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.

My Best Race Ever: Wente Road Race, Sunday, April 24, 2016

Fifth wheel, watching the leaders up Carrol Rd.
photo: Tali Herzka

Group

Master 55+, Cat 123

Result

8th of 32

Course

Four rolling to hilly 14.5 mile laps, each with 695 feet of elevation. Road surface is excellent except for two potholes. The finish is at the top of a rise on Greenville Rd. (changed from previous years where the finish was atop the grueling snort up Carrol Rd.).

Weather Conditions

Cool, 52-60 degrees, mostly cloudy, 10-15 mph wind, mostly from the west.

The Race

The first lap was conservative. At 5.5 miles we ascended Carrol Rd. for the first of four times. Since I’m still smarting from being dropped at the Copperopolis road race, by many of these same guys, I climbed with the front five riders, just to study them. There were no sincere efforts to get away here, since I assume everyone was curious to see what affect the 10-15 mph west wind would have on the remainder of the course.

Just after turning onto Greenville Rd., approaching the start/finish, to begin lap 2, I was tenth wheel, and I heard behind me shift gears, then saw Larry Nolan (Cat 1, Team Specialized Racing Masters) and Tim Davis (Cat 2, San Jose Bicycle Club) rocket off into the future. Tim is a great racer who can sprint and climb. Larry is a legend with more palmares than I’m smart enough to track down, but the pack knows that besides testing the pack, he was hoping to get into the Carrol Rd. climb with a bit of a head start. His legs are massive and powerful, but they must make ascents tough. We caught the pair at the top of Carrol Rd. Only one and a half laps in, our pack only numbered about 20 riders, and I was still comfortably there.

Descending Flynn Rd. I tended to stick farther back, not wanting to louse up anyone else’s line through “the horseshoe”, a tricky tightening left turn with a gnarly ditch on the outside. No real gaps opened up here, as there is a headwind through the remainder of the valley and it seemed an unattractive option to be in a tiny 2 or 3 man break with the peloton bearing down.

Climbing up Carrol and Flynn again for the third time, I began to lose contact at the top of Flynn. I started not to care, but remembered what that got me at Copperopolis. I decided to turn myself inside out as long as I could to regain contact, then hope for some form of recovery before the serious attacks begin. I had company in the form of Larry Nolan, a Thirsty Bear, and Harold Reimer (Cat 3, SunPower Racing). The lead group was 20 to 30 seconds up the road, but that distance was amplified by a strengthening headwind. All four of us seemed tired, but I knew when chasing, every second counts. I assumed neither Larry nor the TB rider would work to regain contact, because they each had teammates in the front group. I knew Harold was on his own like me in this field, but I was surprised to see him being dropped by the front group. I decided to take the chase on myself and not fret that I might give a free ride to these guys. If any of them wants to offer help, I’ll take it, but my goal is to regain contact with the front. I’ve had enough of being dropped this season. For two miles I pulled us to within striking distance of the front group. I was flailing though as we reached Tesla Rd. Larry pulled through at last and muttered “Nice work.” He pulled off immediately and let Harold pull through. Harold brought us the rest of the way in. Miraculously the front group eased the pace approaching the turn onto Greenville.

Coming through the start/finish, Larry went again! But he didn’t get as much of a gap. And by the final ascent of Carrol Rd. he was gapped significantly. I was feeling the fatigue again too, and while the pace up the steep part of Carrol was tolerable, speed picked up significantly in the front of the group once they saw that Larry wasn’t in contact (Larry was a huge sprinting threat). Brian McAndrews (Cat 2, Thirsty Bear p/b Akamai) was faltering like me, but gave me a wheel, saying “We can’t let Larry catch on!” We traded pulls until we regained the dwindling lead group, down to about a dozen riders now.

Over the Cross Rd. bump I lost contact about four more times. Once I lucked out when a rider accidentally came unclipped, sending everyone off their pace. Another time the group just sat up for no good reason. A third time the moto ref was deciding whether or not to include me in his monitoring of the group, idling along my left flank. I sheepishly waved him on, figuring I was done. Then I got another burst of energy and put in one more dig. This was my best chance so far to be present for a bunch sprint in a 123 race.

Reaching Tesla Rd., the gap back to Larry was at least 90 seconds. The leaders, sure he was out of contention at last, began cat and mouse games. This gave me precious recovery, interrupted by several really fast group surges as different riders attacked, then sat up.

We made the turn onto Greenville and the games continued. I was still in it! I opted to sit about 10th position and start shopping for good wheels to follow. When the sprint started, I chose one and when he fizzled, I came around, but didn’t gain any more positions. Crossing the line I counted 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, 8th. I couldn’t believe it. I was just glad to be in the lead group at the end, but I actually outsprinted some of these guys!

I was happy right then, but once I got home and called my dad, it sunk in that this was definitely my best an most significant race result ever. This wasn’t just due to the quality (ranking) of the field, it was transformational because I “hit the wall” many times during this one race, but kept powering through. Each time I recovered. I used to think that once those first cramps hit, or once those leaders float away on a climb, that a hard effort to chase back on would kill the chance of any other strong efforts later. But this time I had several moments where I thought my race was over, but I pushed through, and was able to recover.

Some Things I've Learned this Season

Attacks
I’m still no expert on identifying which ones are significant, but from my position in the pack, I’m seeing where they originate, and who originates them. I fight the urge to go with each one, but I did join at least one in this and my previous race. I won’t initiate any myself until I observe a few more, and it seems like the right situation comes along. Here are some observations I've accumulated so far...

1. WHO: As I try to figure out the dynamics of the pack in each race, I’m learning how to be more selective of the attacks that look “joinable.” I’m trying to be more conscious of who is going, and if they have teammates who will have a negative effect on a chase effort. While I’m currently more or less on my own until some more teammates upgrade, I have formed alliances with several riders (just as I did as an unattached racer in my 2014 season, and back in '84, '85, '86). These guys have been helpful and encouraging during my continuing transition to racing in higher categories, and if one of them is attacking, I go only if I can also separate from the group without pulling the peloton up to the attacker(s).
2. WHERE: Obviously course and weather conditions factor into where these attacks occur, but relative to the pack, a majority of the successful attacks have come from about 8th to 12th wheel, where riders near the front aren’t in earshot of the gear shift, and the attacker has chosen a path to shoot up the side, reaching a dramatically higher speed than the front of the peloton. I saw Larry Nolan launch three of these attacks in this race, and the power and speed he reaches are devastating. Unfortunately these were solo attacks (though in at least one he was joined by another rider who miraculously caught his wheel).
3. HOW: To get separation from a pack that includes multiple capable breakaway artists and chasers, the one common thing I’ve noticed is just how committed these attacks are. The power output isn’t just 100%, it’s 120%, and the successful separations appear to require at least 4 minutes of that level of effort.
4. WHEN: Who knows? I’ve noticed that if you’re Hans Gouwens (Cat 2, Thirsty Bear p/b Akamai), it’s anywhere, anytime, and at least ten times per race.

And Now, Some Data Parsing Geekery

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, my main season goal doesn’t include podium spots. I’m focused on improving my USAC ranking. This won’t be of real interest to most, but each USAC racer has a ranking. Prior to this race, mine was 352.16, improved (lower numbers=better) from around 367.xx at the beginning of the season. There’s a fairly complex formula, and officials at every race have to determine, based on who shows up, what the “race quality” is. I’ll confuse you with my interpretation, but essentially, you eventually boost your ranking by finishing ahead of higher ranked racers.

A racer’s ranking is an average of their five best event ranking point results. My ranking points for this race, based on the rest of the field, was calculated at 242.58. This new best result, averages into my top-five results to something like 324.90, which moves me “up” the ladder quite a bit from 352.16. Eventually maybe I’ll get to be one of the guys who boosts the race quality number;-).

Turlock Lake Road Race, April 9, 2016

Threading my way (on far right) up the side to the line
photo: Katie Truong

Group

Master 55+ 1234

Result

15th of 39

Teammate

Dan Tkach

Conditions

Constant light rain, 5mph breeze, 65°

Course

22.4 mile loop, two laps for 45 miles. Good road surface. Mostly flat, but some rolling terrain, with a few out-of-the-saddle lumps to get over. A two kilometer 0.5% uphill to the finish. There were four or five stretches of deep water covering half of the road, but no real hazards.

The Race

While the light rain was constant, and there were many large pools of standing water across the road, the air was warm enough that I was really comfortable with my clothing choices, and really glad I didn’t wear a wind vest or leg warmers.

I’m still learning how to roll with this new field of more experienced racers, and this flat course attracts a lot of really big guys. My primary goal for this race was to just stay sheltered, ride smart, and finish well within the group. Not very lofty, but this season, due to a crash, a goof, and lack of fitness, I haven’t finished with the pack yet, in a road race. I really needed to build more experience, freelancing my way into and through the bunch sprint with these guys. Because it’s unlikely that I’ll stand on many podiums this season, my simple goal is to gradually improve my USAC ranking, by finishing ahead of higher-ranked racers.

For the first three quarters of lap 1, I was more than halfway to the back, just staying sheltered, and moving up one or two spots at each turn. I was expecting more attacks off the front, but everyone seemed pretty content to stay together, though there was a surge as several riders contested the county line sprint, but we regrouped and rolled along together. I didn’t know who the marked guys were, but Sierra Nevada/Reliable Racing had three guys, so maybe the pack was letting them drive the 23.7 mph average pace. This was also everyone’s first look at where the deep water was.

It had been two years since I’d raced this course, and at that time I blew my setup for the last two kilometers, having wasted energy on attacks in the rollers on Hawkins road. This time I wanted a clear view of the last turn, and the long gradual grind to the line. I moved up to fourth wheel and stayed there.

Beginning lap 2, before I could go back to shelter at about tenth wheel, I got roped into the pacemaking on the front. very soon I got yelled while working with the front going into lap two, and I’m not sure why. Two riders attacked and appeared to be starting a rotation. They had a 15-meter gap, and I was near enough so I joined them. The pack didn’t close it down. When I took my short turn, I peeled off but no one pulled through. The guy on my wheel immediately barked “You can’t pull through and then sit up!!!” I didn’t backtalk, I just stayed up front for another minute and put in some solid power, but by now the pack was on us, so I pulled aside and found a graceful moment to slide back into the group and lick my wounds. I’m still not quite sure what I did wrong, I could’ve sworn we were going, but I guess I’m just not ready to read the pack.

Rolling south on Los Cerritos road, I was still in the front five, too close to not go with another attack off the front, though it was quickly shut down. But this increased the pace, stretching the group, and there were some guys being dropped off the back.

Westbound, onto the straight, flat section of Keyes Rd., I didn’t see who attacked first, but soon Hal Rooney (Los Gatos Racing), Tracy Muegge (Sierra Nevada/Reliable Racing), Brian McAndrews (Thirsty Bear p/b Akamai) and Quentin Sims (Fig Mtn. Brew Racing) were off the front. By the right turn onto northbound Hawkins road, the gap was 35 seconds. Two of Muegge’s Sierra Nevada teammates were just sitting on the front of our group. There was no sign that anyone was going to chase, I suspect because few of the rest of us had any teammates in the race. I hadn’t seen my teammate Dan since the first lap.

I did see two different guys try to bridge alone, but they were sad, solo efforts that were aborted quickly. Our average speed along lumpy Hawkins road was already 25.8 mph, and even three guys working together would only sacrifice themselves on behalf of the pack.

The four up ahead maintained the 35 second gap through the turn onto Lake road. With three miles to go, the rest of us knew we would sprint for fifth place. It’s never a great feeling, but at least I still had a good chance to achieve my goal of a pack finish. And with many higher ranked riders around me, I had a good shot at sticking to my season goal.

The windup to the sprint was surprisingly civil, with only a little bit of bumping, but no wild swarming. We had both lanes to use, and I opted to work my way to the center of the road, to avoid being boxed in on the shoulder. I decided not to assert a great forward position, in favor of safety, so when the sprint began I was at about 20th wheel. I knew the uphill grind would cause many early guys to “go backwards”, and I was still feeling really fresh (staying sheltered, I rarely rode above zone 2 for the whole race). I ramped up the power, picking off six riders along the way, for 15th overall (11th in the bunch).

The Nifty Ten-Fifty

I have some important mid-season road races coming up in the next 2 months, and being a bit behind in endurance and power training, I opted today to skip a short circuit race in favor of the Nifty Ten-Fifty.

The name simplifies the goals of the ride: To climb ten thousand feet in fifty miles. Today’s official route is about 52 mi. for around 9700 feet of climbing. My 63 mile ride included a few wrong turns, resulting in a bit over 11-thousand feet of climbing. With a 180-mile week that included interval training and hill repeats, I had 19.5K of elevation.

Organizers offer .tcx and .gpx files you can install on your gps device to follow the complex route, through the rugged Berkeley and Oakland hills, on your own, but it’s best to stumble upon a group who are doing the ride and are more familiar with the twists and turns.

I parked a few miles between the start and finish so I could warm up before meeting up for the official start at 9:30 am.

The climbing segments are the main challenge, so there is friendly regrouping at the top, before rolling onward to the next hill.

I settled in with a nice group of a dozen or so, many of whom are on the UC Berkely race team. The overall pace for the day was pretty slow, but the camaraderie was invaluable as the consecutive climbs beat us up. Most of the climbing segments were in the 13% range, with pitches up to 20%.

I hoped to avoid spending an entire day with cycling-related antics by staying closer to home and avoiding the four to five hour round trip commute to the race I skipped, but that was not to be. I left home at 7:30am and got home at 5 pm. But the consecutive climbs will definitely go into the training bank, and help boost fitness for upcoming races.