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 :)
Friday, April 26, 2013
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
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
5 Race Check-In
Wow, I can't believe I've competed in 5 races this year. Why? Well it's probably due to the fact that last year I only participated in 4 races for the whole year! Last year, I wasn't motivated enough, but (this year) after joining the newly developed Leopard-Sapporo team and racing Collegiately for my school SF State, I can--without hesitation--say that I'm motivated to do A LOT more races this year.
And because of that, I can gauge race-readiness and preparedness compared to past racing. I'll do these check-ins every 5 races which should be enough.
I know that I've improved quite a bit compared to my last race of 2012; the Burlingame Criterium. Last year, I finished in mid- to late-pack (Elite 4). For this year, apart from my race in UC Santa Cruz, I've been able to grab 3 top 10's and a top 20! And I survived an Elite 3/4 race in which half the field dropped out of! So onto the things I've noticed...
- I'm more comfortable in Criteriums: How so? Last year I always raced Criteriums above LT, at 100% of whatever my max sustained effort for 30-40 minutes is. The past Criteriums I did this year, I've been able to race them under Threshold, which gave me enough to attack the field several times. So if you read my race reports, you'll see that I always attack the field in hopes someone will breakaway with me. That's because it's fairly new to me, I've never felt that experience of attack the field, and I've always wanted to!
- I'm not much of a climber: I mean, I can hang on in a climb, but I can barely launch an attack on one. I even have the physiology of a climber. Less than 1.8 lbs per inch of body height! My training partners Eric and Christian are better climbers than me and I have the lightest bike too. So I've labeled climbing as my official limiter, and will probably fully work on it after Collegiate Regional Championships.
- I suck at handling my bike: I wouldn't draft myself in a criterium or any technical course because my rear wheel is always tail-happy. Sometimes on a climb I can't hold my line. I definitely do not want to be the guy who causes a crash (and I almost did at the Stanford Crit) so I'm aware of this glitch I have and will fix it for the safety of me and the others. Maybe I'm just rusty from not doing Crits or something. But I know I need to keep my butt down and not jump out of the corners to hard because my rear wheel can get off the ground and potentially lose its traction during a fast corner.
- I can move up the field solo: I can also bridge gaps if they're not too far! In both the UCSC RR (MB) and UCB RR (MC) I bridged a large gap after getting dropped on the climb. In UCSC, I bridged a gap that was as wide as half of the 2 mile lap. Before, I would see a gap and have nothing left in me to close it. So I must've been doing something right!
- Pedaling Economy: It's a lot better. And I'm more comfortable spinning fast. I need to do a time trial. At the UC Berkeley Crit, I moved up the field on the climb (in the E3/4) at 125 RPM and didn't even realize it was that fast. Pedaling Economy is not consistent and either goes one way or the other so I need to pay attention to it during the various stages of training.
- I'm a rare breed and probably evolved for a Hummingbird: Or maybe not, but in a graph of people's Max Heart Rates, we know that it will be in the shape of a bell curve, and I would be on the right. My Max Heart rate is so far 211 BPM and my threshold ranges from 183-204 with my LTHR at 183. Does this mean I'm not fit? I'm not sure, I need to more races and plus its only March. I hope my heart isn't inefficient though! My resting heart rate on the other hand, is finally making its way into the 40s. the lowest I've recorded was 40bpm in 2011.
So far that's all, I'll learn more about myself in the next 5 races. Check my Racing Schedule to find out what's next for me :)
--D
And because of that, I can gauge race-readiness and preparedness compared to past racing. I'll do these check-ins every 5 races which should be enough.
I know that I've improved quite a bit compared to my last race of 2012; the Burlingame Criterium. Last year, I finished in mid- to late-pack (Elite 4). For this year, apart from my race in UC Santa Cruz, I've been able to grab 3 top 10's and a top 20! And I survived an Elite 3/4 race in which half the field dropped out of! So onto the things I've noticed...
- I'm more comfortable in Criteriums: How so? Last year I always raced Criteriums above LT, at 100% of whatever my max sustained effort for 30-40 minutes is. The past Criteriums I did this year, I've been able to race them under Threshold, which gave me enough to attack the field several times. So if you read my race reports, you'll see that I always attack the field in hopes someone will breakaway with me. That's because it's fairly new to me, I've never felt that experience of attack the field, and I've always wanted to!
- I'm not much of a climber: I mean, I can hang on in a climb, but I can barely launch an attack on one. I even have the physiology of a climber. Less than 1.8 lbs per inch of body height! My training partners Eric and Christian are better climbers than me and I have the lightest bike too. So I've labeled climbing as my official limiter, and will probably fully work on it after Collegiate Regional Championships.
- I suck at handling my bike: I wouldn't draft myself in a criterium or any technical course because my rear wheel is always tail-happy. Sometimes on a climb I can't hold my line. I definitely do not want to be the guy who causes a crash (and I almost did at the Stanford Crit) so I'm aware of this glitch I have and will fix it for the safety of me and the others. Maybe I'm just rusty from not doing Crits or something. But I know I need to keep my butt down and not jump out of the corners to hard because my rear wheel can get off the ground and potentially lose its traction during a fast corner.
- I can move up the field solo: I can also bridge gaps if they're not too far! In both the UCSC RR (MB) and UCB RR (MC) I bridged a large gap after getting dropped on the climb. In UCSC, I bridged a gap that was as wide as half of the 2 mile lap. Before, I would see a gap and have nothing left in me to close it. So I must've been doing something right!
- Pedaling Economy: It's a lot better. And I'm more comfortable spinning fast. I need to do a time trial. At the UC Berkeley Crit, I moved up the field on the climb (in the E3/4) at 125 RPM and didn't even realize it was that fast. Pedaling Economy is not consistent and either goes one way or the other so I need to pay attention to it during the various stages of training.
- I'm a rare breed and probably evolved for a Hummingbird: Or maybe not, but in a graph of people's Max Heart Rates, we know that it will be in the shape of a bell curve, and I would be on the right. My Max Heart rate is so far 211 BPM and my threshold ranges from 183-204 with my LTHR at 183. Does this mean I'm not fit? I'm not sure, I need to more races and plus its only March. I hope my heart isn't inefficient though! My resting heart rate on the other hand, is finally making its way into the 40s. the lowest I've recorded was 40bpm in 2011.
So far that's all, I'll learn more about myself in the next 5 races. Check my Racing Schedule to find out what's next for me :)
--D
Monday, March 18, 2013
Berkeley Streets Criterium Cat 3/4 Race Report
I wish I was able to race in the Leopard-Sapporo Kit, but the order has yet to come! But that said, this was going to be my first race for Leopard-Sapporo despite not getting any results. But personally, I was happy enough to be able to hang on in this race because it was my first race in a Cat 3/4 field. I raced alongside Erik Camacho and Rann Valdez.
I didn't know how I'd do because of the mixed field. I knew the course already, which was a giant benefit, but I didn't truly know if I was fit enough--I knew it was a hard course. Right off the whistle, Metromint guys took control of the front and set a fairly quick tempo. Earlier in the day...around 3 hours back, I raced a hard Men's C race, but during the 3/4 race it felt about the same. I was stronger in the beginning of the 3/4s compared to when I started the MC race.
My goal was to hang on and not get dropped or pulled out from the race. If my goal is to upgrade to CAT3 this year, then I have to be exposed to their pace. However, I can't officially gauge a CAT3 pace since it was a 3/4 race and most of the 3's were racing the 1/2/3 race so this could've been a warm-up for them.
I adapted to the pace every lap, and felt good around the 16 minute mark and decided to attack the field and I gained a gap. One rider came with me but I knew a break wouldn't work so I decided to ride around threshold for a good workout.
For the rest of the race, I had no plan as I felt a little intimidated by the teams of Metromint and even some Squadra SF guys but there weren't any moves, but the race was still hard. In fact, half the field got pulled out of the race! Furthermore, in both my collegiate race and this race, I hit a new max-BPM of 211! 2 beats more than last weekend's race!
So with laps counting down, I was already satisfied that I stayed in the field. Besides, I raced a hard race earlier in the day. I finished 18th and I'm still looking for results to see how well I faired up against the 3's and the 4's. I felt strong in the end, like I could've done a longer race at a faster pace.
And that's when I realized that I'm getting better at Criteriums, and I'm finally seeing improvements from my training. Last year I finished in the last 30 riders, but this weekend I got my first top 10 in a Crit and lately I've been getting top 20s. I'm motivated to get into the Top 15, then Top 10, then Top 5, and hopefully get my first Criterium win at my A race.
--D
I didn't know how I'd do because of the mixed field. I knew the course already, which was a giant benefit, but I didn't truly know if I was fit enough--I knew it was a hard course. Right off the whistle, Metromint guys took control of the front and set a fairly quick tempo. Earlier in the day...around 3 hours back, I raced a hard Men's C race, but during the 3/4 race it felt about the same. I was stronger in the beginning of the 3/4s compared to when I started the MC race.
My goal was to hang on and not get dropped or pulled out from the race. If my goal is to upgrade to CAT3 this year, then I have to be exposed to their pace. However, I can't officially gauge a CAT3 pace since it was a 3/4 race and most of the 3's were racing the 1/2/3 race so this could've been a warm-up for them.
I adapted to the pace every lap, and felt good around the 16 minute mark and decided to attack the field and I gained a gap. One rider came with me but I knew a break wouldn't work so I decided to ride around threshold for a good workout.
For the rest of the race, I had no plan as I felt a little intimidated by the teams of Metromint and even some Squadra SF guys but there weren't any moves, but the race was still hard. In fact, half the field got pulled out of the race! Furthermore, in both my collegiate race and this race, I hit a new max-BPM of 211! 2 beats more than last weekend's race!
So with laps counting down, I was already satisfied that I stayed in the field. Besides, I raced a hard race earlier in the day. I finished 18th and I'm still looking for results to see how well I faired up against the 3's and the 4's. I felt strong in the end, like I could've done a longer race at a faster pace.
And that's when I realized that I'm getting better at Criteriums, and I'm finally seeing improvements from my training. Last year I finished in the last 30 riders, but this weekend I got my first top 10 in a Crit and lately I've been getting top 20s. I'm motivated to get into the Top 15, then Top 10, then Top 5, and hopefully get my first Criterium win at my A race.
--D
UC Berkeley (Berkeley Streets Criterium) Men's C--Race Report
After Stanford's Crit, I felt a lot more confident with my endurance and skills in a Crit so I was actually looking forward to this one, especially because of the slight incline. We only had under 30 riders in the field, and I was again joined by Christian, Eric, and Bryan. I still had a lot of legs left despite yesterday's tough race, so I had good feelings for this race. The race was 35 minutes around a course that took only under 1 minute to complete.
The Start:
Right from the whistle, the pack went hard. Bryan led the pace for the first 3 laps and I stayed in the front hanging on tight. Couldn't believe how tired I was getting so quickly even after recovering from the descending straight. It was an interesting race as we had to dodge two potholes on turn 3 so everyone except inattentive riders took the same line. Turn 3 to 4 was also bumpy and manhole covers ruined the perfect line, sometimes I would take the outside AKA a really horrible line. But for the first 10 laps or so I was struggling to keep the pace and made gaps in the corner as I was concerned about aggressively tackling the rough surface on what was the fastest corner of the course.
Halfway Point of Race:
I was getting a hang of the course, and the pace seemed to decrease. A large portion of the field had already dropped out or had been asked to leave the race, including Bryan who got sick from a Bagel eaten before the race, so he was on the Sidelines cheering across from Ben and Nia. Eric made a nice move from the side and made his way to the front where he set a nice pace to drop more of the weaker riders. Rex Roberts (CSULB) and some Cal and Davis riders also took the front. But the halfway point was really a glory period with nothing major.
Final Laps and End:
Lap Cards were shown at 8-to-go. Lap Cards?! I saw them and I surged from the left side and the field began to yell out my move. I only went 85% of a full attack and wasn't feeling totally good but felt confident anyways. After an uneventful lap, at 6-to-go I attacked and a Stanford Rider followed, I worked with him especially on the downhill where I recovered and got momentum, but I was pulling up the hill, and he couldn't hang on so with 5-to-go I went to time-trial mode. Eric and Christian covered the field but Rex Roberts quickly read it so he prevented any measures of me soloing for the win, as he worked with other teammates to reel me in. With 4 to go then 3 to go, I felt I could make it but I felt I lost a lot of time cornering. With 1.5 laps to go (2nd to last lap) they catch me and I hang on to the front. Surprisingly on bell lap, the pace only slightly increases so I was able to hang on in the front, had a good position in the front for the final sprint but was way too far as Rex had started strong and early. He takes the win with some Davis, Stanford, and Cal guys following and I come in 8th, getting my first ever Top 10 in a Criterium, with Christian 9th and Eric 11th! Update: I just found out that only 12 of us finished out of about 21 guys! I guess the race was that hard!
Great weekend for the Men's C and also Nia Ransom in the Women's C Crit won her race as she lapped the C's and technically Podium'd with the B's!
--D
The Start:
Right from the whistle, the pack went hard. Bryan led the pace for the first 3 laps and I stayed in the front hanging on tight. Couldn't believe how tired I was getting so quickly even after recovering from the descending straight. It was an interesting race as we had to dodge two potholes on turn 3 so everyone except inattentive riders took the same line. Turn 3 to 4 was also bumpy and manhole covers ruined the perfect line, sometimes I would take the outside AKA a really horrible line. But for the first 10 laps or so I was struggling to keep the pace and made gaps in the corner as I was concerned about aggressively tackling the rough surface on what was the fastest corner of the course.
Halfway Point of Race:
I was getting a hang of the course, and the pace seemed to decrease. A large portion of the field had already dropped out or had been asked to leave the race, including Bryan who got sick from a Bagel eaten before the race, so he was on the Sidelines cheering across from Ben and Nia. Eric made a nice move from the side and made his way to the front where he set a nice pace to drop more of the weaker riders. Rex Roberts (CSULB) and some Cal and Davis riders also took the front. But the halfway point was really a glory period with nothing major.
Final Laps and End:
Lap Cards were shown at 8-to-go. Lap Cards?! I saw them and I surged from the left side and the field began to yell out my move. I only went 85% of a full attack and wasn't feeling totally good but felt confident anyways. After an uneventful lap, at 6-to-go I attacked and a Stanford Rider followed, I worked with him especially on the downhill where I recovered and got momentum, but I was pulling up the hill, and he couldn't hang on so with 5-to-go I went to time-trial mode. Eric and Christian covered the field but Rex Roberts quickly read it so he prevented any measures of me soloing for the win, as he worked with other teammates to reel me in. With 4 to go then 3 to go, I felt I could make it but I felt I lost a lot of time cornering. With 1.5 laps to go (2nd to last lap) they catch me and I hang on to the front. Surprisingly on bell lap, the pace only slightly increases so I was able to hang on in the front, had a good position in the front for the final sprint but was way too far as Rex had started strong and early. He takes the win with some Davis, Stanford, and Cal guys following and I come in 8th, getting my first ever Top 10 in a Criterium, with Christian 9th and Eric 11th! Update: I just found out that only 12 of us finished out of about 21 guys! I guess the race was that hard!
Great weekend for the Men's C and also Nia Ransom in the Women's C Crit won her race as she lapped the C's and technically Podium'd with the B's!
--D
UC Berkeley (Crockett Road Race)--Men's C's--Race Report
I was joined by my SFSU Cycling teammates Christian, Eric, and Bryan. Our race was 3 Laps around the 10-mile course. We all got a nice position and the start line, and started on time after the Men's B. As we started I yelled "Let's Lap the Men's B's guys," and some of the riders laughed. Cool--I'm a funny guy.
First Lap:
I felt good today--legs were spinning fast and I was able to manage to pedal economically. The course began up a slight incline before a really long descent. Then, a right turn up another small incline--which was apparently enough to make some of the (probably) weaker riders breathe heavily. Next, another slight descent which then led into a Paradise-Loop-Type scenery with fast switchbacks and short powerful false flats. After that it leads a right turn into the steep McEwen road climb. The pack slowed down tremendously and didn't use their momentum up the beginning of the climb, which wasted my energy and probably everyone else's. We only went around 7mph and I did get stuck around weaker riders so had to burn a few matches to get around. No one attacked since it was the first lap and we all wanted a feel of the climb.
First Attack: (First Lap Still)
When the road leveled off, and everyone was recovering, I made a move, as I told Christian I'd need to warm-up since I had a short warm-up. I was next to the center line, and the center line rule was in effect. I made a mistake by technically crossing it even though there was enough room to pass the rider on the right. I was the 7th rider so I zoomed on the left and some people called out my number and "center line!". (Two guys from the same team ended up protesting against this move, but the official didn't do anything since it was at the beginning of the race as well as because we were "noobs.") It was my mistake and I'm not going to attack from the centerline anymore. So I guess I accidently attacked and soloed until the Franklin Canyon Climb going toward the start and finish. I guess I was warmed up enough after that.
Second Lap:
I recovered from the attack quickly, then rolled next to Christian, our star climber, and asked him if he felt like he could attack up McEwen. Positive. So we took it easy until the slight incline after the right turn, where I attacked all the way throughout the Paradise-Loop place, and stopped a moments away from McEwen. We even passed several Men's B riders! Now we were on McEwen, where the field was quickly filtering out. For a while, the pace was only slowly growing, then I saw Christian attack and the surge came. Eric passed by me as I was barely hanging on. I got dropped as the incline leveled off and it became rolling hills. I didn't think I could catch up, but I still made an effort to bridge, and worked with someone else as we entered Franklin Canyon before the S/F line. I was closing the gap when they began to surge, so I went 100% and eventually caught up to them just at the S/F line! At this point, only 8 brave riders had made it through the halfway point.
Third/Bell Lap:
I dropped my chain and thought I'd get dropped but the break tempo was rather moderate so I was able to catch on. Nobody attacked our group and nobody bridged to us. We were 8 riders even up McEwen where a headwind attacked us. Then Christian attacks a few miles before the finish, when everyone was recovering from the climb. I couldn't respond so just stayed with Eric and a UC Santa Cruz rider. The top 5 attacked on the final short incline to the S/F with Christian taking 5th, Eric and I raced each other to the finish line and he beat me for 7th, I rolled in feeling proud with our team's effort at 8th place, and Bryan finished the race with a great workout and battle up McEwen!
--D
First Lap:
I felt good today--legs were spinning fast and I was able to manage to pedal economically. The course began up a slight incline before a really long descent. Then, a right turn up another small incline--which was apparently enough to make some of the (probably) weaker riders breathe heavily. Next, another slight descent which then led into a Paradise-Loop-Type scenery with fast switchbacks and short powerful false flats. After that it leads a right turn into the steep McEwen road climb. The pack slowed down tremendously and didn't use their momentum up the beginning of the climb, which wasted my energy and probably everyone else's. We only went around 7mph and I did get stuck around weaker riders so had to burn a few matches to get around. No one attacked since it was the first lap and we all wanted a feel of the climb.
First Attack: (First Lap Still)
When the road leveled off, and everyone was recovering, I made a move, as I told Christian I'd need to warm-up since I had a short warm-up. I was next to the center line, and the center line rule was in effect. I made a mistake by technically crossing it even though there was enough room to pass the rider on the right. I was the 7th rider so I zoomed on the left and some people called out my number and "center line!". (Two guys from the same team ended up protesting against this move, but the official didn't do anything since it was at the beginning of the race as well as because we were "noobs.") It was my mistake and I'm not going to attack from the centerline anymore. So I guess I accidently attacked and soloed until the Franklin Canyon Climb going toward the start and finish. I guess I was warmed up enough after that.
Second Lap:
I recovered from the attack quickly, then rolled next to Christian, our star climber, and asked him if he felt like he could attack up McEwen. Positive. So we took it easy until the slight incline after the right turn, where I attacked all the way throughout the Paradise-Loop place, and stopped a moments away from McEwen. We even passed several Men's B riders! Now we were on McEwen, where the field was quickly filtering out. For a while, the pace was only slowly growing, then I saw Christian attack and the surge came. Eric passed by me as I was barely hanging on. I got dropped as the incline leveled off and it became rolling hills. I didn't think I could catch up, but I still made an effort to bridge, and worked with someone else as we entered Franklin Canyon before the S/F line. I was closing the gap when they began to surge, so I went 100% and eventually caught up to them just at the S/F line! At this point, only 8 brave riders had made it through the halfway point.
Third/Bell Lap:
I dropped my chain and thought I'd get dropped but the break tempo was rather moderate so I was able to catch on. Nobody attacked our group and nobody bridged to us. We were 8 riders even up McEwen where a headwind attacked us. Then Christian attacks a few miles before the finish, when everyone was recovering from the climb. I couldn't respond so just stayed with Eric and a UC Santa Cruz rider. The top 5 attacked on the final short incline to the S/F with Christian taking 5th, Eric and I raced each other to the finish line and he beat me for 7th, I rolled in feeling proud with our team's effort at 8th place, and Bryan finished the race with a great workout and battle up McEwen!
--D
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Stanford (Criterium) Race Report
Oh this wasn't on my race schedule but I decided to do it anyways because I could do it with a team to replace an Anaerobic-like workout. The Men's C began at 9:40AM but we left around 7, and we had to wake up early from Daylight Savings Time too. I actually woke up at 4Am so technically I woke up at 3AM and got about 4.5 hours of sleep. I was worried that it would hinder my performance but it wasn't too much of a problem.
I didn't have much of a warm-up because I took too long getting ready, but I was able to walk the entire 1-Lap of the crit which consisted of 3 sweeping corners and a 4th corner leading into a chicane. Fun! For this race I joined Yao, Christian, Eric, and Bryan.
Feeling bummed from missing yesterday's break, I decided my goal for this race was to make a statement for our team, which I think I was able to do when I attacked the chase group I was in around 6 times. I saw Davis guys and knew they had a thing for sprinters so I thought I should try to tire out all the sprinters so that Yao could have a clean shot at taking a high position in the field, provided there was no break. I myself, anticipated a break but nobody wanted one, and it may have been because Davis controlled the front.
The Start-
The race didn't start out like what I'm used to. Usually I'm struggling to keep a wheel and I move up places in the corners, but I found it comfortable for me to grab a wheel, move up and repeat. I stayed away from guys who cornered on their hoods and who didn't close gaps after corners since it would waste energy. I comfortably stayed at the front, top 10 for a good amount of laps, until the 1st prime when the first surge hit.
Prime Laps-
The official told us we only had two prime laps, then Davis contested saying we're supposed to have 3, so I hope we really did get 3. Feeling strong, I thought about taking the prime on the first lap but the pace surged and I just hung on a wheel, they drove into the corner so fast that my rear tire got some air and almost hit Christian who was behind me, but he managed to control it and an unfortunately Stanford rider couldn't control the quick fluctuation, but I heard he crashed "smoothly." After the surge, the pace slowed down and then came the second prime where I was closer to the front, but not quite there yet. Then moments later a Davis rider attacks and goes off solo. I waited for chasers but nobody chased, so he was alone for a lap. I noticed that whenever someone would make a fast move, riders at the front (who were probably Davis guys) would point it out saying "LEFT LEFT LEFT" or "ON THE RIGHT!" So it must've meant they didn't want anyone to get away from the pack. Well okay then...I decided to test my observation and attacked on the 2nd corner on the outside of the exit and behind me I hear "on the left on the left" but nobody did anything so I was able to get away, bridged up to the solo Davis guy, sucked on his wheel a bit, and took the 3rd corner and chicane at full speed. I gave a little more gas at the start/finish where the spectators were and realized that the next lap was the final prime lap so I decided to push a little more, felt really good, looked back, and saw a good gap. I did the prime lap alone and was able to take it away even though it wasn't much, but it was my first prime :)
And then the rest of the race...-
Seeing as nobody was bridging to me, I knew I couldn't hold an extreme breakaway so I recovered and went back to the pack just in case my teammates needed me. I actually had a misunderstanding with my teammate Yao, our sprinter. He said "I got you Dom" and I thought he meant he would go with me on an attack, so on the 3rd corner I drove the pace in with Yao behind me and the field actually responded (along with some more "On the left on the left!" So we didn't get away, but after the race Yao told me that he meant for me to suck on his wheel. Whoops haha. Yao and Christian were looking really good and I saw Eric and Bryan at the front occasionally. I was getting a feeling that whoever was at the front (who wasn't from our team) was planning something for the end so I went and attacked one more time and held a really good gap for a about 3/4 of a lap, and when I got back to the s/f there was 4 to go so I thought maybe I could make something work, but the group got me and recovered. With the 3 laps to go I realized I was pretty much out of top end energy so I stayed behind Christian and around Yao, but I got boxed in at the corner between two inattentive riders and had to brake a bit, and I lost about 10-15 places!
The end-
With two to go, I was burning matches going back to the top but the pace increased and a swarm of Davis guys huddled at the front and took decent control of the pack. I didn't have enough left in me to attack at the corners and so at the bell lap the final surge occurred, and I tried to make it to the top ten but either got boxed in or just didn't have enough energy. I saw Yao and Christian at the front and didn't see any other sprinters except for the leadout train that Davis had going.
Yao ended up getting an impressive 3rd! We talked about it and they told me that my attacks probably did scare them a bit since they really wanted a leadout going. So I'm hoping to have similar legs at our next races.
With Berkeley coming up, I think our team will be able to sharpen up some tactics for our A race.
I didn't have much of a warm-up because I took too long getting ready, but I was able to walk the entire 1-Lap of the crit which consisted of 3 sweeping corners and a 4th corner leading into a chicane. Fun! For this race I joined Yao, Christian, Eric, and Bryan.
Feeling bummed from missing yesterday's break, I decided my goal for this race was to make a statement for our team, which I think I was able to do when I attacked the chase group I was in around 6 times. I saw Davis guys and knew they had a thing for sprinters so I thought I should try to tire out all the sprinters so that Yao could have a clean shot at taking a high position in the field, provided there was no break. I myself, anticipated a break but nobody wanted one, and it may have been because Davis controlled the front.
The Start-
The race didn't start out like what I'm used to. Usually I'm struggling to keep a wheel and I move up places in the corners, but I found it comfortable for me to grab a wheel, move up and repeat. I stayed away from guys who cornered on their hoods and who didn't close gaps after corners since it would waste energy. I comfortably stayed at the front, top 10 for a good amount of laps, until the 1st prime when the first surge hit.
Prime Laps-
The official told us we only had two prime laps, then Davis contested saying we're supposed to have 3, so I hope we really did get 3. Feeling strong, I thought about taking the prime on the first lap but the pace surged and I just hung on a wheel, they drove into the corner so fast that my rear tire got some air and almost hit Christian who was behind me, but he managed to control it and an unfortunately Stanford rider couldn't control the quick fluctuation, but I heard he crashed "smoothly." After the surge, the pace slowed down and then came the second prime where I was closer to the front, but not quite there yet. Then moments later a Davis rider attacks and goes off solo. I waited for chasers but nobody chased, so he was alone for a lap. I noticed that whenever someone would make a fast move, riders at the front (who were probably Davis guys) would point it out saying "LEFT LEFT LEFT" or "ON THE RIGHT!" So it must've meant they didn't want anyone to get away from the pack. Well okay then...I decided to test my observation and attacked on the 2nd corner on the outside of the exit and behind me I hear "on the left on the left" but nobody did anything so I was able to get away, bridged up to the solo Davis guy, sucked on his wheel a bit, and took the 3rd corner and chicane at full speed. I gave a little more gas at the start/finish where the spectators were and realized that the next lap was the final prime lap so I decided to push a little more, felt really good, looked back, and saw a good gap. I did the prime lap alone and was able to take it away even though it wasn't much, but it was my first prime :)
And then the rest of the race...-
Seeing as nobody was bridging to me, I knew I couldn't hold an extreme breakaway so I recovered and went back to the pack just in case my teammates needed me. I actually had a misunderstanding with my teammate Yao, our sprinter. He said "I got you Dom" and I thought he meant he would go with me on an attack, so on the 3rd corner I drove the pace in with Yao behind me and the field actually responded (along with some more "On the left on the left!" So we didn't get away, but after the race Yao told me that he meant for me to suck on his wheel. Whoops haha. Yao and Christian were looking really good and I saw Eric and Bryan at the front occasionally. I was getting a feeling that whoever was at the front (who wasn't from our team) was planning something for the end so I went and attacked one more time and held a really good gap for a about 3/4 of a lap, and when I got back to the s/f there was 4 to go so I thought maybe I could make something work, but the group got me and recovered. With the 3 laps to go I realized I was pretty much out of top end energy so I stayed behind Christian and around Yao, but I got boxed in at the corner between two inattentive riders and had to brake a bit, and I lost about 10-15 places!
The end-
With two to go, I was burning matches going back to the top but the pace increased and a swarm of Davis guys huddled at the front and took decent control of the pack. I didn't have enough left in me to attack at the corners and so at the bell lap the final surge occurred, and I tried to make it to the top ten but either got boxed in or just didn't have enough energy. I saw Yao and Christian at the front and didn't see any other sprinters except for the leadout train that Davis had going.
Yao ended up getting an impressive 3rd! We talked about it and they told me that my attacks probably did scare them a bit since they really wanted a leadout going. So I'm hoping to have similar legs at our next races.
With Berkeley coming up, I think our team will be able to sharpen up some tactics for our A race.
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