my weekly race log

cutty that is bitchin'

awesome

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=790&l=d82a5&id=306500098

also:

http://www.photoblog.com/thevermonter/2008/09/04/2008-gmsr--stage-2-cat-3-finish.html

great snaps!

bah, facebook.

James Dean, James Dean, seen you on the silver screen.

Can I gatecrash this thread, cutty?

My big comeback today: first race of any kind since 1991, and first road race since 1989. Did the 4th cat race at Hog Hill circuit, which is basically 40 minutes of racing plus one lap. There were about 35 of us. There's a nasty 1-in-9 climb up to the finishing straight every lap and today there was a vicious headwind for large parts of the course. The opening was fast: my best lap time when I came here to practice on my own was 3:48, my first lap today was 3:24. The field soon split up into a leading group of about 10, a chasing group of about 7, and a whole string of chasers getting stretched out (which included me, towards the front). I spent most of the race in all sorts of pain: even though there were people around me, we all seemed to have 5 second gaps between us, and most of the time I just couldn't close down the gap to get on a wheel. I was expecting to get lapped at any point, but the leaders seemed to be taking forever to appear. They eventually caught me with 1.5 laps to go (for them, technically 2.5 for me, but obviously you don't actually do that extra one at the end) and I managed to sit in with them this time. Even though the pace was higher it was much easier taking shelter. I'm not sure how many I beat in the end (probably about 6 or 7, including one person who I lapped right near the end) as I don't think they do any placings outside the top ten. It was torture, but I quite heartened by the fact that the winners only took about 3.5 mins out of me over 40 mins - that doesn't seem an unbridgeable gap (but it'll take a few more months to get there).

awesome!

Official report now in: http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/roa/EventReports2009/20090131_EastLondonVelo_Winter.asp
Apparently I was 22nd out of 30 finishers.

this is rly great and congrats but i hope yr summer events are full cuz racin in January is sorta nutty.

I was hoping to do it again this weekend coming, but London is about 6 inches under snow at the moment and that really would be nutty to race in.

now hunt3r needs to make his comeback

Just phoned up and found out that the circuit is closed because it's covered in ice, so no race today. What an anti-climax. The snow's all gone from London now, so I thought it'd be OK, but this was the course earlier in the week:
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/MultimediaFiles/20090206_REDBRIDGE_SNOW.JPG

Back in action again today. The weather was a lot better than last time (warmer, sunnier, less windy) and the field in my race was bigger (about 45). I'd set myself three golden rules for this one: 1) be bold when cornering, don't just slacken off, you've got just as much right to your space as anyone else; 2) fight as hard as you can to stay with the bunch - it might kill you, but it's still easier than riding round on your own; 3) if / when you do get dropped, sit up and wait for someone else (dropped before you) to catch you and then work together. I managed to stick right in the middle of the bunch for the first couple of laps - it was a bit hair-raising as it was breakneck pace (averaging 24 mph, but descending at 37) with people jockeying for position all the time and constant concertina-ing as you sprint to close down a gap and then free wheel as it all comes together. On the climb at the end of the second lap I had a rush of blood to the head: from near the back of the bunch I moved wide right and then launched myself right off the front. I crossed the line clear on my own, but got caught within 30 seconds and then found myself sinking back through the field. I lost contact with the bunch on the fourth lap, had a lap or so on my own, then eventually found other people to work with (a couple from behind, but mostly people from up ahead who had either been shed off the bunch after me or who were getting lapped). The bunch lapped me with 1.5 laps to go. Don't know my position yet, but it felt better than last time.

my first race of the season is tomorrow AM. just a central park race, but exciting nonetheless. it's my first time racing with a full team, i'll have 8 other teammates in the pro/1/2/3 field.

bona fortuna. they do not have p123 races here. weeellll, one of the weeknight training races allows 3s to race with "A's", so i guess thats sorta the same thing.

how do i shot racing team

win some races and make a name for yourself. the teams will come to you.

well?

well?

(thing is, there's at least a handful of med students who'd be interested in racing....including one ex-racer who spent a year in belgium. i know teams in chicago that just started up as a group of buddies wearing the same kit, and cheering for each other at races.)

my team got 3rd.

there was a crash early on coming into the second lap. we all avoided it, but that's when the break formed. one of our guys was in it.

our rival team is probably the best nyc racing team, we didn't know they had two men in the break. we should have bridged a guy across at some point to increase the chances of winning. the confusion of the crash didn't really give us a chance to size it up properly.

i was at the front mostly chasing down attacks from other teams, with 4-5 other teammates also controlling the race with me. my teammate took 3rd in a sprint from a 7 man break, which is a success for us. this is an entire club series that lasts all summer so we're after the team cup.

i really was putting myself in the red to make it a good training race. i'm not a huge threat in these central park races because i'm basically racing against the best local riders NYC has to offer.

but it was shitloads of fun and i totally forgot how much i love to race!

so do you want to start road racing gbx?

How did you get on Cutty? (ah, xpost, you've answered that now!)

I did my third race of the season today. I tried to get a good start so that I could position myself nearer the front of the bunch (in the hope I could stay in it for longer this time) - unfortunately I got such a good start that I left everyone else behind and had to ride on my own for the first lap until I got caught. This wasn't the plan at all and just knackered me. I lost contact on the third lap and raced with the also-rans for the remainder. With half a lap to go I got savage cramp in my right calf that just wouldn't go. I tried to complete the race pedalling with my left foot only (and my right leg sticking out straight), but couldn't get up the hill like that. I tried to walk it, but my calf didn't like that either. Eventually I managed to spin up in my bottom gear, but I'm hobbling around now. Hopefully this is just a short term effect.

What kind of temperature is it in New York now, by the way?

what was the field size cutty?

65 degrees fahrenheit today. field size was around 80 i'd say.

Woo-hoo! Due to my foolishly quick start yesterday I'm right at the front in the first photo that they took of the race yesterday. Fame at last!

http://www.cycleweb.co.uk/newsite/gallery.htm
(San Fairy Ann Spring Crits 2 09 seniors)

http://www.cycleweb.co.uk/newsite/albums/sffa092y/IMG_9066001.sized.jpg

loooool

wanna see him shoulder that (tho it looks like hes got road shoes going there)

i mostly want to race CX and track, but would def like to try a road race sometime.

the problem with cx is that the fastest guy almost always wins. same with xc.

start racing then, gbx. don't worry about a team yet! track is not a team sport anyway.

I got savage cramp in my right calf that just wouldn't go.... I'm hobbling around now. Hopefully this is just a short term effect.

Still limping around now more than three days later. I must have actually strained it. I can't see myself riding at all for a couple of weeks at least and I don't think I'll be racing again for quite a while :-(

Bad cramp hurts a fair bit for days, but you'll be fine soon, I promise. Quicker than you expect.

Hope so. How are your ribs coming along?

Not bad - every day they're improving. Today is going to be my first day without pain relief - feeling pretty fine so far. Thinking of cycling to work (gingerly and slowly) tomorrow.

Funnily enough I woke in the middle of the night with a fierce cramp in my thigh - wonder if that's going to hurt for a while?

raced a crit. no moves were getting away. sat up for the field sprint, no thanks.

fun though, and a great workout.

my first big road race is saturday--
http://tourofthebattenkill.com/

my team is a favorite for the cat 3 race, one of the three of us can definitely get on the podium, i think

that website hurts my eyes

just dug up the minnesota racing calendar, btw

think i might enter.....a crit??

wait, is this on unibet?

kill em.

what is unibet? floyd landis is racing the tour of the battenkill!

gbx, did you buy a license?

figured i'd just get a one-day? i mean, i doubt i'll do more than one or two

k. not all races do one-days so be sure to check. and be careful. a cat 5 crit is not where i would have my first bike race.

h'mmmm....road race, maybe? i think there are like a bazillion more crits than there are day races, tho? also a lot of TTs, now that i look

also thinking i'll have to get this, huh: http://unattachedrider.com/current.htm

you are in illinois, correct?

http://www.bikereg.com/events/?et=1&rg=4