To you DC area BFheads:

Are you doing Quicksilver or TradeZone this weekend or both? Looks like the weather may finally allow both to happen.

Any notable differences between the two?

Do you guess there are likely to be full Cat 5 fields since these are the first races of the season here or do you reckon it is still too early for many people to start to race?

Thanks.

Tz

Im doing both. Im actually going to swing by quicksilver in a few minutes to see what kind of condition its in.

The only differences between the two is that TZ is flatter and QS has a minor elevation increase right before the last corner heading to the finish. The hill is kind of like greenbelt.

It looks like the forecast is a little warmer for Saturday, though. I might end up doing QS, but I'll play it by ear.

Unless it rains, I'll be at QS, courses are indistinguishable from one another, the "hill" at QS is a non-factor.

It's kind of early for full fields, especially since it's a training race, but could be wrong on that.

My Naval Academy race weekend has been cancelled, and I'm determined to race, so I'll be at Tradezone.

I'm bringing my -25.6 TSB with me, too.

Compared to TZ, QS has a hill.

Riskus:

How did QS look yesterday?

Do you race for a team? What kind of bike will you be on...? I'll try to find you and say say "yo" at the race tomorrow.

Haven't decided yet, probably quicksilver. Kind of depends on how I feel that morning. I never thought this would happen, but I'm not motivated to race.

The course didnt look that much different then last weekend but there were less mounds of snow on the course near the curbs and the corners were almost snow free. Hopefully this rain knocked out the rest of the snow. I will check it again on my lunch break in a few hours.

im not on a team and i ride a light blue bike with reynolds wheels

I'm thinking Tradezone is going to win out. I've just felt like hell the last week or two, and the last thing I need is a hill in my first 3/4 race when I'm feeling like a$$.

I did my first really high-intensity workout last night (microbursts). OUCH. Hopefully there won't be too many accelerations like that...

like mdcatv said the hill isnt anything to worry about at qs

Yeah, but I just want to take tomorrow to do a couple hours of easy stuff to open up the legs a little... This week hasn't been the best training-wise.

i will probably get dropped pretty bad in both these races this weekend but im using them as training more than anything.

Well, it's settled. Much wine was had tonight, so I'll be racing on Sunday at TZ. My wife's cousin's husband is the executive chef at the Capital Grille downtown, and they had a wine tasting dinner at their house, sponsored/taught by the Capital Grille's own wine guru. No regrets about sabotaging myself for Saturday...

See you at TZ!

one down one to go

i cant believe i competed in a race during my lunch break!

How'd it go?

ehhhh

it actually went much better then i thought but that almost makes me feel worse if it makes sense.

I knew I wasnt in that great shape so I assumed I could get dropped right away but I was hoping I would make it half the race.

Right off the start I had issues. Since I left straight from work and I only had a 2 hour window to do this I was in a rush. I forgot I didnt have caps on my bars so as we are lined up to race the official points it out so I had to run across this muddy grass to get some tape to cover them up. I got back just in time for the gun but I had mud all up in my speedplay cleats so I couldnt get clipped in. I got one foot in but I never got my right foot snapped in. Thankfully, eventually the mud dried up and actually kept my foot stuck to the pedal.

Suprisingly with that drama and all I ended up staying with the group the entire time and finished i think 15th. The reason that kind of bums me out is because I know I could have done better and probably competed for the win.

as i was putting my bike back on my car to get back to work i realized i forgot to take my saddle bag off

what a dork

im more ready for tomorrow though

Oh I met poster Ghostman after the race too and thankfully he really wasnt wearing the road race champions jersey he said he was going to!

See you guys tomorrow... Should be good times. And it's my last race with the Polar power meter--the powertap is coming!

Hey, you guys clearly missed my ironic sense of humor.

ALthough it WOULD have been funny to show up at my first Cat 5 race wearing Bettini's World Champion jersey. Or a Nike Lance Tour de France yellow jersey...

Dr Pete: I met some of your teammates (Cesar and ???) who were in the 5 race also. Very good guys. I still want to get out and ride with y'all. Maybe drop me a line next time you do a club ride....

Riskus: Great to met you.

I think I am not going to do Tradezone and instead will try a hard training ride tomorrow.

Good luck to you guys out there......