Race the Ridge 2010

[Matt]

Stephen, Jen, Ginny and myself headed down to the race together, and met another Fresh Air Experience Rider, Jonas, in Maple Ridge.  It was a great weekend of racing and suffering!(more on that soon!)  Stephen, Jen, and Ginny had some phenomenal results, and I look forward to reading their posts!

During the week prior to the race I had some kind of stomach bug, which made it difficult to eat.  In the days leading up to the race I had a hard time ingesting enough calories, and during the weekend I found it very difficult to eat between races.  By Sunday morning I was starting to feel better, but I can only guess what the physiological effect of this was.

Race the Ridge is a Road Race Saturday morning, a Time Trial Saturday afternoon, and a Crit on Sunday morning. 

Road Race:
For the Road Race I wanted to keep focusing on my respiration – keeping it controlled as my HR increased to my balance point.  Over the last week or so, I have seen some gains during my training rides, as well as with the SpiroTiger and wanted to put that to use in the race.  In the last 2 weeks I have also been focusing on doing a better job of taking care of my hydration and nutrition during training and recovery.  I have seen some good improvements and wanted to apply that to the race and recovery between stages. 
Strategically, I wanted to finish with the main group during the race, while trying not to do any work at the front.  It was a climbers course, which is not necessarily a strong point of mine yet! 
The weather for the race was cold and wet –it was so cold that it forced some riders to abandon. 
I felt strong for most of the 7 lap race.  I was able to control my breathing well, and didn’t feel that it was an issue for me even at my balance point and higher.  By lap 5 I was starting to suffer a bit, but the weather was making it difficult on everyone as well.  I felt I did a good job of hydration/nutrition by drinking and eating my planned amounts.  However, at the end of the race I did find my legs cramped bit.  I am curious if the cold weather would have contributed to this, or if by drinking more water I could have avoided that?  I was able to find some good lines through the corners, to make up spots I had lost on the climbs.  Having the correct tires for the conditions made a big difference (as I am sure Stephen can relate too!).  I finished in the front group, behind a break of 3 riders that stayed away from lap 1.

Time Trial:
We had a 5 hour break between races.  I was hardly able to eat or drink anything due to my stomach (at this point I hadn’t had anything for breakfast, just some Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem during the race, another bottle after the race, and 3 pieces of bread).  I just rested as best I could.
My goals were to keep my HR at or below balance point for the first half, and mostly above for the second half.  I also wanted to watch my respiration rate, and use that as a key biomarker – if I felt I couldn’t control my breathing I would drop my HR until I could.  I started to feel better around the start of the TT.
I was able to control my breathing the whole time, even above balance point.  I was happy with my effort, even if my time was very slow!

Crit:
The course was a short twisting loop.  My goals were to try and support Stephen as much as I could.  He was sitting only 7 seconds out of 3 place overall.  I had been feeling better after the TT, and was able to eat normally Saturday evening, and Sunday morning.  I felt good, until I got on the bike!  As soon as I did a warm up lap I knew I was in trouble.  My goals quickly changed - to just not getting dropped.  I gave up positions on the straight stretches, and was able to make up spots through the corners.  The technical course, surprisingly, was an advantage for me – however, I still almost got dropped every lap.  It was 40 minutes of suffering!  I did not focus on anything other than trying to keep a wheel in front of me.  I did notice that for the first half of the Crit I could not get my HR up to my balance point, despite how hard I was working.  During the second half of the race I was able to get to my balance point, but only 3-5 beats higher.  I was very happy to finish with the group.

[GinnySellars]

The support from the Balance Point Racing Team allowed me to try something I've been wanting to do for years, but was too chicken to try. It was fantastic to have the experience and fun support of Jen, Matt and Stephen. Another Fresh Air cyclist, Jonas from Rossland, was a super positive addition to our crew. Once again, it felt like college when nicknames ruled after day one....Shultzy, the Horn, the Quail, and the Icicle showed heart and skill in their respective races.

Being my second road race, and first stage race, I rode with a tiny group of Cat 3/4s. It was pouring rain for the RR, and I was pretty nervous about the steep descents and sharp corners on two parts of the course. We set off at a reasonable pace along the flats. At about 2km, we turned up towards the hills. It's about 3km or stepped hills, each one getting a little steeper. I was shocked at the pace on the first hill, but then noticed that I recovered in about 10 seconds and could still hear the girls gasping for air. By the 4th rise, I was at the front, and decided to go hard to try and ride off the front on the descent for safety. Having just come back from Mallorca, I felt great on the corners, but had to ride a little slower in the rain. The gap was considerable at the bottom of the hills, and I just made the snap decision to go hard and steady on my own instead of riding the sling shot scenario with the group. It worked, and I rode the next 35km solo. I put time into the group and finished about 2 1/2 minutes ahead. It set me up for the weekend, since it's a timed event, and your times add up over 3 events.

I funny little aside...on the 4th lap, I came out of a corner and had a drink. I fumbled my bottle and dropped it. I new I had a massive lead, so stopped to pick it up. When I started up again, I could see a black and orange jersey, and red jersey flying along towards me in the distance. This was the colour of the 2 girls chasing. I couldn't believe I threw my race away over a water bottle (albeit my favorite Eload bottle). I also didn't realize it was a total time event over the three races. Anyway...they came on hard and passed me near the final climb...fortunately it was actually two cat 3/4 MEN breaking away. I'm such a dork...

From a physiological perspective, this RR felt like 'home'. I just rode super hard, often 20 beats above LBP, but recovered after every climb pretty quickly. With such a short 40km race, I know that I can go virtually all out, and recover on descents. I realized the importance of spinning down. My legs turned to rock after the ride in the freezing cold rain. I was busy undressing my new friend "the icicle", as Jonas had to drop out of his race with hypothermia. He couldn't unclip a helmet or pull on dry clothes. Fortunately he came back to life, and raced great the rest of the weekend. So my 'warm down' was a little later than planned, but sure helped the legs.

After watching my 'roomie' Jen race the elite women's race, we had a really quick turn-around for the TT. It was sunny and dry thank goodness, but our shoes were still soaking. I was dis-organized, and had to lower my seat at the last minute, had no warm-up, and no bottle cage. I stuck a bottle in my jersey pocket, and just went as hard as a could for 38 minutes. I caught my '3minute' girl, then possibly lost focus, as I didn't gain any time after that.

The next morning we woke to cold and wet weather again. The crit had only 5 girls in it. It seemed kind of silly to race with so few, but I absolutely loved it. It's the first real feeling of bike racing I've had. I liked changing up the lead, and working hard to separate the group. I worked well with a girl from Vancouver to make a gap. We had the last 6 laps or so together, but I didn't know how to lose the lead, and sprint to the finish. She sat on my wheel for the last 1/2 lap, and out-sprinted me to the line. I need to learn more about how to race. I was happy with myself to having the confidence to work SUPER hard, and ride the corners smoothly.

Thanks to the gang for introducing me to this insane sport, and being fantastic travel partners.

[GinnySellars]

Ooh...I forgot to mention. The race organizers from Local Ride were INCREDIBLY generous. They offered the same prizes to cat 3/4 as the elites, so I ended up with an awesome Giant Mag Trainer, a superb pump, bar tape, tube, and brake pads.

[StephenU]

Sup ya'll!

Well I don't really know what to say other than I was definately disappointed in my performance in the Road Race.  I foolishly lined up near the back at the start and could not go with the early and decisive break as I was pinned in the middle of the peloton.  I managed to get to the front at the top of the climb and attempted to drop the hammer to bridge up.  I took my young adversary with me, Kyle from Team Coastal.  We overcooked a fast, rain soaked downhill corner, Kyle layed it down and I went through the corner into someones front yard and hedge growth.  By the time I got back on the road, the group was with us and my opportunity was gone!  I nearly quit with two 14 kms remaining as I was near hypothermia.  I could barely shift, brake, and could not even grab my bottle for a drink.  legs were seized up to the point where I nearly called it a day!  I was shivering almost uncontrollably on the bike!

I don't know exactly what happens physiologically to the body, performance, and motor functions when you are that cold, but all I know is that it took everything I had to finish the race with the main pack.  Ginny told me later she had never seen me suffer like that before..  She was right!!  Chris or Andrew - can you explain what happens to the body when pushed that hard when it is near hypothermia?

My core temp came back after Matt and I stopped for a Latte on the way back to the hotel.  I thought Matt was going to die as he layed on his bed like a corpse in a coffin...  I was amazed by his effort in staying in the race. 

Well it was the race of truth next!  I warmed up for the TT and felt ready to go.  I knew that if I could throw down a fast TT, I could move right up in the GC.  I felt calm and knew I had all the right equipment this time.  I had a fast bike and fast clothing!  I decided to use a faster than normal cadence for the race because obviously my legs were a bit tired from the earlier RR.. So to make a long story short, I stayed aero, used about 100 rpm cadence and LBP +5 to 10 for the 22km..  it worked!  3rd in the TT, 4th overall on GC!

A big Thanks to Martin and Jason for the great equipment they lent to me!!

Felt pretty good in the crit, stayed near the front and out of trouble for most of the race.  My plan was to try for some time bonuses but I was lacking any high end explosiveness required to sprint..(tired legs!)  I hung in until the end and finished 7th and maintained 4th Overall.  HR was around LBP -5 for the crit.

Quail

[Andrew]

Competing in the cold is certainly an incredible stress on the physiology. How it affects blood flow and muscle activity has not been well studies at high intensity. It is clear that muscles work better at more moderate temperatures, but unlikely to due any serious "damage" when racing on a bike in the rain and wind. Certainly, I would expect you to have a full recovery within a normal amount of time, with no long lasting affects of the cold. The temperatures were not so low as to cause structural damage, but most likely were causing functional changes to the circulation that caused the cramping etc., in addition to the decrease in fluid intake that you notice when racing in colder conditions.

In either case, the results were impressive given the adversity you all faced. Dress warmer next time! Even if that means having to strip off a layer after a few laps.

[Schulzy]

Fortunately I did not experience any difficulty with the cold as my race was a little later and the roads began to dry up. There were a few crashes in the wet corners but overall the conditions were much better than the morning races. Race the Ridge was a great experience with the BPR team + Jonas the “Icicle man” from Rossland. I truly enjoyed watching Ginny, Stephen and Matt race. Ginny was a superstar! In the road race she dropped the rest of the women within a few minutes and I watched her gap increase as her competitors struggled to make it up the hills. Ginny looked calm and was riding very smoothly. Ginny also raced really well in the TT and Crit. Watch out all roadies because Ginny is a new force to be reckoned with! Ginny needs to move up a few categories if she wants any competition!  It was also great to watch Stephen and Matt persevere through adverse weather conditions and crashes.

Road race
Goals: Stay with the lead group, conserve my energy on the flats, go with all breaks and attack on the last climb if the lead group stays together.
HR: average 152, Max 176 (much better tempo than the last few road races). 
I had a great warm-up and easily got my HR up a few times followed by some quick recovery. My legs felt great and I was feeling very confident about the hilly race. On the start line I was feeling a little light headed but attributed this to nervous energy. I started the race in a great position and my legs felt great on the first climb. Well, to sum things up, I began to experience symptoms of my failed nutritional experiment before the first climb was even finished. I started to feel rather terrible but managed to stay with the lead group for a few laps but knew it was just a matter of time before I couldn’t keep this up. I ended up falling behind on the third lap and rode with a chase group of 8 girls. I really wanted to quit but convinced myself that if I recover metabolically, I need to keep riding to minimize my overall time loss in the stage race. I also thought that maybe if I recover I could make up the time on the climbs. After struggling for over half the race, I eventually recovered through my use of gels and complex carb mix. At 2 laps to go I worked really hard in my group and we managed to catch the lead group. I felt strong on the climbs and pushed the pace on the last climb (was climbing in 3rd position). A few girls dropped off from the lead group which would help the last sprint finish be a little less crowded. The tempo was steady until the finish where I sprinted for the line (8th) and a few of us ended up with the same time as the lead. Overall, I am happy that I persevered and learned that a road race is never over until you have crossed the finish line. Anything can happen!

TT
Goals: Ride between HR 160-170
I was excited about the TT after borrowing a TT bike and helmet and changing my TT position. I thought to myself “no excuses this time”. Well, I tried my very best but once again couldn’t manage to get my HR over 160. I finished mid-pack and learned that I need to ride more in the TT position and work on my flexibility. I definitely need to improve my TT skills as it was frustrating to see that the overall GC was mostly decided by one’s performance in the TT.

CRIT
Goal: make smart tactical decision and go with any break on this windy and tight course. 
The pace was quick from the start. I usually embrace the crit and love it when the pace is fast and furious and can usually tolerate riding between HR 165-175 for 45 min. My Hr during this crit was between 152-161 and I struggled to survive in the main group. A few girls attacked and I could not respond. I tried to bridge up near the end and realized that I was not going to be successful so I came back to the main group. I hung in until the end and placed mid pack. I was satisfied that I survived given that I mentally and physically had to push myself to just hang in. My best guess is that I was still recovering from the previous day's struggle....

[kiwichris]

Great reports from all of the team - time to put my 2 cents in

Ginny - WOW - what an amazing job in your first stage race - sounds like you rode intelligently throughout and were no match for the other riders - look forward to seeing you climb the ranks of female stage racing in BC

Matt - unfortunately due to your intestinal issues I don't think this race is a true reflection of your stage racing abilities. That aside - great road race under trying conditions - sounds like you had some legs there to hang with most of the cat 3 riders!!! TT -  oh my god!! This is a true testiment to specificity - stomach issues aside - to be a good TT rider - you need to ride more TT's. Position and flexibility are probably the key things holding you back - this can be worked on over time and should be a focus above and beyond your respiratory work.

Steve - way to go buddy - that Quail sure can move. Unlucky to take a detour through the ditch - but way to gut it out and stay in the pack. I hear it was THE decisive move in the whole race - BUMMER. Amazing TT effort and crit. Was there any weak links that you noticed? Breathing hard, legs feeling heavier etc....?

Jen - I can't wait to sort this metabolic issue out once and for all - so that we can use that force for good! With some glucose testing we may be delve a little deeper into this limitation for you. Way to hang in there on the RR, my comments echo Matts for your TT effort. Way to go in the crit!!

All in all - an admirable race for the BPR crew - great job flying the colours with distinction.

Hope you all have a great weekend at Robb's Ride (very jealous).

chris