Martin's training diary - road race

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Tuesday 27 May 2008 - core | Pacific Raceways CR

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:	6
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:
Body Fat:
Time of Day:	gym - 5:15 am race - 7:00 pm
Distance:
Time (total):	gym - 30 min
Time (moving):	1:05
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:
Workout Type:	core \| Pacific Raceways CR

Breakfast:	6:30 am - cereal 9:00 am - Promax bar
Lunch:
Dinner:
Workout Food:	G2 the "low calorie hydrator" It was all I could find at the store; marketing, sheesh...

Course:	gym: plank - 180 sec, 120 sec, 60 sec to each side 2x40 clam knee lifts to each side, 40 side leg lifts to each side 30 ball passes, 30 twisters - 10 lb, 80 steam engines, 70 leg extensions 40 back extensions (20 straight, 20 twisting) - 25 lb race: clockwise up the escape road
Results:	Masters - 3rd official results
Comments:	Oh my... This (not local) Excel guy took OFF from the f'n gun and seeing as no one was going with, 100 m later I jumped to join him. I got away clean and it took me about 500 m to catch him and we got to work. He pulled down the hill, I pulled up and we swapped the lead on the flats. As we approached the hill for the second time he turned to me and said, "I think we have a better chance if you lead on the hill." I was like fine, I pulled into the hill, up the hill and he was gone. Shit, this is way too early to go solo I'm thinking. Once the field sees this guy coming back they are going to chase me down pronto. But what can you do? I opted for the 'put your head down and go anyway' plan. Cut to 20 minutes later and Rory is ringing the bell for prime number one. I'm out of site and feeling pretty darn good considering it has been ages since I have put out an effort like this. 15 minutes later I get the bell for the second prime and the pack is still nowhere to be seen but I'm not going quite as fast as I was earlier... Brian S was walking the circuit and gave me the time gap a couple of times. First I had one minute and then I think it was up to 1:30 before it started coming back down. And then I saw it. As I rounded the corner at the top of the descent you can see way back along the course and there were three riders coming after me. With four laps to go they were gaining but by then it was just two. I could recognize Kerry F and the other one was wearing orange so I was hoping it was Dave H. As I crossed the line with three laps to go Kerry and Dave caught me. Damn. I think Kerry must have pulled three straight laps to do this - he is amazing! In retrospect Dave should have gone right then but he was tired. Turns out Kerry was even more tired. Anyway, I kept pulling for a bit (I kinda got a second wind) and by the time we started attacking Kerry he had pretty much recovered. We got in two attacks each and then it was time to sprint. Other than the short attacks, the pace of the last two laps was pretty sedate and that gave Kerry the edge he needed. I lead it out and Dave could only watch Kerry pass him and take the win. I found out later that the third rider was Matt H but he was not feeling too hot today and then he had a pedal blow up! That will slow you down every time. :( Oh well, two primes and 3rd is not bad. Three more laps would have been even better. If anyone cares, I was in the 53x23 on the climb each time (in the saddle) and in the 53x14 on the flats up top. When I saw I was getting caught I managed to stuff it into the 13 for one lap. 53x12 on the descent.
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 42/53, 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

Brian took some pictures at the race.

core | road race

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 11:33:40 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Tuesday 20 May 2008 - Pacific Raceways CR

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:
Body Fat:
Time of Day:	7:00 pm
Distance:
Time (total):	about 55 min
Time (moving):
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:	low 50s, cloudy, windy at the start, not so bad at the finish
Workout Type:	race

Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Workout Food:	water

Course:	flats - points race
Results:	Masters - tie for 2nd official results
Comments:	This is one of the best courses that Rory has! After a 'neutral' (meaning you can go fast but there are no points) lap every lap is worth two points for the first person across the line and one for second. This means there is NEVER a bad time to attack and attack we did. Unfortunately we kept getting a fast rider in the breaks that could sprint but would not pull... Oh well, that happens and you have to deal with it. We managed to win almost all of the sprints but these hangers-on would got second too many times for my liking. Twice I got away with one guy and no matter what he just would not work. But of course he absolutely killed himself to hang onto my wheel. After towing him around for an entire lap I finally got him to take a couple of 10 second pulls but it was not enough and we got caught. Towards the end I got away with Dave H, Alan W, Alistair L and this sprinter guy. After many laps the pack finally caught us (too much dicking around I guess) and so we decided to set it up for Mick G. Although not the smoothest leadout it worked. Alan took it around the last corner, Alistair took it from the start of the last straight and I did the final pull. It was hugely satisfying! Now we just need to get Jim K on board so he won't try to sprint past Mick and pull loads of other riders with him. :)
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 42/53, 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

Tuesday, May 20, 2008 2:54:51 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Tuesday 13 May 2008 - core | spinning | Pacific Raceways CR

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:
Body Fat:
Time of Day:	gym - 5:30 am race - 7:00 pm
Distance:
Time (total):	race - 50 min
Time (moving):
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:
Workout Type:	core \| spinning \| Pacific Raceways CR

Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Workout Food:	gym - water race - 2 scoops HEED in a small bottle

Course:	gym - 2x180 sec plank, 60 sec to each side, 2x40 clam knee lifts to each side, 40 side leg lefts to each side, 30 ball passes, 50 steam engines, 40 back extensions (20 straight, 20 twisting) - 25 lb, 70 leg extensions race - counter-clockwise down the escape road, finish at the top of the hill
Results:	1st prime - pack 2nd prime - 1st finish - 2nd official results
Comments:	Today was Abigail's last spinning class at the Convention Center Bold's Gym as they are closing so I had to attend. As usual, it was pretty hard... :) At Pacific Raceways it was the Kerry F show again; that guy is just so strong. There were a bunch of attacks early on, none of which succeeded and then one lap after the first prime I took off at the top of the hill. I got a nice gap and forged ahead and when I looked back Kerry was leading a small group so I sat up and waited for them. ASIDE - not sure how long I could have lasted but as long as I went hard the gap was not closing... Only three cat 1-2 riders showed up today so Rory combined our fields. The riders that came up were Kerry (who was riding in the cat 1-2 field tonight), one other cat 2 and Dave H. We all worked pretty well together with the exception of the other cat 2, his pulls were might short. At the second prime I encouraged everyone to keep it together and so Kerry surged just enough to win it and then we regrouped. Dave let me roll across the line in front of him so I won the master's points. At the finish I was a bit beat but our gap was monstrous so we really slowed down that last half lap. at the bottom of the hill it was obvious that everyone fancied themselves a sprinter (meaning that the pace abruptly slowed to a crawl) so I took the front and gave it the old "accelerate smoothly and go as hard as you can" in hopes of letting Dave beat one or two of these guys. Close to the top of the hill I was maxed and then first Dave and then Kerry came around me. Kerry won way to easily and Dave had a big gap on me for 2nd. For a bit I thought I cold hold off this cat 2 guy and was actually able to shift up one more time as the road leveled off but he surged and nipped me by a wheel or so at the line.
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 42/53, 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

core | road race | spinning

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 12:18:56 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Tuesday 6 May 2008 - Pacific Raceways CR

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:	5
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:
Body Fat:
Time of Day:	7:00 pm
Distance:
Time (total):	50 min
Time (moving):
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:	mid 50s, breezy, dry
Workout Type:	race

Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Workout Food:	2 scoops HEED in a small bottle

Course:	counter-clockwise on the flats
Results:	1st prime - pack 2nd prime - pack finish - 6th official results
Comments:	I felt okay today but man was the pace fast and everything got chased down... Alan W and I were in the longest break of the night and we lasted exactly 1.5 laps. Going in one direction you were in the 12 or 13 and in the other in the 15. Flat out all the time. There were lots of attacks which was super. I kind of sat around during the 1st prime (which Dave H won easily) and tried to go for the 2nd but realized quickly I was nowhere... At the finish I got in front of Dave H and then found Alan W and asked him to help out and it was perfect. Alan took me to the start of the straightaway and I ramped it up. Unfortunately Dave got 3rd... He's not a true sprinter and I think when the entire field is on your wheel it's hard for him to win on the flats. Once again we had a ton of ByrneInvent riders show up, it was fantastic!
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 42/53, 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

Tuesday, May 06, 2008 11:40:19 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Tuesday 29 April 2008 - Pacific Raceways CR

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:	7
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:
Body Fat:
Time of Day:	7:00 pm
Distance:
Time (total):	50 min
Time (moving):
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:	mid 50s, windy, dry
Workout Type:	race

Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Workout Food:	2 scoops HEED in a small bottle

Course:	clockwise up the escape road
Results:	1st prime - 1st 2nd prime - 3rd finish - 3rd official results
Comments:	No spinning this morning... I forgot to set my alarm. We had more ByrneInvent riders at this race than I have ever seen before. It was like eight or something. It was fantastic - or so I thought. There were a bunch of accelerations from the start and I tried once as well but nothing stayed away for more than a few hundred meters. As we rolled up tot eh first prime I was near the front thinking I would just latch onto a wheel as we crossed the line and go from there but everyone kind of slowed so I stood up and started to accelerate at the base of the second part of the hill. It wasn't so much a sprint as it was a constant acceleration; I kept shifting up and speeding up and one guy tried to come around but he died and I won it easily. I bet not everyone was trying to beat me. :) I kept rolling past the finish and some of us got a gap but it did not last. The pack was chasing and not everyone who got away was willing to work. I tried the same thing for the second prime but this time both Dave H and Kerry F came roaring past me. Kerry just killed it and I recall thinking, "That's how the race is going to finish for sure!" I should take up fortune telling. This time as I rolled across the line I went really hard and went right past Dave and Kerry. They chased like mad and as I entered the drag strip I looked back and they had a monster gap on the field and were closing so I waited and the three of us were away. We worked really well together and it looked good for a short while. Then Matt H towed the pack almost right up to us as we crested the hill the next time around and I guess when he pulled off it was all orange and blue behind him and they all sat up. Matt (and Darren) got pissed and quit the race and we were away for good. We had two more laps to ride and Kerry was really pulling strong. I tried to lead Dave out for the finish but it was no use. Kerry again stormed us and got a well deserved win. I felt pretty good and Dave was riding well but we just could not compete today.
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 39/53, 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 1:16:18 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Sunday, April 27, 2008

Sunday 27 April 2008 - Vance Creek RR

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:	6
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:	181
Body Fat:	9
Time of Day:	1:30 pm
Distance:	80 miles
Time (total):
Time (moving):
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:	mid to upper 50s, drizzly at times, some wind at times but not too bad
Workout Type:	race

Breakfast:	6:30 am - smoothie 10:00 am - Boca burger with spinach and salsa, 2 tortillas
Lunch:	I sipped on a bottle of Perpetuem during the drive to the race and had some water before the start
Dinner:	6:00 pm - tuna sandwich, leftover drink from the race 8:00 pm - soup
Workout Food:	2 big bottles each with 2 scoops Endurox R4 and 2 scoops Perpetuem and 2 Endurolytes capsules in each bottle I had another small bottle in my jersey with 2 scoops HEED but never really needed it.

Course:	Vance Creek RR
Results:	Masters A-B - 3rd official results
Comments:	This year the race started and finished at the top of the hill which is actually really convenient as you are closer to the car when you are done. They also added a significant amount of distance so instead of the usual 60 or so miles that masters race we were doing six full laps for a total of 80 miles. A real man's race in other words and it had me scared! Seriously - the last time I have ridden 80 miles is I can't remember when. I figured I would cramp up and drop out with two laps to go or something similar. I really surprised myself. The start was just like any other master's race regardless of the distance; attack and attack until something sticks. So the entire first lap was go, go, go with Steve H from Vancouver, WA starting things off as soon as we rolled out. Matt H from Excel tried to jump away a few times as did Dave H, Paul W from Excel and I tried once or twice as well but mostly I was following attacks today and not initiating them. I knew I had to be in the move but I was not so interested in making it happen this early to be honest. Somewhere before the first hill Paul W got away with Dave H and a couple of other guys I believe. They didn't exactly ride away from the pack and were only dangling out there. Just before the kick on the first time up the hill Matt H punched it from the front and Alan W and I responded. I could not quite hold the wheels and as I looked around I was surprised to see another ByrneInvent rider next to me! Three of us here and one in the break? I thought no way... As we rounded the corner after the finish I yelled at this guy next to me to ride and to catch Matt and Alan since he was 20 feet in front of me and appeared to be stronger. He seemed to give it everything but after a few seconds my legs came around and I was able to bridge to him and then to Matt and Alan. We floundered a bit trying to chase down the leaders and were not smooth at all in our exchanges but we finally caught them at the start of the descent. And by this time that other teammate was gone. :( So the break was eight riders and we were only 1.5 laps into the race. Nice. From here we worked really well together. Occasionally someone would miss a turn but it was usually for a legitimate reason like they were messing with clothing or trying to eat, etc. The pace was pretty consistent and no one tried to jump away on the hills until two laps to go. This time I think it was Alan that set a stiff pace and at the top we were six. Around this time the temperature seemed to warm up a tad - that was really nice as we were all sorta damp. Steve H is known for a strong finish when he's fit so now we basically took turns jumping off the front and making him chase. Mostly it was Matt and Alan and Dave as I was still nervous about the distance even though I was feeling relatively good. Finally Matt jumped and I was boxed in behind Paul, Steve and Alan. Luckily Dave had enough to go again and bridge and that was it. Steve could not chase again and we sat on and they were gone with about 1.5 laps to go. As we crossed the finish line and got the bell they told us the gap was 1:20 so now we were racing for 3rd. Alan did try a couple of more accelerations as did Paul and I only chased Paul and sat on Steve as best I could. Then Steve put in an unexpected move just as we passed the old finish and I went with him. As we turned right onto the main road we had about 100 m. As I pulled through Steve looked kind of whipped! I was not feeling spunky by any means but the next time we exchange the lead it was the same thing - I had a glimmer of hope. And then Steve flatted! All of a sudden I hear a loud epithet as I take over the lead. I sit up and ask Steve what is up but right away I can see what it is - his rear tire has a slow leak and is half deflated already. So off I went. I must have looked back a dozen times during those last two km or so... I was sure I was going to seize up or something. I just tried to keep it at around 90 percent and by the time I got to the kicker I had plenty of time so was able to slow and roll across the line easy. Steve managed to grab a spare wheel from the follow car and make it in for 4th - way to go! Amazingly I did not drink all of my bottles. I did start on my HEED but I had half of my second food bottle left at the finish. I think consciously hydrating and taking the Endurolytes helped.
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 39/53, 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

Sunday, April 27, 2008 2:14:29 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Tuesday 15 April 2008 - core | spinning | Pacific Raceways CR

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:	6
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:
Body Fat:
Time of Day:	gym - 5:30 am race - 7:00 pm
Distance:
Time (total):
Time (moving):	race - 45 min
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:	mid 40s, windy, light rain
Workout Type:	core \| spinning \| Pacific Raceways CR

Breakfast:	cereal
Lunch:	fish burrito, LOTS of orange juice, Promax bar, chocolate 5:00 pm - 2 scoops Perpetuem and 2 scoops Endurox R4 in a big bottle
Dinner:	tortellini, 2 pieces bread w/butter, beer, tortilla w/bean dip
Workout Food:	HEED

Course:	core: 2x180 sec plank, 60 sec to each side, 2x40 clam knee lifts to each side, 40 side leg lifts to each side, 2x50 steam engines, 30 twisters, 70 leg extensions, 40 back extensions (20 straight, 20 twisting) - 25 lb race: flats, counter-clockwise
Results:	1st prime - pack 2nd prime - pack finish - 5th official results
Comments:	Spinning was okay, I am STILL running out of breath and need to stop once or twice each class... I never needed to do that. It seems my strength is not my weak point (as far as spinning goes anyway) but instead it's my stamina? But I was able to get back to business with the plank. That felt good. Today it was Jim K, Charlie D, a relatively new guy I have never met before named Rowe(sp?) from ByrneInvent and Matt H, Chris G and Darren P from Excel. Right at the start Matt took it out hard and fast for about half a lap. ASIDE - I recall the first time someone attacked from the gun in a race. I was totally intimidated and barely able to hang on. Now it seems almost par for the course. Darren attacked a bunch, so did Matt, I did a couple of times and each time Mat went I covered it and each time I went he chased me down. Finally, right after one of my efforts, Darren countered and I couldn't follow. Nice. A couple of guys went with him and then when I yelled at Rowe to chase Jim jumped hard and bridged up. Way to go Jim. So the die was cast and I rode a supporting role for the remainder of the race. Somehow Rowe got away from the bunch too and eventually caught the break. So it was Darren, Jim, Rowe and Tom H from Old Town. The last time down the drag strip I saw Jim pull off and Tom surge. He got away and held on for the win and although Jim got 4th he was super excited to finally be in the break! It's especially cool since he just got back from a week in Hawaii and did not ride while he was there. And way to go Tom - he's been knocking on the door for ages and finally made it work. As we rounded the last corner I was just about to ask Matt (who wan on my wheel) if he wanted a lead out when I realized there were only four away and the points went five deep... So I kept my eyes open for an opportunity and somehow I got one. The front of the field slowed down (I was in about 3rd place) and as they pulled right Matt kinda drifted that direction with them. I went left and when I saw that I had 10' I went as hard as I could. Matt started chasing but I think he thought the pack was on his wheel so he slowed for a second before he figured it out. That was enough for me and I soloed in for 5th. :) It was a great race! It's good to have an attacking Darren back for sure. His accelerations are deceptive, he usually stays in the saddle and just speeds up; you have to watch out. It was also great to have Jim get in the break and to have Rowe (who has not raced in like 15 years) be there as well - go team!
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 39/53, 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

core | road race | spinning

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 12:40:38 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Saturday, April 12, 2008

Saturday 12 April 2008 - Volunteer Park CT | walk

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:	6
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:
Body Fat:
Time of Day:	11:30 am
Distance:	walk - 4 miles
Time (total):	40 min
Time (moving):
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:	70, sunny, dry, light breeze
Workout Type:	race

Breakfast:	6:00 am - smoothie 10:00 am - Shot Bloks
Lunch:	fish tacos, bread, butter, beer
Dinner:	2 pieces pizza, salad, 2 glasses wine, ice cream w/berries
Workout Food:	one small bottle with 1 scoop HEED

Course:	Volunteer Park CT
Results:	Masters A-B - 7th
Comments:	First - it was beautiful day. Yesterday was still quite cool and today it jumps up 15 degrees and the sun is out making people pink. I love it! Second - at first I was bummed I did not have the strength to do better at the finish but I should be glad I made the break. Making the move is key and if you don't do that you never even have a chance to sprint for victory so upon reflection I'm pretty happy. :) To keep things calm I took a trainer to the race and warmed up at the start/finish line. Totally removes all the stress and you can ride as long or short as you like and you don't miss the start. I have ridden this course many times so I just took one lap during a break in the action to see if there was anything new to see and there was not. After spinning moderate gears for about 25 minutes I lined up near the start about 15 minutes prior to our departure. When they let us on the course I just went right to the start line and got a spot in the front row seeing as I knew the course and had already ridden it once. Almost everyone else took a lap and got staged several rows back. Plus, I had heard BRI talking about this 'early move' they were going to throw at everyone so I wanted to make sure I was up there. At the gun I got a good start and hit the water tower in about 15th spot. Most of the usuals were up there including Matt H who drilled in on the 2nd lap in what has become his traditional warm-up routine it seems: go hard at the front. There were a few surges and I went with pretty much all of them being paranoid I would miss the move. I was able to stay in the top 20 pretty easily and then after a few laps it happened. Someone jumped (I think it was BRI?), I followed and a few others joined us as we were gone. It was a good combo for sure; it was Chris T, Gavin G and Aaron from BRI, Mike B from Excel, Flavio R from Garage, two random guys and myself. With all the strong teams represented this was it and our gap slowly grew to 20 seconds and grew to about 40 by the finish. I think we got away about 10 minutes into the race... Mostly we worked well together although Mike B did not pull. At first I thought it was because he had to bridge a bit farther than the rest of us to make it but after a bit I realized he was just not going to work. And it made sense, with three BRI guys it was their job to drive this. I was pulling quite a bit at first but then backed off when I knew we were not going to get caught. Martin "I'm no sprinter" Criminale was trying to figure out my chances and with just over one lap to go it came. Gavin surged at the top of the hill and I went after him. In theory it was perfect. BRI had three guys so they were not going to chase and everyone else was alone so they watched each other. And we got away! But then Gavin died and I could not carry through for a full lap on my own. Sure enough, just after we started up the hill for the last time Chris came roaring by with Aaron on his wheel. I was just able to catch on but had to expend a lot of energy to do so as they were going much faster. At the top of the hill I shifted up and accelerated as much as I could but no use... all could do was maintain my position. Gavin blew or gave up and so I was not last. :) With the age limit at this event being only 30, it was basically a cat 1-2 race so I really was happy to be there in the break. And did I mention it was awesome to hear my teammates yelling my name all the way around the course? It was great! After getting home and cleaning up, Shelley and I went for a SUNNY, BEAUTIFUL walk down to Pioneer Square, along the water front and then back up the hill.
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 39/53, 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

Here are all the pictures including a video Shelley took of me finishing.

road race | walk

Saturday, April 12, 2008 2:58:45 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Tuesday 8 April 2008 - core | spinning | Pacific Raceways CR

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:	6
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:	180
Body Fat:	8
Time of Day:
Distance:
Time (total):	race - 43 min
Time (moving):
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:	low 40s, wet ground, mostly cloudy, calm
Workout Type:	core \| spinning \| Pacific Raceways CR

Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Workout Food:	gym - water race - 2 scoops HEED in a small bottle (but I only had like two sips)

Course:	race: counter-clockwise down the escape road, finish on the flats
Results:	1st prime - 2nd 2nd prime - 1st finish - 2nd
Comments:	For the first time in ages spinning felt good! I was rested and could go hard - that felt SO nice. My wind is still sucky meaning I had to seriously catch my breath a couple of times but hey, it's a start. At the race Dave H went on the first hill and stayed away solo for one lap. We caught him half way up the second hill and I took off on the left side near the top. I got a nice gap right away and then saw Matt H chasing so I sat up and waited for him. I had a couple of teammates in the bunch plus there were not many contenders out today so our gap grew really quickly. We worked really well together; Matt rolling his 50x11 (Jesus!) on the flats and me my 53x15. We decided to just pull through the primes so Matt got the first one and I got the second. With two laps to go our gap was enormous so we slowed a bit. Matt left me on the front from the bottom of the last hill but we had loads of time so it was fine. Besides, I felt pretty confident about the sprint. I just kept the speed down thinking I had a much better initial jump than Matt and kept it glued to the barrier on the right side of the finishing stretch. We got close and closer and were not going fast at all so I was in a pretty small gear... When Matt finally did make a move I stood up and felt like I easily stayed ahead of him at first. But then I had to shift up and kinda fumbled the shift. That plus Matt being a little faster than I had expected let him pull even and then he nipped me with a perfectly timed bike throw. I threw my bike too but mine was late. Poop. Anyway, that was a super ride in that we attacked, made it a race and I actually got to sprint at the end. Plus I finally felt good while we were away. Dave got 2nd again and I learned not to underestimate Matt so much. :)
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 39/53, 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

core | road race | spinning

Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:01:39 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Tuesday 1 April 2008 - core | spinning | Pacific Raceways CR

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:	6
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:	177
Body Fat:	9
Time of Day:
Distance:
Time (total):	40 ish minutes
Time (moving):
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:	clear and cold (lower 40s)
Workout Type:	core \| spinning \| Pacific Raceways CR

Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Workout Food:	water at the gym, one small bottle of HEED at the race

Course:	core: 2x180 sec plank, 60 sec to each side, 2x40 clam knee lifts, 40 side leg lifts to each side, 2x50 steam engines, 30 twisters - 10 lb, 40 back extensions (20 straight, 20 twisting) - 25 lb, 70 leg extensions race: counter-clockwise down the escape road, finish on the flats
Results:	1st prime - 1st 2nd prime - pack finish - 1st official results
Comments:	Spinning felt pretty hard today... no wind and I had to stop occasionally to catch my breath. At the race Dave H tried a couple of accelerations, Matt H tried one big one on the hill but I covered that and the pack was riding not to lose so pretty much chased stuff down. I was feeling like utter crap (no wind at all) and so sat on and sat on... I hate having to do that. Towards the finish the one guy snuck off the front (no one chased him because he was not a 'known threat' I guess) and I'm sitting there watching him ride away thinking, "No..." Then Dave accelerated, I followed and for some reason I got a gap and caught the solo guy and won.
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 39/53, 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

core | road race | spinning

Tuesday, April 01, 2008 11:27:58 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Saturday, March 29, 2008

Saturday 29 March 2008 - Tour de Dung RR

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:	7
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:	181
Body Fat:	9
Time of Day:	1:05 pm
Distance:	48 miles
Time (total):	2 hours
Time (moving):
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):	24 mph
Total Ascent:
Weather:	low to mid 40s, sunny and dry at first, moderate wind
Workout Type:	race

Breakfast:	smoothie
Lunch:
Dinner:
Workout Food:	2 large bottles each with 2 scoops Perpetuem and 2 scoops Endurox R4 but I only drank just over one bottle

Course:	Tour de Dung RR
Results:	Masters - 1st official results
Comments:	There were two races today, the North Shore CR up near Bellingham (which ended up getting canceled due to to SNOW) and this one. I'm glad I chose correctly even though I hear that course is nicer. Today it was Dave H, Jim K, Charlie D, Brian C and myself in the masters race. I could have sworn the flyer said we were going to do 60 miles (and I wanted it for the training) but as we lined up at the start the official said it was just going to be 48. I was bummed at first but in retrospect, with the weather change we experienced I guess it was a good thing. For a change Paul W was the sole representative from Excel so today we had to contend with Second Ascent who had five or six riders in the field instead. There was a neutral rollout for the first half mile or so and then Brian went to the front to speed things up. There were a couple of attacks by Second Ascent guys. By the way Second Ascent, nice job! It's fantastic when other teams take the initiative. Dave H went with the first one, I went with the second and so did Paul W. Dave went with the third and when I saw the fourth roll up the road with one other rider and there was no orange and blue I had to go again. Since my reaction was not so quick this time it took me at least 800 m to bridge and when I got there I sat on for one turn trying to catch my breath. Well this other guy started to tail me off the back! WTF? I was like, "What are you doing?" and he responded, "You need to work." Nice. I told him to give me a break and that I had just chased him down. Finally (seeing he was going to be stubborn) I just came around him and pulled him up to the Second Ascent rider and we got back to rotating. Two rotations later he was gone; ha! What a dork. The Second Ascent rider turned to me and said, "I had a feeling he was not going to last..." I just nodded and we got back to the job at hand. I had caught on just at the bridge before the hill and so when we climbed up the first time the pack was not very far behind us at all but the gap did continue to grow ever so slowly. I knew I had great support in the bunch and figured Second Ascent would support this move as well so was not too worried but sometimes it takes a while before you know what will happen. Let's just say we both looked back quite a bit for those first few miles. :) As we neared the end of the first lap the lead car told us we had about 20 seconds. We could still see the bunch behind us on the road. We were working really well together and this guy was not short (meaning he was a reasonable draft) so I was loving it. Especially after last week's solo effort - this was fantastic. This guy seemed really strong and was going just a tad faster than I would have alone on all the inclines but after two laps he turns to me and asks, "Do you have two more laps of this in you?" Right... You better I thought. And that's when I started to entertain the possibility of winning; in my experience, guys how ask this early are not usually used to this kind of effort or confident they can complete it. With two to go the lead car told us we had 1:20. I'm thinking that's not quite enough but our pace had not slowed at all. In fact, after the race I saw that we rode each lap in almost exactly 30 minutes and finished the race in two hours almost dead on. That's consistency for you. With one to go the lead car told us we had just under 3 minutes so I started to feel much better. I was getting tired for sure but the gap was nice and I was betting this guy was getting beat down just a little as well. That's when he turned to me and said, "I'm fading hard here..." Martin on the outside: "Nice job, just keep it steady." Martin on the inside: "YES...!" The last time up the hill I shifted up near the top and stood up; not to attack but just to confirm my suspicions. It was hard to tell. So I tried it again on the next roller and this time he was 15 feet off the back at the top. Now I felt good. I waited for him and after one more pull each I rode up next to him and told him that If he promised not to sprint I'd tow him in for 2nd. He said okay. Don't get me wrong, I was not fresh or anything but I was doing better than him. And I figured this was the gentlemanly thing to do instead of just attacking. But, this 'gentlemanly' behavior can have its drawbacks... With about 1.5 km to go (after I had pulled for maybe 2 miles) he comes up along side me and says, "I can't do this, I'd never forgive myself, I'm going to sprint." and takes a turn. Now I was stuck. He had just rested and so I had to do the same. After one more turn each we round the right hander with 1 km to go and I 'let' him take the lead. I guess he just wanted to feel like he didn't quit as he never looked back and just tried to ramp it up and then sprint. With 100 m to go I easily came around him on the left - that was a super feeling. I was truly appreciative of the help and after the finish we shook hands and congratulated each other. I guess talk in the pack was that this guy was going to handle me pretty easily in the sprint and that might have been the case if there hadn't been that 40 mile softening up period. :) Dave got 3rd ahead of Paul and Jim got 10th in what was left of the bunch.
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 39/53, 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

Saturday, March 29, 2008 5:43:44 PM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Tuesday 25 March 2008 - core | spinning | Pacific Raceways CR

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:	5
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:	177
Body Fat:	8
Time of Day:
Distance:
Time (total):	spinning - 45 min Pacific Raceways - 45 min?
Time (moving):
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:	mid 40s, rain
Workout Type:	core \| spinning \| Pacific Raceways

Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Workout Food:	water

Course:	core: 2x180 sec plank, 60 seconds to each side, 2x40 clam knee lifts to each side, 40 side lifts on each side, 30 ball passes, some twisters - 6 lb, some leg extensions Pacific Raceways: flats (counter-clockwise)
Results:	1st prime - 1st 2nd prime - pack finish - 1st official results
Comments:	Okay... this was my first day back after our Hawaiian vacation and it was a bit of a shock to the system. :) All the core stuff went fine but spinning was HARD. I felt like (read: I most certainly was) gasping for air the whole time. In fact, I had to stop pedaling a few times (three I think) just to catch some air. I felt like I was super un-fit even though my strength felt all right. At the race it was the same story. I could go hard for short amount of time and then I was sucking wind big time. But a little elaboration is necessary... The weather sucked! On the drive down the rain started and it just kept getting stronger all the way to the race track. It eased up a tiny bit by the start but man, it looked grim. Matt H had on TWO raincoats. For some reason I (along with Dave H and Matt H) missed the start... Either Rory decided to get this show the hell on the road or we did not know the start time. Anyway, the pack rolled out at about 6:45 instead of 7 like I thought they would. The three of us just rode down the track and hooked up with the bun after they completed half a lap. God, I was positively drinking water sitting on wheels. And you know all that dragster tire adhesive and oil and who knows what other kinds of shit are on a race track were spraying in my mouth. Nice. So after a bit (we all stayed together - for once there was no attack in the masters field!) we got the first prime bell. There was an acceleration as we bot close to the finishing straight and when this one guy jumped I noticed that Matt was sorta isolated so I jumped after him. Dave went with me. I managed to come around both of them in the saddle so that was nice but then I was practically wheezing. At my best I cold have just carried on. :( Hopefully this is just short-lived. So it all came back together. Beth G went on a couple of attacks and lasted more than one full lap each time. The second time was about half a lap before we got the second prime bell and she was with another woman. We all kind sat up to let them sprint it out. Except for Michael P. With about 500 m to go he took off and hauled them in and beat them to the line. We all gave him a good ribbing from afar. There were no other attacks after that but there was some confusion. We were dorking around so much that the cat 4 field caught us. Twice! After the first time Matt lifted the pace and we rolled right back past them but then with one lap to go - AFTER they had finished their race (they did not know they were done) - they passed us again as we were slowing down getting all 'tactical' and shit with one to go. Yes, it caused some confusion. Especially to this one guy in a STP jacket. [I know, I know... STP jacket in a race?] He kind of latched on to the cat 4 field and they towed him a few hundred meters away from us before they found a clue and slowed down. By then he was way off the front. As we rounded the turn at the end of the drag strip Matt H got a rear flat. Not cool. But it opened a door for me. I looked back, noticed there were no fast guys near me and accelerated as hard as I could. Dave H was also behind me so that probably helped a bit. As I went faster this guy off the front died hard and I caught him about 100 feet from the line. Nice. Matt was pretty steamed about his flat but what are you going to do? I know it bites driving here, being rained on and then having your race cut short but two years ago it happened to me at the first THREE races. Not once, not twice, but three times in a row I flatted out. To his credit he did seem to get over it after a bit. :) My hands were absolutely freezing when I finished. I think I lost feeling with about four laps to go and after I could not unzip my jersey and had to ask for help as I had no dexterity left. The field was about 25, not bad considering the conditions. But boy, there were a LOT of new masters racers there... Kinda sketchy.
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 39/53, 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

core | road race | spinning

Tuesday, March 25, 2008 4:04:20 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Saturday, March 15, 2008

Saturday 15 March 2008 - Mason Lake RR #3

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:	6? Not enough...
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:
Body Fat:
Time of Day:	1:10 pm
Distance:	60 miles
Time (total):
Time (moving):
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:	mid to upper 40s, dry, breezy
Workout Type:	race

Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner:
Workout Food:	2 big bottles, each with 4 scoops of Endurox R4

Course:	Mason Lake RR
Results:	Masters - 3rd official results
Comments:	Okay, today was much better than two weeks ago; much. I think it just took my body one race to get into the swing of things and remember how to go fast. This time the start was leisurely. There were three Excel riders in the race (Matt H, Bob W and Paul W) and I had Corrie M for support. As we rolled down the back straight into the wind a couple of accelerations went up the road and of course I had to go with all of them. Once or twice I got away with one Excel rider but the pack chased like it was life or death. :( What is the deal with these people...? It's almost like being in a cat 4 race again. Everyone kills themselves to get on a wheel but no one will contribute to any effort. Finally I got away with Bob. Then Paul and a few others got across and then Matt made it as well. All told there were about nine of us in the break; not bad. But then it happened again. I would pull, bob would pull, Paul would pull and no one else would do anything. At one point Matt even tried to tail the majority of the group off the back but they chased back on... On one of the risers the guy in front of me pulled off right at the base and so I figured I'd make them work just a tad and pushed the pace up and over the roller. At the top I looked back and the only person on my wheel was Bob. Here we go. We rolled along for a bit and then just as we made the sharp right hand turn onto the 'home' stretch I saw Matt trying to bridge. At the same time Bob said something like, "This just doesn't feel right..." and I had to open my big mouth and tell him that he would feel a whole lot better in a few minutes when Matt got here. I should have just shut the hell up. Instead Bob started to soft pedal. I put in a couple of good pulls just to make sure Matt did not have an easy time getting across but then he was there. After sitting on for a couple of rotations it was the three of us for the remaining 4.5 laps. We worked really well together and I felt super today so no worries. But with about 2.5 laps to go Matt puts in an attack! I'm like, "WTF...?" It seemed really early. Luckily I was able to respond really easily so that made me feel good. Even when Bob countered and when Matt went again I had no problem. Finally I turned to Bob and asked him why they were not waiting until the last lap. He spoke with Matt and I guess both of them had seen two laps to go when it was really three. I had not been watching the lap board and instead was just counting our laps so did not get surprised. After we rolled past the finish line and Matt and Bob both saw two to go for the second time, Matt called the lead car back and the driver confirmed it. "Well, that changes things..." said Matt. yeah, I guess it does. :) Cooperation resumed. With one lap to go I got worried. My legs were not as good as they were 15 miles ago and not wanted to do the solo ride for third place again I turned to Bob and Matt and told them I was happy with 3rd place and would work if we kept it together. So we did. And my legs did die so good thing. I probably hid it well but those last few km were tough. When Bob 'sprinted' for the finish to lead Matt out I had to just sit up and roll across - I was done. It appears I have about 45-50 fast miles in my legs and then I shut down. :( At least I appear to be making al the moves and getting in all the breaks; that's a start. I tried something new today... I was worried that being i nthe break and riding hard wold prevent me from eating solid food (plus I'm bad about doing that anyway during a race) so I just two bottles of food instead. And it worked out really well. I love liquid food!
Equipment:	Ti Cycles Hyak, 39/53. 12-25, Zipp 404 wheels

Here are all the pictures.

Saturday, March 15, 2008 1:55:29 AM (Pacific Standard Time, UTC-08:00)

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Sunday, March 09, 2008

Sunday 9 March 2008 - Tour de Dung RR #1

posted by: Martin

Hrs. Sleeping:	6
Pulse (waking):
Pulse (rising):
Difference:
Weight:
Body Fat:
Time of Day:	1:10 pm
Distance:	race - 48 miles
Time (total):	just over 2 hours...?
Time (moving):
Time (stopped):
Speed (moving):
Speed (overall):
Total Ascent:
Weather:	mid 40s, dry, light to moderate wind out of the west
Workout Type:	race

Breakfast:	6:00 am - cereal 10:30 am - Promax bar, banana, large bottle of HEED (3 scoops)
Lunch:
Dinner:
Workout Food:	4 scoops Perpetuem in a large bottle, 2 scoops HEED in a small bottle

Course:	Tour de Dung RR
Results:	Masters - 6th official results
Comments:	Now today was a good time. As good a time as going flat out for about 35 miles can be. I got in 20 or so minutes on the trainer and got off about 15 minutes before the start. I think it helped. For once the start of a Masters race was sedate. I found out after that it was because there was a neutral rollout... :) Of course it did not last long. Within one mile some guy took a flyer. I realized it was very early but since no Excel riders were up the road I thought it would be good to at least make them chase; so I jumped hard and bridged up. Two guys came along for the ride and soon the four of us were away. We kind of dangled off the front for a few miles and Paul W from Excel was there and was not in the mood to pull at all so as we started to climb the first hill the pack slowly reeled us in. As we crested the top of the hill there was a slowing which continued around the corner and into the head wind. I was still nervous about possible attacks so was riding second wheel when the guy in front of me pulled off. Instantly I had 10 feet and then it was 20. I was just rolling it figured I'd see what happened so gave it a little extra gas and then the gap was 50 feet. Then I floored it. As I pulled away I was praying that someone would come with but all I could see as the pack receded slowly in the distance was groups of two and three riders jumping away from the bunch and getting reeled in. Repeat. "This is too damn early, this is too damn early..." I kept repeating to myself and the memory of how badly I exploded at last weeks Mason Lake race was pretty vivid. But what can you do in these cases. I chose to give it a go. Worst case my team would get a free ride. Ouch. This was not easy to do. I was going as hard as I could which meant I was in the 53x15 and 14 into the wind on the flats and the 17 over the rollers. My chin was glued to the tops of my bars in a vein attempt to get out of the wind. But the gap slowly got bigger. When I passed the finish line for the completion of lap one I was told I had 30 seconds. That was after about 5-6 miles of solo riding. Sheesh, this was going to be a long day... After crossing the finish you turn right and then the wind is at your back. Now I was in the 53x13 most of the time and even in the 12 on occasion. At least I was feeling fast! And it was really cool having my own lead and follow car. :) The next time up the hill it felt like I had a tail wind and I glided right on up and over. And the second time into the wind was not so bad either. This time as I crossed the finish line I was told I had 90 seconds. But what was going to happen when I had to slow down? Yikes. On the third lap my back started to rebel from the posture I was maintaining. It was not so bad yet and I was still flying along so I held out hope. The third time I crossed the finish line I was not told what my gap was. All I could think about was NINETY SECONDS. And only 12 miles to go. But now I was slowing down... And I had to sit up three times for about 5 seconds each time to stretch my back. Shit. Riding over the tailwind rollers I knew I was not going quite as well as in previous laps but I still felt okay, just not quite superhuman anymore. I do admit I was starting to entertain visions of a victory salute though... :) Then it happened. As I was approaching the hill for the last time I looked back and saw a small bunch of riders approaching. At first I tried to convince myself that it was the cat 2 break but there was no way they could have lapped me with only a five minute head start and soon reality sunk in. At least the hill did not seem super hard and at least I made it up and over that and around the corner before they caught me. I slowed down a little but I was not making it easy for them; I just wanted to have a little something left in the tank when they latched on. And soon they did. And nothing happened! Looking around they were breathing really hard and had obviously worked really hard to catch me. And Dave H (bless his heart) was there so all was good. Now it was 2 from ByrneInvent, 2 from Excel and two solo riders for six total. From the sounds of it the pack was not too far back so I got right back at it and took some pulls. One of the solo guys did not contribute and I should have picked up on this a little sooner... As we got closer and closer to the finish I was not looking forward to a sprint and Bob W was starting to keep a close eye on Dave H so with about 2 km to go I picked my spot and