Road Bike Racing - Training Race - Greenbelt 8/15 "C" Race

Initially, when we took off, a guy with an U.S. Army
jersey, Patrick, took off the front. No one wanted to
follow, so I bridged up to him, dragging the rest of
the pack up with me. From then on, the peloton got
serious about racing and speeded up quite a bit (I
averaged over 21 MPH for the race.) After three laps,
I got gapped on the hill and got stuck in "no man's
land" riding by myself. After a few more laps, I
caught a couple riders and even lapped about 4 riders
from the back of the peloton. I held my position the
rest of the way up to the last lap where I caught a
youngster going up the hill. I offered to exchange
pulls and was willing to give him the next finishing
position, but he acted like he didn't want to work
with me. So, I shifter into bigger and bigger gears
and took the position away from him finishing 11th and
him 12th. :-) There were 20 people at the start this
week, so percentage-wise, I finished better than last
week (10th out of 15 vs. 11 out of 20).

I want to try the greenbelt series. Have never raced. It sounds like fun. I think I could hang for that race. It is 30 minutes + 1 lap correct? How is that "climb"?

Way to drope the hamer!

I want to try the greenbelt series. Have never raced. It sounds like fun. I think I could hang for that race. It is 30 minutes + 1 lap correct? How is that "climb"?

It's 30 minutes and 2 laps (usually).

The climb is a big chainring climb, but you can get "gassed" on it if you don't have the legs to stay with the front group. (like what happens to me :o after a few laps)

I had planned on busting a gut doing the C race last night after securing permission to do so even though i hold a current Cat 4 lic. (I havnt done any significant racing in over a year and havent done a G-Belt race since 2001), but weaseled out to do a couple of repeats on Ilchester with some teammates. I have no intention of doing Highway to Heaven, but i thought it might be fun anyway. It wasnt.

Next week is the last one? I need to put my money where my mouth is and see if my training is having a postitive effect.

I was a spectator for last weeks race where the DC Velo guy took off and left everyone for dead. He moved to the B race right?

I may see you out there then John, just have to clear it with the wife. I have ridden with you on Thursdays out in Davidsonville.

Jeremy

I may see you out there then John, just have to clear it with the wife. I have ridden with you on Thursdays out in Davidsonville.

Jeremy

Hey Jeremy, i remember you! Good deal if you can make it out next Weds.

If it aint pouring down rain at 6pm, i'll be at D-ville tonight.

I am resting tonight. Going for the Illchester climb TT on Saturday, I figure why not? Hopefully I won't get dead last...

Gonna get some better gearing from a friend tonight - 38-26 (or is it 28? dont remember) instead of a 39-25

...but weaseled out to do a couple of repeats on Ilchester with some teammates. I have no intention of doing Highway to Heaven, but i thought it might be fun anyway. It wasnt.



Hee... I did 5 repeats of Ilchester from Bonnie Branch to the south end of the cemetary, catching my breath at the gravel driveway of the cemetary. I thought it was fun... in a masochistic sort of way. The first repeat was the worst of the five.

The section I did was about 311 feet of climbing over .45 miles.

My 2 lowly repeats were from the very bottom just past the bridge to the very very top past the Church. Something like .9 miles. Its nice to have a couple of less steep sections thrown in. My HR was highest on the 2nd steep pitch just past the bend to the left where it goes and bends back to the right.

5 times eh?

Your a better man than me. I was on a 36x27 and at the very bottom it was all i could do to keep the front wheel on the ground. I only did the 2nd repeat cause i had enough rest and time to forget how much the 1st one sucked. I think i averaged 6-7 mph for the thing. Another reason not to waste 15 bucks on H to H TT. I would probably go faster if it werent for the extra 30 lbs im carrying. I've got plenty of power, just need to up the strength to weight ratio. The first 50 - piece of cake. This last 30 is gonna take a while.

I remember the B race always killing me way back when becuase even then i was to 15-20lbs too heavy to climb real well repeatedly. Hopefully the shorter distance and time of the C race will be OK. I guess i'll find out.

My 2 lowly repeats were from the very bottom just past the bridge to the very very top past the Church. Something like .9 miles. Its nice to have a couple of less steep sections thrown in. My HR was highest on the 2nd steep pitch just past the bend to the left where it goes and bends back to the right.

5 times eh?

Your a better man than me. I was on a 36x27 and at the very bottom it was all i could do to keep the front wheel on the ground. I only did the 2nd repeat cause i had enough rest and time to forget how much the 1st one sucked. I think i averaged 6-7 mph for the thing. Another reason not to waste 15 bucks on H to H TT. I would probably go faster if it werent for the extra 30 lbs im carrying. I've got plenty of power, just need to up the strength to weight ratio. The first 50 - piece of cake. This last 30 is gonna take a while.

I remember the B race always killing me way back when becuase even then i was to 15-20lbs too heavy to climb real well repeatedly. Hopefully the shorter distance and time of the C race will be OK. I guess i'll find out.


Yeah, at one time, I was 200 pounds at 67 inches tall.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/Misc/contrast2.jpg

I started walking, jogging, running, then running road races. I lost 50 pounds, too. Then, after about 6 years of running, I overused my knees to the point that they broke down. I used the bike to rehab them, but now, my weight is up about 10 pounds and I have to go through extraordinary means to get down again (lowest being 145 pounds using ephedrine, caffeine, aspirin [ECA] stack.)

My gearing that day was a compact, too, but 2 less teeth on the small ring. I used 34 x 27 and I got out of the saddle for the steepest section and sat during the curve until it turned up again. Getting out of the saddle and leaning forward helped keep my front wheel down and I could press back and down on the pedals, as opposed to sitting and grinding the pedals parallel to the road surface. It worked for me.

See ya next Wednesday. I'll be in my "T-Mobile pink" Team BBC kit with a pink and grey trimmed helmet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/NoRacer/Misc/PleasantvilleRoadRace20070804.jpg Pleasant Valley Road Race

Awsome job on the loss. My heart cant do the caffiene thing or i'd be doing it too. I took a Dexitrim once and it nearly put in me the hospital. I thought i was gonna die.

I be looking forward to getting my ass kicked next Wednesday! I suppose i cant do any worse than the guy with the camelback and hiking shorts.