I used to think I was a relatively smart racer. And that I was something of a climber. Wrong on both. I felt great at the start of the race, but I wasted a ton of energy for no reason, and by mile 70 I realized I was done. Got popped with 6 miles to go, chased back on then got popped again. At least I dropped the three guys that wouldn't pull through for the 3 miles before the steep part of the climb. Came in somewhere between 15 and 20, and probably lost a top 10.
In my defense, most of my wasted energy was marking the guy that eventually got away and won. Were it not for the 20mph headwind, it might not have hurt so much.
My pre-race analysis was that my best chance to do well was the first stage. Turns out I was right.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Scenic (and windy) Gorge TT
We woke up to steady 20mph winds today. I guess there's a reason this is the wind surfing capital of North America. Must be payback for the tailwind we had last year. I knew I'd lose a fair amount of time, but I was hoping to keep it under 2 minutes. I didn't quite get there. I finished in the top 10, but a ways back. The winner was about 2:50 up on me, although second place was over a minute behind him. The winner lost almost 2 minutes yesterday, so hopefully he isn't a threat tomorrow. I'm not feeling like I'll be much of a threat either, so I'm not sure it matters.
It was a fun TT, whatever the result. The guy starting in front of me didn't show, so I had a full minute to the next guy. I caught him about 4 miles in, before the first climb. He passed me and got about 10 seconds going up the climb, but I passed him again a few minutes later and never saw him again. Right after I passed him, the guy 30 seconds back came flying by me. I managed to stay about 10 seconds behind him until the last few miles when he opened it up a bit. I did catch 3 guys, so at least I made up a minute or so on a few of the guys that finished around me yesterday.
The wind was nuts. The course winds enough that we had quite a few sections with stiff cross winds. I tried to stay on the right side of the road to get some protection from the fence and trees, but any opening would send me halfway across the road. It's still about the coolest TT course I can imagine.
I did learn this year that you can get more aero when you don't care if you are having kids ever again. I got way up front and friendly with my saddle, and noticed a big difference.
GC isn't posted yet, but I'm hoping to still be in the top 10, within a couple of minutes of everyone. If I have a good day tomorrow, I can make up 2 minutes. Or I can lose 10.
It was a fun TT, whatever the result. The guy starting in front of me didn't show, so I had a full minute to the next guy. I caught him about 4 miles in, before the first climb. He passed me and got about 10 seconds going up the climb, but I passed him again a few minutes later and never saw him again. Right after I passed him, the guy 30 seconds back came flying by me. I managed to stay about 10 seconds behind him until the last few miles when he opened it up a bit. I did catch 3 guys, so at least I made up a minute or so on a few of the guys that finished around me yesterday.
The wind was nuts. The course winds enough that we had quite a few sections with stiff cross winds. I tried to stay on the right side of the road to get some protection from the fence and trees, but any opening would send me halfway across the road. It's still about the coolest TT course I can imagine.
I did learn this year that you can get more aero when you don't care if you are having kids ever again. I got way up front and friendly with my saddle, and noticed a big difference.
GC isn't posted yet, but I'm hoping to still be in the top 10, within a couple of minutes of everyone. If I have a good day tomorrow, I can make up 2 minutes. Or I can lose 10.
Cooper Spur -- Mt. Hood Day 1
Unlike last year, I came in here with expectations. Until I saw the other guys I was racing against. Then I returned to my old habits and convinced myself that I didn't have a chance. At least I had Tony to hang out with.
We started out hot on the mellow climb, but then when we hit the steeper sections at the top, the pace dropped off a lot. I was stuck in the pack and couldn't do anything about it. But of course, even after telling Brian 20 times not to do anything on the first lap (and telling myself the same), I squeezed out the side and went up the road. I got about 400m by the top with a guy on me wheel and decided to keep going. By the bottom of the hill, it was clear we weren't going anywhere, so I sat up.
Lap two I tried to get away twice, but nothing happened, so I decided I wasn't going to do anything until the end of the race.
Then we got hit by a thunderstorm. The temp dropped about 20 degrees, it started hailing a bit and raining really hard, and I got really cold. I decided I wouldn't do anything on the climb, but I had no intention of riding in the group on the decent. I got off the front of the group over the top and was able to ride the decent at the speed I wanted, which apparently was faster than anyone else wanted to. But I had no plans of going anywhere, so I sat up every time I got a gap.
Ok, last lap. I forgot to mention that there were three teams in the race with some numbers. We had a guy off the front for all of the third lap. We caught him with about 12k to go in the race. His teammate immediately attacked, and no one responded. Cutting to the chase, he soloed it and won by 18 seconds. A few guys made late attempts to bridge, but nothing happened. I hit the final climb in about 4th wheel, and a guy went to the front to set up his teammates. But they weren't there. He spend most of the first part of the climb turning around and yelling at them to move up, but they didn't do anything. It wasn't a big pace, but no one was coming by. I didn't want to hit the finish with 20 guys, so I gave it a shot. I got a bit of a gap with one guy, but no one pulled through. I went for 15 seconds more, but had done nothing but string it out, so I sat up.
So we hit the finish in a big group. Some jackass went around up the wrong side of the road, and I got boxed in a bit, so I started the sprint from about 8th wheel. I didn't have much, but neither did anyone else, and I was able to move up to 3rd in the field sprint and 4th overall. For some reason, they gave the entire group of 19 guys the same time, which is complete crap but there's nothing I can do about it. There were big gaps at the finish, but I think they were just lazy.
I learned today that Masters fields are really fast, but they are also crazy sketchy. It was the worst field I've ever raced in. I don't know what the hell they're thinking, but there is more nonsense than I've seen in any other race.
The craziest story of the day happened after my race. My friend Matt was in our field and got dropped fairly early. He's a really small guy, about 120 lbs with no body fat. We were sitting in the pasta feed about 33 minutes after I finished. He was shivering uncontrollably and could barely talk. Lucking his son was there, and I grabbed Matt and put him in there car and put a sleeping bag on him. 20 minutes later he was still crazy cold and shivering, but was talking more coherently. He finally recovered, but I don't know how he's doing now. I don't know how he finished, but he said he didn't want to quit.
TT today. Forecast is for 15 mph headwinds, chance of T-storms, gusts to 25. Not my thing.
We started out hot on the mellow climb, but then when we hit the steeper sections at the top, the pace dropped off a lot. I was stuck in the pack and couldn't do anything about it. But of course, even after telling Brian 20 times not to do anything on the first lap (and telling myself the same), I squeezed out the side and went up the road. I got about 400m by the top with a guy on me wheel and decided to keep going. By the bottom of the hill, it was clear we weren't going anywhere, so I sat up.
Lap two I tried to get away twice, but nothing happened, so I decided I wasn't going to do anything until the end of the race.
Then we got hit by a thunderstorm. The temp dropped about 20 degrees, it started hailing a bit and raining really hard, and I got really cold. I decided I wouldn't do anything on the climb, but I had no intention of riding in the group on the decent. I got off the front of the group over the top and was able to ride the decent at the speed I wanted, which apparently was faster than anyone else wanted to. But I had no plans of going anywhere, so I sat up every time I got a gap.
Ok, last lap. I forgot to mention that there were three teams in the race with some numbers. We had a guy off the front for all of the third lap. We caught him with about 12k to go in the race. His teammate immediately attacked, and no one responded. Cutting to the chase, he soloed it and won by 18 seconds. A few guys made late attempts to bridge, but nothing happened. I hit the final climb in about 4th wheel, and a guy went to the front to set up his teammates. But they weren't there. He spend most of the first part of the climb turning around and yelling at them to move up, but they didn't do anything. It wasn't a big pace, but no one was coming by. I didn't want to hit the finish with 20 guys, so I gave it a shot. I got a bit of a gap with one guy, but no one pulled through. I went for 15 seconds more, but had done nothing but string it out, so I sat up.
So we hit the finish in a big group. Some jackass went around up the wrong side of the road, and I got boxed in a bit, so I started the sprint from about 8th wheel. I didn't have much, but neither did anyone else, and I was able to move up to 3rd in the field sprint and 4th overall. For some reason, they gave the entire group of 19 guys the same time, which is complete crap but there's nothing I can do about it. There were big gaps at the finish, but I think they were just lazy.
I learned today that Masters fields are really fast, but they are also crazy sketchy. It was the worst field I've ever raced in. I don't know what the hell they're thinking, but there is more nonsense than I've seen in any other race.
The craziest story of the day happened after my race. My friend Matt was in our field and got dropped fairly early. He's a really small guy, about 120 lbs with no body fat. We were sitting in the pasta feed about 33 minutes after I finished. He was shivering uncontrollably and could barely talk. Lucking his son was there, and I grabbed Matt and put him in there car and put a sleeping bag on him. 20 minutes later he was still crazy cold and shivering, but was talking more coherently. He finally recovered, but I don't know how he's doing now. I don't know how he finished, but he said he didn't want to quit.
TT today. Forecast is for 15 mph headwinds, chance of T-storms, gusts to 25. Not my thing.
Monday, June 1, 2009
a bit of a lull
No races in the month of May. After racing every weekend in April, my plans all fell apart for this month. The one mountain bike race I wanted to do changed its date to conflict with graduation, and I ended up unwilling to spend $130 and three nights in a hotel for a three-race stage race against 8 other guys.
But I did get a ton of riding in. I don't think I've ever had that much time with good weather, an easy work schedule, and no racing to worry about. My biggest three-day block was over 14 hours with a bunch of intensity. And I napped a lot.
But June has more going on. Mt. Hood next week. Then state roads. Then finally another mountain bike race.
And then off to Breck.
(photos from a "work" trip to Montana last week. with my cell phone)
But I did get a ton of riding in. I don't think I've ever had that much time with good weather, an easy work schedule, and no racing to worry about. My biggest three-day block was over 14 hours with a bunch of intensity. And I napped a lot.
But June has more going on. Mt. Hood next week. Then state roads. Then finally another mountain bike race.
And then off to Breck.
(photos from a "work" trip to Montana last week. with my cell phone)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Picking the right battles
Granted, it's been an Expert age group thing, and now a "practice race" thing, but I've actually won two races this year. Today was even some of that panache BS that the euro-types get all worked up about. Attack a few times, finally get in a break, drive the break, attack the break, solo home, sit up and enjoy it a little bit. I didn't really know what to do. No complaints though, even if it was just practice.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Rage in the Sage
What I learned this weekend:
Sitting in a car for 6 hours then showing up 15 minutes before the start of a short track is a sure path toward suffering.
I'm starting to believe in Kelson's old-man power theory.
140mm of travel isn't terribly helpful if you have the fork running at 467 psi.
I need to do more push ups. And sit ups.
I'm faster than last year, or at least relatively faster. I didn't get lapped in the short track, and I was 3 minutes closer to the winner in the XC. 6th in ST, 4th in XC, 5th overall.
K2 likes beer bottles even more than K1 did.
The Ephrata mountain bike scene is a lot of fun. The Beezley Burn is one of the toughest and most enjoyable events I've ever done.
Sitting in a car for 6 hours then showing up 15 minutes before the start of a short track is a sure path toward suffering.
I'm starting to believe in Kelson's old-man power theory.
140mm of travel isn't terribly helpful if you have the fork running at 467 psi.
I need to do more push ups. And sit ups.
I'm faster than last year, or at least relatively faster. I didn't get lapped in the short track, and I was 3 minutes closer to the winner in the XC. 6th in ST, 4th in XC, 5th overall.
K2 likes beer bottles even more than K1 did.
The Ephrata mountain bike scene is a lot of fun. The Beezley Burn is one of the toughest and most enjoyable events I've ever done.
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