The Race Report Thread 2009-2012
05-09-12, 10:47 PM
**** that
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Crit #4, that same weekly training crit. This time there were about 13 women and 30 men, and they started us together. I managed to stay in the men's pack this time, the advice I got here about cornering and positioning helped a ton, and some guy decided to give me some cornering advice during the race. I think he was a mentor, or something, he was wearing kit from the race's title sponsor.
Anyway, I stayed in the pack until 2 to go (which was my goal for the race - stay in the pack, and it wasn't easy both fitness and technique-wise), as did many of the other women, and then the pace heated up. I saw 3 gals come out of the back of the men's pack ahead of me, and caught them right after crossing the start/finish at the bell lap. We came around the next corner, I was gaining on them, and I slingshotted off the back of their line and just hammered as hard as I could. Looked back after a sec and they were far behind, so I just tried to keep the pace up the rest of the way. After the last corner I was just dying and I looked back and saw someone, couldn't tell if it was a guy or a gal, but they were gaining on me, so I tried even harder.
This was how M. won this same race the first time I did it, and she was in front of that line that I took off out of this time.
It was a near-barf experience and I saw a HR for my last lap that I have never seen before - 191. Yikes.
05-10-12, 08:04 AM
meow
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Crit #4, that same weekly training crit. This time there were about 13 women and 30 men, and they started us together....
This was how M. won this same race the first time I did it, and she was in front of that line that I took off out of this time.
It was a near-barf experience and I saw a HR for my last lap that I have never seen before - 191. Yikes.
05-11-12, 08:19 AM
**** that
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Frustrating Seward 3/4's training race yesterday. Nice weather so big turnout, my plan was to conserve until the end.
I conserved, but unclipped coming through the last corner and lost a bunch of spots. Made up those spots but at the base of the finish climb (200m) I was about 5th wheel and had speed but nowhere to go with it. My fault.
I've been spoiled by results there, now anything less than a win is a failure. But it was good training!
I conserved, but unclipped coming through the last corner and lost a bunch of spots. Made up those spots but at the base of the finish climb (200m) I was about 5th wheel and had speed but nowhere to go with it. My fault.
I've been spoiled by results there, now anything less than a win is a failure. But it was good training!
05-11-12, 10:18 AM
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05-11-12, 10:28 AM
soon to be gsteinc...
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05-11-12, 10:30 AM
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Oh also I raced the Tour of the Dragons last weekend, and that's about it for my 2012 SR/RR season. The crit was really fast and hard and fun and I felt great. My breathing deserted me in the TT, my time was 20" slower than last year and I could barely hold tempo watts (3w higher than last year, but my FTP is a good 20w higher now so I should have been able to do a lot more). Same story in the RR, and I didn't bother to cross the line. Had a lot of time to think about things as I soft-pedaled alone for a few hours.
From here on out I'm taking a step back from racing. I'm going to race what I feel like that is local and flat and see if I can put all this new-found short-term power to use. Work on my tactics and skills and see if I can turn myself into a more ambitious and aggressive crit racer. Enjoy riding my bike and be patient with my lungs until they work right again.
From here on out I'm taking a step back from racing. I'm going to race what I feel like that is local and flat and see if I can put all this new-found short-term power to use. Work on my tactics and skills and see if I can turn myself into a more ambitious and aggressive crit racer. Enjoy riding my bike and be patient with my lungs until they work right again.
05-11-12, 10:39 AM
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05-11-12, 10:44 AM
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05-11-12, 11:00 AM
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05-11-12, 11:33 AM
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05-11-12, 12:24 PM
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05-11-12, 12:56 PM
meow
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Frustrating Seward 3/4's training race yesterday. Nice weather so big turnout, my plan was to conserve until the end.
I conserved, but unclipped coming through the last corner and lost a bunch of spots. Made up those spots but at the base of the finish climb (200m) I was about 5th wheel and had speed but nowhere to go with it. My fault.
I've been spoiled by results there, now anything less than a win is a failure. But it was good training!
I conserved, but unclipped coming through the last corner and lost a bunch of spots. Made up those spots but at the base of the finish climb (200m) I was about 5th wheel and had speed but nowhere to go with it. My fault.
I've been spoiled by results there, now anything less than a win is a failure. But it was good training!
05-11-12, 01:08 PM
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matt doesn't often sandbag, but when he does he sandbags training races.
I was in the same race (technically). I hadn't done any intensity in a week other than a 38 mile RR last Saturday, so I didn't know what to expect this week. I got lots of practice trying to stay on the back of the pack, and it was definitely good training. That course hurts - seems like half the lap is 0 watts, the other half is 500+. 46 minutes of exactly 1.0IF (1.16 VI, which seems low for a crit).
I was in the same race (technically). I hadn't done any intensity in a week other than a 38 mile RR last Saturday, so I didn't know what to expect this week. I got lots of practice trying to stay on the back of the pack, and it was definitely good training. That course hurts - seems like half the lap is 0 watts, the other half is 500+. 46 minutes of exactly 1.0IF (1.16 VI, which seems low for a crit).
05-11-12, 01:09 PM
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05-11-12, 02:18 PM
**** that
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I figure I have my whole cat 1/2 life ahead of me, what's the rush? I might as well have fun now before I jump into the deep end..
But this 3/4's race is increasingly annoying in the way people ride - like cat 4's, I guess.. which is not that different than cat 3's. So either I'm just becoming a stuck up snob or that means I'm really turning into a 2.. =]
Anyway, the plan is to continue sandbagging for a few weeks, rack up as many points as possible, and go out of the 3's with a BANG. I don't wanna be one of those guys that people say, "Oh he upgraded?! Crazy." I want them to say, "Finally, he upgraded." Oh and there's this crit on June 2nd I won as a 4 in 2010, and as a 3 in 2011 - I'd love to do it for a 3rd time!!
We all know that the 3->2 jump is huge, and fwiw I'll be racing straight 1/2's, none of that masters stuff. So the upgrade is not something I'll do lightly, I need to squeeze every bit of fun out of the 3's I can, because the 1/2's is gonna suck at first (at least RRs will).
But this 3/4's race is increasingly annoying in the way people ride - like cat 4's, I guess.. which is not that different than cat 3's. So either I'm just becoming a stuck up snob or that means I'm really turning into a 2.. =]
Anyway, the plan is to continue sandbagging for a few weeks, rack up as many points as possible, and go out of the 3's with a BANG. I don't wanna be one of those guys that people say, "Oh he upgraded?! Crazy." I want them to say, "Finally, he upgraded." Oh and there's this crit on June 2nd I won as a 4 in 2010, and as a 3 in 2011 - I'd love to do it for a 3rd time!!
We all know that the 3->2 jump is huge, and fwiw I'll be racing straight 1/2's, none of that masters stuff. So the upgrade is not something I'll do lightly, I need to squeeze every bit of fun out of the 3's I can, because the 1/2's is gonna suck at first (at least RRs will).
05-11-12, 02:42 PM
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Blah, blah, blah. Sandbagger. 
05-11-12, 02:51 PM
**** that
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Thanks. It was always my dream to have strangers call me a sandbagger as a 3!
There are a few more fellow sandbaggers around here.. cough.. WR.. cough.. cdr. =]
There are a few more fellow sandbaggers around here.. cough.. WR.. cough.. cdr. =]
05-11-12, 08:07 PM
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Incorrect on all counts.
Carry on.
Carry on.
05-11-12, 11:08 PM
VeloSIRraptor
well - that hurt.
Track hurts. FACT.
Track, with no intensity or bike intervals leading up to it, reeeeaaaallly hurts. Maybe longer report tomorrow - it was AMAZING.
I haven't been in that much pain for a very long time.
Track hurts. FACT.
Track, with no intensity or bike intervals leading up to it, reeeeaaaallly hurts. Maybe longer report tomorrow - it was AMAZING.
I haven't been in that much pain for a very long time.
05-12-12, 03:46 AM
Senior Member
Fixed gear works some different muscles hurt? Or just the fact that it's basically all on hurt? Looking forward to your report.
05-12-12, 01:53 PM
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I did my first 1/8 tri today. My first ever swimming in open water too and without any multisport transition training.
The funny thing was that my swimming and running went pretty well for a newbee, but my cycling completely sucked today.
From the moment I got on my bike till the moment I got off I had cramps in just about every muscle I have
Managed only 19mph average ... which is slower than most of my longer training rides :$
Hey ... I'm glad I actually finished and hope to do better next time
The funny thing was that my swimming and running went pretty well for a newbee, but my cycling completely sucked today.
From the moment I got on my bike till the moment I got off I had cramps in just about every muscle I have
Managed only 19mph average ... which is slower than most of my longer training rides :$
Hey ... I'm glad I actually finished and hope to do better next time