IBOHUNT

gsteinb

been there survived that

revchuck 

I was supposed to to a three hour endurance pace ride. Part one of the ride was doing the intervals I was supposed to have done Friday, when I couldn't ride due to family drama. 35-40 minutes into the ride the rain started. I decided to throw in the towel and headed home - riding in the rain in the low 40s is not a way for me to stay healthy. I did get the intervals done, though. 4x11' threshold intervals, with the last three minutes of each interval between 55-65 rpm. TSS 114, IF .90, 1076 kj, 1:24.

AzTallRider

Speaking of training races, Team Faster had its 5th annual VOS practice race yesterday. We split into 5 squads of 4, and used color swatches for ID purposes. I was on the Blue team, with one new unknown quantity, and two very strong guys with great TT and surge ability. I'm nowhere near race form, and we decided I would try to stay out of the (strong!) wind so I'd have a chance to make it up the hill in touch with the pack. We did almost a complete neutral lap, designed to avoid anyone getting dropped the first time up the climb, and to get everyone back in the groove. When we hit the start finish at the top of the climb, it was instantly "on".

Our two guys threw repeated attacks, and a couple of others were also animating it. And this was on the downhill side. The pack aggressively reeled to each break, but folks were quickly wearing down from the surges, and perhaps becoming a bit too casual about the breaks. Plus, not everyone is comfortable pouring it on at speed. In any event, one of the chases was breaking up the pack, and I realized a permanent split could be forming. My two key guys were in the front group, but the rest of the pack was lagging, and so I attempted the bridge. Glancing back, I was clean (or I would have shut it down) and I buried it to complete the bridge. When a teammate saw me there, he did a double-take. :-). I made the lead group 9, with three of us on the same team. We could have all ensured we left the back pack far behind, but the aggression continued.

A guy from another team went off. I was in front and chose to ignore him. We were about to hit the right turn onto the back leg. Anyone who has done VOS knows that is a hellaciously tough leg when the wind is up. Yesterday, nobody was going to stay away solo, so we let him hang off the front, and the pace slowed significantly. One of my teammates got bored and decided to bridge. When he took off, last year's winner (huge TT engine, 2nd overall in the real VOS by 1") decided "no way". He made a move left out of the pack. My other teammate, who was also launching, was there on the left. They tried to occupy the same space-time. We all know how that turns out. My teammate went over a concrete railing, trying to bunny hop the 2 foot barrier. Mixed results there. Other guy went down more or less in front of me. I got my front wheel (mostly) past, but he was sliding my direction and his bike continued under mine. I went down, mostly on my head. Helmet done for, but I didn't black out, so . Road rash on an elbow and both hips (and shoulder) are a bit sore. Otherwise the bike and I are fine. First thing I did was reach for my collar-bone, and heave a huge sigh of relief that there isn't a titanium plate sticking out.

That sliding bike had just come back from Calfee where it had been inspected from a crash last year and repainted, in team colors. Top tube is now severely cracked. Sickening to see. Owner is bloodied up, but apparently ok. Will need to have his collarbone (had a plate removed this past year) checked out.

The guy who was off the front didn't realize what occurred and kept going. Was ultimately abandoned, and he was declared the winner, since he actually finished the whole distance (another lap and a half).

revchuck 

Bummer. Glad to hear that the gear took most of the beating, though. I hope you and your teammates heal well and quickly!

shovelhd

Heal up.

Cleave

Ugh, training race and training crashes are the worst. Glad no one had any severe injuries. Guess Mrs. AzTR was less than happy.

AzTallRider

We commented on that: none of us were quickly pulling out the cell phones. Going to just chill today.

valygrl

sorry hear about the crash.

IBOHUNT

Glad it wasn't any worse and the healing is quick.

AzTallRider

Teammates list of destruction: Frame, helmet, sunglasses, shoes, saddle, 4 kit items (cool morning). All of that brand new, except the frame, which had just been 'Calfeeized'. My only bike issue is a slightly out of true rear wheel, which confirms what I thought happened - my front wheel made it past, but my crankset and rear wheel did not. Pretty sure I landed on his bike, which would certainly explain his broken frame. I'm really really glad my head took the brunt of it instead of my shoulder.

IBOHUNT

Finished off the week with another 90 minutes on the trainer. Put on a set of 50/34 Q rings the LBS had laying round. Didn't feel any of the clunkyness that I was told I'd feel. Cadence form the low 80's to 105.

That ended the week with a total TSS of 597

IBOHUNT

Material items are far easier to to replace. How's the team mate?

AzTallRider

He wasn't at our season kick-off party Sat night, but he yesterday he PM's to say he is monitoring the collar-bone, and will have it checked if he feels that is warranted. The hip he broke last year at nationals is fine. Lots of road-rash. Otherwise, we all appear to have made it through pretty much intact.

Racer Ex 

Poop.Sorry to hear about this Azt. Glad it wasn't worse and you are pretty OK.

My knee is still pretty hot and sore. VOS is looking pretty bad for me. Have not ridden the bike since my little test last week. I was hoping to have a couple of strong weeks prior to this trip to New Orleans. Not happening. Not sure the swelling will even be down by then, but if I am pain free I may just go and try the smoke and mirrors thing.

LAJ

Dang AZTR. I'm glad you're OK, and I hope everyone else is too.

IBOHUNT

2 hours on the trainer. First 45 minutes spent at a higher than normal cadence (+10)

IF 0.7
TSS 100

Hermes

AZT, this is my last heal up fast. You have used up your allotment for 30 years of racing. We have to change something so you stop crashing.

IBOHUNT

2 hours on the trainer with a 20 min Sweet Spot lap

IF 0.77
TSS 109

AzTallRider

Well, all I can say is, I really don't know how I could have avoided this one. Following one of our best, very experienced, riders... I even had an escape route, but his bike just went right through me, and all the way to the shoulder.

Dalai

Not again AZTR! Glad not worse than some bark missing this time...

revchuck 

Fun times in the last couple of days, riding in weather that is colder than I've done before. Yesterday was supposed to be 1:30 at low-to-mid Z2. Temps w/wind chill were in the low 30s. I rode an out-and-back course; right after the turnaround, I felt something on my face. Nah, couldn't be rain, 0% chance predicted. Nobody told the clouds. I had light rain most of the rest of the way home, not bad, but enough to soak my gloves. This morning the workout was 35-40 minutes at threshold, my call on how to do them. Temps were mid-30s without the wind chill, probably upper 20s with. I decided to do it as 2x20s with five minutes RBI. I was okay for the 20 minute warmup and pretty comfy during the intervals, but afterwards my fingers and toes were pretty frosty. In south effin' Louisiana.

This afternoon I drove to Houston to get fitted to the new Allez and the new-to-me Giant Trinity. The Allez was actually pretty close, only a few millimeters off here and there. I had never tried to ride the TT bike, so that was a learning experience. The fitter described riding a TT bike as an acquired taste...it's going to take a while to acquire this taste, that sumbeach is NOT comfy. My longest TT will be 20km, so I need to be able to deal with it for about a half hour.

Looks like I'm still at the bottom of the steep part of the learning curve.

Cleave

^^^ A 5-hour drive to get a fitting? Wow! Must be a really good fitter.

Always good to confirm that your fit is basically good. Eliminates a lot of second guessing about past performances and future need to "get used" to a big change.

I am strangely comfortable on a TT bike. Not as comfortable as my road bike but my TT bike is not a torture device. However, according to Hermes, I have a cast-iron butt or something like that based on my TT saddle choice -- fi’zi:k Ares. I'm sure you'll get reasonably comfortable on the bike. The best part is that TT bikes are FAST (in a straight line).

revchuck 

Cleave - it was actually a three hour drive, and he's the closest one. This ain't Californ-eye-A.

I think it's just a question of getting time in that saddle.

IBOHUNT

and *usually* there isn't that crashin' bit. That ups the fun factor for me.