The Piece of Cake race was always going to be tough for me. Two weeks off the bike. In that time I had consumed about 30 buffalo wings, 50 beers or so, taken 11 rollercoaster rides (Simpsons ride at Universal is the goods), enough fried food to choke Gigantor and some one-on-one manatee time. Looking forward, the consequences of all this hedonism would probably be a less than glorious final sprint in Piece of Cake. With this in mind my strategy was to work up front for as long as possible to soften the field for one of the other HV guys to bring home the Cake. Our race was in the afternoon at 1.35. I was there for the morning races as well and witnessed the carnage in the Cat ½ field. The rain and cross winds devastated the field causing at least 20% to retire after the first one or two laps. It was going to be a long and uncomfortable day for all.
Besides myself, the Cat 4 posse included Kolben, James R, Ryan, Curtis, and Keith. The field included around 8 Team Oregon riders - these guys had a major role in how the race played out. I had purchased a 1500g wheelset from Singapore recently and fitted some nice Vittorio tyres (OK, OK…tires) on them. Contributing a wheel set for the pool made me feel like a grown-up racer.
After the neutral start there was a long lead-out to the 12 mile loop that we had to complete 4 times before being funneled back down the lead-out stretch and the finish line – 54 miles in all. The loop was to be completed in a counter-clockwise direction. The tailwind that pushed us for the initial 4-5 miles got us up to about 30mph. Then we turned left into the cross winds and the first real attack began. A group of 4 (I think) jumped off the front and were joined by another rider in the next few miles. Significantly, there was a Team Oregon rider amongst them. I was close to the front and could see this unfolding. Since it was early in the race there was not much enthusiasm about chasing. However, it soon became clear by the presence of 5 or 6 Team Oregon riders glued to the front of the chasing pack that they were shutting down the race. They were clever about it too because they made sure that was little room to pass (file under: tactic for blocking when you have lots of teammates). Like a 17yo virgin in a cathouse, I waited for an opening and went for it. Curtis and Ryan, who were lurking nearby, came with. Other non-Team Oregon riders burst through the dam and the chase was on. We traded pulls for a while until the team Oregon rides reasserted their control and the race slowed a bit. This herky-jerky racing continued for a while into the cross and head winds and I cannot say that we were totally effective in reeling in the breakaway but the race was still early stages and there was plenty of time left. At one point Kolben stormed ahead and I went with him and we swapped the lead dragging the pack with us. I would drift back a few paces and then be let back into the paceline by HV teammates. It was interesting to ride in the crosswind- headwind mix because the best place wasn’t ALWAYS on a wheel - instead the echelon formation often made sense. One lap down.
By half way through the second lap the group up the road were 1m50s ahead. This alarming news seemed to spark the pack into life. There were more non-team Oregon riders at the front now and we worked pretty well to keep the pace high. Of course the TO riders never pulled, or if they did then it was an anemic effort. Towards the end of the second lap there was a crash - I understand that someone wedged a wheel between the spokes and rear derailleur of the rider ahead. It was enough to send one rider just ahead of me to the ground. Another rider leaned into me in an evasive action and pushed me across onto the oncoming lane - I was able to ride around him and escape - it was a close call. We continued on.
After 2.5 laps the lead was down to 35 secs. This was very encouraging news, we had nearly reeled them in with still more than 20 miles to go. Up until that point I had felt very comfortable and has carefully measured my attacks and chases so as to keep the pace high but not to overdo it. Then I noticed that I was slowly drifting back through the pack - I could not find any power in the tree trunks. Holy crap !! I was BONKING. I knew the signs - no power, jelly legs, strange backward cycling motion. Soon I was out of pack-mates and all alone. I quickly downed a Hammer gel but it was too late, I was screwed. All the work at the front had drained the glycogen from my muscles. My legs were as useful as tits on a nun. I had lasted about 2.5 laps. I limped back with a group of masters 123 dropees after completing only 3 of the 4 laps, about 42 miles in all.
I glumly waited for the Cat 4 field to come in. It ended in a bunch sprint that included all the other HV guys. James R and Keith finished very well, around 5-7 with the others a little further back. The highest any Team Oregon rider finished was 10th. It was a great effort by the team and was more teamwork than I had seen in previous races which bodes well for futures races with this group.
My downfall was not the lack of condition but fueling. I should have had some Perpetuum on hand to sip on during the race of this length. I normally just use Perpetuum for the longer endurance rides. Clearly, I need to consider taking this with me on races longer than 30 miles. I was surprised to have bonked after such a long time off the bike when muscle glycogen would be expected to be maximum. Well there you go…….
I was pleased to have worked at the pointy end of the race for a long as I did and help reel in the breakaway. Despite the DNF, it was satisfying to work for the team in this way.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
That's better
After the debacle of last week the pressure was on to lift my game. The Neighbor picked me up plenty early so we would arrive at the course with lots of time to spare. Mission accomplished. We got there a full hour before the first rider went off. JT and AC were already setting up and The Quiet Achiever was nearby. Jamie B was enroute (and lost…I think…).
First thing I did was get on the bike for a warm-up. 20 minutes or so to my personal ‘interval mix’ iPod playlist got the blood pumping, heart rate up and legs embrocated from the inside. Did I mention the cold – well it was cold. I would say 36-37oF- cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass wombat. My race was 10.30, about 20 mins after The Neighbor, and JT and AC on the tandem started. So I rode over to see them off.
Apparently the wind was blowing in the opposite direction from last week. WhatEVAH……Went back to the trainer for another 10mins of warm up just to be sure. Popped TWO hammer gels just to be sure. Then it was back to the start line. I was to be released 1 minute behind QA. The start line was pretty much the last time I saw QA. I was careful to pace myself a little better in the first few hundred yards in order to tackle the dreaded hill with some common sense. It felt good going up the hill not totally maxed out. Then it was a period of mostly down hill and I was reaping the benefit of the 11/23 which had replaced the 12/27 in the week. I was going so well in fact that I NEARLY missed the ‘hidden’ LHer that claimed me last week even though I KNEW it was there. A quick tweak of the brakes saved the day and I swept through the turn with the grace of an ice dancing hairy-nosed wombat.
The rollers ahead were powered over for the most part paying attention to turning the pedals in circles (as opposed to hammering) and staying down on the bars for as long as possible. About this time I passed a recreational rider on a MTB. He was probably wondering why be was being buzzed by a never-ending stream of uptight lycra-clad Cancellara wannabes. Near the turnaround I could see QA in the distance and we looked to be about a minute apart (still). Dang, he is a tough nut to crack. Unfortunately, he was too far ahead to lob rocks at and demoralizing mind games do not work at a distance of 300 yards. It was clearly going to be a tight race between the two of us.
The second half was uneventful with care once again paid to pacing and technique, and went quite quickly with the slight tail wind. The downhill sprint to the line was fun. With a time of 32m46 sec I took about 40 secs off last week’s time. QA came in at 32m45s. I was beaten but not disgraced, and actually quite delighted with taking so much time off last week’s time. Shows what can happen when care is taken with preparation, warm-up and technique. Jamie B had a great time at 31m something, Neighbor came in at 33m something. AC won her category and JT got second. These two blew the other team away in the tandem race.
The hills make this course hard to get right and I enjoyed the challenge of taking apart my first effort and seeing the improvements in the second.
First thing I did was get on the bike for a warm-up. 20 minutes or so to my personal ‘interval mix’ iPod playlist got the blood pumping, heart rate up and legs embrocated from the inside. Did I mention the cold – well it was cold. I would say 36-37oF- cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass wombat. My race was 10.30, about 20 mins after The Neighbor, and JT and AC on the tandem started. So I rode over to see them off.
Apparently the wind was blowing in the opposite direction from last week. WhatEVAH……Went back to the trainer for another 10mins of warm up just to be sure. Popped TWO hammer gels just to be sure. Then it was back to the start line. I was to be released 1 minute behind QA. The start line was pretty much the last time I saw QA. I was careful to pace myself a little better in the first few hundred yards in order to tackle the dreaded hill with some common sense. It felt good going up the hill not totally maxed out. Then it was a period of mostly down hill and I was reaping the benefit of the 11/23 which had replaced the 12/27 in the week. I was going so well in fact that I NEARLY missed the ‘hidden’ LHer that claimed me last week even though I KNEW it was there. A quick tweak of the brakes saved the day and I swept through the turn with the grace of an ice dancing hairy-nosed wombat.
The rollers ahead were powered over for the most part paying attention to turning the pedals in circles (as opposed to hammering) and staying down on the bars for as long as possible. About this time I passed a recreational rider on a MTB. He was probably wondering why be was being buzzed by a never-ending stream of uptight lycra-clad Cancellara wannabes. Near the turnaround I could see QA in the distance and we looked to be about a minute apart (still). Dang, he is a tough nut to crack. Unfortunately, he was too far ahead to lob rocks at and demoralizing mind games do not work at a distance of 300 yards. It was clearly going to be a tight race between the two of us.
The second half was uneventful with care once again paid to pacing and technique, and went quite quickly with the slight tail wind. The downhill sprint to the line was fun. With a time of 32m46 sec I took about 40 secs off last week’s time. QA came in at 32m45s. I was beaten but not disgraced, and actually quite delighted with taking so much time off last week’s time. Shows what can happen when care is taken with preparation, warm-up and technique. Jamie B had a great time at 31m something, Neighbor came in at 33m something. AC won her category and JT got second. These two blew the other team away in the tandem race.
The hills make this course hard to get right and I enjoyed the challenge of taking apart my first effort and seeing the improvements in the second.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Bananas indeed
Almost didn’t race the Banana Belt series because of the hills. What convinced me was a conversation with Kristin about how it was possible to power over the hills. She was right.
My goal for BB#1, which ran clockwise, was simply to hang on to the pack and not get dropped – a ‘sit-in and see’ strategy. A last second derailleur adjustment lost me the use of the middle two gears – would have to make do with the high and low gears and the (compact) chainring.
We started with five HV riders, including Kolben, Lincoln, Keith and James R. As it happened, the pace was not that great and I didn’t have any trouble keeping up with the peleton. The pack always slowed enough at the peak for everyone to get back on. The lack of a sustained pace surprised me because it is an opportunity to string out the pack. The only real technical part was the sharp RHer down the big hill just before the dam. The race was marred by a couple of crashes - one of these took out Keith.
The sprinters got a lucky break when the field was neutralized on the final hill before the finish, about 2 miles out. This changed the race completely and played right into the hands of the big sprinters. We all duly soft-pedaled at 10 MPH up the hill and reached the top as a group. Essentially it was a sprint to the end with way more down than up. In the final sprint was able to hang on for 9th place just behind the youngsters Lincoln and Kolben. I was delighted to: a) finish the race, and b) be in the mix at the end, and c) get a solitary upgrade point.
BB#2 was run anti-clockwise and, with the big hill to tackle four times and an uphill finish, was going to be a different story to BB#1. Though that final stretch was not as long nor as steep as the Cherry Pie finish it was clearly going to favor the strong lighter guys. We started with John G, Kolben, Ryan. Keith and James R. The plan was to stay near the front and then for me (and maybe John) to push the pace for the last half lap to stretch out the field for Kolben and James to go for a high place. The race was pretty uneventful. One particular rider would go off the front just before the dam and the big hill in an attempt to get away. He was always caught within about half a lap although on the last lap he was only caught about a mile before the line. The only hiccup for me was nearly getting dropped on the third lap when accessing and consuming Mountain Shmickle berry Hammer Gel – a birthday present from JT. I had to TT about 50 meters back to the pack. John G was heading backwards at this point and was done for the day after the previous day’s MTB epic.
As per the plan, I made my way to near the front on the final half lap alongside Kolben and James. The pace was pretty high at this stage and I was not able to go off the front. The 30-strong (or so) pack was closely bunched at the 1km mark and even by the 200M mark when the road widened, no-one had taken off. Then the bunch sprinted. From the back of the pack I gave myself plenty of room on the left and let ‘er rip. As the heart was pounding and legs screaming I managed to make up a few places and finished 19th, just head of James who was along-side me and Kolben who had drifted back slightly. Ryan was back another 10 places or so. Keith ran a fine race and recorded a 9th place. Working as a team proved to be hard and will take some time and a few races to sort out.
It was a tough finish. The only way to improve would have been to be closer to the front at the start of the sprint. Got to remember to do that. Being closer to the front would have also helped out Kolben and James a little more as well. Overall, I was pretty happy with the effort and finished higher that I imagined considering the uphill finish. All the winter work is paying off and I have been in the mix in all three road races this season.
The thought of the downhill finish at BB#3 has my heart pounding as I type this. Ok, need to have a cup of tea and a lie down now……
My goal for BB#1, which ran clockwise, was simply to hang on to the pack and not get dropped – a ‘sit-in and see’ strategy. A last second derailleur adjustment lost me the use of the middle two gears – would have to make do with the high and low gears and the (compact) chainring.
We started with five HV riders, including Kolben, Lincoln, Keith and James R. As it happened, the pace was not that great and I didn’t have any trouble keeping up with the peleton. The pack always slowed enough at the peak for everyone to get back on. The lack of a sustained pace surprised me because it is an opportunity to string out the pack. The only real technical part was the sharp RHer down the big hill just before the dam. The race was marred by a couple of crashes - one of these took out Keith.
The sprinters got a lucky break when the field was neutralized on the final hill before the finish, about 2 miles out. This changed the race completely and played right into the hands of the big sprinters. We all duly soft-pedaled at 10 MPH up the hill and reached the top as a group. Essentially it was a sprint to the end with way more down than up. In the final sprint was able to hang on for 9th place just behind the youngsters Lincoln and Kolben. I was delighted to: a) finish the race, and b) be in the mix at the end, and c) get a solitary upgrade point.
BB#2 was run anti-clockwise and, with the big hill to tackle four times and an uphill finish, was going to be a different story to BB#1. Though that final stretch was not as long nor as steep as the Cherry Pie finish it was clearly going to favor the strong lighter guys. We started with John G, Kolben, Ryan. Keith and James R. The plan was to stay near the front and then for me (and maybe John) to push the pace for the last half lap to stretch out the field for Kolben and James to go for a high place. The race was pretty uneventful. One particular rider would go off the front just before the dam and the big hill in an attempt to get away. He was always caught within about half a lap although on the last lap he was only caught about a mile before the line. The only hiccup for me was nearly getting dropped on the third lap when accessing and consuming Mountain Shmickle berry Hammer Gel – a birthday present from JT. I had to TT about 50 meters back to the pack. John G was heading backwards at this point and was done for the day after the previous day’s MTB epic.
As per the plan, I made my way to near the front on the final half lap alongside Kolben and James. The pace was pretty high at this stage and I was not able to go off the front. The 30-strong (or so) pack was closely bunched at the 1km mark and even by the 200M mark when the road widened, no-one had taken off. Then the bunch sprinted. From the back of the pack I gave myself plenty of room on the left and let ‘er rip. As the heart was pounding and legs screaming I managed to make up a few places and finished 19th, just head of James who was along-side me and Kolben who had drifted back slightly. Ryan was back another 10 places or so. Keith ran a fine race and recorded a 9th place. Working as a team proved to be hard and will take some time and a few races to sort out.
It was a tough finish. The only way to improve would have been to be closer to the front at the start of the sprint. Got to remember to do that. Being closer to the front would have also helped out Kolben and James a little more as well. Overall, I was pretty happy with the effort and finished higher that I imagined considering the uphill finish. All the winter work is paying off and I have been in the mix in all three road races this season.
The thought of the downhill finish at BB#3 has my heart pounding as I type this. Ok, need to have a cup of tea and a lie down now……
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Time trial FAIL
My race day was less than perfect but not in the same league of sorryness as JT. The new bike was in the shop at RC all week for the 30-day and to look at a couple of shifting issues from BB#1. I picked it up on Friday afternoon which meant that there was not really chance to test ride ahead of the TT today. Hopefully all was OK.
There were lots of small mistakes that together impacted my race that made it my worst TT outing ever. First , on the drive down I missed the turn off 99W and drove an extra 5 miles south (and back). This cut into my warm-up time. I arrived at about 9.35 for a 10.15 kick-off. Then the bike had to be set up for aero bars which took a little longer than expected. Then there was the emergency bathroom visit to the retirement home chapel to take care of a gurguling stomach, wasting precious minutes. Then there was the change into Hammer race clothes since I was too late to hunt down JT for the new kit. Thankfully, the number was on the correct side. By the time the trainer was inconvenienced it was 9.57. Two minutes later, the warm-up was done and it was off to the start. I had enough time to stretch the legs up and back along the road before I was called to the start. I was screwed even before I started. All rushed and no warm-up to speak of. Andrew Hayes was the started behind me. I regularly beat him all CCX season but he is a kick-arse TTer and did 33 to my 37 mins at Jack Frost. I was convinced that I had a genuine chance of finishing last.
Ok, now to the race. The first two miles were hell. The road quickly turned upwards with a reasonably steep climb. WTF????? The HR max out about halfway up and then I just hung on for grim life, waiting for Andrew-frigging-Hayes to swoosh past me. At the top of the hill (nay, mountain!!) the road descend and round a tight RHer. The HR while still high was coming down towards 90%. Then about 3 miles in there was a LH turn with the option of going straight ahead. WT-friggin-F????. No flagger or indication of which was the path of Truth or the path of despair. I chose to stay straight but glanced away to the left as I passed through the intersection looking for riders. OF COURSE there were riders there, I had picked the wrong door - no prize for Fitzgerald, thanks for playing.......Lost about 20s in the turnaround. My anger at going off-course was dulled by the pains in my legs and I soldiered on. The next few miles were a series of smallish rollers. I found myself picking myself out of the aero bars way too much and using the drops for leverage to power over the rollers. There was alot of gear changing too. Like an engineer in a hip-hop club, rhythm was non-existent.
Then it was the turn around. Gave myself a mental pack on the back that Andrew hadn't caught me. But he was not too far behind and passed by about a mile after the turnaround - I yelled something vaguely encouraging at him as he went by. He was having a blinder of a race, although I found out later that he too missed the same LH turn that I did. Now with about 5 miles to go I tried to focus on reining in the HR and making smooth pedal strokes in the right gear. The rollers made it very difficult to do this and there were period where there was no pedaling - just conserving energy for the next roller. About 2 miles from the end saw JT forlornly walking his bike back. I finished 33.25, good enough for in 7th place in the Cat 4/5 race. Bit surprised that I beat so many others as I had a frustratingly crappy race.
There were so many areas to improve: better overall preparation, arrive much earlier, actually do a warm-up, better pacing with few red zone spikes, better concentration with pedal stroke, stay on-course. Will definitely ride faster in the new kit as well :).
My goal is to beat today's time by 1 minute next week.
There were lots of small mistakes that together impacted my race that made it my worst TT outing ever. First , on the drive down I missed the turn off 99W and drove an extra 5 miles south (and back). This cut into my warm-up time. I arrived at about 9.35 for a 10.15 kick-off. Then the bike had to be set up for aero bars which took a little longer than expected. Then there was the emergency bathroom visit to the retirement home chapel to take care of a gurguling stomach, wasting precious minutes. Then there was the change into Hammer race clothes since I was too late to hunt down JT for the new kit. Thankfully, the number was on the correct side. By the time the trainer was inconvenienced it was 9.57. Two minutes later, the warm-up was done and it was off to the start. I had enough time to stretch the legs up and back along the road before I was called to the start. I was screwed even before I started. All rushed and no warm-up to speak of. Andrew Hayes was the started behind me. I regularly beat him all CCX season but he is a kick-arse TTer and did 33 to my 37 mins at Jack Frost. I was convinced that I had a genuine chance of finishing last.
Ok, now to the race. The first two miles were hell. The road quickly turned upwards with a reasonably steep climb. WTF????? The HR max out about halfway up and then I just hung on for grim life, waiting for Andrew-frigging-Hayes to swoosh past me. At the top of the hill (nay, mountain!!) the road descend and round a tight RHer. The HR while still high was coming down towards 90%. Then about 3 miles in there was a LH turn with the option of going straight ahead. WT-friggin-F????. No flagger or indication of which was the path of Truth or the path of despair. I chose to stay straight but glanced away to the left as I passed through the intersection looking for riders. OF COURSE there were riders there, I had picked the wrong door - no prize for Fitzgerald, thanks for playing.......Lost about 20s in the turnaround. My anger at going off-course was dulled by the pains in my legs and I soldiered on. The next few miles were a series of smallish rollers. I found myself picking myself out of the aero bars way too much and using the drops for leverage to power over the rollers. There was alot of gear changing too. Like an engineer in a hip-hop club, rhythm was non-existent.
Then it was the turn around. Gave myself a mental pack on the back that Andrew hadn't caught me. But he was not too far behind and passed by about a mile after the turnaround - I yelled something vaguely encouraging at him as he went by. He was having a blinder of a race, although I found out later that he too missed the same LH turn that I did. Now with about 5 miles to go I tried to focus on reining in the HR and making smooth pedal strokes in the right gear. The rollers made it very difficult to do this and there were period where there was no pedaling - just conserving energy for the next roller. About 2 miles from the end saw JT forlornly walking his bike back. I finished 33.25, good enough for in 7th place in the Cat 4/5 race. Bit surprised that I beat so many others as I had a frustratingly crappy race.
There were so many areas to improve: better overall preparation, arrive much earlier, actually do a warm-up, better pacing with few red zone spikes, better concentration with pedal stroke, stay on-course. Will definitely ride faster in the new kit as well :).
My goal is to beat today's time by 1 minute next week.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Jack Frost Time Trial race report - Haiku version
spring close …heart …zone 5
arms out …head down ……spinning fast
passing… being passed ……done
arms out …head down ……spinning fast
passing… being passed ……done
Monday, February 15, 2010
Humble Pie
Annoyingly, I managed to catch a cold in the days leading up to Cherry Pie. I debated whether to pull out and recover fully, or to enact a cunning Kandra-esque ploy and race when sick and bugger the consequences. Of course, I decided to race. Excitement had been building throughout the men’s team for a few weeks with Rich declaring early on the he was riding and several others looking to give it a go – some racing for the first time.
Drove down with Rich in the ‘refrigerator box’, my affectionate term for his Honda Element. It has the significant advantage of cargo capacity to hold several bike upright in the back – no wheels on and off, just straight in and out - glorious!
We met the ‘iyans, (Ry and Bry) at RCB and caravanned down arriving a full 60 minutes before the race start. We picked up our numbers and I bumped into a few familiar faces, Todd, Brian, Eric, Jon, Einar. Also, found time to squeeze in a quick rub of the hammies by the massage dude on the table.
After a briefing on the rules by the officials and a plea not to be a dickhead on the road we were off. Mindful of JT’s advice about being close to the front at the start, I snagged the second row on the grid with Rich in the next row back. So far….so good. The long neutral ride took us to the start on Independence highway. Initially, the pace was very comfortable with few willing to do the work needed to force the pace (what’s new?). With the tailwind, I led off the front for a bit to see what would happen – and drifted slowly back when it was clear that no-one was keen on breaking away. It got more interesting at about the halfway mark when a couple of modest ‘big-chain ring’ rollers came along. A few attacked on the uphill portions stringing the pack out temporarily. The group came back together on the downward side of the rollers although it was quite tricky with all the breaking going on by the less experienced riders and there were a couple of close calls.
Managing to stay within the top 15, I took a pull and soon after lead off the front for a couple of minutes. They worked hard to catch me this time. This aggressiveness led to a couple of compliments that had me blushing like a tech schoolgirl with a crush on Mr Smith. I settled back in again and following another attempted breakaway by another rider settled into a good rhythm with some nice long pulls by myself and a couple of other riders. Only one arsehole wouldn’t let me slot back into 5th or 6th and my ‘angry’ rheumy eyes burned a hole in his bib shorts for a while until I turned my attention back to the job at hand. The ride had been not too strenuous until this point – certainly no worse than some of the HV training rides. I felt pretty good and not too impaired by the snot in my head that continuously being ejected in quanta from nose and mouth. It must have been a pleasant sight….errr…..not so much.
With two counts against me (fat and sick), I knew that the final climb would be a bastard for me unless I could string out the pack. So with about 6 miles to go I decided to make a final attempt to go off the front. This was a split decision – of the relevant organs, heart and articular cartilage agreed to go, quads and lungs disagreed, colon abstained. Brain cast the tie-breaker and said LETS GO…… so I took off and led with a sizeable gap (at least in my mind) for about 2 miles before they caught me (I swear I heard lungs rasp ‘ I told you so”). I knew then that my race was over. By the time we reached the Fire Station near the bottom of the climb I was still with them in body but not in spirit and sitting in about 10th place. The climbing began following a RH turn and I churned away with tired legs. About 20 skinny old dudes passed me on that first uphill section as I struggled to maintain speed yet not become too exhausted. Then following the brief respite that the flat section brought, I continued on after the RH turn and encouragingly, managed to pass a handful on the last uphill stretch. Bryan’s booming voice at the roadside was at the same time irritating and motivating (mirritating, perhaps?) and urged me to get out of the saddle. But to be honest - I couldn’t be arsed. I was clear of the next rider, who happened to be Rich, and didn’t feel like sprinting for a mid-field finish. I crossed the finish line exhausted in 25th place and immediately released another bolus of snot. I was done. Rich did a great job of staying with the lead group the entire race and finishing strongly.
Overall, I was happy to have mixed it up for 23 of the 25 miles but let myself down a little bit at the finish. Looking back, my quads and lungs were right - it was a mistake to lead off the front that last time so close to the end.
Drove down with Rich in the ‘refrigerator box’, my affectionate term for his Honda Element. It has the significant advantage of cargo capacity to hold several bike upright in the back – no wheels on and off, just straight in and out - glorious!
We met the ‘iyans, (Ry and Bry) at RCB and caravanned down arriving a full 60 minutes before the race start. We picked up our numbers and I bumped into a few familiar faces, Todd, Brian, Eric, Jon, Einar. Also, found time to squeeze in a quick rub of the hammies by the massage dude on the table.
After a briefing on the rules by the officials and a plea not to be a dickhead on the road we were off. Mindful of JT’s advice about being close to the front at the start, I snagged the second row on the grid with Rich in the next row back. So far….so good. The long neutral ride took us to the start on Independence highway. Initially, the pace was very comfortable with few willing to do the work needed to force the pace (what’s new?). With the tailwind, I led off the front for a bit to see what would happen – and drifted slowly back when it was clear that no-one was keen on breaking away. It got more interesting at about the halfway mark when a couple of modest ‘big-chain ring’ rollers came along. A few attacked on the uphill portions stringing the pack out temporarily. The group came back together on the downward side of the rollers although it was quite tricky with all the breaking going on by the less experienced riders and there were a couple of close calls.
Managing to stay within the top 15, I took a pull and soon after lead off the front for a couple of minutes. They worked hard to catch me this time. This aggressiveness led to a couple of compliments that had me blushing like a tech schoolgirl with a crush on Mr Smith. I settled back in again and following another attempted breakaway by another rider settled into a good rhythm with some nice long pulls by myself and a couple of other riders. Only one arsehole wouldn’t let me slot back into 5th or 6th and my ‘angry’ rheumy eyes burned a hole in his bib shorts for a while until I turned my attention back to the job at hand. The ride had been not too strenuous until this point – certainly no worse than some of the HV training rides. I felt pretty good and not too impaired by the snot in my head that continuously being ejected in quanta from nose and mouth. It must have been a pleasant sight….errr…..not so much.
With two counts against me (fat and sick), I knew that the final climb would be a bastard for me unless I could string out the pack. So with about 6 miles to go I decided to make a final attempt to go off the front. This was a split decision – of the relevant organs, heart and articular cartilage agreed to go, quads and lungs disagreed, colon abstained. Brain cast the tie-breaker and said LETS GO…… so I took off and led with a sizeable gap (at least in my mind) for about 2 miles before they caught me (I swear I heard lungs rasp ‘ I told you so”). I knew then that my race was over. By the time we reached the Fire Station near the bottom of the climb I was still with them in body but not in spirit and sitting in about 10th place. The climbing began following a RH turn and I churned away with tired legs. About 20 skinny old dudes passed me on that first uphill section as I struggled to maintain speed yet not become too exhausted. Then following the brief respite that the flat section brought, I continued on after the RH turn and encouragingly, managed to pass a handful on the last uphill stretch. Bryan’s booming voice at the roadside was at the same time irritating and motivating (mirritating, perhaps?) and urged me to get out of the saddle. But to be honest - I couldn’t be arsed. I was clear of the next rider, who happened to be Rich, and didn’t feel like sprinting for a mid-field finish. I crossed the finish line exhausted in 25th place and immediately released another bolus of snot. I was done. Rich did a great job of staying with the lead group the entire race and finishing strongly.
Overall, I was happy to have mixed it up for 23 of the 25 miles but let myself down a little bit at the finish. Looking back, my quads and lungs were right - it was a mistake to lead off the front that last time so close to the end.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
CCX redemption
At last, something to write about - a couple of clean races. After the frustrations of Alpenrose (jammed wheel), Ranier (multiple chain drops), Sherwood (twisted chain) and Hillsboro (crash and last lap flat) there were no major mechanical issues – just minor ones. After the Sherwood debacle, the bike went to the LBS to be set up by the experts. They shortened the replacement chain to reduce the chance of chain drop, adjusted the chain guide and for good measure, installed some proper CCX canti brakes. The misfortune of the first four races were a result of inexperience, poor bike set-up and crappy riding. But enough whining…what did Astoria hold in store………………
First up, the Saturday race. Picked up JA at his home in SE Portland at the ungodly hour of 6.30 and headed for the coast. We arrived early enough to fit in a quick ride of the course. Clearly it was going to be a difficult day. The grassy runs and off-camber turns through mud promised a technical ride, one not for the fainthearted. Included in the mix were a couple of short steeper sections that almost certainly would have to be run. Spotted a couple of decent stretches where overtaking could take place. Anyway,….after a shortish warm-up it was off to the start line with Bryan. As I stood at the start line a quick glance behind brought an ironic smile to my face- there were more riders ahead of me than behind by about 2 to 1. So much for the much-prized call-up. Lots of familiar faces – this would be my 5th race against these guys. A few nods of recognition were passed around – everyone nervous about the impending 45 mins of pain. We were off. What I thought was a fast start was in fact pretty mediocre and a couple of places had been dropped by the first turn to the right. Managed to claw back a few positions as the race unfolded. I was enjoying the race and able to target riders ahead and mostly catch them. The exception was my Nemesis (He: Dr Evil, I: Golden Hammer member). As with Hillsboro he started slower but built up speed throughout the race and passed me in the last lap. I stayed with him through the sheds for a while and while concocting a fiendish plan to outsprint him at the finish, took a couple of poor turns that allowed him to get out of reach. He will keep for another day. I finished in 7th place from about 20th into the first turn. A victory for me – the first time I had finished without any major technical problems – the gears slipped a little especially in the lower range but can’t say that it slowed me too much and did not lose any places because of it. It felt real good. 7th position was about right for me - stronger than most of the Clydes except for a handful.
On to Sunday. We were running too late for the traditional warm-up on the trainer and gossip with Bryan. So straight to the line it was. As I found out on that eventful first lap, the course had been altered from yesterday’s race with some parts switched to the reverse direction. I lined up alongside Raggedy Ann, Voodoo man, French maid, Bunny rabbit, Whoopy cushion, an impressive Hooters girl and a couple of others. Who were these people and what were they doing in a bike race – oh yeah, Halloween. I was Rasta mon – a pathetic attempt at costumery that should have attracted boos in beer alley. I didn’t have an opportunity to ride the course beforehand – always a bad move. We were off……. It was clear from the start that it was going to be a long 45 minutes. The barriers came up very quickly and surprised me like a ‘White Raleigh SS in a bike box’. The dismount was crudely comical and I could feel the crowd cringing. The course was loaded with slick muddy off-camber turns and I fell several times on the lap - it felt was alot slicker than the previous day. The sheds were a compete nightmare. The hard packed sand inside the shed was as ‘dry as a dead dingo’s donger’ and tricky to adjust to after the sloppy carnage outside. This however, was the easiest part of the sheds. The runs between the sheds were hell. They were thick with mud and rutted which made it very difficult to hold a decent line. I fought the bike all the way - if you slid down into a rut your front wheel might be in a different rut and then it meant climbing up out of the rut and sliding down the side of the next rut. The bike was sideways more often than straight on. Not happy. It took all my effort to keep the bike upright. After exiting from the Shed-from-Hell complex there were a couple of slippery turns in a small forested patch and a nice fast downhill section and short climb. This was a good place to stretch the hammies and hammer. At the top was a short flat section and barriers, then a RH turn onto 200m of beautiful, beautiful road. After nearly ‘crying for mummy’ inbetween the sheds I was now praising Ja with tears of joy. God I miss the feel of bike on road. My elation was short lived when I took the RHer laneway too hot and smacked my head on the same road I had loved with all my being just seconds before. I had hit the ground hard, real hard. After the race the Voodoo man riding behind admitted that he didn’t think that I was going to get up. But I did….. and being the bone-headed thick-skulled, dim-witted Neanderthal that I am got on the bike and continued. Needless to say I did not make that mistake again although later in the race three went down in front of me at the same turn. I fell two or 3 times more and finished in 8th place. It was a very difficult race for me and not all that enjoyable. It took all my energy to stay upright and could not really focus on targeting racers ahead. People……it was pure, gonad-tightening survival.
It felt good to close out the races at Astoria – my reward – a pair of top ten finishes. We have had six different HV winners in this series – a fantastic effort. I am unlikely to be added to this list but maybe, just maybe I can sneak into the top 5 in one of the remaining two races. We’ll see……
First up, the Saturday race. Picked up JA at his home in SE Portland at the ungodly hour of 6.30 and headed for the coast. We arrived early enough to fit in a quick ride of the course. Clearly it was going to be a difficult day. The grassy runs and off-camber turns through mud promised a technical ride, one not for the fainthearted. Included in the mix were a couple of short steeper sections that almost certainly would have to be run. Spotted a couple of decent stretches where overtaking could take place. Anyway,….after a shortish warm-up it was off to the start line with Bryan. As I stood at the start line a quick glance behind brought an ironic smile to my face- there were more riders ahead of me than behind by about 2 to 1. So much for the much-prized call-up. Lots of familiar faces – this would be my 5th race against these guys. A few nods of recognition were passed around – everyone nervous about the impending 45 mins of pain. We were off. What I thought was a fast start was in fact pretty mediocre and a couple of places had been dropped by the first turn to the right. Managed to claw back a few positions as the race unfolded. I was enjoying the race and able to target riders ahead and mostly catch them. The exception was my Nemesis (He: Dr Evil, I: Golden Hammer member). As with Hillsboro he started slower but built up speed throughout the race and passed me in the last lap. I stayed with him through the sheds for a while and while concocting a fiendish plan to outsprint him at the finish, took a couple of poor turns that allowed him to get out of reach. He will keep for another day. I finished in 7th place from about 20th into the first turn. A victory for me – the first time I had finished without any major technical problems – the gears slipped a little especially in the lower range but can’t say that it slowed me too much and did not lose any places because of it. It felt real good. 7th position was about right for me - stronger than most of the Clydes except for a handful.
On to Sunday. We were running too late for the traditional warm-up on the trainer and gossip with Bryan. So straight to the line it was. As I found out on that eventful first lap, the course had been altered from yesterday’s race with some parts switched to the reverse direction. I lined up alongside Raggedy Ann, Voodoo man, French maid, Bunny rabbit, Whoopy cushion, an impressive Hooters girl and a couple of others. Who were these people and what were they doing in a bike race – oh yeah, Halloween. I was Rasta mon – a pathetic attempt at costumery that should have attracted boos in beer alley. I didn’t have an opportunity to ride the course beforehand – always a bad move. We were off……. It was clear from the start that it was going to be a long 45 minutes. The barriers came up very quickly and surprised me like a ‘White Raleigh SS in a bike box’. The dismount was crudely comical and I could feel the crowd cringing. The course was loaded with slick muddy off-camber turns and I fell several times on the lap - it felt was alot slicker than the previous day. The sheds were a compete nightmare. The hard packed sand inside the shed was as ‘dry as a dead dingo’s donger’ and tricky to adjust to after the sloppy carnage outside. This however, was the easiest part of the sheds. The runs between the sheds were hell. They were thick with mud and rutted which made it very difficult to hold a decent line. I fought the bike all the way - if you slid down into a rut your front wheel might be in a different rut and then it meant climbing up out of the rut and sliding down the side of the next rut. The bike was sideways more often than straight on. Not happy. It took all my effort to keep the bike upright. After exiting from the Shed-from-Hell complex there were a couple of slippery turns in a small forested patch and a nice fast downhill section and short climb. This was a good place to stretch the hammies and hammer. At the top was a short flat section and barriers, then a RH turn onto 200m of beautiful, beautiful road. After nearly ‘crying for mummy’ inbetween the sheds I was now praising Ja with tears of joy. God I miss the feel of bike on road. My elation was short lived when I took the RHer laneway too hot and smacked my head on the same road I had loved with all my being just seconds before. I had hit the ground hard, real hard. After the race the Voodoo man riding behind admitted that he didn’t think that I was going to get up. But I did….. and being the bone-headed thick-skulled, dim-witted Neanderthal that I am got on the bike and continued. Needless to say I did not make that mistake again although later in the race three went down in front of me at the same turn. I fell two or 3 times more and finished in 8th place. It was a very difficult race for me and not all that enjoyable. It took all my energy to stay upright and could not really focus on targeting racers ahead. People……it was pure, gonad-tightening survival.
It felt good to close out the races at Astoria – my reward – a pair of top ten finishes. We have had six different HV winners in this series – a fantastic effort. I am unlikely to be added to this list but maybe, just maybe I can sneak into the top 5 in one of the remaining two races. We’ll see……
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Baptism of fire...
Here goes…… Rode the Clyde category with Bryan. Lotteried into mid-field at the start line just ahead of Bryan. The first mile or so scared the crap out of me. All the mad bastards resentful at being banished to the rear of the field vented their frustration by attacking on the start of the long downhill alongside the velodrome. This was expected but the intensity of it took me by surprise. It was about this time that I was overtaken by Bryan - that was the last I saw of him…..
The pre-race ride of the course paid off with the uneventful navigation of the dreaded RH turn at the bottom of the hill. I accelerated up the hill passing a few riders moving backwards - so far…..so good….. Picked up a few more down the long run alongside the car park and again past the tents. The tail end of the C’s were being caught about now which made for some traffic. Shouldered the bike all textbook-like for the run-up. Sped ‘round the velodrome apron - home turf for me. Although, riding the wrong way ‘round the velodrome felt very naughty. Alas, my time in the velodrome comfort zone ended far too quickly and it was time to get dirty again. The rest of the lap was uneventful as were the next two. Passed quite a few riders but most of them seemed to be the slower C’s - I didn‘t seem to be moving up through the Clyde field. Where were they? - had I taken a wrong turn somewhere and joined a unrelated race? Then, as I was considering this possibility some more…..the chain jumped off mid-sprint for no apparent reason in the straightaway before the switchback steps. This threw off my (until now) flawless (!) on-off technique and I arrived at steps with the wrong foot still in the pedals and little room to correct. Managed not to fall over and ascended the steps without incident. However, not before a few riders passed by - curses!.
Then it was the bell lap - I was engaged in mortal combat with a Showers Pass rider - I would pass on the straights with a blinding burst of speed and he would tuck in behind and get me on the corners in the grass. I overtook him on the run-up and was first into the velodrome. All was going well until the final barrier when the front wheel caught the barrier flicking it back. One of the arms of the cantilevered brakes wedged under the downtube and the wheel was locked in place almost turned around. This was not obvious at first and precious secmins (seconds that feel like minutes) were spent puzzling over this disturbing juxtaposition of wheel and frame. Aha …..through the fog of oxygen deprivation I spotted the problem. The wheel was wrenched back into place with unreasonable force and, following the remount, it was a sprint to the line. This last minute mechanical left me a bit deflated. Oh, and the front tire was also 80% deflated - not sure when it occurred but probably pretty late in the race.
Final placing 14th. Looks like about 6 places were lost with the mechanical at the end since the Showers Pass guy finished 8th. Oh, well - I guess that’s how it goes. Overall, I was pretty happy with how it all went. The support was great from the sidelines. Lookin’ forward to next week……………..
The pre-race ride of the course paid off with the uneventful navigation of the dreaded RH turn at the bottom of the hill. I accelerated up the hill passing a few riders moving backwards - so far…..so good….. Picked up a few more down the long run alongside the car park and again past the tents. The tail end of the C’s were being caught about now which made for some traffic. Shouldered the bike all textbook-like for the run-up. Sped ‘round the velodrome apron - home turf for me. Although, riding the wrong way ‘round the velodrome felt very naughty. Alas, my time in the velodrome comfort zone ended far too quickly and it was time to get dirty again. The rest of the lap was uneventful as were the next two. Passed quite a few riders but most of them seemed to be the slower C’s - I didn‘t seem to be moving up through the Clyde field. Where were they? - had I taken a wrong turn somewhere and joined a unrelated race? Then, as I was considering this possibility some more…..the chain jumped off mid-sprint for no apparent reason in the straightaway before the switchback steps. This threw off my (until now) flawless (!) on-off technique and I arrived at steps with the wrong foot still in the pedals and little room to correct. Managed not to fall over and ascended the steps without incident. However, not before a few riders passed by - curses!.
Then it was the bell lap - I was engaged in mortal combat with a Showers Pass rider - I would pass on the straights with a blinding burst of speed and he would tuck in behind and get me on the corners in the grass. I overtook him on the run-up and was first into the velodrome. All was going well until the final barrier when the front wheel caught the barrier flicking it back. One of the arms of the cantilevered brakes wedged under the downtube and the wheel was locked in place almost turned around. This was not obvious at first and precious secmins (seconds that feel like minutes) were spent puzzling over this disturbing juxtaposition of wheel and frame. Aha …..through the fog of oxygen deprivation I spotted the problem. The wheel was wrenched back into place with unreasonable force and, following the remount, it was a sprint to the line. This last minute mechanical left me a bit deflated. Oh, and the front tire was also 80% deflated - not sure when it occurred but probably pretty late in the race.
Final placing 14th. Looks like about 6 places were lost with the mechanical at the end since the Showers Pass guy finished 8th. Oh, well - I guess that’s how it goes. Overall, I was pretty happy with how it all went. The support was great from the sidelines. Lookin’ forward to next week……………..
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