A Busy Race Week

This week there are 3 days of racing on the track. Plus a change in my weight lifting program means tired legs. And Wednesday, after lifting on Monday, sore legs!

Wednesday Night Racing:

We got to the track later than I would have liked. Super busy at work, plus bike shop stop, plus picking up another person left not a lot of time for a warm up (10-15 minutes). Weather was cool and windy.

15 lap Points Race, points every 5: 

Probably 15 people in the race? Mostly men and a few women. I rode with the pack to the first sprint then finished it out doing my own warm up. Legs definitely not ready to go hard with less than a 15 minute warm up.

10 lap Scratch: 

Maybe 12 laps? I forget. Much better! Legs warmed up but the 47x14 gear felt kinda hard at times. Stayed with the pack the entire way. One guy went off the front and the rest of us pretty much stuck together. Happy with that effort

Miss & Out: 

Rode towards the back and high. First time around not close to being out. Second time around, stayed back too long and had to get up fast. Third time around, got squeezed and boxed in, so out. 

10 or 12 lap Tempo: 

Stupid fast from the first lap. Legs were tired and after 2 laps I got popped off so I used the rest of the race to do a pursuit workout and practice standing up and sprinting every half lap.

Saturday Sprint Tournament:

Yesterday was the second Sprint Tournament--one-on-one matches for 2 laps (or sometimes 3 people at once). But in the morning, I went to the beginner session at the track to get a longer warmup in. There were over 40 people there! Every Saturday morning it's been like that which is great. I helped Mark and Keith get people checked in and on the bikes and then dealt with a rental bike with a flat tire. I finally got on my bike and hopped into the paceline.  We did a paceline warmup (two separate ones actually), then we got into pairs and did bumping drills. Keith was my partner and it was good. He was pushing me around a lot, especially when we went off the warm up circle and onto the track. I still don't like doing it, but at least now I don't half freak out.

Next was 4 abreast seated jumps. I did about 4 of these, then decided that was enough as my legs were feeling a little loaded.

The last thing we did was a flying 200 for everyone, which took forever, but we rode around the apron to stay loose. I was near the end of the line so it was heating up but not much wind. For the morning session I was riding a pretty small gear and I did the 200 in that gear and had a pretty good time (nearly 2 seconds faster than the last time I'd ridden that gear). Happy with that.

Did a little cool down and by this time everyone was arriving for the sprint tournament, including Ben, who brought me lunch. Ate some food, drank a lot of water + NUUN, then the search was on for a 51 chain ring. Which no one had. So, I went with 48x14 (92.6") for the sprint tournament 200. It was hot (high of 95F) and the wind had picked up some, including a headwind on the back straightaway. Got the bike ready and warmed up and then once we started, I was 3rd to go.

This was the first time I'd ridden that big of a gear, so I don't think I went in fast enough, early enough, but I was able to stand up for a decent amount of time. Definitely not the leg speed as earlier as I had a hard time getting over on that gear. My time was the second fastest time in my group of 6 so I was pretty happy with that.

Changed to a 47x14 (90.6") for the match sprints.

Match Sprint #1 v. Mary Ellen:  She jumped in the middle of turn 3 on the first lap. So it was a very long sprint. My jump isn't the fastest in that big of a gear, but I was able to get back to her wheel, but couldn't get around her. She beat me by a bike length, but Beth said I was coming back on her in the last 50 meters.

Match Sprint #2 v. Elizabeth: This was her first time to do match sprints and so I had been telling her how it worked and all and she tried to beat me with my own advice! I got behind her and she jumped first and I was able to get around her and hold her off. Good job Elizabeth!

Match Sprint #3 v. Gavin:  He comes out to the Sunday training and I've seen him ride, so I knew that it would be doubtful that I could take him in a shorter sprint. We roll off the rail and I'm in the back and I notice that he's riding along with hands on the top of the bars (instead of down in the drops). And stays like that to turn 3, so I jump him in the middle of turn 3 on the first lap and hold him off until the last 25 meters of the race when he catches me and passes me, but he only beat me by less than one bike length.

Match Sprint #4 v. Elizabeth v. Mary Ellen:  Mary Ellen again went early and I was right on her and Elizabeth behind me and that's how we finished. By then, everyone was pretty beat from the heat, so that was it.

Did a little cool down and packed up and it was off for tacos and a beer. A very fun day.