Oh man my 3rd year entering the Burlingame Criterium as a Cat 4. That totally says I need to upgrade, and two years of getting mid-pack results also shows I didn't train enough.
There's a long story with me and Burlingame and the criterium, but I'll just say that this is homeground to me, and the race that initially really pushed me into cycling. Thus, I always target this race as my season's focus in terms of criteriums. I'm more attached to the traditional course but this alternative course this year is literally a few hundred meters apart and uses some of the same roads so it was still my turf :)
This being my A-race, I can't really say I had a smooth peak because I lost almost seven total weeks from being ill and also my crash in April. But I knew I had a lot more fitness than the last two years so I was looking forward to having better results. My whole year was focused on placing well in this race--all the collegiate races and other Criteriums have prepared me well.
Preparation:
I got around 5 hours of sleep and woke up at 3:30AM...not too good. I had a good breakfast at 4:45AM which was a serving of Oatmeal with some honey and two pieces of toast with some de caffeinated coffee.
I got to the race at 6AM and registered and I knew I had no time to warm-up on a trainer so I just warmed up for 10 minutes on the road--which wasn't good either.
Alright, so having no sleep and no warm-up for my A-race. Not a good habit...
I forgot my chain lube and tire pump too. So I had crappy shifting (and I knew this race would require lots of shifting) but thankfully I borrowed a pump from my teammates :)
I also forgot my Gu which was a ritual before every race so I just ate Clif Bloks instead.
First Half of the Race:
Got to the start line and was in the 2nd row. I was racing with a few other teammates, about 4 or 5. I heard the whistle then clipped in well. Good grief the pack was going hard right away. I think I was dead last in the pack when we hit the hairpin for the first time. I looked at my speed--13MPH and I knew I could go faster because when I was doing hairpin drills I hit over 16.5mph.
My plan was to breakaway after the last prime but I threw that plan away after the first lap because we were going way too fast and I was already in oxygen debt. It was kind of strange because of all the Criteriums I did this year, this one was the hardest! I had the hardest time moving up and I stayed in the back (because I couldn't move up) hoping that the pace would slow down, but in the first 20 minutes I was hanging on for dear life.
There were plenty of attacks but none stuck. There were a lot of crashes in the hairpin. Yikes...this is why I did hairpin drills.
Second Half of the race:
With 20 minutes in, I noticed people were getting dropped. The field had actually split into to two separate fields with both strung out. We could see the second field when we exited the hairpin.
The pace had actually slowed down a bit but it was still fast and I was still at or over threshold. I found the easiest part to move up was either the stretch where the finish line was (also the easiest place to drink) or either the entrance or exit to the hairpin. Again, I will mention that doing hairpin drills really help. It almost felt somewhat wrong moving up in the hairpin. The chicane was where I lost places because I tried to avoid cracks which were at the apex and also the metal covers which were at the exit upon taking the apex. Pretty crazy.
I was feeling stronger as we came closer to the end of the race and with 5 or so to go I felt I should test whether my sprint training really worked. I moved up to the front with 3 to go and entered the hairpin first at full speed. Doing this, I thought I could secure a top ten position but I took a bad line in the chicane.
Last two laps:
The last two laps were a little more calm but still pretty fast. I moved up again in the hairpin going to the final lap. On the final lap itself, I stayed at the side and risked going into bad pavement at the cost of taking the outside of the hairpin fast in order to stay at the front. I was able to take a nice line through the hairpin, and was among the top ten ours of the final sweeping corner.
I think this is where I always make a mistake. For some reason, I hesitate during the final sprint, thinking I'd blow up before the finish line. Out of the sweeping corner, I waited long for the jump. I expected it to happen before the sweeping corner but in fact in happened after it.
But I took the inside line heading into the finish line and sprinted hard enough to take 5th place. I was disappointed because 1st place was only a few bike lengths away (it was a really close sprint). However I was happy to get some BAT points as well as another single upgrade point to Cat 3.
I mean, if I do this 18 more times, I can be a Cat3! No really, I need to start placing higher and start placing in road races. Although I will still be doing maybe 5 more Crits this season, I'm going to start focusing on climbing to become a better competitor in road races for next year.
Aside from that, I'm proud of myself for improving my performance in Criteriums which I knew was my weakness from the start of my cycling history.
Highlights:
- A-Race
- Good breakfast, no warm-up, dry chain (crappy shifting)
- First Half of race, hard as heck.
- 2nd half calmed down
- Moved up in hairpin
- Sprinted for 5th place
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Red Kite Criterium Tri-Valley E3/4 (6/15/13)
I'm making this one quick because I forgot to do it and I just want to jump into my Burlingame Crit report. I raced with a handful of Leopard-Sapporo members including some of the 3's which was a very humbling experience. The pace wasn't bad at all--in fact I was getting kind of bored especially since I was in the back. So I moved up and at one point one teammate was in a break so I took hold of the front to set a false tempo for about 200m but other people quickly went around me. Well, it's good to know that people work because nobody worked in the last few E4 Crits I've raced.
Other than that it was pretty much uneventful but one of the sketchiest races I've done. People were taking all kinds of different shapes through the corners and unfortunately one of my teammates got caught up in a crash.
On the last lap I was feeling ready for the sprint so I moved up but even though I was able to get at the front, I was poorly positioned and couldn't move up in the final surge. Another rider almost took me out when he swerved as was literally centimeters from swiping my front wheel.
I decided to just keep it safe so I rolled in mid pack. I placed 37th/70 overall and 19th in the E4.
I know I wanted to save my energy for the sprint but I couldn't contest it so I had no idea if I'd be able to contest the sprint at Burlingame.
Other than that it was pretty much uneventful but one of the sketchiest races I've done. People were taking all kinds of different shapes through the corners and unfortunately one of my teammates got caught up in a crash.
On the last lap I was feeling ready for the sprint so I moved up but even though I was able to get at the front, I was poorly positioned and couldn't move up in the final surge. Another rider almost took me out when he swerved as was literally centimeters from swiping my front wheel.
I decided to just keep it safe so I rolled in mid pack. I placed 37th/70 overall and 19th in the E4.
I know I wanted to save my energy for the sprint but I couldn't contest it so I had no idea if I'd be able to contest the sprint at Burlingame.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
IC3 Dash For Cash Race Report - E4
Last week I caught a bad cold and wasn't able to do Mt. Hamilton RR and Memorial Day Crit like I had hoped. I also got stomped by the end of school havoc with finals and papers. But with all that out of the way, I got back on the bike with some build-up in the throat during sustained efforts.
I knew I'd do Dash For Cash so I took it easy this week and didn't do any interval training, just easy rides with Strava segment KOM/PR efforts. Thus, I planned to use this race as a good workout to get me ready for the next few months of Crit racing.
I was able to race with 2 teammates but my plan was to not go for any primes--I was confident I could take a few but after missing a week of workouts and coming from a cold, I planned to just see what I could do in the end. I had two choices--to save it for an all-out sprint (which was my original plan) or attack after the last prime. I didn't want to do the latter because it was really hot, really windy in the back stretch, and of course because I lost some fitness.
Getting 4th in the field sprint at Cat's Hill encouraged me to save my legs for the sprint, so for most of the race I sat it. Sometimes I moved up to the front but the energy cost wasn't too much! Most of the race was pretty boring though--my heart rate was at 190+ but I think the high number is due to the heat since it was 90+ degrees F. So most of my harder efforts came from sprinting out of corners or short sprints to move up or close a gap.
After all the primes were done, with about 3 to go, it was still uneventful and I was really getting bored, seriously! Somebody went solo and nobody chased because his attack was kind of gradual and the gap was growing slow, but he was still staying away. I moved up to the front with 2 to go and the cramps started coming. But I stayed up there with a Squadra SF guy and held a top 3 position in the pack. On the final approach to the last corner I notice that the field is drifting away from behind me because the guy whose wheel I am on had actually surged.
So, I changed my mind about the sprint and decided to attack...
It was bell lap and I chased the guy who was attempting a solo win, I could see that I was closing the gap and I looked behind me and also saw that the field was quite far. But the windy back section came and I was already toasted. On the last approach to the last corner, the field got me. I tried to match their pace but I was done so I just rolled to the finish line after being passed by 28 guys. I ended up 29th/44 which isn't too bad, but I know I could've hit top 15 if I contested the sprint.
The thing is, I still don't know what I am--a climber? Sprinter? Time trialist? That's why I'm experimenting with these race situations I encounter, so I can truly find what I'm better at and what will give me better results. Last race, I did a pretty good sprint but that's because it was Cat's Hill and not a flat criterium. So for my next race, which is most likely Tri-Valley's Crit, I'm going to commit to contesting the final sprint!
So I'm going to write this just so I actually do it! --In my next Crit, save all my energy for the final sprint! Do not attack on bell lap, save my legs for the final sprint!!!!
I knew I'd do Dash For Cash so I took it easy this week and didn't do any interval training, just easy rides with Strava segment KOM/PR efforts. Thus, I planned to use this race as a good workout to get me ready for the next few months of Crit racing.
I was able to race with 2 teammates but my plan was to not go for any primes--I was confident I could take a few but after missing a week of workouts and coming from a cold, I planned to just see what I could do in the end. I had two choices--to save it for an all-out sprint (which was my original plan) or attack after the last prime. I didn't want to do the latter because it was really hot, really windy in the back stretch, and of course because I lost some fitness.
Getting 4th in the field sprint at Cat's Hill encouraged me to save my legs for the sprint, so for most of the race I sat it. Sometimes I moved up to the front but the energy cost wasn't too much! Most of the race was pretty boring though--my heart rate was at 190+ but I think the high number is due to the heat since it was 90+ degrees F. So most of my harder efforts came from sprinting out of corners or short sprints to move up or close a gap.
After all the primes were done, with about 3 to go, it was still uneventful and I was really getting bored, seriously! Somebody went solo and nobody chased because his attack was kind of gradual and the gap was growing slow, but he was still staying away. I moved up to the front with 2 to go and the cramps started coming. But I stayed up there with a Squadra SF guy and held a top 3 position in the pack. On the final approach to the last corner I notice that the field is drifting away from behind me because the guy whose wheel I am on had actually surged.
So, I changed my mind about the sprint and decided to attack...
It was bell lap and I chased the guy who was attempting a solo win, I could see that I was closing the gap and I looked behind me and also saw that the field was quite far. But the windy back section came and I was already toasted. On the last approach to the last corner, the field got me. I tried to match their pace but I was done so I just rolled to the finish line after being passed by 28 guys. I ended up 29th/44 which isn't too bad, but I know I could've hit top 15 if I contested the sprint.
The thing is, I still don't know what I am--a climber? Sprinter? Time trialist? That's why I'm experimenting with these race situations I encounter, so I can truly find what I'm better at and what will give me better results. Last race, I did a pretty good sprint but that's because it was Cat's Hill and not a flat criterium. So for my next race, which is most likely Tri-Valley's Crit, I'm going to commit to contesting the final sprint!
So I'm going to write this just so I actually do it! --In my next Crit, save all my energy for the final sprint! Do not attack on bell lap, save my legs for the final sprint!!!!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Cat's Hill Classic Criterium (Cat 4) Race Report
After having a bad race at Wente Vineyards (Road Race) I wanted some redemption at one of the hardest Crits on the calendar. My last Crit was also a hilly Crit--at UCB's race weekend. I knew I was getting better at Crits but I'm still not sure if the fact that it is hilly plays a factor in that claim.
Anyways, I raced with a good number of teammates. We started on time and pretty mellow. I stayed behind my teammate Christian Hughes who is also a junior! It's been two years since I did this course, but the climb wasn't startling. I did it in the right gear the first time, then experimented the next few laps. I also did my best to stay hydrated; the best place for me to drink was right after Cat's Hill...on the back straight.
There was an early break with two riders. Nobody did anything because they thought it was too early. The pace increased a little after two laps of them away, and we were closing the gap.
Soon I was falling behind the field and doing very uneconomical maneuvers--not closing gaps, choosing too heavy of a gear, being out in the wind, etc. So I knew I had to get as conservative as possible. The first way I conserved energy was during the climb--I told myself to use a very light gear, and when I did, I passed almost 3/4 of everyone in front of me and ended up in the front.
The next way was by using the descent to recover. After the descent, there's a right corner which people slow down for. Thus, I didn't pedal during the final approach to the corner, and as a result I was able to cruise into the apex and pedal out of it to eventually land behind a wheel to draft.
With me at the front behind two guys, both of them said they couldn't do it anymore. Nobody else in the field wanted to work, so I went ahead and dialed up some power to try and bridge To the break. I was 5 seconds away from them on the climb (people were yelling it out) and almost caught them on the back straight, but coming into the 9th lap (halfway point of the race) I started to fade and redline, and didn't want to waste all my energy (like in Wente Vineyards). I believe it was a gamble that I won because the two guys in the break were really strong and they probably would've burned me!
However, I ended up getting a prime which I was unaware of!
I fell back into the field right before the climb, and felt like crap--so crappy I was unsure if I could finish! So I stayed as conservative as possible for the rest of the race.
One thing I noticed was that I always gained positions on the climb. I was able to gain on average 5 positions, even 10 at times. I thank my power to weight ratio for this. There were also a lot of collisions on the climb, easily avoided though because they were all on the right side and I always turned into the left side.
On the lap before bell-lap, the pace increased and surprisingly I was able to adjust to it. I stayed in the top 15 of the pack to get ready for a good position during the bell lap. The 2-man breakaway was able to stay throughout the end, so we were getting ready for the field sprint. On bell lap, the pace remained the same. I was looking forward to the climb, but didn't drill it too hard because everyone around me was already suffering. However, I was able to pass every rider so I slowed down to recover and held on to my position in the top 5 of the field.
I definitely had enough left in me for an all-out sprint. I took the final corner fast and waited for the sprint to start. Apparently it had started and I started too late but I was able to pass some guys. Before I knew it, we were already at the finish line where I ended up 4th in the field sprint--nearly neck to neck with another guy.
My official result was 6th place/50 starters, plus the prime I was unaware of. This is one of my best results yet, and outside of Collegiate racing it is my first time placing in a criterium. The winner was a talented Junior from Bear Development, who stated the other guy in the break was a professional mountain cyclist who gave him the win.
I had a bad race last week but a superb race this week. Maybe I am becoming a Criterium guy? I know I'm getting better at them, but I need to race a flatter one to see!
P.S. I got my first point toward upgrading to Category 3!
--D
Anyways, I raced with a good number of teammates. We started on time and pretty mellow. I stayed behind my teammate Christian Hughes who is also a junior! It's been two years since I did this course, but the climb wasn't startling. I did it in the right gear the first time, then experimented the next few laps. I also did my best to stay hydrated; the best place for me to drink was right after Cat's Hill...on the back straight.
There was an early break with two riders. Nobody did anything because they thought it was too early. The pace increased a little after two laps of them away, and we were closing the gap.
Soon I was falling behind the field and doing very uneconomical maneuvers--not closing gaps, choosing too heavy of a gear, being out in the wind, etc. So I knew I had to get as conservative as possible. The first way I conserved energy was during the climb--I told myself to use a very light gear, and when I did, I passed almost 3/4 of everyone in front of me and ended up in the front.
The next way was by using the descent to recover. After the descent, there's a right corner which people slow down for. Thus, I didn't pedal during the final approach to the corner, and as a result I was able to cruise into the apex and pedal out of it to eventually land behind a wheel to draft.
With me at the front behind two guys, both of them said they couldn't do it anymore. Nobody else in the field wanted to work, so I went ahead and dialed up some power to try and bridge To the break. I was 5 seconds away from them on the climb (people were yelling it out) and almost caught them on the back straight, but coming into the 9th lap (halfway point of the race) I started to fade and redline, and didn't want to waste all my energy (like in Wente Vineyards). I believe it was a gamble that I won because the two guys in the break were really strong and they probably would've burned me!
However, I ended up getting a prime which I was unaware of!
I fell back into the field right before the climb, and felt like crap--so crappy I was unsure if I could finish! So I stayed as conservative as possible for the rest of the race.
One thing I noticed was that I always gained positions on the climb. I was able to gain on average 5 positions, even 10 at times. I thank my power to weight ratio for this. There were also a lot of collisions on the climb, easily avoided though because they were all on the right side and I always turned into the left side.
On the lap before bell-lap, the pace increased and surprisingly I was able to adjust to it. I stayed in the top 15 of the pack to get ready for a good position during the bell lap. The 2-man breakaway was able to stay throughout the end, so we were getting ready for the field sprint. On bell lap, the pace remained the same. I was looking forward to the climb, but didn't drill it too hard because everyone around me was already suffering. However, I was able to pass every rider so I slowed down to recover and held on to my position in the top 5 of the field.
I definitely had enough left in me for an all-out sprint. I took the final corner fast and waited for the sprint to start. Apparently it had started and I started too late but I was able to pass some guys. Before I knew it, we were already at the finish line where I ended up 4th in the field sprint--nearly neck to neck with another guy.
My official result was 6th place/50 starters, plus the prime I was unaware of. This is one of my best results yet, and outside of Collegiate racing it is my first time placing in a criterium. The winner was a talented Junior from Bear Development, who stated the other guy in the break was a professional mountain cyclist who gave him the win.
I had a bad race last week but a superb race this week. Maybe I am becoming a Criterium guy? I know I'm getting better at them, but I need to race a flatter one to see!
P.S. I got my first point toward upgrading to Category 3!
--D
Wente Vineyards Road Race (Cat 4) Race Report
This one will be pretty brief because there's not much to say. I knew the course and looked forward to it because rolling hills and windy descents are fun (to me)! I raced with plenty of Leopard-Sapporo teammates--my first road race with the Cat 4 squad!
We started and once we approached the climb everyone was drilling it. I was probably the 6th guy in the train up the climb and I was already dying trying to stay on my teammate, Chris's, wheel. I looked back once we hit the overpass and saw an incredible gap on the field. Yup, way too early.
We hit the next climb which isn't supposed to that bad and I went from 6th wheel to 60th as I saw everyone pass me. I wasn't feeling all too good and I was already in no men's land on the false flat section. Luckily, I was able to catch and pass riders on the windy downhill sections! I ended up bridging to the field on the windy straight section.
When we approached the main climb again, I got dropped toward the 2nd lap turnover. Spent most of my time in no man's land again for the lap, and toward the end the heat cramps came up. Thought I should dropout, but decided to finish the final lap without any care toward my result.
I most likely hit the wall/bonked due to not drinking enough fluids, and my Gu was ineffective because I didn't hydrate myself enough after digesting it. It could also be because I went way to hard in the beginning. But I finished the race nearly dead last and climbed at, like, 35 RPM with cramps and such.
Overall, it was a bad race. Everyone has bad races so there's nothing to complain about. I just need to move on and learn more!
--D
We started and once we approached the climb everyone was drilling it. I was probably the 6th guy in the train up the climb and I was already dying trying to stay on my teammate, Chris's, wheel. I looked back once we hit the overpass and saw an incredible gap on the field. Yup, way too early.
We hit the next climb which isn't supposed to that bad and I went from 6th wheel to 60th as I saw everyone pass me. I wasn't feeling all too good and I was already in no men's land on the false flat section. Luckily, I was able to catch and pass riders on the windy downhill sections! I ended up bridging to the field on the windy straight section.
When we approached the main climb again, I got dropped toward the 2nd lap turnover. Spent most of my time in no man's land again for the lap, and toward the end the heat cramps came up. Thought I should dropout, but decided to finish the final lap without any care toward my result.
I most likely hit the wall/bonked due to not drinking enough fluids, and my Gu was ineffective because I didn't hydrate myself enough after digesting it. It could also be because I went way to hard in the beginning. But I finished the race nearly dead last and climbed at, like, 35 RPM with cramps and such.
Overall, it was a bad race. Everyone has bad races so there's nothing to complain about. I just need to move on and learn more!
--D
Friday, April 26, 2013
"It never gets easier, you just get faster."
Today I experienced this quote when I was doing my leg opener ride for tomorrow's race. I usually use Southgate Avenue as my leg opener segment. Two years ago I got my first Strava KOM on there, with a time of 5:19. So you could say it has some value to me.
I kept the KOM time until January 27 of this year, where I improved it by 11 seconds, with a time of 5:08. My goal was to get a sub-5-minute climb. But in March, during my leg opener for the UC Berkeley Race weekend, I was riding with Eric and attacked and practically time trialed/sprinted the flat section. Surprisingly, I found I had yet again improved my time by another 11 seconds, getting 4:57.
Then my first KOM ever gets taken away from me about a week later. The new KOM time was 4:45, something I wasn't too sure I could beat. So yesterday, knowing I would open my legs up on Southgate Avenue for Wente Vineyards, I compared my speed on certain sections of the 1-mile climb. In order to PR yet again, I'd have to climb fast on the graded part, and sprint fast on the flatter part.
So that's exactly what I did today, I cruised up the hill at tempo--close but not quite at LTHR, and then attacked where I attacked Eric, and then sprinted the flat section.
I felt like crap after, and was disappointed in myself because I couldn't spin as fast as I wanted to on the flat section. It was already painful to breath which is why I couldn't push myself anymore. Plus I'm about 4-weeks detrained.
So I continued riding easy until I got home, worried that my performance on Southgate would indicate poor performance at tomorrow's road race.
I got home and uploaded the Strava file, see the icon of the trophy with a (x1) next to it, scroll down and notice the KOM crown! I look further right and see my new PR of 4:12--a 45 second improvement from last time, and a 1:07 improvement from the first time I ever went hard up the climb.
Which is why they say that it never gets easier, we only get faster :)
I kept the KOM time until January 27 of this year, where I improved it by 11 seconds, with a time of 5:08. My goal was to get a sub-5-minute climb. But in March, during my leg opener for the UC Berkeley Race weekend, I was riding with Eric and attacked and practically time trialed/sprinted the flat section. Surprisingly, I found I had yet again improved my time by another 11 seconds, getting 4:57.
Then my first KOM ever gets taken away from me about a week later. The new KOM time was 4:45, something I wasn't too sure I could beat. So yesterday, knowing I would open my legs up on Southgate Avenue for Wente Vineyards, I compared my speed on certain sections of the 1-mile climb. In order to PR yet again, I'd have to climb fast on the graded part, and sprint fast on the flatter part.
So that's exactly what I did today, I cruised up the hill at tempo--close but not quite at LTHR, and then attacked where I attacked Eric, and then sprinted the flat section.
I felt like crap after, and was disappointed in myself because I couldn't spin as fast as I wanted to on the flat section. It was already painful to breath which is why I couldn't push myself anymore. Plus I'm about 4-weeks detrained.
So I continued riding easy until I got home, worried that my performance on Southgate would indicate poor performance at tomorrow's road race.
I got home and uploaded the Strava file, see the icon of the trophy with a (x1) next to it, scroll down and notice the KOM crown! I look further right and see my new PR of 4:12--a 45 second improvement from last time, and a 1:07 improvement from the first time I ever went hard up the climb.
Which is why they say that it never gets easier, we only get faster :)
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Crashed. My First Concussion Experience.
Yesterday (April 2, 2013) I did the TNPR(Tuesday Night Park Ride) at Golden Gate Park. It's one of the fastest available group rides near me and also pretty technical as we are required to weave past traffic combined with bad roads--typical SF riding! My teammates were going to be there so I thought I might as well try it--after more than 2 years of not doing it. Typically, Cat1+2 guys drive the pace and yesterday a couple of well-known Master guys were there. Just coming off from Hay Fever and allergies, I had lost a week of training plus I was still having trouble breathing from asthma. Needless to say, I lasted 3 laps and dropped out on the slight uphill part. I waited for them to lap me so that I could see if I can catch on and make the workout more productive, but again, my breathing limited me.
The Crash -
So anyways, I met up with my teammates Eric, Christian, and Bryan. We all got popped off and the ride had just finished, so we were all headed home. I separated with Eric and Christian and Bryan and turned left on the first left of TNPR going toward the gated entries and Polo Fields. I saw my car and shifted to the small cog on my cassette and I was already in the big one. I remember thinking to myself that one day I would need to sprint in this gear, or even a bigger one like a 53-11. So I was spinning in my 50-12 and gaining speed as it was slightly downhill.
Next thing I know, I see what seemed to be a pothole but in fact was very uneven pavement--a double dip in the road. It was so uneven that my bike's front wheel landed in the dip, and bounced out and went into the air. I hit the cement head first, and then I was out.
Next, I remember having a dream, that I was still with my teammates, and that I hadn't been dropped from TNPR. I was hanging on pretty well and then Eric said, hey dude I think you crashed, and then I didn't respond, I just said to myself in my mind, "oh good thing this is just a dream."
And then I open my eyes slowly to a dog in my face with two people around me. One guy was like "oh there he's opening his eyes" and I don't remember anything in between that until he said "I saw it said Philippines on your Jersey so I thought you didn't speak English because you weren't replying to anything we were saying." And then, "You were out for like 2 minutes...it looks like you hit your head pretty hard" and then I asked "Uh-oh am I bleeding?" And then I took off my helmet and then they said "doesn't look like it, but your face is a little scratched up and your jersey is all torn in the back" and then the other guy said "your bike looks messed up" and I remember that the chain was off because it fell. Then they asked if I was on my way home, I told them that I was on my way to my car (which was like about 300 meters away). Then one guy said "you might want to let your friend drive you home" and then the other guy said "oh no I'm not his friend I just saw him fall." And then I said, "it's ok I have a friend with me"...but I really didn't--looks like I had forgotten I split up with Eric and Christian!
Next thing I know, my bike frame is in the back of my car, my wheels in the back seats...with the cassette covered with a plastic like I always do it--however I do not remember ever disassembling my bike, nor do I remember if I walked to my car alone or with the two people, or if I biked there!! I got into the passenger seat and checked if my bike was in the trunk--again! And then I saw my broken helmet, and threw it into the trunk--I have no idea why I did that. And then I called Eric but no answer, and then I remembered we split up, so I turned my car on thought I should talk to Eric to see if he knew that I crashed--because I thought he did, and then I started driving.
I believe I was driving perfectly fine even though I don't remember driving to Eric's house. I remember flashing my high beams Every time I was at a 4-way stop and gave the other car way. I also remember some of the car models I was driving next to--a BMW 3 series on the Great Highway, and a Honda Accord from Sloat to 35. I remember the scary left turn onto Lake Merced, and then my phone rang and I turned into the parking lot of Lake Merced...it was Eric, and I said "Hey Eric did you know I crashed?? And he said he didn't, so He told me to come over (even though I was already on my way. I remember turning left going to Stonestown but then after that I only remember bits of moments driving to Eric's house.
When I arrived at Eric's house I told him what had happened. I called the doctor and they said to get checked the following day so I guess it wasn't really serious. So (today) I got checked and my doctor spoke to a neurologist and said if I felt nauseous or vomited to go to the E.R. Other than that, I have road rash on my right shoulder, a broken helmet, some dings on my sunglasses, a small dent on the top tube of my CAAD10, scraped brake hoods, and minor scrapes on my knuckles and legs.
For a first concussion experience, that was pretty strange. The fall itself didn't hurt, as I did not feel it. Concussions have the same characteristics as dreams. Events are all chopped up.
So I'm off the bike now, the doctor said to check if I can ride again in 10 days. Looks like I'm going to lose a lot of fitness, and might skip the Santa Cruz Crit, but I'm hoping I can be back on the bike a week before Davis, the Conference Championships, to tune up. Looks like I be a domestique for that race.
- D
The Crash -
So anyways, I met up with my teammates Eric, Christian, and Bryan. We all got popped off and the ride had just finished, so we were all headed home. I separated with Eric and Christian and Bryan and turned left on the first left of TNPR going toward the gated entries and Polo Fields. I saw my car and shifted to the small cog on my cassette and I was already in the big one. I remember thinking to myself that one day I would need to sprint in this gear, or even a bigger one like a 53-11. So I was spinning in my 50-12 and gaining speed as it was slightly downhill.
Next thing I know, I see what seemed to be a pothole but in fact was very uneven pavement--a double dip in the road. It was so uneven that my bike's front wheel landed in the dip, and bounced out and went into the air. I hit the cement head first, and then I was out.
Next, I remember having a dream, that I was still with my teammates, and that I hadn't been dropped from TNPR. I was hanging on pretty well and then Eric said, hey dude I think you crashed, and then I didn't respond, I just said to myself in my mind, "oh good thing this is just a dream."
And then I open my eyes slowly to a dog in my face with two people around me. One guy was like "oh there he's opening his eyes" and I don't remember anything in between that until he said "I saw it said Philippines on your Jersey so I thought you didn't speak English because you weren't replying to anything we were saying." And then, "You were out for like 2 minutes...it looks like you hit your head pretty hard" and then I asked "Uh-oh am I bleeding?" And then I took off my helmet and then they said "doesn't look like it, but your face is a little scratched up and your jersey is all torn in the back" and then the other guy said "your bike looks messed up" and I remember that the chain was off because it fell. Then they asked if I was on my way home, I told them that I was on my way to my car (which was like about 300 meters away). Then one guy said "you might want to let your friend drive you home" and then the other guy said "oh no I'm not his friend I just saw him fall." And then I said, "it's ok I have a friend with me"...but I really didn't--looks like I had forgotten I split up with Eric and Christian!
Next thing I know, my bike frame is in the back of my car, my wheels in the back seats...with the cassette covered with a plastic like I always do it--however I do not remember ever disassembling my bike, nor do I remember if I walked to my car alone or with the two people, or if I biked there!! I got into the passenger seat and checked if my bike was in the trunk--again! And then I saw my broken helmet, and threw it into the trunk--I have no idea why I did that. And then I called Eric but no answer, and then I remembered we split up, so I turned my car on thought I should talk to Eric to see if he knew that I crashed--because I thought he did, and then I started driving.
I believe I was driving perfectly fine even though I don't remember driving to Eric's house. I remember flashing my high beams Every time I was at a 4-way stop and gave the other car way. I also remember some of the car models I was driving next to--a BMW 3 series on the Great Highway, and a Honda Accord from Sloat to 35. I remember the scary left turn onto Lake Merced, and then my phone rang and I turned into the parking lot of Lake Merced...it was Eric, and I said "Hey Eric did you know I crashed?? And he said he didn't, so He told me to come over (even though I was already on my way. I remember turning left going to Stonestown but then after that I only remember bits of moments driving to Eric's house.
When I arrived at Eric's house I told him what had happened. I called the doctor and they said to get checked the following day so I guess it wasn't really serious. So (today) I got checked and my doctor spoke to a neurologist and said if I felt nauseous or vomited to go to the E.R. Other than that, I have road rash on my right shoulder, a broken helmet, some dings on my sunglasses, a small dent on the top tube of my CAAD10, scraped brake hoods, and minor scrapes on my knuckles and legs.
For a first concussion experience, that was pretty strange. The fall itself didn't hurt, as I did not feel it. Concussions have the same characteristics as dreams. Events are all chopped up.
So I'm off the bike now, the doctor said to check if I can ride again in 10 days. Looks like I'm going to lose a lot of fitness, and might skip the Santa Cruz Crit, but I'm hoping I can be back on the bike a week before Davis, the Conference Championships, to tune up. Looks like I be a domestique for that race.
- D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)