Nice going, AzT! I love reading your race reports. They are a lesson in developing strategy and a study, to me, of an up and coming GC person. Please keep 'em coming!
Racer Ex, thank you!!! I'm pleased to see my plan for the week is close to what you suggested, even nutrition is close. Now, if I just had 1/4 of your strength and endurance...
Ericm, I live less than three miles from the where the circuit race will be. That went a long way towards making it attractive to me as a first attempt.
Bear with me, here's my plan:
Monday - tomorrow: 30 - 40 minute run, most at LT or above.
Tuesday - fast group ride, with all of the efforts you described.
Wednesday - 1 hour spin class, close to LT (it's difficult for me to reach LT in a spin class).
Thursday - pre ride the course, studying the features on the first lap while warming up, then increasing efforts on the second lap. I plan to ride for an hour, including the portion of the ride to and from my house. I'll post the link to Strava when it's done.
Friday - spin class, strength training.
Saturday - easy 1 hour ride with a few short efforts to LT. Decide which bike to ride in the race, the Giant CFR-Team, or the Look 566.
Sunday - Race; watch, be patient, learn, and try to stay out of trouble (Cat 4 women)!
Now, I am worried about warming up. I am notoriously slow at warming up. I can take 30 to 40 minutes before my legs really start to work and I relax. If I blow the warmup, I'm in trouble! I plan to get to the site about an hour and a half before the race and ride some of the roads around it. There are some climbs, flats, rollers, etc, and that (hopefully) will serve to get me going. Adrenaline will be in evidence, but it only goes so far with me.
Honestly, I have not a clue as to how a circuit race works or how it will unfold. I also don't know the makeup of the field. My race report should make an interesting story!