May 20, 2013 at 10:39 PM
Happy to drive to SOmmerville and Sunday's race. Message me directly . have 3 slots
Jersey Crits Weekend:
May 21, 2013 at 12:18 AM
I don't know Saturday's crit course, but Sunday's is exceedingly technical where it counts the most in the first 300 meters. Those of you who came to my crit workshop and participated in the "Race to the First Corner" drill/competition, will be thanking me.Thierry Bonnaire said:Which one is more technical Saturday or Sunday?
May 21, 2013 at 12:28 AM
I'm in for somerville.
May 22, 2013 at 02:41 PM
I'm in for Saturday's crit. I think I'll do the 4/5 race and possibly the 35+ depending. I'm driving up Saturday morning from Brooklyn and have a spot in my car for one more.
May 22, 2013 at 02:43 PM
@Jeff - Can I reserve that spot for saturday?
May 22, 2013 at 04:05 PM
May 24, 2013 at 01:11 PM
I want to give everyone a heads-up that this coming weekend I'll be racing all the crits in New Jersey and right now my plan is to get there early enough, before the first races of the day to ride/talk/coach folks through the corners and the ins and outs of these courses. I'll be on the lookout for Kissena jersey's.
Somewhere in this thread, I think I have written up detailed breakdowns of the course, good lines, tricky corners etc. I don't have time to repeat, but if you are interested, scroll up or search words like "somerville" and "bound brook."
A couple of IMPORTANT reminders for everyone:
- Warm-up. These races are short and you want those legs ready to rock right away.
- Bound Brook Bounce. You better bounce yourself to the front at rider staging and/or as soon as the gun goes off, or else your day will end early and painfully as you get bounced off the back. Race to the first corner drill, yo. "Remember your failure at the cave." If you are in terrible position early in the race, your job is to hammer hard and smart to move up where-ever you can. NO REST until you are in the top 15 riders, okay? WHEELS IN/WHEELS OUT...NO NEUTRAL SUPPORT.
- Somerville Summation: Easy to finish, hard to place. Don't get me wrong, there can be some tricky turns, so you'll have to be wise about positioning, but long wide straight home and backstretches make for lots of regrouping and pack generally moving faster, easier, throughout each lap, than any small group or individual. Be smart about your energy expenditures, use your teammates, look for right combos, but above all...BE READY FOR A GROUP SPRINT IN THE LAST LAPS. Neutral support at this race. 2 pits usually. Leave your spares at home and use the extra room to bring your family/friends. This race offers up lots of sideshow activities and food. Plus, the race spectating is good. Pleasant place to wander around watching racers go by.
May 24, 2013 at 01:19 PM
does anyone have room in their car for a little one (well, quite tall one) out to Saturday's crit?
May 24, 2013 at 01:28 PM
Cat 2s racing this weekend....Perlberg, Ragot, Partland, Bertucco. Some thoughts....
Hills of Somerset RR:
- Get to the front. If it's been a while since you've done this race, or are brand new to it, the opening miles are "easy" from a topographical point of view, but the narrow rolling/winding roads always make for lots and lots of stupid crashes and flats. Get up front on this one early so you can stay ahead of the mess. There are SAG wagons to drive you home, but it's a long boring ass sit in noisy bumpy mini-bus type vans.
- The road is also not well marked AT ALL. So if you think, just maybe, you might get dropped...you might want to ride with GPS and/or a phone.
- Wheels in/wheels out...strictly amateur hour on this situation. Label your wheels with the names and numbers of you AND your teammates. If you flat, you will not make it back to the group. The wheel changes are way, way way too slow. This service is functionally strictly for getting to ride your bike back home.
Bound Brook...you know what's up here. It's going to be a hard race. Be ready.
Somerville...our only real possibility of "team" racing of the weekend. I can't remember when, if ever, JP and I had teammates at this race.
- Breakaways HIGHLY unlikely to be successful. But that won't stop JP from trying. Keep an eye out, as always for good combos, good timing of moves, etc. This may be the year a breakaway survives for more than a lap or two.
- WARM UP WARM UP WARM UP. Look, I'll be honest, this race, you can do with a fake warm-up. You won't get dropped. But you also won't be in the race proper either for at least 1/3 of the race while your legs are warming up and you are trying to work your way through a jam-packed field. This race is so ridiculously short that you'll want to be at the front for the whole damn thing just so you feel like you did something, or at least could have.
- Sprint prep. At least Main Street was repaved for last year, so that should make the final sprint shit show a little less dicey. This is 99.5% going to be a freelance yourself to the finish line situation, but lets try and connect in those closing laps anyway. You need to be at the very point end of the peloton in those laps too, because even if you are up front coming through turns 3 and 4, the finishline straightaway is wide and long and you will get swarmed in an instant. Most of your day's energy will be spent trying to fight off the swarming sharks in the last lap.
May 24, 2013 at 03:02 PM
Somerville - If we are at the pointy end of the race in turn 3, I can give a lead out that will put whomever is behind me in a position to sprint and place. Of course, I can't guarantee that will happen on the third day of racing. I think it will, but we'll see.
May 24, 2013 at 08:09 PM
Floyd tomorrow is canceled.
May 24, 2013 at 08:43 PM
Marc,
SRAM will be at Hills of Somerset tomorrow. Late arrangement, but better late than never.
Eric,
I think we should be a bit more aggressive. With three of us taking turns attacking, we could get something going. Two years ago, I think the race just about split up with six to go.
May 24, 2013 at 09:31 PM
Floyd tomorrow is canceled.Boooo
May 24, 2013 at 11:10 PM
SRAM at Somerset? Nice. You should get the entire field to thank JP and Marc. Marc for whining about the situation so much 2 years ago, that JP got tired of listening to me and so he tracked down some official-ish types and mentioned that maybe you know since SRAM was already here for Somerville, maybe they gas up the Volvos and pump up the Zipps a day early.mugwump said:Marc,SRAM will be at Hills of Somerset tomorrow. Late arrangement, but better late than never.Eric,I think we should be a bit more aggressive. With three of us taking turns attacking, we could get something going. Two years ago, I think the race just about split up with six to go.
You know what was frustrating last year about attacking...I talked to the Ginger-haired tall guy from Stans No Tubes and was all like, you guys want a break, we want a break, so lets go and do some things. He and his team, were a little lack-luster, while I pooped my pants out there trying to spring something, anything loose.
I'll try again this year. Who knows what the legs will bring, though. Everytime I think I'm back onto a good block of training, I get sick again, or stuck at work or all manner of BS that keeps me away from my trainer. Anyway, I'm willing to give it 100%, IF our guys are up front doing shit too. Otherwise, I'm just going to chillax in the field and try and squeak out a top 20 in the sprint.
PS. I forbid anymore talk about FBF on this thread. Or Battenkill.
May 24, 2013 at 11:29 PM
Sweet. I don't have to setup wheels for Perlberg!
JP we'll talk about Somerville before Somerville. I just like to think backup plans...
JP we'll talk about Somerville before Somerville. I just like to think backup plans...
May 25, 2013 at 04:37 PM
Brief 4/5 Report.
Jeff C, Whitey and myself.
The three of us were all active in the front during my short appearance in the race. I managed to stay top 5 and was pretty happy with my positioning but I just didn't have the legs today. I blew up early with around 20 or so to go and puked after I got dropped, haha. Jeff and Whitey stayed towards the front as I watched from the sidelines. Jeff ended up coming in 12th. Got my first real crit out of the way and ended up learning a lot even though I DNF'd. Oh well, on to the next one.
May 25, 2013 at 04:45 PM
Raritan was frustrating.
Condon and I each took a couple turns stringing it out, but it would invariably slow right back down. The first time, I hammered 2/3 of a lap, took off a notch of speed after Turn 2 hoping someone would counter it. One guy did, with Condon quick on his heels. Which led to a decent frenzy of wheel scrambling behind, but that was it. No more counters. Dude.
There were some abysmal bike handlers out there who were strong enough to stay at the front. Wasn't wild about that.
Second wheel coming up on two to go, I was comfortable-ish, waiting for a move to go. Caught sight of a red jersey out of the corner of my left eye and I immediately sprinted up the right side. It might have even seemed coordinated. We were about even with each other through the start-finish sprinting on opposite sides of the road, which I figured might confuse the chase a bit. I looked over at the guy and it turned out to be a child. A boy. And a quick one at that, as I had to get on his wheel for Turn 1. I doubt we were away more than a dozen seconds before the field elongated to our back wheel.
I wanted to help out Condon with the finish, but we were coming up on the bell lap, so I knew I wouldn't have time to recover. So I just kept hammering the front until I was burnt and pulled out at the bell. He got jammed up in a corner but finished respectably in the "top dozen."
Wes rode in excellent position in the top ten wheels for the first half of the race, then pulled off into an alley and horked. Perfectly legitimate, I say.
Condon and I each took a couple turns stringing it out, but it would invariably slow right back down. The first time, I hammered 2/3 of a lap, took off a notch of speed after Turn 2 hoping someone would counter it. One guy did, with Condon quick on his heels. Which led to a decent frenzy of wheel scrambling behind, but that was it. No more counters. Dude.
There were some abysmal bike handlers out there who were strong enough to stay at the front. Wasn't wild about that.
Second wheel coming up on two to go, I was comfortable-ish, waiting for a move to go. Caught sight of a red jersey out of the corner of my left eye and I immediately sprinted up the right side. It might have even seemed coordinated. We were about even with each other through the start-finish sprinting on opposite sides of the road, which I figured might confuse the chase a bit. I looked over at the guy and it turned out to be a child. A boy. And a quick one at that, as I had to get on his wheel for Turn 1. I doubt we were away more than a dozen seconds before the field elongated to our back wheel.
I wanted to help out Condon with the finish, but we were coming up on the bell lap, so I knew I wouldn't have time to recover. So I just kept hammering the front until I was burnt and pulled out at the bell. He got jammed up in a corner but finished respectably in the "top dozen."
Wes rode in excellent position in the top ten wheels for the first half of the race, then pulled off into an alley and horked. Perfectly legitimate, I say.
May 25, 2013 at 05:55 PM
Had fun today. Good ride up and back with Whitey and Wes. Whitey recapped it well. I had really good position for most of the race and cornering well. Second turn on the bell was a little sketchy so I lost position a bit. That was pretty much my race. There were 4 guys who had a little gap going into the final turn. I sprinted and gained a few places but not enough.
The highlight of the day was that Whitey turned me on to the Road Results Race Predictor. Wes looked up our race on the ride there and low and behold there I was. Clearly they need a new algorithm.
May 25, 2013 at 06:32 PM
After the category races at Raritan finished, the pulled a real surprise and held up the final two races of the day to allow the finish of the pro 1-2 road race. This meant I had roughly two extra hours to wait for the start of the 35 + race. Nice technical course with plenty of gusty wind, and 6 turns in a short course. I got a brilliant start, but the speeds were just two high for me to hang on for more than a few laps as guys were clearly trying to establish an early break, as had happened in the 45+ race. Not enough guys to hide out, not enough fitness to hang on. bummer. At least my start and leg speed is still good. Maybe I'll last more than 10 laps tomorrow...that or else I better puke when I get dropped so that I can live up to Wes' level of relative effort!
May 25, 2013 at 07:16 PM
Any 4/5s in for tomorrow? My Sunday plans look as though they've been cancelled and so I'm probably gonna race. If I go I'll have space for a couple more.
I've totally overdone it in terms of intensity in the run up to tomorrow though. Yes tht's right: that's a disclaimer.
I've totally overdone it in terms of intensity in the run up to tomorrow though. Yes tht's right: that's a disclaimer.
May 25, 2013 at 07:26 PM
Finished the 75 mile road race today, which was a goal of the season for me.
I decided to take it easy early as this is the longest race I've ever done and wasn't sure how I'd handle the distance. Turns out it was no big deal and much easier than Turkey Hill. I hid out towards the back where I was able to get good wind protection from the many head / cross headwinds. A group of 5-6 got away early and I think that was pretty much the race.
There were 3 big climbs. I moved up pretty easily and wasn't ever in too much difficulty. The big climb I missed the main group (just started too far back) but was comfortable that my group would catch back on and we did.
I screwed myself after the final climb - I was over it fine and passing some big shots, but on the tricky potholed descent I grabbed too much brake after avoiding a rider who flatted in front of me. I just lost my never a little bit. Consequently, I lost the group.
Eric's chase group caught me and we rolled in together.
The rolling police / motor cycle enclosure was awesome.
May 26, 2013 at 12:29 AM
Pardon all the weird grammar errors from my last post. I was on an iPad in the parking lot of a Target...
Cat 2s for Somerville...
Looks like only 68 pre-reged this year. Usually the field is 120+. This is weird news to me. I now have a smidge more hope that this year we can get one of our guns into a breakaway. And also, more importantly, with that sized field, we have a better shot at launching Eric for a top 10 finish if it comes down to a sprint.
Hopefully he and Perlberg won't be too tired from Bound Brook...that pro 1/2 race is going to be BRUTAL.
Also hopefully JP won't get slapped around to much when he's caught hitting on the bridesmaids at Joshua C's wedding tomorrow.
Also, hopefully, Bertucco won't suck donkey toes. (Not likely though.)
May 26, 2013 at 01:22 AM
I've done the hills race twice before over 10 years ago when cat 3 riders were let in. I've longed to return because I've finished 20th or so and the prior year was a dnf because a crash stopped me and my wheel was destroyed by the guy who hit me from behind.
I'm baaaaaack....
I've plainly targeted this weekend for the last couple of years and this time its a but weird to hit the road race of 75 miles and then some brutal crits. The RR doesn't really fit. But I've wanted to do it for so long.
My prep was pretty good this year, but until my childcare situation changes, I will always be lacking in endurance but strong otherwise.
The first hour if the race was fine and I eventually drifted to the back where you could save energy better by letting your speed carry up hills longer and around corners. So it was good to be back there with mike. It took less energy than to sit mid pack and use more energy for position.
I had three bottles of heed. Made my way through the first bottle in an hour. Had a gel. Went up the first climb. Ugh. No climbing legs today! Bad bad bad...
Kept up my hydration and feeding schedule of at least a gel per hour and a cliff blocks too.
Just before the second climb a hole was right in my way. I jumped over it but my rear wheel hit hard. Bottle popped out if the cage. Upside down on my chain stay and prevented from falling over by my chain. Of course I continued to pedal as the heed splashed all over me until the bottle emptied (it was full) and popped out of my bike. Phew. Could have seized my rear.
Oh well 35 miles left in one bottle.
Rear wheel was a bit wobbly so I adjusted the brake and soldiered on. Apparently mike got a faceful of my energy drink!
The second climb found me going slow but passing people and keeping pace with JP. I thought he knew how to pace himself and wed be fine. But we were dropped! Eventually there were 7 of us chasing. We were not catching either. We got passed by the entire support caravan and even the bus that would take you to the finish. We even saw the state troopers leaving and about to allow cars through from an exit ramp. But we got to them just before the last of them left.
Miraculously we then ran into the back if the caravan. My legs were suffering horribly up every rise but we had cars to work through to regain the pack. And we did! Mike seemed surprised.
Things were fine until the last climb at mile 67. I was climbing well, feeling good and then. My damn right inner quad started to seize up. I had my left one pull that stunt last week. I think its simply from pushing too hard too often. As I haven't cramped all winter on some brutal rides.
I somehow stayed standing up the climb and got through it. But then I was behind. Got to the top and had a nice twisty descent to work through. Power in go fast but for the caravan vehicles in my way.
I finally clear the caravan and start sprinting up to the group ahead which is catching another. I make it as the two groups merge. Then a rise and MY LEFT QUAD STARTS TO SiezE TOO! Arghhhh!
I fought through it again and as it relaxed set about hauling ass to catch the group ahead. We do catch and its the orange helmeted mike in there. We roll together towards the finish and people go to sprint. At 200m I go too and take the small bunch sprint for 50th or so. As soon as I stopped pedalling I had multiple left quad seizures. Ow ow ow.
I'm Stokes to have finished and with a but more endurance riding or legs that felt good, I think I can be up there top 20 as I used to be.
Cross this race off the bucket list.
Now the remainder if the hard weekend remains. The hardest race is actually tomorrows 40mile 6 corner crit.
I'm baaaaaack....
I've plainly targeted this weekend for the last couple of years and this time its a but weird to hit the road race of 75 miles and then some brutal crits. The RR doesn't really fit. But I've wanted to do it for so long.
My prep was pretty good this year, but until my childcare situation changes, I will always be lacking in endurance but strong otherwise.
The first hour if the race was fine and I eventually drifted to the back where you could save energy better by letting your speed carry up hills longer and around corners. So it was good to be back there with mike. It took less energy than to sit mid pack and use more energy for position.
I had three bottles of heed. Made my way through the first bottle in an hour. Had a gel. Went up the first climb. Ugh. No climbing legs today! Bad bad bad...
Kept up my hydration and feeding schedule of at least a gel per hour and a cliff blocks too.
Just before the second climb a hole was right in my way. I jumped over it but my rear wheel hit hard. Bottle popped out if the cage. Upside down on my chain stay and prevented from falling over by my chain. Of course I continued to pedal as the heed splashed all over me until the bottle emptied (it was full) and popped out of my bike. Phew. Could have seized my rear.
Oh well 35 miles left in one bottle.
Rear wheel was a bit wobbly so I adjusted the brake and soldiered on. Apparently mike got a faceful of my energy drink!
The second climb found me going slow but passing people and keeping pace with JP. I thought he knew how to pace himself and wed be fine. But we were dropped! Eventually there were 7 of us chasing. We were not catching either. We got passed by the entire support caravan and even the bus that would take you to the finish. We even saw the state troopers leaving and about to allow cars through from an exit ramp. But we got to them just before the last of them left.
Miraculously we then ran into the back if the caravan. My legs were suffering horribly up every rise but we had cars to work through to regain the pack. And we did! Mike seemed surprised.
Things were fine until the last climb at mile 67. I was climbing well, feeling good and then. My damn right inner quad started to seize up. I had my left one pull that stunt last week. I think its simply from pushing too hard too often. As I haven't cramped all winter on some brutal rides.
I somehow stayed standing up the climb and got through it. But then I was behind. Got to the top and had a nice twisty descent to work through. Power in go fast but for the caravan vehicles in my way.
I finally clear the caravan and start sprinting up to the group ahead which is catching another. I make it as the two groups merge. Then a rise and MY LEFT QUAD STARTS TO SiezE TOO! Arghhhh!
I fought through it again and as it relaxed set about hauling ass to catch the group ahead. We do catch and its the orange helmeted mike in there. We roll together towards the finish and people go to sprint. At 200m I go too and take the small bunch sprint for 50th or so. As soon as I stopped pedalling I had multiple left quad seizures. Ow ow ow.
I'm Stokes to have finished and with a but more endurance riding or legs that felt good, I think I can be up there top 20 as I used to be.
Cross this race off the bucket list.
Now the remainder if the hard weekend remains. The hardest race is actually tomorrows 40mile 6 corner crit.
May 26, 2013 at 02:11 PM
I think you can directly correlate people's "target" races with the extent of their race reports - great to read a "veteran" like Ragot still getting psyched about long road races and crossing 'em off "the list"
Cramps are a bi-atch... and just to spite Bertucco I'll mention the advice from BATTENKILL re: use of enduralytes.
That flying-wedged bottle "situation" sounds downright crazy. I can't really imagine doing a 75 mile race at the START of a weekend like this, but kudos to you guys for doing it.
Questions for "Rags" are there any non-training related things you could have done better?
May 26, 2013 at 03:28 PM
Voeckler had a similar mishap. A bottle got wedge in his rear wheel which caused him to crash.
May 26, 2013 at 03:40 PM
I don't think there was anything I could do.
On the way to the race, I had a Hammer Fizz in a large bottle.
I had two Hammer Gels during the race and a Cliff Block - Margarita flavor during the race.
Plus two bottles of HEED.
I can't imagine it was an electrolyte issue. I was slightly overdressed due to the forecast of dropping temperatures. But, I wasn't sweating that much.
I think I frankly just don't ride enough. I mentioned last week because for the first two hours before I got to Rockleigh, I was riding like I stole it and hammering in ways that I just don't hammer on training rides. I was really digging. Then just before Rockleigh - insane cramp. The inner thigh hurt for days after to the touch.
Back when I was young and in shape, I had similar cramps at Killington 2000 and Fitchburg 2001. Killington's came after about 1.5 hours of hard riding (75mile stage, in the break for 74 miles) and never let up. At Fitchburg, they came after 60+ miles.
It seems I have some sort of endurance issue.
May 26, 2013 at 04:43 PM
For those who want to spectate tomorrow, NJ Transit has a train stop about 500 meters from the course. I think you take the train from Penn, switch at Secaucus or Newark, and then go to Somerville. Typically, the train runs every hour in both directions.
And FWIW, I think Eric's cramping issue is pretty much as he suggested. Maybe a little more rest in the nights leading up to the race might have made a difference. And, if he could have done longer, harder rides, and maybe a race of similar length leading up to Hills of Somerset, he would have been better during the race.
I had a sucky race. Felt good doing openers friday, but as Friday night started, I could tell I was facing fatigue. Didn't change much by morning. When I fell off the back on the steep 5-minute climb 50 miles in, I just couldn't dig deep, and when I looked at my hr reading, it correlated with what I was experiencing. My heart rate when I was riding at my limit was about 8bpm below where I can typically put it. When I got home, I saw my 5m effort was about 35w below what I was doing less than two weeks ago.
When I can go long, I like to do long tempo rides of a duration that mimics what my longer races are. I also go all-out on some hills, to mimic the max efforts needed during a race. On these rides, I track normalized power as I go along, trying to keep a NP that is about the max I expect I can imagine doing on my own--which itself is based on what I've been able to manage in long races. When I'm in a race and see I'm not feeing good at an NP that I can comfortably manage on a long, hard ride, I know I'm on a bad day.
When I felt like my calves were about to cramp, I'd like to blame it on electrolyte issues. At the same time, I seemed pretty well hydrated--had a nature break after stopping and again at the finish. Considering how I started to struggle on the climb and struggled all the way back on the chase to the pack, I'm thinking I was pretty much at my limit.
But just to cover all my bases, I'm going to play with those salt-based tablets just to see if I can notice a difference.
May 26, 2013 at 04:52 PM
I do realize that while I was well hydrated to start and peed a bunch. I didn't have to pee again until about an hour after the race was over. Maybe I could have drank more? I'm still gonna stick with my theory that I just went hard.
May 26, 2013 at 08:03 PM
@eragot my assumption going in was that you of all people would make the absolute most of your training time - so if I take that as already "maximized" I was curious if there were any other aspects that could be moved (hydration, salt, early matches, etc)
I don't see my time budget going up anytime soon either - hence my question.
If I was king I'd change all the categories to reflect hours-of-training and hours-of-sleep; it seems much more appropriate as to who can do what in these longer races where the guys that do the best are either freaks or chronically under-employed 
Any race you can walk away from saying I gave it 100% with no real mistakes is a good one - regardless of where you place. Would also be sweet if they had prizes for bike score/tss to reward the guys who go deep relative to their own limits
Someday...
May 26, 2013 at 09:14 PM
I agree with Ragot. I've already said what I think about cramping (copied again below). Perhaps I should expand the blame for cramping from accumulations of lactate, to accumulations of any number of by-products of exercise that I am not well read enough to name. But the table that Jules posted a little while ago showed that at any given power output (Watts/kg), the more elite the cyclist, the lower the level of lactate in the blood.
"MY THEORY is that one important effect of training is to increase the number and density of capillaries in your muscles so that you can more efficiently deliver oxygen. And equally important, remove CO2. By keeping the muscles bathed in O2, you have less lactate produced.
Furthermore, I believe that after a long Battenkill-like ride, the relatively high, prolonged lactate levels in your muscles is a major contributor to cramping. So that if you were in better 'shape', you would suffer less. Electrolytes etc can't hurt, but they cannot overcome muscles that do not have a sufficient supply of O2 over a long period of time."
"MY THEORY is that one important effect of training is to increase the number and density of capillaries in your muscles so that you can more efficiently deliver oxygen. And equally important, remove CO2. By keeping the muscles bathed in O2, you have less lactate produced.
Furthermore, I believe that after a long Battenkill-like ride, the relatively high, prolonged lactate levels in your muscles is a major contributor to cramping. So that if you were in better 'shape', you would suffer less. Electrolytes etc can't hurt, but they cannot overcome muscles that do not have a sufficient supply of O2 over a long period of time."