Wow, sorry blog. I really have been ignoring you havent I? Looking back through the past year on the really basic training calendar I keep on an excel spreadsheet at work I was thinking about how helpful it is to have that record. And it made me think about how I had better get some of these race reports down in pixels before the details completely disappear from my scattered brain.
This time of year is always tough for me because of the disappearing sun. I work from 7:30-5:30 indoors and when the sun gets in a hurry to set, first I lose the afternoon group rides (They start earlier and I cannot make it) and then I lose outdoor rides all together. Last winter I started doing a lot of mtb riding on the weekends but a breif perousal of my training spreadsheet showed I did not do nearly enough riding during the week. So that is the goal for this winter. Rollers, commuting, rollers, night rides with lights, rollers and rollers. I may even get a trainer if I can get a deal on one.
If I can manage 5 hrs during the week, then one 3 hr ride on saturday will give me a solid 8 hr training week. The wife will not be working alternating weekends any longer so I am trying to shift my riding to make Sunday my day off instead of a weekday, but it is hard to fit the hours in.
The other reason for the onset of depression is the end of the race season. With nothing to train for, my riding is less focused and I feel less motivated in general. Too bad there is no local cross series. mtb races start in January, but that seems like a long way away. My season ended with a fizzle this year that has left me very unsatisfied, but I hope to channel that into motivation for next season.
So, how about some race report? Come on brain, you can remember.....
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Hello Pavement. Not so nice to meet you...
So i got even more strange stares than usual at work as I had to explain not just a weekend spent on a bicycle (as usual) but also a fair bit of missing skin on my arms just south of the elbows.
The pretty road rash was the result of an accident on a group ride Saturday. The ride started out well; a 60 mile loop across the river out to Oriental and back. We had a good group of 5 riders including my normal training partner JE and several others who I have ridden with on many occasions. This was a pretty strong group, but the goal of the day was just a decent paced tempo ride nothing crazy.
All was good for the first 50 miles. We were on the home stretch coming down Hwy 55, which is a wide 4 lane highway with a turning lane in the center and generous shoulders on each side. We were riding in a pretty tight paceline running about 25 mph with a slight tailwind. I had just come off an extended pull at the front that ended with a slight uphill that raised my heartrate near threshhold as I worked to maintain the pace. So I was was recovering and starting to think about the final push up and over the bridge which was apt to turn into a sprint for the finish.
JE was at the front pulling hard as usual. The pace was probably a bit higher than what the other three were used to but no one was being squirrelly or obviously struggling (letting gaps open up, etc). Then with no warning, the guy right in front of me yelled and I saw his bike swerve hard to the right. I was on the brakes and moved left to go around him. Unfortunately, as his bike went right, his body went left, spinning until he landed with a loud crack on the back of his head. We had been riding about 1 foot into the shoulder so I was trapped. With no time to check behind for traffic I could not swerve any further to the left and ended up running over eith part of the guy or his bike, never figured out which.
Once over I swerved back to the right and crashed. I don't remember exactly how I went down, but based on the scraped up bits I landed on my rear pockets and my elbows and the bike went down on the right side so I must have low sided - like sliding into home plate with the bike in front of me. It was certainly better than the high side onto the back of the head that the other guy managed.
Not knowing if I was out in traffic or not, I jumped up and grabbed my bike and ran to the grass past the shoulder. Since I was up and running I knew I was ok. I set the bike down and turned back to the other guy. He was still down and out in the lane of traffic. Luckily several cars had stopped and were blocking both lanes. I ran over and checked on the guy. He was conscious but confused and after a few minutes was able to get up off the pavement on his own.
We then figured out that the guy in front of him had gotten a flat rear tire and had pulled out of the paceline to the right. No one can tell if he hit the brakes or just slowed because of the flat but as he moved right he clipped the front wheel of the guy behind him and that caused the crash. Could it have been avoided if the guy had been paying closer attention? hard to say.
After initially seeming ok, the guy started repeatedly asking "what happened?" Someone would explain and a few seconds later he would ask again. That coupled with the fact that his helmet had a big chunk broken out of the back meant it was time for a visit to the ER. JE and I road the few miles back to the start and I got my truck and headed back to pick the guy up. The other two riders had stayed with him while the one fixed his flat.
The trip to the hospital was a bit tense since my wife works registration in the ER. I knew that she would not be please to see me coming in the doors when it wasn't a planned visit. So I opted not to tel her about my involvement right away and since the scrapes were on the backs of my arms I got away with it.
The good news is that the guy got checked out and was ok. The bad news is that I am not sure I will be doing any more group rides any time soon.
The pretty road rash was the result of an accident on a group ride Saturday. The ride started out well; a 60 mile loop across the river out to Oriental and back. We had a good group of 5 riders including my normal training partner JE and several others who I have ridden with on many occasions. This was a pretty strong group, but the goal of the day was just a decent paced tempo ride nothing crazy.
All was good for the first 50 miles. We were on the home stretch coming down Hwy 55, which is a wide 4 lane highway with a turning lane in the center and generous shoulders on each side. We were riding in a pretty tight paceline running about 25 mph with a slight tailwind. I had just come off an extended pull at the front that ended with a slight uphill that raised my heartrate near threshhold as I worked to maintain the pace. So I was was recovering and starting to think about the final push up and over the bridge which was apt to turn into a sprint for the finish.
JE was at the front pulling hard as usual. The pace was probably a bit higher than what the other three were used to but no one was being squirrelly or obviously struggling (letting gaps open up, etc). Then with no warning, the guy right in front of me yelled and I saw his bike swerve hard to the right. I was on the brakes and moved left to go around him. Unfortunately, as his bike went right, his body went left, spinning until he landed with a loud crack on the back of his head. We had been riding about 1 foot into the shoulder so I was trapped. With no time to check behind for traffic I could not swerve any further to the left and ended up running over eith part of the guy or his bike, never figured out which.
Once over I swerved back to the right and crashed. I don't remember exactly how I went down, but based on the scraped up bits I landed on my rear pockets and my elbows and the bike went down on the right side so I must have low sided - like sliding into home plate with the bike in front of me. It was certainly better than the high side onto the back of the head that the other guy managed.
Not knowing if I was out in traffic or not, I jumped up and grabbed my bike and ran to the grass past the shoulder. Since I was up and running I knew I was ok. I set the bike down and turned back to the other guy. He was still down and out in the lane of traffic. Luckily several cars had stopped and were blocking both lanes. I ran over and checked on the guy. He was conscious but confused and after a few minutes was able to get up off the pavement on his own.
We then figured out that the guy in front of him had gotten a flat rear tire and had pulled out of the paceline to the right. No one can tell if he hit the brakes or just slowed because of the flat but as he moved right he clipped the front wheel of the guy behind him and that caused the crash. Could it have been avoided if the guy had been paying closer attention? hard to say.
After initially seeming ok, the guy started repeatedly asking "what happened?" Someone would explain and a few seconds later he would ask again. That coupled with the fact that his helmet had a big chunk broken out of the back meant it was time for a visit to the ER. JE and I road the few miles back to the start and I got my truck and headed back to pick the guy up. The other two riders had stayed with him while the one fixed his flat.
The trip to the hospital was a bit tense since my wife works registration in the ER. I knew that she would not be please to see me coming in the doors when it wasn't a planned visit. So I opted not to tel her about my involvement right away and since the scrapes were on the backs of my arms I got away with it.
The good news is that the guy got checked out and was ok. The bad news is that I am not sure I will be doing any more group rides any time soon.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Uptown Greenville Crits - Sun
Sunday was the same course just run in reverse with the addition of a killer headwind blowing down the front straight. Just to make sure I maximized my pain and suffering I signed up for the Cat 5 and Masters races.
The Masters race went off first. My goal was just to finish with the pack and I almost made it.
The first ten minutes were tough. The pace was high and on the short .55 mile course that means a lot of corners to accelerate out of. After that things slowed just a bit to a more reasonable pace. The biggest difference I noticed from the Cat 5 race was that the speed through the corners was much higher. I also found that following the guy in front of me through the corners, sometimes he could pedal through and I would strike a pedal. I am not sure if this has to to with crank length (I run 175s) of technique. After a few turns (with 7 every mile you get a lot of practice) i had started leaning a bit more and coasting when I had to.
I tried to stay a few spaces up from the tail end just to keep from yo-yoing off the back and it worked well for a while. Then the pack started to split. The first time someone in the back half went to the front and pulled it back together. The second time I moved up and pulled the few of us off the back back up. That broked my rule of not doing any work in the wind, but it seemed worth it to get back to the pack. And I was able to recover and hang on so I was happy with that.
Not long after, a break finally managed to get away. The pace in the pack then slowed even more and I was feeling pretty comfortable (well, relatively). Everything was good for a few more laps until with about 10 to go the break lapped the pack and things sped way up. We were now sprinting up the little hill on the back stretch. Then on the next lap they rang the bell for a prime and things sped up again. That is when I hit the wall. I popped off the back and rode the last 4 laps solo,, finishing about a half a lap down. Still I was pretty happy to have hung in for 45 minutes with those guys.
After the race I had 2 hours to eat and relax. I drank a pepsi and some water and rested on a blanket in the parking lot with my feet up on a chair. After about an hour I got up, ate and drank more and then got ready to warm up again.
The wind had really picked up by the time the Cat 5 race started. It held the speed down and the pack together as the fast guys from yesterday marked each other and no one wanted to work on the front. My goal was to stay in the pack and then attack with 1 to go. I did well, staying 3rd - 7th wheel the whole race without ever getting to the front. Whenever I got close I would just work to the outside in the next turn and let an eager beaver or two pass inside of me, then back in line.
After the short hill on the backstretch on the second to last lap, the pack slowed as no one wanted to lead going around into the headwind the last time. I wsa paying attention to this and not what I should have when I heard someone yell, "Inside, Inside!" and sure enough there went one of the strong guys from UNC off the front. There was yelling but no one went so I jumped after him. I dove into the corner and made up about half of the 50 foot lead, pedaled a few strokes then dove into the next corner.
This is the corner they had warned us about before the start because the gusting wind had taken a few people out. And just as I started pedaling again, the wind stood me up a bit, then dropped my down on my pedal. My rear tire came off the ground and I slid a bit on the pedal, but somehow the tire hooked back up and it was back to pedaling. This cost me some momentum and I now gave everything I had to catch that wheel in front of me. I knew if I could catch him it would come down to the sprint and if I didnt I was done.
Down the front stretch into the wind I closed the gap more but could not shut it, By the next corner, another strong rider (the guy who won the day before) had caught and passed me. I tried to grab his wheel but couldn't. Around the next turn and into up the hill I looked back and w I had about 30 meters on the pack, but I was done and quickly overrun by all but the stragglers.
All in all I was happy with the result. I learned a lot and I got beaten by a stronger and smarter rider. Maybe if I hadn't done the Masters race I would have had a little more gas in the tank, but I don't think so. Next time I just need to be go for it half a lap earlier.
The Masters race went off first. My goal was just to finish with the pack and I almost made it.
The first ten minutes were tough. The pace was high and on the short .55 mile course that means a lot of corners to accelerate out of. After that things slowed just a bit to a more reasonable pace. The biggest difference I noticed from the Cat 5 race was that the speed through the corners was much higher. I also found that following the guy in front of me through the corners, sometimes he could pedal through and I would strike a pedal. I am not sure if this has to to with crank length (I run 175s) of technique. After a few turns (with 7 every mile you get a lot of practice) i had started leaning a bit more and coasting when I had to.
I tried to stay a few spaces up from the tail end just to keep from yo-yoing off the back and it worked well for a while. Then the pack started to split. The first time someone in the back half went to the front and pulled it back together. The second time I moved up and pulled the few of us off the back back up. That broked my rule of not doing any work in the wind, but it seemed worth it to get back to the pack. And I was able to recover and hang on so I was happy with that.
Not long after, a break finally managed to get away. The pace in the pack then slowed even more and I was feeling pretty comfortable (well, relatively). Everything was good for a few more laps until with about 10 to go the break lapped the pack and things sped way up. We were now sprinting up the little hill on the back stretch. Then on the next lap they rang the bell for a prime and things sped up again. That is when I hit the wall. I popped off the back and rode the last 4 laps solo,, finishing about a half a lap down. Still I was pretty happy to have hung in for 45 minutes with those guys.
After the race I had 2 hours to eat and relax. I drank a pepsi and some water and rested on a blanket in the parking lot with my feet up on a chair. After about an hour I got up, ate and drank more and then got ready to warm up again.
The wind had really picked up by the time the Cat 5 race started. It held the speed down and the pack together as the fast guys from yesterday marked each other and no one wanted to work on the front. My goal was to stay in the pack and then attack with 1 to go. I did well, staying 3rd - 7th wheel the whole race without ever getting to the front. Whenever I got close I would just work to the outside in the next turn and let an eager beaver or two pass inside of me, then back in line.
After the short hill on the backstretch on the second to last lap, the pack slowed as no one wanted to lead going around into the headwind the last time. I wsa paying attention to this and not what I should have when I heard someone yell, "Inside, Inside!" and sure enough there went one of the strong guys from UNC off the front. There was yelling but no one went so I jumped after him. I dove into the corner and made up about half of the 50 foot lead, pedaled a few strokes then dove into the next corner.
This is the corner they had warned us about before the start because the gusting wind had taken a few people out. And just as I started pedaling again, the wind stood me up a bit, then dropped my down on my pedal. My rear tire came off the ground and I slid a bit on the pedal, but somehow the tire hooked back up and it was back to pedaling. This cost me some momentum and I now gave everything I had to catch that wheel in front of me. I knew if I could catch him it would come down to the sprint and if I didnt I was done.
Down the front stretch into the wind I closed the gap more but could not shut it, By the next corner, another strong rider (the guy who won the day before) had caught and passed me. I tried to grab his wheel but couldn't. Around the next turn and into up the hill I looked back and w I had about 30 meters on the pack, but I was done and quickly overrun by all but the stragglers.
All in all I was happy with the result. I learned a lot and I got beaten by a stronger and smarter rider. Maybe if I hadn't done the Masters race I would have had a little more gas in the tank, but I don't think so. Next time I just need to be go for it half a lap earlier.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Uptown Greenville Crits - Sat
This past weekend I finally got to race on the road again. I did my first crit at this race last year and would have done my second except for the incident that is best summarized by the advise, "don't forget your shoes."
So this year, with shoes and everything else I could think to bring packed up in the car, the wife and I headed to Greenville. My friend Ben was also coming to race and he followed us up in his truck.
We got there in time to sign my life away in exchange for a number and get in a decent warm up. The course is a rectangle 3 blocks long and 1 wide right downtown for a total of just over a 1/2 mile per lap. As usual there was a headwind down one of the long stretches, on saturday it was blowing down the back stretch.
Last year it was raining and the field was small - only 13 riders. With no idea what to expect I was sitting 5th or 6th wheel (as I had been advised) when the field split on the second lap. The three guys at the front accelerated, another guy came out of the pack to join them, the guy in front of me did nothing, and before I knew it they were gone. So less than 5 minutes into the race and it was essentially over. The rest was like the worlds most disorganized group ride.
So this year my goal for Saturday's race was to go with the split. Simple enough. And on the second lap I got my chance. A couple guys went off the front right after crossing the line on the second lap. I didn't hesitate and accelerated up the inside of the riders in front of my to join them. Coming into the first turn it was nearly a disaster as the guy in the lead crashed for no apparent reason. Luckily further carnage was avoided as everyone else managed to pick a line around him.
The crash did halt the momentum of the break, but before long we were rolling again and off the front. It being a cat 5 race, the officials were not pulling lapped riders so things got a bit confusing as our lead group lapped the field mixing in with other riders who were still permitted to rejoin the pack and do work, something that would not be allowed at higher levels.
The pace was relatively high, but not as bad as some of the Tuesday night Worlds I have done with much more experienced riders driving the pace. I did a decent job of staying out of the wind on the headwind side and sometimes pushing the pace on the downwind leg. At one point we had whittled the break down to three and in retrospect I should have put in some work to maintain this advantage. As it was, no one, myself included, wanted to pull down the back stretch so the pace slowed considerably.
Everything went well until the last lap when in the confusion of passing the main pack (again), the other 4 guys who had lapped the field caught us right before the second to last corner. We were also passing a clump of lapped riders so with a dozen people going through the urn I lost a bunch of places and had nothing left for the sprint to get them back.
Overall I was happy to have the fitness to stay with the winners for the whole race, now obviously I need to work on tactics
So this year, with shoes and everything else I could think to bring packed up in the car, the wife and I headed to Greenville. My friend Ben was also coming to race and he followed us up in his truck.
We got there in time to sign my life away in exchange for a number and get in a decent warm up. The course is a rectangle 3 blocks long and 1 wide right downtown for a total of just over a 1/2 mile per lap. As usual there was a headwind down one of the long stretches, on saturday it was blowing down the back stretch.
Last year it was raining and the field was small - only 13 riders. With no idea what to expect I was sitting 5th or 6th wheel (as I had been advised) when the field split on the second lap. The three guys at the front accelerated, another guy came out of the pack to join them, the guy in front of me did nothing, and before I knew it they were gone. So less than 5 minutes into the race and it was essentially over. The rest was like the worlds most disorganized group ride.
So this year my goal for Saturday's race was to go with the split. Simple enough. And on the second lap I got my chance. A couple guys went off the front right after crossing the line on the second lap. I didn't hesitate and accelerated up the inside of the riders in front of my to join them. Coming into the first turn it was nearly a disaster as the guy in the lead crashed for no apparent reason. Luckily further carnage was avoided as everyone else managed to pick a line around him.
The crash did halt the momentum of the break, but before long we were rolling again and off the front. It being a cat 5 race, the officials were not pulling lapped riders so things got a bit confusing as our lead group lapped the field mixing in with other riders who were still permitted to rejoin the pack and do work, something that would not be allowed at higher levels.
The pace was relatively high, but not as bad as some of the Tuesday night Worlds I have done with much more experienced riders driving the pace. I did a decent job of staying out of the wind on the headwind side and sometimes pushing the pace on the downwind leg. At one point we had whittled the break down to three and in retrospect I should have put in some work to maintain this advantage. As it was, no one, myself included, wanted to pull down the back stretch so the pace slowed considerably.
Everything went well until the last lap when in the confusion of passing the main pack (again), the other 4 guys who had lapped the field caught us right before the second to last corner. We were also passing a clump of lapped riders so with a dozen people going through the urn I lost a bunch of places and had nothing left for the sprint to get them back.
Overall I was happy to have the fitness to stay with the winners for the whole race, now obviously I need to work on tactics
Saturday, January 23, 2010
time trialing
A few more from the Bernard Thompson essay:
Nice Aero kit!
Check out the pipe! the secret to a 24 hr run apparently
Friday, January 22, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
failure to train
I need to start getting it together as the first races of the season loom ever nearer. This past week I got in 2 sessions on the rollers and one halfway decent mtb ride on saturday. On sunday I did get a couple road miles in but it was cruising downtown with the wife so those don't really count towards fitness.
Just to balance things out, I did eat a bunch of mexican food and drank plenty of margaritas, beers and even martinis last week so that ought to help, right?
First mtb race - Feb. 7
First road race - Feb 13
Just to balance things out, I did eat a bunch of mexican food and drank plenty of margaritas, beers and even martinis last week so that ought to help, right?
First mtb race - Feb. 7
First road race - Feb 13
Sunday, January 10, 2010
mtb weekend
It has been so cold and windy here lately that there has been nothing appealing about road biking. So I am really really glad that JE and BL talked me into getting a mountain bike this year.
This weekend I spent 2 hrs in the woods sat and 3 hrs today. I got all the way up to 36 this afternoon so it wasnt even chilly at all. Today's ride was supposed to be an easy day. JE, my usual riding partner and the local leg ripper, called to say he could not make it. So I decided to take E-dog with me and make an easy day of it.
She is plenty fast, but since I don't exercise her enough I worry about pushing her too hard.
Well, long story short - JE did show up an hr late so I got two laps in with E, then threw her in the truck and rode 3 fast laps with JE, then got E back out for one easier victory lap. 6 laps x3 miles each = 18 miles = a long day.
Felt good though and fast on at least one lap.
This weekend I spent 2 hrs in the woods sat and 3 hrs today. I got all the way up to 36 this afternoon so it wasnt even chilly at all. Today's ride was supposed to be an easy day. JE, my usual riding partner and the local leg ripper, called to say he could not make it. So I decided to take E-dog with me and make an easy day of it.
She is plenty fast, but since I don't exercise her enough I worry about pushing her too hard.
Well, long story short - JE did show up an hr late so I got two laps in with E, then threw her in the truck and rode 3 fast laps with JE, then got E back out for one easier victory lap. 6 laps x3 miles each = 18 miles = a long day.
Felt good though and fast on at least one lap.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
surfing the net because its 20 degrees out
and I found these pics from the Down East Cyclists Time Trial this fall.
I raced the sport class and ended up on the little step with a 23.3 mph average speed for the flat 11 mile out and back course.
I was happy with the result because I felt like I had given it all I had. Goal for next year = 24+ mph
pics from http://downeastcyclists.com/?page_id=340
I raced the sport class and ended up on the little step with a 23.3 mph average speed for the flat 11 mile out and back course.
I was happy with the result because I felt like I had given it all I had. Goal for next year = 24+ mph
pics from http://downeastcyclists.com/?page_id=340
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Aint no race for the wicked...
Major disappointment as suspicions were confirmed today that the first mtb race of the series (scheduled for this sunday) has been canceled because all of the rain has left the course soaking wet.
I am almost embarrassed to admit how excited I was for this race and now I have to wait another month.
Too bad there is no cross racing around here to fill the void.
On a brighter note, preliminary race schedules are now up so I can start obsessing over plans and calendars.
I bought a race license so now I am officially obligated to race at least 6 days to make it worth the price over the one day license price.
Since it is fricken freezing mr bigglesworth there is a whole lot more planning then riding lately.
I am almost embarrassed to admit how excited I was for this race and now I have to wait another month.
Too bad there is no cross racing around here to fill the void.
On a brighter note, preliminary race schedules are now up so I can start obsessing over plans and calendars.
I bought a race license so now I am officially obligated to race at least 6 days to make it worth the price over the one day license price.
Since it is fricken freezing mr bigglesworth there is a whole lot more planning then riding lately.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Happy New Year
I wont say "I can't believe it is January!" because I am freezing my ass off so it is actually really easy to believe. December did disappear in a blur of family and food and parties. I got almost no long road rides in (for shame) but did get a bunch of solid mountain bike rides in.
Most mtb rides were in the 2 hr range and wore me out. My feeling is that they are good for increasing power as well as upper body and core strength, but my stamina is definitely slipping without the longer 3+ hour road rides.
I quit the gym because honestly I hate going and I really dont want to put on any muscle mass this year. I am tipping the scales at about 180 right now, which isnt too bad on my 6'3" frame, but a good amount of it is not helping me out any (ie - fat). I am making 165 my target weight with a realistic expectation of reaching 170. This will be 5 lbs lighter than I was last year and hopefully with more muscle.
If I aim to lose 3 lbs a month I should be in good shape by March.So make that goal one. I am still waiting for the race calendar to be published so I can pick out the races I plan to do. The Piedmont Omnium in early July will probably be my biggest focus with as many other crits and road races as I can do within a reasonable driving distance. I want to try to do 9 mass start races this year if possible so that I can get out of cat 5 by the end of the year.
My new road bike fund keeps getting eaten by the house and other misc bills. If I can get my motorcycle sold I will use some of that $ to fund the purchase. Last year I did a bit of freelance writing to support my bike habit, but this year I want to try to do something different since I already spend all day at work staring at a computer.
And of course there is the mtb series that is supposed to start this weekend although the first race may be canceled because the trail is still underwater. This is ruining my week by the way. I have been really psyched up for this because I think I have improved a whole lot over the past month when I did the Toys for Tots race and finished 5th.
Plus, since my birthday is in Feb and I will be 35, I am going to be racing beginner+ and wont have to contend with the 20 something crowd.
So preliminary goals for 2010:
1. get down to 170 lbs by April
2. make/save enough $ for a new used road bike
3. race all 6 races of the mtb series
4. podium in the mtb series
5. race 9 cat 5 road races/crits to get my upgrade
6. podium in a road race/crit
Wish me luck...
Most mtb rides were in the 2 hr range and wore me out. My feeling is that they are good for increasing power as well as upper body and core strength, but my stamina is definitely slipping without the longer 3+ hour road rides.
I quit the gym because honestly I hate going and I really dont want to put on any muscle mass this year. I am tipping the scales at about 180 right now, which isnt too bad on my 6'3" frame, but a good amount of it is not helping me out any (ie - fat). I am making 165 my target weight with a realistic expectation of reaching 170. This will be 5 lbs lighter than I was last year and hopefully with more muscle.
If I aim to lose 3 lbs a month I should be in good shape by March.So make that goal one. I am still waiting for the race calendar to be published so I can pick out the races I plan to do. The Piedmont Omnium in early July will probably be my biggest focus with as many other crits and road races as I can do within a reasonable driving distance. I want to try to do 9 mass start races this year if possible so that I can get out of cat 5 by the end of the year.
My new road bike fund keeps getting eaten by the house and other misc bills. If I can get my motorcycle sold I will use some of that $ to fund the purchase. Last year I did a bit of freelance writing to support my bike habit, but this year I want to try to do something different since I already spend all day at work staring at a computer.
And of course there is the mtb series that is supposed to start this weekend although the first race may be canceled because the trail is still underwater. This is ruining my week by the way. I have been really psyched up for this because I think I have improved a whole lot over the past month when I did the Toys for Tots race and finished 5th.
Plus, since my birthday is in Feb and I will be 35, I am going to be racing beginner+ and wont have to contend with the 20 something crowd.
So preliminary goals for 2010:
1. get down to 170 lbs by April
2. make/save enough $ for a new used road bike
3. race all 6 races of the mtb series
4. podium in the mtb series
5. race 9 cat 5 road races/crits to get my upgrade
6. podium in a road race/crit
Wish me luck...
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Mountain biking = Maintenance!
Had a great ride through the woods yesterday, but I am going to have to spend just as long today fixing the bike. Front hub is loose and probably needs grease, and the wheel needs to be trued, front derailiuer needs adjusting, both grips are loose and the whole thing is filthy. But first a nap...
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