Athlete Blogs
July 27th, 2009Weekend update (long)
This past week I rode a decent amount - pretty much what I felt like doing, a few intervals, few sprints, that sort of thing. Not a bad week, really hot, but some good early morning riding.
Saturday I decided to race in downtown Reidsville, a really small town not too far from here. 0.50 mile course, smooth, fast, lots of fun. It was like an inferno - warming up it was just nasty hot. I flatted on my warmup, some 2 miles from the car, but managed to get to the line in time. Masters 35+, which in most of our events, means higher power, harder racing and a duel between me an one or two other guys. This race went down like just about every other masters crit around here- starts fast, attack, attack and we drill it for a couple of minutes, and the break goes - usually in the first 5 minutes. Me, charlie brown and assorted hangers-on. There is a really big gap in fitness between the top 2 or 3 masters guys and the rest, so usually the field is happy to end the pain and let us go. A 3 min VO2 effort is all it takes.
Charlie is a super fast sprinter - I have only beat him in a sprint once this year, way back in march. I attacked a few times to try and get away - but my jump isn't enough to break charlie's hold on me. My mistake - was not to attack him really hard just as we initiated the break. That is when he is vulnerable and I'm still strong. Next time.
As usual we lapped the field - and in the sprint I was right behind charlie - closer than I used to be, and we gapped everyone else nicely - so a 2nd place, fun race, over and done with in 45 min. my kind of racing, technical, fast and not boring. But hot like all hell!
Sunday - that night I decided at the very last minute to go ahead and race the state TT championships. Usually state champs are a big deal - but not really around here, handful of folks, not a huge deep field like in the NE - but I figured what the heck, I'll show up, ride somewhat hard and still win by alot like every other TT this year. 32km - long - so usually the win is measured in minutes.
I got lazy, and my form isn't what it was a month ago at nationals. Of course it's not - I peaked the entire year for that week and was flying. Goal achieved. It's hard to come off a big huge season long peak like that. You hit your peak power numbers, taper, are absolutely flying, unstoppable - then you start to think, hey, I don't need any rest, I'll just keep hammering out better power week after week. WRONG!
Anyway, like I said, I was lazy. Warmup was so-so, nothing special. I did a number of things wrong I won't get into - and even during the race I had poor focus, poor ability to put out race winning power - in fact, my power was so low I hate to even look at the file. And no, there isn't a problem with the SRM. The problem was in my head.
So I did go out hard, hit the turn around in a fast time - the guy 1:00 behind me was Ryan, the only guy at the race who would get close - and a really nice guy. He was some 45 sec or a min slower than me at nationals. I figured no way he gets close. Just show up and ride tempo and you win. That has usually been the case. At the turn around, he was right at 1:00 behind me - and that totally freaked me out. From that point on, my focus was crap. I thought about sitting up, I *gasp* looked behind me a few times, and basically rode like an idiot the second half. And guess what? I lost. I lost by 10 or 15 seconds. Now Ryan and I put huge time into everyone else - like 3, 4 minutes into the 1/2 winner, 5 min into the 40+ winner, etc - but I lost. That never happens. I got beat by 10 or 15 seconds. Totally avoidable - but if there was anyone out there I'd want to lose to - Ryan is the guy. He's super nice, works hard and is very strong. He won, he can feel good about beating the national champion. He was faster than me on sunday. That's cool - he's the state champ and well deserved.
So that tells me a few things - the details matter, no matter what, if I'm toeing the line, I have to bring the focus and motivation - else I should have stayed home. It also tells me that I need a break. 1 week of rest - then maybe a few more races, maybe not. Either way I don't' need to be lining up for a race for a little while.
I can say this though, if I decide to go back to louisville next year, I will win. There will be no lack of focus, there will be no wimping out on a workout in november, no extra cake or other crap eatten, no lack of attention to every little detail, no equipment spared, no extra run at A2 spared - no watt left on that course. I know it, i know what has to be done, and if I go I will win. I got beat this year by the younger group winner, 13 seconds I think - this year there was nothing I could have done better. Next year, IF and only IF I decide to contest it, there will be no way I don't make up 13 sec or more. Better bike, better position, better training and 100% focus. Now before you start thinking, man, that cannell is an a*hole, to focus 100% of your efforts on a single event, nationals or states or whatever, you have to be focused, rutheless, and have 100% of your energy directed towards winning. You have to KNOW you will win. Every day, even this far out. But - I haven't made that decision yet, heck, I didn't make that decsion last year until late november after having "retired" from racing for a few months. So we will see - for now, I'm resting, staying away from the bike and focusing on other stuff.
I was thinking this AM about the season and ran through the numbers and felt a little better about things - so here are the stats:
32 races entered
13 wins
14 more top 5s
only 5 TNPs/DNF/DNS
So not a bad season at all, in fact quite good. I had wins in TTs, crits and rr's - but the most fun races for me have always been crits this year. Short, intense, not boring at all, just go-go-go, hard cornering, fun. TTs have been good to me, but they are super nerve racking, not really fun at all until I cross the line and basically make me a head case beforehand. Crits, well, I may get struck by lightening by saying this here, but they are my favorite. I love ripping corners, I love the intensity and danger. They suit me so well and are fun. RRs are like crits, but drawn out and boring. The only RR I actually had fun at this year was 40 miles long. The rest were plain sucky and boring. TTs are just plain sufferfests. I'm glad the final few races this year are crits - if I do them, I know they will be fun.
We'll see about next season - for now, my P3 setup is for sale - I may replace it with one of the new superbikes coming out, or I may never race another TT again - time will tell.
For now- a rest week, no riding, no intervals. I went for a walk this morning, at dawn, and it was quite nice.
Cheers,
Pete
__________________Saturday I decided to race in downtown Reidsville, a really small town not too far from here. 0.50 mile course, smooth, fast, lots of fun. It was like an inferno - warming up it was just nasty hot. I flatted on my warmup, some 2 miles from the car, but managed to get to the line in time. Masters 35+, which in most of our events, means higher power, harder racing and a duel between me an one or two other guys. This race went down like just about every other masters crit around here- starts fast, attack, attack and we drill it for a couple of minutes, and the break goes - usually in the first 5 minutes. Me, charlie brown and assorted hangers-on. There is a really big gap in fitness between the top 2 or 3 masters guys and the rest, so usually the field is happy to end the pain and let us go. A 3 min VO2 effort is all it takes.
Charlie is a super fast sprinter - I have only beat him in a sprint once this year, way back in march. I attacked a few times to try and get away - but my jump isn't enough to break charlie's hold on me. My mistake - was not to attack him really hard just as we initiated the break. That is when he is vulnerable and I'm still strong. Next time.
As usual we lapped the field - and in the sprint I was right behind charlie - closer than I used to be, and we gapped everyone else nicely - so a 2nd place, fun race, over and done with in 45 min. my kind of racing, technical, fast and not boring. But hot like all hell!
Sunday - that night I decided at the very last minute to go ahead and race the state TT championships. Usually state champs are a big deal - but not really around here, handful of folks, not a huge deep field like in the NE - but I figured what the heck, I'll show up, ride somewhat hard and still win by alot like every other TT this year. 32km - long - so usually the win is measured in minutes.
I got lazy, and my form isn't what it was a month ago at nationals. Of course it's not - I peaked the entire year for that week and was flying. Goal achieved. It's hard to come off a big huge season long peak like that. You hit your peak power numbers, taper, are absolutely flying, unstoppable - then you start to think, hey, I don't need any rest, I'll just keep hammering out better power week after week. WRONG!
Anyway, like I said, I was lazy. Warmup was so-so, nothing special. I did a number of things wrong I won't get into - and even during the race I had poor focus, poor ability to put out race winning power - in fact, my power was so low I hate to even look at the file. And no, there isn't a problem with the SRM. The problem was in my head.
So I did go out hard, hit the turn around in a fast time - the guy 1:00 behind me was Ryan, the only guy at the race who would get close - and a really nice guy. He was some 45 sec or a min slower than me at nationals. I figured no way he gets close. Just show up and ride tempo and you win. That has usually been the case. At the turn around, he was right at 1:00 behind me - and that totally freaked me out. From that point on, my focus was crap. I thought about sitting up, I *gasp* looked behind me a few times, and basically rode like an idiot the second half. And guess what? I lost. I lost by 10 or 15 seconds. Now Ryan and I put huge time into everyone else - like 3, 4 minutes into the 1/2 winner, 5 min into the 40+ winner, etc - but I lost. That never happens. I got beat by 10 or 15 seconds. Totally avoidable - but if there was anyone out there I'd want to lose to - Ryan is the guy. He's super nice, works hard and is very strong. He won, he can feel good about beating the national champion. He was faster than me on sunday. That's cool - he's the state champ and well deserved.
So that tells me a few things - the details matter, no matter what, if I'm toeing the line, I have to bring the focus and motivation - else I should have stayed home. It also tells me that I need a break. 1 week of rest - then maybe a few more races, maybe not. Either way I don't' need to be lining up for a race for a little while.
I can say this though, if I decide to go back to louisville next year, I will win. There will be no lack of focus, there will be no wimping out on a workout in november, no extra cake or other crap eatten, no lack of attention to every little detail, no equipment spared, no extra run at A2 spared - no watt left on that course. I know it, i know what has to be done, and if I go I will win. I got beat this year by the younger group winner, 13 seconds I think - this year there was nothing I could have done better. Next year, IF and only IF I decide to contest it, there will be no way I don't make up 13 sec or more. Better bike, better position, better training and 100% focus. Now before you start thinking, man, that cannell is an a*hole, to focus 100% of your efforts on a single event, nationals or states or whatever, you have to be focused, rutheless, and have 100% of your energy directed towards winning. You have to KNOW you will win. Every day, even this far out. But - I haven't made that decision yet, heck, I didn't make that decsion last year until late november after having "retired" from racing for a few months. So we will see - for now, I'm resting, staying away from the bike and focusing on other stuff.
I was thinking this AM about the season and ran through the numbers and felt a little better about things - so here are the stats:
32 races entered
13 wins
14 more top 5s
only 5 TNPs/DNF/DNS
So not a bad season at all, in fact quite good. I had wins in TTs, crits and rr's - but the most fun races for me have always been crits this year. Short, intense, not boring at all, just go-go-go, hard cornering, fun. TTs have been good to me, but they are super nerve racking, not really fun at all until I cross the line and basically make me a head case beforehand. Crits, well, I may get struck by lightening by saying this here, but they are my favorite. I love ripping corners, I love the intensity and danger. They suit me so well and are fun. RRs are like crits, but drawn out and boring. The only RR I actually had fun at this year was 40 miles long. The rest were plain sucky and boring. TTs are just plain sufferfests. I'm glad the final few races this year are crits - if I do them, I know they will be fun.
We'll see about next season - for now, my P3 setup is for sale - I may replace it with one of the new superbikes coming out, or I may never race another TT again - time will tell.
For now- a rest week, no riding, no intervals. I went for a walk this morning, at dawn, and it was quite nice.
Cheers,
Pete
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www.cannellchampiontraining.com
