Hammonjj
So I did my first crit today and it didn't go very well. I knew things were going to be sketchy when I found out that ACA has no cat 5, so I had to race up in cat 4. I also was the only rider there not affiliated with a team or on a $2500+ bike.
I got dropped after only a couple of laps, but I have to admit that I did collect a mountain of data and learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses.
I never realized how fast you go through the corners until today. This is something that was a real struggle for me. I actually think that had I been smarter in the corners that I may have actually not have gotten dropped. I also panicked when I saw one racer bump into another in the corner and ended up taking it SUPER wide, after this is when I got dropped hard. I got smoked like a fine cigar.
My FTP going into the event was low, I knew this, but I had no idea what these monsters were capable of. I did however surprise myself with new records in the 5 sec and 5 min power categories. Actually, it turns out that my 5 min power is a pretty far leap ahead of my other power records, though still not very impressive.
Anyway, now that I've done my first race, it's time to go back to the drawing board and rethink my training plan.
Even though I did poorly, I'm optimistic about the experience because I now know what to expect next time and can begin to fully prepare for my next event. I think I'm going to give crit racing another shot either late this season or be ready for the ice breakers next.
Thanks for listening to my rant.
James
I got dropped after only a couple of laps, but I have to admit that I did collect a mountain of data and learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses.
I never realized how fast you go through the corners until today. This is something that was a real struggle for me. I actually think that had I been smarter in the corners that I may have actually not have gotten dropped. I also panicked when I saw one racer bump into another in the corner and ended up taking it SUPER wide, after this is when I got dropped hard. I got smoked like a fine cigar.
My FTP going into the event was low, I knew this, but I had no idea what these monsters were capable of. I did however surprise myself with new records in the 5 sec and 5 min power categories. Actually, it turns out that my 5 min power is a pretty far leap ahead of my other power records, though still not very impressive.
Anyway, now that I've done my first race, it's time to go back to the drawing board and rethink my training plan.
Even though I did poorly, I'm optimistic about the experience because I now know what to expect next time and can begin to fully prepare for my next event. I think I'm going to give crit racing another shot either late this season or be ready for the ice breakers next.
Thanks for listening to my rant.
James