Fear of water?

On the trainer today. I WAS going to bring my bike to work to do a ride whenever a window opened up. But a busy morning and I didnt have patience or time to pack. The result? On the trainer at 4pm.

Two weeks to Presque Isle means this is the week to get in any training that should benefit me in two weeks. I am not "cramming", just want to do what I can. Being on the trainer after so much time outdoors is NOT my idea of fun. Even though I know its focused training and I was up for it-I couldnt motivate myself enough once I started.

Tomorrow its more of the same. Rain and 40's means indoors again. So I called my coach Sean Gilbert and asked him for another hard workout, but a workout on the trainer that is more engaging so its easier to stay focused. Shorter efforts in repeats and variety. But still hitting all of the zones. Should keep me focused this time.

Once your out of the basement "this will make me stronger" mentality what makes long hard TT efforts manageable is the speed mainly. Things rushing by fast, sounds of air and tires on the road. That drives you to push harder. Funny, but once youve done some races outside staring at the TV and blasting your mp3 player and not going anywhere just doesnt do it anymore. Weird huh?

Also this weekend is the first RATL, Covered Bridge double. Carbon Racing with help of some very generous volunteers will run the Covered Bridge race on the 19th. I want to thank everyone who has offered to marshal corners and help us out so we can race. Thank you, thank you and thank you again.

Deer Creek Road Race

Yesterday was by far the most Cat.1's I have ever lined up with. A lot made the break and still there were a crap load left in the field. I had planned on a few bigger races this summer and I suppose I already have one under my belt.

I posted some big wattage numbers while overall the average wattage was "normal" for racing. That shows why road racing is so difficult. You could have a ho hum race, but when the chips fall if you cannot produce the goods for that one or two minutes its all over. No I dont race my wattage meter. But when your still putting out power at the end of a 70 mile race its a good thing.

Lucky for Carbon Racing Brian bridged to the breakaway with Marco Aledia of Kenda/Inferno and came home 6th out of the 8 man break. Nice work Brian.

I lead out the field for scraps from 1km to about 200m out, but sadly my sprinter du jour got popped as guys gave up left and right and he was behind one of them. But after 71 miles at an average speed of 24.3 mph (and it was brutally windy) can you blame them? I think we could have taken the last paying spot though because only 4 guys or so were on my wheel when i pulled off. I know, not a Protour level lead out, but for me it was good. I made a plan with a few miles to go and was able to execute it. Cool. Maybe it will work later in the year!!!!

I rolled in for a top 20 sprinting. What the hell, its good training. But I can tell you this. Racing for scraps or not I raced my bike today and I made some people hurt. I'm not saying I am a sado-masochist, just that I had some power late in the game and raced hard. Sadly I didnt have it when I needed it and missed the break.

When the move of the race went I went after it with everything I had to get in it. YOu just know when THE move is going. But when I knew I wasnt going to make it I kept drilling it. Its a phase shift of sorts. At first your trying to make it into the break YOURSELF, but as quick I made the decision to go I also realized that we didnt have anyone in the break yet. I got closer and closer at first, but the rate I was getting closer faltered and when I thought I was doing more harm than good I flicked my elbow for someone to come through. I flicked again and slowed. Well I had Paul Martin and another Panther/RGF sitting on me. Since the break looked primarily white in color (Panther/RGF's new uniforms (Happy JIM?-sorry inside joke)) I knew I had to keep pulling-even if slowly. Damn I tried hard to close it. Tried freakin hard.

No one was going to help. I pulled till my legs almost locked up and I almost got dropped due to the effort because as soon as I pulled off we went up one of the short hills. I barely made it up going backward through the field FAST. By contrast every other lap I felt great up both climbs-sometimes attacking to cause some attrition in the field.

I only trained 5 hours this week going into the race as well. But a very well planned 5 hours of trying to come from being sick Sunday-Tuesday to doing just enough and a bit intensity Thursday to be ready to race yesterday, but not make myself tired or sicker. Thank goodness it worked.

Had it not the race would have hurt even more than it did and this one hurt. I havent even spun out my legs yet today and its already 5:41pm!! I Know I should have ridden a few hours. Ahh what the heck I had a great day with my family. Happy Easter everyone.

National Dreams....WTF?

The 2009 Masters National Championships schedule has been released. I try to have the attitude "same for everyone", but there are some crazy things going on. The first of which the Road Race is less than 24 hours before the TT. Any serious TTer is going to have to think seriousely about doing the Road Race now. Sure its "only" 50 miles, but damn, Logan County was only 50 miles and it was a hard, hard race!!

Next the TT is a mere 16 miles long.

$60 entry, a years worth of training, hotel room, travel expenses and mega bucks (for a lot of people, not so much me) on trick equipment designed to save time over 40km. And the Time Trial is 24km.

That and I wanted a second shot on the same course. But thats covered under the "same for everyone" clause. so I can live with that. Man, I am pissed. And I am not the only one I guarntee you that. What is USA Cycling and the organizers thinking?

Add on top of that I have to do the TT and immediately get in my minivan, drive home to Cleveland, pick up my bro and drive straight on to Boston for his rehearsal dinner on the 2nd. Yup, Kentucky to Cleveland to Boston in 24 hours...by car. My wife and daughter will be there in advance. Two days later I drive home with my bro and great new sister in law's gifts and my wife and daughter.

Whew-the end of June is looking like a big huge ball of stress. I will put to test my ability to think positively and t put aside what I cannot change!!

Ray

More TT Tweaking

Flat back (pretty much), arms 90 degrees, weight comfortably supported on arm rests, good hip angle and knee angle. All check. POwer?? Still nowhere near where it needs to be, but its getting there!!



The dream as I have stated before is that all this work has reduced my Cda such that I am faster than last year without putting out anymore power.

Fighting some bug, but rode super easy to get a good sweat going (easy when your not feeling well) today and yesterday. No fan helps too. And for me that does feel better than doing nothing except being miserable.

I think I am getting better. I was going to race Deer Creek Saturday (70 miles), but might not. Its a long way to go on no training. Lots of gas, whole day traveling to do what might amount to a training ride.

We shall see!!

Tour of Logan County Road Race

I am afraid to start this entry because I could talk for hours for what ended up being a character building ride with no result for me. And I might make a lot of lame excuses, bitch moan and cry to explain my lack of result while seemingly being bi-polar and bragging how well I raced in spite of it all. But many times in team racing success is not quantifiable by your own results. I got dropped several times and fought back on and had to cover every move for 30 miles while my team mates Dan and Brian were up the road. On about the windiest race Ive ever been in too.

I had one of those days where every attack and every climb hurt and felt like you had no power. Well that evening at home I got a sore throat so maybe thats why. I also rode extremely hard Thursday and didnt get in a recovery ride Friday. Excuses, excuses!!

The reason it was character building was how bad I felt, but how hard I had to ride the whole race to "do my job". I even survived getting popped off the back when Grimm attacked and two guys in front of me gave up. I came around them and while struggling to climb in the wind Jeremy looked back, saw some guys off the back and attacked again!! I sprinted back on repeatedly even though it felt like my legs were going to explode.

Sadly after 30 miles of working through the rotations and following anyone of the 6 guys left in the main group that tried to push the pace we caught them. I expected Jeremy to launch an attack and stayed on his wheel for a few seconds then launched my own counter as hard as I could. I didnt want to, but I had to. I was hoping others felt as bad as I did and if nothing else we would drop from now 8 to maybe 2 or 3 and I could fake it and hang on.

I didnt turn around (using that old adage that when you attack you go all out, dnt look back) hoping that I had blown apart the group, but ended up just pulling us around for too long putting the hurt more on Dan and Brian than the rest.....Grouppo Compacto. The 8 of us circulated around with Brian trying to get away again. But Matt Weeks slowly rolled away and no on chased including Carbon Racing. He had helped us by not chasing down Brian and Dan with Inferno, DLP and RGF and a strong, but unnattached rider who sadly had no clue how to ride his bike in a race so we repaid the favor by not chasing him.

With a couple miles to go Jeremy attacked us hard. I was in my small ring at the time, thighs had been cramping for miles and no power and F@#@$#$@%^ I got dropped and couldnt chase back on.

Jeremy blew past Matt on the descent, but Matt held on for 2nd. He too was complaining mid race that he was about to get dropped. So great for him to get 2nd solo in his first race of the year.

Down the 8% descent to the last corner I watched as Grimm motored away from the main group that motored away from me. Even the descent was hard today when Jeremy would drive the pace down it.

After the race my thighs felt like they got hit with meat tenderizing hammers and I was beat, my stomach was doing back flips. Tris broke his derailleur 10 minutes into the race and that's a crap way to spend a day hours from home. And he loves a hard race, but maybe I am a bit jealous he missed this one and I didnt (just kidding, it was awesome to almost survive it). What a day in the wind and hills. The Map My Ride of the Course looks tame, but I guarantee with the wind it was really tough.

Its Sunday and I do have a sore throat and am stuffy in the head. I cannot decide if a day off or a nice slow spin for 2 hours would be better. I bitched all the way home about getting dropped and having no power. Character building for sure. Sadly my excuse of being under the weather doesn't hold any water since Jeremy won with a cold. Congrats Jeremy on an amazing Spring.

Bye, Bye Cannondale USA

As a proud owner of my made in the USA Cannondale Six 13 I am sad to hear Dorel (parent of Cannondale) will cease all US frame manufacturing by 2011. I have no problems buying things made in China. Heck that sort of business has paid my paychecks for years.

Sing it "We are the Champions, my Friend...."

John Davis writes about Bike Racing and the Rustbelt.

Sure I have a never ending stream of my own things to say, but this is some sweet writing.

Ray