Summary

Monday, August 4th through Sunday, August 10th, 2008.

Monday

Off.

Tuesday

Track racing:

Poor night for me. I tried to work on being patient, sitting out the first two sprints entirely and work on winning later sprints. Didn’t work out at all. I still seem to be only good for 18 laps or so at a time, regardless of whether I take the early points or not. Sat out a lap in the first race, but otherwise just ended up watching the action from the mid or back of the pack taking a few pulls and launching one attack off the front with Tim after the 2nd sprint.

My head wasn’t in the 2nd race at all, felt kind of out of it, not safe, so I pulled out completely after dangling around the back again after the 3rd sprint.

Wednesday

Track racing:

The Bs also brought some speed tonight. I’d been hoping to make a comeback after a horrible showing Tuesday. I was aiming to place in the first points race, win the scratch, and place in the miss and out. I didn’t even come close to my mark, didn’t have the legs, save for a moderately well raced miss and out (5th, despite a heroic save when a doofus from Synergy came underneath me on the apron in the sprint and gave my front wheel and left leg a hefty lovetap with his cranks and rear wheel – it threw off my mojo and put me out of position for the 4th place sprint, boxed in though I had the speed).

Thursday

Second M2 class. I hit my numbers dead on and felt good. Put in a hard workout despite two consecutive days of intensity.

Friday

Day off.

Saturday

Carrera de San Rafael.

Sunday

Day off.

Points (6×6)

Goal: Place.

Stuck to my usual impatient strategy hoping to work on recovery after the sprints and won the first sprint easily from 150m. Stuck it out for the next sprint and grabbed another point without working too hard. Shin got away immediately after the second sprint, only Tim chased after he scooped up the third sprint. A group of four held a gap for the next two sprints and I just hung on with the remaining 5 for the rest of the race. We caught up for the last sprint but I had nothing left.

My early points got me 4th since the points were fairly concentrated, goal accomplished. I definitely have some work to do in order to stay competitive for the later sprints. Next week I need to stay away from the first sprints entirely and win the last few outright.

Points (7×6)

Goal/purpose: win a sprint or two, try a two lap breakaway to gauge my solo strength off the front.

Resolved to sit in and start sprinting after a few racers in our small field had worked themselves in the early sprints. Couldn’t help myself from grabbing a point in the first sprint, but didn’t work very hard for it. Found myself 4th wheel for the second sprint when the two leaders went at turn two. I didn’t feel like working to either bridge the gap or drag the other riders up, so I didn’t chase immediately. I followed a wheel from over the top at 200m, easily passing him at 150m, finding myself back at the two leaders coming toward the line. Got the hole shot to win the sprint. Rode it through the next lap and slotted back. Feeling rested enough at 32 laps to go, I kicked hard in turn 1 after Allen from Webcor pulled up.

Held the gap for the rest of the lap, but riders eventually bridged up and I died in the sprint. 5th in the sprint, no points for a taxing effort, but a valuable lesson learned. Had I got in turn 3 a lap out I could have won the sprint with a solo effort, but probably also could have won it by just sitting in. Kept things interesting.

Started to fizzle at this point, hung on the back for another dozen laps or so, eventually sat it out and lost points as the remnants of the filled drilled it in the last few laps. Finished 1 lap down.

Goals accomplished, came down to a trade off between trying the solo break and finishing the race with the lead group: glad I tried something new.

Summary

June 28th through August 3rd, 2008. Last week in terms of training was mediocre at best, but definitely an improvement over no training at all/recovering from post-crash funk.

Monday

Off.

Tuesday

Did a mid-afternoon 3-mile run, track racing.

Wednesday

1/2 Cyclo-core, got a major quad cramp :(

Thursday

First M2 Revolution class, hell of a workout without that thrashed feeling afterword. Feeling the effects the next morning. Late night/poor sleep.

Friday

Ran 4.5 miles to Transverse via Peacebrook Cross and back.

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Saturday

Tried to find Hill 88, required too much hiking, very mellow headlands.

Sunday

Timpani Criterium.

Summary

July 21st through July 27th, 2008.

Monday

Off, no commute, no nothing.

Tuesday

Realized I can’t put my brake setup on my drops when the fixed gear is in track mode, so no commute. Track racing at night, first Tuesday in months. Horrible stomach cramps kept me out of the last half of each race.

Wednesday

Stayed home from work, slept in, watched the Tour repeat. Intervals: alternating 5×1k power intervals,5×500m sprints with 1-2k recovery at the polo fields. Core/strength: 100 situps, 100 squats, 50 pushups, 10 pullups.

Thursday

Ran for the first time in months. Started easy, only 20 minutes around the panhandle, but running is not nearly as hard as I remember even on sore legs.

Friday

Another run, first timed mile. Ran the 1 mile to Kezar, did an epic 8:30 mile at the track, and then Ashley motor-paced (bike) me back home another mile.

Saturday & Sunday

Took it easy, visited family. Got my core workout on Saturday helping Ashley’s Dad move heavy furniture up and down flights of stairs.

Scratch (10 laps)

Marked Milroy, followed him around for 7 laps, but lost his wheel in the attack and got caught out in the wind for the last three laps pulling the rest of the riders up to the attack. Died in the sprint, got 8th.

Tempo (10 laps)

Took the first sprint easily as one guy attacked at the 200m and I followed overtaking him with little effort at the line. Recovered in the next sprint, and looked for my opportunities. Milroy took the 3 sprint easily, then a White brother and the junior Nick took off scooping up the middle points before Milroy attacked and finally caught them. Since so few earned points my first sprint win got me 4th.

Win & Out

I followed Milroy around the entire race until 3 to go, when at 2.5 I drifted slightly up track from behind his draft to come around a couple of dieing riders and boom, off he went. I picked the worst time to stop following him. Even though he took off like a freight train I could have easily sucked wheel enough to get dragged with a gap for another lap to take 2nd. Instead Jake launched with 1.5. I used a couple chasers to bridge up for 5th, only passing on man of the initial chase group.

A/B Points (4×8)

This race was fast. Held my own but didn’t contest anything for 16 laps when I lost contact in the second sprint. Sat a lap out, sat back in, lost it again in the 3rd sprint and bailed. Fast race, not an unmanageable pace but certainly difficult to cover attacks from the As.

Goals

• Place in the points race.
• Win the Scratch race.
• Do better in the Miss & Out.
• Improve in Omnium.

Perhaps a slightly softer B field than I’ve raced against yet, but still some good competition. I planned to race this week very conservatively since working too hard has worked against me in weeks past. I knew to keep my eye on the SBCU/Specialized guys (Wyatt, Rob, Sam), a fairly fast ICCC master, and Sean and Dan of Stanley Morgan.

Points (5×3)

Learning from previous weeks, I planned to pick up easy points in the first sprint, sit the second sprint out, take what I could in the 3rd sprint and win the 4th sprint. The race began at a fairly good clip with a little bit of a chase after Sean who took an immediate flyer. Dan started blocking for Sean, which helped keep him away for that sprint. I gave chase, but too late, didn’t quite catch him at the sprint but still picked up a couple of points. Sat in the second sprint. Got in position for the third sprint and covered an attack at turn 2. Spun out before I could come around, picked up 3 more points. At this point I figured anything better than 1 more point would put me in the top 3. Gave it my all in the last sprint passing one rider in the sprint, but didn’t pass Dan early enough for 4th to pick up that last point. Ended up 7th in a 3 way tie for 5th.

Scratch (12 laps)

I always work way too hard in this race, so I resolved to stay top 5 the whole race, but always pull off with the leader and sit right back in. I knew I could do well in a late attack with a handful of riders. This ended up being an unusual race, the whole pack sat up at the rail for the first few laps reluctant to make any attacks. I attacked at 9 to go and Wyatt (SBCU) countered, with the pace set I played out my plan of sitting in the first few and always pulling off with the leaders to avoid any wind. I waited for either Sean or a SBCU guy to take off in turn 2, and it came, I hopped on and pulled in for 2nd. Again, I spun out before I could jump to pass.

Miss & Out (13 riders)

Haven’t had much luck in the Bs Miss & Out so far, due to three factors: field size, pace, and strategy. So far both field size and pace have been high, and my strategy has been low. I raced this one fairly well. I mostly played the devil after it thinned down a bit, I marked my riders and edged them out either by boxing them in at the stairs or the rail and moving where they moved. I must have seemed like a huge pain in the ass. Found myself with the final five, but didn’t have the legs and ended up 5th.

Overall Lessons

• I thought I was racing smart before, but I burned my matches much more conservatively this time while still racing fairly aggressively.
• 86” isn’t cutting it anymore. Guys are getting faster and I can only add so many RPMs, time to gear up.

Accomlishments

• Place in the points race: almost, I was competitive but tying blew it, very close to a tie for 3rd though.
• Win the Scratch race: 2nd, not a very close 2nd but much better than last time.
• Do better in the Miss & Out: check.
• Improve in Omnium: check, earned 1 upgrade point, only 14 to go!

Summary

Monday June 16th through Sunday June 22nd, 2008. Got in solid training/practice racing during the week last week, but was gone during the weekend. This should be a good solid 7 days.

Monday

Commute

Tuesday

No commute, but a decent park ride. Small group, a couple guys faster than Chris showed up and destroyed the field. I lasted the first three laps before getting shelled just before the final sprint. Sat a lap out, got shelled on the next lap pretty quickly into the climb but caught back on and tempo’d with other stragglers.

Wednesday

Again no commute, but Track Racing.

Thursday

No ride, bikes still in the wrong modes, and ran around to bike shops getting stuff instead.

Friday

Commute.

Saturday

Napa Downtown Grand Prix

Sunday

Lazy Sunday, no ride, visited family.

Points 5×3

Started off great getting a relatively easy 3 points in the first sprint, then worked a little too hard for 2 points at lap 9. Ended up losing contact after failing to recover. I fought for 6 more laps to maintain my 5 points but ended up lapped in the final sprint.

Lesson: should have sat up for the 2nd sprint.

Scratch 12

Tried to take last week and make something of it. I worked and covered attacks at first. Then sat and looked for Ben. Got on his wheel with 2 to go and he took me for a flying lap and a half.

Stood to jump but had nothing left in re legs or the gears (easily spinning +150rpms) – Kovarus brothers and Jake came around us going into turn 4.

Lesson: don’t know, should have won. Maybe 88” would have helped over my 86”, but I pretty much gave up when Greg came around.

Miss and Out 15

Played it smart, marking and pushing out 4 riders at the rail. Dropped into a gap that formed, attack came and I didn’t have it to move back up around. Worst miss and out yet, but also the fastest.

Lesson: figure out a mid race spot. I did okay at the rail for a while but started to die. Can’t spend the whole race in the pole either.

B/C Points 3×10

Followed Ben’s advice and let the first sprint go even though I could have gottena relatively easy point or two.

Waited for 15 to go and followed Andrew (Specialized junior). We held a small gap that caught at the bell. Sat in waited for him to go again, followed his jump, got around easily but Jay got around me at turn 4 to take 5 points.

Same deal with 5 to go. Andrew takes off, we let him go though. Mateo yells at me to stop chasing and we line up. Hana (Proman) takes off at 3 to go, but dies quick. CC tries to fight me off Mateo but he gives it the gas at a lap and a half and I come around just in time to total 6 points and tie Andrew for points and take 2nd.

Had Jay not nipped me I would have won, but his sprint was good and he deserved it.

Since I didn’t place in anything else this got me 7th in the B omnium.

Not a spectacular night for me. Raced smart half the time, raced like a tactical idiot the other half. :oops: Pace was tough, but not unmanageable. 18 riders, big field.

Points (5×3)

A break got a little gap almost right away, I stayed on there tail taking 5 in the first two sprints just out of the points. Drifted back into the pack for the fourth sprint. Pack caught them for the last sprint, I covered a lot of ground to get third in the last sprint. Far from enough to place. Mistake was not working hard enough to get in the 5 man break that ate up all the points.

Scratch (12 laps)

Started out racing smart, sitting 5th, 6th wheel biding my time. But as I riders pulled off the front I found myself working too much. I traded half lap pulls with the same two SBCU riders from laps 8-4. I figured if I could put a little room between me and the front at lap 4 and catch on an attack at lap 2 I’d be recovered enough for a sprint. However as I pulled through coming off of lap 4 an attack went off which sent me reeling to the back of the pack never to recover. Mistake was working too much.

Miss & Out

Raced this was very intelligently, just not hard enough. For the first several riders off I sat at the rail. Every lap I picked a rider to pass and passed them easily at the rail. With 12 riders left I hopped into the pole and made sure my handlebars were up front for the next three laps. However I misjudged it at lap 9 – my rear wheel ended up being last even though I was safe in the pole and had all the room up front to move ahead. Mistake, not working hard enough. To be fair though I would have been done on the next lap anyway. The pace was tough in this race, especially for a miss and out, and 18 riders is a lot.

Points (3×10)

Non-scoring Bs combined with Cs made for a nearly 30 large field. I started at the rail watching the Godspeed guy who takes a first lap flyer in every mass-start race he does (including crits). I got on his wheel mostly just to annoy him. Of course he sprints at the whistle with me in tow, and we get about a third lap lead on the field. Jake makes up the gap and we work hard for the first 8 laps. I work too hard 9 laps in and get gapped a little for the first sprint. Spent the next 5 laps alone just out of touch with Jake and Godspeed. Drift pack to the pack, work in for the next 4 laps. Dropped again after working too hard the lap before the bell. Pacelined/training ride with SBCU and the Proman girl for the rest of the race (ended up lapped by the field that came back together). Mistake: I don’t know. Maybe taking off with the Godspeed guy was a bad move, but I wasn’t taking this race very seriously either. It’s the same idiotic move he makes every single time and I kind of just wanted to get on his wheel to pester him.

Schedule and Goals

Races

• Chariot (heat/final)
• Win and Out (6 to go)
• Tempo (12 laps)
• Miss and Out (15 riders)

First Wednesday as a B.

Goals: learn, not get my ass totally kicked.

Chariot

1st heat – started low down toward the pole. Got a good throw but was cut off as riders did not stay in their lanes. Narrowly grabbed 4th with a throw at the line.

Final – got a better start up track, able to drop in third wheel after the finish line. Held it to the 200m mark when two riders jumped hard. The leader and I reacted fast and I narrowly missed 3rd against Morgan of Montano-Velo.

Lesson learned: start is super important, don’t save anything. A good throw can make a different (both from the holder and a sprint throw)

Win and Out

Fast from the start, a lot of jockeying for position in the first 5 laps. I was 2nd wheel going into the bell lap when everyone gunned it. I didn’t have the jump to follow or contest the first sprint, just burning the matches to stay with the pack cost me the rest of the race.

Lesson learned: need to figure out placing expectations and strategy then go for that. Sit in. Improvements will be week to week.

Tempo – 12 laps

Had trouble getting a good position in the pole at first. Got in 4th wheel at turn 3 then went up around to take the first sprint by about a wheel. Big mistake. The pack attacked and I narrowly caught on to the tail end of the second group of a split pack. We caught the three guys at the third sprint, but I was still recovering and couldn’t cover the surge well. Got dropped at the 4th sprint. Sat a lap out and hopped back into the chase group for the next 5 laps as three guys off the front scooped up the rest of the point.

Lesson learned: don’t go for the first sprint if it means burning a match.

Miss and Out

Despite the big group (16?) I decided to try the tested strategy of being greedy with the pole. Grabbed the pole halfway in to the first lap and kept it for another 5 laps until a Webcor guy came around. I let him have a little room so as to not be boxed in. Big attack at lap 6, managed to stay in but lost immediate access to the pole. Not enough time or gas to come up an around. Sat after at lap 8. No placing but a midpack finish.

Lesson learned: pick a spot, pole or rail and get to one or the other quickly if I lose my spot.

Reflection

Overall lesson: learned that being competitive in the Bs is going to be a minor fitness improvement and a major mental improvement. Certainly Bs are faster, but starting to place and then win on Wednesdays is just going to require smarter racing and being more aggressive. Tuesdays are another story.

Omnium result: 4-way tie for 6th with 2 points (placed at 8th, other races break ties), of 15 riders.