Racer Ex 

You were where I was a few weeks ago. I was ready to throw in the towel at one point. Hang in there.

Trying to figure out how to do the Saturday race. Wife's heading out of town so I'm taking care of the two dogs. Need to do Fiesta Sunday to lock up the series...this means either heading down to SD Saturday night or 4AM Sunday morning.

Plus there's the kill or get killed 1/2/3 or Masters choice. Kinda nervous about the 4's in there. Really want to support your efforts in this though.

Cleave

Hi Ex, if it works out for you to do our race, great. If not, I understand the need to defend your TT series lead. Heck, if I were leading I'd get someone else to run this race so that I could be fresh for the TT.

Also, Roger Young is now "tweeting" his weekly interval workouts (think of them as being like a spin class -- instructor yelling at you and loud music -- except your riding on a 250 meter wood oval with 45° banking), so as a PSA, I'll "re-tweet" them here:

2 sets of 4x 30"Z1/1'Z2/2'Z3/30"Z4/1'Z2/2'Z3

This workout was marginally easier than last week's:

2 sets of 3x 30sec Z1 / 2min Z2 / 30sec Z4 / 2min Z3 / 30sec Z4 / 2min Z3

Believe me, I don't have the self-discipline to do these kinds of workouts by myself on the road or, heaven forbid, on a trainer.

Hermes

Last night, MEA and I did the Roger's last week workout on Canada Road (TT course) in moderately strong wind and 55 degrees.

We thought it was very tough and used power zones and a timer to execute the intervals. We rode separated so there was no drafting. It is always good to have a training partner even if it is to only say to each other at the end, "that was hard".

We converted Roger's zones to Coggan power zones and used z4 or threshold power for Roger's z3. For Roger's z4, we used high z5 or z6. The goal is to attack or bridge for 30 seconds off of race pace.

We have also done Roger's workouts on the trainer which is easier to execute since one does not have to contend with terrain.

The individual efforts against the power meter seem a lot harder than doing them at Velo Sports center. At the track, one can lead a pace line or draft. After the z4 effort, one can recover more by drafting even though the pace line continues at race pace. Of course, if you are leading the pace line then, it is harder.

The take away for us is that doing Roger's workouts at the track, on the road or the trainer is a great way to get in a tough workout that simulates racing conditions and the time seems to go fast.

Allegheny Jet

Reached racing weight of 187 lbs today. That's 30 days ahead of schedule! Yeah me!!! Think I'll have some fries tonight after our last indoor training session.

AzTallRider

I, too, am in the midst of a bathroom remodel. But the party preempted that once I had a door and the drywall around it up, making it an actual room, LOL. I'll start work on it again after racing season! Stress is a PIA, isn't it?

AzTallRider

"Something is rubbing."

Isn't that one of the phrases from "Stuff cyclists say"? I swear this morning that I was putting out oodles of power compared to the speed I was making, but the drive train is quiet, everything spins okay, and that just leaves me feeling weak.

Allegheny Jet

Heading out for a 4 day climbing/riding camp at my cabin in PA early tomorrow. Nine of us, including my coach, are going to ride the hills in W PA on road and cross bikes. Many of us have a 37 mile gravel road race in MI later this month and will ride our cross bikes on the gravel roads that follow the Allegheny River Valley on one of the days. Many of those roads have "no winter maintenance" signs posted which should give us some gnarly riding. We will also do long road rides that will exceed 100'/mile of climbing. My training season morphs onto the road bike and I can finally leave the fixed gear bike in the garage. The weather gods seem to be looking down on us. Friday is supposed to be 59, Sat. is 43 but windy, Sun. is 34 and Monday is 33 degrees. The only rain will be Friday night and there is just a 30% chance of scattered snow shower on Sun and Mon. Good weather for early March!

Meals are all assigned and sleeping arrangements will be on a first come basis with last-in getting a couch. Bikes, beer and buddies, it's all good!!!

shovelhd

Have fun AJ!!

Hermes

AJ, That sounds like a blast. Have a great time.

Hermes

I have been on the hunt for pursuit bars since Elite Nationals last year. Racer Ex, as you may recall, we saw the ones that KK was using - the Shimano Pro Missile. I found some on Wiggle and pulled the trigger. They were still stupid expensive even with a double markdown, free shipping and no tax. Here is the preliminary set up on the Felt track bike which may need a shorter stem. The aerobats telescope to lengthen or shorten and for now the set is UCI compliant.

sarals 

I just entered my first ever cycle-centric race. It's a circuit race, next Sunday. https://www.cccxcycling.com/2012ROADPAGE.html

If I live, I'll post a race report.

shovelhd

Love the Felt, Hermes.

Ride strong, ride safe Sarals.

shovelhd

My Felt with training wheels on. I've replaced the cables, bar tape, and adjusted the bars since.

Hermes

SHD, Nice Felt as well. I think there is a lot of value in the Felts.

Red Rider

What is this "if"?

Looking forward to your report.

Nice Felts, gentlemen. Especially sick handlebars, H.

sarals 

Thank you, everyone!

Yes, "if" -

It too LIKE Felts. I currently own a B2. I agree with Hermes, as well.

Racer Ex 

Hermes, I got a set of the same bars through Bonktown for around $300. Going to use them on my 500m and Kilo set up. We'll see about the pursuit after some testing. I need the lower bullhorns for the standing start. Bit less of an issue on the 2k but still a factor.

Hermes

Great deal. My old pursuit bars sucked, 500 and 2k for me as well. We will definitely be more aero for the first 175 m with a better start in the 2k.

Hermes

Here is a velodrome where we can try out our new bars.

sarals 

That looked like fun! Silly, but fun. I'm surprised - REALLY surprised - they allowed riders on that thing without helmets....

sarals 

I have a question for you fellas. I'm approaching my first ever bike race next Sunday (as you know). How do you all approach the week before a race; nutrition, training, taper, etc?

Yes - I have been reading/lurking on the Road Bike Thread (all morning)....

By the way, Racer Ex? Great advice you've posted over there!!!

Racer Ex 

Thanks.

The race and what priority I give it dictates how I prepare. Sometimes I just treat it like another bit of training, though usually it'll look sort of like this if I was doing that circuit race:

Monday/Tuesday: Depends on the weekend but I'd like one recovery day or day off and one skills type training day (work on sprint technique, high cadence, TT turns...that sort of thing)
Wednesday: Training
Thursday: Training to replicate some of the race efforts, duration TBD according to how I feel.
Friday: Off
Saturday: 45-60m to turn the legs and get them loose. Throw in 2-3 hard 2-4m efforts so I run my HR up and get a little lactic going. Use this ride to mentally visualize the course, determine strategy, figure out positioning Etc.
Sunday: Eat a healthy mostly carb breakfast 3 hours minimum before. Typically I'd have a couple of pancakes and a poached egg, I shoot for that 3:1 ratio. Shorter stuff (60m or less) or if I'm trying to drop some weight I don't eat or will just have a gel during warm up. Warm up. Attack from the gun, try to get a break going. Repeat or bridge.

Taper is much more a macro concept that goes with periodization over several months of training.

AzTallRider

Tucson Bicycle Classic (TBC) Stage Race:

Friday; ITT:
3.2 miles with 250' of climbing (that seemed like more!). I didn't feel fast, and I wasn't, finishing 21 of 27. Averaged 329w, and was 1:53 behind the leader. Anyone have a 61cm Cervelo P2 for sale?

Saturday; RR
2 laps of 20 miles; 3,200' of climbing total. Friday I was hearing some rubbing from my FD, and, being bored in a hotel room with a portable stand and tools, decided to readjust it. Bad idea, because I messed it up. Worked fine on the stand, but when I went to the BR at the end of the first climb, I dropped the chain to the outside of the rings. Struggled to get it on, and it came right back off again, but I finally got it sorted out and gave chase... never to see the pack again despite what was for me a herculean effort trying to rejoin.

Sunday; CR
6 laps of 6 miles each. 1,600' of climbing total. Finally put together a decent ride, but I'm still scratching my head figuring out how 4 guys got off the front. It was at the end of a hard lap 2, where I think folks took advantage of one of the leaders flatting just before the climb and pushed hard. Nice, huh? That lap 2 climb almost dropped me, but I hung on close enough to close on the downhill. As we came towards the finish of that lap, we were reeling in a couple of guys, at which point the others snuck off. I think that's what happened anyway. I was back a bit, and obviously not paying close enough attention. Anyway, I figured they'd be reeled in as easily as the first group, but didn't count on a strong team having someone up there. Took me two laps to realize they were just blocking, because I didn't know who was OTF. Another mistake! I had marked two guys before the race as the two I wanted to stay with. A Las Vegas guy who races the AZ races, and a Phoenix guy who is a perennial season champ contender. I finally heard the Phoenix guy apologize to Vegas for not contributing, and figured it out. Doh! Three of us (me, Vegas, and I guy I don't know) pushed it, but never really got it going for any extended period. I now know what it's like to be in a pack that is not interested in chasing down a break, and it sucks. You pull until you need a break before facing a climb, and then nothing.

Sadly (no, really, I mean that!), two of the four out front (UC Cyclery teammates from Cali) tangled with each other and went down. We passed them going up the final climb, one of them pushing the other up on what was left of his bib shorts. We passed another guy headed to the finish, so maybe there was only one guy ahead at the end. Not sure.

So it came down to a pack sprint for either 2nd or 3rd. I had been pulling, to keep things from bunching up too much, but another guy took over just before the final turn, and I felt I was in a good position. There is a fairly long 1% or so rise to the finish, and things bunched up a bit as we slowed. I found my two guys, right in line together (Phoenix marked Vegas the whole race), and fell in behind them (meaning nobody was keeping me away from that slot today ). I was the most patient I've been, and stayed there until we passed the 200m mark. Things started accelerating, I pushed as hard as I could, but couldn't hang on to the two big guns, who ended up 1-2. I was 8th in the pack sprint; 9th or 10th in the stage.

A lot of folks dislike this course, but, other than some really rough pavement, I enjoyed it. There is a really gnarly turn that I learned to love. You come screaming downhill after the climb, go over this little rise and dive into a hairpin turn. If you take it right (which I discovered involves violating the yellow line) you keep major momentum for a little climb. If you are back in the pack, you spend lots of energy closing gaps.

Have I mentioned the new bike corners like a dream? Having my weight further forward makes a huge difference. I no longer have to think about shifting forward for a corner, or think about the corners that much at all. I just go for it and the bike responds.

Interesting tidbit. In the RR, the 45+ race finished 8+ minutes faster than the 35+. Take THAT, kiddies!

Anyway, lots of lessons learned. I'm proud that I hung in on the climbs, and that I finally positioned myself well for a finish. Now I just need to find myself a sprint! AJ, will you sell me yours?

ericm979

+1 to all of that.


The night before I pack my bike bag with all my stuff, then check it again. I like to bring more clothes than I think I will need so if the weather is different than I expected I'll have something. I also make sure I know where I am going. I often check the area out on the map and try to find a good place off the course to warm up. If you can warm up on a trainer or rollers that works better. I don't warm up very well on the trainer so I need a place to ride.

In addition to my bike and pump and bike bag I bring a tool box that also has tubes and a spare tire in case I need it. Unless its a casual race I bring a second set of wheels. I've flatted a few minutes before the start and had to switch wheels.

Don't forget food for before the race and after. I try to bring more than I think I'll need in case the race start is delayed. I bring a lot of water too.

I like to arrive at least an hour before my race. That gives me time to find reg, get registered, use the porta-potties, pin my number, and still have a half hour or so to warm up. For a shorter race you need a longer warmup as it's more likely to go hard from the start. If you are getting a same day license, arrive 10 minutes earlier to fill it out.

When you're done racing it's nice to have some clothes to change into, and a big towel to do it under. If you're small you can change in the car. For long hot races I bring a small towel that I can wet down and use to wipe off the salt and dirt.

sarals 

Nice going, AzT! I love reading your race reports. They are a lesson in developing strategy and a study, to me, of an up and coming GC person. Please keep 'em coming!

Racer Ex, thank you!!! I'm pleased to see my plan for the week is close to what you suggested, even nutrition is close. Now, if I just had 1/4 of your strength and endurance...

Ericm, I live less than three miles from the where the circuit race will be. That went a long way towards making it attractive to me as a first attempt.

Bear with me, here's my plan:
Monday - tomorrow: 30 - 40 minute run, most at LT or above.
Tuesday - fast group ride, with all of the efforts you described.
Wednesday - 1 hour spin class, close to LT (it's difficult for me to reach LT in a spin class).
Thursday - pre ride the course, studying the features on the first lap while warming up, then increasing efforts on the second lap. I plan to ride for an hour, including the portion of the ride to and from my house. I'll post the link to Strava when it's done.
Friday - spin class, strength training.
Saturday - easy 1 hour ride with a few short efforts to LT. Decide which bike to ride in the race, the Giant CFR-Team, or the Look 566.
Sunday - Race; watch, be patient, learn, and try to stay out of trouble (Cat 4 women)!

Now, I am worried about warming up. I am notoriously slow at warming up. I can take 30 to 40 minutes before my legs really start to work and I relax. If I blow the warmup, I'm in trouble! I plan to get to the site about an hour and a half before the race and ride some of the roads around it. There are some climbs, flats, rollers, etc, and that (hopefully) will serve to get me going. Adrenaline will be in evidence, but it only goes so far with me.

Honestly, I have not a clue as to how a circuit race works or how it will unfold. I also don't know the makeup of the field. My race report should make an interesting story!