Some Good News For Once

Combine the constantly surprising national news, add a little rain over the past weekend, plus the approach of a major holiday this week, and even those of you who cycle in Marin regularly, might have missed some big news last Friday.

Bolinas Road is open!

A panorama of the repair from below.
photo: Glen Kinion

A chunk of the road slumped last March (2016) after accumulation of runoff from storms eroded and undermined the pavement just above the hairpin turn at the Cataract Falls trailhead.

According to a Marin County Public Works Department press release,

“The presence of northern spotted owl nests in the vicinity further complicated the project by delaying the commencement of repair work until after the end of the owl’s nesting season in September.”

The closure at Pine Mtn. last September.
photo: Glen Kinion

Many riders continued to use the road during the 8-month closure (I’ll admit to sneaking around the gate twice myself), but by the end of September, presumably once the owl nesting was over, construction repairs began in earnest. Word went out that some riders were issued $400-ish tickets.

Work in progress: Setting anchors and reinforcement for the new retaining wall.
photo: Marin County Department of Public Works

Last Friday morning I rode out to the locked gate at the top of Pine Mt. while doing hill repeats. I had no clue that by that afternoon, the gate would be open. I heard the news from my good friend, training buddy and fellow racer Henrik Schubert.

With rain most of the weekend, my first legal trip on the long-forbidden road had to wait, so instead I used the time to strip the bike down to the frame and give it a complete overhaul, replace all the cables and housings, and top off with new bar tape.

Another look at the repair from below.
photo: Glen Kinion

After breakfast today I rolled out to check out the work. On my way back, there must have been at least 25 cyclists on their way to do the same thing.

With creative wedging, hikers who park near the Cataract Trailhead might find one or two more spaces to park near the hairpin turn... but along the road above the new retaining wall, there's no room on the shoulder anymore. Well, you're here to hike in beautiful scenery, so walking a few hundred yards from a safer parking spot won't kill you.
photo: Glen Kinion

If you ride in Marin much, you already know this stretch of Bolinas Road is amazing. There’s very little auto traffic, and the scenery is beautiful. It’s got great descents, curves and climbs. I happen to love the rough pavement. The 2-mile 8% grind from Alpine Lake up to the junction at Ridgecrest is a staple in my workouts, and my fitness suffered over the past months without access to it. The road is also a perfect connector to larger cycling routes.

I’m planning to get out there several times each week, until another mudslide closes it again.

2016 Patterson Pass Road Race

Up Flynn Rd. on the first lap. Photo: Alex Chiu

Date
Saturday, August 6th, 2016

Group
Master 55 cat 123

Result
11th of 20

Conditions
Sunny, 65-79 degrees. West wind at 15 mph.

Course
Two laps on a 23-mile loop: Patterson Pass Rd. west. The lap begins with a tough climb–1100 feet in 4.8 miles. The grade starts gradually, 1-4%, increasing to 10%. The upper, steeper pitch is exposed to a strong head wind. A fast, non-technical descent follows, with a sharp right turn onto Flynn Rd. After the second significant climb on the course, another long but challenging descent (a sharp off-camber left turn, then more headwind). Crossing over I-580, continue descending down Carroll Rd. Then a smooth right onto Altamont Pass Road, east on Grant Line Rd. This 6.3 mile tailwind section is fast! Then right turn, south on Midway Rd. A strong crosswind makes the tough little hump on Midway hurt. back to start/finish area.

The Race
John Marengo (Cat2, Team City Racing), and Cal Erdman (Cat3, Team City Racing) set the pace up the first long climb. I stayed ready to go with attacks. Hunter Ziesing (Cat2, Hammer Nutrition/53x11) took off as the grade increased. No one chased, and I knew how strong the wind was near the top of this climb, so I didn’t feel the need to worry about him staying away. Marengo kept a solid pace going, so we all stayed in a group over the top.

Once onto the lower section of Flynn, I expected a regrouping. I knew there would be a tailwind, so I got on the front and set a faster pace to string things out and see if some guys would start thinking about attacking. We still stuck together, but at least the pace up the steeper section of this second climb seemed to be stringing out our small field.

The rest of the first lap was uneventful. The podium selection was made on the upper half of the second ascent of Patterson Pass. Dan Shore (Cat2, Hammer/53x11), Steve Archer (Cat2, Morgan Stanley /Specialized), and Robert Anderson (Cat2, Team Specialized Racing Masters) split off the front. I saw it happening and had to let them go. Several weeks ago in the Mount Hamilton road race I pushed too far into my red zone trying to stay connected with the three leaders and paid a price later in the race. This time I planned to work with a strong chase group.

Five of us topped the climb in pursuit of the leaders: Hunter Ziesing (Cat2, Hammer Nutrition/53x11), Jon Ornstil (Cat3, Hammer Nutrition/53x11), Joseph Foster (Cat2, R4R-Make A Wish), Quentin Sims (Cat2, Fig Mtn Brew Racing), and me. The lead group was long out of sight.

After the descent, and the right turn onto Flynn Rd, beginning its ascent, Jon gave me a good-natured, but corrective nudge, saying “Well, get up there with your buddies!” reminding me that the work of chasing was up to me, Quentin and Joseph. Jon and Hunter had a teammate in the breakaway.

As true as this was, it seemed like Hunter was really anxious to reduce the gap to the front group. He kept talking about wanting to help work to help with the chase. Jon kept trying to get him to calm down.

Hitting the fast tailwind stretch on Altamont Pass Rd., I tried to get Quentin interested in an efficient 3-man rotation with Joseph and I, so that even if we couldn’t catch the leaders, we’d at least stay well ahead of the guys we dropped on the climb. They were just way smarter than me–likely sensing that I was self-destructively willing to work hardest.

I should have been as smart. The remaining pursuers from our race caught up with us. Still no leaders in sight, we’re racing for 4th now, and I’m starting to cramp from the hard efforts. I’m also losing power. I lose contact with the group as they hammer over the last hill on Midway–only about 1.5k to go. On the left side of the road I see Jon Ornstil with his bike. Puncture? Mechanical? Whatever it was, it's the only reason I finished ahead of him today. 

Powering down the far side, I caught back up to Brian McAndrews (Cat2, ThirstyBear p/b Akamai) and Jan Elsbach (Cat1, Davis Bike Club Race Team) who appeared to be fading. They rallied and pulled easily ahead and I came across the line 11th. The lead group finished about 3 minutes earlier.

Takeaways
Like just wrote in the last paragraph, "I should have been as smart." I'm still picking up tips on how to read the other racers. Now I'll start working on keeping my cards closer to my chest as well. But aside from burning too many matches throughout the race, I felt fantastic.

Links to more photos
Leaders get away over top of climb
Our chase group
Our chase group again
Leaders finishing
Sprinting for 4th
Bringing up the rear

San Rafael Sunset Criterium

Jeff Kato being cool (left), and me looking exceptionally "dorky" (right)
photo: Craig Huffman

Teammates
Jeff Kato (45+ cat 3), Dan Rugani (35+ cat 4)

Field
35+/45+ cats 3/4, 42 starters (two age groups race together, picked separately for prizes five deep)
45+: 25 riders
35+: 17 riders

Result
17th of the 25 in my age group (though I was last of the remaining pack, so we lost quite a few guys during the race).

Conditions
78°-80° and sunny. 10mph breeze from the east.

Course
50 minutes (actual 38 laps) on a 0.6 mile (1K) clockwise loop in Downtown San Rafael. Start/Finish at 4th and C st. One block then right turn onto D st. for a tough little uphill grind. Right turn onto 5th st. for three blocks, slightly downhill but into the wind. Fast, wide right turn onto A st. for one block. Hard right onto 4th st., with two blocks to the line.

The Race
This was the first race of the day at 1:30pm. Registration wasn’t open until 12:30, so it was a little bit dicey getting our warmups, numbers and then some practice laps on course. But Jeff and I were able to line up in the front row, with Dan just behind us. I told Jeff before the race that I didn’t feel super strong, and might not be of much help to him. He said he’d assess himself late in the race and consider an attack if he felt good. Both of us planned to focus on staying sheltered and upright for the finish.

At the whistle we had a good start, but no one wanted to drive the pace, so on the backside of the course, the pack was bunched up. The pace picked up after turn three and I quickly found myself mid-pack for subsequent early laps.

I got up near the front by lap 20, so when the third prime was announced for the following lap, I attacked the hill on D st., getting a big gap. Keeping the power on down 5th, I glanced under my arm to see how aggressively to take the last two corners. 

Coming through for a prime on lap 21
photo: Alex Chiu

The pack must have been uninterested, so I dialed back my speed slightly, but easily picked up the prime. It took a full lap to settle back into the pack. Immediately back to back primes were announced. A rider attacked and got free. I was still close to the front so I chased, getting a small gap ahead of the pack, yet wasn’t able to close on the leader. That was enough speedy antics for me and I settled back in, hoping to recover.

I spent the remainder of the race trying to maintain a good position in the shrinking pack (we lost many riders in the first 30 minutes). I hadn’t seen Dan recently, but Jeff was always in sight, doing better than me at keeping good position. With 3 or 4 laps to go, he moved up front which made some guys sweat a little. The pace quickened. See “Takeaways” below for possible explanations of why, by the bell lap, my legs cramped and I had to sit up and let the pack go. I came to the line last of the remaining riders.

Takeways
The average speed for the race was just north of 26 mph. Unlike my experiences at Cats Hill and Davis, I never felt like I was getting any shelter from the wind. I nestled in the pack, but it really felt like I was having to work hard for the whole race. My heart rate averaged 177 bpm, which is higher than the redline that I set for long climbs. On the bottom of the course on each lap, it dropped closer to 168, but ramped back above 180 for the upper half of the course. One contributing factor might be that I was scared of turn 4. I allowed too much space ahead of my wheel, because each lap I had to get out of the saddle and hammer to close the gap on riders ahead.

Another spot that took a toll on me most laps was the inside line into turn 2 at the top of D street. Guys would crowd the inside corner, causing a traffic jam. Whenever I was dumb enough to take that line, I often got slowed by stalling riders. The entry on the inside line was bumpy, and the exit had more road crown to ascend. This cost a match lap after lap.

Extra Stuff
Below is a video by Mike Redman, just showing the lineup, start, and a slow motion view of the pack coming out of turn 4. Thanks Mike.

video: Michael Redman

Colavita Grand Prix Criterium, Sunday July 17, 2016

Field
Combined M45+/55+ cat 123 (27 starters)

• M45+ 22
• M55+ 5

No teammates today, but many friends in the pack.

Result
4th of 5

Course
A 1.2 mile loop with no sharp corners. There is a slight “hill” after turn 1, and a slight descent after turn 2, descending gradually through a gentle chicane. The finish is 480 meters from the last corner.

Conditions
Mid 70’s with a 12-14 mph wind from the west. The back side of the course was into the wind, and the 3rd stretch had a stiff crosswind from the right.

The Race
Not plying great depths in this report. I rode 4th/5th wheel in the first lap. Riders attacked, Brian McAndrews (M55+ cat 2, Thirsty Bear p/b Akamai) jumped on and so did I, but there was no real gap. That first lap was over 28 mph. 

Riders attacked on lap 2, and I did my best to stay about 10th wheel, but quickly lost shelter as the course took us into the wind on the back side. As the pack strung out to begin lap 3, a few of us were off the back. I tried to go anaerobic as long as I could to latch back on but the pack disappeared over the little hill after turn 1.

I had David Garzoli (45+, unattached) and Jess Raphael (M55+ cat 3, 3 Ft. - It's The Law) for company, but they both seemed tired. I pulled us around for a lap or two, then David and Jess started taking turns at the front. David said “good luck” a couple of laps later and withdrew. I was willing to forge onward, while I mistook Jess’ lackluster effort. I’ve never been dropped in a criterium before, so I wasn’t aware that it would be allowed to latch back onto the pack after being lapped (we’d just have to race each other one more lap after they finished).

Instead I attacked and dropped Jess a couple of laps later and plugged along at a measly 23 mph, with my heart rate averaging 173 bpm, for the rest of the “race”.

With 4-1/2 laps to go, two breakaway riders, Kyle Glerum (M45, cat 2, Peet's Coffee Racing) and Gardie Jackson (M45, cat 1, Thirsty Bear p/b Akamai), flew past, lapping me. They sat up, looking at one another, apparently playing cat and mouse, with a 20-second gap to the chasers. I guess it would’ve been ok to hitch onto them, but I wasn’t sure. Another 3/4 of a lap later, the pack passed me. Again I guess I should’ve latched on, especially since for all I knew, Jess might be in that bunch.

I asked the moto if I was supposed to drop out, but he said I could stay in if I wanted. I plowed along, the pack finished, I did my last lap and came in 4th of 5.

Lessons Learned
While I was smart enough to start in the front row, I raced stupidly after the whistle. I’m not strong enough to chase attacks that early in the race. All that did was make me too tired to stick with the pack. I’m probably the only rider who had to ride at lactate threshold for the whole race.

On being lapped, let’s refer to the USA Cycling rule book:

3D4. Riders who have lost contact with the field, and are then caught by a breakaway from the field, may not lead. Riders off the front of the field may not accept assistance from riders who have lost contact with the back of the field. Lapped riders may rejoin and race with the field in cases where lapped riders are not being withdrawn by the officials.

It would've been much less work to jump into the pack, but even better yet to maintain contact in the first place. I hope not to need this bit of information in the future:-/.

As it turned out, Jess Raphael did find shelter in the pack, but since I was only a half lap behind the field, I didn't risk my precious 4th place.

2016 Davis 4th of July Criterium

Our heads would be more even in height I stood on that blue box!
photo: Jeff Kato

Group
45/55 123 Combined field (45 starters: Four 55s and forty-one 45s)

Teammates
One: Jeff Kato (45s)

Result
3rd (of the 55s)

Course
Forty minutes on a flat flat flat, mostly well-paved 0.7-mile L-shaped lap, with five left turns and one right.

Preparation
Mostly mental. I’ve been a bit scattered lately with more work, and a busy social calendar. June was a lean racing month (just one road race and one hill climb time trial). My weekly workouts were less focused, and adherence to endurance and other strength training went right out the window.

But gentle prodding from teammate Jeff Kato reminded me of recent self-assessment of my racing goals: Mainly to continue developing my racing experience beyond the comfort zone. Which means embracing the challenge of races that don’t obviously fit my strengths.

Two more factors led me to race this one: In May I hung in, and really had fun, during the Cat’s Hill criterium. And there was potential for a point or two in the NCNCA Premiere Points Series.

The Race
Like a dummy, I waited with a dozen other racers, as our noon launch approached, in the shade, a few meters behind the bright sunny start line. As the announcer began talking up the crowd, a few guys rolled up to the line after their practice laps. I was boxed in by the other “shade-seekers” and by the time we lined up, both Jeff and I were in the back. Even with a small field of 45, it would be a lot of work to move up with all the turns on this course.

The whistle blows and we’re off. And yup, it’s fast (26.7 mph average speed for the whole race). We’re probably at 30th wheel, “tail gunning” and it’s stupid-hard to keep the gaps closed. 6 or 7 laps in I was starting to think I wasn’t going to be able to keep up the effort, and might get dropped.

At this point I could see about 7 riders had split off the front. The next few laps seemed much faster, but gps data doesn’t support that.

I turned my attention to looking for opportunities. I found the long, two block straightaway after the last turn (turn 6) and turn 1, was a good place to buy a few positions by moving up the right side. Then between turn 1 and 2, up the right side, guys were leaving 4 or 5 feet of space to the curb because the pavement had a nasty linear ridge. I explored and used most of the useful “real estate” there, to move up some spots. Then between turn 4 and 5, the speed is lower (only about 24 mph) and I could gain a single position.

Once I found those gems, I spent a few laps “banking” whatever positions I could. Move up 3, lose two, move up 4, lose 3… but eventually there was a “net profit.” I think I must’ve moved up into the less-surge-y part of the pack, and I didn’t feel like I was at my limit anymore. I was finally warmed up and having lots of fun.

Not really on the front, just trying to close a gap. The moto is a very bad sign–I'm too close to the back of the pack.
photo: Katie Truong

I’ve mentioned it before, but will repeat it here: These M123 criterium guys know how to corner. And going through the turns with them is a pleasure… except with a few laps to go, we lost one rider, sliding out on turn six.

I won’t drone on any longer because I didn’t have any impact on the race. The pace was already high, so the bell lap didn’t seem any different. Coming through turn 6 I could see Jeff was a half-dozen positions ahead, on his way to a solid mid-pack finish. I held off one rider on my right rear, just in case he was in my age group, though I couldn’t see his number. I likely came in around 28th-ish, but that was good enough for 3rd among the 55s–my first podium of the season, and 2 more Premiere Series points, maintaining 8th in the series.

At least at one point I was ahead of 55+ winner Marty Cunningham (cat 2, Folsom Bike/Trek/Raley's).
photo: Katie Truong

Takeaways
Jeff and I compared notes on the drive home and we both felt a need to work on enduring repeated surges. I feel like I get faster at recovery after 12 to 15 of them.

In the “No s--t Sherlock” department: There’s no good reason to start at the back of the pack in a criterium.

NCNCA Hill Climb Time Trial Championships on Mt. Diablo, June 25, 2016

Not that he's not a nice guy, but I'm really trying to stay away from Carl Nielson.
photo: Craig Huffman

Age group

Master 55-59

Result

6th

Time

28:45.5

Course

6.2 miles ascending about 1700 feet, average grade of 5%, on excellent roads.

Preparation

I was fortunate to receive a pair of carbon tubulars with American Classic hubs about three weeks before this TT. I hustled to upgrade the rear from 9 to 11-speed, re-dish, glue on tires and road test for a couple of days. Two years ago I did this TT on my 21.5 pound steel Ron Cooper for a time of 29:29.6, but now with the carbon wheels and sew-ups my 136-pound carcass sits on a 14.5-pound Emonda. I was hoping for a dramatically faster time. Still I didn’t expect miracles with competition like Carl Nielson (cat 2, CA Technologies Racing), Dan Shore (cat 2, Hammer/53x11) and Kevin Metcalfe (cat 1, Peet's Coffee Racing), who would be doing his second TT of the day, after placing 3rd among the elite cat 1/2 field.

In fact I really only do these hill climb TTs (San Bruno Mtn., Diablo, and Mt. Tamalpais) to get an idea of how the guys in my age group perform on different durations and pitches of ascent. The information is useful throughout the rest of the races in the season.

Unfortunately my calendar got really busy after the Pescadero road race, and I didn’t have time to prepare properly, so I’d be going on whatever constituted my base.

The ascent

We’re started 30 seconds apart. The first 1.4 mi. are pretty flat and fast. I was already only 15 seconds behind Mark Edwards, who took off right before me. I thought “Hey! These wheels are making me fly” But then as the grade increased, Mark began to distance me. The other heavy hitters were starting 2 to 4 minutes after me, so I just kept my heart at 175-178 and hoped I would’t have any company.

Half way up a series of switchbacks, I began to hear yells of encouragement from riders descending. They were cheering on Carl Nielson who started 2 minutes after me. I put everything I had left into staying “ahead”, but nope.

I came across the line with a time of 28:45.5, for 6th in my 5-year age group.

After catching my breath, I watched with Carl as the rest of our group finished. Jon Ornstil (cat 3, Hammer/53x11) looked graceful, comfortable, fast and composed as usual, and Kevin Metcalfe and Dan Shore finished with amazing times.

Takeaways

I climb pretty well, but still need to get faster to be able to get away with these guys on hillier road races. And I could use some advice from some of my teammates who have success in traditional time trials. I recognize that it takes a lot of training to learn how to pace your effort. I know what level of effort I can sustain for a half hour on a climb, but it may be that dialing it back for the first 12 minutes or so might leave me with more headroom to finish better over the whole course.

Pescadero Coastal Classic Road Race Saturday June 4, 2016

Still looking good, but losing contact on the first of three ascents of Haskins Hill
photo: Tali Herzka

Result
10th of 17 among my group of 55s

Group

Master 55+ cat 123 (17 starters), combined with the Master 45+ 123s (21 starters) Field total=38

Course

2.7 laps over a 28 mile loop in the beautiful coastal hills of San Mateo County for a total of 75 miles. Notable features are three climbs:

Stage Rd. climb #1, 1.1 miles, 259 ft. elevation gain, avg. grade 4%

State Rd. climb #2, 0.7 mi., 276 ft., avg grade 7%

Haskins Hill, 1.5 mi., 566 ft., avg. grade 7%

The first two short climbs have technical descents.

My goal

Similar to the race last weekend, I hoped to stick with the lead group, though it would prove tougher with much the same crowd that I raced with at Cat’s Hill Criterium a few weekends ago.

The Race

There's just no way to candy-coat it, I was lame today. I felt great and fit going into this race but if that was the case, I’m just nowhere near the level of my competitors. From the whistle Hunter Ziesing (cat 2, Hammer/53x11), who had been just telling me about how tough it has been fighting bronchitis, bolted otf. I think everyone thought he was just kidding around, but I think it was Hans Gouwens (cat 2, ThirstyBear p/b Akamai) who took the move seriously and jumped to join. The rest of us jammed and averaged 23 mph chasing to the base of the first climb.

The two climbs and descents of Stage Rd. helped to both reel in the early attack, and shed a dozen or so of our field out the back. I don’t count myself among the most competent, but there are a surprising number of sketchy descenders among the 123s. I found it necessary to leave a lot more room to avoid the crazy, changing lines that some were choosing. This bugged some behind me and I got yelled at for letting gaps open up more than once.

Jon Ornstil (cat 3, Hammer/53x11) will scold me again for not noting his performance today, but honestly Jon, I just had a hard time getting up to where I could see the stellar action you and Hunter were creating.

By the dip before hwy 84, there were a few splits in our small peloton and I was barely able to latch onto the tail. There was a group of 8 off the front, according to the moto ref, by 45 seconds, including seven 45s and one 55. Still recovering from the chase onto the tail of my group, I couldn’t work my way up front to help chase yet. Somehow by the base of Haskins hill, I think we came close to catching the front.

This first time up Haskins was nuts. 7:44, I’ve never cracked 8 minutes on this hill. As good as my photo above looks, I was losing contact with my group. Over the top and down the other side I caught back on. Our bunch had another big gap to suck up to the lead group. I thought about sitting in, but thought about how I yelled at other riders on the same course last year when I was frustrated that our group then was in a similar spot, so chose to work, trading 1 minute pulls with a Thirsty Bear rider. There were about seven more passengers, but I hoped some of them would get to work when they recovered and remember my effort (Pollyanna huh?). What an idiot! The moto ref gave us another time check: “One forty! One four zero!). I cracked. I waved the guy behind up to let him know I was dropping the wheel ahead. The pace I had been keeping was about 27 mph and I couldn’t latch onto my grupetto. Here’s where my “$50 weekend training ride” began. There are a couple other factors that went into deciding to work so hard here but it’s kind of political and I can’t go into it, but let’s just say the effort was an “investment”.

There was no glory in the remaining 47 miles, but I did work with a few small groups of riders, that included Greg Spanier (cat 2, Team STAND/City Cycle) and Brian McAndrews (cat 2, ThirstyBear p/b Akamai). Brian and I were still hoping to pick up a few Premier Series points, so hoping at least that not too many 55s were up ahead.

Up Haskins again for the Third and final time I just set my mind on not allowing any from my race to catch me. No danger there, and I crossed the line shortly for 10th. Not the proud bunch finish I was looking for.

Takeaways

If I could have avoided cooking myself on the earlier chase, I could have sat in and waited for the final rush up Haskins, plain and simple. I knew it at the time, but I don't have the benefit of racing with actual teammates this season, and I have to build alliances, so had to sacrifice a bit.

On the positive side, by hanging in there, I collected six more points in the NCNCA Premier Series where I'm in seventh place (scroll down to the 55+ 123 group). The tough thing is that the six ahead of me keep showing up and riding stronger, so it's tough to move ahead. But I'll keep trying.

Mount Hamilton Classic Road Race – Sunday May 29, 2016

4th over the top, but at what cost?
photo: Katie Truong

Result
9th

The Course
At roughly 62 miles, this is a point to point race, starting in San Jose, finishing just south of Livermore. The course starts with about 18 miles of climbing, in three segments or pitches, ascending a total of about 3700 feet. A 4.3 mile, technical descent follows, then 20 miles of rolling terrain followed by two more short but tough ascents. Finally about 19 miles of gradual descent into a headwind to the finish, near Del Valle Regional Park. Roads are open to traffic, so no crossing the centerline anywhere allowed. Pavement surfaces are good. There is one neutral feed zone and a second non-neutral one.

My Plan
I know this course well enough to understand that a fast ascent of the mountain is not the best hope of success. However if I can keep the time gap to the leaders as small as possible, there will be less chasing to do over the remaining two thirds of the race. So I decided to do what I could to stay with the leaders up the mountain. I set time goals for each of the three pitches, 25 minutes, 12 minutes and 30 minutes. I knew the pace required would put me beyond my target heart rate, but I’d decide later when and if to dial back the effort. My goal was to summit at the tail of the lead group, so as to descend the backside of the mountain with less concern about sharing the tight curves with too many riders. And if I lose contact with the leaders, I’ll know I have strong riders behind to work with during the chase.

The Race
The head count at the start was said to be 20, but I think there were only 18. A few minutes into the first climb, Steve Archer (cat 2, Morgan Stanley Cycling Team) started the first of many surges. There was a cross wind coming from the right side, and the small field was hugging the centerline. I didn’t want to sit too far back for fear of missing a split, so I ate some wind, sitting just to the right of 4th or 5th wheel. The surges kept up. Several of us kept covering them. Just before the crest of the first pitch someone besides Archer attacked (can’t remember who). It was covered quickly and we flew down the slightly technical descent to begin the second climb.

More attacks, sometimes me covering, sometimes others. No real split on the middle pitch, except for shedding a few more off the back.

Shortly after crossing the bridge marking the beginning of the third and final pitch up the mountain, Archer, Jon Ornstil (cat 3, Hammer/53x11) and Max Thompson (cat 2, ThirstyBear p/b Akamai) pushed the pace once again. It was becoming apparent that Hunter Ziesing (cat 2, Hammer/53x11), Hans Gouwens and Brian McAndrews (both cat 2, ThirstyBear p/b Akamai), and Harold Reimer (cat 3, SunPower Racing) were wisely staying under their respective redlines. I couldn’t match the acceleration of the leaders either, so settled back into my lactate threshold groove. I knew the coming descent was not my strong card in this race. Even though getting over the top between groups would leave me solo on the tough road beyond, I calculated that my chase group partners and I would be best off if I descended more or less on my own, then regroup on the other side.

The switchbacks helped the leaders disappear, and soon it looked like only Hunter and Harold were sticking to my wheel, though dropping back more and more. Hunter wisely shouted “Tempo!”, implying that we should dial it back a bit and save up for the chase on the other side. That made total sense, but I still wanted to descend comfortably without having to worry about lousing up my chase partners. So I continued to push the pace, summiting 1 min 26 seconds behind the three leaders. Hunter closed in and as we started the descent I waved him ahead. I know I sound like I don’t have any confidence in my descending skills, but I’m just giving the mountain the respect it deserves. The chip-sealed road surface, occasional debris, open auto traffic, and potential for downed riders ahead cause me to take this 4.3 mile descent conservatively–though only five seconds slower than race winner Max Thompson.

At the bottom, Hunter sat up long enough for me to hitch on. Shortly Harold and Hans caught up. Having teammates in the lead group, neither Hans or Hunter could chase. They would contribute what was appropriate, but closing the gap ahead was up to Harold and I.

I believe as we passed the neutral feed zone, where I took a cold bottle and poured it over my head and back, I felt the first twinges of leg cramps. By now we also had Mark Fennell (cat 1, Fig Mtn Brew Racing) in tow. Mark was just sitting on the back, recovering from the tough chase. Harold looked like he was tiring as much as I was. Hunter sensed all this and attacked, even with a teammate 1:30 up the road. Hans wanted to keep the group together but had to cover Hunter, and so they were gone. Harold and I kept trading pulls, wondering when Mark would get busy. I didn’t know Mark, so I introduced us, and asked him how he was feeling. He got the subtext and said he’d help as much as he could. He must’ve really been cooked because near the junction of Del Puerto Canyon Road, he dropped off the back. I think here was also the second feed zone. CBRE’s Paige Youngman ran along my side, stocking me with two fresh, cold bottles of electrolyte. I don’t know how I got through this race two years ago as an unattached racer without such support.

This point is the start of the first of two painful climbs. About one third of the way up the first two-miler, I couldn’t hang onto Harold’s wheel any longer. Repetitive cramping since the neutral feed zone was now happening in my thighs, calves and hamstrings.

Half of the way up this climb, Mark recovered a bit and passed, doing his best to catch Harold.

Just before the top of the first climb, Brian McAndrews (cat 2, Thirsty Bear p/b Akamai) overtook me. About forty meters from the crest of this hill, both hamstrings seized, locking into solid baseballs. I could only straighten both legs and try to relax, but had very little momentum. I couldn’t turn the cranks or even dismount because the muscles wouldn’t allow it. To keep moving forward, desperate, I flexed my ankles just enough to “ratchet-pedal”, turning the cranks 3 or 4 degrees at a time, back and forth. I was able to make it to the crest of the hill, then coast. I resumed massaging and punching my legs with my fists, trying to pump out the “evil”.

The next one mile ascent came too soon, but I managed to get over it with only a little more cramping. This is the last hill on the course, but the remaining nineteen mile descent is not a free ride. Going solo into the perpetual headwind blowing south into this canyon from Livermore I had no chance recovering time lost during my earlier physical distress. I finished in 9th place, thirteen minutes behind the winner.

Takeaways
Looking at my heart rate data and estimated power, I think I gambled by ascending the mountain a little faster than was ideal, I still think the call was the right one, given the chance of being dropped on the descent.

Mountain Ascent data

• 4th over the top at 1:17:33, 1 min 26 sec behind the leaders
• 18.2 mi., elevation difference 3745 ft.
• Avg. HR 172, Max HR 181
• Time Anaerobic: 29 min.
• Time at Threshold: 42 min.

I've asked around a bit, and I'm told it's unlikely that I'd be able to crank along anaerobic for that much time. For those of you that don't know, I've never had a power meter, so all of my output is an old-school combination of perception and realtime heart rate monitoring. It could be that I need to set my HR zones higher. The real tragedy of that is that the Tuesday LT threshold intervals I've been doing are probably at too low an effort.

But at least for this particular race, I'm convinced that putting myself ahead of chase group partners was better than easing off, then losing contact with them on the descent. But it’s also likely that the time spent at high output probably contributed to the severe cramping I experienced later on, and the subsequent loss of 11 more minutes on the leaders.

After the Race
I grabbed handful of deli meat from the back of Long Nguyen’s suburban and horked it down. Thank you Long for laying out the fancy spread! I went over to the race tent and grabbed bananas, orange slices, refilled my bottles, and debriefed with others in mine and other’s races. Once everyone had a chance to reload, Jim Forester, Dan Rugani, James Rainbow, Max Thompson, Hans Gouwens and I rode the 36 miles back to San Jose. Climbing up past Calaveras reservoir we picked up Michael Cochran who was in our race also. 10 miles of warmup, 62 miles of racing and the 36 mile return trip, made for a lovely 108 mile day on the bike.

Cat’s Hill Classic Criterium, May 14, 2016

Clawing my way (in green, lower left).
photo: Katie Truong

Group

Master 55+ Cat 123 (a combined field of 43 including M45 and M55 cat 123 racers)

Result

4th of 9

My Goals

• Finish as high as possible with the pack. This isn’t a sure bet in my first criterium with 45 and 55 123s. I know there will be attacks, and if this elite pack splits, I know the quality of leaders and chasers will make it tough to hang on. So just do my best to hang in (not a winner’s attitude… just a realistic one).
• Stay safe. Don’t let myself get hurt, and don’t cause a situation that hurts anyone else.
• One of my season goals has been to take on some types of races that I’d been shying away from over the last season. In past seasons I did a healthy mix of road and criterium races. And this season I’ve done three flat business-park crits with the 35+4/5s. So why now am I driven to choose arguably the second most technical crit course in the district for my first exposure to the 123 field? I couldn’t answer that question but registered anyway an hour before the deadline.

The Course
This is a backwards “L” shaped course with 6 turns: 5 right and 1 left, for a 0.9 mile lap. Turn 3, an 85° left abruptly exits onto a 23% climb for one block. The road surfaces on then lower half of the course are old, cracked, settling concrete slab, pretty rough. The surfaces on the upper half of the course are good asphalt. Turn 5 exits onto a 4-block descent, where the surface quickly transitions to concrete slab, then into turn 6, a wide 80° right, then 160m to the line.

Staging

Lining up in the back row for the start I felt even more out of my league than ever. A lot of same-day registered 45s showed up. The combined field numbered 43, including current and former world champs, multiple-national champions, and a lot of other very experienced racers.

The Race

The pace was hard from the whistle, though it only got faster. The first lap was our slowest. Remaining lap speeds were all 23-27mph. Two years ago with the cat4/5s it was possible to top out the steep 23% hill on Nicholson with the leaders, but not now. I was regularly near the back, dodging guys who botched their shifts, hearing the follow moto’s engine purr.

Cresting the top of the steep rise, the road continues to climb as it threads through a tunnel of tree shade. Some guys are trying to recover here, so this is where I transition as smoothly as possible to a seated, power-grind regaining 5 or 6 positions before the turn onto Belmont Ave., which runs across the top of the course. Lap after lap this is where I mitigated the positions I lost on the climb.

As hard as I tried, I always ended up in the back third of the pack.

The corners that worried me so much two years ago, were fast and smooth with this pack. So many graceful, skilled guys just flowing through, no brakes, great lines through the turns. Except for having to HTFU all the time, this race was super fun!

Even so, after six laps I was fatiguing. The gear I picked each time for the steep hill seemed a bit too stiff. I was feeling defeated–that twelve minutes in I might allow myself to get gapped. Then I overtook several more guys in the “tree-tunnel” and focused on choosing a better gear for the climb on the next few laps.

I wasn’t close enough to see the separation, but Strava Flyby shows that by the ninth lap, Daniel Martin (cat 1, Peet's Coffee Racing) and Chris Phipps (cat 1, ThirstyBear p/b Akamai) got away, growing a 20-25 second gap that they sustained until the finish.

Before I knew it we were twenty seven minutes into the race–more than halfway through!. The climb was going better–I was gaining one or two positions now as other guys got tired. It felt like the pack was smaller, because I could see the front easily, yet the moto was still close behind.

“Two laps to go! Two laps to go!” barks the PA. I can’t believe it! I’m still in this! The front of the pack slowed on Belmont, and guys were looking around to see who was going to make a move. I missed the action up front, but everything stretched out again very quickly. Speed was high for the bell lap, over 27 mph.

Going up the hill the last time I picked a 34 x 15 and gutted it out, overtaking a couple of guys I’d previously been unable to catch. Cresting the lip of the steep, I kept on the power, dumped onto the big ring, focusing on the best line through turn 4, which has a nasty lump on the inside.

Good thing, because the pack was stretched thin a little more than halfway back, right where I had moved up to. I wasn’t able to close that gap before turn 5. I knew I had some riders on my wheel, but it didn’t sound like anyone was coming around me, so I just hammered as hard as possible, then dove into the four block descent to the final turn, trying to stay in contact.

I can’t tell you what transpired for the leaders, but in my realm, I think I caught two guys before the line, maybe 21st-24th in the pack.

Shocked and amazed that I had fourth place for my age group–good for $50 worth of Mike’s Bikes coupons.

This is the best season ever! So much fun! Oh man, these posts where I’m so excited about pack finishes are going to be so embarrassing to read someday, but right now at least each one feels like a step up.

Berkeley Hills Road Race, Saturday, May 7, 2016

Smack in the middle of the pack. Ascending Mama Bear before the rain.
photo: Katie Truong

Group
Master 55+ Cat 123

Teammates

Nope, not yet...

Result

7th of 21 (out of the money for six-deep prizes, but 7th of 21 earned me one brand new shiny upgrade point!)

Course

An 18.8 mile loop on mostly good roads. Our race is 2.7 laps for about 52 miles. Roads are open to busy traffic in both directions making for a lot of irritated drivers who pass racers with very little room to spare. The centerline rule is in effect for us racers the entire course. Three main climbs on each lap. Mama Bear, Papa Bear and Baby Bear. Mama is a straight, wide 0.7 mile, 6% grind. Papa Bear is 0.8 mi, avg. 6.5%, though some sections come close to 10%. The finish is near the top of Papa. We do these bumps three times.

Weather conditions

Heavy overcast, 53°-60° with likely drizzle that held off until the wet last lap.

Goals
Stick with the leaders and finish as well as possible. If opportunities arise to join an attack without drawing the chase along, give it a shot, but be committed.

The Race (as I remember it... please leave comments to correct likely inaccuracies of my account)
21 of us lined up for the neutral start from the parking area at San Pablo Reservoir. This is just my sixth road race of the season (three other criteriums and one hill climb TT) and I was surprised and really pleased to get some nice greetings from other racers who I’ve been learning from and trying hard to learn the names of.

With hope that the rain would hold off until half way through the final lap, I went with bare legs, a knit base layer under the thin Castelli aero jersey, arm warmers and a skullcap under the helmet, which was plenty of clothing for the day.

I’ve learned to expect attacks early and often in this bunch and sure enough, as soon as we turned onto San Pablo Dam Rd after the neutral start, someone went off. I’m pretty sure it might have been Brian McAndrews (ThirstyBear p/b Akamai), though it may have been Alan Roberts from the same team). While this one was reabsorbed soon, I was right to expect many more similar moves from several in the bunch. In a short time Jan Elsbach (Davis Bike Club Race Team) put in a strong dig and separated, gaining a good gap which he maintained for about 3 miles until we veered onto Alhambra Valley Road. At this point the wind really starts taking it’s toll on solo riders.

No doubt everyone was marking Carl Nielson (CA Technologies Racing) who holds many climbing records. I think the only way to beat Carl in this uphill finish is to break away without him. So there’s almost always a surprise counter-attack when the group settles back down after reeling in a rider. There was no relaxing for anyone. I lost track of all the attacks. But I believe our group was together by the time we climbed the three bears the first time.

Crossing the line with two laps to go, I think I remember Hans Gouwens (ThirstyBear p/b Akamai) and Jon Ornstil (Hammer/53x11) put in a good dig and got a decent gap on the fast 1.6 mile descent back towards San Pablo Dam Road (I’ll just call it SPD rd. for simplicity). The group reunified, but gaps formed again on the steep little kicker after the descent, which rises to meet the junction with SPD rd. With some work we regrouped and from the rear of the group now, I waited for another attack.

Instead up front, I heard yelps and saw sliding bikes and tumbling riders. Others barely missed being taken out, while I had time to safely hold a safe line for the two or so behind me to miss the carnage. Cal Edman (Team City Racing) Jan Elsbach (Davis Bike Club Race Team) and Dan Shore (Hammer/53x11) somersaulted off the road and out of the race. I admit I followed the example of other racers here and just raced on. But everyone was distressed by the crash and concerned about the downed riders. Jon Ornstil and Hunter Ziesing (both teammates of Dan Shore) seemed very concerned and conflicted but the race raged on.

I think it was a mile or so later that a rider with blue in his kit solo attacked on the long gradual descent to Castro Ranch Rd. Shortly Alan Roberts (ThirstyBear p/b Akamai) powerfully accelerated, separating from our group and after a long, hard effort, bridged to the other rider. A couple of times, individuals attempted to bridge, but were immediately covered by either Hans or Brian (the remaining Thirsty Bears).

I expected the two remaining Hammer/53x11 riders, Jon and Hunter would be the most likely to mount a chase, and I remember feeling a bit like a leech sucking wheel on one of them along Alhambra Valley road on this time around. I lost track of exactly when the two in the break were reabsorbed, but I think we were all back together for the final lap. Hans had another significant gap cresting Papa Bear, and the precipitation began coming down enough to actually call it rain. I was surprised that no one except Hans really attacked the long, fast descent (something to remember for next year?).

More attacks and surges came on this final lap. On the backside, along Alhambra Valley Rd. I was in position a pair of times to join Hans and another rider, but the tiny gap didn’t seem to justify a cooperative rotation and the efforts called off. Maybe I wasn’t committed enough and was the weak link on these. I’ll admit I didn’t relish the prospect of burning out halfway up Mama Bear to watch the dwindling pack of 13 ride off to fight it out on the finishing climb, but that attitude is self-defeating for sure.

In the end, everyone marked each other all the way to the base of the Papa Bear finishing ascent. I led the tiny pack here, for no other reason, than to use momentum from the previous descent to boost me up the first few meters of the climb. In retrospect I should've forced a spot farther back so I could more easily spot the acceleration to come.

Sure enough, Carl, Steve Archer (Morgn Stanley Specialized), Quentin Sims (Fig Mtn Brew Racing) Brian and Hans came past on both sides of me. I picked some riders to draft, and began noticing that I felt crappy… but heck, it’s a hill. It’s not supposed to be pleasant. And it’s a race, and this is the bunch sprint! I looked over to see Harold Reimer (SunPower Racing) was feeling good and began to surge past me. I felt like I was already cranking out all the power I could, knowing Carl and a handful  were untouchable, over 100 meters ahead. I dug deeper for the last 100 meters and passed a couple of guys for 7th place.

My sincere hopes for recovery for the three involved in the crash.

Takeaways
I think I'm on the right track with two top-10 road race finishes in a row, but need to stay on top of things by working on my endurance and speed during non-race weeks. And keep up with interval training on flats and climbs. Pack skills maintenance continues on group rides each week. My confidence is improving as I get to know more riders and their abilities in this field. I'm absorbing as much from their example as possible, and some are even commenting on my improving results. Let's see if I can keep up the good work on flatter courses with bigger fields. I've allowed my progress in criterium racing to slip a bit as I've focused on building endurance for longer road races yet to come, but need to jump back into some short, fast criteriums soon.

Spending last season learning how to behave as a team member was priceless, and gave me a good foundation for understanding what I'm observing in the M123 field. After a tough start to this season, I feel like I'm beginning to make a transition, but still consider myself a freshman. Just as in cat 4, I don't take lightly the privilege to race with and learn from other riders.