Originally Posted by
Abe_Froman
4) Energy management. Figured this one out the last race. Don't blow yourself up just to pass someone. I got too aggressive about once per lap when I was feeling good. I'd pass someone, then really hit the gas and go for a second pass, only to slam on the brakes before the next corner. Then I'd be gassed, have 1 of the 2 pass me again, and spend half a lap trying to get my heartrate under control again. The plan this next race is to race steady, then if I have some extra, put it down during the straightaways or climbs, and try to pass/gap there, where momentum I create isn't going to be wasted in future braking.
I strap a heart rate monitor (with alarm) on my handlebars. I know if I go over my threshold, I'm going to pay for it later so it better be worth it. And it reminds me that when I do peg it I need to give my self some recovery time (although I its not really recovery in a race). I hear ya - its hard to make that strong effort, then realize I don't have enough in the tank to hang on at speed after that.