What would be the best word to describe what I was feeling out on the course....not sure if there's a word that fits, but it was effen painful. I wanted this one, bad. I did everything I could have, before, during, and after (praying to a higher power, which is myself of course 'self, please let me have this one'). Two areas I probably came up short on were - messing with my position for the past few days (just trying to squeeze a bit more power out) and not taking a water bottle with me for a 35k time trial in 100 degree temps - reguadless I suck in the heat.
It seems to me that I'm usually better on shorter courses, 20k or less, around 10k probably being ideal. In hindsight I was a bit too fast out of the gates. The mentality was go up the hill as hard as possible, 12 to 13 k or so, and then recover on the way back down and then crush it in the last 10k. The problem was I never recovered going back down as the heat was keeping my heart rate elevated, on top of that my left hamstring and hip locked up (probably a result of moving the saddle around) and I couldn't get it stretched out. In the last 10k I pushed as hard as I could but I could tell I was going slower and slower.
I finished on top of the leader board so I was hoping that most of the good guy's were cooked from the day before and possibly my time would hold. About ten minutes later my heart sunk into my stomach as someone finished almost a minute faster then me, and again and again I fell further from the top to seventh. The guy who won was Mike Olheiser, he is current 35 plus crit and TT champ and also got 2nd in the RR, and he won the Elite RR the day before, on top of that he was top amateur in the NRC standing last year just a few points ahead of me. Yup, the strongest guy won, and as they say - 'That's bike racing'.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
In the interim
Well Cascades has been over for a few days and now I'm just sittin around waiting for the National Time Trial. I decided to forgo the Road Race in hopes of two things: A-The guys who are doing the RR will be So spent they won't have the legs the next day (still can't believe they put them back to back) and B-Of course winning it.
So as I sit around watching movies on the lap top and riding down to the coffee shop two or three times a day I go from motivated and excited to tired and feeling like my body just went through the grinder. All I can hope for is the right legs and the best
possible head for Fri. At a certain point I have to let it all go and do what I can to be prepared and not worry about the rest.
Yes I have way too much time on my hands right now and definitely going a little stir crazy. Isn't bike racing wonderful.
My Time Trialing hasn't been as good as it's been in the past but I have always felt like I was on the cusp of a big ride. For one reason or another I haven't really felt all that comfortable on my rig (maybe it's due to the fact I move shit around almost every time I get on the bike), oh well my nervous ticks or neurosis or whatever you want to call them are not unfounded, but none the less hinder my progression. I thought I got it dialed in two days ago, but ended up moving things around yesterday. Today - I ride the road bike and try not to mess with that too much - you don't want to know what I've been doing with my road bike for the past week.
So as I sit around watching movies on the lap top and riding down to the coffee shop two or three times a day I go from motivated and excited to tired and feeling like my body just went through the grinder. All I can hope for is the right legs and the best
possible head for Fri. At a certain point I have to let it all go and do what I can to be prepared and not worry about the rest.Yes I have way too much time on my hands right now and definitely going a little stir crazy. Isn't bike racing wonderful.
This is a photo after the crit last Sat. Myself and Jp on the other end, and the female half of my host family. I would have to say this has been one of the best host families I've ever had the privilege of staying with. JP being indirectly related as the father and husband is his step brother. Good times 'Viva la Oregon'.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Cascades day 5: The Crit
I was feeling pretty good at the start and really wanted to be a part of the race instead of pack filler like the previous stages. I attacked on the second lap and was quickly absorbed a lap later, but I could tell the legs had finally come around.
The race was pretty dodgy and it was hard to surf the front. Rock had taken control immediately and let two guys get up the road (Mike Creed and Jackson Stewart) and were holding them at about 10 seconds. There was a slight lull on the backside and as Rock swung right I flew the coup, a guy from Garmin in tow. I bridged the gap solo as the Garmin kid wouldn't pull through and at that point I knew this was the break.
It took me about two laps to recover and then I was able to work as we rolled at 30 plus.
Halfway through it was looking like we were going to lap the field. Stewart and Creed were the motors of the break and I overheard Creed saying he didn't want to lap the field so he sat on for a while as the pack went back out of sight.
With ten to go I could hear the announcer saying 16 seconds but I didn't realize it was the field. I was pretty spent, Creed and Stewart were doing most of the work at this point and I was happy to let them. Coming into two to go Stewart attacked and I made it up to him - unfortunately the field came barreling down half a lap later: Game over.
Glad to be back in the game - sucks it didn't stick. Sheet, that's bike racing.
Cycling News Related story. And the reason I'm wearing mismatched kits from the past two years: laundry issue.
The race was pretty dodgy and it was hard to surf the front. Rock had taken control immediately and let two guys get up the road (Mike Creed and Jackson Stewart) and were holding them at about 10 seconds. There was a slight lull on the backside and as Rock swung right I flew the coup, a guy from Garmin in tow. I bridged the gap solo as the Garmin kid wouldn't pull through and at that point I knew this was the break.
It took me about two laps to recover and then I was able to work as we rolled at 30 plus.
Halfway through it was looking like we were going to lap the field. Stewart and Creed were the motors of the break and I overheard Creed saying he didn't want to lap the field so he sat on for a while as the pack went back out of sight.
With ten to go I could hear the announcer saying 16 seconds but I didn't realize it was the field. I was pretty spent, Creed and Stewart were doing most of the work at this point and I was happy to let them. Coming into two to go Stewart attacked and I made it up to him - unfortunately the field came barreling down half a lap later: Game over.
Glad to be back in the game - sucks it didn't stick. Sheet, that's bike racing.
Cycling News Related story. And the reason I'm wearing mismatched kits from the past two years: laundry issue.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Cascades day 4
Well I got through the TT so I was thinking it was time to try and get into a break. The first eight or nine miles where pretty flat to false flat that lead into a five to six mile steady climb. I was thinking the move would go on the climb but I saw a chance before we started going up. I attempted to get across to a few guys dangling about 3 or 4 hundred meters and a group of 6 formed for the chase and were working fairly well together. I ended up having to do a bit more work as not everyone was willing to commit, and then, we got caught right as the road turned up.
You couldn't have asked for a worse time to be caught, right as that happened the pace went full throttle. For the next five miles everyone in the peloton was bleeding through their eyeballs trying to stay on wheels. The peloton split and I was fortunate enough to be the last one onto the second group. There were about 15 to 20 of us over the top and the main peloton was out of sight. Fortunately there was a ten mile decent where we were able to catch back on without doing to much work.
I didn't feel bad, it was actually the opposite, it was just bad timing. I gauged my effort to where I wouldn't blow up and caught onto a solid group that had a good chance of catching back on.
The rest of the day was fairly boring as Rock had taken control and we rolled through some of the most beautiful country side I had seen in a while. The pace was fast but steady, so I was able to take my spot on the rears of the peloton without too much trouble.
The final climb was steady and not too tough but my legs were pretty spent, so I punched my ticket at about 3 to 4 k out and rolled in with the groupetto. Starting to feel better so who knows. The crit is tomorrow night.
Photo: Jim Wilson
You couldn't have asked for a worse time to be caught, right as that happened the pace went full throttle. For the next five miles everyone in the peloton was bleeding through their eyeballs trying to stay on wheels. The peloton split and I was fortunate enough to be the last one onto the second group. There were about 15 to 20 of us over the top and the main peloton was out of sight. Fortunately there was a ten mile decent where we were able to catch back on without doing to much work.
I didn't feel bad, it was actually the opposite, it was just bad timing. I gauged my effort to where I wouldn't blow up and caught onto a solid group that had a good chance of catching back on.
The rest of the day was fairly boring as Rock had taken control and we rolled through some of the most beautiful country side I had seen in a while. The pace was fast but steady, so I was able to take my spot on the rears of the peloton without too much trouble.
The final climb was steady and not too tough but my legs were pretty spent, so I punched my ticket at about 3 to 4 k out and rolled in with the groupetto. Starting to feel better so who knows. The crit is tomorrow night.
Photo: Jim Wilson
Cascades TT
Sheet this was a tough one. You basically go up a hill for seven and a half miles, turn around, and go down hill the exact same way you went up.
I was feeling pretty good warming up as I was able to shut it down the day before when I was caught out behind the crash on the lead into the climb. I went out of the gates pretty good and was starting to get a good rhythm, and then the hill started. I was struggling a bit but I was pushing through. I caught my 30 second guy pretty quick but had a hard time catching my minute man. About three quarters of the way up I popped my chain into the small ring by accident and it took me a good bit of time to get it back up. The problem was I was in the top gears in the back and after three or four attempts I realized I had to down shift. One cog, no, two cogs, no, three cogs, no, four cog, yup, 'sheet I'm in a huge gear'. My legs filled up and it took me almost a k to get my rhythm back. Not sure how much time this cost me but it was pretty significant, I'm not saying I was crushing everyone but it was pretty bad. After the turn around I caught another guy, and in the last k I passed two more. I ended up 39th.
Not really the result that's going to boost my confidence going into nationals, but it was still a decent ride. I felt my gear selection was about as good as it could be for me and I think I'll go much better for next week. It is the same course they just start it a bit further down to squeeze another five k in.
I was feeling pretty good warming up as I was able to shut it down the day before when I was caught out behind the crash on the lead into the climb. I went out of the gates pretty good and was starting to get a good rhythm, and then the hill started. I was struggling a bit but I was pushing through. I caught my 30 second guy pretty quick but had a hard time catching my minute man. About three quarters of the way up I popped my chain into the small ring by accident and it took me a good bit of time to get it back up. The problem was I was in the top gears in the back and after three or four attempts I realized I had to down shift. One cog, no, two cogs, no, three cogs, no, four cog, yup, 'sheet I'm in a huge gear'. My legs filled up and it took me almost a k to get my rhythm back. Not sure how much time this cost me but it was pretty significant, I'm not saying I was crushing everyone but it was pretty bad. After the turn around I caught another guy, and in the last k I passed two more. I ended up 39th.
Not really the result that's going to boost my confidence going into nationals, but it was still a decent ride. I felt my gear selection was about as good as it could be for me and I think I'll go much better for next week. It is the same course they just start it a bit further down to squeeze another five k in.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Cascades day 2
The parcours were a bit tougher for today so I was thinking the race might start off a bit slower. Once again it was full throttle from the gun. The biggest issues in the race is the disparity of fitness levels and bike handling skills. If you don't feel like banging around at the front and hang in the back there is a good chance you might get split off, or you end up doing so much work as the guys are choppy and you end up in the slink (if you don't know what the slink is, think of the first few guys going through a corner smooth and the rest of the guys bunch up and sprint out, the slink sucks).
Things were going ok until we went through the first feed zone. I was fairly close to the front but as we went through I had to slow almost to a stop. Not too worried about it I eased back up to speed and we turned a corner. I'm pretty sure it was Garmin at the front drilling it into a cross wind section, they split the field and I was caught out. I was worried but I didn't panic, the worst thing you can do when your in the gutter behind a split is panic and do too much work, then your done. Eventually the group caught back on and 'no worries', at least for myself at the time. I would say another quarter of the field was gone.
I believe Bissel had taken control at that point and it was a hard but steady roll. By the time we got to the climb my legs were pretty cooked, but I was still in good position. Unfortunately there was a touch of wheels towards the front of the pack and I was caught behind it. Not having the legs to chase back on that was pretty much it for the day. I did the last eight K on my own (up a mountain), not enjoying it one bit. So when I was saying maybe today could be 'fun' I was wrong. Fortunately this kind of racing elevates your fitness and will pay dividends over the last part of the season.
Up next the TT. Not sure how the legs will tick over, but I'm hopeful.
Things were going ok until we went through the first feed zone. I was fairly close to the front but as we went through I had to slow almost to a stop. Not too worried about it I eased back up to speed and we turned a corner. I'm pretty sure it was Garmin at the front drilling it into a cross wind section, they split the field and I was caught out. I was worried but I didn't panic, the worst thing you can do when your in the gutter behind a split is panic and do too much work, then your done. Eventually the group caught back on and 'no worries', at least for myself at the time. I would say another quarter of the field was gone.
I believe Bissel had taken control at that point and it was a hard but steady roll. By the time we got to the climb my legs were pretty cooked, but I was still in good position. Unfortunately there was a touch of wheels towards the front of the pack and I was caught behind it. Not having the legs to chase back on that was pretty much it for the day. I did the last eight K on my own (up a mountain), not enjoying it one bit. So when I was saying maybe today could be 'fun' I was wrong. Fortunately this kind of racing elevates your fitness and will pay dividends over the last part of the season.
Up next the TT. Not sure how the legs will tick over, but I'm hopeful.
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