I finally got my first USAC Expert (Cat 1) mountain bike race under my belt, and I have mixed emotions about my results. So here is the cliff notes version of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Leading up the the race, I was just finishing up 3 weeks of Build 1 and I trained all through the week to make sure I would get in 8.0 hrs of training for the race. So Going in I was a little tired. But come race day, I was feeling good and the warm-up went well also. I lined up and went off. I stuck with the guy that went off with me up until the first big climb. I caught a log with my pedal and almost rolled down the hill backwards. And for the rest of the 2 laps I felt like I had no power on the climbs or pushing the big gears on the flats. After I finished, I checked my results. 48 min first lap, and a 49 min 2nd lap. I was expecting to be somewhere between 44-47 mins. So I was a little disappointed. I finished 16th out of around 20 riders. But my day was not over. I jumped in the Expert Single Speed class for 1 more race. I was really feeling it right out the gate, but overall I felt the same as the last race. No power, but my heart rate or breathing never spiked. I was able to make it through the entire course and finish. Another 49 min lap. And this time I got 15th! What a day.
The good of the day -- My lap times were very consistent, even though they were slow. My HR and breathing remained under control and I felt like I could have done and few more "slow" laps. So I know the endurance side of my training is on track. But I should not be surprised, I have just started working on the anaerobic intervals, and power intervals, for my training so I hope to do better at Bloomer in a few weeks. This is a much needed rest week for myself and I have taken full advantage thus far. I start Build 2 next week and one of my old Jedi Masters have made contact with me once again and has been helping me put together a workout plan to get me through build 2. So stay tuned.
BTW, kudos goes out to Brian Crook for taking top 5 in his first USAC Expert race. Way to go! I hope to join you soon.
1 comment:
I know the results are not what you wanted, but still, a great effort John! All of your training and hours you put in and the work you put forth will pay off! It was great to see you out there at PLRA!
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