AzTallRider

Given your recent crash record, I could think of other terms to apply!

Allegheny Jet

How did you know about the foot bridge incident today?

Red Rider

I guess I have some brass posting this in the middle of the Natz and Sr Games posts.

My next race, a 30K TT, is in 2 wks. I'm cobbling a women's team of 3. I'd probably do better solo, but I want as many teammates as possible involved, since this is a new venue. Because it's in my backyard I want it to be successful. My possible teammates wouldn't do this solo. If it becomes a regular race on the calendar I know it will grow.

My next ride -- quien sabe? It'll be what it is.

All the best to you Natz and Sr. riders -- crush it!

Allegheny Jet

RR, a TTT should be fun or at least a learning experiance. Next Sat I am racing the Ohio State Track Championships. It will consist of a 500TT, flying 200 and 2K Pursuit. The race will be populated with a bunch of rookies and seasoned masters. I'm prepared to be humbled by a few local masters riders that includes a team mate. I figure that one needs to start somewhere.

Hermes

Good luck. I predict what will humble you is how much a 2k pursuit can hurt and you will do well in all the events. Have a great time.

shovelhd

Good luck, Allegheny Jet.

Red Rider

Thanks, AJ. Last year I pulled a teammate and her triathlon-specific daughter to ride in borrowed kits on borrowed TT bikes on the hilliest, windiest TT in NorCal. We crushed it (we were the only ones in our category, but were close to the District Champs' Cat 4 time) and were hugely pleased. None of this had ever done a TTT before, and we had a blast!

I'd be faster if I did this upcoming TT on my own, but I want to get as many teammates involved as possible, so I'll ride with these 2 women and whatever happens, happens. I really want our team to rep and help make it a repeat event. It's so close that I could ride to the start.

But then I'd have to ride home, and that could hurt.

Good luck in your track rides! I'm smitten with track, and sad that the nearest one is 2 hrs. from here. Go fast, AJ!

Red Rider

This wasn't supposed to be a training ride, but it was, and it worked. I had so much fun, and worked harder than I had planned, and it worked out just fine.

Day off tomorrow, training resumes Tuesday...unless my legs tell me otherwise.

sarals 

I just completed a week of riding every day, in one form or the other. Cardio has definitely improved, but it's not quite where it was, yet. I did a LOT of climbing this past week, and worked hard in spin, too. Mileage was hardly pro, only around 130 for the week, but I can say (happily!) that I was consistent, and improving. In fact, I did a Strava 3rd on a PR over one of my training roads yesterday. I'm still getting used to the PT (RR sent me an excerpt from Friel's new book on power meters - love ya, RR!), but I see numbers slowly increasing (for now).

Tomorrow I head to Maine for five days, it's for a wedding and a family reunion. I brought a running outfit - I haven't run at all since May, but I will while I'm in Maine (no bikes to be had)!

Good luck to all of you on your upcoming races!!!

Allegheny Jet

State Track Championships are this Sat. We will race the flying 200, 500 TT and 2K pursuit in age groups. One disappointment is the flying 200 is modified for the timing equipment's lazar. We will be required to ride between the red and black lines 6 meters before the white start line. That means 3/4th of the way through the turn before the beginning straight we are at the bottom and don't get to use the the banked turn to build up speed. I’m going to the track tonight to practice for the change.

Lazar issues?, come on, I've seen on TV where they shoot lazars at the moon, airplane cockpits, and even put them on sharks! (not with great success) I’ve looked at the track rules on the US Cycling website and I don’t see any requirements about where to ride at the startline. The only mention of requirements is the number of laps to get up to speed.

Hermes

AJet, I think the track promoters/owners are total rookies. On the 250 track, the start line is between turns one and two. Exactly, where is your start line? Part of the problem with a 160 meter track is that you have to do a flying lap plus for 200 meters but one can set up the start line where ever they want so that you finish on the home stretch. At Hellyer the start line is on the back stretch coming out of turn two. There is not as much banking to use as a 250 before the start but there is some left after the start until on gets to turn three.

Be very careful winding up near that rail. I hit the rail at Hellyer once winding up for an effort and quite frankly I am not sure how. It was trying to be close and I lost focus or was distracted for a micro second and bumped the rail with my elbow. I had double arm warmers on and I shredded the outer one. Noting happened but it scared the crap out of me. You do not want to whack a forearm, knuckle or anything against one of those steel posts.

Allegheny Jet

Hermes, the start line is located just before the end of turn 4. Thanks for the tip about the post. In practice I get about 3' from the top. I plan to make some adjustments on the start of the flying 200 this evening. I don't want to do hard efforts saving them for this weekend. I do plan 1 hr of CT riding and some "land sprints" running up the stair case with a bike on my shoulder for cross practice. My first cross race is Sunday.

I rode the track on Monday and ended up in a small pace line with three of the fastest masters riders in the state that included one with Stars and Bars on his sleeve. We started with 8 riders then after about 10" only four of us were left riding. We were taking 2 lap pulls in the rotation. I estimate that I was in high Z3 low Z4 during my 30 minutes of fame riding along at 26-29 mph.

Hermes

You can wind up on the back stretch and dive out of turn three and get into the lane so that you meet the 5 meter requirement before the start of the flying 200. It may be slower but it will be the same for everyone. What "real" track sprinters worry about is putting in too much energy coming up to speed so they use the wind up laps to corkscrew their way up to the rail slowly and then explode sprinting out of the saddle right before diving off the banking - they are either resting or full gas. The key to a fast time is to reach a high initial velocity and not to fade at the end which is not easy to do. As a road sprinter, you have too much endurance and not enough explosion so I suggest you pretend that you are one of the real sprinters and conserve energy on your wind up since you need it for you your full gas effort. You will start your sprint earlier and use your endurance there to get a better initial velocity.

What I have described above is what I try to do since I am one of the fast endurance trackies. The problem for me is that the wind up feels easy and my endurance brain may take over and measures the output when I sprint. I need my binary full gas brain on sprints and think like a sprinter.

I have a power meter for the track and one thing I noticed which was a little surprising is the amount of power I put in through the turns. On the 250 track, even at a 20 mph pace sitting in, I put in 200 watts on the turns which goes up dramatically as the pace increases. Coming out of the turns the power drops. This is riding on the relief line during warmup. In the pole lane the variation is less since it is less bowl shaped. So the take away is, I am delivering power in a more lumpy fashion than I thought.

Hermes

I helped out at Monday's women's team pursuit practice. The women took delivery (and some wore them) of the new Jakroo skinsuits that they designed specifically for women. And Fast Forward Wheels shipped s 6 wheels upon which to practice and race.

Tonights efforts were rollup start 4 laps or 1.33 K in 84 to 86 gear inches. 111 rpm in 88 gear inches is 27.7 mph or 27 second lap times. You can hear the lap times in the video and 7.0 equals a 27 second lap and 1.0 equals a 31 second lap. AJet, you may be able to ride with our elite pursuit women.

Racer Ex 

As long as you're not a satellite, you'll be fine.

Allegheny Jet

Dr. Evil would agree with you.

Cleave

Hi, my training this week (Mon-Thu) is commuting to the Long Beach Convention Center for the Pro Walk Pro Bike Conference -- 9.5 miles round trip.

Racer Ex 

Appointment made for Friday to get a physical and address the EIA.

AzTallRider

I did some TT turnaround practice and z4 stuff this morning; prep for Sunday's state ITT. Gonna have to set aside my structured training though, so I can take the TT bike and go get a KOM back where someone just took it from me.

AzTallRider

Good luck, Ex. Hope it's easily controlled.

Racer Ex 

Rode an hour on the MTB with the Mrs. Ex. There's some amazing trails outside of Reno, every time I go out there I think I need to buy a GoPro.

shovelhd

shovelhd

Don't.

Focus.

Allegheny Jet

Thanks for posting Hermes. Currently I am a sponge sucking up any thing track related. I will squeeze out the extra drivel later. I would love to ride with the ladies and try out the wheel sets. Not so sure about the WS skinsuits.

Allegheny Jet

I'm getting a better position on the bike. Rode 45 min @ Z3 in 49/16 around 90-94 rpm last night as part on my workout for cross. With hands on the bar cadence was around 88, in the drops = 90-92, and in the drops with bent elbows and nose down the cadence = 93-95 riding at a constant 142-145 bpm in all positions.

When I got home I took a 1/2" shim out of the stem. I do need to be careful that my thighs don't pound my rib cage. I think lightly brushing is OK.