notwist

I've been riding for 2 years recreationally (group rides, charity rides, etc.) and this year will be my first year racing. I live in the Northeast and do most of my riding indoors during the week and outside on the weekend. I just bought a 1-year license so it's all systems go. I picked up the "Bible" and just finished the first block of "Base". My question is regarding racing during my third (and final) block of base.

What's the consensus of racing during this phase of base training (especially for someone just starting)? The book doesn't recommend doing any high intensity stuff (other than the occasional efforts associated with the Saturday group ride) until the build phase however, I really want to get my feet wet racing earlier to get a couple races under my belt. Should I just follow the book's recommendations of Z1-3, tempo rides and (HTFU) just do the races ? Or should I add some higher intensity workouts?

Thanks for reading and apologies if I leave out any vital information.

kleinboogie

I'll let the seasoned vets offer the good advice. I'll just say that this is my first year and I feel unprepared, due to limited training days the last 1.5 months, but I figure wth, if I learn something it was worth it. Even if that something is keep training. I don't think I'll be 100% for any race until I can know how my body (and mind) will react to training, racing and recovery. Only one way to find that out. GL this season.

carpediemracing 

Race. The physical adaptation curve is so steep at the beginning and there is so much a new rider doesn't know about possibilities that it's important to get an idea of what you're dealing with. Workouts... doesn't really matter but I'd do some efforts. After the race you'll have a better idea of what you want to do. Just don't rush it after that first race - understand that that's what you need to do but don't go crazy with intervals and stuff. Figure 3 months to get to comfy physiologically in races. 3 years to get comfortable buried in the field.

I talked to an aspiring racer sitting next to me on the plane yesterday. He knows about categories and such and he raced mountain bikes. He asked about road riding. I told him he needs to be able to hit 31-32 mph minimum and preferably 35 mph to be competitive in a Cat 5 race. Speeds would be higher for 4s, higher again for 3s. Unless you're already comfortable hitting these speeds it can be shocking to learn what you need to be able to do.

I told him about my own eye-opening experiences, climbing a steep hill Wolfpit Road in my hometown. It's really steep. I used my bottom gear to climb it - a 34x23 (this was before "compacts" but I happen to have a compact drivetrain). A racer told me that in a race he'd use a 53x15 or, as it worked out on my bike, a 48x14.

I thought he was smoking the funny stuff.

But I learned that, yes, I could climb the hill in big gears.

Whenever I forget my own lesson I do some monster hill in a big gear. Or, like I've done a few times, I'll just rip out a crazy sprint an hour into a 2 hour climb (Palomar). Big ring, smaller cog, just go bananas for a bit. Remind myself that yes, you can go faster. Then get back into the 39x25 and plod along.

Full post on the gear story:
https://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.co...ic-and-me.html

cdr

Obscene

I started racing last year and honestly don't think any self training or book could have prepared me for the efforts of that first race. Read EVERYTHING in the thread up top about first time racers and keep things like holding your line, and staying aware in mind.

Otherwise, just get out there and try it. Depending on where/when you get dropped, you'll know how to adjust your training accordingly.

Good luck and have fun

jay0k

Around here the big difference in category upgrade are the quality of explosive attacks. The speeds aren't substantially different. 4's might average 25mph in a 45 min flat crit and 3's might do 26 mph. The surges are harder and much faster. If a 5 can average 31mph here then they can lap the field easily. Unless you mean that's the peak speed.

carpediemracing 

"hit", not maintain. Hence the speed numbers - those are surge numbers. So yes, more of a peak speed, but repeatedly. It's not a max speed, more a "I can surge to this speed several times a ride".

I did a race last summer with the 5s. Training race, I overdid it on the ride down to the race (it was 4 hours? 5 hours? and I overheated). I didn't want to race at all, just wanted to drive my car home - I'd ridden to the race venue because I'd left my car there previously, hadn't planned on racing.

So the promoter told me to do the 4-5 race, mainly 5s, just drop out when I felt like it. I hung in there, almost got dropped every lap, dying a thousand deaths going 22 mph or something like that, hanging on for dear life. I didn't get dropped.

As we hit the final lap I told myself I should try and get to the front and do a leadout. Let the 5s fight it out off of a good leadout. I went to the front, hit maybe 33 mph, held it for a while, pulled off... and there were two guys left on my wheel. I did a relatively slow leadout (for the conditions) when I was totally wasted from doing a long hot ride, and only two guys were left on my wheel.

I was a bit shocked that such a slow leadout would result in the field just exploding. In a 3 race everyone would have been swarming me because I was going too slow. Fast is 38-40 mph.

Surges. That's what counts for new racers.

cdr

Debusama

Race, and mentally prepare to be dropped. I’m not saying you shouldn’t try to stay with the pack, but if you haven’t been training at higher intensities, it will be hard to keep up when someone attacks, and the pack surges. When I got dropped at about mile-5 of my first road race (50 miles), I rode my butt off for 20 miles thinking that I would somehow catch up with the pack before a pace line of riders who had also been dropped caught up with me. That hour I spent riding alone was miserable, not because I was alone, because I was pushing so hard to catch up while also watching them ride away and disappear over the horizon. Once the pace-line caught up with me and I got on the back, it was just like any other group ride: riding, talking, meeting new people and not a bad time at all. In the last few kilometers when the gloves came off and we all started racing for 40th place, I really wished I hadn’t wasted so much energy trying to catch the pack.

45suited

The bible is not really geared to a first year racer. I would follow cdr's advice and just race. I would not look to follow a full on periodization plan your first year. You need to figure out your strengths and weaknesses, which will then allow you to target specific races in the coming years.

I live in NE as well and last year was my first season. I also typically road outside on the weekends and inside all week. If you are looking at racing in early March, which is when the season starts around here, I would be doing threshold work at least twice a week immediately. I did 2x20's all winter long last year, and did pretty well from the get go. Doing long z2 rides will give you the foundation to go fast, but you really need to do some work on the high end to prepare yourself.

shovelhd

^+1

I think the most important thing for a true beginner is to not get discouraged your first few times out. It is entirely possible that you will be blown out the back in your first race. If it's a training race, sit out a lap, get back in it again, and try harder.

FWIW my base ended yesterday. Build starts tomorrow. Racing in March.

notwist

Thanks all for the comments.. very helpful. I guess we'll see what happens in a couple weeks. I'm not expecting to win a damn thing but do plan on adding a bit of harder efforts (good thing I have a LT test scheduled for this weekend) to prepare myself for the shelling that is bound to occur.
Thanks again.

badhat

definitely race

and definitely do the hard saturday morning shootout in your town/region.

fwiw, i still routinely get my ass handed to me on the saturday morning shootout and limp home alone or with the other casualties, but i never finished outside top ten on a RR in my first year in the 4s.

if you have an active scene of any descent size and any number of pros or 1s, the shootouts are gonna be harder that anything you'll encounter in cat 4 or 5.

2005trek1200

all the above replys are good...

i might add the during base 3 you are allowed/supposed to put in one day of hard effort (given its "technically" supposed to be sub-threshold) with high intensity, medium duration...that sounds like race/hard group ride to me...

with that said, jsut get out there and race...as long as you are not putting in consistent daily hard efforts, youre going to screw up your periodization.

jwible

Don't get discouraged if you get lapped, pulled, or drop out. Just keep coming back.

caloso

Bolded for emphasis. When I started racing I thought I was a pretty fit triathlete. I could motor along at 22 all day long and I figured that if the average speed of the race was 26-27, then I'd have no problem. I'd just draft everyone, right?

Wrong.

grolby

Yes, this; what happens is that, somewhere in the line that forms behind as you go real hard, there's someone who just can't (or doesn't think they can) hold the wheel in front at 33 mph, so they let go and the gap opens up. I've done this exactly once, and it was similarly pretty shocking. I was in really bad form, pretty much dead halfway through the race, and decided to go out in a blaze of glory pulling back a break. But the third guy behind me let go of his wheel. And what happens when I'm in this kind of bad shape is that I stop being able to go with surges. If the pack is holding steady, no problem. Repeated attacks just kill me, though.

I would just race. You'll at least get an idea of where you're at.

mollusk

To the OP,

Do 10 mass starts and then upgrade to the 4's, but while in the 5's try a bunch of different things.

Actually keep doing them as a 4 as well.

Be safe and have fun.

notwist

Just thought i'd update this thread after my first race (Branch Brook Park Series in Newark, NJ). I decided to add some harder efforts 4 weeks before today's race and I feel that they really prepared me. The road was wet with a slight drizzle and there were about 70 riders in the 4/5. I pretty much stayed in the bunch until 4(?) laps to go when I got caught behind a crash on the straight before the start/finish. No one was seriously hurt. I sorta went over the handlebars narrowly escaping bodies but I was able to remount quickly. Eventually a chase group caught up to me and I rode with them for the remainder of the race. Overall, the pace was pretty manageable and i think I learned a lot in terms of what to expect in these next races. I'm planning on coming back next week to do both 4/5 races as well.

One thing i really need to get used to is riding within the bunch more comfortably. It must've been the drizzle, wet roads, the fact that it's the first race of the season, or the varying skill level in the group but there were some sketchy moments. I felt more safer closer to the sides. Also, even though I was towards the front at the line at the beginning of the race, I started to drift towards the rear. I guess i need to be a little more aggressive in marking wheels and fighting for position..
THanks for reading

neurocycler

Great story.

kindablue

+1

Thanks CDR you are one of the reasons I peruse this forum. Great story.