Your New Overlord
A training diary by Patrick Beeson
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No riding or training Friday because Lindsay and I were in transit/Asheville.
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I put in an hour and a half of moderate effort towards High Point to prep for the weekend’s races in Unicoi, TN. The weather was beautiful, and my legs felt decent after the intervals Wednesday.
I’m also beginning to readjust to my road bike, which is nice after being off it for nearly a month.
Here’s my data:
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Rode 25 miles from campus on an out-and-back on Baux Mountain Road. I warmed up for 20 minutes, then started a fartlek-like session where I used street signs as a jump point for intervals. This kept things more interesting then watching a clock, and was likely harder.
I began my ride right after work at 5:15, and ended around 6:30, which provided me with ample sunlight. I could have pushed it to 7 though the rain had started by then.
I felt good overall, and managed to top out my HR at 170 during a long interval. My legs were definitely sore the following morning!
Here’s my data:
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Rode the trainer for one hour: 20 minutes warm-up at an HR of 120, 30 minutes at an HR of 140 and 10 minute cool-down. I found it slightly difficult to keep my HR above 140, and my legs felt somewhat wooden.
Here’s my data:
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Let’s begin again, shall we?The ‘cross season is upon us once again. This will be my first season racing in the 1/2 category. And I expect my ass to be kicked.
Here are my results so far, including the SECCA training series here in Winston-Salem:
- SECCA No. 1: 5th
- SECCA No. 2: 5th
- MSG No. 1: 4th (Kingsport, TN)
- MSG No. 2: 6th (Kingsport, TN)
Not too shabby! But it’s early yet. The real test will be whether I can figure out how to maintain my fitness from the road season into the winter.
Some thoughts from my completed races:
- SECCA No. 1: Whoa, this is fast. I need to muscle my way to the front line if possible for a better start. I also need to put more effort into the straights to make up for any bobbles in the technical sections. My 611 worked and fit great though. I was surprised that I never left the big ring!
- SECCA No. 2: Started from the front line this time, and managed to hang with the leaders to the paved path. Then, I was dropped hard. I need to target my fitness to allow for a more sustained burst of top-end power at the start. Otherwise, I was happy with my ride though I wish I could have stayed with Wes when he jumped with two to go.
- MSG No. 1: Holy shit, mud and rain. I haven’t raced in these conditions since Durham at the end of the last season. I had a terrible warm-up since I forgot my trainer, and was too cold at the start. I had a decent first lap, and managed to make up ground throughout the race to stick with Drew H. Carbon wheels require much more planning for braking. I also need to make sure I get in a decent gear before the barriers, as I wasted too much time struggling around the corner.
- MSG No. 2: Lots of straights made this a really fast course. The mud from yesterday was gone for the most part. I tried to muscle my way around the course, and likely lost my third place (held through most of the race) because I didn’t play the game with the kids. I need to understand how I can apply crit tactics in cx. Also had a crappy warm-up and negative response to that gel before the start. I was surprised at how negative I was at the end, likely the result of listening to the cheering for the guy I was riding with most of the race. Bummer.
Next weekend: MSG No. 3 and No. 4 in Unicoi, TN.
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The heat-wave here in the Piedmont has affected my writing. At least, that’s my excuse for the lack of updates here.
Latest race news:
- 2nd place in the Dixie Classic Crit on 6/12
- 4th place in the Dixie Classic Crit on 6/26 (2nd overall in the series for the Men’s 3/4)
- 5:00:37 finish time (13th place) in this year’s Blood, Sweat and Gears century ride on 6/23
Because of the aforementioned heat, I’ve avoided mid-day crits and other races. My plan is to race the road race in the French Broad Classic, both days of the High Point Cycling Classic, and the Hanes Park Classic. And if my work schedule allows, I might dabble in the Crossroads Cycling Classic races as well.
I plan to use August to transition my riding/training for the upcoming cyclocross season.
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Hard
It’s taken me more than a week to fire up Tumblr to write about the omnium in Johnson City, TN. Needless to say, it was hard.
Here’s a rundown:
- Missed a key break in the road race — I ended up catching them — and didn’t eat enough (again). I suffered during the last three miles and lost several positions for a 13th place finish.
- The time trial hurt. I’m not sure what else I could have done except invest in a wind-resistent bike and gear. And I’m not going to do that. 14th place.
- I had high hopes for the crit. It was all going so well until I lose traction going hard into one of the many turns on the course and crashed. I picked up some road rash and lost a name-plate on a shifter, but was otherwise OK. I took my free lap and held on for a 9th place finish.
- I managed a 10th overall in the Omnium
This weekend was also an indicator that I’m taking racing too seriously. I’ve decided to dial it back and focus on local races that I know will be fun.
In upgrading to Cat 3, and winning a couple races, I’ve more than met my goals for the season. Now it’s time to keep it steady, enjoy the ride, and focus on cyclocross.
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3 Peat
I snagged another win at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds last night. It’s my third in a row, in fact.
This win was surprising because I’d not ridden my bike for most of last week with the exception of two hard rides up Pilot Mountain Saturday and Sunday with an easy ride Monday afternoon.
I spent most of the race watching R. Nance, M. Koballa and J. McDaniel for any sudden moves on their part. Attacks were plentiful, and kept me on my toes.
Because of the intense headwind on the dog-leg of the course, no attacker managed to stay out for more than a couple laps. As we neared the numbered laps, I wasn’t sure anything would stick.
But then Nance launched a huge attack that caused a load of other riders to respond, including me. He came back suddenly, which I used for a counter attack with 10 laps to go.
The pack didn’t respond — Nance nearly bridged the gap but gave in with only a couple laps to go.
A small group of C. Von Isenburg and M. Koballa broke from the pack as I let the sunlight between us lessen. I knew my break wouldn’t hold until the end, so I turned off the gas to ride it in with the chase.
The final two laps were nail-biters. Von Isenburg, Koballa and I worked to maintain our tiny advantage until the final stretch. I glanced back and saw Nance in fourth — I was in second — waiting to pounce.
Full gas. I managed to slingshot around my break companions for a clean win; I had enough time for a fist-pump.
Though I continue to feel great at Dixie, every race is still very much a game of chess. And that’s what makes it fun.
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Race weekend in the capital
I decided to capitalize on my good form by racing in the state capital last weekend. Puns aside, I had a great time and made a good showing for my first races as a category 3.
The Berger Hardware Bikes road race Saturday was held in Clayton, NC, just south of Raleigh. The course was a rolling 9.5 miles; we did four laps after a neutral start.
I rode my Enve 1.45’s to gain efficiencies where I could considering my aging bike. Practically everyone in the men’s 3/4 were riding carbon rims.
This was also the first race for my shot at hydration other than water, or at least since my Cytomax days. I filled two bottles with Skratch Labs’ wonderful exercise hydration mix (raspberry) in addition to taking along a rice cake from Allen Lim’s new “The Feed Zone Cookbook.”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t manage the rice cake during the race — I made them too large — but I was impressed with the drink mix. I stayed more hydrated and fueled than with water alone though my mouth felt drier, perhaps from the increased sodium.
The race itself was uneventful. No breaks got away and finish came down to a sprint. I managed to snake my way through the front pack for a third place finish, outdone by a massive rider with more watts from Virginia. I’ll take it.
After a wonderful dinner at the Busy Bee Cafe in downtown Raleigh (thanks Durangos!) and pleasant evening with my grandfather — he lives near the campus of NC State — I was prepped for the Sunday crit. Or at least I thought I was.
The crit was on the campus of the Dorothea Dix Hospital, just down the road from NC State. It was also rougher than Dixie, with three speed-bumps, potholes and a ditch covered with a board.
I managed to get into a break of five, which included a former national champion of some type. He’s older now, but WTF he was doing in the 3/4 race I don’t know.
As our break made our way around to lap the field, a rider in front of me went down trying to pass. I had no time to react, and went down myself; I literally cartwheeled over him.
After picking myself up, checking for injuries and spinning my wheels, I hopped back on and continued to race. What I should have done is stopped at the pit for my free lap. Because of this, I didn’t get a chance to rejoin my break and raced for fifth instead. Lesson-learned.
But despite some mishaps, I continued to feel strong, something I hope to maintain until August.
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I rode with the “B” group in Lewisville yesterday evening. I normally do this ride as prep for any races on Sunday (the “A” group is a little too hard of an effort for this).
I forgot to reset my odometer to record mileage and average MPH, but I reckon we rode for nearly two hours at clocked 35 to 40 miles at a moderate pace (20-21 MPH avg).
About two-thirds of the way through the ride, I noticed my left leg (near my hip) was a little sore when grinding a larger gear in the saddle. I’m planning to rest up Friday to be in good shape for the races this weekend in Raleigh.
Pre-ride food: Two oranges, water.
Post-ride food: 1 cup pasta with sautéed mushrooms/onions and diced tomatoes as well as a beer to drink. Also had a slice of pumpkin bread at Camino with a beer later.
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