Road Bike Racing - Race on Saturday - Critique My Plan for the Week

I've got my first road race on Saturday. I've done one crit and one circuit race (3 mile loops, no corners) in the past, so I'm excited for this one. It's longer, 33 miles, and is somewhat hilly.

Will you guys critique my riding schedule for the week? Here goes...

Today - light to moderate pace with 4-6 short, 30-second intervals (1 hour)
Tuesday - group ride, either A or B pace (1.5-2 hours, 30-35 miles - SEE BELOW)
Wednesday - light recovery ride (1 hour)
Thursday - day off
Friday - light spin (1 hour)
Saturday - RACE

I think I've got a good plan here, but I'm not sure how to handle the group ride on Tuesday. I have two options: A or B. The B is a good moderate tempo ride for me, and might have a couple hard but short efforts, though all in all it is not a difficult ride. It generally averages around about 20 mph. The A ride is balls to the wall from the start, and I hang on as long as I can, which is usually 12-15 miles. During this time I'm working at or above race intensity (from my experience in my previous two races) until I can't hang any longer and get dropped. I then meet back up with the B group and finish strong at the normal B tempo. The A ride finishes up at 23-24 mph for whoever lasts until the end, which I learned last week was generally between two and five riders out of probably 10-20 to start. It's just a brutal ride.

So what should I do on Tuesday? I'd like to go with the A group since it will most closely simulate race intensity, but I don't want to overdo it for the week either.

Thanks, all!

Heres what I would do.

Considering you dont ride sunday hard I would

3-4 hours monday a good tempo ride 70-80%
tuesday do the A group for sure
then if youve got the legs wednesday ride shorter intervals (1 minute)
then easy 10 mile spin thursday HR below 60%
then a hour on friday, descent pace 70%ish with some sprints and climbs thrown in, if at anypoint your legs start to burn slow down and just spin.

Youll be ready to race saturday.

3 days of recovery is pretty excesive.

+1 to what recneps said.

I echo recneps' comments but would suggest hill repeats on Wednesday of the kind (or slightly harder) than you will find during the race, rather than the 1 minute intervals. It'll likely produce the same intensity, but I've found hill repeats in the week prior to a hilly race gives me a bit more confidence that I'll be there on the climbs.

From your descriptions of average speed, sounds like you're primed to kick some cat 5 butt.

Cape Fear starts easy...so you've got a long time to warm up on the course. IIRC you don't hit any real hills until at least 15 minutes into the race.

That said, I'd only get one day of intensity in this week, and minimize junk time on the bike. Either do work, or be recovering. No Z2/3/low 4 hijinks.

I echo recneps' comments but would suggest hill repeats on Wednesday of the kind (or slightly harder) than you will find during the race, rather than the 1 minute intervals. It'll likely produce the same intensity, but I've found hill repeats in the week prior to a hilly race gives me a bit more confidence that I'll be there on the climbs.

From your descriptions of average speed, sounds like you're primed to kick some cat 5 butt.

My only concern with two consecutive hard days on Tuesday and Wednesday is the risk of overdoing it the week before the race. I've read many times on these forums to taper the week before.

My only concern with two consecutive hard days on Tuesday and Wednesday is the risk of overdoing it the week before the race. I've read many times on these forums to taper the week before.

Ive never tapered for a week, even going into a stage race simply doing 1 recovery day and 1 opening day my legs feel amazing.

What is your normal week like? My experience with a taper (disclaimer: this is from a dozen years as a competitive swimmer, and only one cycling taper) is that it is most effective after a relatively long and focused training regime leading to a specific point. If you don't have the miles/intensity in already, too much rest may just lead to rusty legs. My advice as a cat 5 myself (8 races) is to use the race as 1) fun 2) experience, and 3) more training for results in the future. To this end, I would definitely do the A ride on Tues., and then see what your legs feel like on Wednesday. Snuffleupagus is right, you get little return from moderate efforts, so even if you only can get in 3-4 hills (or 5 1-minute intervals) on Wed. and then do some recovery rides for Saturday, I think it will help in the long term.

In my experience, making sure to get a little bit of intensity on Friday is key, not prolonged effort but short bursts to wake up the legs.

From your descriptions of average speed, sounds like you're primed to kick some cat 5 butt.

If only it were so! I got absolutely shelled in my last race, Meadowmont. Completely and utterly decimated, to quote Paul Sherwen.

What is your normal week like?

My typical week recently has been about 100 miles with two hard days. One fast group ride (what I'll start referring to as the "Attempted A" ride) and one interval day.

If only it were so! I got absolutely shelled in my last race, Meadowmont. Completely and utterly decimated, to quote Paul Sherwen.

Just so you know, the guy who won the Cat5 race is an absolute monster who will be a Cat2 by the end of the year if he'll just learn the patience to sit in for the first 2/3rds of a race. He won a whole bunch of races by simply riding away from the Cat5s--no tactics, no breakaway, just riding everyone off his wheel.

Here's a link (http://www.toporoute.com/cgi-bin/getSavedRoute.cgi?routeKey=JLMDWQTIAQWONIA) to a map of the Cape Fear road course. There's an Elevation button that shows you the profile.

--Steve

Just so you know, the guy who won the Cat5 race is an absolute monster who will be a Cat2 by the end of the year if he'll just learn the patience to sit in for the first 2/3rds of a race. He won a whole bunch of races by simply riding away from the Cat5s--no tactics, no breakaway, just riding everyone off his wheel.

Here's a link (http://www.toporoute.com/cgi-bin/getSavedRoute.cgi?routeKey=JLMDWQTIAQWONIA) to a map of the Cape Fear road course. There's an Elevation button that shows you the profile.

--Steve

Yeah, the Zebra dude? haha. I have Topo software, so I got a good look at the profile. I actually went and rode the course on Saturday too, just to get a feel for it.

Look at the link Steve posted...

There is one short, steep climb at about 3ish miles, and then after that it's all downhill until about 8 miles, then the last 8 or so miles of the lap suck a lot more. Hence my recommendation that you not worry about getting in a lot of work on Friday to have sharp legs. Chances are it'll be a field sprint anywho. The course isn't too windy, so the peloton advantage is large.

Ive never tapered for a week, even going into a stage race simply doing 1 recovery day and 1 opening day my legs feel amazing.

How do your legs feel 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages as I have one this weekend. Just gulp the Endurox and stay off legs between races??

^ remember to do a cooldown spin and stretch while drinking your endurox, and eat right after that. Sleep well, if possible.

^^<taking notes>