Tour of Walla Walla

[StephenU]

Friday - First Road Race (110km, 5000 ft of climbing) I finished in the bunch, or whoever was left in the main field of 100.(Not a chance that I was contesting the sprint!)  It was insanely fast and hard.  I was on my limit for sure.  The climbs were big ring climbs, so it was not for me that’s for sure but I hung in there.  Avg HR of 165 for over 3 hours.

Saturday – 15km ITT -  Finished 28th, lost 1:56 to the winner.  Went as fast as I could!  I will take any advise on how to make a little guy TT fast!!  Any ideas???

Saturday 8 turn Crit in downtown! – Super sketchy, fast crit snaking through downtown with 100 riders!  I stayed near the back and out of trouble (50!)th), same time as winner, so did no loss.  Stayed upright.  (Avg HR was 165, for a crit, pretty low)

Sunday -  (120km - 6000 ft of climbing) Finished 7th on the day 6 seconds back, as the finish was at the top of a 3km climb.  Was right there at the end with the other climbers but could not match the sprint in the last 100meters.  I picked up some spots on GC and from what I can tell so far I think I finished 17th in GC in the race.
The Guy in yellow was dropped on the climb but it did not matter, he had a huge lead from his dominant TT.  The race was ridiculously slow with Team Coastal (BC Team) just controlling the race and their GC leader safe up front.  It was very windy so no one could get away either.  Avg HR 145.  It all exploded about 10 km from the base of the climb then of course, on the climb it was game on, finally something I could do!  I had a bit of gas in the tank near the top at 200meters but waited, like and idiot.  I ended up getting out-sprinted.  I should have gone first.  No regrets though!!!  Great experience in a big race!
It's very obvious that in a 3-5 stage race that includes a TT, it is the difference maker.  Improvements needed in Time Trialling.  Whether I need more power or a better way of managing my effort, I am not sure.

[JasonK]

Super job Steve!!! Wish I could have been there with you.

[kiwichris]

Great job Steve - way to go in a big race like that!!!! With the absence of Andrew - what did you learn from the racing? Was there a weakness that sprang up (apart from lack of power on the TT)? What were your stronger points physiologically over the weekend? How did you manage to drive the bike into some form of structure and not do any damage (ha ha - that one is a joke!)?

Time to reflect.

Chris

[Schulzy]

Great job Stephen! Next year we will hopefully have a few more BP riders come to this great race! Tour de Walla Walla was definitely an adventure filled with ups and downs to say the least! All and all the 8+ hour drive was well worth it!

Thursday (Gong Show):
Shortly after arriving in Walla Walla on Thursday night, I thought my weekend of racing was done when we drove under a concrete overhang (with the bikes on the roof) and heard a huge crunch!!! Damage = 1 twisted roof rack and a partially mangled/scratched seat. While attempting to fix things I somehow left my wallet on the sidewalk only to remember later! At this point I was mostly concerned about retrieving my race liscence! We drove back and there was my lonely wallet!! 

Friday – 80 km Road Race:
I had a great warm-up on the trainer (got my HR up followed but some quick recovery).I  was very happy with my nutritional prep throughout the day for a 4:30 start time. I lined up in a great position with 60 other women. My goals for the race included conserving energy, staying with the front group and getting into the break if it happened (min 4-6 people). Soon into the race, I couldn’t understand why my HR was 150 (BP is 162) even though the pack was moving relatively slowly. The pace gradually picked up a little and within 45 min my HR was up to 177 and my legs felt like I was doing a step test to failure! Well, at 47 minutes, I physically could no longer pedal and was shelled out the back of the main group like a torpedo…. As it turns out, my front wheel was on crooked and my front break was rubbing!!!! I couldn’t understand why everyone was riding with such ease and catastrophically thought very negative things about my fitness (very silly!). I fixed the wheel and now had 50 kms to practice some time trialing! I caught a few girls and lost 6 mins to the lead in the end. I was frustrated with the day but was eventually able to have a good laugh!

Saturday AM – 16km TT(my supreme weakness):
Goal: ride between HR 165-172, cadence 90-95 for the entire distance. Results: I was able to get my cadence up but could not get my HR over 160 in the TT position (except for when I sat up on the climb:HR 168). I am riding a road bike with a TT front end! I believe that my position on the bike is impeding my ability to generate enough power (functional problem???). I could move the seat forward??? My legs felt OK.

Saturday PM – 45 min Crit:
Course: very technical 8 corner course (yippee!)
Goal: stay in the top 10 positions of the pack of 50 at all times to conserve energy and avoid playing catch up around each corner.
HR: average: 168, max: 177
The race was very quick from the start and my legs felt great the entire time! I was able to keep a top 10 position the entire race. At 5 laps to go, I witnessed the worst crash I’ve ever seen right in front of me: a rider cut one of the corners too sharply and I watched her basically jackknife her bike and dive head/shoulder straight into the pavement. She was instantly knocked out and never got up.  At 4 laps to go, I moved into 4th position and planned to stay on a wheel until the end. At 3 laps to go I let a small gap open up was passed by a few riders girls. In the end, I wasn’t in the greatest position coming into the last corner and sprinted to the line with several riders. I have learned the importance of remaining aggressive until the end on a technical course. Placing didn’t matter in this race as it’s a timed GC.
Sunday: 120km Road Race:
Course: Rolling course with a 3km climb at the beginning (neutral), middle (QOM) and end (finish line).
Goals: make smart tactical decisions: ride with the front group or break if I can and be prepared for any accelerations or breaks.
Time: 3:52
HR: Average 133, Max 170
I am relieved to see that the course had a few longer climbs and predicted that the tempo would overall be a little quicker and selective than last weeks race in Pitt Meadows. The pace was unbelievably slow (HR 115-125) until the second 3km climb (QOM) where attacks happened all the way until the top of the climb. I made it over the top in 12th and a small group of us worked together to regroup with the lead climbers. Once we regrouped, the pace once again became extremely slow (slower than any bike race I’ve ever done). No teams wanted to work in the wind and we even stopped for a group pee break! We got a warning from the officials for going so slow! This pace went on, despite some yelling between girls in the pack. Eventually we approached the last 3km climb/hill top finish. I definitely became a little impatient and attacked the pack (no regrets but not the smartest tactical decision). I lead the strung out field until ½ way up the climb where I basically exploded and was passed by several riders. I had fun, had no regrets but will approach this type of climb a little differently the next time. I will also continue to be work on mixing up the tempo during hill repeats.

Jen

[StephenU]

Jen makes my post look like Chopped Liver, but I am the one who drove the bikes into a concrete overhang after all!!

Chris - thanks for keeping me accountable, damn you.    Im not getting off easy in Andrew's absence.

Tactically I don't think I could have done anything different in a stage race situation.  I exploited my strengths to the best of my ability. (Climbing)  Obviously I was not going to solo off the front ala: Cancellara, so attacking the peloton in the wind would have been useless.  A 28th place TT performance is average, but not horrible.  Some guys lost over 4 minutes to my 2. (staying positive)
Riding as easy as I could in the Crit was good too, I was not going to sprint for a preem or mix it up for a 50$ gift certificate from the local bike shop either.

Physiologically - It was a great weekend of training my high end power and HR zones.  I felt reasonably recovered each morning and the legs felt great.  During the road races, I was only under extreme pressure a couple of times trying to bridge back onto the group after loosing contact on a wicked fast descent. It was strung out for as far as I could see!  (Amazing sight)

Nutrition was an issue as the RR's were 110 km and 120 km respectively.  We had no feed support so I somehow got by each race with two bottles with 700 calories on board the bike for the whole race.  I supplemented with a couple of gels.  I did ride the last 20 km and climb with no bottles and was parched when I finished.  Knowing that we can only absorb 300 calories / hour really helps me deal with a lack of calories and/or food mentally.

About 45 mins before my crit, I decided to change my front brake cable and then as I rode away, it became apparent I needed to swap cassettes as well!  Great preparation for a race! HA.  So I rode downtown, signed-on and went right to the start line without a moment to spare.  My mechanical abilities got tested as well!

[Andrew]

I am absent, and have mediocre internet access at best, but have been following the reports with great anticipation.

Both Jen and Stephen did a greta job at summarizing their respective races, though we may not be too much closer to finding some answers. Chris has more data on them both, and may have more insight than I do.

The TT situation is almost certainly a neuromuscular problem, as generating power in aero position requires time training in that same position. If there are going to be more multi-stage races for you both, I would suggest some dedicated time on the trainer, even if it is the lower intensity session at steady-state HR. If we believe you have developed strong structures over the winter, then even doing some lower intensity coordination work will help with the ITT. If Chris feels there is also a muscular weakness in this position, we couold suggest some lower cadence work specifically in aero to increase recruitment patterns. The TT series in Vernon is also an opportunity to push these ideas, and measure the response to training. But remember, you don't necessarily HAVE to train hard or race fast to develop the weakness you are noticing in the TT.

Your reports may also spur a few of the other BPR members to get involved, and I would LOVE to be able to join you for a week-end of racing to lend my support. Though, I am not sure whether I can help much considering the speed of the groups you are racing with. We will certainly use COBRA for a good team building and race strategy session. We will meet 45 minutes before the start to talk about the day, and discuss a race plan, with Tom Stewart heading the discussions. He is fantastic at outlining the ideas for the group, and we will look to him throughout the day to help direct traffic, with the goal of putting as many BPR riders at the front as we roll back into Armstrong. Will watch from a little further back, and work with any athletes from the team who get shed from the lead pack.

Mallorca is great. Keep the notes coming!

And Rosemarie is racing Xterra Vegas this week-end...watch for her results. She ran a 37:15 10km road race last week, and is looking very strong! Go Rose!!!