The 2013 Race Results Thread
04-22-13, 09:30 AM
#1051
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Wells Ave B (3/4): Started the fun at the 2nd lap when a Shaklee (Drink Mix) Prime was called. I launched off for a full lap lone ride and took it. Seperation to the main was about 5-10 secs. Rode out front for a while hoping that someone would bridge and I could get a break going. Continued for another lap like that finally a break of like 6 guys bridged up. Lo and behold they basically had strung out the field on the way up and dragged the rest of the field up to my wheel. I slot into the top 10 and continue taking a few pulls at the front of the field. See 3 guys begin to go for a breakaway, decide to join them and jump off the front and join in. We got about half a lap before they die and go back to the field. Alone again riding OTF. Another money prime is called (That always makes people actually work, wahooo money). So I just keep riding (I kicked it up a notch).
Then A local Big-FTP Cat 3 shoots past me near the end and snipes me for the money prime. He drops back to the pack. ride alone, another money prime, he comes up again, deciding not to just let him draft me I sit-up and make him go around me if he wants the prime. I sit on his wheel until we are near the finish and just as I get ready to come around I see two sprinters shoot past. No way to beat them but I decide they may make good breakaway partners (I am a moron, I always think that. "Hey those sprinters are OTF with me, maybe I can get them to work in a break?" Hah. No.). So After their sprint I ride up to them, antagonize them and get them to get on my wheel for a break, half a lap later I am alone.
Finally something good happens. Big-FTP guy bridges up to me with one of his teammates (His teammate is also the guy who was in my break at Battenkill). We get a legit breakaway rolling. Not much to say there. I win the half-way sprint, one of my teammates tried to bridge up and caught onto the break but he got shelled. We rode as 3 for another 7 laps (started the break at 17 to go) till Big-FTP's teammate ends up getting shelled. We ride together agreeing to split primes.
Finally on the bell lap, just as Big-FTP finishes his pull on the finishing/ starting straight (So we were just finishing up second to last lap and we were crossing the line for the bell lap) which happened to be brutally windy I decide to make my move. Put down the rest of my power and by the time I look back after corner 2, Big-FTP is nowhere in sight (We had also been informed that we had 50 seconds on the main field during the 2nd to last lap so at this point it was in the bag). I crossed alone.
Almost made the mistake of raising my hands and getting DQed though, good thing I know Chris (Organizer).
Then A local Big-FTP Cat 3 shoots past me near the end and snipes me for the money prime. He drops back to the pack. ride alone, another money prime, he comes up again, deciding not to just let him draft me I sit-up and make him go around me if he wants the prime. I sit on his wheel until we are near the finish and just as I get ready to come around I see two sprinters shoot past. No way to beat them but I decide they may make good breakaway partners (I am a moron, I always think that. "Hey those sprinters are OTF with me, maybe I can get them to work in a break?" Hah. No.). So After their sprint I ride up to them, antagonize them and get them to get on my wheel for a break, half a lap later I am alone.
Finally something good happens. Big-FTP guy bridges up to me with one of his teammates (His teammate is also the guy who was in my break at Battenkill). We get a legit breakaway rolling. Not much to say there. I win the half-way sprint, one of my teammates tried to bridge up and caught onto the break but he got shelled. We rode as 3 for another 7 laps (started the break at 17 to go) till Big-FTP's teammate ends up getting shelled. We ride together agreeing to split primes.
Finally on the bell lap, just as Big-FTP finishes his pull on the finishing/ starting straight (So we were just finishing up second to last lap and we were crossing the line for the bell lap) which happened to be brutally windy I decide to make my move. Put down the rest of my power and by the time I look back after corner 2, Big-FTP is nowhere in sight (We had also been informed that we had 50 seconds on the main field during the 2nd to last lap so at this point it was in the bag). I crossed alone.
Almost made the mistake of raising my hands and getting DQed though, good thing I know Chris (Organizer).
04-22-13, 09:53 AM
#1053
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I took some of the suggestions I received on how to get away from the breakaway partners. I thank the contributors. (Though the contributions were made on a different forum I know that some people cross-pollinate, read into that as you wish)
04-22-13, 09:56 AM
#1054
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You are dead to me....
There is no other forum...
04-22-13, 10:10 AM
#1056
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04-22-13, 10:18 AM
#1058
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Like mama told me:
Son, you are a unique and special boy. It's time to get ready for school. The bus will be here to get you shortly.
One will notice I was extra special because I got to take the "Short Short Bus"
Son, you are a unique and special boy. It's time to get ready for school. The bus will be here to get you shortly.
One will notice I was extra special because I got to take the "Short Short Bus"
04-22-13, 11:02 AM
#1061
Senior Member
Heckuva weekend. Saturday, I went down to Sunny King to race cat 3. Near disaster, we got caught in a really bad jam on the interstate and were effectively stationary for two hours, just getting to the start on time became a race. Incredibly, we made it, but it was so close that I literally rolled the wrong way down to the course to the start line, number and pins in hand, got my number pinned by another teammate from over the barriers, managed to get a few ounces of water in my bottle and started five seconds later. Not an exaggeration, I screwed the top on to the bottle as the announcer said "Five seconds!"
So between the stress and a heavy Wendy's lunch sitting in my stomach (I know, I know, but the thing is we were DESPERATE after getting caught in that traffic), the race wasn't going to go great. It was hot right away and I felt like ass. And I was stressed out and nervous, and skittish through the corners. I'm not generally one to complain about sketchy riding, but I was seriously sketched out by what was going on in this pack. Par for the course so far this year, really. My mojo is MIA.
Most of the race was hanging on, I had a moment where I followed an attack by a junior up the side, but of course it was a pretty weak sauce attack and fizzled right away. After sliding back into the pack, I was trying to recover when someone made a real meal of turn 4 in front of me, almost crashed, took us wide and made me lose a lot of spots. Things got really bad at that point, as I was dangling off the back behind the worst bike handlers in human history, but I was too gassed to come around them decisively. So I got caught in the vicious cycle for a few laps of having to burn huge amounts of energy out of every turn because I was behind these clowns, and so therefore I couldn't come around them, making it even worse, and so on. Rant - what is it that makes guys think slowing waaaay down, taking an early apex and then throwing away huge fistfuls of energy accelerating out of the corner is an acceptable way to drive a bike!? Okay, end rant. Anyway, I thought I was about to be shelled at about 6 to go. Incredibly I finally managed to get some clean lines into the corners and of course a lap and a bit later I was able to cruise into the pocket at the back of the field. Things were immediately much better, but of course that was when things heated up again and I was too gassed to do anything but hang on and sprint at the back of the field for 36th. Argh.
Next day, Foothills Road Race, cat 2/3. A shorter race, only about 48 miles, with rolling hills. This was another sketch-fest. Is there something in the water in Alabama? I spent a lot of the race stuck in traffic in the pack. My legs were taking a while to warm up and I wasn't feeling great, and on top of that it was a weirdly surge-y race. It felt like a cat 4 race, with the constant accordion action. After a while though, my legs started to come around and I gradually began to gain position until, with about 6 miles to go, I was in the first 15 or so. I marked a few attacks over the next few miles, but nothing went anywhere. That left me a bit tired, so I thought I would sit back a bit and recover for the run in to the finish. I thought we were done climbing and I was going to be able to hang in for the inevitable sprint, but there was one more climb at about 3 miles to go, gradual but long. Someone lit it up with another attack, and suddenly I was just going backwards. I rolled it in with a few other stragglers and finished at the back of the group of five or so I was in. 53rd place or something like that. Well, given how that went, I'm not sure how I would've done without that climb anyway. I spotted the guy who won early on and had noted him as a good wheel - he was extremely fluid in the pack, very relaxed, it was no surprise to find out he won.
After the frustration of Sunny King, I'm not too unhappy about how the road race went. I didn't have it, but at least I was able to give it my best shot. I'm kind of frustrated in general at my results this spring, though, I just haven't been as strong as I wanted to be. Yes, it's my first season in cat 3, but I thought I was capable of doing better. I've had a mix of incomplete form (in retrospect, I think I peaked at the end of March), bad luck and head issues. I'm feeling a bit toasted, mentally. Two more races, Athens Twilight and state TT, then I'll take a break, and start planning to rebuild for the summer and then cross season.
So between the stress and a heavy Wendy's lunch sitting in my stomach (I know, I know, but the thing is we were DESPERATE after getting caught in that traffic), the race wasn't going to go great. It was hot right away and I felt like ass. And I was stressed out and nervous, and skittish through the corners. I'm not generally one to complain about sketchy riding, but I was seriously sketched out by what was going on in this pack. Par for the course so far this year, really. My mojo is MIA.
Most of the race was hanging on, I had a moment where I followed an attack by a junior up the side, but of course it was a pretty weak sauce attack and fizzled right away. After sliding back into the pack, I was trying to recover when someone made a real meal of turn 4 in front of me, almost crashed, took us wide and made me lose a lot of spots. Things got really bad at that point, as I was dangling off the back behind the worst bike handlers in human history, but I was too gassed to come around them decisively. So I got caught in the vicious cycle for a few laps of having to burn huge amounts of energy out of every turn because I was behind these clowns, and so therefore I couldn't come around them, making it even worse, and so on. Rant - what is it that makes guys think slowing waaaay down, taking an early apex and then throwing away huge fistfuls of energy accelerating out of the corner is an acceptable way to drive a bike!? Okay, end rant. Anyway, I thought I was about to be shelled at about 6 to go. Incredibly I finally managed to get some clean lines into the corners and of course a lap and a bit later I was able to cruise into the pocket at the back of the field. Things were immediately much better, but of course that was when things heated up again and I was too gassed to do anything but hang on and sprint at the back of the field for 36th. Argh.
Next day, Foothills Road Race, cat 2/3. A shorter race, only about 48 miles, with rolling hills. This was another sketch-fest. Is there something in the water in Alabama? I spent a lot of the race stuck in traffic in the pack. My legs were taking a while to warm up and I wasn't feeling great, and on top of that it was a weirdly surge-y race. It felt like a cat 4 race, with the constant accordion action. After a while though, my legs started to come around and I gradually began to gain position until, with about 6 miles to go, I was in the first 15 or so. I marked a few attacks over the next few miles, but nothing went anywhere. That left me a bit tired, so I thought I would sit back a bit and recover for the run in to the finish. I thought we were done climbing and I was going to be able to hang in for the inevitable sprint, but there was one more climb at about 3 miles to go, gradual but long. Someone lit it up with another attack, and suddenly I was just going backwards. I rolled it in with a few other stragglers and finished at the back of the group of five or so I was in. 53rd place or something like that. Well, given how that went, I'm not sure how I would've done without that climb anyway. I spotted the guy who won early on and had noted him as a good wheel - he was extremely fluid in the pack, very relaxed, it was no surprise to find out he won.
After the frustration of Sunny King, I'm not too unhappy about how the road race went. I didn't have it, but at least I was able to give it my best shot. I'm kind of frustrated in general at my results this spring, though, I just haven't been as strong as I wanted to be. Yes, it's my first season in cat 3, but I thought I was capable of doing better. I've had a mix of incomplete form (in retrospect, I think I peaked at the end of March), bad luck and head issues. I'm feeling a bit toasted, mentally. Two more races, Athens Twilight and state TT, then I'll take a break, and start planning to rebuild for the summer and then cross season.
04-22-13, 11:13 AM
#1063
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i totally got schooled in a crit yesterday. it was a small field, 24 or 25, I didnt have any team mates and the rest of the field was comprised of 3 teams plus a few other solos. quasitechnical crit with a pretty heavy wind.
like most 123 crits, the pace started ballistic, like 25 people single file, chewing on your stem with your nose in the ass of the guy in front of you. two people got off the front (from 2 of the 3 teams with #s). i wasnt in position to go with that one. the pace eases a bit, with some single file, bunch, single file, bunch, etc. i tried to go across at this point, but i didnt have the legs to battle the wind alone and got caught pretty quickly, at which point 3 broke off including the 3rd team with #s, a guy who also didnt have team mates, and one of the 2 teams already up the road.
i needed to recover, the pace slowed, and the groups were gone. i spent the next 45 minutes trying to get off the front of the field but had a following every time and i'm not a big enough engine to ride people off my wheel. i was basically in jail. i got outsprinted for a beer prime, *****. with about 9 laps to go, the break lapped the main field. I tried to attack off the front of it again thinking that maybe i'd be let go as i wasnt significantly involved in the race at that point, but no dice. back to the single file ballistic mode. i had no idea what was going on at that point so i just rolled across the line for 13th at the end.
fun race, very hard and good to get the crit legs on for the first time this year, but school was definitely in session.
like most 123 crits, the pace started ballistic, like 25 people single file, chewing on your stem with your nose in the ass of the guy in front of you. two people got off the front (from 2 of the 3 teams with #s). i wasnt in position to go with that one. the pace eases a bit, with some single file, bunch, single file, bunch, etc. i tried to go across at this point, but i didnt have the legs to battle the wind alone and got caught pretty quickly, at which point 3 broke off including the 3rd team with #s, a guy who also didnt have team mates, and one of the 2 teams already up the road.
i needed to recover, the pace slowed, and the groups were gone. i spent the next 45 minutes trying to get off the front of the field but had a following every time and i'm not a big enough engine to ride people off my wheel. i was basically in jail. i got outsprinted for a beer prime, *****. with about 9 laps to go, the break lapped the main field. I tried to attack off the front of it again thinking that maybe i'd be let go as i wasnt significantly involved in the race at that point, but no dice. back to the single file ballistic mode. i had no idea what was going on at that point so i just rolled across the line for 13th at the end.
fun race, very hard and good to get the crit legs on for the first time this year, but school was definitely in session.
04-22-13, 11:17 AM
#1064
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i totally got schooled in a crit yesterday. it was a small field, 24 or 25, I didnt have any team mates and the rest of the field was comprised of 3 teams plus a few other solos. quasitechnical crit with a pretty heavy wind.
like most 123 crits, the pace started ballistic, like 25 people single file, chewing on your stem with your nose in the ass of the guy in front of you. two people got off the front (from 2 of the 3 teams with #s). i wasnt in position to go with that one. the pace eases a bit, with some single file, bunch, single file, bunch, etc. i tried to go across at this point, but i didnt have the legs to battle the wind alone and got caught pretty quickly, at which point 3 broke off including the 3rd team with #s, a guy who also didnt have team mates, and one of the 2 teams already up the road.
i needed to recover, the pace slowed, and the groups were gone. i spent the next 45 minutes trying to get off the front of the field but had a following every time and i'm not a big enough engine to ride people off my wheel. i was basically in jail. i got outsprinted for a beer prime, *****. with about 9 laps to go, the break lapped the main field. I tried to attack off the front of it again thinking that maybe i'd be let go as i wasnt significantly involved in the race at that point, but no dice. back to the single file ballistic mode. i had no idea what was going on at that point so i just rolled across the line for 13th at the end.
fun race, very hard and good to get the crit legs on for the first time this year, but school was definitely in session.
like most 123 crits, the pace started ballistic, like 25 people single file, chewing on your stem with your nose in the ass of the guy in front of you. two people got off the front (from 2 of the 3 teams with #s). i wasnt in position to go with that one. the pace eases a bit, with some single file, bunch, single file, bunch, etc. i tried to go across at this point, but i didnt have the legs to battle the wind alone and got caught pretty quickly, at which point 3 broke off including the 3rd team with #s, a guy who also didnt have team mates, and one of the 2 teams already up the road.
i needed to recover, the pace slowed, and the groups were gone. i spent the next 45 minutes trying to get off the front of the field but had a following every time and i'm not a big enough engine to ride people off my wheel. i was basically in jail. i got outsprinted for a beer prime, *****. with about 9 laps to go, the break lapped the main field. I tried to attack off the front of it again thinking that maybe i'd be let go as i wasnt significantly involved in the race at that point, but no dice. back to the single file ballistic mode. i had no idea what was going on at that point so i just rolled across the line for 13th at the end.
fun race, very hard and good to get the crit legs on for the first time this year, but school was definitely in session.
That being said, you finished, learned a bit and didn't get hurt so that is pretty good for the first crit of the year.
04-22-13, 11:21 AM
#1065
**** that
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valley rr-1/2/3 3rd place. Not much to say, got into a break of 9 that soon became 8. rode around like that for 30 miles or so and sprinted. Had a poor sprint and landed 3rd. 303 watts for a bit over 1.5 hours. I'm not in shape, but im not completely out of shape either.
Raced cat 5 at the sunny king criterium on Saturday. In my 3 other road races, I've waited for a field sprint and that has worked somewhat well, but this race I wanted to try something different. I went off the front solo with about 9 laps to go. lol They struggled to get anything organized and I was able to hold a 15 second lead for the rest of the race for first.
Awesome.
04-22-13, 11:38 AM
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04-22-13, 11:40 AM
#1070
**** that
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Red Kite crit #2, Cat 2/3's. 5th, damn.. I was close to winning!
Decent turnout even with Sea Otter going on, about 65 in the field. The course is roughly a big square, 3 corners and one sweeper. I was glad they reversed the direction this time, so the sweeper was turn 1 instead of turn 4 - made it feel more technical.
Biggest team was the Specialized Juniors, they attacked about every lap, starting on the first lap. The attacks looked nice (a lot of rocking the bike like the pros do!), but I wanted to yell, "I see you feel fresh right now, BUT SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE!!" They would go otf for about a 1/2 lap then come back. I tried to get in one move with about 20 mins to go, but it was not to be.
In the final lap the Specialized Jr's were leading out their sprinter (I guess), and I got on his wheel. I starting talking **** to them like "Yeah lead me out!! Go faster!!" lol.
About halfway before turn 4, I jumped from 3rd wheel because I figured they were gonna slow and we'd get swarmed. Came out of corner 4 in first, but couldn't hold it.. a few guys came around. Scraped up one measly upgrade point though, I'll take it! Also scored a bottle of wine which I promptly gave away since I don't drink.
The p/1/2 race 10 mins later was the easiest race I've ever done. I'm sure it was tough for the break that lapped the field, but I was just sitting on the back whistlin' Dixie. Top 20 but meh, I was just in that one for the training.. and I'm not even sure it was good training given how easy it was!
Decent turnout even with Sea Otter going on, about 65 in the field. The course is roughly a big square, 3 corners and one sweeper. I was glad they reversed the direction this time, so the sweeper was turn 1 instead of turn 4 - made it feel more technical.
Biggest team was the Specialized Juniors, they attacked about every lap, starting on the first lap. The attacks looked nice (a lot of rocking the bike like the pros do!), but I wanted to yell, "I see you feel fresh right now, BUT SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE!!" They would go otf for about a 1/2 lap then come back. I tried to get in one move with about 20 mins to go, but it was not to be.
In the final lap the Specialized Jr's were leading out their sprinter (I guess), and I got on his wheel. I starting talking **** to them like "Yeah lead me out!! Go faster!!" lol.
About halfway before turn 4, I jumped from 3rd wheel because I figured they were gonna slow and we'd get swarmed. Came out of corner 4 in first, but couldn't hold it.. a few guys came around. Scraped up one measly upgrade point though, I'll take it! Also scored a bottle of wine which I promptly gave away since I don't drink.
The p/1/2 race 10 mins later was the easiest race I've ever done. I'm sure it was tough for the break that lapped the field, but I was just sitting on the back whistlin' Dixie. Top 20 but meh, I was just in that one for the training.. and I'm not even sure it was good training given how easy it was!
04-22-13, 11:50 AM
#1071
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Heckuva weekend. Saturday, I went down to Sunny King to race cat 3. Near disaster, we got caught in a really bad jam on the interstate and were effectively stationary for two hours, just getting to the start on time became a race. Incredibly, we made it, but it was so close that I literally rolled the wrong way down to the course to the start line, number and pins in hand, got my number pinned by another teammate from over the barriers, managed to get a few ounces of water in my bottle and started five seconds later. Not an exaggeration, I screwed the top on to the bottle as the announcer said "Five seconds!"
So between the stress and a heavy Wendy's lunch sitting in my stomach (I know, I know, but the thing is we were DESPERATE after getting caught in that traffic), the race wasn't going to go great. It was hot right away and I felt like ass. And I was stressed out and nervous, and skittish through the corners. I'm not generally one to complain about sketchy riding, but I was seriously sketched out by what was going on in this pack. Par for the course so far this year, really. My mojo is MIA.
Most of the race was hanging on, I had a moment where I followed an attack by a junior up the side, but of course it was a pretty weak sauce attack and fizzled right away. After sliding back into the pack, I was trying to recover when someone made a real meal of turn 4 in front of me, almost crashed, took us wide and made me lose a lot of spots. Things got really bad at that point, as I was dangling off the back behind the worst bike handlers in human history, but I was too gassed to come around them decisively. So I got caught in the vicious cycle for a few laps of having to burn huge amounts of energy out of every turn because I was behind these clowns, and so therefore I couldn't come around them, making it even worse, and so on. Rant - what is it that makes guys think slowing waaaay down, taking an early apex and then throwing away huge fistfuls of energy accelerating out of the corner is an acceptable way to drive a bike!? Okay, end rant. Anyway, I thought I was about to be shelled at about 6 to go. Incredibly I finally managed to get some clean lines into the corners and of course a lap and a bit later I was able to cruise into the pocket at the back of the field. Things were immediately much better, but of course that was when things heated up again and I was too gassed to do anything but hang on and sprint at the back of the field for 36th. Argh.
Next day, Foothills Road Race, cat 2/3. A shorter race, only about 48 miles, with rolling hills. This was another sketch-fest. Is there something in the water in Alabama? I spent a lot of the race stuck in traffic in the pack. My legs were taking a while to warm up and I wasn't feeling great, and on top of that it was a weirdly surge-y race. It felt like a cat 4 race, with the constant accordion action. After a while though, my legs started to come around and I gradually began to gain position until, with about 6 miles to go, I was in the first 15 or so. I marked a few attacks over the next few miles, but nothing went anywhere. That left me a bit tired, so I thought I would sit back a bit and recover for the run in to the finish. I thought we were done climbing and I was going to be able to hang in for the inevitable sprint, but there was one more climb at about 3 miles to go, gradual but long. Someone lit it up with another attack, and suddenly I was just going backwards. I rolled it in with a few other stragglers and finished at the back of the group of five or so I was in. 53rd place or something like that. Well, given how that went, I'm not sure how I would've done without that climb anyway. I spotted the guy who won early on and had noted him as a good wheel - he was extremely fluid in the pack, very relaxed, it was no surprise to find out he won.
After the frustration of Sunny King, I'm not too unhappy about how the road race went. I didn't have it, but at least I was able to give it my best shot. I'm kind of frustrated in general at my results this spring, though, I just haven't been as strong as I wanted to be. Yes, it's my first season in cat 3, but I thought I was capable of doing better. I've had a mix of incomplete form (in retrospect, I think I peaked at the end of March), bad luck and head issues. I'm feeling a bit toasted, mentally. Two more races, Athens Twilight and state TT, then I'll take a break, and start planning to rebuild for the summer and then cross season.
So between the stress and a heavy Wendy's lunch sitting in my stomach (I know, I know, but the thing is we were DESPERATE after getting caught in that traffic), the race wasn't going to go great. It was hot right away and I felt like ass. And I was stressed out and nervous, and skittish through the corners. I'm not generally one to complain about sketchy riding, but I was seriously sketched out by what was going on in this pack. Par for the course so far this year, really. My mojo is MIA.
Most of the race was hanging on, I had a moment where I followed an attack by a junior up the side, but of course it was a pretty weak sauce attack and fizzled right away. After sliding back into the pack, I was trying to recover when someone made a real meal of turn 4 in front of me, almost crashed, took us wide and made me lose a lot of spots. Things got really bad at that point, as I was dangling off the back behind the worst bike handlers in human history, but I was too gassed to come around them decisively. So I got caught in the vicious cycle for a few laps of having to burn huge amounts of energy out of every turn because I was behind these clowns, and so therefore I couldn't come around them, making it even worse, and so on. Rant - what is it that makes guys think slowing waaaay down, taking an early apex and then throwing away huge fistfuls of energy accelerating out of the corner is an acceptable way to drive a bike!? Okay, end rant. Anyway, I thought I was about to be shelled at about 6 to go. Incredibly I finally managed to get some clean lines into the corners and of course a lap and a bit later I was able to cruise into the pocket at the back of the field. Things were immediately much better, but of course that was when things heated up again and I was too gassed to do anything but hang on and sprint at the back of the field for 36th. Argh.
Next day, Foothills Road Race, cat 2/3. A shorter race, only about 48 miles, with rolling hills. This was another sketch-fest. Is there something in the water in Alabama? I spent a lot of the race stuck in traffic in the pack. My legs were taking a while to warm up and I wasn't feeling great, and on top of that it was a weirdly surge-y race. It felt like a cat 4 race, with the constant accordion action. After a while though, my legs started to come around and I gradually began to gain position until, with about 6 miles to go, I was in the first 15 or so. I marked a few attacks over the next few miles, but nothing went anywhere. That left me a bit tired, so I thought I would sit back a bit and recover for the run in to the finish. I thought we were done climbing and I was going to be able to hang in for the inevitable sprint, but there was one more climb at about 3 miles to go, gradual but long. Someone lit it up with another attack, and suddenly I was just going backwards. I rolled it in with a few other stragglers and finished at the back of the group of five or so I was in. 53rd place or something like that. Well, given how that went, I'm not sure how I would've done without that climb anyway. I spotted the guy who won early on and had noted him as a good wheel - he was extremely fluid in the pack, very relaxed, it was no surprise to find out he won.
After the frustration of Sunny King, I'm not too unhappy about how the road race went. I didn't have it, but at least I was able to give it my best shot. I'm kind of frustrated in general at my results this spring, though, I just haven't been as strong as I wanted to be. Yes, it's my first season in cat 3, but I thought I was capable of doing better. I've had a mix of incomplete form (in retrospect, I think I peaked at the end of March), bad luck and head issues. I'm feeling a bit toasted, mentally. Two more races, Athens Twilight and state TT, then I'll take a break, and start planning to rebuild for the summer and then cross season.
04-22-13, 01:48 PM
#1072
Senior Member
Yeah. Part of what's eating me is an insistent self-belief of "hey, I've been doing this for a while, I know what's up and what to do." Yet here I am, feeling unsettled and uncomfortable in the peloton and like I don't know WTF I'm doing. So that's causing me some distress and some doubt. I suppose the thing to do is to try and abandon the ego and accept that I still have acclimatizing and learning to do.
04-22-13, 01:51 PM
#1073
In the Pain Cave
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Yeah. Part of what's eating me is an insistent self-belief of "hey, I've been doing this for a while, I know what's up and what to do." Yet here I am, feeling unsettled and uncomfortable in the peloton and like I don't know WTF I'm doing. So that's causing me some distress and some doubt. I suppose the thing to do is to try and abandon the ego and accept that I still have acclimatizing and learning to do.
04-22-13, 01:58 PM
#1074
soon to be gsteinc...
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Yeah. Part of what's eating me is an insistent self-belief of "hey, I've been doing this for a while, I know what's up and what to do." Yet here I am, feeling unsettled and uncomfortable in the peloton and like I don't know WTF I'm doing. So that's causing me some distress and some doubt. I suppose the thing to do is to try and abandon the ego and accept that I still have acclimatizing and learning to do.
Everyone goes through blips in confidence and that is ok, it is how you experience it and grow from it. There is nothing wrong with having self doubt or questions just have faith in your experience, you have been there before and will get there again just trust yourself...
Years ago I went down really hard and messed up my shoulder (training accident with the team) - it happened right before Nationals. I went to nationals slightly banged up and crashed really hard (wheel got caught in a set of railroad tracks and tossed me hard) - I lost a lot of confidence and took a while to come back. Racing in packs of 120+ riders all trying to kill each other will do that.
I trusted myself and my team to get me back to where I had to be and got there...
Look me now - I'm awesome