Masters Misc Race Report Thread
07-28-14, 09:25 AM
#2476
Senior Member
Sara says the truth hurts
The truth is that I need to lose weight and find some power.
Saturdays TT - Shenandoah VA; 4th/16
They shortened the course to 21 miles with only 1100' gain due to bridge construction but(!) they left the stinkin large part of the hill bit in it. The course starts in Shenandoah and has 6 turns coming out of town in the first 2 miles and that includes ~175' of the total gain and then goes downhill to another in the multitude of speed scrubbing 90 degree turns.
Starting at mile 4 there is ~6 miles of false flat. I managed to pass 2 on this stretch of the road. The turn around was particularly tight with maybe a 12' road.
Coming back you don't get the entire 6 miles of downhill part of the false flat but I managed to pass 2 more while I tried to reserve some stuff for the hill at mile 14 which is 180' gain in .7 miles where the chant was 'this sucks this sucks this sucks'.
A short downhill section followed by yet another 90 degree turn into 1.5 miles before heading back up hill; of course after a 90 degree turn. Seems if you aren't goin up you are going down and making a 90 degree turn.
The last 1K I managed to put out 110% and crossed the line in 58:15. Not what I had hoped but as I've said before, There is work for me to do.
I need to get better at pacing.
Saturdays TT - Shenandoah VA; 4th/16
They shortened the course to 21 miles with only 1100' gain due to bridge construction but(!) they left the stinkin large part of the hill bit in it. The course starts in Shenandoah and has 6 turns coming out of town in the first 2 miles and that includes ~175' of the total gain and then goes downhill to another in the multitude of speed scrubbing 90 degree turns.
Starting at mile 4 there is ~6 miles of false flat. I managed to pass 2 on this stretch of the road. The turn around was particularly tight with maybe a 12' road.
Coming back you don't get the entire 6 miles of downhill part of the false flat but I managed to pass 2 more while I tried to reserve some stuff for the hill at mile 14 which is 180' gain in .7 miles where the chant was 'this sucks this sucks this sucks'.
A short downhill section followed by yet another 90 degree turn into 1.5 miles before heading back up hill; of course after a 90 degree turn. Seems if you aren't goin up you are going down and making a 90 degree turn.
The last 1K I managed to put out 110% and crossed the line in 58:15. Not what I had hoped but as I've said before, There is work for me to do.
I need to get better at pacing.
07-28-14, 09:44 AM
#2477
Idiot Emeritus
Masters Misc Race Report Thread
IBO, you are on the verge of awesome. That was a heck of a performance!
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07-28-14, 09:45 AM
#2478
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Miller School Road Race, Charlottesville, VA. M35+ RR championships. This is a lumpy course full of 30" to 3' climbs nothing stupid steep but lots of 8% pitches. Finishes at the top of a half K or so 2 part climb. Raining at the start, so pretty slick road surfaces. I don't climb very well and hill top finishes are usually not my best, but my plan was to basically mark a few guys I knew would be the main protagonists, participate when needed, and roll with the winning break to get whatever I could at the end.
Each lap is 16 miles, our race was 4 laps. The race starts at the bottom of the hardest climb on the course, so the race is pretty much on from the get go. First lap was reasonably sedate for about 12 miles, a group of 2, both big motors was OTF but not getting much gap. Then the pace picked up a bunch on a climb then descent. I wanted to be near the front on the descents so was where I needed to be, as were the guys I knew would be the main protagonists. We hit the finishing climb, I was 2nd wheel, and guy in front of me drilled it. We flew up the climb, everyone was there, so I figured this was it, time to go! there was a twisty descent off the climb, I thought we would rail it and then roll. I went through the twisty parts of the descent first, and came out of it with about a 200 - 300 M gap. Knowing I'm not rolling for 50+ miles I sat up and waited, and at that point the field re-integrated. bummer.
next lap was pretty hard, lots of elastic stretching, but I was going pretty well and sticking to my plan. We were losing folks off the back and the elastic had snapped. there was a group of about 10 that had made the selection.
at the beginning of lap 3, on the hardest climb, I knew I needed to drift climb it so got pretty near the front and was going along with a good rhythm, but feeling fatigue. About half way up it, I could feel that I was in trouble, then when we got to the last pitch, I came unhitched. I was pedaling triangles. When I got over the top, the group of 8 <?> was like 25M in front of me. Unfortunately, there's no descent after this climb, just a little down hill then another bump. I couldn't accelerate up to them and when we got to the next bump, I blew up completely.
Another dropped rider rolled up to me, we were both pretty cracked so waited for the next group, who was another minute back or so and worked with them the last portion of the race. Figuring our race was over, the podium was up the road, I saw no reason to actually "race" this group until either attacking near the end or up the finishing hill, so did my fair share of the work and didnt have a sustainable attack in my legs. One of the guys was doing the "i have a team mate up there" routine, which I guess is his prerogative, but in my opinion is pretty small riding in that situation. I started cramping (a recent problem) and had no punch to attack or sprint up the finishing climb. I was essentially using my body weight to turn the pedals.
A very disappointing 11th place, my expectations were higher. I think I raced tactically correct, but when you ain't got the legs, you ain't got the legs.
Thanks for reading.
Each lap is 16 miles, our race was 4 laps. The race starts at the bottom of the hardest climb on the course, so the race is pretty much on from the get go. First lap was reasonably sedate for about 12 miles, a group of 2, both big motors was OTF but not getting much gap. Then the pace picked up a bunch on a climb then descent. I wanted to be near the front on the descents so was where I needed to be, as were the guys I knew would be the main protagonists. We hit the finishing climb, I was 2nd wheel, and guy in front of me drilled it. We flew up the climb, everyone was there, so I figured this was it, time to go! there was a twisty descent off the climb, I thought we would rail it and then roll. I went through the twisty parts of the descent first, and came out of it with about a 200 - 300 M gap. Knowing I'm not rolling for 50+ miles I sat up and waited, and at that point the field re-integrated. bummer.
next lap was pretty hard, lots of elastic stretching, but I was going pretty well and sticking to my plan. We were losing folks off the back and the elastic had snapped. there was a group of about 10 that had made the selection.
at the beginning of lap 3, on the hardest climb, I knew I needed to drift climb it so got pretty near the front and was going along with a good rhythm, but feeling fatigue. About half way up it, I could feel that I was in trouble, then when we got to the last pitch, I came unhitched. I was pedaling triangles. When I got over the top, the group of 8 <?> was like 25M in front of me. Unfortunately, there's no descent after this climb, just a little down hill then another bump. I couldn't accelerate up to them and when we got to the next bump, I blew up completely.
Another dropped rider rolled up to me, we were both pretty cracked so waited for the next group, who was another minute back or so and worked with them the last portion of the race. Figuring our race was over, the podium was up the road, I saw no reason to actually "race" this group until either attacking near the end or up the finishing hill, so did my fair share of the work and didnt have a sustainable attack in my legs. One of the guys was doing the "i have a team mate up there" routine, which I guess is his prerogative, but in my opinion is pretty small riding in that situation. I started cramping (a recent problem) and had no punch to attack or sprint up the finishing climb. I was essentially using my body weight to turn the pedals.
A very disappointing 11th place, my expectations were higher. I think I raced tactically correct, but when you ain't got the legs, you ain't got the legs.
Thanks for reading.
07-28-14, 10:01 AM
#2479
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IBO, 4 of 16 is a great result. It would be nice to know Category and age group as well as the name of the race.
Are you riding these ITTs Merckx? I do not see a TT bike in your "bike listing". Are these Merckx events or are you going up against racers with full aero setup?
The goal of any TT is to use the most energy on the slowest part of the course such as uphill and into the wind. On the easier sections, it is better to focus on aero position and float the power a little more. From the power profile, it looks like you may have done just that. But you may know something I do not.
Also, your cadence looks backward meaning one can use a lower cadence 80 -90 at higher power on the more difficult sections and higher cadence at lower power on the easier sections. Higher cadence used to facilitate recovery and lower cadence for more power production efficiency. You appeared to be the opposite. Now this may be better for you and you have tried different approaches and standardized on the way you executed the race.
Are you riding these ITTs Merckx? I do not see a TT bike in your "bike listing". Are these Merckx events or are you going up against racers with full aero setup?
The goal of any TT is to use the most energy on the slowest part of the course such as uphill and into the wind. On the easier sections, it is better to focus on aero position and float the power a little more. From the power profile, it looks like you may have done just that. But you may know something I do not.
Also, your cadence looks backward meaning one can use a lower cadence 80 -90 at higher power on the more difficult sections and higher cadence at lower power on the easier sections. Higher cadence used to facilitate recovery and lower cadence for more power production efficiency. You appeared to be the opposite. Now this may be better for you and you have tried different approaches and standardized on the way you executed the race.
07-28-14, 10:38 AM
#2480
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IBO, nice work.
Mattm, nice to see you here. Great racing. That initial punch that failed is probably what made the difference. Next time. As for the teammate sitting on, that's kinda bush in my book. This is not a crit where the gaps are in seconds. If the teammate is minutes up the road and the chase is not balls out, he could have done some light work. If the chase ramps up, I'd be fine with him sitting in the back, but if you're just making pace then he should have worked.
Mattm, nice to see you here. Great racing. That initial punch that failed is probably what made the difference. Next time. As for the teammate sitting on, that's kinda bush in my book. This is not a crit where the gaps are in seconds. If the teammate is minutes up the road and the chase is not balls out, he could have done some light work. If the chase ramps up, I'd be fine with him sitting in the back, but if you're just making pace then he should have worked.
07-28-14, 10:58 AM
#2481
Senior Member
Baaaaa Haaaaaa! Slayed me Sara! Much like I'm on the verge of being a millionaire. Another $950K and I'm there!
Sorry about that. CAT5 - Shenandoah VA TT
I have a Specialized SHIV with a RENN disk rear. Lacking an aero front wheel (and probably a host of other stuff like loss of weight, good position...).
I tried to conserve on the downward grades and use position (low as my gut will allow and lead with my heart) but I'm still learning.
Thanks. I'll have to study the lines and see if I can wrap my head around this. When I did the TT last month that was way flat my cadence turned out to be ~95 as an avg. It's not something that I pay that much attention to during the race. Again, still learning how to ride and all advice/constructive criticism is appreciated and welcomed.
The goal of any TT is to use the most energy on the slowest part of the course such as uphill and into the wind. On the easier sections, it is better to focus on aero position and float the power a little more. From the power profile, it looks like you may have done just that. But you may know something I do not.
Also, your cadence looks backward meaning one can use a lower cadence 80 -90 at higher power on the more difficult sections and higher cadence at lower power on the easier sections. Higher cadence used to facilitate recovery and lower cadence for more power production efficiency. You appeared to be the opposite. Now this may be better for you and you have tried different approaches and standardized on the way you executed the race.
07-28-14, 11:29 AM
#2482
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IBO, 4th of 16 against the Cat 5 men is a fantastic result. I am assuming the elite Cat 5 versus a masters Cat 5. If your gut is in the way, lose it. However, I suspect if you highs are hitting your gut your saddle is too low and or your cranks too long. Most rookie TTers have their saddle too low mimicking their roadie position. And a fast front wheel is much more beneficial than a rear disc wheel although a rear disc is beneficial. Hopefully, you have shaved your legs since that was one of the cheapest and most beneficial things, that the Specialized wind tunnel guys found, that a racer could do to reduce time in a 40K TT.
07-28-14, 11:32 AM
#2483
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ibo, nice work.
mdcatv, nice to see you here. Great racing. That initial punch that failed is probably what made the difference. Next time. As for the teammate sitting on, that's kinda bush in my book. This is not a crit where the gaps are in seconds. If the teammate is minutes up the road and the chase is not balls out, he could have done some light work. If the chase ramps up, i'd be fine with him sitting in the back, but if you're just making pace then he should have worked.
mdcatv, nice to see you here. Great racing. That initial punch that failed is probably what made the difference. Next time. As for the teammate sitting on, that's kinda bush in my book. This is not a crit where the gaps are in seconds. If the teammate is minutes up the road and the chase is not balls out, he could have done some light work. If the chase ramps up, i'd be fine with him sitting in the back, but if you're just making pace then he should have worked.
+1
07-28-14, 12:24 PM
#2484
Senior Member
Thanks.
I say if the guy won't do work chuck that in the memory bank for the next one. I still remember the guy that sucked my wheel for 6 laps of a crit just to pass me for 7th when we were 1/2 lap down. He'll be cross racing next time.
Mattm, nice to see you here. Great racing. That initial punch that failed is probably what made the difference. Next time. As for the teammate sitting on, that's kinda bush in my book. This is not a crit where the gaps are in seconds. If the teammate is minutes up the road and the chase is not balls out, he could have done some light work. If the chase ramps up, I'd be fine with him sitting in the back, but if you're just making pace then he should have worked.
07-28-14, 12:26 PM
#2485
Senior Member
IBO, 4th of 16 against the Cat 5 men is a fantastic result. I am assuming the elite Cat 5 versus a masters Cat 5. If your gut is in the way, lose it. However, I suspect if you highs are hitting your gut your saddle is too low and or your cranks too long. Most rookie TTers have their saddle too low mimicking their roadie position. And a fast front wheel is much more beneficial than a rear disc wheel although a rear disc is beneficial. Hopefully, you have shaved your legs since that was one of the cheapest and most beneficial things, that the Specialized wind tunnel guys found, that a racer could do to reduce time in a 40K TT.
There were the following classes so I got to race against youngsters.
1/2/3
Novice 5
Novice 4
Masters 45+
MAsters 55+
Masters 65+
My gut gets in the way but not like it would have 3 yrs/90 lbs ago.I've been trying to lose it but it's difficult.
If I had my saddle any higher I think it would be too high. I don't rock my hips but I'm close to that point. A fit is more then likely in order if I can just find the extra $950K that Sara thinks I'm onto
Yeah, shaved my legs and got my redneck card revoked. Freaked the spousal unit out at first but she's a big fan now.
07-28-14, 01:32 PM
#2486
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An elite rider pursuant to the UCI/USA Cycling definition is age 23 to 29. Many times race promoters will define the open non age segmented categories with the modifier "elite". So the Elite Cat 5 is the same as Cat 5 - open to all ages. Here in NorCal, the cat 5 men are capable of some great TT times so making the top of the peloton is excellent especially for an older master.
Here is a link further explaining elite and master classification as it pertains to certain races.
You will note that under my "stage" name - we all have stage names just like strippers and Indian customer service representatives, that I use Elite Rider. In 2011, I participated in the Elite National Track Championships. That year, the UCI put that race on the UCI race calendar such that any rider who competed in that race was categorized as an Elite Rider and not eligible for Masters Track Worlds. It was a bit of an uproar since UCI put it on the calendar late and it impacted some racers planning on doing both elite track nationals and masters worlds. So in 2011, I was an Elite Rider per UCI rules.
We later found out that only the USA elite nationals were put on the calendar and NOT the European, Aussies or New Zealand national championships such that their athletes could compete in both. Politics? Maybe... Not very smart... probable.
Here is a link further explaining elite and master classification as it pertains to certain races.
You will note that under my "stage" name - we all have stage names just like strippers and Indian customer service representatives, that I use Elite Rider. In 2011, I participated in the Elite National Track Championships. That year, the UCI put that race on the UCI race calendar such that any rider who competed in that race was categorized as an Elite Rider and not eligible for Masters Track Worlds. It was a bit of an uproar since UCI put it on the calendar late and it impacted some racers planning on doing both elite track nationals and masters worlds. So in 2011, I was an Elite Rider per UCI rules.
We later found out that only the USA elite nationals were put on the calendar and NOT the European, Aussies or New Zealand national championships such that their athletes could compete in both. Politics? Maybe... Not very smart... probable.
07-28-14, 01:44 PM
#2487
Senior Member
^ Holy crap that hurts my head. I need a jar of shine now.
07-28-14, 03:30 PM
#2488
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IBOHUNT, nice work. Sounds like a tough course and you beat a bunch of kids.
MDcatV, you do what you can and you take what you can get. Good job hanging in there despite the cramps.
MDcatV, you do what you can and you take what you can get. Good job hanging in there despite the cramps.
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Thanks.
Cleave
"Real men still wear pink."
Visit my blog at https://cleavesblant.wordpress.com/
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07-28-14, 11:01 PM
#2490
Idiot Emeritus
Masters Misc Race Report Thread
MDcat, great read, great job, tough race,
IBO, the $925K check is on the mail, really, it is.
. I'll have to sell my CAAD 10 and Prius before I can get you the $25K. Seriously, you're far closer to what I said about you than I am to borrowing $50. Great job, man - take the compliment! 
IBO, the $925K check is on the mail, really, it is.
. I'll have to sell my CAAD 10 and Prius before I can get you the $25K. Seriously, you're far closer to what I said about you than I am to borrowing $50. Great job, man - take the compliment!
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08-02-14, 03:26 PM
#2492
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Got slaughtered at the Lookout Mtn HC RR today. 7th/8. Asthma is acting up and maybe getting sick too. Lungs on fire. Bummed, just in time for a heavy training block.
edit:
good news - 6th/ 9
bad news - definitely getting sick.
edit:
good news - 6th/ 9
bad news - definitely getting sick.
Last edited by valygrl; 08-02-14 at 04:50 PM.
08-02-14, 06:46 PM
#2495
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Bummer about the sickness, valygrl. Rest up and pamper yourself!
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Chuck
Demain, on roule!
Regards,
Chuck
Demain, on roule!
08-02-14, 08:28 PM
#2496
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No good valygrl! As revchuck said, pamper yourself. Steamboat is coming.
08-03-14, 10:09 AM
#2498
Idiot Emeritus
Rest up, young lady!
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08-03-14, 10:36 AM
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Tamiflu now.
08-03-14, 11:05 AM
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You look pretty powerful to me. And if there's more weight to lose, that's a quicker route to an improved power/weight ratio than anything else you can do.
I think your progress over the last couple of years is remarkable. If I dreamed I could come 4th of 16 on a technical 21-mile TT I'd wake up and apologise.
I think your progress over the last couple of years is remarkable. If I dreamed I could come 4th of 16 on a technical 21-mile TT I'd wake up and apologise.