Sat 7/11 Derby Days Crit

So many variables are in play during a bike race. Weather and fitness were on my side today, but the vagaries of the pack and luck were not. Whole family came out and we watched some of the masters race, then parts of the cat4 race where we saw Nelly take a tumble but cooly walk over to the pits (in which they crashed conveniently right in front of) and take a couple laps and then join back in the fray. He flatted out on last lap but otherwise finished a hard crit - first time I think? Milestones.

I had good training with hard week with Tue,Wed and Thu efforts last week. Sun and Tuesday hard efforts leading up. Pace for first 20 minutes was no problem at all for me. Was able to stay in roughly 5th wheel which was the objective. Pack was racing weird though and when folks pulled through then they would lull. It would get bunched up into the corners and this was a negative thing because it led to twitchy cornering and fraying nerves.

My plan had been to sit in for first 25 minutes of the 50 minute race then try a move if noone else was going. So after first prime when the lull typically occurs, I moved up and didn't so much as attack as just move up hard, integrating and passing the members of the prime contest who were lagging back to the field, hoping it may be less obvious I was taking a flyer. Worked pretty well and had a nice gap for a bit, got my bright spot of the race when Bilko announced my name when I was still off the front after one lap. Once the pack caught me, it was great to see Jeff D immediately attack. He stayed away for about a lap, and once he was caught Tony went - again for about a lap.

This couple three laps allowed me to recover and move back up where I covered something going off that didnt amount to much. So getting away and staying away was going to be difficult. We were averaging 26.6 mph, so this was probably 22mph in the corners and 28 on the straights. Going faster than this alone was probably not possible and only a select group of 3-5 guys could have made it work if they were committed to working together.

I recall seeing Olivier and Ben R getting a gap and thinking uh-oh there goes a strong group. Aaron saw this and got up there to cover it. I was too much in the middle to be able to get out to respond to it. Positioning relative to the middle versus sides of the pack will take some further noodling on.

Then things started to get squirrely. I confess I'm partly to blame for trying to pedal through too tight lines and popping my pedal on the pavement, causing a bucking on the bike. Moving up you try to take some lines that sometimes conflict with other riders and at one point I had to shoot a gap between a guy on inside and guy getting lapped - he yelled his displeasure in no uncertain terms. But the capper was a First Rate dude who managed to prang my front wheel with his foot (?) causing an audible 'ping' and a wobble. I tried to diagnose and open the front brake at 26mph but then decided that it was foolish to try to contest on a risky front wheel so I opted to pull out with 3 laps to go. Real bummer and not how I wanted to end the day.

Were I too have continued I would have had to suffer to move up from 20th position to at least 10th heading into 2 to go, then another move to at least 5 more. This means my sprint would have been nominal at best.

But I know that I had fitness to hang in the fast twitch land of the flat crit - much better race than Enumclaw which is the last flat race I've done. Still not finishing really stinks.

Normally staid Aaron, not finished worse than top 10 all year was a little off, probably due to crash and bad wrist. Chops to Tony for his 3rd and Jeff for his prime. Brian finished which was his objective and I didn't talk to Brad about his race. Jeff W. did well to finish with the pack after only second race this year? Team-wise I think IJM represented better than in previous races in terms of our series of attacks, prime win and podium spot.

Look foward to no real 'must' ride days this week - will see how I feel next weekend. I would like to do street sprints and it would be good to simulate that at least once ahead of time for the cornering if nothing else.

Wed 7/8

Did Lake Wa Blvd intervals again today. 6x 5 minutes. Rode out there with Greg K but he did something else while I did that then we rode back long way through BG trail and downtown for a coffee at Ladro which is always a nice way to start the day.

I found the workout to be tepid at best - not bad but just not quite the same when you can test against other people and use it as motivation to go faster. Plus drafting for a spell is good for morale.

I'm also struggling to have a sense of where my power is now in July after training reasonably hard for 6+ months. Is it improving? Staying the same? Declining? So I'm conviced that having a coach would be cool, as well as power data. While at it why not toss in some cool new jawbone oakley sunglasses, a new helmet, a new bicycle (road) a time trial bike and how about a watch? This is driven in part by watching the guys in the Tour de France with all the latest cool stuff. Ahhhhhh.

I'm half convinced to race hard on Saturday at Derby then back off the training a little bit - the other challenge is goal setting, not really having any concrete goals for bike racing at the moment makes inspired training more difficult I think.

So, 2 hours riding, 30 mins of hard effort in the intervals, under 35 miles. Bike feels great, weight probably 170 still. Sleep is good as is appetite and mental outlook.

Thur 7/3, Fri 7/5

Got a chance to race Seward for second time this year just before we departed to Vashon for the long weekend. Rode from work to the course and felt good but had done two hard days Tue and Wed so this was third hard day in a row. Goal was to get 4-5 hard attacks in and not worry about the end result as training for Redmond coming up in about a week.

Got underway easily enough and I decided to attack after about 2.5 laps and got clear just before the hill and then hit the hill hard and had a nice gap. Held it for about the next lap without trying too hard waiting for the bunch to come back. This might have been minute 7 or 8 into 45 total. at about minute 15, tried to close a gap hard and decided to call that one of the efforts.

Had some trouble in the second half, climbing the hill I took the inside line every time and got jammed up and put into the curb, had to dismount and literally stand on the curb, but kept everything upright. Had to start from dead standstill from dead last - so recatching the group and slowly moving back up the bunch took a couple laps - call that another effort.

With 4 or 5 laps to go, again coming up the inside, I was again jammed up and hit the left pedal on the curb causing some squirelly action, but all staid upright.

With 1.5 laps to go I went up the hill to get clear and did, leading the bunch around the turn and into descent on bell lap, was feeling pretty good and thinking I'd play it like Olivier did at Capitol Crit, jumping hard on the hill and keeping any surge under control, but the Apex group came around very hard in a nice train of 3-4 guys, brought 6-8 guys with them and was caught out. Sprinted to latch on just before the climb but couldn't make up any places on the hill, the work must have caught up with me, plus the 3rd day etc. Was great to have the family out in attendnace along with Paul B who had raced the 530 and finished with the group.

Sunday on the way home from Vashon, I was able to ride home from Fauntleroy, good for about 50 minutes of effort. Some hard work on east marginal and eastlake but lots of stopping at lights. At least its something.

Tue 6/30, Wed 7/1

Yesterday I went out to Mercer Island world champs again. I like riding in a group and this is the only game in town I know of for 630 am start on Tuesday mornings.

I had beat the guys pretty soundly the couple weeks prior so didnt want to be an ultramaroon and sat in. I probably would have been better served to do 4-5 hard attacks. As it turned out I pulled up the first couple hills - longish pull, then moved over and let the smaller group 5-6 of us work through. Just pretty much a fast paceline until the hill when one of them went hard up the hill and so I followed and passed him - went as hard as could up the hill pretending it was an attack then satup and waited for the rest. More pacelining through the curves, then jumped again for a second attack and sat up. Sprinted a little bit at the cross walk when I thought another guy was going to go for it. So maybe 2.5 attacks all told.

Today I wanted to do the Lake Wa blvd intervals and had new company in the form of Tom W and Clayton B. They thought I'd have many teammates out but it was only me. Last few weeks I've had no teammates do this which is too bad as it was fun to have a big group together.

I told them 6x 6 minutes, but after the first one at 6 minutes I thought this was too hard and dialed it back to 5 minute intervals. They seemed ok with this. Tom was tough but bailed after 4 to go to work, Clayton started slow but came on in the last 4. We did some decent speeds 25,26, 27 with wind and 23,24 or so against it. I had to sponge bath it to make an 8am breakfast meeting at the WAC. I felt good, no real issues to remark on.

Will try to ride a training ride tomorrow since weekend is likely a no ride time with the holiday.

Wed 6/24 Rainer

Greg and Nelson and I rallied off of work and headed south to ride Rainer starting at Crystal mtn turnoff to Sunrise, down to 410, Cayuse then Chinook pass then Crystal to ski area.

Everything was going great until ranger station at Sunrise where the guy was lame. Road is closed until Sunday. We could pay him and take our chances but if it was signed closed we'd have to turn around. Wouldn't let us pay him on the return trip if it turned out to be open so we bailed and went to plan B.

Rode from there up to Cayuse and then Chinook - that was 14 miles in an hour. Then down to Cayuse and left on 410 towards Ohanakapesh campground. 40-45mph on the descent. Realized I have either a mispaced rear cluster or bent derailleur hanger as the chain rubs the hanger in the 12. So I was relegated to junior gears for the descents but made up for it with 170lbs.

Returned to Chinook and this time it was 12 miles - forget the time but probably slower - maybe 11mph average. At the top we decided to return to car for food/water then climb up to ski area. This was the same ride as the TT hill climb course from last year so reasonably familiar. 6 miles up maybe 1,800ft gain (other two climbs were roughly 3,000 ft). Generally we we going steady but hard pace up the hills, not too much talking - this was especially the case this last time up. With 1k left I decided I was having a tough time holding steady rythym and hoped the others would be demoralized if I jumped so I did. Got a nice gap but instantly body said "nuh-uh". Slowed to like 8,9 mph and just tried to get back to 10mph not caring if they caught and passed me or not. Stopped looking back and just made a bead on the parking lot. They didn't catch me so life is good.

We cruised into the Alpine Inn to have beer and Nelson knew everybody working there. Drank up quick because we were outside and it was cold once you stopped and then the rain was just starting. Cruised down and Greg nearly got impaled by a car from nowhere who had to lock up the brakes, smoking and all, to not rear end him. He had drifted over to the oncoming lane for some reason.

We retired to the Naches tavern for beers and lunch at around 2:30.

Left the Garmin 'on' so it recorded the return drive to Seattle....

But it was about a 62 mile ride, so 31 or so were uphill. Roughly 8,000ft. Pretty sure it was 3.5 hours. I slept well! Ride into work real easy felt fine so no lasting affects.

ps- lower back was manageable unlike the last time we did this

pps- Greg and I could stay tucked on descent for long periods with no ill affects. Nelson said he couldn't hold tuck for long because arms fatigued, so I think the daily pushups are worth it for this kind of thing.

ppps - Greg is the only one who needs this kind of training, we were just along for the beautiful ride and scenery. No hill racing in my near future but it was interesting to note that it took me about 2 minutes longer to climb Crystal from my TT time last year.

Tue 6/23

Tuesday morning is a fairly regular day for me to train before work. Was not able to rally anyone else so left to my druthers I rolled back over to Mercer Island world championships, AM version.

Little bit bigger crowd than last week - Det was back, looking thinner than I recall from couple years ago but afterward he told me he's still 220 lbs which is the same weight he told me back then too.

Since the last two weeks were led by me attacking these guys in different ways, I decided to 'sit in' instead. But got a little impatient when it was still 2 abreast and guys chatting after the school, so when my pair came up to pull, we did and then came off, but I cycled back in rather quick and tried to raise the pace to an uncomfortable level, to dscourage talking and encourage riding hard - content afterwards to sit in. This seemed to have the desired effect of stringing it out into a line, and we all dutifully took our turns, when it came back to me it was the base of the east hill climb so I stood up to take it at speed and 3-4 guys came around, but they only moderately held speed at the top and we were soon all together again. Into hairpins some gaps started to open and someone went up the inside hard, I first told myself to ignore as we're riding Rainer tomorrow, but then decided to follow some of it. Guys pulled through and then kinda off. Dewars went, then I came through and tried to keep speed up. Came around a bend then stood up to regain speed as is my wont and ended up catching the car in front which forced me to shut it down pretty good. Then the car sped away so I slowly ramped it back up - looked back and they were all pretty strung out still, so I sprinted a little to discourage anyone from any ideas and then basically rolled across the crosswalk uncontested - nice.

Tomorrow were planning on the epic Rainer ride of a couple years ago - should be a nice group!

Sat 6/21 Capitol Crit

Saturday was the Capitol crit in Olympia. My first time and something of a fathers day gift to go down, probably only race in June for me with various things going on.

I had a little bit of an epihphany at the Enumclaw crit, that you have to be comfortable going 26 mph to race with this crowd, and that was about 2 mph faster than the cat4 crits - went back and looked at some peoples power charts and yep, 26 seems to be the magic number. I was hanging on for dear life in Enumclaw and the results showed it, 38th, which is the same at my first 3 crit Volunteer park.

But helping my psyce were two things: the two weeks leading up to today were good training-wise, with two good back to back hard days each week. And when I got to start/finish I saw that there really was a little rise through start finish line - so that would suit my climbing.

We had Aaron, Tony, Brad, Brian, Jeff and myself, so good numbers along with Recycled. Our plan was to chill given the long duration (60 minutes), hard hill etc. But not to let anything too promising get away. Right off the gun, a Recycled guy goes hard, I follow him and I always have a rough first lap with the wind hitting my contact lenses - its hard to keep them moist! Lasik time? Some choppy sections but overall the course is real nice - no issues really on any corners. I think after a short period I see that he and I are way out front which is way too early so I try to drift back slowly while he stays out for a couple laps dangling.

Recycled does a great job repeatedly attacking - it was truly getting a little demoralizing to have to keep following them. I remember looking down and were only 11 minutes in...I remember chasing after a duo that have a little gap but really I'm just pulling the pack up to them. I remember Brad taking off just then and thinking that its great to see a teammate going just then. I remember seeing Matt H and consciously keeping tabs on him.

I regret that I never saw Aaron take off with MattH and another guy from Recycled. I knew there was a small group off but when I tried to look up the road from time to time I couldn't resolve an IJM kit in the group. At distance the white strip seems to disappear or something. So I never knew he was up there! This is bad on two fronts, not consciously blocking for Aaron and letting someone like Matt out of my sights.

But I felt good, it was night and day difference from Enumclaw, and like old 4 crits used to feel. I could easily stay in the front, moving up when necessary and felt like I could corner tighter and faster than the riders around me. If more than 2 or 3 riders back in line I felt like I had to break to stay in safe position relative to the other riders. At one point Jeff D yelled at me after I had started to pull a bit after the hill to let someone else work. Figured he was just looking out for me! But I was really freaking people out who presumed I knew Aaron was up the road...

With 3 laps to go I really expected the pace to kick up, and it did slightly, we were going 25 mph up the hill at one point! We had massed IJM at the front which was a great sight, and I saw Tony for a bit which was great to see. I knew final positioning was going to settle much of the sprint, and so with one lap to go I was moving up the pack from inside up the hill and so was Olivier with Apex on the other side, so we merged at the pointy end of the group and he gave it some stick which I was happy to draft in up and around the corner.

We held this positioning around to final two corners. I tried to get cute and get around him on turn 3 for first wheel around last corner but he smoked it and held his place. We hit final corner and I settled for leaving it in the gear it was in, which was one shift lower than normal laps, and just jammed it. I think I felt the rear wheel slipping a little from too much torque. I never gained any ground on Olivier, but I think Derek T came up hard on the very inside and pipped me at the line. I was aware of a body on my left and him on the right and I got the left(Recycled) but not the right.

So the headline here is to pay attention all the time, not just most of the time. And ask a teammate to confirm if anyone is in break or not! I was mainly near Brad it seems most of the time - should have talked to him. I look forward to seeing Jeff Tony and Brian more as the weeks go by - chops to Tony for a strong showing today I hear.

Just a tad over 1 hour, 25+mph average. Full quart of choc milk after! Dang that was good.

Bummed I couldn't stay and watch 1/2's.

Tony, me, Brian Brad, me

Rosanna S picture credits...