The format for San Antonio is always the same: Saturday morning is the 10km time trial followed about an hour later by the 20km road race and Sunday has a 5km time trial followed by a 40km road race. First racer is off at 9 am, and this year the last one left around 10:25 am. The venue is about a two hour drive from home and I choose to drive back and forth each day. Actually, I tried staying over once but prefer sleeping in my own bed and having home-cooked meals. This means I hit the road a bit before 6 am.
We caught a break with the weather on Saturday, with storms on Thursday and Friday clearing out just in time. The humidity was up but for the first time in years, the wind was down. Expectations were low for MY event, the 10k or longer time trial. In the last ten years I've only been off the podium once (2008) when racing against my own age group in Texas. But my friend Bill Corty turned 70 and is is much faster than me, my fast friend Bill Earp is once again attending (but he is from Missouri), and another person is new to the age group and has posted better credentials. Several others are close and with my lack of training sessions, I could be looking at 5th place.
The Texas Research Park is a roughly two and a half mile circuit, with a back-side hill (incline). For the time trial we do one complete circuit plus an out-and-back. It is a great venue. After checking in and doing social amenities with the other guys, I completed my 30-minute warm-up and prepared to race. For the first time, San Antonio had chip timing. Great improvement. I could see that the holders were inexperienced. At least not as bad as last year when the holder forgot to let go. There is very little strategy in time trials, you go as hard as you can for as long as you can. There are only two 90-degree turns, both wide. The asphalt was still a little wet on one and there were patches of mud on the other, necessitating some caution.
As it turned out, I happily managed to come in third behind the two Bills. Since I started my computer about 15 seconds before the start and hit it again 5-10 seconds after, I'm thinking my actual time was a hair under 17 minutes. I can say top speed was 31.4 and average 21.2 and my heart rate was in zone five for nine minutes and nine seconds. All but 19 seconds were in zone four or five. I used a lot of gears going up the back-side hill the second time.
For the road race, I change wheels, since my Zipps are much faster than the Rolfs. A lot of liquid, Clif Bars, and resting followed. Generally I skip the 20k road race and just do the 40k, but because I only do these for the training and my training this year has been sparse, I joined in. On the third of five laps Bob jumped at the start of the hill, the others followed and I managed to hang on. Back together. He jumped again at the same place, with the same result. On the fifth lap I had to wave good-bye. At least they were still in sight at the finish line. Sixth place; not last.
Sunday was much of the same, but the corners were dry and Bill Corty skipped the time trial. Bill Earp only beat me by four seconds. My top speed was 31.9 and average 19.7 (average speed is off since I started the computer a minute early). Of the 8:11 it took to complete the course, I spent 5:11 in zone 5 and 2:45 in zone 4.
I had no illusions for the 40k and hoped they would putter around for the first five laps before getting serious. No such luck. Same guy jumped at the same place on lap three, drawing the two fastest guys with him. Me and my friend Fred were a bit late, but gave chase, leaving the others behind. We were about fifteen seconds behind and around a slight curve when we saw two guys on the ground. It seems one guy (Bob) touched wheels with the one in front (Tom) and went down and Bill Corty was the third guy who couldn't avoid the crash. Bill had a flat tire and Bob spent some time with Medical. Tom continued on and built on his lead, while Fred and I tried our best to catch up.
Actually, we tried to not let anyone behind catch us, since we now were sitting second and third. On the next lap, going up the hill we came upon a large guy who had been dropped from his younger age group. We don't follow USAC rules, so I latched on to his back wheel, with Fred behind me. He was a bit slower going up, but really motored on the flats and downhills and was super in blocking the wind, which today was much stronger than yesterday. Fred and I rode him for four laps until he finally gave it up on the hill. About that time, Bob came by, having latched on to a small group of fast, young guys. Dang! We tried to hang with them, but they quickly left us behind.
On lap nine I finally gave up the ghost on the hill and waved Fred on. The quads were complaining as was my breathing. I suffered through the last lap and only finished about thirty seconds behind Fred. Well, I didn't expect to medal in this race, but fourth wasn't so bad. It was only after we were sitting around the cars winding down and packing up that Jaime said Bob was two laps down because of getting patched up, not the one lap we had figured. So Fred garnered silver and I came home with a bronze. Purely lagniappe as far as I'm concerned.
Stats for the 40k: Heart Rate Zone 5 - 20:32; Zone 4 - 51:27, quite a workout for an old guy. Top speed of 35.1 with an average of 18.6. The back-side hill low speed was 14 mph for the first three laps, 12 mph for the next four, and 10 mph for the last three. The top speed for the first three laps was 28 mph, but for the next four it was 30 mph, then it dropped to 27 except I pushed it up to 30 for the finish.
Make no mistake, I like to race. But my main cycling focus is taking bike vacations. I have three bike trips and two non-bike tours lined up for this year. It crimps my training a bit, but I keep reminding myself racing is secondary. When I tout that "I'm the fastest man in Texas" it is with my tongue firmly in my cheek. I cycle for fun, with medals more a witness to my health than to prowess in racing.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
BICYCLE SAFETY
Our Sunday ride leader always, always stresses safety before each ride. At the beginning of April a cyclist was descending a steep hill when a pickup truck made a left turn in front of him, resulting in his death. We are encouraged to have a flashing strobe light on the front (as well as the back) whenever we ride, day or night. This reminded me of an article I read years ago, and thanks to my search engine, I found one which makes the same point.
If you don't care to read this (but it is enlightening), I'll give you the short version: unless we train our brains to recognize cyclists, it takes longer to "see" them, sometimes never seeing them. In the article I remember, the point was the brain will interpret a cyclist as a tree or stop sign because we are more vertical than say, a car. Of course, our brains are trained but it isn't us who we are worried about.
Therefore it is incumbent on us, the cyclists, to do whatever we can to make ourselves visible: bright colors, hand (full hand, please) and arm horizontal movements, reflective clothing, and flashing lights are some of the things that come to mind. Being respectful of traffic lights and stop signs are another.
Your actions have consequences. For instance, running a stop sign might trigger a negative reaction in a vehicle, who might react against the next cyclist he sees. Give a good example ALL the time.
Years ago, when I was training for my coast-to-coast trip, part of my Sunday ride included Bee Cave Road. Those familiar with the area know that with the wind behind you, going down the hill toward Weston Lane can generate 40 mph or more (still less than the vehicle speed limit). On such a morning I approached Weston in excess of 35 mph when a pickup left the stop sign in front of me. I braked and did a hard right but unfortunately rolled my tire off the rim and went down hard. I had my Camelbak to break the fall but still it took a few minutes before I could move. While laying in the middle of Weston Lane I saw the pickup continue east. I guess his conscience got the better of him, in that he circled back around to check on me. Nothing broken, only a few scrapes, thanks to the Camelbak and my helmet. Oh yeah, the driver was a cyclist on his way to his Sunday ride.
My other vehicle accident involved a pickup that rolled a stop sign. I had the right of way, saw him and saw him slow to the stop sign. Unfortunately, I was obstructed by his windshield post, and he didn't come to a complete stop and accelerated. His left front fender connected with my front wheel. Again, Camelbak and helmet saved the body. He did have to replace my front wheel.
Be safe. Be alert. Do what you can to be seen. And remember, it doesn't do you any good to be dead right.
If you don't care to read this (but it is enlightening), I'll give you the short version: unless we train our brains to recognize cyclists, it takes longer to "see" them, sometimes never seeing them. In the article I remember, the point was the brain will interpret a cyclist as a tree or stop sign because we are more vertical than say, a car. Of course, our brains are trained but it isn't us who we are worried about.
Therefore it is incumbent on us, the cyclists, to do whatever we can to make ourselves visible: bright colors, hand (full hand, please) and arm horizontal movements, reflective clothing, and flashing lights are some of the things that come to mind. Being respectful of traffic lights and stop signs are another.
Your actions have consequences. For instance, running a stop sign might trigger a negative reaction in a vehicle, who might react against the next cyclist he sees. Give a good example ALL the time.
Years ago, when I was training for my coast-to-coast trip, part of my Sunday ride included Bee Cave Road. Those familiar with the area know that with the wind behind you, going down the hill toward Weston Lane can generate 40 mph or more (still less than the vehicle speed limit). On such a morning I approached Weston in excess of 35 mph when a pickup left the stop sign in front of me. I braked and did a hard right but unfortunately rolled my tire off the rim and went down hard. I had my Camelbak to break the fall but still it took a few minutes before I could move. While laying in the middle of Weston Lane I saw the pickup continue east. I guess his conscience got the better of him, in that he circled back around to check on me. Nothing broken, only a few scrapes, thanks to the Camelbak and my helmet. Oh yeah, the driver was a cyclist on his way to his Sunday ride.
My other vehicle accident involved a pickup that rolled a stop sign. I had the right of way, saw him and saw him slow to the stop sign. Unfortunately, I was obstructed by his windshield post, and he didn't come to a complete stop and accelerated. His left front fender connected with my front wheel. Again, Camelbak and helmet saved the body. He did have to replace my front wheel.
Be safe. Be alert. Do what you can to be seen. And remember, it doesn't do you any good to be dead right.
Monday, March 30, 2015
HAMMERFEST: 2 OUT OF 3
Usually when I go two out of three, it is two first-place finishes and a second. But then, that usually refers to short time trials. It also refers to opponents who are in the 70+ age category. I had no illusions when I signed up for Hammerfest (out in west Texas, Fort Davis to be precise). The category was 60+ and all of the guys were ten to twelve years younger than me, plus it was all road racing. But, my friend, Tom Cole, had been telling me about it for several years so I took the opportunity to get in a week-end of hard training.
The agenda consisted of a fourteen-mile hill climb, which actually was ten miles of flat-ish riding with a few bumps before the steeper part (the younger groups had an additional two miles of really tough climbing) on Saturday morning and an eighteen mile race Saturday afternoon. The afternoon race was flat for two and a half miles, then a right turn and a steady low-grade (2-4%) climb for the next fourteen and a half. Or maybe an extra mile. My computer only registered seventeen miles. The Sunday morning ride was a forty-nine mile loop with an abundance of climbing.
Since this is a cycling blog, I'll only mention we went to Marfa and Alpine on successive evenings, for a quick look and dinner (Paisano Hotel and Reata Restaurant, both very nice and accommodating my plant-based diet).
Saturday morning was chilly. I should be thankful for 47 degrees, it was 32 Friday morning. But this is west Texas so we started at 47 and ended at 77 degrees an hour and a half later. I don't have accurate stats, in that half-way through the computer turned itself off and it looks like I missed over a mile before catching it. Anyhow, I stayed with the group for thirteen minutes before they lost me on one of the bumps. They were doing team tactics from the start, with multiple accelerations and slowings, and that last one got me. I settled into a rhythm and enjoyed the scenery until getting to the heavy climbing, when I concentrated more on just getting up the road. My average speed was 8 mph, but that doesn't include the faster, missed portion. To use a cycling term, my legs felt "blocked." Absolutely little push in them. Uphill, against the wind. It wasn't fun.
We lunched at the surprisingly very nice deli, and I rested for the afternoon race. This time we had strong wind that would be in our face for about fifteen miles. That sort of worked in my favor, in that I could tuck in behind some big bodies and they couldn't make a really strong break because of the wind. They once again did some accelerations but not as strong or long as in the morning. On one acceleration I got caught out and immediately dropped. At least I stayed with them for six miles.
Once on my own, cursing the wind, I settled into an 80 rpm cadence. I dropped my water bottle and had to stop. That cost me catching a second dropped rider with whom I had hoped to share wind-breaking duties. It was only about thirty seconds, but I couldn't go any faster. Again, my legs were less than optimum. Overall, I averaged 12.5 mph, but once I lost the peloton it was more like 10.
Given the profile of the Sunday race, its length, the high wind, and being beaten up by the wind and hills on Saturday, I decided to eschew riding on Sunday, and we drove home instead. I have a few weeks before State time trials to get my act together. We will see how that goes.
The agenda consisted of a fourteen-mile hill climb, which actually was ten miles of flat-ish riding with a few bumps before the steeper part (the younger groups had an additional two miles of really tough climbing) on Saturday morning and an eighteen mile race Saturday afternoon. The afternoon race was flat for two and a half miles, then a right turn and a steady low-grade (2-4%) climb for the next fourteen and a half. Or maybe an extra mile. My computer only registered seventeen miles. The Sunday morning ride was a forty-nine mile loop with an abundance of climbing.
Since this is a cycling blog, I'll only mention we went to Marfa and Alpine on successive evenings, for a quick look and dinner (Paisano Hotel and Reata Restaurant, both very nice and accommodating my plant-based diet).
We lunched at the surprisingly very nice deli, and I rested for the afternoon race. This time we had strong wind that would be in our face for about fifteen miles. That sort of worked in my favor, in that I could tuck in behind some big bodies and they couldn't make a really strong break because of the wind. They once again did some accelerations but not as strong or long as in the morning. On one acceleration I got caught out and immediately dropped. At least I stayed with them for six miles.
Given the profile of the Sunday race, its length, the high wind, and being beaten up by the wind and hills on Saturday, I decided to eschew riding on Sunday, and we drove home instead. I have a few weeks before State time trials to get my act together. We will see how that goes.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
POST MORTEM - FLAT
I almost always do a fact-finding mission when I have a flat. While flats are few and far between, I want to know, if possible, the actual cause. Several times I've had valve failure, several times a vicious staple did me in. I'll start at the beginning, which was the first Tuesday Night group ride out of the Bicycle Sport Shop Research store. This is an intermediate group, which means I need my A game to keep up.
The "highlight" of the ride is the Strava (I don't "do" Strava but merely mention it descriptively) strip on Spicewood Springs Road.
While not in full competitive mode, I stepped it up a bit, and unfortunately hit a few potholes (small) that I normally would have avoided. I cannot say for sure what caused the tire to lose air. And, truthfully, it may not have been there or on Loop 360 as we headed back to the store. In any case, at 360 and 183 I stopped to change the front tire, waving on the group since we were only about a mile from the end. I quickly (for me, about ten minutes) changed the tube, used the compressed air cartridge to speed me along, and rode to the store. Everything got tossed in the car.
This morning, I brought the tire and the old tube to the kitchen to see the cause of my problem. A sink full of water revealed the leak site. I had not seen this type of failure before. While it was a single pin-hole, it appeared as though something had scraped the tube before the actual puncture.
As everyone knows, compressed air seeps through the tubes quicker than air-pump air, so I pulled out the new tube and did a thorough study of the tire, both inside and out, finding nothing out of the ordinary. Tire and new tube are back ready for our noon ride.
I'll take the opportunity to repeat what I've written several times before: when you have a flat and are changing out the tube, take the extra time to examine the inside and outside of the tire before installing the new tube. It only takes a minute and can save you puncturing a new tube because the wire or piece of glass is still in the tire. By the way, I recommend a visual exam before blindly running your fingers around the tire. Putting a hole in your finger is a bad idea.
The "highlight" of the ride is the Strava (I don't "do" Strava but merely mention it descriptively) strip on Spicewood Springs Road.
This morning, I brought the tire and the old tube to the kitchen to see the cause of my problem. A sink full of water revealed the leak site. I had not seen this type of failure before. While it was a single pin-hole, it appeared as though something had scraped the tube before the actual puncture. As everyone knows, compressed air seeps through the tubes quicker than air-pump air, so I pulled out the new tube and did a thorough study of the tire, both inside and out, finding nothing out of the ordinary. Tire and new tube are back ready for our noon ride.
I'll take the opportunity to repeat what I've written several times before: when you have a flat and are changing out the tube, take the extra time to examine the inside and outside of the tire before installing the new tube. It only takes a minute and can save you puncturing a new tube because the wire or piece of glass is still in the tire. By the way, I recommend a visual exam before blindly running your fingers around the tire. Putting a hole in your finger is a bad idea.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
ANOTHER RE-ACQUAINTANCE: ROLLERS
Yesterday a few friends posted about rollers. My input consisted of saying I had unused rollers hanging in the garage. Other than a few days last year, the rollers had been replaced by the trainer. But, in the interest of instruction, I dragged them into the kitchen this morning (not wishing to get out in the cold and damp), and that was/will be my workout for today.
I started out without the camera on, just in case of disaster. It wasn't a disaster but I quickly found out it takes a few minutes to become adjusted to holding a straight line and pedaling smoothly. I also deemed the rear tire to be sadly under-inflated. So, I aired up the tire to be properly hard, started the camera, and began my instructional video.
In no particular order of importance: 1) Be sure to brake the front wheel when doing the awkward mount/dismount; 2) Cadence should be above 80, better if 90 rpm; 3) Start with a gear where you don't need a lot of pressure; 4) Have something to hold on to until you are comfortably pedaling.
I started out without the camera on, just in case of disaster. It wasn't a disaster but I quickly found out it takes a few minutes to become adjusted to holding a straight line and pedaling smoothly. I also deemed the rear tire to be sadly under-inflated. So, I aired up the tire to be properly hard, started the camera, and began my instructional video.
In no particular order of importance: 1) Be sure to brake the front wheel when doing the awkward mount/dismount; 2) Cadence should be above 80, better if 90 rpm; 3) Start with a gear where you don't need a lot of pressure; 4) Have something to hold on to until you are comfortably pedaling.
The video lasts two and a half minutes. After stopping the camera I did another fifteen.
Rollers really are a great way to get you balanced and pedaling equally with each leg. You will start out looking at the front wheel, but as you progress your gaze should be out five, ten, twenty feet. If you stick with it long enough, you can remove one hand. I'm not gutsy enough to go hands-free.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
HOLEY ROLLER!
Last November, in a moment of weakness (insanity, boredom, quest for something different), I signed up for the Castell Gravel Grinder April 5, 2015. Because I am (or will be) in good shape, I signed up for the Full Grind (100K). That was November, right after completing the Tour de Gruene Time Trials. Well, February sheds a different light on things, so I asked guru Dan Pedroza what I had gotten myself into. I was hoping for some advance info on what the gravel roads would be like, other than what was on the website. He said I should do the Holey Roller, February 28 starting in Smithville, and that would give me a good idea.
I should back up a bit. When Kurt and Nic were here the last of January running their 100 and 50 mile races, I helped crew. Part of that involved using the mountain bike to get between check points. We found out that it didn't shift well, and the rear brake was soft. What can you expect, it had been hanging upside down in the garage since 2008, when I rode the Katy Trail.
The suspension wasn't quite up to snuff either. I took it to the bike shop and had them work on the shifting, and ignore the suspension and brakes. The bike only had a few rides in my future, so I saw no point in going to the expense. After getting the bike back I decided perhaps I should test it before Castell.
Average temperature in Austin for February 28 is 68F degrees. When I left the house this morning it was 34F and drizzling. The weather forecast for Smithville, only 60 miles southeast of Austin, was 38F and cloudy at 9am. Regular readers know I moved my minimum temperature to ride from 40F to 50F earlier this year. Of course, that refers to training rides. This may have been a race for a few of the guys, but for the rest of us, it was just a ride. Anyhow, I packed on all my cold weather gear, with my wet weather gear neatly in the Camelbak.
As I pulled into the start area, the car registered 38F degrees, and I hadn't had any moisture on the windshield after Bastrop. The bike travels with the saddle down, and when I adjusted it, mis-calculated maybe half an inch too low. We started shortly after 9am, and I was pretty sure I could do 12.5 mph average.
We took the highway about a mile to the entrance to Buescher State Park, then through the park and up Old Antioch Road. This route is basically north, and the wind was out of the northeast. True, not a stout wind, but it was still cold and in your face. The fast guys were out of sight even before the turn into the park. I tried sticking with a small group of guys, but they were just a bit faster, and I
wasn't going to get out of my cadence. Even so, the heart-rate was 5-10 beats too high. Eventually we did a sharp right turn and had the wind at our backs for awhile, so I picked up speed. By now, an hour had passed and my average was 10 mph. Not good.
Another leg into the wind, then another sharp turn putting the wind at our backs. I say "our" but I was by myself, with a rider in sight ahead and one behind. As I dodged rocks and ruts and holes, the thought crossed my mind that with another 30 degrees of heat and a blue sky this would be a really nice ride. As it was, I comforted myself with the fact that I was properly dressed for the weather and it wasn't drizzling. It only took about three hours before my fingers weren't freezing (in their long-fingered gloves).
League Line Road was straight, downwind and paved. I picked up the pace some more. Pretty soon I devolved into a mantra: "only 8 more miles" "only 7 more miles" etc. I had stopped every hour or so for sustenance, and had my Camelbak for water, so my energy-level remained pretty high. On my second stop I managed to lose my map and turn-by-turn instructions, so was quite grateful for the turn markings (either actual signs or paint on the road). The downhill back to the ranch generated my top speed of 33.6 mph, and I finished off at an even 11 mph.
Thanks to the Bicycle Sport Shop for putting this on. But after today, I can tell you that for Castell it will be the Half-Grind (50k).
I should back up a bit. When Kurt and Nic were here the last of January running their 100 and 50 mile races, I helped crew. Part of that involved using the mountain bike to get between check points. We found out that it didn't shift well, and the rear brake was soft. What can you expect, it had been hanging upside down in the garage since 2008, when I rode the Katy Trail. The suspension wasn't quite up to snuff either. I took it to the bike shop and had them work on the shifting, and ignore the suspension and brakes. The bike only had a few rides in my future, so I saw no point in going to the expense. After getting the bike back I decided perhaps I should test it before Castell.
Average temperature in Austin for February 28 is 68F degrees. When I left the house this morning it was 34F and drizzling. The weather forecast for Smithville, only 60 miles southeast of Austin, was 38F and cloudy at 9am. Regular readers know I moved my minimum temperature to ride from 40F to 50F earlier this year. Of course, that refers to training rides. This may have been a race for a few of the guys, but for the rest of us, it was just a ride. Anyhow, I packed on all my cold weather gear, with my wet weather gear neatly in the Camelbak.
As I pulled into the start area, the car registered 38F degrees, and I hadn't had any moisture on the windshield after Bastrop. The bike travels with the saddle down, and when I adjusted it, mis-calculated maybe half an inch too low. We started shortly after 9am, and I was pretty sure I could do 12.5 mph average.
We took the highway about a mile to the entrance to Buescher State Park, then through the park and up Old Antioch Road. This route is basically north, and the wind was out of the northeast. True, not a stout wind, but it was still cold and in your face. The fast guys were out of sight even before the turn into the park. I tried sticking with a small group of guys, but they were just a bit faster, and I
Another leg into the wind, then another sharp turn putting the wind at our backs. I say "our" but I was by myself, with a rider in sight ahead and one behind. As I dodged rocks and ruts and holes, the thought crossed my mind that with another 30 degrees of heat and a blue sky this would be a really nice ride. As it was, I comforted myself with the fact that I was properly dressed for the weather and it wasn't drizzling. It only took about three hours before my fingers weren't freezing (in their long-fingered gloves).
League Line Road was straight, downwind and paved. I picked up the pace some more. Pretty soon I devolved into a mantra: "only 8 more miles" "only 7 more miles" etc. I had stopped every hour or so for sustenance, and had my Camelbak for water, so my energy-level remained pretty high. On my second stop I managed to lose my map and turn-by-turn instructions, so was quite grateful for the turn markings (either actual signs or paint on the road). The downhill back to the ranch generated my top speed of 33.6 mph, and I finished off at an even 11 mph.
Thanks to the Bicycle Sport Shop for putting this on. But after today, I can tell you that for Castell it will be the Half-Grind (50k).
Monday, February 23, 2015
RACING GOALS
Now that I've had a chance to review Saturday's racing, both in my head and the computer data, it is clear what needs to be improved. Whether or not these achieve the results I envision will have to wait until the proper time has been spent on the various activities.
My friend, Clif (the overall fastest guy at the National Senior Games in 2013), is quite a bit faster than me, but happily shared some of his training regimen. I averaged 22.6 mph with a cadence of 85 rpm in the 5k and 21.9 mph and 82 rpm in the 10k. I need 90 rpm with a higher gear to get where I'm wanting to be. In the past I've concentrated on 90 rpm in practice so that should not be a problem. What I'm missing is (in the legs) what 24.5 mph actually feels like for any distance. A lot of it is mental, in that for the 10k I protected myself in the early going to be sure I had enough at the end. Well, I had enough at the end; but had lost too much at the beginning. That's what my TT training will be for the next several months: first find out what 24.5 mph feels like (not just getting up to speed, but holding it so the legs and cardio can recognize it), then extend the distance until I can be comfortable for the whole race.
Next, it really rankles that I continually get dropped in the last quarter-mile of a road race. True, time trials are my concentration, and I just get into these road races for the training and to have fun. But I still want to let them think I can hang. So, I'll be incorporating some sprint practice at least weekly. In 2010 I actually was state champion in the 40k road race. That came about when the guys had a tough 20k the day before (I didn't compete) and the 40k had a tough wind for the last couple of miles to the finish. They took it relatively easy most of the race, so when it came down to the sprint I had fresh legs and had averaged about 70% of my max heart-rate. AND, there was a big guy in front of me most of the way. My weakness is getting a jump when I'm at 80-85% of max. I know I have an additional 10 bpm, I just need to be able to use it. Hopefully, the training will work.
Regular readers know that my main cycling activity is touring ( http://acyclistpublishing.com/ ) so my race-training is not quite as serious as it sounds. I have two touring adventures in Europe this year that are cycling disruptions plus two cycling adventures in Colorado and Georgia. Racing is a side-line, I just want to be the best I can be under the circumstances. If I don't get faster, so be it, I'll still be having fun.
My friend, Clif (the overall fastest guy at the National Senior Games in 2013), is quite a bit faster than me, but happily shared some of his training regimen. I averaged 22.6 mph with a cadence of 85 rpm in the 5k and 21.9 mph and 82 rpm in the 10k. I need 90 rpm with a higher gear to get where I'm wanting to be. In the past I've concentrated on 90 rpm in practice so that should not be a problem. What I'm missing is (in the legs) what 24.5 mph actually feels like for any distance. A lot of it is mental, in that for the 10k I protected myself in the early going to be sure I had enough at the end. Well, I had enough at the end; but had lost too much at the beginning. That's what my TT training will be for the next several months: first find out what 24.5 mph feels like (not just getting up to speed, but holding it so the legs and cardio can recognize it), then extend the distance until I can be comfortable for the whole race.
Next, it really rankles that I continually get dropped in the last quarter-mile of a road race. True, time trials are my concentration, and I just get into these road races for the training and to have fun. But I still want to let them think I can hang. So, I'll be incorporating some sprint practice at least weekly. In 2010 I actually was state champion in the 40k road race. That came about when the guys had a tough 20k the day before (I didn't compete) and the 40k had a tough wind for the last couple of miles to the finish. They took it relatively easy most of the race, so when it came down to the sprint I had fresh legs and had averaged about 70% of my max heart-rate. AND, there was a big guy in front of me most of the way. My weakness is getting a jump when I'm at 80-85% of max. I know I have an additional 10 bpm, I just need to be able to use it. Hopefully, the training will work.
Regular readers know that my main cycling activity is touring ( http://acyclistpublishing.com/ ) so my race-training is not quite as serious as it sounds. I have two touring adventures in Europe this year that are cycling disruptions plus two cycling adventures in Colorado and Georgia. Racing is a side-line, I just want to be the best I can be under the circumstances. If I don't get faster, so be it, I'll still be having fun.
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