I do not have a lot stories to tell on this installment. Due to the fact that on the Track I am a Cat4. So I really could only do the 4K pursuit. Which is good because TT is what I know, having been a professional triathlete at one time. Ok enough of that let me let me give the run down.
I did my usual warmup well most of it. I did not get to finish because, they decided to swap the race directly infront of the 4k and start our race earlier. Not a big deal, because I had done the important stuff already. So I go the the line and get set. 5 - 4 - 3 - 1 - whistle sound. I am off, ok no I am not there was a false start. This actually worked in my favor because I got a chance to check with Nathan on whether my start was fast enough and if the line I chose was good. Yes, Nathan is alot of help on the track. Because I had never done a pursuit before. Ok well the second start was good and I am off. Pedaling as hard as I can. Trying not to think of anything but keeping pressure on my pedals and staying ontop of the black line. Everytime I came past the bleechers on the front side of the track I could hear the cheers. So I would like to thank all the club members to being there and helping on my way. When it was all said and Done I posted the second fasted time of the night, for this event. I was happy. I now have alot that I would change in how ride this event.
I saw some people taking pictures so I will post some as soon as I find them.
Matt
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Joe Martin II
The TT was up a climb for 2.5 miles. That sounds like a piece of cake with lots of frosting, but NO! the first 200 meters was fast. I got into my big ring from the begining and then was in my small ring the rest of the way and breathing like a vaccum, you know the sound. I ended up somewhere in the top 40. Satuday road race prior to the TT was a 93 mile road race where you rode 11 miles to a loop did the loop 3 time and then road back to the finish line which was the first 11 miles. This course was good in that the climbs were gradual and not nearly as long as fridays climbs. The main feedzone climb was super steep and pretty much you would not overshoot your feeder, because you are moving slow in relation to the rest of the race. I almost forgot the one long descent that had a 90 degree turn at the bottom and had a strong odor of carbon fiber and breakpads everytime we came through.
The Crit on Sunday was hard. No, not just hard but can I have a new set of legs hard and we are only halfway through the race. I gave everthing I had. There was a climb that lasted about four blocks and kicked up for the final 200 meters before the finish line. Just then you think the hill is over you turn left and the road give you one more kick for good luck.
Joe Martin Stage Race was deffinately one race that I am looking forward to doing next year. Now that I have sat down and reviewed my notes and know how to better approach the race from a stretegy standpoint.
Matt
The Crit on Sunday was hard. No, not just hard but can I have a new set of legs hard and we are only halfway through the race. I gave everthing I had. There was a climb that lasted about four blocks and kicked up for the final 200 meters before the finish line. Just then you think the hill is over you turn left and the road give you one more kick for good luck.
Joe Martin Stage Race was deffinately one race that I am looking forward to doing next year. Now that I have sat down and reviewed my notes and know how to better approach the race from a stretegy standpoint.
Matt
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Joe Martin
Sorry for the delay on my update of what happeneded over this last weekend.
Well the weekend started out ok until our bikes flew off the roof of the car while still attached to the roof rack!! Exactly what I was thinking. Once we squeezed all the bikes in the car with the luggage and people back inside we only had about an hour of driving left. The only problem there was no room for all of that stuff inside the car, some how we were able to not leave anything on the side of the road. We ended up having to overnight a bunch of parts seeing as how most all the parts that move on the bikes were shot. Nate came to the rescue and was able to get all the bikes back into order so we could toe the line the next afternoon.
Friday: This race was 115 miles for the pro men and the pro women did 68miles. For the women's race report I will have to refer you to shunning blog. Just because I was not able to partake in the women's race. Our race went smooth until some guy thought it would be a good idea to stop looking forward and look at the trees and birds on the side of the road, then fall down taking me and Nate with him. I jumped back on my bike and soft peddled until Nate started to come my way. Now he is on my wheel and I am trying to pull him back on the group we come upto Thomas and he gives a helping hand. We made it back to the caravan and begin to work out way back on the tail end of the peleton and we are on. Ok that hurt!! About this time we are rolling upt to the first feedzone and almost instantaneously a guy falls down informs of me again, but I am able to avoid this one. Make it through the feedzone but was not able to find the guys feeding us. So I tell myself don't panic you still have two more bottles you will be fine until the next feedzone. Well shortly after I make it into a break with 2 HeatlhNet riders. 2 jellybelly riders, some eandeavour riders and an aerospace engineering rider. This was good, one because I am in a break with some strong riders and there is all the neutral feeding a rider could ever want going on around us. All I had to do was stick my hand out and a bottle would be put in it. This was good because were climbing a 13 mile long hill along with other long climbs while in the break. Once the break was swallowed up by the main peleton, because HealthNet chased us down. I found out there was more neutral feeding going on at the back of our pack so I went back and saw Nate and I knew he did not have enough fluids on him so I went and gathered as many bottles as I could get and hand him some water and then proceeded back to the front quarter of the peleton. Once Nate told me to go on and not worry about him. The race came into downtown and I finished with the main group for the most part. This was hot day!!
stay tooned for the next update.
Also if you are out at the track on Thursday or this weekend I will be glad to elaborate on the details and fill in holes.
Matt
Well the weekend started out ok until our bikes flew off the roof of the car while still attached to the roof rack!! Exactly what I was thinking. Once we squeezed all the bikes in the car with the luggage and people back inside we only had about an hour of driving left. The only problem there was no room for all of that stuff inside the car, some how we were able to not leave anything on the side of the road. We ended up having to overnight a bunch of parts seeing as how most all the parts that move on the bikes were shot. Nate came to the rescue and was able to get all the bikes back into order so we could toe the line the next afternoon.
Friday: This race was 115 miles for the pro men and the pro women did 68miles. For the women's race report I will have to refer you to shunning blog. Just because I was not able to partake in the women's race. Our race went smooth until some guy thought it would be a good idea to stop looking forward and look at the trees and birds on the side of the road, then fall down taking me and Nate with him. I jumped back on my bike and soft peddled until Nate started to come my way. Now he is on my wheel and I am trying to pull him back on the group we come upto Thomas and he gives a helping hand. We made it back to the caravan and begin to work out way back on the tail end of the peleton and we are on. Ok that hurt!! About this time we are rolling upt to the first feedzone and almost instantaneously a guy falls down informs of me again, but I am able to avoid this one. Make it through the feedzone but was not able to find the guys feeding us. So I tell myself don't panic you still have two more bottles you will be fine until the next feedzone. Well shortly after I make it into a break with 2 HeatlhNet riders. 2 jellybelly riders, some eandeavour riders and an aerospace engineering rider. This was good, one because I am in a break with some strong riders and there is all the neutral feeding a rider could ever want going on around us. All I had to do was stick my hand out and a bottle would be put in it. This was good because were climbing a 13 mile long hill along with other long climbs while in the break. Once the break was swallowed up by the main peleton, because HealthNet chased us down. I found out there was more neutral feeding going on at the back of our pack so I went back and saw Nate and I knew he did not have enough fluids on him so I went and gathered as many bottles as I could get and hand him some water and then proceeded back to the front quarter of the peleton. Once Nate told me to go on and not worry about him. The race came into downtown and I finished with the main group for the most part. This was hot day!!
stay tooned for the next update.
Also if you are out at the track on Thursday or this weekend I will be glad to elaborate on the details and fill in holes.
Matt
Sunday, May 08, 2005
final days
Day three of gila.
today was the shortest day of the week besides the Crit. This was a 80 mile road race with most of the climbing taking place in the first 20 miles or so. everthing pretty much stayed together through the first long climbs and the long switch backs that we descended down not until the valley and when we got to the final feed zone where the final climbing starte (60 miles into the race) did things begin to start to split up and the screws began to turn. I was able to hold on and finish with the main group and not really loose and time to GC and hold onto my third place.
the fourth day of racing was the Crit. this was not your average TX crit. Due to the fact that there was about 3,000 feet of climbing over the whole distance that is 90 feet per lap with 30 laps. This did not really cause a problem because the group did not really attack going up the climb. So I just moved around the group just to stay active and not get to complacent just in case someone did put on an attack and I needed to respond. Coming into the final turn I just kept good position so as to make sure a gap did not open up and I would not loose time on GC.
today was the shortest day of the week besides the Crit. This was a 80 mile road race with most of the climbing taking place in the first 20 miles or so. everthing pretty much stayed together through the first long climbs and the long switch backs that we descended down not until the valley and when we got to the final feed zone where the final climbing starte (60 miles into the race) did things begin to start to split up and the screws began to turn. I was able to hold on and finish with the main group and not really loose and time to GC and hold onto my third place.
the fourth day of racing was the Crit. this was not your average TX crit. Due to the fact that there was about 3,000 feet of climbing over the whole distance that is 90 feet per lap with 30 laps. This did not really cause a problem because the group did not really attack going up the climb. So I just moved around the group just to stay active and not get to complacent just in case someone did put on an attack and I needed to respond. Coming into the final turn I just kept good position so as to make sure a gap did not open up and I would not loose time on GC.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
fun training
Today was a good day in training, because I got a chance to put a show on for some school kids. I was on my way back home on the bike and came to a red light now turning green with a school bus in front of me so I thought "free ride" or draft for a while. so I jumped in the draft and was riding along as I looked up and saw these kids looking back over their seat watching me in amazement that I was going the same speed as their bus. I began to think to myself "I will ride this bus for a while just to give these kids something to watch for a while" as I was thinking this I realized that hot air on my face was the exaust which just happen to be right at chest to chin level, so I pulled off at the next traffic light, and had to finish my ride into the wind.
Day Two
Day two, first road stage. well this was pretty much a flat to rolling stage for the first 88 miles or so. then the real climbing began. I say real climbing because the last 7 miles was category 1 climb. Yes, I even used my 27 tooth cog in the rear with a 39 in the front. This stage had a very strong cross wind with everyone fighting for position the whole race. Troy wanted to make sure nothing got up the road so he went up the road with one other rider and stayed there for about 30 miles just to make sure no one was out there that could cause a threat to my 2nd place in GC. Eventually he came back just shortly after the climb was to begin. Whe the climbing began the field started to split so I moved myself to the front in anticipation to this result. making the front break I was off and in the running. I told myself just sit on the back of the group and let them just pull you up. This was working then there was a jump in the pace so I stood up and went. we are all still together, then another jump here a little bit of a gap opens. I dont panic just keep the pressure on the pedals and keep an eye on the guys in front I bridge up to two guys coming off the back of that group that is only about 10 yards ahead of me, but we are moving so slow that that is still a good gap. when catch those two guys, one othem has a mechanical and breaks a rear shifter cable. so me and the one other guy keep the intensity high and try to close the gap. This is not working so I attack a couple times and try to bring the fews guys up the road back. In the end I was not able to bring the group I started climbing with back but did finish 7th on the day and was the only guy who had one of the top TT time still high in GC. So I was pleased with the day.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Gila TT
whats up?
Well I will break up the race into different parts since this was a five day race and would be a long entry to read all at once. The TT was 16 miles and some change. Hilly with some more hills. Wednesday morning (day of the TT). Troy and I were in the backyard of the house where we would be staying for the week. Trying to get my Bottom Bracket (which showed up in the mail and hour earlier) in my TT bike. We get the bike together using the bottom bracket and crankset off my road bike. Everthing turned out ok and fit. A little later in the day we drove to the TT course and got setup. Troy decided to ride there for his warmup. Once I was warm and ready to go. I made my way to the starting line and proceeded to be told by every official there that I had folded my number too much and should not do this again. I was think "come on guys, I want to be aero." Luckly I did not get any penalty for this, because most other guys were doing the same thing. before I knew it I was hearing 3-2-1 GO!
I was off and telling myself, this is what you know (Time trialing that is) so catch everyone you can until you hit the finish line. I ended up catching alot of guys upto my 3 minute man. coming on the way back on the final down hill I had spun my 53 x 11 out at about 50mph. I knew I had given everthing I had, but was not sure where I would fall at the end of the day. This is because I could not get my 56 chainring to work and ran a 53, when I knew most guys were running a 56. So that evening after getting back to the house and having dinner I went down the street to see the results and I was second on the day only 40 seconds back. This was good. I now have a good start for the next 4 days of racing and climbing and we will also be climbing.
Stay tuned and I will have the Mogollon (day 2) results up tomorrow.
Well I will break up the race into different parts since this was a five day race and would be a long entry to read all at once. The TT was 16 miles and some change. Hilly with some more hills. Wednesday morning (day of the TT). Troy and I were in the backyard of the house where we would be staying for the week. Trying to get my Bottom Bracket (which showed up in the mail and hour earlier) in my TT bike. We get the bike together using the bottom bracket and crankset off my road bike. Everthing turned out ok and fit. A little later in the day we drove to the TT course and got setup. Troy decided to ride there for his warmup. Once I was warm and ready to go. I made my way to the starting line and proceeded to be told by every official there that I had folded my number too much and should not do this again. I was think "come on guys, I want to be aero." Luckly I did not get any penalty for this, because most other guys were doing the same thing. before I knew it I was hearing 3-2-1 GO!
I was off and telling myself, this is what you know (Time trialing that is) so catch everyone you can until you hit the finish line. I ended up catching alot of guys upto my 3 minute man. coming on the way back on the final down hill I had spun my 53 x 11 out at about 50mph. I knew I had given everthing I had, but was not sure where I would fall at the end of the day. This is because I could not get my 56 chainring to work and ran a 53, when I knew most guys were running a 56. So that evening after getting back to the house and having dinner I went down the street to see the results and I was second on the day only 40 seconds back. This was good. I now have a good start for the next 4 days of racing and climbing and we will also be climbing.
Stay tuned and I will have the Mogollon (day 2) results up tomorrow.
Gila
Well, we are back from Gila. I will be signing back on tonight to give the play by play. I do want to thak everyone for the support.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
