Eagle, ID — It’s been quite windy this weekend which made for a really tough race today. For our team ride yesterday, we rode out to the course and did a couple laps. The wind was blowing at a constant 20 MPH making what should have been an easy pre-race ride, hard. I did a few pushes during the ride and my power looked pretty good. I picked up Heather at the airport last night and we were both glad she was back home. With all the recent events, it’s just been a whirlwind for her.
Today was the second race of the George’s Spring Series called the Hillsdale circuit race. Hillsdale is a large acreage subdivision north of Star, Idaho. There’s a 5-mile circuit with a 1 kilometer hill in it that has been used for races ever since they paved Can Ada Rd a few years ago. It is a really nice course with sweeping turns and a few rollers. But the wind and the hill will be the major factors today. It was sunny but the wind was blowing pretty, making it feel colder than it really was. Ted, Heather and I drove to the course and parked. This time there was no line at registration so we were able to get our numbers and have time for a quick team meeting then get on our trainers. I only warmed up for 20 minutes. Just riding in zone 1 felt fine and my power was good. When I pushed it I was able to get my power up but it felt a little harder than it should have.
I decided to ride the race with my PowerTap even though it was a weight penalty, especially on this hilly course. I figure since this was a “C” priority race, I rather have the data. If I’m not riding well, a couple hundred grams from my rear wheel won’t make that much of a difference. The race started on time and we were off. We had Klaas, Justin, Ted and myself representing Intermountain Orthopaedics. The first lap was spirited but nothing too hard. Justin and Klaas spent time at the front. The first time up the hill was pretty hard for me, but not all-out. Then on the second lap, the attacks started to come. Little breaks would get off and everyone would chase. The second time up the hill was harder and I was hurting. I glanced down at my PowerTap and saw my heart rate at 190!
From that point on I was maxing out quite often. Attacks would come on the plateau after the hill and without much of a draft it was hard to hang on. Eventually, a large break got off with many of the teams represented. When it did I was already spent from the efforts and couldn’t do anything about it. The next few times up the hill I almost quit. I hung in and ended up with a group of about six riders. Ted and Justin also eventually ended up in this group. Each time up the hill they were pushing the pace and I would get dropped. I managed to catch back on a few times but by the seventh lap, it took me the whole lap to catch back on. I caught the group right at the bottom of the hill, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to hang with them on it, so I just switched to time trial mode.
So I rode solo for the last two laps and ended up finishing 13th. I guess that’s not too bad, but I wasn’t riding like I should have been given my winter training. Ted and Justin finished not too far behind me then Klaas come in shortly after. After downloading my power, I realized I wasn’t as fresh as I should have been. I actually put out 60 more watts on the hill on Saturday’s ride than during the race. A sure sign that I was fresher then. Though I did break my 3-minute CP (critical power) today, I just don’t have the max type power yet. Between two weeks of recovery plus a hard ride the day before, I can see why my performance suffered. At least that’s what I hope is the cause. I think I’m out of the overtraining lull I’ve been in, but won’t know for sure until I resume my full training this week.