TheKillerPenguin

Thanks to you and @globecanvas, but fwiw I'm honestly not upset about it. It was so odd that there isn't even any hand wringing to be done, it certainly wasn't fitness or tactics related. I guess you race enough and you're bound to have an inexplicably off day on occasion.

aaronmcd

Isn't creatine supposed to build mass?

TheKillerPenguin

I'd email it to you if you're interested in taking a look. My AP and NP were within my normal race ranges until I popped. I guess it did get pretty hot but that hasn't been an issue for me this year.

Ygduf

calories build mass, but creatine will have me retaining a few lbs of water. I'm doing a low maintenance dose for a while for the positive benefits. 3-4lbs doesn't matter in racing. It's a test.

Ygduf

heat was what I was wondering. someone should make an ant+ pill thermometer.

mike868y

Is creatine legal in competition?

wens

Yeah. It's a pretty minor benefit if your base diet is good, and comes with the disadvantage of some weight from water retention.

Both benefit and amount of water retained are probably highly variable across individuals.

Ygduf

I decided to try it because I don't actually eat a lot of meat, and in most road races the water retention helps while in crits it doesn't matter. Also I just like to keep trying for any little tweak I can make to get another .05%.

mike868y

I guess if tkp and longe both cracked at capital region it's a good thing I didn't get to race given they're both way stronger than me.

hack

Did the NCNCA (state??) TTT championship yesterday. We won our field (1st of 3) and I got dropped in the process. Race was kind of at elevation and I just couldn't breathe. I pushed on and finished a few minutes behind the team in the event one of them flatted or got a mechanical. I moved my pads in a bit the day prior and think I may have also pinched myself in a bit too much. Lesson learned, no major changes the day before a race.

wktmeow

Cool, we were there too. After a bit of confusion regarding which field we were supposed to be in, we ended up 3rd of 4 teams in the Men's open 'Pro' field with a 54:10. One of our teammates wasn't feeling well since he did the ITT and was having an off day already, and dropped off after 5 miles or so. It was a blast, especially the tailwind section, cruising along at 30+ for most of the first half. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Also my first podium ever, so I was stoked about that, even if there were only 4 teams.

hack

The whole field thing was a mess. I think in the end we really finished 1 of 1, but during the actual TT and up until the podium we were thinking it was 1 of 3. Then they said we were alone on the podium ... huh?? We rolled in at 52:15 or something. I think they either needed an additional field, clarified what "open" meant, or just call it 30+. I was a late addition to the team and had no clue what we'd be racing. Our two strong guys did solo TTs (one guy won the 35+) and had some good intel for us, but I just got popped. Little to no warm up, elevation, I suck, etc. Agreed though .. free spinning at 38 mph was a blast.

furiousferret

Grats?

So if you're in a 4 man TT, its scored on the 3rd person...but does the 4th rider get credit for the win if they are dropped but finish?

spdntrxi

why not ? it's a Team after all... I don't think the guys that got dropped in the TTT @ the TDF.. are denied glory

hack

I guess so. I'll say it wasn't my proudest podium moment.

Doge

Yes. Some times this is done on purpose where 5th rider burns out taking pull. In a stage race, best time is last wheel time for team, then riders that come in late get actual. A teammate can get time barred and DNF, so very different for SR.

shovelhd

What Doge said. When I did TTT's in stage races we would burn the fourth guy on the front in the last 5km and intentionally drop him.

save10

Red Kite

35+3/4, 35+123s - Fail, Fail

x2 weeks of sh%t in a row. Had to have the 'am i better off doing gran fondos?' question with myself as i was failing.

aaronmcd

Red Kite crits, fun day all around, and slightly disappointing as well. 3.5 corner wide business park, tailwind, tail/cross, head, head/cross.

Cat 4 (not me):
Teammate Yuriy (cat 4) has our cat 4 mvp by a mile. The cat 4 squad has been dominating lately, shut down all the breaks and then line it up and deliver their guy to victory. Yuriy got 2 wins lately and is sticking in cat 4 to help get the rest their upgrade. He is the best leadout, was telling me his 1:00 power at the end of a race is around "six or seven hundred". Today he was leading out Theo who still needs a lot of points. Got him to 200m but a good sprinter was on Theos wheel and pipped him at the line.

3/4:
I felt great, only one crit yesterday and nothing else. Yuriy said he was willing to lead me out so I conserved like mad most of the race. I did once attack as the field got tired just before the tailwind, strong guy and 2 others came with, but field chased us down in less than 2 laps. Went back to conserving, stil felt great. 4 laps to go I start heading to Yuriy, get on his wheel at 3 to go. Sit silently for a lap (cuz Yuriy is marked as hell) and then ask how he is feeling. He shakes his head. I stay with him until the bell, he seems to be double checking himself but we are still at the back so I pull up beside him. "Nothing?" Shakes head again and tells me to go. So I go. Left side shelter, jump to catch someone, jump again to catch another. Corner, left side shelter move up the gutter. Turn, squeeze across the single file line to the sheltered right side. Maybe 8 wheels back, spin up and pass all of them too quickly, get to the front still on that windy stretch and hit the wind. 2 guys come around, corner in the gutter to attempt to block anyone, sprint, but I'm pretty tired and lose 3 more spots. 6th of 64. 1 spot out of points and wine.

2/3:
Still feeling alright, but not great. Break went about 5 laps in and everyone still had lots of energy and I thought it looked doomed. None of us got in it and it sailed away. We and Mike's Bikes chased but couldn't catch. Later ANOTHER break got away without us. Ugh. Sprinting for 12th. Teammate got 14th. I followed a Mikes Bikes guy when his teammate said he was on his wheel but was really a bit to the side. He took me up a bunch but must have realized his teammate wasn't there and eased up just as the field squeezed left in the crosswind. I got stuck, then the pace skyrockets and I have to just follow the wheel in front of me for the last two turns. Everyone sprints cuz it was all strung out and safe. Didn't lose any spots, which is nice. 15th ish in field, 26th overall out of 67.

Doge

I wonder if the benefits along with weight gain are cancelled in a long 6%+ climb.

Ygduf

at what point in the race and how dehydrated are you...

aaronmcd

Oh and this guy in the 2/3 race told me nice kit. I was like, what the torn jersey? He says no, the Erica bibs. I got the kit in memory of Erica, who passed in a car accident this year. He says, "she was my sister". Holy ****, that got me to lose focus for about a lap. I say I'm so sorry. He says its ok (but hell no it isnt), and he proceeds to attack the field.

Doge

70 miles, hydrating well. As I understand if, salt or creatine, you will carry more weight. I'm wondering if you think in ... Say Palomar... The rider is faster using, or not using.

UmneyDurak

Video to go with it. I think I did pretty much everything that I could wrong.

MDcatV

sweet. that's beating national champion strong competition.