My training programme specifically stated - Local Race Saturday and Long Ride Sunday....but the weather and race programme meant that I did:-
a) Long Ride on Saturday - I rode 90kms on my own, didint even take the IPOD, it was a non specific ride and after my two hard sessions on the windtrainer during the week, my legs felt fairly trashed by the end of the ride...the best part was that it was drizzling for the last 2 kms, then I had a shower and as soon as I went back outside, it was bucketing down rain....heavy rain which I missed by 10 minutes and I still got a long ride in.
b) Club Race today - Three grades in local club and I rode B grade and the first ten minutes I struggled like always as I wasnt really that warmed up as I had only got off night shift 40 minutes earlier (did get a couple of hours sleep on and off during my shift), felt ok not too tired at the start. After the second intermediate sprint, a break of two formed and I took 4 laps to chase them down and all I could think of was Chris Carmichael's voice from the DVD saying "this is where we put money in the Bank" well I was making big withdrawals from the Bank during those four laps, we had a huge headwind in the main straight and tailwind in the back straight so speeds were up to 48 in the back straight and around 31-35 in main straight, it was hard work. I bridged the gap and even got a second in the final intermediate sprint and took off about 200 metres from home for the win, was coming second and pipped at the post, maybe if I had have been in a bigger gear, things might have been better (not sure about that). I was very excited to have earned some points for the day which are hard to get and to have raced very hard. I think the DVD helps with mental focus and it fits in well with Bob's training programme as I have to do 5 minute efforts in that and they are HARD.
a) Long Ride on Saturday - I rode 90kms on my own, didint even take the IPOD, it was a non specific ride and after my two hard sessions on the windtrainer during the week, my legs felt fairly trashed by the end of the ride...the best part was that it was drizzling for the last 2 kms, then I had a shower and as soon as I went back outside, it was bucketing down rain....heavy rain which I missed by 10 minutes and I still got a long ride in.
b) Club Race today - Three grades in local club and I rode B grade and the first ten minutes I struggled like always as I wasnt really that warmed up as I had only got off night shift 40 minutes earlier (did get a couple of hours sleep on and off during my shift), felt ok not too tired at the start. After the second intermediate sprint, a break of two formed and I took 4 laps to chase them down and all I could think of was Chris Carmichael's voice from the DVD saying "this is where we put money in the Bank" well I was making big withdrawals from the Bank during those four laps, we had a huge headwind in the main straight and tailwind in the back straight so speeds were up to 48 in the back straight and around 31-35 in main straight, it was hard work. I bridged the gap and even got a second in the final intermediate sprint and took off about 200 metres from home for the win, was coming second and pipped at the post, maybe if I had have been in a bigger gear, things might have been better (not sure about that). I was very excited to have earned some points for the day which are hard to get and to have raced very hard. I think the DVD helps with mental focus and it fits in well with Bob's training programme as I have to do 5 minute efforts in that and they are HARD.
Actually I began this blog and called it the Dreaded Diary Pages as I always used to say to a couple of the guys I ride with, if I ever got to the top of a hill before them, that I would have to write that in the diary and Nige, who is one of those guys, was having a "day after the night before" ride, as he was struggling and I think that the two nights on the grog didnt help, after the second intermediate sprint Nige just never recovered which meant for me it was a "DIARY ENTRY DAY"So overall today I am happy that in just under two weeks I have raced TWICE which is a record for me and good in that I have a fear of racing and so I am trying to just get on the start lines more often. Not sure if you call it a fear, but I certainly get very anxious. I was the only girl in B grade but it was fun...hard at times especially when I was chasing the two breakaways.
Shane got second in A grade today which was great as Ashley Lucas raced and he is very strong and seemed to play with the A grade bunch.
My legs are tired now...not shocking but feel like they have done some work today and tommorrow is a day off the bike. My roster has changed this week so I might have to adapt my training programme a bit, will ring Bob later. I have got my long ride in and a race this weekend!! WOO HOO
2 comments:
Awesome stuff. Well done in the race. I better get my act together and start racing B-Grade again after reading this. :-)
Also, I was wondering already where your blog title came from. Thanks for explaining. It makes sense now. Well, it was certainly a day for the diary for you, hey?! Good on ya.
Thanks Groover....but be assured, our local club B grade is nothing huge....The B grade I rode about a week and a half ago was much harder.....but I will still take a second in the final intermediate sprint and third overall ...thanks....Your ride in the fusion crit sounded awesome and it has moticvated me to do more racing!!!
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