Mountain Bike Mike
Well-Known Member
ya got me ponder'n....
Chronicles of a Cat 3 Schlub
- Thread starter MadisonDan
- Start date
ya got me ponder'n....
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES
Mountain Bike Mike
Well-Known Member
Just had the discussion with the Wife about start times...I get the start times as a deal breaker, it alway seems that those age group categories are just so strung out, you end up in no mans land. the worst part of racing cx to me. unless it's off the front
Ponderings
Times:
Cat 4 - 8:30 or 9am.... Usually Solo cause no one in my house is willing to get up early enough to watch me and foolishness. Get it over with and be back with the rest of the day to do stuff with the fams or regular stuff
Cat 1,2,3,4 Master 35+ - Smack in the middle of the day... Kinda kills the day BUT kids can come spectate which is fun
Cat 3/4 - Afternoon which leaves plenty of time to do stuff in the morning and then race and be home for dinner and the fams can come.
No mans land:
Cat 4 - Whirlybird has 86 prereg'd right now... There is always someone to race
Cat 1, 2, 3, 4 Masters 35+ - Get spit out the back quick as shit and hope to not get lapped
Cat 3/4 - Small prereg, could be mid pack fodder and could have a seriously fun race with the rest of of the mid packers.
Whirlybird CX
Men's Masters 35+
First race of the year. Noon start time. I picked up @Harry Hamilton about 7:45am, got to the venue at 9:15. We managed to get a spot on the grass lot closer to the field.
Watched a little of the 4/5 race, grabbed numbers, then hit the course before the 10am race for a recon lap. Fast and dry. No tech (ok, one log), double barriers. During the 10am races, we pinned numbers, dialed in tire pressure, and got wheels out to pit area. Two more laps before the 11am races, then waited. Prior to our start, everyone was doing mini laps in the monster starting chute. Talked with Andrew Reimann for a few and also Nick Morell. Oh boy. These guys are fast. So is Roger Aspholm, Dave Freifelder, Rich Wolter, and about 20 other guys. Damn. I'm F'd.
The 55+ and 65+ were starting 1 minute behind us. Staging was orderly and chill, although call up numbers in reverse order was strange. Standard 1 minute, 30 seconds, and a really quick "GO" and we're off.
I was in the last row, and pretty much stayed there. We hit the first turn, and I was 3rd or 4th from the back. Down to the bottom of the hill, back up over the barriers and into the chicanes (?), and I'm hanging right on the tail end of the field. As we hit the long straight to the fire truck/pit area, I started the eventual drift backwards. Fuck. I know it would happen, I just didn't think it would be so soon. Ok, maybe I did, I just didn't want to admit it at the time. Here, I glanced at the Garmin, and we're .8 miles in, and my HR is 180. That's it. It doesn't really go much higher than that. (For races, I keep the fields very simple Speed/Distance, HR/Distance, or Time/HR/Distance..... I kept it in HR/Distance)
For the next four and a half laps, I did my best to keep on the gas and hover in the L180's, with the wooded section "recovery" into the low/mid 170's. Each racer that passed I tried to stick with if possible. Nearly all that passed called out, which is one of those little perks of the Masters field. It's a kinder, gentler race, even when they're fast as balls.
So when it was all said and done, I was 33rd of 33. DFL. Down 1 lap. My average HR was 177, max 186 and 81% of the time in HR Z4 threshold, 15% anaerobic. Looking at crossresults, this was my worst race since Elm City, where I had a little crash in the mud/snow, and prior to that HPCX #2 in the 3/4 race.
Am I happy with yesterday? Fuck no.
Am I now actually motivated? Hellz yeah.
After the race, Harry and I stuck around for a bit, while I had some carnitas tacos from the cart they had on site and we waited for results. Well, Harry waited for results, I just ate tacos. I knew where I finished. He was only 18 seconds off the leader for 4th in a strong 55+ field!
After I got home, did some yard work, got the road bike set up on the trainer, ordered some Thai food (Palm Thai in Madison FTW!), cracked an All Citra Everything, and finished dinner...... last.
At least I'm consistent.....
Men's Masters 35+
First race of the year. Noon start time. I picked up @Harry Hamilton about 7:45am, got to the venue at 9:15. We managed to get a spot on the grass lot closer to the field.
Watched a little of the 4/5 race, grabbed numbers, then hit the course before the 10am race for a recon lap. Fast and dry. No tech (ok, one log), double barriers. During the 10am races, we pinned numbers, dialed in tire pressure, and got wheels out to pit area. Two more laps before the 11am races, then waited. Prior to our start, everyone was doing mini laps in the monster starting chute. Talked with Andrew Reimann for a few and also Nick Morell. Oh boy. These guys are fast. So is Roger Aspholm, Dave Freifelder, Rich Wolter, and about 20 other guys. Damn. I'm F'd.
The 55+ and 65+ were starting 1 minute behind us. Staging was orderly and chill, although call up numbers in reverse order was strange. Standard 1 minute, 30 seconds, and a really quick "GO" and we're off.
I was in the last row, and pretty much stayed there. We hit the first turn, and I was 3rd or 4th from the back. Down to the bottom of the hill, back up over the barriers and into the chicanes (?), and I'm hanging right on the tail end of the field. As we hit the long straight to the fire truck/pit area, I started the eventual drift backwards. Fuck. I know it would happen, I just didn't think it would be so soon. Ok, maybe I did, I just didn't want to admit it at the time. Here, I glanced at the Garmin, and we're .8 miles in, and my HR is 180. That's it. It doesn't really go much higher than that. (For races, I keep the fields very simple Speed/Distance, HR/Distance, or Time/HR/Distance..... I kept it in HR/Distance)
For the next four and a half laps, I did my best to keep on the gas and hover in the L180's, with the wooded section "recovery" into the low/mid 170's. Each racer that passed I tried to stick with if possible. Nearly all that passed called out, which is one of those little perks of the Masters field. It's a kinder, gentler race, even when they're fast as balls.
So when it was all said and done, I was 33rd of 33. DFL. Down 1 lap. My average HR was 177, max 186 and 81% of the time in HR Z4 threshold, 15% anaerobic. Looking at crossresults, this was my worst race since Elm City, where I had a little crash in the mud/snow, and prior to that HPCX #2 in the 3/4 race.
Am I happy with yesterday? Fuck no.
Am I now actually motivated? Hellz yeah.
After the race, Harry and I stuck around for a bit, while I had some carnitas tacos from the cart they had on site and we waited for results. Well, Harry waited for results, I just ate tacos. I knew where I finished. He was only 18 seconds off the leader for 4th in a strong 55+ field!
After I got home, did some yard work, got the road bike set up on the trainer, ordered some Thai food (Palm Thai in Madison FTW!), cracked an All Citra Everything, and finished dinner...... last.
At least I'm consistent.....
A) Duly noted... most courses don't have the long flat straightaways (ok, maybe Nittany) where you can do that.
ii) Granted, only one race, but I think I was more mentally beaten down finishing 23rd of 27 in the 3/4 field at HPCX than I was DFL in the 35+ field yesterday. Also, the start times are 2-3 hours later for the B races most of the time. This is my "rebuilding" year. Right now, I've only registered for Nittany. I'll decide after that. Maybe I do NJBA in the Bs and MAC/PACX/other Masters?
This is why Masters... partly.
Saw you across the field while I was stuffing taco in my face hole. Then we bounced.
Lap times:
Slow, slower, slowerer, slowest, slowererer.
It hurts to type this, but...
8:08 8:35 8:57 9:27 9:12
Dan good stuff. DFL sucks but hey. Well, I got nothing....DFL sucks. Develop an eating disorder and set the alarm for 5am trainer intervals.
I've come into race season way behind before, gotten super motivated, and finished reasonably strong. It's possible
I've come into race season way behind before, gotten super motivated, and finished reasonably strong. It's possible
Hey, it is what it is. Apparently substituting every interval session and every recovery session with beer is bad... Who knew?
Alarm is already set for 5:15am for work. In reality, I need a 4:50 alarm and be ok with getting to work a little later than I should.
-My last race last year was a DFL. Turns out nobody slow shows up at the last cross races when it's cold. It's no fun as the actual race aspect is lost, you're not chasing anymore, you're just trying to hang onto anything you've got. I can offer no advise, otherwise I'd be taking it.
-My Garmin has Time Since Start & Lap Counter. Even with just those two I have a hard time peeking at the Garmin. I also have it set for auto-start.
-My Garmin has Time Since Start & Lap Counter. Even with just those two I have a hard time peeking at the Garmin. I also have it set for auto-start.
Dan, I have a revolutionary training plan for you. Sell me all the Other Half in your fridge, and don't buy any more (or better yet, go buy more but then sell it all to me). With my plan, I guarantee* that you will beat at least one person at least one time this season!
* for some definition of guarantee
* for some definition of guarantee
On the 4th lap, the other thought going thru my head was "which beers should I keep and which ones should I get rid sell @JimN "
Nice recap, and sh*t!, sorry about the DFL. You'll get used to them
I see what's going on here