Racing round-up, 13th/14th Sept
Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 8:04 am
...which I think basically comprised the old blokes turning up at the East Coast vets race at Burton Fleming - traditional end-of-local-season race which has in recent years been part of the national Stallard points series, and hence fairly serious with a challenging circuit and good riders turning up to get points combining to make it a hard day out. I used to be reasonably competitive here until it "went Stallard" but these days my target is to get round in the bunch. If only...
A succession of holidays and work overload had left me with few recent race miles in my legs, and a diet of one-minute intervals got me comfortably through my last BC race but failed me here. I was shelled out on the third time up the main hill when the bloke in front nearly took my wheel from under me, and simply having my rhythm broken was enough to have me nearly grind to a halt. As is often the case, the box of tricks offered up an explanation when I got home and peered at the data:- the main hill takes the bunch six minutes from very bottom to top. On the second, steady, ascent of it my HR hit the highest number I've seen all year just as we crested the top. Third time up, with lots of attacks off the front, it hit the same number two minutes from the bottom, and it was game over a minute or so later.
How did the rest of the Clifton contingent get on? It was hugely entertaining watching the newly-parental RichD wandering around the HQ car park yawning theatrically, but both he and Muzzy looked safe enough in the 40-49's bunch as MarkD towed them up the hill for the fourth time!
A succession of holidays and work overload had left me with few recent race miles in my legs, and a diet of one-minute intervals got me comfortably through my last BC race but failed me here. I was shelled out on the third time up the main hill when the bloke in front nearly took my wheel from under me, and simply having my rhythm broken was enough to have me nearly grind to a halt. As is often the case, the box of tricks offered up an explanation when I got home and peered at the data:- the main hill takes the bunch six minutes from very bottom to top. On the second, steady, ascent of it my HR hit the highest number I've seen all year just as we crested the top. Third time up, with lots of attacks off the front, it hit the same number two minutes from the bottom, and it was game over a minute or so later.
How did the rest of the Clifton contingent get on? It was hugely entertaining watching the newly-parental RichD wandering around the HQ car park yawning theatrically, but both he and Muzzy looked safe enough in the 40-49's bunch as MarkD towed them up the hill for the fourth time!