0.96666666666 -- Log

What's the title of this posting mean?

It relates to my first road race (well, 'big' event) - the Bastion Square crit, which i did today...

I finished 29/30. Woot! Operative word being i finished..!!

Holy crap - this was absolutely brutal. I'm not sure what the story is, but i don't think that my track fitness did a whole hell of a lot for me for this....

I started the race well, was about 15 riders back from the front.. ~40 riders total. Somehow tho, as the race progressed, i kept finding myself moving backwards. It's not like people were getting in ahead of me, it was that i kept sliding backwards. (I could maneuver myself forward on the course, but i would suffer for it..) I just couldn't maintain this type of intensity..

One of my big worries was my technical skills - i'm not used to riding on the road, or in corners...but this was completely unfounded! I flew around the corners, and made tighter turns than most people..had i juice in my poor little legs, i'd be able to get myself near the front in a few laps...unfortunately, that wasn't an option...

I'm actually quite baffled by this, and if anyone can give an explanation, please do! On the track, i usually race over 40kph...i can do this quite handily, and average over 40kph in my TT efforts in Sydney as well.. On the track, if in the pack, i can sustain over 45kph, and sprint upwards of 55kph regularly, and not suffer too much.

Today, however, my average speed was in the 38kph range (and there wasn't a moment i *wasn't* sucking a wheel) and topped out at about 49kph...yet i felt like i was being slaughtered!!! If this were on the track, it prolly would have been a very different game... Gears weren't an issue, i shifted a few times the first few laps, and then pretty much stayed in one gear until the end.

My HR was another story as well - i averaged 187bpm, and maxed at 194bpm - that's an insanely tight range, imo...i don't think i could have put out much more than that.. (Maybe this was my problem...redlining and staying there...) At the recent track events my HR was a few beats lower..

So confusing...i can only guess it was the short incline that really buggered things up for me..tho i didn't feel like i was suffering any more there, than on the rest of the course... The stretch along Wharf St. was pretty harsh with wind, but i'm also quite used to riding in the wind on the track...and i was on a wheel, so it was relatively minimal. I guess this is where a wattage meter would be *really* handy.....hmmm..maybe i'll have to start saving up...need more feedback!!

I *did* wear shoe covers, which i've never done...i wonder if that was a factor. ;)

A funny note: one of the most sore parts on me during the race was my fingers - i'm not used to braking so much!! Or at all. ;)
Anyway - props to all the other Cat4 riders, great race and i'm glad to have the experience!! Also nice to bump into a bunch of familiar faces, and peeps i haven't seen for a while (Clarkie!!) My buddy Mike did a great job winning the Cat5 race - woot!

Watching the other racers was quite fantastic as well -- holy crap some of these guys can put out. The Cat1,2 race was insane...very fast...looked like about half the field was blown off in the first 10 laps...ouch!

Below are some pics, big up to Kevin for taking these, and also for all the advice and encouragement (as well as several other friends, there wasn't a lap where someone didn't yell GO DAVE!!) It actually *does* help!!

First tho, quick desc. of Thursday's races, which were pretty fun tho only a few other A's:

* Short Scratch - nothing too crazy, basically a warm-up race, came in 2nd after Mr Durrant

* Keirin - i ended up on the durny, and decided early-on i should try something different...so as soon as the durny pulled off, i HAMMERED!! And gave everyone a nice lead-out for the end..hahaha Finished dead-last in 4th. Scratch that strategy from the books...hehe..

* Australian Pursuit/Sprint - just about the most nasty race on the track, all the racers start out spaced 10-20m away from each other around the track, 'slowest' rider at the front, 'fastest' at the back...11 riders, all Cats (A,B,C) - somehow i got deemed the 'fastest' and so was at the tail of it.. In the race, the idea is to pass as many people in front of you as possible, and if you're passed, you're eliminated..so don't get passed! The race was basically me chasing Wayne down for three laps, catching him, and winning - yip! The final spot is actually not a bad place to be in...just keep it steady and let everyone ahead of you duke it out, then you've only got one person to worry about. ;)

So - Bastion Square pics, thanks again Kevin!!



Uh..i just saw the camera and was starting to smile..haha...nice face.
Mike is in the foreground on the right, he won the Cat5 race - woot!



From behind..i was hoping more riders would see this perspective..



This is corner #1..top of the 'climb'.



Nice shot by Kevin, you can get an idea of what the 'climb' was like.



Coming out of corner #1.



Approaching Pink Corner, #3.
You can just make out the orange of my helmet..haha



Pink corner, because apparently pink fiberglass insulation
is the official crash material of choice by Cycling BC.
I guess we weren't going that fast, but this corner was a cinch, and i
never got anywhere near these barriers, tho the Cat1 guys did.



The stretch along Wharf,
Chandler from the track on the right...and me getting
close to the end...end vs. end..i was hurtin'.



This is corner #4, finish line just up this stretch.



A fitting end. ;)