The Race of Truth

There is no hiding in a time trial. Time seems to slow down. You can slow things down in this busy world where things move too fast. I had the goal of riding sub 30 minutes in a 20 kilometer flat course. I did not pass that goal but I clocked 30 minutes 48 seconds. I was reassured by multiple age group BBC time trial record setter Larry Read that anything with a 30 or below is good in a 20 k time trial. So my average speed was about 24.5 mph. I was doing about 26-27 mph for the first 5-7 minutes then about 25 for the next 7-10 and about 23 for the last 15 minutes. I ramped up my speed to about 27 mph for the last 2-3 minutes. A steady 25 mph would have been an improvement.

Irode this time trial at teh BBC Akron race on 08/31

A Few Local Race Reports from the Past Two Weeks

08/12/08 6:45 pm Holland Speedway

At the track I proved that I am indeed a pursuit racer. I’ve been told by Frank Mesi that I have a pursuit style when I bridge gradually rather than like a sprint. So, we prepared to pursuit. I asked a guy from Harvard if he wanted to compete. I told him that my name is Neon Thunder and I’m here to win lol no I really didn’t say that but I wanted to. We did 4 laps of about a 200-300 meter race track. I told myself that if I started fast I could get out front and stay there. I did put it in the 53 – 23 stood up and road out fast. My pace backed off a little but I clearly won.

Thursday 08/14/08 7:10 pm at Erie Community College Criterium Local Race

I was in a pack of about 20 racers. The bell had rung for a preem. Everyone had slowed to watch each other and try to get the best wheel. It was as if their engines have stalled. I’ve raced this scenario before and I know I have sprinted away from the pack on the back stretch and stayed away for a preem on more than one occasion. That’s when I said to myself, you can go, you can go. I went off the front and I noticed I had a good gap going into the two corners then there’s about 300 meters to the finish. In the corners I thought they’re going to catch me here these A racers are fast in the corners, keep yourself fast and smooth in these corners. Then I decided that was enough doubts, that their going to catch me talk is what people who fear losing think. So, I put my head down didn’t look back and went as fast as I could. I scored first place in that preem.

At the finish I sprinted fast enough to stay in front of the other B racers but did not contest the A racers. Then I found out that during the race they decided to scratch the B points, bummer.

08/19/08 at the Holland Speedway

Once again my pursuit like abilities were shown in an Italian Team Pursuit at the track. I went really fast when I pulled through and got a lot of credit for our teams victory. Then in the show down final I was chosen to lead out for a lap a the start. I lead out really fast but the other team was slightly ahead so our other guys picked up the pace and we won again.

Thursday Night Criterium Race Report

Local training race report... this is where cyclist gain an edge on other racers by training while racing.

The minimal amount of B racers were combined with the A racers. B racer where are you? Come out and play!

The first preem went to Dave Bisenius as he slipped by the pack on the far right side.

The first break away attempt was eventually caught after about 3 laps. Dave Bisenius nearly bridged to that group and would have likely helped them to maintain their break.

As B racers were dropped I became the last of the B racers.

Some A racers were dropped too. With only ten racers left racing I had earned contention for a top ten place and to be awarded points.

Mike Bridges and Joe Halter broke away and stayed away.

Ken Thomas made an attack into the last lap to shatter the group and race to 3 rd place and first in the field sprint. He also sprinted to earn a 3 rd place preem point.

I passed 3 racers who let up on the last lap and then sprinted all I could to try to catch the 4 th 5 th and 6th place racers. I placed 7th and scored 4 points. Chris Cej scored a 1st place preem and was 9 th overall and Ben Willis scored some points in 10th place. This race performance was really great for my confidence.

Race Night at the NASCAR Track

race While riding my bike about 10 miles to the track I felt that my legs were less than ready to race due to the effort from this weekends races. So, I did what I know works for me…that’s stretching. At the track I stretched then rode stretched then rode…I started to feel ready. I stretched mostly my quadriceps for a total of about 8 minutes! I once learned that stretching helps circulation by pulling on muscles and pushing blood away from muscles and then when relaxed more blood comes back.

I raced smart by coming into each sprint in about 5 th to 7 th place in the lead bunch who were “faster than the rest”. We did heats and raced in groups according to our finishes. Then we did a 20 lap race with all the elite racers. At about mid race I became excited and went with a break. While in that break a preem lap went on and I may have scored some points as I was in 3^rd. I was caught after about 4 laps then was dropped. I rode as fast as I could for the remaining laps and finished strong. I didn’t get to see who finished in top 5.

Jim C. from our Team Wachovia Securities Cycling placed well and earned the right to be in the faster heat. Teammate Dave B. was also there to talk with before the race. He represented the team well with a courageous attack with about 2 laps to go in the first heat which was loaded with top racers.

7/26 Grandview Crit and 7/27 Altoona Crit

Saturday at the Grandview Criterium

This race day was hot. The temps were high and the pace was roaring.

In the 3/4 race Ken and Andy stayed with the pack. That means they were riding super fast. Ken reported that he was at about 180 bpm the entire race and felt like he was maxing out the whole duration. Ken and Andy were 14th and 15th th in the field sprint out of about 60 riders. I got dropped into a chase group about 5 laps in and was pulled at only mid-race. My legs weren’t responding to the demands of racing. They felt sore stiff and tired. I had two difficult training weeks and maybe a few days of tapering was not enough.

Sunday at the Altoona Criterium

The race started with a moment of silence for a race a race promoter that passed on. And there was a church next to the course. There’s more to life than just bike racing, and more life to bike racing when you’re on bikes with great people and are good to people, and ride with a good heart.

Andy was in good position the entire race behind wheels and not expending excess energy.

Ken must be smart because he stayed out of the wind all race then moved up near the front with about 3 to go. The race commentator talked about Ken of Wachovia Securities Cycling who was saving energy in the pack and likely specializes in sprints so watch him at the finish…

Mike was up near the front most of the race. He helped chase some breaks. That was a fine strategy to keep our guys in contention.

There were a few breaks that were caught.

The group is together as they come into the last lap. Here’s the first racer through the finishing corner…and now the rest of the pack…he has a gap. The pack is looking uber fast through the corner… oh no there’s a pile up near the hay bales. Ken has an excellent position in about 3 rd spot on the right side with Mike separated by only one racer…they have a mini lead out train. Ken is passing to the right of a racer. Mike moved to the left of them as he may have been boxed in otherwise. Where’s Andy? Oh no there was that pile up. Ken approaches the second place racer and this is close to the finish...they nearly catch the first place rider. Mike is neck and neck with the guy that Ken passed. Across the line Ken is third distanced from second by only inches… they nearly caught the leader. Mike did edge out that guy on the other side of the road for fourth place.

Unfortunately, Andy’s tire rolled of the rim and thus a pile up formed. Only road rash and bruising happened. Bummer, that crash happened near the front so Andy was in good position.

In the 4/5 race there were surges and slow downs. The accelerations after corners got to me. My legs did not have much zest. Eating pasta instead of salmon the night before may have helped. The pack split… I was with a chase group. I bridged with a strong sprint to the lead group. Then the chase group caught up again. Basically the same racers and I got dropped into a chase group again…we must have had lesser fitness. We sprinted at the finish. The other racers waited so long I questioned if we would sprint. So I went alone up the right side. I almost held them off but one or two passed. With some tough track racing and Thursday crits coming up my fitness should improve.

put 1 in the race win column for local races

At the start of the race I realized my sprint juices were likely drained from Tuesday Night at the track…so I planned to quench my thirst for race performance by making a break-away happen. I thought of a statement made by a racer from a similar race two seasons ago… “there’s a mixed group here today”…yes there was… I’m pretty sure all the racers in the B race of the local Thursday Criterium were on different teams or unattached. This means they may not work well together to catch breaks. So after 5 neutral laps near the front of the pack I broke away into the head wind on the first race lap. There was a 3 place deep preem awarded so I won that. I’ve played rabbit before and here I went again. From what I heard afterward the pack thought they’d let me stay out there and drain my energy. This rabbit doesn’t fall asleep under a tree. I started to feel more like a stallion because of the max power that I was putting out. I felt the urge to stay ahead and put my effort in to staying smooth and fast and cornering faster than the rest. I settled in very fast and felt a rhythm. I could look across the course and see certain riders making efforts to catch. Among them, an up and coming junior rider, a former collegiate runner who really picking things up within 10 to go, and a talented at time trials lady. I focused on staying away but there were some concerns I had about not getting enough recovery for the finish if they caught me.

After about 25 laps of 1 kilometer each…I put up my arms straight up nonchalantly with a modest smile as I crossed the line. The sweet taste of victory!

Tuesday Night at the Track

Super high paced race stuff here today. I did some training in the off season to ride for as long as I could at 30 mph. This was evident in my flying lap time that was amoung the A racer caliber times. Hurah! Trying to stay with the A pack was challenging. I don’t have a spiffy power meter but according to feeling that was my best effort for training for this season.

I talked with some riders, felt some soft white bar tape, and stated my goals for this weekend at NYS Road Race championships. When asked if I'd be at NYS RR Champs, I told my good friend that "yeah", "I'm going to max out", she laughed. Lol