November 2009 Entries
...It was just Janel and me duking it out for 2nd overall and 1st in the 45's. And what a battle! This was definitely the hardest I have gone all year. We were passing people from the A wave which started a minute before. Janel was a little better on the technical parts, and when she passed me with a lap to go, I thought I might be dead. But somehow I dug deep and went really hard in the pedaling places; on every hill and straightaway. ...Read More
Race # 5 of the Central Coast CX Series was at Manzanita Park in Prunedale. We raced race #1 here as well. I like this course - a little climbing, some sandy, technical turns, bumpy descent - a bit of everything. Finish is a gradual uphill pavement sprint of about 200-250m. Unusual for this race however was no dismounts at all. They removed the barrier before the run-up we had last time, making it rideable (although a bit of a grind!)... Read More
My girlfriend and I often ride together and we switch riding in front or back. I often ride behind her to let her set the pace. If I ride in front, she tends to fall back even though I ride at a pace that is at or slower than her "leading" pace. It seems I am constantly adjusting my speed to compensate for her position. She does not feel comfortable too close and chooses to stay far behind. As a result, she never gains any advantage by letting me "pull her" along.
This was the famous Night Race at Sierra Point. As a racer and more of a "morning person", I am not a huge fan of racing at night, but I will admit it made a great spectator venue. They had construction lights set up around the course, so visibility was not really a problem in the race itself. Everywhere else was pretty cold and dark though – made it hard to find all your black clothes in the back of your car! ...Read More
I have heard some say to stay seated during a hill climb and others say to stand up during the climb. I have tried both - staying seated feels like I don't get as tired but I am going slower up the climb. Standing helps my speed but at the end of the climb I am more winded and it takes longer to recover. Which do you think is the better method for climbing and is there some training drills I can do to improve my climbing skills?
...Just 2 dry creek bed crossings, 4 hairpins, a double barrier and the race was mine. All I had to do was not mess up. Then I messed up... The first hairpin around a big tree was a little loose and my front wheel washed out and I went down. ...Read More
If you have ever wondered what a complete cycling wardrobe looks like for winter riding then you’ll want to read on. What you wear does matter. Period. My first suggestion is to leave the cotton for every daywear, not cycling. Yes, the material matters. Actually, it’s most important. You want your cycling clothing to perform and that means choosing the best fabric for the job.
Sunday was race #3 in the Surf City Series. Venue was the same as the Halloween race, but they changed the course a bit. Mainly they added more times off the bike, which is not so good for me! Besides the same finish line double barrier, there was a set of uphill double barriers, a short stair section, & then a kind of long run up. The tricky thing about the run up was that at the top of it was a short, bumpy downhill into a loose turn, & then the same steep but (barely) rideable uphill... More
Has anybody studied strength training technique, specifically the speed of the motion, and its effect on power output on the bike?" I'm wondering if doing a faster squat or leg press is good, or if the effect is even less due to the momentum of the weight allowing the middle and end of the motion to be easier.
This race is always on the calendar, on account of the Halloween Hijinks that are so much fun. This year, John, Lizzy Allbut and I dressed in an Underwear theme, based on some brand new size 50" waist men's white boxer briefs we happened upon at a thrift store. All 3 of us wore them, with formal suspenders, black bras, and panties on our heads. No hidden meaning, but so obnoxious that we made quite an impression. Pretty comfortable to race in, too, on an almost 80 degree day. Read More...
We had a good sized women's Elite field of about 25 riders including no less than 3 "retired" pros who have competed CX at the World Cup and Worlds level: Kerry Barnholt, Carmen D'Aluisio and Gina Hall (making her first CX race appearance of the year). The rest of the usual top NorCal suspects were there as well. The course was pretty good for me: only 1 time off the bike per lap with a double barrier going around a turn only about 20m from the finish line. Read More...