57 riders were there with me starting 48th. I am not used to late start so I need to do something to keep my legs warm as opposed to getting in the que and standing there for 20 minutes. Well, 24 minutes (30 second intervals)
I did what is now my usual and rode the course backward to the start and luckily missed all the potholes. That side of the road sucks, but the side we race on is great?!?
Since it was nice weather there were a lot of people out but it gave me the chance to let my legs get cold again. Even though it's really a training race, I want to keep it as real as possible so I don't hurt myself or do something else stupid by racing cold.
I was feeling it from the get-go. Trying to get in a good rhythm was near impossible last night for some reason so I just plowed my way through as best as possible. The end of the course on the hill seemed farther back than the three previous weeks. I think it was due to cars parking down the hill more due to the turnout. I wanted to hit 25:00 and that slipped away with my powertap reading 25:08 and the official time having me at 25:13. Still a personal record, but not the best I could have done. No drop outs on the powertap like last week. Yay!
Data from the series:
Week 4 24.7 average @ 257 watts = 25:13 (official time)
Week 3 24.4 average @ 271 watts (wrong) = 25:17
Week 2: 24.3 average @ 250 watts = 25:33
Week 1: 24.2 average @ 242 watts = 25:47
11th overall out of 57
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Race #9 Cleves TT
Another Tuesday, another time trial! It's great to live close (within reason) to a weekly time trial. I didn't figure a whole lot of people would show up due to the weather, but I think there were around 35 riders. I rode the course in reverse to warm up and NAILED a big hole with both wheels. I figured my day was over right then, but my tires didn't flat out. Lucky!
I started 25th and didn't go balls out as usual for the first half mile or so (though my powertap said my highest 20 second, 1 minute and 5 minute power were all from the start...oops).
It got a little misty from the rain, but for the most part there was no real rain coming down, just wet roads. I kept watching my average speed and it hovered right around 24 as there was a slight headwind at the start. After the power plant, the speed really picked up, but somewhere my powertap lost 45 seconds. It just died from what I'm guessing was it being waterlogged. I didn't see that as it happened so when I crossed the finish line, my computer read a new personal record by well over a minute. Well, the official time had me get a PR but only by 20 seconds. It wasn't until after downloading my data at home did I discover the outage on my powertap. I hope it was just the rain that did that and not something worse.
Anyway, the data is suspect. It said 271 watt average with a speed of 24.1. The average speed is wrong by 0.3 or so and I'm not sure I believe the wattage because that's not what I'm capable of producing right now. Whatever, at least I felt pretty good out there.
I started 25th and didn't go balls out as usual for the first half mile or so (though my powertap said my highest 20 second, 1 minute and 5 minute power were all from the start...oops).
It got a little misty from the rain, but for the most part there was no real rain coming down, just wet roads. I kept watching my average speed and it hovered right around 24 as there was a slight headwind at the start. After the power plant, the speed really picked up, but somewhere my powertap lost 45 seconds. It just died from what I'm guessing was it being waterlogged. I didn't see that as it happened so when I crossed the finish line, my computer read a new personal record by well over a minute. Well, the official time had me get a PR but only by 20 seconds. It wasn't until after downloading my data at home did I discover the outage on my powertap. I hope it was just the rain that did that and not something worse.
Anyway, the data is suspect. It said 271 watt average with a speed of 24.1. The average speed is wrong by 0.3 or so and I'm not sure I believe the wattage because that's not what I'm capable of producing right now. Whatever, at least I felt pretty good out there.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Race #8 Colavita Versailles
19 mile course. Hard cross/head wind going out. Bad traffic coming back.
23.6 mph @ 231 watts.
On the back end of the race I had several incidents with traffic and or touring bikes. There was some little bike tour that turned into a park about 2 miles from the turnaround. There was a trailer being pulled by a truck that said "caution cyclists". I had to pass this behemoth on the left (an illegal move on my part) because he was going 12 mph and hogged the right side. This trailer was escorting two cyclists on hybrids. I thought for 2 seconds that it was odd but no worries. Had to stomp the pedals to get back to speed...until...I ended up behind 2 more tourists, yelled "on your left" and of course, they tried to turn left in front of me at the entrance to the park. Had to stomp again to get back up to speed. I thought all was going to be fine until I caught a time trial racer being tailed by a woman in a station wagon. She would not pass him and he was doing maybe 20mph. So I tried to pass her on the right as she was hugging the center line. I couldn't completely pass her because she was tailgating the cyclist so I ended up riding side by side at her passenger door (another stupid move on my part). We came up to an intersection so I backed off figuring she would turn right and kill me. She turned left, I lived, but once again had to stomp to get back to speed and pass the racer in front of me. By now I was toast. In reality, it probably didn't affect me much, but it's a convenient excuse for a bad time. haha.
5th place out of 10 in the 40-49 age group. I won more Heed!
The five races in the last twelve days has taken it's toll (I'm racing tomorrow night too unless the weather is bad) and I am toast. But I've lost 3 pounds in that period.
23.6 mph @ 231 watts.
On the back end of the race I had several incidents with traffic and or touring bikes. There was some little bike tour that turned into a park about 2 miles from the turnaround. There was a trailer being pulled by a truck that said "caution cyclists". I had to pass this behemoth on the left (an illegal move on my part) because he was going 12 mph and hogged the right side. This trailer was escorting two cyclists on hybrids. I thought for 2 seconds that it was odd but no worries. Had to stomp the pedals to get back to speed...until...I ended up behind 2 more tourists, yelled "on your left" and of course, they tried to turn left in front of me at the entrance to the park. Had to stomp again to get back up to speed. I thought all was going to be fine until I caught a time trial racer being tailed by a woman in a station wagon. She would not pass him and he was doing maybe 20mph. So I tried to pass her on the right as she was hugging the center line. I couldn't completely pass her because she was tailgating the cyclist so I ended up riding side by side at her passenger door (another stupid move on my part). We came up to an intersection so I backed off figuring she would turn right and kill me. She turned left, I lived, but once again had to stomp to get back to speed and pass the racer in front of me. By now I was toast. In reality, it probably didn't affect me much, but it's a convenient excuse for a bad time. haha.
5th place out of 10 in the 40-49 age group. I won more Heed!
The five races in the last twelve days has taken it's toll (I'm racing tomorrow night too unless the weather is bad) and I am toast. But I've lost 3 pounds in that period.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Race #7 Cleves time trial
Little bit faster, little more watts.
Last week: 24.2 average @ 242 watts
This week: 24.3 average @ 250 watts
The weather was not really a factor as the course is quite sheltered from any wind and since it's a horseshoe course only a strong wind from the south would cause an alteration of time. Maybe I'm just making that up.
Anyway, I was 15th out of 35 and 14 seconds faster than last week.
Last week: 24.2 average @ 242 watts
This week: 24.3 average @ 250 watts
The weather was not really a factor as the course is quite sheltered from any wind and since it's a horseshoe course only a strong wind from the south would cause an alteration of time. Maybe I'm just making that up.
Anyway, I was 15th out of 35 and 14 seconds faster than last week.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Race #6 QCW 40k tt
WINDY and COLD. 23 lunatics showed up for the 40k.
The wind actually helped most people get a new personal record on the course, myself included.
The screaming downhill start, was screaming. I ran out of gears of course. The out section was nothing to speak of as I kept plodding along waiting for the hill. I got to it and my bike was able to shift into the little ring. Thank God for that or I wouldn't have made it.
Nothing in racing made me as happy as seeing the end of that dang hill. Turn around and WOOSH, I immediately hit a new time trial high speed of 47.7 miles per hour. The return trip after the downhill was spent hoping the finish would come real soon. Last month I finished at 1:01:30 (or thereabouts) and at 45 minutes I was dying. Made it to the finish line at 1:00:30 (or thereabouts) with a power around 235 (I forget). 23.2 mph.
Note about the hill: At the bottom of the climb, I was averaging 26.5 mph. At the top, my average dropped to 22.4. Over a 4mph drop in average over a 1.5 mile climb. Ouch.
Three races this week hurt, so what am I doing this week? Three races.
Results
The wind actually helped most people get a new personal record on the course, myself included.
The screaming downhill start, was screaming. I ran out of gears of course. The out section was nothing to speak of as I kept plodding along waiting for the hill. I got to it and my bike was able to shift into the little ring. Thank God for that or I wouldn't have made it.
Nothing in racing made me as happy as seeing the end of that dang hill. Turn around and WOOSH, I immediately hit a new time trial high speed of 47.7 miles per hour. The return trip after the downhill was spent hoping the finish would come real soon. Last month I finished at 1:01:30 (or thereabouts) and at 45 minutes I was dying. Made it to the finish line at 1:00:30 (or thereabouts) with a power around 235 (I forget). 23.2 mph.
Note about the hill: At the bottom of the climb, I was averaging 26.5 mph. At the top, my average dropped to 22.4. Over a 4mph drop in average over a 1.5 mile climb. Ouch.
Three races this week hurt, so what am I doing this week? Three races.
Results
Friday, May 7, 2010
Race #5 Speedy Feet Casstown
This Casstown race was the new Strawberry Festival route, a 10 mile clockwise route starting from the new fire department. On such a nice evening, it was sad that only 22 people showed up. For crying out loud, I drove 1.25 hours from Cincinnati to race!
Anyway, I got there early (surprise!) and I was third to go off. Unlike Tuesday, I warmed up by doing the course. It was a nice easy ride of 21mph with 200 watts. I finished too fast and then lost my warm up because I screwed around for 25 minutes until I actually raced.
Shane D started 30 seconds behind me and even though he was on a standard bike, the fear of him passing me kept me motivated. He's riding well and is in shape. I lost speed to him on all the corners and that led to him passing me on the final turn heading from Casstown to the Fire Dept.
Overall, I was 6th (I don't count HPVs). This was my fastest TT of the 5 I have done this season at 24.7. Wattage was 249. Did not feel any after effects from racing Tuesday, but I am feeling it now and Saturday's 40k tt should just about kill me. In a good way...?
Results
Anyway, I got there early (surprise!) and I was third to go off. Unlike Tuesday, I warmed up by doing the course. It was a nice easy ride of 21mph with 200 watts. I finished too fast and then lost my warm up because I screwed around for 25 minutes until I actually raced.
Shane D started 30 seconds behind me and even though he was on a standard bike, the fear of him passing me kept me motivated. He's riding well and is in shape. I lost speed to him on all the corners and that led to him passing me on the final turn heading from Casstown to the Fire Dept.
Overall, I was 6th (I don't count HPVs). This was my fastest TT of the 5 I have done this season at 24.7. Wattage was 249. Did not feel any after effects from racing Tuesday, but I am feeling it now and Saturday's 40k tt should just about kill me. In a good way...?
Results
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Race #4 Cleves TT
What a great night for a ride! Cleve's time trial put on by QCW has been going on for 36 years. It's held every Tuesday from May until September - I'm going to try and ride most of them. It's a 10 mile course that's actually more rolling than I thought it would be, but nothing too tough. The finish is on a slight uphill grade but it's only 0.25 miles long and it's not necessary to get out of the big ring for it.
I hung around the start line since it was my first time there and the result was no warm up whatsoever. I wasn't sure how things were run and I will not miss a start time! As was the case with the QCW 40k, we had to guess our speed if we had never been there before so they could arrange us in order from slow to fast. Estimating a speed of 22-23mph slotted me at 36th out of 51.
Next week I will actually warm up...
I started completely cold and dry. It didn't affect me early but as the miles ticked over it did with my lungs and legs feeling it. Since the course wasn't totally pan flat it kept things interesting in regards to my pacing, but it was hovering in the mid 24's as far as an average speed went.
According to my powertap, I finished around 25:47 for a speed of 24.2 and a wattage of 242. For the first time out there I felt pretty good and once I know the course, I'll be able to gauge where better to pick up time. Leaving prior to the results being posted, I don't know where I finished yet, but right now that's not the point of the races.
Next race is tomorrow in Casstown barring any weather issues.
http://www.qcw.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=208&Itemid=134
Right after I published this post, the results had been uploaded. 17th out of 56.
I hung around the start line since it was my first time there and the result was no warm up whatsoever. I wasn't sure how things were run and I will not miss a start time! As was the case with the QCW 40k, we had to guess our speed if we had never been there before so they could arrange us in order from slow to fast. Estimating a speed of 22-23mph slotted me at 36th out of 51.
Next week I will actually warm up...
I started completely cold and dry. It didn't affect me early but as the miles ticked over it did with my lungs and legs feeling it. Since the course wasn't totally pan flat it kept things interesting in regards to my pacing, but it was hovering in the mid 24's as far as an average speed went.
According to my powertap, I finished around 25:47 for a speed of 24.2 and a wattage of 242. For the first time out there I felt pretty good and once I know the course, I'll be able to gauge where better to pick up time. Leaving prior to the results being posted, I don't know where I finished yet, but right now that's not the point of the races.
Next race is tomorrow in Casstown barring any weather issues.
http://www.qcw.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=208&Itemid=134
Right after I published this post, the results had been uploaded. 17th out of 56.
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