Feb 14, 09:11 PM by Steve | Training 2/8-2/14
Posted in Cycling & Training
Continuing with the theme of themes, the theme this week is sick. I have a bursitis on my elbow that’s been under control for a while now, but really flared up on Monday. Got crazy huge, like a fricken golf ball or something stuck on my arm. And it hurt, which it never had before. By the evening I was getting a headache, then realized my temperture was a scalding 98.5. Don’t laugh, I normally run close to 97. I went to bed but got progressively worse, getting up to the mid 99 degree range.
So, I did what any bike racer would do, and pined for riding outside despite the fever, but fortunately the rain made that decision easy. Of course by the afternoon the skies cleared up and I cursed the cycling gods for taunting me so. My fever broke in the late afternoon when I went to bed it was just hovering around 98. The morning was 97.2, which is what I like to see, and I resumed my regularly scheduled workouts… or tried to. I felt weak and my power was off so I didn’t push it, bagged the workout and just rode some tempo instead. There’s always the next day.
The races were a disappointment. Two days, two races, two non-finishes. A flat on Saturday and tangled in a crash on Sunday. Tomorrow is a crit in Dinuba so I have a chance for some redemption and some salvaging of a 600 mile, 3-day trip.
Total: 14.75 hrs, 279 miles, 847 TSS, 9,047kJ
Mon: 1 hr very easy
Tue: Netflix intervals with nap repeats
I highly recommend the movies “Henry Fool” and “Fay Grim”. Very interesting. Also enjoyed “11:14”
Wed: 2.25 hrs w/aborted intervals
Thu: 2 hrs easy
Refugio and back
Fri: 2.25 hrs w/openers
Sat: 3.5 hrs Cantua Creek + warmup
This race is 3 laps of rolling farmland and cow pastures, a 12 mile out-and-back that criss-crosses the 5. It’s fairly flat except for the finish/turnaround, which has some good ramps and a short power-climb int he last 1k. Traditionally it heats up as it approaches the turnaround as stronger people try to get away on the “climb.” There were a good number of attacks, some lasted a while, some weren’t given any leash at all. I was alone with no teammates but 3 UCSB guys, Danny, Max, and Nate were there and I offered to work with them. They were pretty agressive attacking so I spend a good amount of time on or near the front, helping to patrol the pace while they were off and covering some of the attacks.
After the second far turnaround I got in a break but it only lasted about 5 minutes before too many people bridged up and it fell apart. There was a guy off for most of the race but there was much debate in the field about whether or not he was still away. Danny and I were positive that he was still off but the field decided everyone was caught and didn’t make any effort to pull him in. It was clear on the last lap coming back that it was going to come down to a field sprint up the last 1k climb, so I was saving all of my energy. It was all for naught, as I got a flat a few miles from the finish and my race was over. I got a wheel quickly from Kim, who was driving back from taking pictures, but it was too close to the end and after a few minutes of chasing I shut it down to save energy for Sunday.
Sun: 3.75 Pine Flat + warmup & ride back
This race is 60+ miles fringing Pine Flat resevoir in the hills above Fresno, drops down into the flatlands then finishes with a longish climb followed by a 6 mile descent and a killer last 1k. The climb usually shatters the field and then the final kilometer sorts out top placings. Last year I got dropped right before the top of the climb because I did way too much work before the climb, so this year I was determined to sit in. I was feeling pretty good after the first part of the race, a rolling out-and-back around part of the lake and a transition where it climbs out of the lake basin before descending along the river valley into the flat farmland below.
Unfortunately there was a brutal and horrific crash just as we started descending that took out nearly half the field. Shortly before the crest 4 riders attacked and got a gap going over the top. Danny was bridging up, then the front two riders locked bars and went down. I was a few rows back and saw bikes and bodies flying and one guy down in the middle of the road right in front of me. I was going 40 mph (looking now at my data) and slowed to about 30 but ended up hopping/riding over him. I was relieved I had made it through but within a few seconds I was struck from behind, my wheels were swept out from under me and I went down pretty hard. I landed on my side and back still attached to my bike… good news is that there isn’t much damage to it, other than a slightly out-of-true wheel and ripped bar tape. Bad news is that my shoulder hurts, my jersey is destroyed, and there is a small hole in the knee of my knickers.
I took stock of myself and my equipment, and took a few minutes to untangle my derailer and get my wheel back on before resuming riding with one other guy. Our race was over but we were there, we weren’t hurt, and our bikes still worked so we wanted to finish the course. We heard the 4s coming through so we jumped on the back for a tow (careful not to interfere with their race). Down in the flatlands one of the UCSB 4s, Nick, got a flat so I gave him my wheel and sat by the side of the road for half an hour. Fortunately the kind parents of a junior in the cat 4 field lent me a wheel so that I could finish. I ended up riding behind the masters 45+ 1-3 to the base of the climb then just did tempo to the finish and cruised back to the start.
