different. I also don't look at Zwift, I have music going and I'm staring at the powermeter trying to keep the wattage right. I have done it on Zwift and found that my Z5 gives me 2:00 on the KOM, so that's an easy benchmark. What's crazy is that the guys taking the jersey are doing twice my Z5 so 500w for the minute. That's pretty tough.

Still, though, the 10s sprints for the green (every time I do Zwift I do at least one sprint), the 2x week intervals of 5-6-7 min x 4 reps, and now the occasional KOM attack of 1:25 or so at 350w… that's hitting three spots I never worked before. My normal rides were JRA, maybe seeing 150-160w avg, gradually increasing inadvertently to 200-220w, then blowing up and starting over at 150w or whatever.

shovelhd

That was exactly my point. It's not Zwift per se, it's that it forced you to work harder and not just focus on your strengths. That's what training is all about. This could be a plateau season for you, but if you keep it up over the offseason the sky is the limit for you. Please note that I have been saying this for at least 3 years now

carpediemracing 

I know, I know.

I felt like I did in 2010 in that last race, like I had to back off on the hill every time. Or I could just sort of motor through like normal and move up 5-10 spots. Or I could go hard and move up a lot, like 10-15 spots, or go to the front, or whatever.

I think being sick really did me in at Bethel, I knew I was lighter but I faded hard in 10-15 minutes. I could struggle and hang on and even get into semi-good position for the sprint, but really I was done within 20-30 minutes of the race. Of course the first race in New Britain I was so sick I didn't even race.

Now I'm looking a bit eagerly at the calendar. Lime Rock. Kermis. Mystic/Ninigret. Masters Games / New Britain. Nutmeg / New Britain.

carpediemracing 

So I'm not clear - did you do it? You a 1?

shovelhd

Cat1 upgrades are processed by USAC in Colorado. This takes time. He may want to be sure he has at least 35 points first.

gsteinb

Mine took less than 24 hours. There's way too much drama invested in upgrades and counting points. None of it is as complicated as guys make it out to be.

Doge

Is/was upgrading the goal, or having the option to upgrade the goal?

Ygduf

the paperwork from the stage race hasn't even made it online yet. They're probably still moving guys ahead of me in the TT now.

Ygduf

I will upgrade. Probably the first 2/3 race I lose when I feel like "**** those guys! I'm out!"

I was going to sandbag 3s for longer, then @aaronmcd almost killed me in a 3/4 race and I put in for the upgrade to two that night.

aaronmcd

Better upgrade before I kill you in a 2/3 race! I don't know how you plan to stay alive when I get to cat 2 though, only do P/1 races? But seriously, I'm not THAT sketchy, anymore.

cyclingtolose

AZ State Criterium Championships Cat 5

3rd/23

I had what I considered a great race. The Cat 5 field was a strong one with a lot of this years previous winners coming out, all hoping to get the state championship. Was an L shaped course with a 180 degree turn after passing the start/finish. Course was fun, the 180 caused a lot of sprinting and chances for gaps out of that corner, if you were towards the back, you were going into the red every time. It was a fun course, and with this being my 10th start, would be my last cat 5 race. Had a few people take some flyers but they never lasted more then a lap before they were swallowed back up. With 1 to go, I stayed on a wheel when I should have gone with the 3 guys that went off the front, but they didn't have much of a gap going into the 2nd to last turn and I didnt want to waste the energy bridging the group to them, so I sat 3rd wheel in the pack coming around the last turn. The sprint started, I held a wheel for the first few seconds, then pulled out and went as hard as I could. Saw first cross the line, then second, and saw the third guy still sprinting and thought there was no way I was going to catch him, then I saw him start to crack a tiny bit about 15 meters from the line, so I dug every bit I could, saw our wheels even and did my best impression of a bike throw that I could and nipped him at the line, photo finish had me by about a quarter of a wheel for third.

It was really cool to get on the podium finally, felt like not only was my racing weight down 45 pounds from when I started a year ago, my fitness and strength were high, but also just knowing what to do while racing, who to follow, what to not chase, and how to command position in the group (couple guys tried taking my wheels and when before I would have just let them have it, I held my ground and it saved me).

Now to move up to Cat 4 and learn more!

mattm

Congrats on the podium & upgrade!

Here's to many more.

furiousferret

Grats on the podium!

That's kinda weird that a Cat 5 gets a State Champs Jersey...

Ygduf

you'd prefer only p1 state champs?

rideaz

Awesome! That was a fun course, I think someone caught their pedal just about every time around that 180! It's been fun to see you progress this year. Keep it up!

gsteinb

In NJ the P123 winner gets one color jersey, everyone else gets a different color (white vs blue). In some ways lower category state championships probably encourages guys to hang around when they should move up.

Ygduf

that's a good compromise. and not out of the question for the posts above. I don't know how AZ runs it.

I just don't know where guys want to draw the line. Even state champs get crushed when some euro-pro retires and comes home at age 29 or whatever.

rideaz

In AZ there's a State Champ jersey for the winner of each Cat 1-5 and also a State Champ jersey for every 5 year age group over 30. IMO the age group jerseys seem a bit unnecessary because some of the age groups only have 1 or 2 riders in them. That said, I have 2 of those Masters jerseys lol! Might make more sense to only have a 35+ and a 50+ State jersey.

furiousferret

I always thought State Champs where not category based (outside the fact that certain pros are ineligible for some) and mostly age based (except 19-30) with 1-4 eligible.

I know our Section Champs have category races in them, but always thought they were just regular races that didn't mean anything.

I suppose it makes some sense, especially for peeps aged 19-30 just coming up...I've always seen it from a Masters viewpoint, where a cat 1-4 is eligible and outside pro's, that person is the fastest person in that age range.

globecanvas

Augusta fairgrounds crit 123. 2nd of 25. Four-man break almost lapped the field. I love bike racing!

shovelhd

Good job, man.