Training Log Archive: arg

Flats and hills. Home to RRU Lagoon causeway, up hill to OIH, then into
RRU, then back onto OIH, then into Victoria, up Fairfield, St Charles, and a bit of a meander, then onto Shelbourne and home.

Event: Mind Over Mountain AR
 

Home to Mill Bay, then along Mill Bay route past ferry, back onto Malahat.

I bonked. Not enough fuel in me pre ride and didn't bring enough with me for the ride. My pace slowed considerably to make it back over the 'hat and then I crept along the flats just to make it home. Ugh.

Bastion Square Crit: 25 laps as an unlicensed wanna be racer...I was very apprehensive about this race as I haven't raced a crit before and I didn't know what kind of talent I'd be up against.

My main goal was to not get lapped and hang on to any chase pack that I could.

I placed myself back a couple of rows from the keeners at the front knowing the first corner was 20-30 meters away and I did not want to get into a collision as I as on the inside of the corner. As it turned out, one of the front outside riders at the very start couldn't clip in and he caused a slight pile up as the gun went off.

I managed to tuck into the fifth or sixth slot and stayed there for the first few laps - crash corner, coming down Yates St and onto Wharf, is notorious by reputation as a tricky 90 degree narrow turn coming off a downhill straight and it's there you have to shed some speed or else you're onto some rough road and over manhole covers etc which then usually entails the bike dropping on you and you meet with the bales.

Every one was tentative for the first few laps and then the speed started - I thought "uh oh! Here it comes, prepare to be dropped," but my legs were feeling pretty good.

There were a few attacks early on and I kept up with them not wanting to be left behind. I wound up out front and then I was attacked at about the tenth lap, so I countered and took the lead again thru crash corner and kept my head down. I did a lap figuring I was towing the pack and when I looked back I had a gap of about 10 secs. I held this for another lap and the gap wasn't closing, but my lungs were, so I held off as I had another 13 laps to go.

I rejoined the pack and jockeyed for position, usually at 4th or 5th back and we became the lead pack with two chase packs behind. When it came time to the final couple of laps, I moved up to third and kept that into the bell lap.

As we went into crash corner, we were strung out and had one more corner to go....the sprinters came out from behind me and around the outside as I went into the corner - I missed shifting into a higher gear so I couldn't bring the speed up on this uphill sprint....so, I crossed the line in 8th position.

In retrospect, a good race, but tactically I burnt up energy when on my own and could have saved some more juice for the sprint, plus figured out my shifting.

There were a couple of near misses for me but I managed to snake around the problem.

All and all I was happy with the race and outcome, considering my goal was to not be lapped.

C • Good job for a first crit. ... 6

Light ride with my daughter.

Commute to work

warm up ride to TC Bike Fest Hill Climb

Bear Mtn Parkway Hill Climb

Cool down post race

Light ride

Commute and easy ride to spin the legs.

Group ride from Gerrys' to Lands End/Ferries and back via waterfront

Commute to work and quick ride post work.

Commute to work

Work to Finlayson Arm Road, the to Bear Mtn for the Hill Climb route, then home via hiway.

Finlayson Arm Climb: 11:52

Bear Mtn climb: 10:15

Mtn Biking from Harbour View Road past CrabApple L, then westward and onto the Harrison Trail, then onto the 'goose and back to the car.

The fireroad access to Crabapple L was sketchy and then westward, it turned from a leg workout into more of an upper body work out throwing my bike over and under deadfall strewn across the "trail." It reminded me how much I love adventure racing but this time I was by myself with no one to complain to and ready to turn around as I had no idea what lay ahead of me and certainly knew what it would be like to retrace my steps (and re-throw and drag my bike.) So, the option was to backtrack which would take time and lead to a boring ride, or slug it out forward with a poorly detailed map and possible clearing of the 'trail' so to speak.

The map remained status quo, the trail deteriorated as did my shorts.

Sooke Hills 1, Doug 0.

Swimming at Sooke Potholes with the kids - lots of cold water immersion and jumping off cliffs. Most excellent day taking in what I hope to be a warm, sunny September.

Home to Finlayson Arm Road, cllimb, to Bear Mtn Resort, climb, then into Langford, then to Prior L for a quick swim, then hiway to home.

commute to work

From work to Esquimalt, into Victoria and home

From work to home via the city.

A quote from Bike Snob NYC which sums up my bike training futility:

"...the key to bike racing is always living mentally at least four months in the future. It's not about what you're doing now; rather, it's about what you're preparing for down the line. When you're in a perpetual state of preparation you always have an excuse for your present lack of results. Today doesn't count--tomorrow does. And the beauty of tomorrow is that it never comes. So while even the best racer will eventually run out of fitness, even the worst racer can draw from an infinite well of excuses. Just think like Wimpy: "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

So, while I pursue speed maintenance at the lowest possible physiological cost, I will strive to stay in the present, look inward and "Ommm" my way to a virtual victory.

Commute to work

Rode with Todd - rode from home, met Todd on Royal Oak Drive near the Pat Bay Hiway, then along West Saanich Rd to Ross-Durrance, then Munns, Burnside etc. Then home. Todd left near Layritz Park to check in on Carol and Roger.

C • Wonder Twin Powers 6

Hom to Prospect Lake Road to meet Todd then ride to MeadowLark? and access Hartland for Mtn bike riding.

Mtn biking at Hartland. Picked up Brent at the main parking lot after Todd and I accessed the park, then rode around a bunch. Brent had about an hour ten with us, then had to bail, so Todd and I kept riding.

We finally had to put our bikes away and I left Todd at the lower parking lot and rode home.