happybday29475

Sweet!

You know, our local racing association openly calls TT's our all-important gateway drug...

happybday29475

Great job!

I wasn't there, but looking at the mens' results, some strong riders finished well back and there were some unfamiliar faces on the podium...so something about the course favored a different type of racer?

happybday29475

+1

Yes! Likewise!

Racer Ex 

BAR= Been to All the Races. Done that a couple of times. Won once, second the other. Ended up going to races I wouldn't have otherwise. Sound familiar?

Great racing everyone!

happybday29475

Exactly.

I hate that I am counting points. But I am.


"Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes."
Walt Whitman

Hermes

+1

Cleave

@LAJ and @rapwithtom, good job getting out there and making the best of a hill climb that you didn't really want to do. If there was some gluten-free pie I'd have joined you.

@Heathpack, sounds like you had an interesting race. Hope you liked the course. I did Piru in April. Probably won't be back until the fall due to race scheduling.

@valygrl, I think you're "winning" this year for most number of races.

Dalai

Raced rounds 2 and 3 of the Vic CX series at Mt Beauty Saturday and Sam Miranda winery Sunday in A grade.

Saturday - out the back early on. Very technical muddy course which showed clearly skills I need to work on. Lapped by the leaders once already mid race! Rolled a rear tyre towards the end of the race - had to deflate it so I could push it back onto the rim and ride the flat tyre to the finish; in the process getting lapped by the leaders a second time!

Sunday - flatter course suited me better. Reasonable start for me but still in the back third. Rode well only just getting lapped by the leading 4 riders on their final lap.

Coming from a road rather than a MTB background does mean another skill set to learn, but that is part of the challenge. Guys lapping me are at the front end of the Elite National Series so to be expected. I'm racing A grade as races are longer so gives me more time to work on skills and fitness plus when they pass gives me an insight of lines taken as I watch them ride off.

Next rounds of the NCXS in Melbourne two weekends time. Looking forward to it!

globecanvas

Good work on the TT!


The human mind is a funny thing. Next time, try to remember to ask yourself immediately after the finish if you think you could have gone harder. I bet the answer will be no. But a half hour later, you'll think you could have gone harder.

Heathpack 

I know what you are saying, I'm totally like that. Sometimes it only takes one minute for my brain to reset from "never again" to "that was fun". It's a funny thing.

But nevertheless, despite the jelly legs at the end, purely objectively, I think I could have ridden it harder. I probably would have said that immediately afterward as well, because I was 1 watt over my target for the TT and I knew where that target was relative to FTP and that it was a conservative target. So I was really happy with it, my ability as a newby to come within 1 watt of my target on the first try, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't have known I could have gone harder.

I rode this TT at 103% FTP, it being a 36ish minute effort, it should have been a given to ride it at 105% FTP. I think I should have realistically been able to do this TT at something like 107% FTP. That's all I mean when I say I could have gone a "hair" harder.

I'm not in any way unhappy with it. For a first effort, it was better to be conservative & just experience riding a TT & setting myself up to get the pacing right and feel some degree of success. Hugely important thing, managing your own brain, knowing what to be happy with while still being objective about where you are at.

sarals 

The hardest thing about a TT, for me, is managing my brain. Some days I can do it, other days I can't. I love it when I can climb into the pain cave, not have it rattle me, and then go into a daze and just pedal hard. It's actually a pretty rare thing for me to be able to do that! I'm so used to the on/off of a road race or crit, and I'm physiologically wired to "jump", so much so that settling down and being smooth is a hard thing for me to do. You're a natural for TT's, Heathie. You understand how to pace, how to be smooth, and are used to sitting in a high effort zone and not having it rattle you. I see you doing very good things down the road!

happybday29475

+100!

happybday29475

Last fall (US fall) I was a strong cat 4, with some good results during the season. If I had gone to Nats, the personal challenge would have been to not get lapped by the leaders, the real nats contenders...and I would have failed; I would have been pulled before the race was even half over! And that was with Steve Tilford sitting out with injury. CX is a blast, and I've had some success, but the gap between me and the really good guys is much more than a mile wide.

sarals 

I can empathize. The gap between me and the really good cat 3 and M 35+ women is much more than a mile wide. I'm no slouch, but they're on a different level all together....sheesh!!

Racer Ex 

8th. Gamble that the strong team with the best sprinter wouldn't let the race ride off did not pay out. Apparently 3rd wasn't important either, but they chased the heck out of me all day.

Oh well.

shovelhd

You have been out of the game and they're still marking you.

Racer Ex 

Definitely not feeling the love. Should have gone with the move. Coin toss came up wrong.

Rode the 45's after. Another stacked field including Sayers and a couple of other stripes. Felt like mung at the start, legs came around and ended up in the front group. Got a little bored and hot (temps were 90's) partway in and decided to call it a day, so took a big pull for a lap and then bagged it. Watching the rest of the race I wish I had stayed in and seen how it went.

Brain still needs work as well.

globecanvas

Here comes the most awesome weekend race report ever.


Tulsa Tough Friday, DNF

Super fast 8 corner crit, 95 degrees, 20+ mph winds. I had been advised to stage early, but the staging area was behind the barricades so I spaced it out. Lined up at the back of 110 guys and spent 20 minutes burning gas to get to midpack. From there it was much easier to move up. 15th wheel at the bell and feeling pretty good about myself, with a plan for the finale. The guys in front and just inside of me tangled around a corner, slid out, and I did a smoky fishtail off the outside of the road to avoid the crash. Race over with 90 seconds left to the finish.


Tulsa Tough Saturday, DNF

6 corner crit with a hill, windy. Felt really good throughout the race. Lots of crashes behind me thinned the field significantly. 5th wheel at the bell and feeling very confident, with a good plan for the finale, feeling winnerish. Flatted, or so I thought, literally as the bell was rung. Rolled off the course cursing the gods. The wheel was fine. Absolutely no idea what happened. Sticky brake, something soft caught under the brake bridge, psychological breakdown, I will never know. Race over with 2 minutes left to the finish.


Tulsa Tough Sunday, DNF

3 corner crit with Crybaby Hill and a high speed 120 degree turn. Pace was high from the start. About 10 minutes in, the previous day's winner went OTF. Good racer, good team support, so I bridged. The two of us were away for a few laps, got some good jumbotron and announcer time. He dropped me, then sat up, he would eventually win the race anyway. I suffered for a few more laps with the pack, feeling less mentally in the game on every lap. Finally decided I wasn't going to win and wasn't in the mood to keep suffering, so I rolled out of the pack and off the course at the top of the hill.

happybday29475

wow GC, frustrating weekend of racing for you, sorry to hear it. Glad you survived the crashes, though.

happybday29475

sucks, but it is good to hear of your racing exploits again.

Lol where do I send my check?

KingShakes

How did you feel about the Tulsa Tough event overall? Worth traveling to?

LAJ

Nice to see you back, Racer Ex. I have a feeling your competitors aren't saying the same.

LAJ

That's a shame, globecanvas. At least they knew you were there!

shovelhd

Great stuff GC. Safe travels.

globecanvas

Oh yes. It's an unbelievable event. Definitely do it if you ever have the chance. Huge enthusiastic crowds, jumbotrons, announcers, celebrities, you feel like a rock star. Each day is different, the courses are all interesting and they all have their own crowd vibe. Friday night is like racing through a bar on Mardi Gras, Saturday is more urbane, and Sunday is like a frat party.

I raced well last year and had a blast, I had the worst racing weekend of all time this year and still enjoyed the overall event experience.