What a race. It was just this morning so I'm still looking for a little perspective, but as of right now I'm still disappointed. (This is down from "profoundly disappointed" earlier today.)
I started at the line but on the left side, and got out ahead after the whistle blew (which took more than one of us by surprise). Soon I found myself in front with Dana, Lorri, and Mariska, setting the pace up the hill and into the first turn. In general, most of the first lap was pretty civilized. I spent some time at the front but hardly even broke a sweat. On the rollers/hills I felt pretty strong, didn't lose any ground, and even passed some people.
The back stretch on the first lap is where I burned a match or two last year by pulling at the front too much. This year, I managed to stay off the front, but I think there was a cross-wind that I wasn't wholly successful at staying out of. I was trying to keep an eye out for Emily, whom I hadn't seen since the start. Finally I looked back and saw her five or six wheels back, and was relieved that she hadn't gotten caught behind a gap as at Dunnigan Hills last week.
We got neutralized on the back stretch, which wasn't the end of the world since we were already all together anyway. Once the men's field passed us, the girls at the front of the pack picked up the pace. Soon we were on the men's tails. Confusion -- why were the men going so slowly? What were we supposed to do now? Dana figured out that the race officials were actually neutralizing the men, waiting for us to pass them. More confusion -- I don't know if it was the wind or just disbelief, but we couldn't get anyone to do anything. Finally I shouted at Dana to just "go!!" so she did. A bunch of us hit it and we passed the men.
Then the pace really picked up. I was feeling really good about being able to stay up with the leaders. We rounded the corner into town and headed back up the hill for lap two. Suddenly doubts started to creep in. "Can I really do this for a second lap? Am I crazy?" After the feed zone, I was still with the lead group, but I wasn't having fun anymore. Then, just past the turnoff to the finish line, there was a crash in front -- three women went down. I was able to brake in time and get around them, but the women who'd been in front of the crash put the hammer down. Dana and Emily both headed past me, and I watched them head off into the proverbial sunset with eight other women. "Great! At least we've got two in the top 10," I thought.
I started looking around for others to work with. I could see a SugarCRM up ahead but she was hauling ass to try to catch back on -- I could keep pace with her but couldn't bridge up. Katie passed me and I couldn't get on her wheel. I finally caught up with a Velo Bella named Jamie. Soon we were passed by Anne Findlay, who was effortlessly leaving us in her dust. Tri-Flow Lori also caught on. Jamie, Lori, and I spent the next couple of miles trying to bridge up to Anne. We finally caught her around the highway overpass, but I had burned at least one match, if not more, in the process. I had very little left, and struggled to keep up with them; they dropped me through the last rollers on the west side of the course.
Fortunately for me, the W1/2s passed us just then, so Anne and Jamie were effectively neutralized. Lori and I were able to catch back up to them so we were a group of four once more. But then the W1/2s were going really slowly; we were trapped behind them, and worried about getting caught by other stragglers in our field. We decided to pass the W1/2s, and did so just before the turn onto the final stretch.
It wasn't long before Laurie Fenech led the W1/2s past us again, but at least it was good that we gave it a try. I struggled up the hill at mile 14 (well, mile 37 at this point). I was struggling to keep up with Anne and Jamie, who were taking turns pulling hard at the front. I was hoping that I could rest enough to be able to start feeling better and participate in the pace line, but no such luck. I ate, I drank, I hung out in the back, but I never felt any better. A couple of times I tried to pull at the front but couldn't for more than maybe 15 seconds -- I was cooked.
The three of them were very positive and encouraging, and tried to wait for me, but I didn't want them to get caught so I kept telling them to go ahead. Finally they did, and I was on my own, with about six miles to go.
Ugh. Everything hurt. It was like Dunnigan Hills again, only with less energy, and no tailwind. I made myself maintain at least 20mph. I was so excited to see the turn back into town. My momentum was interrupted by a huge SUV that had decided to pull out of the race parking lot at that very moment, right into my path. I growled "race course!" at them and went around. I kept up my pace across the bridge, but at the feed zone, I fell apart. Only like 200 meters left to go, and I was afraid I wasn't going to make it; if I'd had the energy to cry, I might have done so. I kept looking behind me, but no one was there. At least I wouldn't have to get out of the saddle... although I'm not sure I've ever hated my saddle more than at that moment.
I turned toward the finish line. Lorri, Lala, and Steve Woo were all cheering for me. It felt like it was all I could do to pedal across the line.
It was like a rerun of last year -- all of the things I did wrong last year, I did again this year: spent too much time in the wind, worked too hard to (unsuccessfully) chase back on. And surprise surprise, I got the same results -- fell off at the same place, felt like crap at the end of the race.
I did better at nutrition than I did at Dunnigan Hills last weekend. Yesterday during our pre-ride I picked places where I was going to eat. I didn't always eat in those exact spots, but those spots did remind me to eat so I tried to eat/drink as soon afterward as I could conveniently do so.
Yuck.
Boo.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
2009 Dunnigan Hills RR race report
This was the first race I've done twice -- I did it for the first time last year. As I recall, last year I had a lot of trouble with the wind, fell off the back early, got back on the pack only due to the pack taking a wrong turn, and falling off again around mile 17. I don't remember much else until the last stretch, which lasted for what seemed to be an eternity. Needless to say, I didn't finish well.
Fast forward to this year's race -- my first road race after a summer of criteriums. I hadn't ridden more than 30 miles at a time in months, let alone at race pace -- and now I was going to try to race for 42 miles? Ha! On the other hand, I was in the best shape of my life. I was stronger than I'd ever been on the bike. I'd developed an ability to time trial through the low-energy phases, to keep going even when I wasn't having fun anymore. So maybe it would be interesting after all.
The race started late. We spent a lot of time standing at various lines, moving forward, moving back again, moving forward again. Most of the Velo Girls ended up toward the back of the pack at the starting line. At least I was able to position myself on the left side, which I knew from experience would be the side protected from the wind.
During the promenade along narrow roads, we realized our mistake in not more aggressively positioning ourselves toward the front at the starting line. Once the promenade was over, the front of the pack took off. A gap opened in the middle of the pack, and at least a third of the field was dropped off the back. But we still couldn't get around -- narrow roads with the centerline rule in effect. Damn.
Emily weaved her way through and hit it hard, working to bridge up to the front group. I tried to follow but couldn't stay with her. At least I was able to break away from the back group. On the hill at the first feed zone, I was able to pass a few girls; after that I TT'ed by myself for awhile until I caught up to some other girls who had been spit out the back of the front group.
A small group of us -- Roaring Mo, Early Birds Alissa, some girl named Brett, me, and... I think there was another one too -- negotiated an echelon that worked pretty well, each of us taking turns pulling at the "front" which actually was more like the side, given the wind direction. There was a bit of confusion once we turned the corner onto the frontage road, but we soon found the wind and our echelon began again. It worked so well that it wasn't too long before we caught up to a larger group that included Katie. There was a lot more confusion as the two groups merged. Finally we settled onto a regular paceline that worked OK, although not quite as smoothly as with our smaller group.
Once we turned west again and crossed over the freeway, I started cramping. Damn! I rarely cramp. Mentor Laurie Fenech told me to keep spinning, but I soon got tossed off the back of the group anyway. Damn! Now I was on my own again, at least for a short while. Alissa, Mo, and I regrouped for the hill section, but then Mo fell off pretty soon. Then it was just me and Alissa. She and I worked together for a long time.
A little bit before the second feed zone, Dana caught up to us. She'd been working with Tri-Flow Michelle and another woman named Deb (I think). The five of us cobbled together a paceline and worked for quite awhile. Near the end of the hilly section, a mile or two before the turn at Jack-in-the-Box, we picked up a SugarCRM girl.
After the JITB turn, the three Velo Girls picked up the pace -- we were in the homestretch! Dana and I did our TTT thing, all the while trying to coach Michelle as well. We were making great time! And then we realized that we'd dropped the other three girls. Oops.
After a couple of miles we spotted Katie up ahead with Brett. Dana kicked it up a notch and we bridged up to them. I was starting to feel the effects of my stupidity -- I hadn't been eating enough during the race, and was running out of energy. Within minutes after catching Katie, I fell off. And just like that, I was on my own, with more than six miles to go.
It was just like last year -- despairing along the homestretch, although I didn't even have Vanessa to keep me company this time. I kept my pace up but constantly fantasized about just pulling over. I was sure that Alissa and the other two would catch me any time, and I wouldn't even have the energy to hop on their wheel. I thought it would have been a relief -- once they passed me, then I could give up.
But they never did pass me. I got to the turnoff to the finish, and decided that I hadn't worked that hard for that long only to give up! I scrounged around and found just enough energy to put the hammer down, stand up for the climb up the overpass hill, and mash the pedals until I crossed the finish line. I still had no idea how far behind me they were, but they hadn't passed me! My feet were asleep, my crotch was a wreck, and somehow I had managed to pull a muscle in my left hand, but I'd finished, goddammit!
I spent much of the rest of the day kicking myself for not taking better care of myself nutritionally. Ironically, I'd even coached Alissa about eating while she and I had been riding together, before the hilly section. Ideally I would have eaten something about the time we turned the corner at JITB. But of course I was too focused on the siren song of the final stretch, with the wind at my back and the finish line apparently within reach. Damn.
On the other hand, I was pleased with my performance given that I'd only taken in about 250 calories during the race. Other than sort of bonking toward the end of the race, the only time I remember being in out-and-out pain was when my calves were cramping. The rest of the time, I was working hard, but not totally suffering. What will I be able to do next time?
Lessons for next time: kick and claw my way to the front at the starting line, eat more often!
Fast forward to this year's race -- my first road race after a summer of criteriums. I hadn't ridden more than 30 miles at a time in months, let alone at race pace -- and now I was going to try to race for 42 miles? Ha! On the other hand, I was in the best shape of my life. I was stronger than I'd ever been on the bike. I'd developed an ability to time trial through the low-energy phases, to keep going even when I wasn't having fun anymore. So maybe it would be interesting after all.
The race started late. We spent a lot of time standing at various lines, moving forward, moving back again, moving forward again. Most of the Velo Girls ended up toward the back of the pack at the starting line. At least I was able to position myself on the left side, which I knew from experience would be the side protected from the wind.
During the promenade along narrow roads, we realized our mistake in not more aggressively positioning ourselves toward the front at the starting line. Once the promenade was over, the front of the pack took off. A gap opened in the middle of the pack, and at least a third of the field was dropped off the back. But we still couldn't get around -- narrow roads with the centerline rule in effect. Damn.
Emily weaved her way through and hit it hard, working to bridge up to the front group. I tried to follow but couldn't stay with her. At least I was able to break away from the back group. On the hill at the first feed zone, I was able to pass a few girls; after that I TT'ed by myself for awhile until I caught up to some other girls who had been spit out the back of the front group.
A small group of us -- Roaring Mo, Early Birds Alissa, some girl named Brett, me, and... I think there was another one too -- negotiated an echelon that worked pretty well, each of us taking turns pulling at the "front" which actually was more like the side, given the wind direction. There was a bit of confusion once we turned the corner onto the frontage road, but we soon found the wind and our echelon began again. It worked so well that it wasn't too long before we caught up to a larger group that included Katie. There was a lot more confusion as the two groups merged. Finally we settled onto a regular paceline that worked OK, although not quite as smoothly as with our smaller group.
Once we turned west again and crossed over the freeway, I started cramping. Damn! I rarely cramp. Mentor Laurie Fenech told me to keep spinning, but I soon got tossed off the back of the group anyway. Damn! Now I was on my own again, at least for a short while. Alissa, Mo, and I regrouped for the hill section, but then Mo fell off pretty soon. Then it was just me and Alissa. She and I worked together for a long time.
A little bit before the second feed zone, Dana caught up to us. She'd been working with Tri-Flow Michelle and another woman named Deb (I think). The five of us cobbled together a paceline and worked for quite awhile. Near the end of the hilly section, a mile or two before the turn at Jack-in-the-Box, we picked up a SugarCRM girl.
After the JITB turn, the three Velo Girls picked up the pace -- we were in the homestretch! Dana and I did our TTT thing, all the while trying to coach Michelle as well. We were making great time! And then we realized that we'd dropped the other three girls. Oops.
After a couple of miles we spotted Katie up ahead with Brett. Dana kicked it up a notch and we bridged up to them. I was starting to feel the effects of my stupidity -- I hadn't been eating enough during the race, and was running out of energy. Within minutes after catching Katie, I fell off. And just like that, I was on my own, with more than six miles to go.
It was just like last year -- despairing along the homestretch, although I didn't even have Vanessa to keep me company this time. I kept my pace up but constantly fantasized about just pulling over. I was sure that Alissa and the other two would catch me any time, and I wouldn't even have the energy to hop on their wheel. I thought it would have been a relief -- once they passed me, then I could give up.
But they never did pass me. I got to the turnoff to the finish, and decided that I hadn't worked that hard for that long only to give up! I scrounged around and found just enough energy to put the hammer down, stand up for the climb up the overpass hill, and mash the pedals until I crossed the finish line. I still had no idea how far behind me they were, but they hadn't passed me! My feet were asleep, my crotch was a wreck, and somehow I had managed to pull a muscle in my left hand, but I'd finished, goddammit!
I spent much of the rest of the day kicking myself for not taking better care of myself nutritionally. Ironically, I'd even coached Alissa about eating while she and I had been riding together, before the hilly section. Ideally I would have eaten something about the time we turned the corner at JITB. But of course I was too focused on the siren song of the final stretch, with the wind at my back and the finish line apparently within reach. Damn.
On the other hand, I was pleased with my performance given that I'd only taken in about 250 calories during the race. Other than sort of bonking toward the end of the race, the only time I remember being in out-and-out pain was when my calves were cramping. The rest of the time, I was working hard, but not totally suffering. What will I be able to do next time?
Lessons for next time: kick and claw my way to the front at the starting line, eat more often!
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