E’s Rock

This morning was the Lakewood Blue Claws race in South Jersey. Maybe I should have been representing at the Kingwood TT but a.) you never pass on a race in your backyard b.) I’m not a Cat3 and thus c.) the NJBA time trial cup does not pertain to me. Hmm, race in your backyard (10mins away) or TT for 20mins and drive an hour?

The crit in Lakewood is a great course. Wide and open, none of this double-yellow line monkey-business. If you want to crank it and pass everyone on the right, into the wind, by all means do it. I’m not stopping you.

15 laps, 1.2 mile each, flat, with a false-flat riser type thing into the wind about 1/3rd of the way around. About 5 right-hand turns, perfect for a breakaway, if you don’t mind the wind. Definitely a sprinters course…and a sprinter I am not!

The plan was to sit-in and not be stupid. Simple. Fair enough. Save the energy for the 2nd to last lap. I stayed near the front the whole time, avoided a few crashes and not ONCE did I allow the wind to smack me around from the front. Always protected and behind someone’s wheel. I pretended to ‘pull’ maybe once, and then jumped right back under cover.

A few guys attempted to break-away, or what appeared to want to break-away. A guy from Pro-Pedals specifically (guy must have weighted 200lbs easy, a monster of a neanderthal-looking dude just huge) kept attacking, or rather, jumping off the front. All those Pro-Pedals guys are monsters - it’s very difficult for me to distinguish between a dangerous one and a not-so-dangerous one. At any rate, he kept jumping off the front. I’m not quite sure what his intentions were, either. Maybe tire us down who knows.

Just once I managed to bridge up to him, alone, and just sat on his wheel. “What’s the plan now?” I ask. No answer. I let him pull and sat-in until the packed caught us. We managed a good half-lap around though.

The whole time around the course the mind was calculating every possible scenario, on every possible terrain change, on every imaginable riser/turn/curve. Like the nerd than I am, a computer non-stop. “Let’s see, if we’re doing 23mph over this little riser, I just need to keep it above 25mph when I’m alone to maintain the distance. And if we’re doing 26mph on this flat, I need to hold 28mph. If on this windy section we’re doing 22, then 23 should hold them off for a bit. And if we slow down to 20mph on this one section again then…”

WABAM!!! Here we go!!! And we’re off!!! 2 laps to go! I hit it along the left and push it on the slight downhill section, up and over the riser and holding. I’m hitting all the right mental checkpoints. Screw the wattage numbers Eric, you need to hit those speeds. Focus E! 30mph on the downhill, 26mph over the riser, 28mph on the flat and 24mph into the wind. So far so good. Don’t look back your doing good!

I come across with one lap to go and I can’t seem them from the corner of my eyes on the turns. Just one more time over the riser.

And just as fast as it had begun, just as quickly it ended. I make it over the riser and the pack just swallows me whole. There’s no point in sprinting, finished a few in front of the back.

I was upset and pissed, yet happy and proud at the same time. A mental battle of sorts. There was nothing else I could do. No one wanted to work or bridge up, they were happy with letting it end in a sprint. Not me. I told myself it was first or last - 2nd, 3rd etc are meaningless to me. I don’t want 2 upgrade points, I want the full amount or nothing. I had committed I would attack with 2 laps to go, stuck to the plan and learned a few lessons in the process.

Looking over my file - the attack from the outset should have been stronger. Much stronger. A measly 585 watts. Whipty-f’ing doo! Was I really going for it or just testing the waters? Well Eric based on that 585 watt jump you weren’t doing a DAM thing but riding in the park!

That first jump is very important I’ve learned. The idea is to get to cruising speed and fast, then hold strait TT mode. Hit them by surprise and don’t give anyone a chance to latch on. How they didn’t jump on my wheel I don’t know. Maybe because they were doing 20mph or they were tired. Who cares. Secondly, I need to take advantage on the downhill section. 30mph at 300 watts is not enough.

If you don’t get the distance it’s just not going to work. I kept looking at my power #s and thinking “don’t blow up just yet, you still have another lap to go.” The fact is…who cares if you blow up. If you don’t then you didn’t go hard enough. It’s first or nothing. Granted, I should have known what distance and time I could hold it for. 2.4 miles was a LONG ways, and a 350 watt average isn’t going to cut it. No way Jose! But this is part of the learning process.

I could honestly say it was my first real and actual attempt at a break-away. It was planned but not really, well sort of. 2 laps left and everyone slowed-up. You sit and think around too much and the opportunity can disappear in an instant.

Next time…who knows. Next time I’ll be prepared (train myself) to hold 400 watts for 4 minutes, hell, for 5 minutes. I can’t sit and say I would have attacked later, because an attack later would really be expected. The sprinters near the front, everyone is just waiting for it.

Anyways, the numbers and graph is below.

Decided to play with the find function and see what would come up. CyclingPeaks calls each of the little yellow sections a “Find”. Hunter and Coggan call them matches. For me: efforts above 400 watts anywhere between 10 and 20 seconds duration. Basically, wasted energy if you ask me. Hell…on one of them I even hit 1000 watts. Where I was sprinting to or going don’t ask. But it was NOT on the initial attack for the breakaway. Go figure.

Maybe I’m just an idiot when it comes to racing and I have a lot to learn. Or maybe I just needed a pair of 808s. =]

Race:
Duration:      42:53
Work:          623 kJ
TSS:           77 (intensity factor 1.039)
Norm Power:    288
VI:            1.19
Distance:      17.866 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    1032    243     watts
Heart rate:      118    201    171     bpm
Cadence:         28    136    90     rpm
Speed:           0    31.9    25.0     mph
Pace             1:53    0:00    2:24     min/mi
Hub Torque:      0    253    64     lb-in
Crank Torque:    0    928    225     lb-in

Find #1 (481w):
Duration:      0:10
Work:          5 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      364 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           195    676    481     watts
Heart rate:      169    180    177     bpm
Cadence:         66    118    106     rpm
Speed:           23.1    25.9    24.2     mph
Pace             2:19    2:36    2:29     min/mi
Hub Torque:      55    176    130     lb-in
Crank Torque:    250    492    375     lb-in

Find #2 (648w):
Duration:      0:11
Work:          7 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      440 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           254    1032    648     watts
Heart rate:      n/a    n/a    n/a     bpm
Cadence:         61    116    101     rpm
Speed:           24.3    30    26.3     mph
Pace             1:60    2:28    2:17     min/mi
Hub Torque:      69    253    158     lb-in
Crank Torque:    337    846    529     lb-in

Find #3 (610w):
Duration:      0:10
Work:          6 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      384 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           192    897    610     watts
Heart rate:      168    168    168     bpm
Cadence:         78    111    98     rpm
Speed:           23.4    29.5    26.3     mph
Pace             2:02    2:34    2:17     min/mi
Hub Torque:      54    229    153     lb-in
Crank Torque:    181    721    512     lb-in

Find #4 (643w):
Duration:      0:18
Work:          11 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      728 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           356    796    643     watts
Heart rate:      n/a    n/a    n/a     bpm
Cadence:         89    100    96     rpm
Speed:           22.6    31.4    28.0     mph
Pace             1:55    2:39    2:09     min/mi
Hub Torque:      104    195    152     lb-in
Crank Torque:    338    715    562     lb-in

Find #5 (636w):
Duration:      0:10
Work:          6 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      364 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           328    838    636     watts
Heart rate:      n/a    n/a    n/a     bpm
Cadence:         80    96    88     rpm
Speed:           22.9    28    25.1     mph
Pace             2:08    2:37    2:24     min/mi
Hub Torque:      95    217    167     lb-in
Crank Torque:    315    833    612     lb-in

Find #6 (533w):
Duration:      0:11
Work:          6 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      400 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           278    627    533     watts
Heart rate:      162    162    162     bpm
Cadence:         61    108    93     rpm
Speed:           21.4    26.5    23.8     mph
Pace             2:16    2:48    2:31     min/mi
Hub Torque:      86    175    148     lb-in
Crank Torque:    385    587    485     lb-in

Find #7 (575w):
Duration:      0:14
Work:          8 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      522 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           342    776    575     watts
Heart rate:      169    169    169     bpm
Cadence:         88    100    95     rpm
Speed:           25.2    26.7    25.9     mph
Pace             2:15    2:23    2:19     min/mi
Hub Torque:      88    194    146     lb-in
Crank Torque:    311    682    512     lb-in

Find #8 (719w):
Duration:      0:15
Work:          11 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      591 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           466    901    719     watts
Heart rate:      n/a    n/a    n/a     bpm
Cadence:         82    96    88     rpm
Speed:           23.1    29.3    26.2     mph
Pace             2:03    2:36    2:17     min/mi
Hub Torque:      133    243    181     lb-in
Crank Torque:    433    928    691     lb-in

Find #9 (651w):
Duration:      0:21
Work:          14 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      873 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           77    895    651     watts
Heart rate:      169    169    169     bpm
Cadence:         68    100    91     rpm
Speed:           25.1    30    28.0     mph
Pace             1:60    2:23    2:09     min/mi
Hub Torque:      20    206    152     lb-in
Crank Torque:    96    850    596     lb-in

Break-Away:
Duration:      3:56
Work:          81 kJ
TSS:           10.4 (intensity factor 1.259)
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      1.721 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    584    342     watts
Heart rate:      173    196    183     bpm
Cadence:         51    105    91     rpm
Speed:           20.8    31.9    26.3     mph
Pace             1:53    2:53    2:17     min/mi
Hub Torque:      0    176    87     lb-in
Crank Torque:    0    509    318     lb-in

Entire workout (212 watts):
Duration:      59:56 (1:06:08)
Work:          759 kJ
TSS:           96.1 (intensity factor 0.984)
Norm Power:    273
VI:            1.28
Distance:      22.548 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    1032    212     watts
Heart rate:      63    201    157     bpm
Cadence:         28    141    90     rpm
Speed:           0    31.9    22.6     mph
Pace             1:53    0:00    2:39     min/mi
Hub Torque:      0    253    60     lb-in
Crank Torque:    0    928    197     lb-in

Peak 5s (969 watts):
Duration:      0:05
Work:          5 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      207 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           921    1032    969     watts
Heart rate:      n/a    n/a    n/a     bpm
Cadence:         103    116    110     rpm
Speed:           26.9    30    28.6     mph
Pace             1:60    2:14    2:06     min/mi
Hub Torque:      204    253    224     lb-in
Crank Torque:    675    846    746     lb-in

Peak 10s (835 watts):
Duration:      0:10
Work:          8 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      427 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           792    895    835     watts
Heart rate:      n/a    n/a    n/a     bpm
Cadence:         89    94    93     rpm
Speed:           28.7    30    29.5     mph
Pace             1:60    2:05    2:02     min/mi
Hub Torque:      176    206    187     lb-in
Crank Torque:    720    850    762     lb-in

Peak 20s (717 watts):
Duration:      0:20
Work:          14 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      830 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           223    895    717     watts
Heart rate:      169    169    169     bpm
Cadence:         85    100    94     rpm
Speed:           25.6    30    28.4     mph
Pace             1:60    2:21    2:07     min/mi
Hub Torque:      54    206    165     lb-in
Crank Torque:    190    850    646     lb-in

Peak 30s (605 watts):
Duration:      0:30
Work:          18 kJ
TSS:           4 (intensity factor 2.182)
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      0.233 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    895    605     watts
Heart rate:      169    169    169     bpm
Cadence:         70    100    93     rpm
Speed:           25.1    30    27.9     mph
Pace             1:60    2:23    2:09     min/mi
Hub Torque:      0    206    142     lb-in
Crank Torque:    0    850    551     lb-in

Peak 1min (411 watts):
Duration:      1:00
Work:          25 kJ
TSS:           3.5 (intensity factor 1.451)
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      0.47 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           212    582    411     watts
Heart rate:      183    184    184     bpm
Cadence:         84    103    94     rpm
Speed:           24.2    31.9    28.0     mph
Pace             1:53    2:29    2:08     min/mi
Hub Torque:      48    159    98     lb-in
Crank Torque:    196    509    371     lb-in

Peak 2min (369 watts):
Duration:      2:01
Work:          45 kJ
TSS:           6.2 (intensity factor 1.358)
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      0.924 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    584    369     watts
Heart rate:      183    196    187     bpm
Cadence:         51    105    92     rpm
Speed:           20.8    31.9    27.5     mph
Pace             1:53    2:53    2:11     min/mi
Hub Torque:      0    176    90     lb-in
Crank Torque:    0    509    338     lb-in

Peak 5min (315 watts):
Duration:      5:01
Work:          95 kJ
TSS:           11.8 (intensity factor 1.187)
Norm Power:    329
VI:            1.04
Distance:      2.217 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    936    315     watts
Heart rate:      172    185    181     bpm
Cadence:         81    118    92     rpm
Speed:           21.7    31.9    26.5     mph
Pace             1:53    2:46    2:16     min/mi
Hub Torque:      0    206    79     lb-in
Crank Torque:    0    732    289     lb-in

Peak 10min (289 watts):
Duration:      10:04
Work:          173 kJ
TSS:           21.6 (intensity factor 1.138)
Norm Power:    315
VI:            1.09
Distance:      4.274 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    895    289     watts
Heart rate:      163    196    177     bpm
Cadence:         45    109    90     rpm
Speed:           0    31.9    25.5     mph
Pace             1:53    0:00    2:21     min/mi
Hub Torque:      0    206    74     lb-in
Crank Torque:    0    850    270     lb-in

Peak 20min (252 watts):
Duration:      20:05
Work:          303 kJ
TSS:           39.3 (intensity factor 1.085)
Norm Power:    301
VI:            1.19
Distance:      8.482 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    936    252     watts
Heart rate:      157    200    173     bpm
Cadence:         39    118    90     rpm
Speed:           0    31.9    25.3     mph
Pace             1:53    0:00    2:22     min/mi
Hub Torque:      0    243    65     lb-in
Crank Torque:    0    928    235     lb-in

Peak 30min (244 watts):
Duration:      30:06
Work:          440 kJ
TSS:           55.6 (intensity factor 1.054)
Norm Power:    292
VI:            1.19
Distance:      12.527 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    901    244     watts
Heart rate:      157    201    171     bpm
Cadence:         28    133    89     rpm
Speed:           0    31.9    25.0     mph
Pace             1:53    0:00    2:24     min/mi
Hub Torque:      0    243    64     lb-in
Crank Torque:    0    928    229     lb-in

Pace #1:
Duration:      9:09
Work:          151 kJ
TSS:           15.2 (intensity factor 0.997)
Norm Power:    276
VI:            1
Distance:      3.939 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    492    275     watts
Heart rate:      118    182    172     bpm
Cadence:         31    119    103     rpm
Speed:           8.3    28.8    25.8     mph
Pace             2:05    7:12    2:19     min/mi

Spin-Up:
Duration:      3:42
Work:          36 kJ
TSS:           2.3 (intensity factor 0.605)
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      1.153 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    259    164     watts
Heart rate:      106    172    156     bpm
Cadence:         71    134    123     rpm
Speed:           10.7    21.5    18.7     mph
Pace             2:47    5:37    3:13     min/mi

Pace #2:
Duration:      6:12
Work:          101 kJ
TSS:           12.2 (intensity factor 1.085)
Norm Power:    300
VI:            1.11
Distance:      2.632 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    526    271     watts
Heart rate:      146    178    167     bpm
Cadence:         29    114    98     rpm
Speed:           19.3    32.1    25.5     mph
Pace             1:52    3:06    2:21     min/mi

Build-Up:
Duration:      1:27
Work:          30 kJ
TSS:           4 (intensity factor 1.288)
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      0.498 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           168    605    340     watts
Heart rate:      114    179    156     bpm
Cadence:         99    110    104     rpm
Speed:           19    23    20.6     mph
Pace             2:37    3:10    2:55     min/mi

Entire workout (140 watts):
Duration:      1:21:27 (1:23:26)
Work:          686 kJ
TSS:           77.7 (intensity factor 0.757)
Norm Power:    210
VI:            1.49
Distance:      23.859 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    605    140     watts
Heart rate:      0    182    135     bpm
Cadence:         29    134    96     rpm
Speed:           0    32.1    17.6     mph
Pace             1:52    0:00    3:25     min/mi

Peak 5s (545 watts):
Duration:      0:06
Work:          3 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      201 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           484    605    545     watts
Heart rate:      173    176    175     bpm
Cadence:         104    104    104     rpm
Speed:           22.7    23    22.8     mph
Pace             2:37    2:39    2:38     min/mi

Peak 10s (524 watts):
Duration:      0:12
Work:          6 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      401 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           484    605    524     watts
Heart rate:      173    179    175     bpm
Cadence:         104    104    104     rpm
Speed:           22.6    23    22.8     mph
Pace             2:37    2:39    2:38     min/mi

Peak 20s (495 watts):
Duration:      0:21
Work:          10 kJ
TSS:           n/a
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      692 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           430    605    495     watts
Heart rate:      173    179    174     bpm
Cadence:         101    108    104     rpm
Speed:           21.7    23    22.5     mph
Pace             2:37    2:46    2:40     min/mi

Peak 30s (467 watts):
Duration:      0:30
Work:          14 kJ
TSS:           2.4 (intensity factor 1.686)
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      975 ft
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           386    605    467     watts
Heart rate:      170    179    174     bpm
Cadence:         101    108    105     rpm
Speed:           21.3    23    22.2     mph
Pace             2:37    2:49    2:43     min/mi

Peak 1min (424 watts):
Duration:      1:00
Work:          25 kJ
TSS:           4.1 (intensity factor 1.572)
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      0.501 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           314    523    424     watts
Heart rate:      158    178    169     bpm
Cadence:         90    110    95     rpm
Speed:           24.5    32.1    30.1     mph
Pace             1:52    2:27    1:60     min/mi

Peak 2min (313 watts):
Duration:      2:00
Work:          38 kJ
TSS:           5.6 (intensity factor 1.292)
Norm Power:    n/a
VI:            n/a
Distance:      0.868 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    523    313     watts
Heart rate:      136    178    157     bpm
Cadence:         90    114    99     rpm
Speed:           19.8    32.1    26.0     mph
Pace             1:52    3:02    2:18     min/mi

Peak 5min (280 watts):
Duration:      5:00
Work:          84 kJ
TSS:           8.3 (intensity factor 1)
Norm Power:    277
VI:            0.99
Distance:      2.169 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           166    492    280     watts
Heart rate:      125    177    170     bpm
Cadence:         62    115    103     rpm
Speed:           15.4    28.8    26.0     mph
Pace             2:05    3:54    2:18     min/mi

Peak 10min (254 watts):
Duration:      10:00
Work:          153 kJ
TSS:           15.8 (intensity factor 0.975)
Norm Power:    270
VI:            1.06
Distance:      4.159 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    492    254     watts
Heart rate:      125    182    170     bpm
Cadence:         52    119    103     rpm
Speed:           13    28.8    25.0     mph
Pace             2:05    4:36    2:24     min/mi

Peak 20min (186 watts):
Duration:      20:00 (20:29)
Work:          223 kJ
TSS:           26.3 (intensity factor 0.888)
Norm Power:    246
VI:            1.32
Distance:      6.434 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    605    186     watts
Heart rate:      0    179    141     bpm
Cadence:         29    114    95     rpm
Speed:           0    32.1    19.3     mph
Pace             1:52    0:00    3:06     min/mi

Peak 30min (174 watts):
Duration:      30:00 (30:37)
Work:          312 kJ
TSS:           32 (intensity factor 0.8)
Norm Power:    222
VI:            1.28
Distance:      10.31 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    492    174     watts
Heart rate:      0    182    145     bpm
Cadence:         31    119    98     rpm
Speed:           0    29.6    20.6     mph
Pace             2:02    0:00    2:55     min/mi

Peak 60min (149 watts):
Duration:      1:00:00 (1:01:22)
Work:          535 kJ
TSS:           60.9 (intensity factor 0.781)
Norm Power:    216
VI:            1.45
Distance:      17.774 mi
Min    Max    Avg
Power:           0    605    149     watts
Heart rate:      0    182    136     bpm
Cadence:         29    134    96     rpm
Speed:           0    32.1    17.8     mph
Pace             1:52    0:00    3:23     min/mi

This weekend was the Dutch County PA Stage Race (point-based) in the Gap/Lancaster area, some 2.5 hours away. It was “supposed” to be a novice-type race, with only Category 4 and 5’s attending. Not to compare or take away from Fitchburg, but a similar scenario pans-out with end-of-season stage races - quite a few sand-bagging Cat4’s show up.

Of particular interest were these 2 Bolivian guys. One in the Cat 4 the other in the Cat 5s. They completely crushed/shattered/blazed each race, with the Cat4 taking 1st, 2nd, and 1st respectively in the Road, TT and Crit. Also of greater interest, his Bolivian jersey had rainbow stripes, a’la Bettini. Hmm? Is this guy really a Cat 4? (More to follow.)

The first stage was a 45 mile road race, around a 5-mile loop give or take, with a few rollers nothing spectacularly challenging. Not really what I would call a road race per se due to the loopy-esque aspect of the course and the number of turns. No selection. Frustrating at best. Nothing particularly exciting. Very difficult to move around, attack, get away with 90+ riders following yellow-line rules. I managed to stay up near the front, cover a few attacks, and even test the legs on a roller. I was sitting pretty a few miles from the finish when all of a sudden swarmed from both sides there’s nowhere to go. The officials refused to open the road for the final 1k and you could already imagine the ensuing chaos. Bolivian-striped guy jumps from 1k out and forget it. Everyone lets up and again, since it’s yellow line rules there’s nothing much one can do. I roll in 33rd.

The TT on Sunday was much better - a 7.5 miler with a few rollers and a nice climb midway through, followed by a 45mph downhill and a nice punch to the finish. I had determined this would be my race for the taking.

I started out feeling pretty good. (Don’t we all.) HR under control. The idea was to keep it under control through midway, hit the climb hard and let it all hang out, balls to the wall from then out. I knew the hill would be the deal-maker/breaker. I caught my 30 second man within a few minutes so I was definitely on track. 2 guys were subsequently caught on the ‘hill’ and another on the final stretch. The climb might have cost me some watts in the end but I figured it was energy well spent. I couldn’t let this race come down to seconds, as has been the case in many a races before. (15 seconds dividing 1st through 6th as happened at Readington, not in my favor.)

Crossed the line feeling pretty good, not to mention 4 guys were passed. Time was around low 17s, only averaged 290 watts. Maybe my wattage dropped due to drop in weight to 145lbs. Who knows.

Funny thing was after the TT. People kept staring at me, as if from another planet. “Man! You looked fast, what was your time?” they would ask. “I don’t know, not quite sure.” (I always try to keep my time quiet and to myself, lest I get pre-excited only to find out my SRM was off as often happens.) “What kind of helmet is that, Spook, never heard of it?” (Spiuk). “Are you a Doctor?” “Are you the guy that passed 11 people?” One guy even came up and said that the race coordinators could not believe my time. “Yes, that was his time. He passed me and I started 1:30min before him” he told them. “Can I look at your bike?” I guess they’ve never seen a P3, let alone an SRM, a disc and a long-sleeve skinsuit? Absolutely hilarious!

At the end of the day, it was the fastest time out there. I actually beat the Bolivian!

This is where it gets interesting. After each race, people would go upto the Bolivian (his name was Yamil and he’s 25yrs now.) and start asking him questions. Problem was “I noh speaky inglish” was all he could muster. Here’s how it works in Bolivia after speaking with him - there are NO categories like in the US. You either ride in the under 23yrs old, or over 23yrs old. You could be riding with pros or less-than-pros. It doesn’t matter. When they come to the U.S., he tells me, they have no idea what category they belong in, and since there’s no record of their previous races, they stick them in the cat4/5 races. Furthermore, after additional inquiries, he rides for the Bolivian National team. He was training for the Pan-Am race next weekend in Brazil. How does he pay for all of this? The Bolivian government pays it all. Must be nice I tell him. He laughs.

In Bolivia he tells me, they train/ride year round at 4000 ft. “Puro montaña” he says. (Pure hills.) He has a coach of course. Does a LOT of hill-work. They specifically target 1k sprint work, on the hills. Once a week he does a 4-5hr ride, with the majority of his rides being in the 2-3hr range. Power meter, fancy wheels, light equipment? Forget it. He rides an older alum Eddy Merckx, with bomb-proof open pros. At any rate, I thought it was interesting.

The crit was nothing spectacular. I had no interest and had it been for Dave being there, I could have cared less. Not sure where I finished nor did I care. Not sure where I ended up in GC either.

Ralf did pretty well over-all, taking 10th place in pretty much every race.

Up next…Owasco!

It’s easy to sit here and type when you have an awesome workout, a new 5-min max, place in the top 10, or pounce a TT, all out, legs feeling good, breathing just right. Very easy to post when all goes well. Not so easy when the opposite happens.

At any rate…

All or nothing…that’s exactly what I went for at the Rocky Hill Cycling Classic. I had told myself it would be strictly a training race. How quickly one learns that 50+ miles at race pace are completely different than 50 miles at endurance/training pace. I am still internally debating if I should be bummed-out, upset, depressed or maybe even confident after Saturday’s race.

As discussed before, going into a race with an established mind-set AND executing…sometimes doesn’t happen. Do I attack, maybe blow up and potentially come in last? Or do I sit, wait and settle for a top 30th position with the probability of a crash? Truth is, when I think about it, there’s no difference. Either way you slice it, there’s no prizes, upgrade points, or glory. Very easy to sit in, wait it out and do nothing. Not so easy to actually go for it, all or nothing. Don’t believe me, try it some day.

The course: ~10 mile loop. Specified as a road race, but more like a crit if you ask me. A few rollers at the beginning, 7.5 miles in a short climb followed by a false-flat and then a nice little pitch…a solid 5-min effort from bottom to top, immediately followed by a fast descent and then a 2% grade to the finish.

The plan was to get in the front and try to set a solid pace to string things out before the climb. On first lap, for first 5 miles a pace car lead us out. No problem, just sat and drafted the car. Car disappears and off we go. Hit the first climb and like it wasn’t there, blazing up the climb. I swear, all the strong riders that WEREN’T at Fitchburg were here! Really strong cat 4s if you ask me. Or maybe a lot of strong cat 3s. Either way, I managed to hang on no problem, got as aero as possible and stayed within bike-length of the pack as we descended 45mph.

I look around and everyone’s still there. Maybe 1 person dropped, due to a mechanical issue or something. I could sense it was going to be a sprinters race if something wasn’t done.

2nd lap…the pace slows up over the speed-bumps, even slower over the 2nd turn and then again on the rollers. I move up to 3rd slot around the turns.  On one of the rollers, million questions through my head. Should I wait? What if no one comes with me? Is it the right thing to do?

I jump. “There he goes!” someone yells. No one responds. I didn’t want to blowup, as I knew it was a long 3 miles to the hill. If I could just make it to the hill, up and over, I could stand a chance. I hit the right-hander, over the bridge and again another ride and now down Canal road strait shot. I remember the first time we came down Canal…we were doing 23mph give or take. I must have gotten a good 20 seconds, alone for a good 3 miles before a guy bridges up, ALONE. Dammit! “Are you with them back there?” “Yeah!” (No schit Einstein!) He’s not breathing well either. I’m pulling at 25mph. He takes a pull, down to 23mph. This isn’t going to work, he’s not strong enough I tell myself.

Hoping one of the Hermes/WBI guys would bridge up. Maybe it was an empty hope, who knows. I pace myself up the hill as to not completely blow it. The fun ends and they catch me mid-way up the false-flat. I manage to hang on, though I could feel the 10min effort would cost me, especially so early.

The remainder of the race was painful to say the least. I think Landino flatted and another teammate might have popped as well. Coming on the last lap I was barely hanging on. I can’t really explain what happened. I wasn’t winded. Legs felt great. Just not quite sure. One of those blurry moments. A gap of 20 feet opened up and slowly but surely it kept increasing. I was done.

Battled with myself as I came upto the final climb. Do I just drop out, do I keep going. What’s the difference it’s all training. I muster up the final climb, bomb downhill and finish. A rough day to say the least.

Maybe it was a good thing who knows. After talking with a few people, it might have worked out safer, being that my 2 A races (both stage races) are coming up. There were several crashes on the final climb, people just falling over no reason whatsoever. The final sprint was sketchy.

Big congratulations to LJ (Jeff Johnson) who placed 7th, though he says the race could have been his for the taking. Apparently he was sitting in the 2nd or 3rd slot behind a Colavita guy that decided to slow down. Next thing someone’s pedal hits his leg, forcing him to sit-up. He managed to hold it and grab a few spots in the final meters.

Next time…who knows what I’d do next time.

Despite the miss-hap, still feeling great. I’m actually feeling confident. Looking back, I managed to stay away for a good 10mins, 4-ish miles. Who knows, maybe I can start attacking from 2 miles out now, 350watts tt to the end. On a shorter course? who knows what would happen. This could be the start of something good.
Here’s the graph…and the numbers.

Climb #1:
Duration: 4:37
Distance: 1.409 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 771 318 watts
Heart rate: 172 184 179 bpm

Breakaway:
Duration: 10:43
Distance: 4.385 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 689 281 watts
Heart rate: 168 183 177 bpm

Climb #2:
Duration: 5:01
Distance: 1.411 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 624 298 watts
Heart rate: 169 181 177 bpm

Climb #3:
Duration: 4:33
Distance: 1.401 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 680 312 watts
Heart rate: 162 180 175 bpm

Climb #4:
Duration: 4:45
Distance: 1.435 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 772 317 watts
Heart rate: 152 179 174 bpm

Climb #5:
Duration: 6:13
Distance: 1.42 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 44 531 249 watts
Heart rate: 156 171 165 bpm

Entire workout (228 watts):
Duration: 2:19:48 (2:22:53)
Work: 1873 kJ
TSS: 210.2 (intensity factor 0.96)
Norm Power: 266
VI: 1.17
Distance: 52.058 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 772 228 watts
Heart rate: 97 184 166 bpm
Cadence: 23 141 86 rpm
Speed: 0 44.9 22.3 mph
Pace 1:20 0:00 2:41 min/mi
Hub Torque: 0 462 73 lb-in
Crank Torque: 0 929 226 lb-in