| Course: | | plank | 180 sec, 120 sec, 60 sec to each side | | other core | 2x40 clam knee lifts to each side, 40 side leg lifts to each side, 30 ball passes, 50 steam engines, 30 knee lifts, 30 twisters - 12 lb, 30 side bends to each side - 45 lb | | back extensions | 20 straight and 20 twisting - 25 lb | cardio - elliptical trainer, random profile, 15/20 resistance, 75 rpm
Pacific Raceways - counter-clockwise down the switchbacks [Martin's favorite course!] with the finish at the top of the hill |
| Results: | Masters
1st prime - pack
2nd prime - 1st
finish - 2nd
official results |
| Comments: | Still no luck on that second set of plank…
It was a GREAT evening at Pacific Raceways. The wind was blowing in your face on the straightaway but hey, what's new? I was pretty nervous as my 'training' has been mostly non-existent in the month of June and a couple of strong men showed up tonight but I pleasantly surprised myself.
For a change the start was very mellow. Maybe it was the tricky descent that worried people, who knows. But we cruised around for almost four laps prior to the start of any serious action. Then Alistair L took off.
On the drive down Alistair was bemoaning the fact that lately any time he gets off the front in a race it's with some tomato rider who invariably dies right away. So guess who joined him - you guessed it. And sure enough, after taking one pull (half a lap later) they were off the back like a sack of bricks.
Did I mention that the air as rife with the smell of burning brake pads? Oh yes, some idiots were obviously riding their carbon rims all the way down the hill. Idiots. Oh wait, I already said that.
Alistair carried on and lasted two laps (and got the first prime) and then we caught him going up the hill. I was in perfect position on about 4th wheel on the left side and took off on the flat bit in the middle of the hill. As I was climbing the last stretch of the hill I heard breathing to my right looked over and amazingly there was Dave H! He had managed to extricate himself cleanly from the bunch and away we went.
ASIDE - it has been the case lately at PR that every pack will at some point catch or be caught by some other pack. Alistair managed to catch the Cat 4 field and these guys clung to his wheel like it was life or death… I was laughing seeing him tow the entire pack around for almost an entire lap.
For the first two laps we went pretty hard. And our gap grew accordingly. Nice. We agreed I could take the second prime and each time I looked back our gap was bigger and bigger; what a confidence booster!
With three laps to go we were literally out of sight and I was really enjoying myself on this - my favorite - course. The radius of the corners is perfect and you can really arc them. When I was in the bunch I was passing people in both corners and now that I was with Dave I was gaping him every time we descended. I felt kinda bad as I was not trying to go hard, I Just hate using my brakes and so do it as little as possible… Once we hit the bottom I would just soft pedal and he'd get right on.
With half a lap to go I turn to Dave and ask, "So, what do you want to do at the finish…?" I was holding out hope that he might let me win as it seemed logical to me. It would help me cement my 2nd place in the series and he would still get points and his lead was huge. No Dice. "How about we just go man-against-man?" says Dave. Okay, it's only fair I suppose… :(
As usual I pulled around turn 1 and down the hill and waited for Dave to catch back on. Then we rode up the first bit of the hill side-by-side.
I was hoping that if I went to the front I could maybe delay the sprint because Dave has so much power on these damn uphill finishes but no luck. As soon as we hit the last incline I hear this CHUNK as Dave shifts up and so away I go.
I was right. I managed to take the lead for a couple of seconds and then he pulled up next to me. And for longer than I thought I was going to be able to do so, I held him and we crested the hill side-by-side. But then Dave shifted up again. I did likewise of course but only he accelerated accordingly. :) I ended up finishing about three lengths behind him and could only admire his hill sprinting prowess.
Someone was cheering me/us on the last three laps - it was great to hear them as we crested the hill, thanks! And thanks to Corrie M and Alistair for patrolling the bunch behind us, I know that helped. |
| Equipment: | Ti Cycles Hyak, Neuvation wheels, 42/53, 12-25 |
| Clothing: | shorts, sleeveless undershirt, short sleeve jersey, cap |