40 posts tagged “cycling”
Wente RR
40 starters – teammates – JS
Course 3 laps (4 times up Carroll). Weather: cool and WINDY.
Bike: Felt b/c it has climbing gears!
I warmed up solidly – got the HR up to 160 on the trainer. Learned that some friends had missed their start and that the officials were running about 3 minutes early so I made sure to get there early. Good thing I did!
On the start line, the officials announce the QOM prize on the FIRST time up the hill – wtf? So we were all together finding good position, made the right hand turn onto Altamont road and came to a screeching halt as a HUGE red truck nearly took us out by turning INTO the peloton as we were making the right hand turn… where were the volunteers and police??? Why did the truck run past the barricades that said BIKE RACE? After nearly rear ending the truck, it took me about 10 minutes to calm down – just as I was getting my heart rate back down, we got too the right turn onto Carroll and the fireworks started. Marley and Davis girl were way off the front and I was just hanging onto the peloton… So we had a pack together for about 3 miles – before it was blown apart.
I made sure to ride the hill like I know how to ride, and refusing to be dropped or blow up. I got up and over the freeway and into the slight uphill and I was dangling with April Hamlin and Colavita gal. We worked super solidly together and chased and chased and chased and finally caught back on after the downhill – Colavita said “we’re there” and I still had 10 yards to make up and no matches to burn to get there. April and I were now dangling, and refused to give up. We were ON and then we made that right hand turn to go up and over that tiny but steep hill – I stood and just said (a la “A Christmas Story” … FUUUUUUUUUUUDGE) and I was dropped. That was it. They were only 10 yards ahead of me but I had fallen off. I set about recovering and sitting up to see who was behind me. Hooray it’s 5 gals including Lucia and a few others… I got into their paceline and sat in to recover. Then Lucia pulled out and I mentally was ready to too. The front group sat up and recovered as well so we caught back on as we were making the right turn again in Altamont. Whew. Recovered and surely they wont ramp it up until the last lap. Wrong. The two were still off the front and the climbers started putting the hurt on. I just didn’t have much left to burn. After completing the climb I was with Mason and Dolce… I decided enough. I’d been dropped and caught the field twice – and the third time I got dropped, I decided it’s a training ride.
Meanwhile the wind really picked up by this time. I rode the climbs my pace and rode away from the other two gals, and caught up to a SJBC Jonathan Racine. I passed him on the uphill, and then he passed me on the flats, and so we decided to ride it in together. Solid choice to save it for tomorrow. I rounded up a VeloBella who was clearly fading in my race and got her on my wheel and paced her to the finishline to help her recover… she was ever grateful.
Fitness for climbing is just not there and this race confirms my need for a break.
SUNDAY
Wente Crit 1-2-3. 3’s prized and scored separately.
Weather: 60 and light breeze – much warmer and less windy that the RR.
Teammates – Bev
Start time: 2:40.
Avg speed 25mph
Ate at noon – good choice of a bland sandwich to give me enough energy to stay competitive! Watched the W4 crit. Good times – with Ash taking 4th! Woot!
Bev and I were on the trainers for a solid 45 minutes – legs felt like crap for a full 15 minutes. Around 30 minutes I finally started feeling loose. I did three solid one minute high HR efforts. Felt good and warm.
Took a lap before the race. On the start line in the second row. The gals in front of me SUCKED at clipping in… But I was warm so once out of traffic, I was up and INTO the race. I’ll be honest, I was a bit scared right off the bat – remembering the total trouncing we had in Santa Cruz, and then deflated again from yesterdays race.
I was tentative in the first 3 laps – just seeing how people were riding and checking out the course at speed. There were a few instances of guttering after turn 2 – into the left gutter. Once I found where I could be comfortable (and it was different areas on the course) then I stayed there. I was totally protected about 66% of the time, but around turn 4 the gals were taking a crappy line too much inside, so I consistently moved to the outside so I could steadily pedal but took the wind, and found myself out in the wind fighting to get back into the pack. So either stay on a line and grit my teeth – or move outside and move up!
About halfway thru, a vanderkitten filled a tiny gap to my right where there wasn’t really a gap – so we ended up leaning into each other and pedaling until we moved off each other – it was surprising but I wasn’t going to let it go, I refused to go down. Yay!
Around 6 laps to go, a break had formed after a prime – and I was moving up anyway so I jumped across and was in a break for about ½ lap. Pretty cool to try anyway. It crumbled as metromint gave serious chase.
With 5 to go I had drifted back to chill and recover – Bev was up front looking awesome. With 4 to go I was still in a bad position. Bev was looking good in 3rd wheel.
With 3 to go I was moving up up up.
With 2 to go I was thinking move up move up move up. I needed to be in the top 10 -15 by the last turn.
With 1 to go I was moving up and listening to girls breathing really hard. But I didn’t position myself well – I guess maybe I started moving up too late. When the sprint started, I was about 4 rows back – I passed about 6 gals maybe more by my count. We were all over the road and as girls were falling back and I was passing them, I was having to choose to move around them, left? Right? I hope nobody is coming up behind me? Anyway – I passed a few gals but was solid mid-pack. However I felt I had another sprint left in my tank.
In the end: I moved up, back, around up thru the middle in this race
and was very happy to have made a few moves in the front of the race. My confidence has
taken a beating lately so this was a good race for me, I turned self doubt into
confidence again because I was totally fit enough to hang with these women.
Some of the major competitors that Bev and I have been racing with the first
part of this year did not do anything during this race – and we were both solid
and impressed with our finish. Next time, move up with 3 to go, no matter what.
GTTM
Merco Crit
Cat’s 3 and 4 women
Teammates: Cathy, Ashley, Mo, Bergen, Bev, Jamie,
Weather – overcast but dry
25 lap race.
Going in we had the idea that we would drill the first 3 laps – trying to make it safe for everyone. Then perhaps go for the second prime, or perhaps counter attack the second prime. There were lots of strong girls, Hopkins Honda, Sugar/CRM, Dolce, so we didn’t need to do all the work at the front. I split the race into 3 parts in my head – the beginning where I wanted to practice skills of only moving up through the pack, learning to do this safely and comfortably. Then I wanted to maintain around 15th wheel in the middle to observe who was up front. And the last 5, I wanted to make sure the mouse train got rolling and delivered me or another mouse to victory!
Just after finishing the first lap, I heard someone in front of me flat. I said “someone has a flat” – and saw it was me! I didn’t quite know how to get back to the pit – but you can get off and run back to the pit with a flat. Changed into a neutral (zipp) wheel and off again I went!
I feel that I did GREAT with my skills in the pack – my skills are so much better than before, thanks to working in the Early Birds, riding with the Cat 4 boys, and also I think the track fights helped! I fought and won most of the wheels I wanted, took GREAT corners and was complimented by others in the pack for getting the other ladies to take the corners wide and fast.
What I know we need to work on is finding each other in the pack and practice riding near each other in a sustained way… our communication broke down and with 5 to go, we all found our way to the front, thanks to Mo and Ashley for moving me up there! Somehow not everyone was there when we needed to be. A few more races and we’ll perfect that train, I believe it!
With 5 to go, we had two dolces, Bev, the winner, and one or two others up there. I sat on Bev’s wheel with 4 to go and we were being uncontested so far. 3 to go and I felt the pack was inching up on us. 2 to go and I asked the girls to step on the gas if they wanted to win. I was 3rd wheel feeling the pack breathing down my neck, expecting a surge at any minute. But with the technicality of the course, the first 5 of us would escape the chicane with speed and everyone else had to slow, which prevented an all out assault on us.. with the last lap I said “turn it on” and turn it on they did. As we rounded the last corner I kept thinking “wait for it…” and I waited too long. Bev led me out and narrowly missed first – I never came around her. A newbie mistake – obviously I’ve practiced sprint fitness, but not the actual ‘when to go’. Always more to learn!
Place 3 in the ¾, 2nd in the 3s.
First Race back - post arm surgery. Very happy with the fitness and tactics.
yea yea yea
I've been away from this blog thing. No excuses though. I'm just picking up where I left off, and moving forward (just like life and Cormac McCarthy's "The Road".
Everyone and their mother has this flu/cold/sinus infection thing right now. I'm staying home feeling rundown and hoping to kick this crap before it kicks me!
Which brings me back to my title - it's "go" time in Northern California cycling scene. Yes, it's February and that means time for the Tour of California. I cant wait! Hot Hot racing action - in what is forecasted to be another showery wintery February. The action starts on Saturday in Sacramento. Cant wait to watch!
This year - some Bay Area locals are again testing the Tour of CA action: read more here...
My first official race of the year was on January 4 - The Early Bird crit series. It was my first race after this whole elbow debacle, and it felt GREAT to be out racing again.
Training is ramping up, with my first official race at the end of this month. This year, four of my Cat 3 teammates and I hired a coach through Whole Athlete, and it's made all the difference in motivation for racing and training. We are having the time of our lives, commisserating together As Cat 3's we're riding 10-15 hours/week on top of our 40 hr/week jobs. Thats' committment for you!
More racing and hot hot action to come!
continued from yesterday.... where I hit a fire hydrant and broke my elbow...
Anthony's car (aka The golden chariot) landed, picked me up and after I
struggled to get in the car, my level of discomfort was approaching new levels - a drastic foreshadowing event too. “Could you please try to avoid all the potholes” I
begged, ashen faced. Poor Anthony did as I asked. That request was soon
followed by a surly ashen faced sweaty bellow “just get there already!” I was
in so much pain. And as we waited through THREE traffic signals to turn onto
Geary toward the hospital, I seethed “let me out and I’ll just walk” which I
realized I actually couldn’t do. But I was in pain. Pain is a mean bugger. Pain MAKES me a mean bi-atch.
Inside the ER, nary a person in sight. I checked in with the
nurse answering her “what brings you in here” pleasantries with a terse “I was
riding my bike, fell off and broke my elbow”. No time for pleasantries here.
I’m in pain! I asked for some ice for my elbow, but was denied “Not until the
doctor evaluates you, now go sit over there until we call you” While I surveyed the EMPTY waiting room, I wondered (maybe aloud?) why am I waiting, there's nobody here!
Five minutes tick past. Nothing happened. I asked again for some ice, and was denied, but this time the doctor opened the admitting door and let me in. I wouldn’t let him palpitate my elbow screaming “no touch, no touch”. So I was admitted. And seen by another doctor, to whom I also said “no touch, no touch!”. This garnered me the pleasure of morphine. Ah, that wonderful drug. I no longer cared that my arm hurt and I had ruined my 30th birthday camping trip weekend. All was right with the world because I had morphine.
Going into x-ray was icky – I could see my elbow was really swollen in all the wrong places. The x-ray actually confirmed it. The olecrenon was broken right off the end of the ulna – fortunately just a simple fracture. Unfortunately, the triceps attach at that spot, and when I jerked my arm and flexed the triceps, it pulled the elbow point clear up my arm. No wonder I hurt so much!
“So your arm is broken and you’re going to need surgery” said the orthopedic resident. Damn.
And so begins the insanity of the HMO Kaiser Permanente system.
so many of you know that my thirtieth trip around the sun started with a bang crash boom crunch. The following are excerpts of what I've been up to, the story of the crash, the hospital, the surgery, the recovery. Sit back and enjoy.
You broke your what? Part I
So I was dressed up in my coconut bra and ugly little skirt over my kit on Saturday morning, September 20th. I did all the usual stuff, rode to DFL race in Golden Gate Park – paid my $5 to race, pinned Anthony and he pinned me. Off to reconnoiter the course. All was fine n peaceful and as I made my right turn from grass to pavement, I was feeling good… till the guy in front of me swerved quickly around a fire hydrant that I frankly did not see… I had one of those woah woah woah… almost cleared the hydrant. So close in fact that I was very surprised to be hurtling over my handlebars onto the ground. I brought my arms up to hug myself and protect my innards and head, and landed with a crack/crunch and a *&%$ as I rolled onto my now flattened left elbow. It’s done broke.
Many expletives later, I rolled to a sitting position and firmly asked (once I stopped swearing) Anthony to find my teammates (anybody wearing yellow) and then go get the car, we have to go to the hospital. My entire forearm and hand were turning numb. Just like that. I’ve been through several handfuls of first aid and cpr classes… thank goodness I knew how to direct people. (Flashbacks of the YMCA first aid class, shouting and pointing "you call 9-1-1" , "you, call ems", "you get the AED" were running through my head) What I knew was that I had broken my arm, but I didn’t know where or how bad. And I was NOT prepared for the hand/arm to go completely numb. In fact I was quite scared. What if I’m bleeding inside? Do I need to raise my arm? As these thoughts are cascading through my brain simultaneously, I also knew that I was settling into shock. Any moment in fact. In an effort to lay down and keep my arm above my heart, I jostled the bones and felt the most intense piercing pain I’ve ever experienced.
While Anthony was off and cycling hard to get the golden chariot and my wallet and some clothes, it began to rain. My teammates, Paule and Julie were doing their best to stay warm and keep me warm. They kept me talking and scrounged up some ibuprofen for me to ward off some swelling. It was the best. Paule even fashioned a small sling from a leg of his pantyhose, awww Paule thanks....
Dunnigan RR – start time 8:40 – real start time, 9:10 (or so). 46ish miles. Wom 3 – 9 women in the field.
This was my very first road race. The roads were crap last year – this year most of them were repaved/chipsealed – so much smoother overall. Last year was hot – this year was wind. Wow, was there wind. There were spots where we were moving about 8mph on flat roads. Cross/head wind, Crosswind – a few times was a tail wind. We moved at a snails pace, tried to do some escheloning, and mostly hid from the wind as much as possible. The last 9 miles of flat next to I5 that took forever last year, went flying by this year as we had a nice tail wind. We turned right – and as expected, everyone turned into the right lane, I swung left (again) and charged up and over the overpass, stunning everyone – and clicked all the way down into my 11 ring, essentially in my hardest gear. And I spun out! I was literally pedaling as hard as I could. I heard someone wheezing to my right, I glanced over and saw code 3 gal (Is it karina or Kim, tall and blonde) wheezing and that made me go faster… she faded a little…and I was thinking “wow I cant believe I’m here”– I was leading until I was beaten to the line by Carol from touchstone – but I was literally going as fast as I could go – for 2nd. I was happy with my point.
Giro Crit – start time 9:30 – Cat 3 women – field 30? Big teams from dolce, mint, code 3, and mouse. Teammates – Bergen, kate, bev (superstud mtn bike nat’l champion the day before) and me.
The plan: take a few flyers mid way thru the race to ramp up the pace and make the girls scared/hurt. With 5 to go, Bergen explodes putting a ton of hurt on the girls, then as the field catches her, have Kate go up and hurt the field, and then Bev and I can lead out for the finish. The plan was perfect…
The race: We raced about for many laps – no real attacks – a few primes went, but neither dolce or code 3 were controlling the race. We had our attack plans set, and the girly meece just sat together, watching who was doing what, and sitting in. I marked several other gals (code 3, dolce, and mint) to see what they were doing, how they were feeling, and listening for their breath on the hills. My oh MY was that the predictor of the finish! Wowza, I heard many a wheeze but I was hardly breathing hard! I kept patience, just sitting in the pack watching who was going to do something…well with 5 to go, Bergen storms out of nowhere and just splatters the field and I thought YES ITS ON! Kate works up to the front to cover any attacks that might happen, but she just controlled the field. I really thought Bergen might stay away, she was so far ahead and away for 2 ½ laps! Eventually we caught her and Kate ramped up the pace – working hard – and then with 2 to go, I was up front moving as girls were dropping on the hill, wheezing and wheezing – wow I was still feeling fresh, so I punched it on the hill and got on the front– watching the attacks. I slowed up. Suddenly on my right a dolce girl was streaming fast inside, I jumped her wheel and let her drag me around – she slowed and the field caught us – the next time around there was a group 3 gals on janelles wheel, she slowed and the group caught us. The final turn and I was joined by minty, and two others… we jammed into the final turn and I was using them as a lead out but the two between me and the minty burnt early – I came around and got on minty’s wheel, and then a last ditch effort to come around her, and had I had 10 more feet, I’d have had her… so I didn’t time my sprint just perfect but good enough for 2nd, I was so excited for 2nd that it was like I won!
The girly meece were fantastic – amazing execution of our made up strategy – we really learned how to ride together and work together this season. Our pack skills are decent and we should be really excited to race together next season. I am extremely proud how far all of us have come in just one season! J
Yes, it was my very first time racing the women's Category 1-2-3 crit. In the Bay Area, as a woman cyclist, easily 1/2 of our races (especially crit's) are combined category 1-2-3. Primarily because there aren't enough of any one category to constitute an entire race to itself. So, I moved up to Category 3 in June, and now I'm privileged to race with the pros. Yikes!
Timpani Criterium: Easy four corner crit.
Lots of wind on the long backstretch (which i think ended up a good thing for me!)
Teammates: beverly, Bergen, and me
wom 1-2-3 crit - 55 minutes (longest crit for me!)
Goal: to get Bergen the win (or at least podium) for the three's, and for me to stay
and finish in the pack - gauge my fitness level right now coming off being sick for 2 weeks.
The field: lots of Code 3 and Testarossa gals - so they were the ones to watch - quite a few mintys and dolce to boot.
Race, off like lightning from the start - we were racing together, not as separate - but 3s were picked separate... So - whistle blows and we're off - About the 3rd lap I thought "damn this is fast, i'm going to struggle to hang on and if I get gapped that's it"
Fortunately the pace mellowed a bit - the wind really stopped any big gaps from forming - and i sat in the back with Bergen - trying to hang on for the ride.
Things of note - no (well almost none) scary riders in sight, everyone pedaled through corners (for the most part) and hardly any braking needed - no corner swarm, and everyone held lines - so hey, riding with 'the big girls' is much more relaxed and less nerve wracking.
Middle part: a protech gal that tried to move up on the outside - along the cones in the road separating road (cars) from race (cyclists) - she just yelled "left' to me as the entire peloton (to my right) was moving left - so i had nowhere to go with gals moving into me on my right and her on my left...- and i didnt budge from my spot so she had
nowhere to go except over the cone - nearly taking out Bev and Bergen in the process. she didnt crash - just lots of cone bouncing around - we all stayed up and she took herself out of the race voluntarily (not sure if she had to do that or not...)
Lots of strong capable dependable wheels in code 3 and poggio - and poggio several times led a train up the outside, which i hopped on and we ended up in front - totally fun to freak out the 1/2s... "someone do something!" is what i heard as we passed the front girls...
with 4 to go, we start ramping up speed. With 3 to go i started moving up. I wanted to bridge Bergen up to Bev in the front with 2 to go, and deposit her with Bev and have them ride a fast train to sprint out for the podium - but i hopped a great train up to the front and Bergen didnt catch my wheel (need to practice that) - i started my sprint a tiny bit too late (because i really wasnt sure i had much in my legs - but it turns out I had more gas in the tank then I thought!) but i was so unsure of my fitness (after being sick for 2 weeks) that I underestimated my strength.
Finished somewhere after bev - maybe 8th (turns out it was 12th but I think they messed up the finish - however, doesnt matter, because it definitely wasnt top 6) in 3s and 20something overall out of 30something girls.
next up: Winters RR.
Lessons - excited to race with the big girls as much as I can - I'm more confident that I can hang with the pace, stay on wheels, but have lots to learn - keeping on wheels - closing gaps as they open, so need to work more over unders in the next coming weeks! I'm looking to be more confident, faster, and ultimately able to move around in the pack and up in my category!
One of my favorite crits of the year! I find that a power climb in the middle of crits is 1) more fun and 2) suits me reallly well! So it has a long homestretch - 90degree left, then another sharp right (narrows down, but you can pedal all the way through), and another right, (the figure 8 part) switches left and then sharp right and up the hill, over the hill, and back down with a sharp right, then a wide right into the homestretch...
There were 32 cat 3/4 girls. 14 laps - about 45 minutes...it was HOT outside - probably 85 - 90 degrees by 10am (our start time) and air was bad - really hazy DANG FIRES.
I started in the front, the only mouse. I worked with Mel from Team Oakland, and some of the mintys (laurie, jessica? and some others I dont know).
I didnt have a particular plan for how I was going to do the race, I had raced badly in davis on Friday and did a nice hill ride on Saturday gaining some confidence in my fitness, and so I felt pretty good...but wasnt totally sure how the hill would favor me... So, I sat in for the first few laps - girls were going slow - finally a prime lap, and I went out for it - why not? I was working for myself mostly - well, I got nipped at the line but in doing so 3 of us made a break from the pack - it was awesome! So I timetrialed quite a bit out in front, (not the smartest) but it was FUN! We worked together a little bit but were eventually caught in the hill after being in front nearly 2 laps.
Things I learned, I have some much improved cornering pack skills, and found I actually passed girls in the corners... as the outside line was one of the best lines to take - I also found that girls were going SLOW during the flat part of the race and trying to maintain up the hill - so I"d race up in front (because i wasnt the strongest climber) before the hill, sometimes crest first, definitely cresting in the top 10 always - regaining good positions on the downhill... Two things I HAVE to work on is my 'jump' and my "top end sprinting" - I lost it when doing triathlon trainings... I hadnt raced for nearly 7 weeks! (worked on the jumps today at the park ride - and will do more over-unders coming up)
So - I sprinted in for a top 10 finish (9th) - the climb was a great equalizer - and the best climbers did win - but I definitely had a great chance to podium if I'd had another team mate or two - and worked differently. But playing off the front was really fun! Cant wait to do this race again next year!
but am endeavoring to get better. I will write more I promise.
Lots has happened, and nothing has happened since Hawaii.
Bike racing was tough after hawaii - i felt I had no legs - 2 weeks to the day after the race, and I was flat out exhausted. Note to self - racing the week after Hawaii probably would've worked (riding taper thin) but racing two weeks out was nearly death. Took about 10 days to feel like myself again.
Pescadero Road Race - my first race as a 3. It was fun - stayed with the leaders until the top of Haskins Hill - by the time I reached the bottom, I was with Bergen and 3 other gals - we worked together pacelining hard the rest of the way together - We dropped one girl on 84, just going too hard and she blew up I guess. Then we saw a woman ahead - great! a 'rabbit'! It was Amy from the mint - she was going backwards - I tried to get her on our train and sit in, but she couldnt hang - which was a good sign for us I guess. Finally we hit the feed again - yay more water/drinks! Went through and said hi to the Meece on the side of the road - We turned up Haskins hill toward the finish - and started turning the screws - it was just Bergen, another gal, and Me... we were passing many people at this point - lots of the races were finishing at the same time. My main goal was to try and beat my pack of girls to the line. The other girl put in an attack - but I followed her and as she slowed, I attacked and heard her give up - which gave me a 'win' - yes i sprinted uphill for like 24th or something.
It was a fun race, that Pesky... but not very good 'timing-wise' for me after Hawaii. As I said, It took about 10 days to recover from that race. dead legs.
But now I'm back posting. More Race Reports to come.
Today marked worldwide 'ride of silence' where cyclists from around the world marked off some time at 7pm (or any other time during the day) to get together with others, and ride in silence, to commemorate our fallen cyclists in our communities. We cant help but think of and want to honor Matt and Kristy, so fresh are those wounds.
And as if that was not sobering enough, today another cyclist was hit and killed in San Francisco.
Please ride (or drive) a little slower, breathe a little deeper, relax but be aware. Be predictable, be human, be compassionate. Most of all, we need to co-exist!
