So our local cycling team is sponsoring

[Archaea]

its annual stage race, including a time trial, crit and road race.

We locos, who are grossly out of shape, will still throw ourselves into the race. Heck the day before I'm doing a long run and ride, cuz I want an excuse for sucking.

I will give you a detailed description of the pain. I'm just riding masters as I'm not fit enough to category race.

Creekster, Mike, Bluegoose and BlueSteel, no fair laughing. Of course, I'm always happy to entertain.

[Archaea]

Well, racing is loads different than friendly training.

Friday was the TT. In Cat 4/5s, I was 53 out of 65. Or second to last in Masters 45.

Saturday, I raced Masters 45 plus, and I have one crit practice and one crit race after today. Well, they didn't pull me, but they almost did. Second to last, cuz somebody quit.

Tomorrow is the climbing road race. Hopefully I wil beat some people.

Race fitness, even triathlon fitness, is far different than cycling race fitness. It requires power, for which I have not trained but will as a result of seeing how poorly I do.

I now need to incorporate intervals into my cycling training as I can see I just am not fit enough to race. Or perhaps it is a complete dearth of talent. Maybe both. I can race in the pool or on the land, but on the bike alone, I'm not a match for guys doing it for 20 years.

[Archaea]

Final result, I am not in race shape whatsover, or perhaps I just lack talent or combination of both.

However, we had wonderful weather, 36 degrees, no wind and lots of other talented riders.

In our group of 45 plus, one of the riders was World Champion at something. I didn't stay with him long enough to find out. He took for example third place in the TTs against the pro racers.

It was a day of climbing and getting in shape. There is recreation shape where one does whatever one wants and there is race shape. There is a world of diffference. Say for example, you're sitting in your low gear as the pros go screaming by in the big chain ring up a hill causing you extreme pain.

Pro-racers are 20ish or early thirties very skinny and tremendously fit guys. Wannabes are in forties with no fitness and wondering how they landed on this godforsaken course. A fifty-five year old passed me. I admit it, I suck. But otherwise had fun and see what needs revamping in training, basically everything.

The course description was nine miles up a gradual slope, with guys attacking from get-go, diving down to the Colorado River and coming up steeply with almost no switchbacks. Yet these tiny gazells lope up it as if it were a Sunday jog. Bless their skinny legs and butts.

Even if you get dropped as I did, it is a great way to see a race. A vantage point equalled by none.

Try it.

[SteelBlue]

In our group of 45 plus, one of the riders was World Champion at something. I didn't stay with him long enough to find out.

Quote of the day Archaea. Excellent write up. And hey, had I been there you would have destroyed at least one other person.

[Archaea]

First post race training day.

Hit pool, and accelearated cadence up hills.

Tomorrow running track work but might incorporate some junk miles on trainer.

This cycling stuff is HARD.

I don't know how you studs, Creekster, Bluegoose and Blue Steel do it.

[bluegoose]

The long and short of it is - we don't.

I'm afraid you grossly overestimate my capabilities if you think I would have done any better than you.

But I agree with much of what you say about training intensity. Variety is the key to workouts, much like your described running workouts. But you've got to incorporate sprints and intervals in your hard-riding days. This time of year is also a good time to work on low-frequency, hi resistance riding to develop power on the flats and the rollers. Single-leg riding is also helpful for developing a good smooth cycle.

All things that I wish I had more time for. Saturday it was 90 minutes on the trainer in the garage as I listened to the soothing sounds of the rain pelting my garage door.

Good ride report Archaea. I look forward to many more in the future.