mattm

Sounds like either a plateau or over-training, or both.

Fwiw I don't really get the butterflies unless it's Nationals or some big race anymore. What keeps me motivated is that top step.

TheKillerPenguin

Could be. I've had such a **** year with training through health issues that I haven't felt like I've raced while in good form. It wouldn't be surprising if it's getting to me mentally even if I'm essentially on par physically. There's definitely a yogi berra quote about this.

arai_speed

Did CBR #7 (socal - industrial park) Cat 4 event.

Felt good coming into the race. I've had crappy fitness lately but all was well in the day. Race was typical, fast AF, coast, repeat. Some wheel touches and bumping but nobody went down. Last lap I had ****ty field position and with 2 corners to go I decided to bring it home safe as I didn't feel like sprinting for 58th.

Ttoc6

Lose the numbers for a week or two. Figure out why you like riding your bike. I was coming into something like this recently and after some time away from the road (MTB), I went out on a group ride with some buddies and we just hammered. No BS or drama, just a clear your head ride. Once you find the love for the sport again, pick a goal and commit to it.

This happened with running for me too when I did that. Had to take a mental break from the watch/paced workouts and just go for a trail run to remember why I liked it.

caloso

I think Ttoc6 has the right idea. Leave the Garmin at home (or at least stick it in your jersey pocket) and just go for a ride. Ride to the coffee shop, ride with your kids/significant other, ride the group ride, ride to ride.

joe2

Did my first race today, cat 5 on a one-turn (the highest point) course of 500m with 7 starters, 20 minutes. I think I got 6th but since we had A and B riders sit in I was not sure who was actually ahead of me. I started too fast and ate wind in the first 5 laps that I didnt need to. I held it together in the first half, but when I lost focus on the downhill while drafting I saw that we had a 15m gap and gaining. In retrospect I needed to recognize the move at the lead in to the corner so I could stay on the main group. There was one other rider to work with, but neither of us had the fitness to push for a break. The finish is at the top of the rise so I put in a dig up the hill with 2 to go and make a gap, but underestimated how much you really need to push the last lap, and got beat on the "sprint". It was not what you would call great racing but wow was it a blast. It helps that the group is really supportive and the series is well established and well run.

EDIT: first post, hi everyone, I've been reading for a while

Ttoc6

Welcome dude. On the right track here. Learn something from every race! Sounds like an interesting course, happen to have a pic of the map? Interested to see if it's like a course I sued to race back in SEA.

joe2

Here is the course map. The corner is at the top of the hill, which meant the pace was super slow through it during the C race. And with only one corner the lap was typically won by whoever jumped through it fastest. I think our pace was 55 seconds per lap.

rubiksoval

Sounds like a great first race @joe2. Next step is to get out there and do it again!

One of the best things about bike racing: every race is a new experience and every time you can learn something new. And you can (hopefully) race a lot.

caloso

Excellent job, and you are well ahead of the game by noticing these things that aren't really noticeable in training or group rides, but are super important in a race.

Ygduf

I miss racing. Surefire cure for burnout is to have it taken away while you await a possible suspension!

furiousferret

Citrus Twilights - 8/20

Very tight course, not even a kilometer long with a slight incline. Its basically 20s and you're into a wide 180 corner. It was a double file rolling start and I rolled out in the back which meant by the time I passed the slower riders I was already down a few seconds and never really caught the lead group of 6 (a solo rider won of the break). I'd gain a few seconds on the uphill, and lose that time in the corners and downhill. That's fixable, especially since the course is 3 miles from my house.

I've never been good at crits, but this is the SCNCA so I'm going to have to figure it out.

I should have done better, I just need to be more aggressive at the start. Seven more of these, so hopefully I can get a result.

rubiksoval

Definitely fixable. When I restarted racing I'd go into every corner trying to figure out how I could take it a little faster the next time. One thing I rediscovered that helped a lot when in the group was braking a bit earlier and then letting off the brakes, so it initially opened up a bike length gap or two, and then not hit the brakes again so I'd come into the corner a bit faster than the guy in front of me who would brake later, and then exiting the turn I'd be basically ride up into his slip stream. Our Wed. night series has a big 180 and that's what I do sometimes and it helps a lot.

The biggest hindrance for me is when I come up to a corner faster than the guy in front of me and have to scrub speed at the last second. Then the person in front of me is carrying more speed than I am out of the corner so a gap opens and I have to sprint to get back up to speed and on to the wheel. That gets tough to do repeatedly, so if that starts happening I try to find a new spot in the group or a better wheel or maybe start hitting an inside/outside line to go around people.

gsteinb

mike868y

this this this

i like to think "slow while entering the corner, accelerate through the corner"

Ttoc6

3 day omnium this weekend. Thursday night, Friday afternoon, Saturday morning. Circuit race, crit, RR.

Circuit race was too dead flat and too dead wind to be able to make anything happen despite nearly everyone trying. Bunch sprint, probably like 10th. Hung out in town, slept in my car had a huge breakfast and watched world cup to prep for the crit.

Crit was a show. I missed clip, was tail gunning then got caught in a crash less than 10 minutes. Flipped over a dude and landed square on my chin and said **** it I'm going home. Had planned to sleep in my car to avoid driving back and forth but oh well.
3 crashes in less than two months was getting to me. 24 hours ago I was ready to quit road racing altogether. Decided I woudn't set an alarm and if I was up in time and felt okay I'd drive to the road race.

Glad I did drive to the RR cuz I ended up second by some miracle. Played it stupid chasing a a break for 25 miles, not making it then going solo for the final climb. Rode the whole thing alone with no one in sight. Rounding the last hair pin some yelled I had a chaser coming in hot. I gave it all I had, but got nipped at the line with less than 20m to go. Frustrating but I gave it all I had on the climb. Paced it wrong and suffered the last 5 minutes or so. (thought it was a 20 min climb, more like 30). The junior who beat me deserves the win though. He was active in the group during the flats and closed a 1minute gap in less than a k to beat me. So, more power to him. I'll take my 30 bucks and upgrade points.

Heathpack 

mattm

40-44 masters nats RR was today - it was really hot. suuuuuper humid. (Georgia)

Thunderstorms had been forecast off and on for the race, but day-of the forecast was clear.

Two laps in (out of 5), it starting POURING, with lots of thunder & lightning. They stopped the race so we could hide in our cars, etc. Almost got blown over while riding to the car.

Restarted after 45 mins, cut a lap and had two to go. Overall it was a really easy race for me, since I didn't really care about the result and just sat in the whole time. Which everyone else seemed to do (save for one or two guys), it was a weird dynamic where nobody really wanted to race except for a few spurts and the last time up the finish climb.

Came in 21st, buddy got 1st so that was neat.

On to the main event (for me) tomorrow, the crit!!

hack

Sounds crazy. Hard to turn it back on after that long of a delay.

Stoked for BZ .. such a good guy.

aaronmcd

That's nuts. I'd be too tired for a crit after a road race!

I did red kite 2/3 on the Pleasanton course. Same wide open course as last week but opposite direction.

Figured I'd give being aggressive a shot. Raced hard then teammate got in a small break. Then the break got way too big and I missed the bridge. 10 guys. With like 4 from one big team. Thought I'd bridge after this hard effort, but the break was moving faster. Just wanted to get in a good workout and see how hard I could ride now. Attacked and pulled what felt like half the rest of the race. Timed a 1.5 lap move well and got away with one guy who refused to pull through after half a lap. So I slowed down and he still refused and the pack was moving in so I just said what the heck and went all out and led them out.

Fun to work hard and gain a bit of confidence in my strength but sucks that I somehow missed that critical bridge. Teammate got 3rd, big team won, and a race buddy on his own team got 2nd just before he goes off for TOAD.

I ended up doing a slight NP busting race and felt good all the way up to the final lap.

rubiksoval

Nice job. Glad you got back out there and pulled a result.

Such an up and down sport!!!

rubiksoval

Sounds bonkers! I was looking for results all day, then saw some tents and stuff got blown over and the race delayed and all. Yikes. Good luck today!

Hermes

@mattm Southeast weather. Yeck. Good luck on the crit.

gsteinb

rubiksoval

There were 23 dudes in the 35-39 crit? 23? Really? That's...a shame. They oughta reduce some categories or something. The reg. numbers look pretty sad for a national championship.