So I have been slacking on writing my last two weekend race reports mostly because I just sucked.
April 3rd and 4th, I raced at the Colorado School of Mines. Saturday didn't start out too well as we arrived with less than thirty minutes will our individual time trials began.. I spent twenty minutes practically between registering and getting dressed. I hopped on my trainer for an awesome 2 minute warm-up and went to the starting line. I think I actually began race with 1.7 miles left into a 4.7 mile hill climb up Lookout Mountain. I was really prepared this day. I was also still struggling with some kind of nasty respiratory infection which even today I have not gotten over yet. What truly made it a fun event were the 50+ mph winds that were at full force at 9AM. I began my ITT at 9:06:30. Oh I lied the BEST part was as I was attempting to clear my throat, nose, lungs, etc the lovely wind blew it back into face for the most part.
The climb consisted of some nasty switchback and the really only steep sections of the climb were in the middle portion and the top leveled out quite nicely. I had a horrible time of 32:05. To give you a better perspective, Tom Danielson is the record holder at 17:34 (or something right around there). As hours passed, the wind died down significantly and so did the times. Most of my competitors had later start times around eleven-twelve o'clock.
I have never been that great at hill climbs..It's defiantly something I need to work on in the future.
On Easter Sunday I woke my parents up at 5:30am who flew into Denver for the weekend for some more awesome racing in Golden, Colorado. The course took place in the corporate center and it was pretty straight forward. Four sweeping right 90 degree angle turns. Climb for 30sec, flat for 10s, downhill for 30sec, climb for 30 and then repeat. For someone who is still sick and should not be racing, this course was fun but I did not have enough time to clear my throat and get some deep breaths.
After about 12 mins I dropped out and formed a two-man break with a Wyoming rider and stayed in sight of the main pack till the final two laps. We finished 30secs behind but never close to being lapped. I guess I am satisfied kinda. I am sick of being sick though and it's not like I am training hard or even training. The last three weeks I have done hardly anything. I eat well (kinda), slept ALOT, and hydrate too.
Here is the official race report from Velonews: http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/04/road/rocky-mountain-conference-faces-windy-weekend-at-school-of-mines_110519
That brings me to this past weekend. Last Tuesday I rode a spin easy but it wore me out in 30 minutes. Wednesday-OFF, Thursday-OFF, and Friday-an easy ride with openers which killed me.
We made our way to Colorado College where on Saturday the Criterium took place on campus and a cool course. It started on a straightaway, then a 180 right turn another straightaway, sweeping right downhill turn, right uphill climb left 90 degree turn back to the straightaway. I popped all my pills in the morning and took the first nebulizer treatment of the day and went off for a warm up. I felt relatively okay but my heart rate was hovering around 115-130 just standing around stretching before the start of the clinic. A few minutes later we begin. The race is fast paced on the main pack consisted of eight riders with everyone else trailing off the back. I sat third wheel so I wasn't working too much. After roughly ten minutes and a hard effort hill climb, I started to have slightly spotty vision. I pulled off to the right and let the pack go, looking at my heart rate monitor registering 215bpm. I coasted around the 180 turn back down the straightaway and it only dropped down to 210bpm. I got off the bike and called it a day as I tried to form words asking for the EMT. I should also mention that I have severe asthma. I really couldn't breathe hence the really high HR.
Here's a link to a newspaper article on the front page of the Colorado Springs Gazette to show just how stupid I am to have actually race: http://www.gazette.com/sports/colorado-96952-heart-classic.html
So I two smart things this past weekend, when it felt quite horrible on Saturday I stopped, I mean I should not race anyway and second I sat on my ass and was the "UNC Photographer" for the ITT on Sunday.
This upcoming week:
I am going back to the doctor! Yay! Not really. Mono? IDK Heart Issue/condition? Umm I really hope not. Hopefully I get told to sit on my butt and rest. Maybe I'll start to study instead of riding my bicycle every chance I get...
