I'm Super Weak; An Update

It seems that legs alone are not enough to get you through a SuperWeek race. I'm stronger than I've ever been, but I'm not even shooting .500 in terms of finishing.

To keep this short, here's a synopsis of what I need to do in order to improve. Quite simply, I need to learn how to move up through the field, and maintain my position. I'

m not a Cat3 anymore, nor are SuperWeek races the normal Cat1/2 races with 60 guys. I can't just muscle my way up along the sides simply by being faster than other people. I can only make so many of the efforts necessary to do that sort of thing at SuperWeek pace.

There is one good thing about being a bottom feeder in SuperWeek races: if you survive, you get one hell of a workout. I'm sure tomorrow will be another example of this, and I'll have my PT wheel on board to get some data. I wouldn't be surprised if my best 2hr average power was 300w or more (I do believe that is the only power figure I've ever thrown out on this blog). Having started or re-started at the front a couple of times, I know that it's discernibly easier up there. So, while I'm not exactly happy about being a non-factor in just about every race, it's not all bad.

Anyways, here's a sweet picture of me being packfodder at Evanston:

Getting Legs. Finally.

If you're reading this blog, you probably know how I/my team did last weekend. Josh Carter won both crits, and the team rode very well as a whole.

However, for most of the year, I've been pack fodder; sitting 50+ back the entire race, not doing a damn thing aside from dragging people up to the front from time to time.

Well, I decided that that isn't the most effective use of my time, and if I'm not going to RACE my bike, well, I might as well not show up to the races. So, last Sunday, I put in a couple of digs. Didn't get too far each time, but I got a feel for the effort.

Today, I put in a couple of digs. About 4 of them, actually. Got away for two+ laps twice, before people starting skipping turns, the pace dipped, and people eventually welded the field back up to the break.

I also did a good amount of chasing and blocking today. I'm not going to lie; seeing the look on someone's face when you drag the field back up to their last ditch, 100% effort is priceless. And, while I'm not promoting negative racing, I have to get my jollies when and where I can, and ruining someone elses chances while increasing my team mates' is pretty fun. Obviously, I'd rather have my own attack stick and get a top 10 spot that way, but if chasing and having a teammate counter over the top brings us the results, I'll take that too. Seeing both Brett and Steve get a nice result from their respective counter-attacks was definitely cool. Hopefully I can start making moves of my own stick soon.

Maybe pics from Peoria. Maybe not.

Winghaven and Sherman Park

I can summarize my Tour de Winghaven in one word: Dehydration.

A more in depth, yet brief synopsis of my "race", though. It was 75mi, or 25 laps around a new, trendy neighborhood in suburban StL. I didn't drink enough water. I went with the first attack to get 10s up the road. My legs felt funny. Funny as in they didn't hurt despite the effort. Shortly after, I began shivering. I dropped out 7 or 8 laps into the race.

Fin.

Sherman Park:

I rode the first two laps of today's race at the front, just warming up. And when I say the front, I don't mean killing it. I mean riding at 22mph, and everyone else was lazy enough to just ride along behind without, God help them, attack.

After that, real attacks started, and I was able to initiate or cover everything that moved. This was a 90min race, so I was careful to save my matches and not do too much work, too early. It worked out pretty well. While I missed the first group of 6 or 7 guys that went up the road, I got in a pretty decent chase group after that. I was alarmed when I heard that the lead group lapped the field, and shortly after that, people began attacking the break/chase, out of boredom, interest in going faster to catch the field, or just to get out of the group. I took a couple of good digs, and got rid of some people who weren't pulling their share of the load. Most notably the kid from SCW whose bike was worth more than my car. I giggled when I looked back and saw that.

About 70min in, like the first signs of the sun after a stormy night, we saw the tail end of the main field. I was interested in reaching the field, in order to put myself a lap up and give myself a shot at the money. So, I hammered. WE hammered. People who hadn't done much for good portions of the race suddenly came back to life, and oddly, I'm happy about that. Not that we wouldn't have reached the back of the field eventually; I felt very strong and probably could have worked like that for another 30-45min (good sign for SuperWeek), but a lap in the bunch is a lap that I get to recover and reload for the eventual bunch kick.

In the end, the bunch slowed down to about 20mph for a couple of laps. As the lap counter hit 3 to go, more people became interested in what was happening at the front of the race. At 2 to go, bicycle racers started taking chances. I told Tim Keeley, ABD teammate and training partner, to barrel down the outside between turns 3 and 4 on the last lap. Unfortunately, other people had the same idea, and when Tim was starting to rev it up, the door shut, and I had to make alternate travel plans.

The finish was awash in black jerseys; XXX and Get A Grip did excellent leadouts and took a lot of the top places. I came from a long way back and was never really in the draft; I ended up 6th. Good news? I was still gaining. Bad news. I had to gain. Oh well.

Pics forthcoming, I hope.

Winfield Weekend

Quick little description of this weekend's races:

1) Saturday, Twilight Crit. Bunch of moves go, nothing sticks. They ring the bell one lap too early, when I'm mid pack recovering. Brett and I are stuck in no-mans land, not present in the leadout for Josh. Negative happy about that. Josh gets second, and the team gets several more minor placings.

2) Sunday, ABR Nats Crit: Help launch the moves that end up sticking. That's cool. Sit in, try to make sense of what Julie is telling us, because we simply can't hear her. Brett determines that the White brothers are about to lap, so we mosey towards the back of the field. We convince the non-Ryan Knapp and Mike Sherer Alderfer-Bergen gents to do the same. Together we pull our dudes up to the front. Get to work keeping the pace high enough to discourage any would-be last lap heroics. Isaac Neff (A-B) and Steve Spencer (ABD/GG) come back from the second break/chase group, which has splintered. John is still up the road with Dewey Dickey and others.

I'm at the back of the 5 man rotation, when, heading into the hill, the pace slows and we are immediately swarmed. Steve and Ryan White save my ass, and keep Rob near the front. Random last lap attacks go off, nothing gains any ground, Ryan kills it over the top of the hill, down the hill, and around the corner. Rob comes home in 1st, Ryan in 5th, and John in 10th. I'm somewhere in the mid-40s. And, oddly, I'm fine with that. For now, at least.

Next up: Tour de Winghaven in the STL.

The image you see is not doctored in any way. It is a frame taken from video of a bike race near the Mexico-US border.

A drunk driver apparently fell asleep at the wheel, running into the racers. One man is dead, several more severely injured.

Please, throw one up to the big man upstairs for the victims, and their families.