Aug 06, 2015 at 02:19 PM
Any other ladies want to come out and race R&A on Saturday?
Kissena Women's Team
Aug 06, 2015 at 05:27 PM
@Jill Sink you probably already are but if not maybe coordinate with Kasia at RedBeard?
Aug 10, 2015 at 01:44 PM
Anyone interested in doing these races with me at CP the next three weekends? https://www.bikereg.com/crca-womens-development-series-pb-hatchmap
Aug 10, 2015 at 02:36 PM
Jill, how did your first race go?
Aug 10, 2015 at 02:58 PM
First Race Ever, R&A 8/8/15 Race Report:
First off, I spent the whole week prior to the race feeling like I had signed up for some sort of battle that I was unsure of whether I would make it out of alive.
I was very surprised that they started the women's race first since it meant that we were neutralized almost immediately. The first few laps felt extremely slow, so this tricked me into thinking that this racing stuff was going to be easy. Then, the KOMs and sprints started. After the 4th uphill I thought I was going to get dropped, but somehow managed to chase my way back to the pack. This happened once or twice more, but inevitably the pace slowed after the KOM or sprint and I got back in. I tried my best to always be in the top 10 and to stay on a few strong ladies' wheels that I had chosen before the race. I managed to do this until the final uphill, when my calves decided to cramp and my lead-filled legs made it a very difficult final hill and sprint to the finish.
In the end I was happy to have stayed upright and in the pack- my two goals for my first race accomplished! I finished 15th out of about 24. I had fun, met some friends, and have been encouraged to race in the CRCA development series the next three weekends in CP and I may even sign up for GMSR!
First off, I spent the whole week prior to the race feeling like I had signed up for some sort of battle that I was unsure of whether I would make it out of alive.
I was very surprised that they started the women's race first since it meant that we were neutralized almost immediately. The first few laps felt extremely slow, so this tricked me into thinking that this racing stuff was going to be easy. Then, the KOMs and sprints started. After the 4th uphill I thought I was going to get dropped, but somehow managed to chase my way back to the pack. This happened once or twice more, but inevitably the pace slowed after the KOM or sprint and I got back in. I tried my best to always be in the top 10 and to stay on a few strong ladies' wheels that I had chosen before the race. I managed to do this until the final uphill, when my calves decided to cramp and my lead-filled legs made it a very difficult final hill and sprint to the finish.
In the end I was happy to have stayed upright and in the pack- my two goals for my first race accomplished! I finished 15th out of about 24. I had fun, met some friends, and have been encouraged to race in the CRCA development series the next three weekends in CP and I may even sign up for GMSR!
Aug 12, 2015 at 01:04 AM
Damn Jill I'm sorry I wasn't there to cheer. That sounds like fun. And managing to be "not dropped" in your first ever race? Nice work!
Aug 12, 2015 at 01:06 AM
PS GMSR will be exactly the same...
Aug 12, 2015 at 01:57 AM
Great job guys! I knew you would be awesome! The next couple weekends might be tough for me for races, I've got work on the 15th and likely heading out of town for a b-day party on the 22nd...will let you know about the 30th
Aug 15, 2015 at 02:51 PM
Got dropped first time up Harlem hill today; it sucked. I tried to chase, but I couldn't do it. And then I was alone, so I decided to just go home. Legs weren't doing it for me and my heart wasn't in it.
Aug 15, 2015 at 03:10 PM
Yikes sounds like the field put the screws on from the get go. Only thing you can do is get smarter and stronger and come back...with a vengeance...because this time it's personal. *cue ass kicking montage
Aug 15, 2015 at 05:57 PM
@Jill Sink
That has happened to all of us at one point or the other. It is demoralizing, we've been there, but use that energy to make yourself stronger to kick ass next time.
#StomacheofAnger
That has happened to all of us at one point or the other. It is demoralizing, we've been there, but use that energy to make yourself stronger to kick ass next time.
#StomacheofAnger
Aug 15, 2015 at 07:38 PM
Racing is hard, figuring out when to just leave is even harder. Nice job working on both of those skills today.
After getting dropped in a race, what can life throw at me that makes me fear failure? Nothing feels worse than putting in that training time and having a bad race, which means I get to tackle everything else in my life with a bit more ease.
It's bitter sweet, but the successes, and challenges, off the bike, happen because of what I do on it.
Aug 15, 2015 at 08:14 PM
I've got 2 more chances with races in CP the next two weekends. I might need to tackle that hill a few times this week to prepare! Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement; they are always appreciated.
Aug 16, 2015 at 12:09 AM
Jill, I have a few tricks to get over that hill. I used to have to use them a lot when I was fatter and less fit. I wonder if there's a time when we could do some laps in the park together? This goes for anyone that wants help "cracking the CP code" too.Jill Sink said:I've got 2 more chances with races in CP the next two weekends. I might need to tackle that hill a few times this week to prepare! Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement; they are always appreciated.
Aug 16, 2015 at 02:15 AM
Racing is an exercise in eating giant servings of humility, salted with the tears of defeat.
Enjoy each meal as victory is a dish best served... (Well, you get the idea)
Enjoy each meal as victory is a dish best served... (Well, you get the idea)
Aug 16, 2015 at 03:01 AM
Marc, that would be great! Please let me know when and I'll be there.
Aug 16, 2015 at 01:21 PM
Jill- no worries! I've been dropped many times in races! I was dropped on that hill even when I was training and in somewhat decent shape. Its hard, especially if you're with those little girls that weigh 90 pounds. I think you are doing great...and remember how well you did last week at R&A. Some races just dont go as well. But you just keep training and you keep getting better! You are going to be a force to be reckoned with come next year. Cant wait to tear it up with you in 2016!! Kissena women are going to throw down!!
Aug 16, 2015 at 01:38 PM
I want to go on the record as being a non-believer in "tricks" to get up hills faster; unless your "tricks" involve training better, suffering more or weighing less.
#hugs
#hugs
Aug 16, 2015 at 10:07 PM
@Jules you don't know these tricks because you're a straight dealing Canadian, and tricks are as foreign as sunlight in January to your disposition. Some of us, are a little more devious than Jules.
Marc, for instance is a devious fellow, and knows all sorts of ways to expend less energy on the hill while staying in contact (or close enough to contact that you don't get dropped). For courses like Prospect and Central Park, those hills are short power hills, so tricks can work. Tricks can involve the sorts of things like knowing exactly how to meter your energy for the hill and that you've got some decent recovery immediately after the hill so you can go into the red if you need, since you get an immediate breather, or things like go off the front on the downhill at CP and set pace up the hill and let them catch you going up.
Also getting a well timed shove from a teammate is a life saver sometimes. Just the sort of thing that can give you the little bit of extra speed to not lose the wheel ahead of you.
None of this is going to help you on Devil's Kitchen in the Tour of Catskills, or make you QOM at GMSR, but will save your bacon in PP or CP when you're just trying to stay in the race.
Jules "the Canadian" may be right that watts/kg (us 'muricans prefer joules/stone measurements rather than that silly metric system), is an objective measure of how well you will climb, and matters in climbs that take more than 5 minutes to get up.
TL:DR - both Jules and Marc are right, but in different ways.
Aug 17, 2015 at 01:17 AM
One man's trick is another man's physics.
Aug 17, 2015 at 01:28 AM
Jill, if you are still up on the forum, are you available tomorrow morning, say 7am-ish?
Aug 17, 2015 at 01:30 AM
We don't believe in physics here in Canada's baggy jeans (Mexico's Easter hat?). Sorcery and magic and the power of Oprah are all we need to get by!
Aug 17, 2015 at 01:34 AM
Can't stop laughing at myself for posting this on the Women's Team thread.Jules said:One man's trick is another man's physics.
Aug 17, 2015 at 11:33 AM
Marc, just saw this post. Going to take a much needed rest day. Tues or Weds could work though?Marc Bertucco said:
Jill, if you are still up on the forum, are you available tomorrow morning, say 7am-ish?
Aug 17, 2015 at 12:03 PM
One piece of advice that everyone learns the hard way about getting dropped:
Sometimes you find yourself dangling off the back and in pain - the pack is starting to get away you just want to rest for a second - DON'T DO IT.
Unless there is some feature (a turn you know you can take faster than the pack, the field is about to get neutralized, etc) that will work to your advantage... THIS IS THE TIME TO GO AS HARD AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE in order to get back on.
You just have to pull out your matchbook and BURN IT ALL to get back into the pack because if you don't... that's the end of your race.
Sometimes you find yourself dangling off the back and in pain - the pack is starting to get away you just want to rest for a second - DON'T DO IT.
Unless there is some feature (a turn you know you can take faster than the pack, the field is about to get neutralized, etc) that will work to your advantage... THIS IS THE TIME TO GO AS HARD AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE in order to get back on.
You just have to pull out your matchbook and BURN IT ALL to get back into the pack because if you don't... that's the end of your race.
Aug 17, 2015 at 01:52 PM
Let's try Tuesday. Is 7am early enough for you? Figure a couple of laps, stopping and talking along the way as we hit key sections of the course.Jill Sink said:Marc, just saw this post. Going to take a much needed rest day. Tues or Weds could work though?Marc Bertucco said:
Jill, if you are still up on the forum, are you available tomorrow morning, say 7am-ish?
All are welcome and encouraged to join. Specific principles discussed will be applicable to other races/courses.
Aug 17, 2015 at 02:00 PM
7am is good; I'll just have to be done by around 8:15am. Where would you like to meet?
Aug 17, 2015 at 11:58 PM
Okay, Jill and I settled on a time/location. 7am. Cat's Paw start finish. Join us for the ride/chat session about how to better race this course.
Aug 18, 2015 at 02:27 PM
Sorry to have missed this! I had to be at work at 715 this AM! Although I'm likely done racing this season would be great to know for next year. Jill- Marc is a wealth of knowledge, please share any good tidbits!
Aug 22, 2015 at 12:41 PM
Slowly improving.
I did the CRCA W3/4 race this morning. There was not a sprint off the whistle this week, thank goodness! First lap was a moderate pace with lots of opportunities to rest. On the second lap, the Rockstar ladies decided to take turns making breaks over and over starting at Harlem Hill and continuing through the full lap. I stayed with them and even helped chase one or two of them down. I almost fell off the back at one point when the pace accelerated, but was encouraged to grab the wheel of a friend passing by.
On the third downhill I decided to stay out front and then take the outside up the hill. As I got over the crest, I looked back and no one was around me. Knowing that I probably couldn't hold a break for 2 more laps, I decided to conserve my energy and fall back with the pack.
Then, with 1.5 laps to go, on the turn into horse shit alley, a 3-legged dog runs out into the road and we all come to a complete stop! I went to start back up and my right calf seized. I looked down and it appeared that my calf muscle had turned into a golfball within my leg. I tried to stretch it and pedal through, but the fasiculating golfball said no. And so I was done. I was/am a bit bummed, but I feel like this was still a huge improvement over the last week. I have conquered Harlem Hill, I think that I can hang in there with a bunch of really strong cat 3s, and I'll give it another shot next week.
Any recommendations for preventing calf cramps? I'm guessing this is due to lack of training at this intensity/duration and that it will improve over time, or maybe I should have eaten that banana before the race?
I did the CRCA W3/4 race this morning. There was not a sprint off the whistle this week, thank goodness! First lap was a moderate pace with lots of opportunities to rest. On the second lap, the Rockstar ladies decided to take turns making breaks over and over starting at Harlem Hill and continuing through the full lap. I stayed with them and even helped chase one or two of them down. I almost fell off the back at one point when the pace accelerated, but was encouraged to grab the wheel of a friend passing by.
On the third downhill I decided to stay out front and then take the outside up the hill. As I got over the crest, I looked back and no one was around me. Knowing that I probably couldn't hold a break for 2 more laps, I decided to conserve my energy and fall back with the pack.
Then, with 1.5 laps to go, on the turn into horse shit alley, a 3-legged dog runs out into the road and we all come to a complete stop! I went to start back up and my right calf seized. I looked down and it appeared that my calf muscle had turned into a golfball within my leg. I tried to stretch it and pedal through, but the fasiculating golfball said no. And so I was done. I was/am a bit bummed, but I feel like this was still a huge improvement over the last week. I have conquered Harlem Hill, I think that I can hang in there with a bunch of really strong cat 3s, and I'll give it another shot next week.
Any recommendations for preventing calf cramps? I'm guessing this is due to lack of training at this intensity/duration and that it will improve over time, or maybe I should have eaten that banana before the race?