Just a quick post

...to see if this is working.

Weekend Wrap-Up

After being more than a bit apprehensive about moving up a category, I have come away convinced I did the right thing, and happy with my performance.

The weekend consisted of three races: a hilly and twisty time trial, a fast and furious short track race, and a XC (cross country) race the next day.

The time trial was not my best effort. I felt sort of detached, and not really into it. I went too easy after an abysmal start and ended up 7th. Not last, but not good. I was faster than the category I raced in last year so had I stayed a Cat 3 I would have won. So, that means I didn’t do as well as I hoped but I belonged in the upper category.

The short track race fit my skills perfectly. Fast, power with bits of recovery and fast sweeping corners. I was spot on mentally and when the whistle blew I took the holeshot. I led until I hooked an obstacle along the edge of the trail and piled it up – hard. I jumped up, got going again but everyone had passed me. I put my head down and battle through most of the field and finished 3rd. I was thrilled.

Sunday’s XC race was the real test for me. I was apprehensive about the increased distance (3x as long as what I am used to racing) and being competitive. The start was ok; I clipped in fine and was with the group easily. However, through a particularly nasty section of the trail the guy in front of my went down, stopping me dead. I had to push to get to the top and remount to get going again.

Once moving again, I moved up through some slower riders (other categories were on the course as the same time) and was passed by the guy who went down. It took me a bit but I chased him down and passed him, permanently. My buddy Jerry was behind me but was feeling better than me and I let him around and he slowly pulled away.

Mid-way through the second lap I started to cramp a bit which took some of the wind out of my sails but I got some water in me and they went away a bit. I soldiered on and maintained my pace, fighting off some serious cramping the whole way. I was gaining on some of the folks ahead of me but by this time the race was done.

Final verdict? Aside from the cramps, it was great. I maintained my pace, felt reasonably strong throughout the race, and had a decent finish – 8th of 11.

Goals from here on are pretty simple – figure out this cramping thing (salt? water? Not sure yet.) and work HARD on my cornering. I am just not as smooth as I should be, but fortunately I can fix that. At least its not that I just can’t pedal fast enough, it just the cornering that is killing me now.

Practice, practice, practice.

Maybe the dingos ate your Spring

Spring was here, now its not. Wait, it was here yesterday - for a bit.

Oh well, its March in Nebraska. I recall the shamrock painted on mainstreet of Wisner for St. Patrick's Day getting ruined by snow. 

I won't be worried for another week or two, then I have got to get rolling on my mountain bike to get ready for this http://psycowpath.com/apr-2-jewell-park.html

Odds and Ends

An assortment of things happening lately.

- Participating in the honor guard today for a policeman who died. We went to high school together and worked together for years. He died of cancer. The honor guard is quite a site - inspiring and chilling at the same time. 

- Been working a ton of hours lately for all the various jobs I have trying to build a war chest for spring and summer activities. Vacation, graduation, bike races, etc.

- Training hard and steady preparing for spring. Following a plan which is quite interesting. Measured intensity with even more measured increases in intensity building for a peak in June for the State Championship race in Ponca. Jewell TT and Swanson XC will be B races preparing for Ponca. 

- Trying to pare some weight back off after the Christmas cataclysm. Never any fun. 

- I went back to lifting again. Went for what I thought was an unobtainable goal of sets of 20 with a certain poundage for deadlifts and squats trying to build that instant sprint and hill power. Since I have reached that goal, I have switched to five sets of five, with heavier weights. Building up to 5x5 at 300 for both, maybe by March. We'll see.

- Heading out of town Saturday for an outing with LB (my Lovely Bride) which I am very much looking forward to. We are getting a couple's massage session that the kids gave us for Christmas. Massage, lunch, a little shopping - should be a fun day. 

That's it. Nothing exciting. 

The Green Hornet was ok.

It wasn't the best movie I've ever seen but it was very entertaining.