Back on the Track! -- Log

Yay - back on the track!

Last Monday (sprint nite) got rained out, but tonite the weather was damn fine, and nearly twenty riders showed up to spin some circles!

It was nice to see some familiar faces, as well as a few new ones.

We were split pretty evenly between A, B & C categories, so we decided to start the year off with a mass scratch race with all riders - fun stuff!

It's a nice opportunity to test our fitness...there were a few light attacks, but overall the pace was pretty steady, if on the slow side. I felt a lot better than i did this time last year...getting dropped and lapped! (Tho admittedly the pace was a bit slower than the first few races last year..if memory serves.)

I felt good tho, i think i have a really sold base behind me from my spring training, and now i've got to focus on getting some quality intensity in. Which i got a bit of tonite!

In the short 20 lap scratch, we basically held together, until there was a lap and a half to go, and i was at the front of the paceline, so i just held it and gunned it! I was in a 48x15, so i was quickly spinning out, and for the last 3/4's of a lap, i couldn't get on top of it, and Vinko flew by with Jim on his wheel, and i trailed them over the line. Not too shabby.

The other race of the night was a Miss'n'Out, again with all riders. I switched up to a 48x14, and sat in the pack for the first few laps, then ended up getting dangerously close to the back of the pack, getting squeezed behind and between other riders....which was not good! Once there was an opening, i wheeled out and went wide, up and over the pack, and rode beside Mike for a few laps. We joked about trading brownie recipes.

Another bell rang, and i decided to kick it into gear a bit more. Today i'm supposed to be doing intervals (so Lord Carmichael seys), so i had to get some intensity in.... I kept the power to the pedals, and within a lap, i had half-a-lap on the pack of 7 or 8.

It's an unusual maneuver for a Miss'n'Out, i don't believe there's any benefit to lapping the pack...but having a half-lap on the field might work in my favor if i keep it...

I figured it would end with the last two riders catching me in the final three laps...and we'd all be totally dead from the effort (me trying to keep them away, and them catching me) and we'd attempt the most pathetic sprint in history.....but somehow i held that half-lap, and before i knew it i was told the race was over (??!!) Yay!! I won a race! Of course, it wasn't an overly-strong field, and the points don't count for our League, but it was fun to be in that position for once. ;)

Managing these breaks is something i'm going to have to figure out for sure....although one can ride 'balls-out', and above your Lactate Threshold....it's not a very good place to be. Although your givin'er, it's my understanding that you'll prolly start to drop in power output...so it's actually better to back off and try to remain in a more reasonable heart range, which will ultimately allow you to maintain more power.. As i said, something i'm going to have to figure out for myself.

We've actually been discussing this over on Fixed Gear Fever, a cool trackie website/forum. Seems like a common strategy in the Pursuit is to hammer on the start, then back off for lap 2, and maybe some of lap 3. Then get up to about 90% effort, and hold that 'til the last third, and then give it all. I'll be trying this out on Monday, am very interested to see how this will turn out..!

In other news, re-doing the Vega site has paid me well, and i've been getting some new gear, including a couple pairs of Shimano Ultegra SPD-SL pedals off eBay ($100 per pair!) I'm excited to finally have 'real' road pedals, as opposed to the tiny-platformed SPD road pedals i've been riding for the last few years. (Waiting for my 'eCheck' to clear on Paypal, and then shipping...mebbe by the middle of the month?)

Also picked up a much-needed helmet from the good people at Performance Bicycles - i finally found one that matches my outfit! The orange and white blend in nicely, tho it also has seemingly inescapable blue in it... It's a Bell Ghisallo, and is quite comfy.

Other items on my 'list' include a cassette to replace my drivetrain (got a chain and 'small' chainring already), aero bars (planning on getting Profile T2+ bars), Specialized gloves (finding *good* gloves in Victoria is a real effort! Or i'm really picky...), and some shades...trying to find a pair of Rudy Project Ekynox on eBay...only seeing the 'small' versions right now. (I like these because they are huge - i'm still a Briko Stinger fan - and they also have good coverage behind the eyes, so sun doesn't leak in that way. Oh, and you look like a giant bug with them on. ;)

(Man, i love those Stingers!! I used to have those exact frames, and the crazy reflective blue lenses...they were awesome. Must check on eBay for more!)

I also won a bid on eBay for some fantastic Specialized road bars ($10!!), but unfortunately they're a different stem size from what i've got. I've heard that the DeRosa fork i've got is rather crappy (not very good handling, heavy, etc) so a carbon fork is likely in my future..and then i'll have to get a new stem, and it'll fit me bars. =)

Ahh..bike gear...heh..

Alright, let's see what i've been up to:

Wed (Mar 29th) - 2hr EM, actually bumped into my friend Rhi from the gym, she's just started riding, and is beginning to do triathlons...i keep trying to talk her into giving up the other two sports and focus on the good one. ;)

Thu - 2hr EM w/4x12m Steady State intervals..me likey the long, steady intervals. Also, final night at the gym until the fall.. Will do upper-body stuff, and light legs at home from now on...gotta figure that into my schedule...

Fri - Rest is Best!

Sat - 2.25hr EM, got rained on a bit...

Sun - 2.5hr EM w/4x10m SS Intervals, Kirby came along as well, nice to finally catch up with her!

Mon - Simply the rest....better with all that rest... (Huh huh..)

Tue - SUFFERAGE! Went out and did my CTS Field Test...got mixed results.. Apparently my Lactate Threshold has jumped 12bpm since i last did it in September. I find that very suspicious...will comment on this further in a future entry. (Supposedly my new LT is 185bpm...previous was 173...that's a huge jump in my EM intensity, i'm going to go for the 'middle ground' for now, and retest next month..)

Wed - 1hr EM, AMAZING DAY!! I think i not only had only knee-warmers on, but no booties, no vest, and i might have rolled my arm warmers down...!! Woot! Spring has be-sprunged!

Thu - raced!

Will chill tomorrow (mebbe noodle out to the track in the eve...we'll see..), then weather-permitting, hope to do a nice 4hr Shawnigan on Sat, and then more intervals or perhaps climb-repeats on Sunday.

Monday is Pursuit night at the track, excited about that.. Will take Tues off, and race the Lattoria road crit on Wed, more track on Thu, and then repeat!

So excited the race season is here....next month the Sidney TT's begin too, fun fun fun!

Keep on truckin'!