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Reading the last few posts I can't help but feel that I'm bringing a knife to gun fight
[url= https://www.strava.com/activities/891455834 ]https://www.strava.com/activities/891455834[/url]
ftp 223, ~3.2W/kg
This week's lesson in racing is that a night out in Durham is poor preparation for a crit in Shrewsbury, although I didnt get shelled until around the 30 minute mark, and part of that was caused by having to take a grassy detour coming out of the bottom hairpin whilst trying to move up
[url= https://www.strava.com/activities/925072171 ]
https://www.strava.com/activities/925072171 [/url]
Looks like your knife is sharp though jd77 😉
You hung at 25mph for 30mins- nothing wrong with that. Better positioning and following the right wheel would have probably got you to the finish..
What did you expect doing it with a hangover?!? 😛
May have done some more adjustment to the bike (no size changes, it's perfect now)
[b]Before:[/b]
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[b]After:[/b]
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The new position forces me to bend my elbows, it's also much easier to grab the gears/brakes. I was actually complemented by a driver earlier for my quick reactions as a woman decided to turn left into a side street right in front of me - so it all works 😆
Looks great. I'm surprised you didn't go for a gold ladder though? 😆
Ha that's the decorators..
Looking at the pics again I think my saddle has slid back... 😳
Looks like your knife is sharp though jd77
You hung at 25mph for 30mins- nothing wrong with that. Better positioning and following the right wheel would have probably got you to the finish..
I suppose I should look at it that way, and at least I was starting to move up when I had to go offroad
What did you expect doing it with a hangover?!?
Would you believe that plan A was to attack early on and see what happened? 🙂 that went out of the window after about 15 seconds when the pack was strung out at 30mph after the 1st corner
The bike looks mint, just need to get an out front gps mount to save a few extra watts 😉
Here's mine with my race wheels and a specialized pavé seatpost fitted
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Well that was emotional 😀
Decided to have power showing, went a fraction too hard to start I'd say. HR was at FTHR after 5mins so nothing to do but cling on for dear life!
Ended up with 178bpm average so I can probably tweak my HR zones up a notch.
My FTP was exactly what Strava said it was for the year- 297w.
So... small increase to 3.46w/kg but a 13% increase in FTP since 10th Nov 2016 and the last comparable test.
I've also survived 8 weeks of Base training without slipping back so a return to intervals this week should push things on again.
If I can lift it another 13% in the next 6/7 months and drop a kilo or two, then 4.0w/kg should be obtainable by the end of year 🙂
2/3/4 at pimbo for me today. I had a 22 mile ride to get there so wasn't expecting to get much other than bunch experience out of it (I mainly do TTs so sometimes get a bit nervous in bunch stuff and need to do more of it to get more comfortable). God it was boring! There were a couple of half hearted attacks in the first half but nothing stuck and in the second half of the race I felt like I was rolling round in zone 2 until the last lap or two. The garmin file says it was a bit harder than that but it got to the point where everyone knew that no one would get away so no one even bothered trying!
You sound like Nath and Blobby 😀 I long for the day when I see Z2... then I'll know I've finally become a Crit racer 😆
To be fair pimbo was a 45 mile road race on a course with no technical features or hills so it was never going to be the same intensity as a crit. A few attacks were covered in the first hour but then everyone seemed to settle in and wait for the sprint without even bothering to attempt any attacks so it got a little dull for the last 15 miles or so!
Arrrggghhh!! Racing with the big boys tomorrow!
I did Strava-stalk last years Tuesday night 3/4's and they looked like they were no faster than the Winter Series/ WDMC ones have been.
However, Johnny raced there on Saturday in a 3/4 that was 27mph!!!!!
If that happens, it's gonna be humble pie for dinner I think 😆
I think the sunshine and wind or lack of it compared to winter could play a factor as people get a bit fitter, lighter and the conditions improve.
Looking at your feed etc, i'd say without doubt you're quicker, faster, stronger than you've ever been, so if you're going to do well, this is likely to be when you will 🙂
I'm kind of back to just wanting to finish with the bunch tomorrow although obviously another tick on TiReds list would be nice (top 1/3).
I've entered Thruxton next Tuesday instead as it's Cat4 only and then I'll decide which I prefer as this isf supposed to be fun too 😆
I offloaded a shedload of fatigue without too much loss to my fitness score last week so no excuses really!
Thruxton... interesting... tell us more...
Bah, can't get to facebook in the office. Plus i don't have a FB account anyway lol
Look on BC.
It's just a 4th cat Crit around Thruxton. MrBlobby did some last year. It's closer of course and Cat 4 only in the race I'll do so perhaps more chance..
I can't imagine it's as fun as Hillingdon as the corners are designed for slightly higher speeds perhaps 😆
I found Castle Coombe to be quite fun even with the corners being for higher speeds. Some of the corners still felt tight at 30mph in a bunch. The average speeds are high!
I think it will be an absolute blast CH, the hill coming back to the chicane/pits may be your downfall against the whippets though.
Thruxton. MrBlobby did some last year. It's closer of course and Cat 4 only in the race I'll do so perhaps more chance..
I did about 3 rounds there a couple of years ago. Didn't enjoy it much and it put me off crits until this thread popped up. Consensus seemed to be that the course usually resulted in a sprint finish and racing was pretty negative (at least in the 4's.)
Castle Coombe I think would be more fun.
Did the Keith Carter Memorial race yesterday.. it was a brutal affair. Its a 50 mile 3/4 race but yesterday was much tougher than previous years, according to strava, 8% faster than 2016 when a team mate TT specialist managed to solo off the front for the entire race, this year he was dropped.
Course had 3300ft of climb for 50 miles and all the climb came in 1 mile of each lap, this year a headwind made it an even bigger test
There were 2 sustained breakaways, the second only caught in the last 8 miles, by which time the peleton had been shredded to 15 of which I was one. On the penultimate climb however I got cramp and had to pull up, gutted! Looking at the top 3 I think they had the power to race at 1st cat or elite level.
Just returning to the how important is FTP question, I did my first fast chain gang of the year last week, and although my FTP is pretty much as good as it's ever been at around 4.4W/kg, I suffered like a dog for a 80 minute ride that had a NP of 280W (which should be pretty ok - bang on 4W/kg for me). I had done a 230km ride two days before, which contributed to my bad legs, but looking at my power file, I spent virtually no time at all at threshold or tempo. I was either soft pedalling at recovery/endurance power (45 minutes) or at vo2 max/anaerobic capacity levels (22 minutes). I think the ability to recover from big efforts quickly is just as, if not more, important than FTP for road riding and racing.
I cant see the relevance of FTP in road racing. I have no idea what mine is, I suspect it is just below 300. But in racing you are putting in various efforts ranging from anaerobic to recovery based on the terrain and bunch dynamic. I think that sprinting and climbing repeat efforts are much better to focus on as on race circuits you will be doing both of these things a lot!
I read my "ftp" from retrospective hard races. The really brutal circuit races that are an hour long and just full-on. Tuesday E123's at Hillingdon are just this, no recovery time and a roller-coaster ride.
I did a 25 TT yesterday and really struggled to get my heart rate into Z4 at all, so no FTP test there. This was on the back of 1200 km in three weeks. So recovery today and this week with no long rides.
Would like to cheer on CH in the 34 tomorrow and really love the E123 race, but I have a vets race Wednesday and a handicap on Thursday. Decisions, decisions.
Re FTP-
The thing is, virtually everything else is subjective. Strava times, race results, TT routes etc etc all depend on external factors such as wind, who else turns up and so on.
So while I think a fast recovery and 2-5 min power is what wins Crits, I'm hoping doing a consistently repeatable test every few months will at least give me a guide to my progress.
Also, to clarify, I only think the 4w/kg figure is important for me if the rest of my power curve increases by the same amount if that makes sense 🙂
My bike is prepared for tomorrow, I don't have a place as such but I'm hoping they can squeeze me in. 😆
FTP means nothing in racing, like we've said it's all about recovery times. However as CH as said it's an indicator as to whether or not your fitness level is increasing and another benchmark to compare yourself against others with.
Going to hopefully get a bike fit booked in next month, with my saddle moving itself backwards I found it more comfortable than it's current "correct" position. I've gone for a median approach for tomorrow. 😳
FTP means nothing in racing, like we've said it's all about recovery times.
These 2 things are actually [i][b]the same thing![/b][/i]*
When you do an effort above threshold you are dipping in to your anaerobic work capacity (W'). In order to recover, you need to drop down below threshold. How far below you can drop determines how fast your body can recover ready for the next effort.
You should do a bit of reading on Anaerobic Wok Capacity / W Prime - it can be a really useful tool to help you with intervals.
*Actually, this is Critical Power (CP), FTP would be the point just above cp where you will end up reducing W' to zero over a 1 hour effort. But these 2 things are very close in real terms.
You should do a bit of reading on Anaerobic Wok Capacity / W Prime - it can be a really useful tool to help you with intervals.
Interesting stuff (at least for someone with a Biochemistry degree :-))
I suppose the danger from worrying too much about CP/FTP etc is that you can suck the fun out of riding, especially when its nice out (I've no problem with flogging myself on the trainer during the winter months.
I suppose the danger from worrying too much about CP/FTP etc is that you can suck the fun out of riding
Indeed. But this thread is about racing. And if you want to really enjoy your racing, then training really needs to be structured and goal oriented. (unless you're a real masochist, and the real enjoyment of racing is from hanging off the back chewing the bars for an hour before getting dropped!)
But I always try to incorporate some unstructured rides into my schedule. Also social rides with friends are a good way to shut off from the power meter.
I think the thing is to forget about FTP as an absolute number and more consider it in terms of its actual significance as Lactate Threshold.
My NP in a race isn't far off of my FTP. Hence my 1450w sprint doesn't get a look in because I'm too knackered!
So I either need to raise my FTP so that the 290 odd watts I'm using to finish the race correlates to about Z3- or be braver in the bunch and use less watts to get to the last lap!!
CH has been educating me on this stuff after my comment 😆
Since Zwift season is now over I'm REALLY struggling to do structured training. If I go out for a ride I'll do random sprints for segments (such as broomfield hill in strava central park) but that's about as far as it goes.
I've tried doing Z1/Z2 rides outside, it doesn't work for me, even with headphones in I get really bored and can't face another cyclist overtaking me. 😳
Today's tactics, should I get a place, is to sit with the bunch and get myself comfortable in there (not sitting at the back for 40 mins then start to work). Purely racing for fun today - not intending to walk away with a point(s).
I don't think you need to worry Nath- just continue doing what has got you this far 😉
You've got enough fitness in hand to get a bit further I reckon....
A bit further?
If you did a training plan for me imagine the possibilities 8)
(and if I could stop eating like a gannet....)
I'm trying to stick with zwift a bit longer as last year I really lost structure once the club TT season kicked off in April and I peaked way too early. I may drop down to once per week though.
Speaking of which I'm now heading into a run of TTs so no more bunch stuff til early may at the earliest.
I'd get someone with a few more achievements under their belt to write the plan 😆
(Perhaps even one would be a start 😉 )
Indeed. But this thread is about racing. And if you want to really enjoy your racing, then training really needs to be structured and goal oriented. (unless you're a real masochist, and the real enjoyment of racing is from hanging off the back chewing the bars for an hour before getting dropped!)But I always try to incorporate some unstructured rides into my schedule. Also social rides with friends are a good way to shut off from the power meter.
i find it really difficult to do proper structured training outside, so my road rides end up being pretty unstructured. In order to get some improvement, last year I decided to join one of the fast training rides in the area
[url= https://www.strava.com/activities/929588272/segments/22692419896 ]Mammoth Chainy[/url] which at least gives me high intensity ride each week. It's also reasonably (type 2) fun.
I also try to make sure i get at least 1 MTB ride per week to try and break up the 'effort' rides (which is basically anytime I get on the road bike)
My NP in a race isn't far off of my FTP. Hence my 1450w sprint doesn't get a look in because I'm too knackered!
So I either need to raise my FTP so that the 290 odd watts I'm using to finish the race correlates to about Z3- or be braver in the bunch and use less watts to get to the last lap!!
My NP for my last 3 races has been around 238W, which suggests that A) my ftp might be set a bit low, and B) I spend too much time at the back of the field 🙂
I think you probably put out enough power to be in the mix at the sharp end of races, so the areas for improvement are positioning (comes with experience) and weight loss (comes with riding more). you may also want to work on your flexibility and core strength so that you can spend more time in an aero position
Today's tactics, should I get a place, is to sit with the bunch and get myself comfortable in there (not sitting at the back for 40 mins then start to work). Purely racing for fun today - not intending to walk away with a point(s).
good luck nath 🙂
Well that was really good fun! It felt the safest bunch I've ever ridden in.
The only moment came a few laps in when one lad CX'd it up the bank at the start of the main straight. I had to burn a serious match to get back on but at least I avoided crashing into him.
Nath and I found ourselves on the front row by accident and Nath followed through on his joke to launch a CX style attack off the line. Luckily he eased up after 300m 😆
NP was 295w, speed was 27mph until two laps to go when I quietly dropped off the back of the bunch.
I was quite pleased that my two solo laps after that were 2min25 each though- that's a solo PB.
With hindsight, I probably wasn't aggressive enough. There weren't too many opportunities to move up but once or twice I did and instead of carrying my momentum to the front, I sat in about half way back.
On a few occasions, I spotted the front going ballistic way before the guys around me which meant I was able to follow the move much easier than them as I didn't give the elastic as much room to stretch as they did.
The weather helped of course, but it was a great evening (if a little short lived lol!) and if I don't enjoy Thuxton next week then I'll not hesitate to come back- I didn't feel out of my depth.
Haha it was too hard to resist when being at the front of the start. I found myself at the front a couple more times by accident.
I stuck to my plan though, stayed mid bunch all the way through building my confidence and trust in those around me.
I'm glad I wasn't the only person shocked when they announced it would be 5+5 only (circa 10 miles). This blew my chillout with the bunch out of the water.
My normalised power isn't showing up: https://www.strava.com/activities/938058299
Heart rate much higher than usual as I've had 3 coffees today and my stomach was cramped (not supposed to have coffee or cows milk 😳 ).
I was surprised it wasn't faster than it was after they said that! Seeing a few of the guys warming up, I thought some would break but it seemed like it stayed together??
My Speed drills have paid off. Cadence was up to 92 average and I was happy through the bends at 100+ I was also able to follow moves with some 120rpm bursts rather than having to change up.
Everyone at the front was just waiting for someone to make a move, but it never came. Normally that's when I do something silly because I can't hold my nerve/get bored.
I headed down to Hillingdon today to do a few laps to shake off last night, however a club had booked it so I left them to it.
Annoyed at a wasted 12 mile trip on some of the crapiest roads for a cyclist I decided to do an FTP test to see where I'm at.
[url= https://www.strava.com/activities/858620594 ]FTP Test 1 07/02/17 = 305w[/url]
[url= https://www.strava.com/activities/939188689 ]FTP Test 2 12/04/2017 = 315w[/url]
Happy with that, although I'm wondering If I had done it while fresher/not having ridden to hillingdon and back as to whether it would have been higher.
BUT it's nice to see an increase! I'll do them monthly to see where I'm at.
a wasted 12 mile trip on some of the crapiest roads for a cyclist
Heh, I've tried to find a decent route through that area but there just isn't one.
(I work at Hammersmith Hospital; often ride from Hillingdon to there, via Southall, Ealing, Acton.)
Good job, Nath. Always nice to see an increase. 4.5 is damn good for a Cat3
What's the rest of your power profile like? (W/Kg for 5s, 1m, 5m)
https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/power-profiling/
Ever since I stopped weight training my sprint power has gradually tailed off - but my weight is also down, so other durations have improved in balance (and given I mostly do time trials and hill climbs nowadays, that's not the end of the world. I'm currently at (bests over last 6 months):
5s - 17.2
1m - 10.7
5m - 6.1
FTP - 4.5
So your relative strength is at VO2MAX. In order to get good results somewhere like Hillingdon, you're going to need to get away in a small group when there's a lull in the pace, use your 5m power to build a lead, then TT to the finish. When the pace starts to ramp up at the end you don't have the raw power (on most occasions) to snap the elastic - and if you can, it will be such a huge effort that it will leave you empty and not able to push on.
I have the classic 'pursuiter' profile, which either means I'm gifted for short efforts, or I need to HTFU during longer ones. 🙄
Mine are
5s - 11.4
1m - 5.9
5m - 4.09
20m - 3.37
FTP - 3.23
Which gives me the profile of a (rubbish) all rounder
Looks like I'm going to have to hit the weights, or get in the break of 3/4 road races if im going to get out of 4th Cat
@nathb 315W is impressive; its basically in the same ball park as the Mammoth Team riders (the ones that get free bikes and kit), and they're all cat1/2
Are you guys quoting powers from flat efforts or up hills? The reason I ask is I find my 1 min power is about 1.5w/kg lower on the flats (maybe more if I specifically went for a 1 min hill climb effort).
Raced the first Hillingdon Masters 50+ race last night. Normally the 40-50 and 50+ are run as one race, but last night they were not. We started a minute (half a lap) behind, and set off at a modest pace. I attacked a lot, chased a lot, eventually broke away with one other, and generally tried for a good workout (Zone 4 TT). We were caught by the 40-50 bunch, who then slowed to the extent that me and my wheelsucker were forever trying not to draft the other bunch as I rode past them on the LHS telling the youngsters to stay out of the way! The wheelsucker seemed happy to sit on the back of the other bunch - a strict no-no. A few signs were put up about being one race, then drop back, which I did - only to overtake again! Finally a group of 8 riders caught me, but we merged with the 40-50 bunch when the lap board for 3 to go (for the 50+ only) was shown. Chaos, we had to sprint through a bunch of riders some of whom thought it was the end of their race too.
Anyway I was sixth in the 50+, some points but better, felt strong and lapped in 2:09 on the race bike (faster than TT bike last week when it was windy). Needs to be just the one race though really as in the past. My average speed was a 4th cat 40 km/h, compared with 48 for the 40-50 race. At the pointy end, there really is no difference in abilities.
Woah! That sounds like carnage. Worse then when the guys at the front of the Cat 4 pack pull us alongside the women and turn the power off 😆
Great job on your position and points 🙂
DQ'd 🙁
Doh!!!!!
How come?!?
Broke away with one other and kept getting mixed up with the second race peloton. I tried to avoid them but they kept slowing then speeding up. All a bit of a mess.
Oh well, separate 50-60 race tomorrow to compensate.
So cadence.....
Did 4x 10min intervals just now.
280, 290, 300 and 310w respectively with 3mins at 150w in between.
Now, I don't mind saying that for whatever reason, I was toast after the 300w interval. HR was around 174 for that one.
I had planned on doing an 8-10 min climb afterwards as a Force workout at low cadence.
So instead, I decided to scrap that idea and do the last interval as the Force session.
Now the first three had been 85rpm. But this one was 65rpm @ 310w.
And guess what? That one was 7bpm lower than the 85rpm 300w interval!!
Now, I've been proud of how I've trained myself to spin faster in races, adding 13rpm to my average across a race.
Perhaps this is a red herring? Because I'm strong/fat, perhaps I should be lowering my cadence on the downhills and flats to aid recovery??
Are you guys quoting powers from flat efforts or up hills?
My 1m and 5 min power numbers are from hill efforts.
I did a 5 min effort on the flat the other day that was about 0.5W/Kg down on my best.
It's not just about strength, it's also about acceleration. Much easier to spin up and accelerate with a bunch than jump up out the saddle and honk after the breakaway. You'll use a lot less energy overall by spinning in that situation.
Good work though. You aren't short of power, that's for certain
Yeah, I totally get that side of it and have noticed exactly that benefit.
But during a lull, I'm wondering whether I should change up a gear or two to help calm the HR..
Nath and I were playing "HR elastic band" during warm up on Tuesday and it was noticeable how much quicker his HR dropped than mine from a similar number- proving that great aerobic fitness he's got!!
Also, you may be at a lower HR, but the idea of higher cadence is to work the aerobic systems more than the anaerobic ones so that you still have sprint strength in your legs when you need it. In this case, you will obviously have a higher HR.
Obviously, everyone can be a bit different, so my spinning cadence may be different to yours.*
* Random aside, one of my clubmates had a crack at the medium gear 25 on Sunday. He clocked a 54.08 on the E2 and averaged 132rpm - on fixed! That was 2nd all time to Zak Carr. Crazy.
Yes- I totally get that I've just proved the point that altering your cadence switches the load from one system to the other.
The thing is, I'm not getting to the pointy end to use my sprint anyway right now so I'm just thinking of ways to maximise the potential of what I have on tap at this moment in time.
I guess I could test it on Zwift over a couple of weeks. 20mins at CP60 followed by a sprint. One week at 70rpm, one week at 90rpm. Best sprint wins 🙂
My bike handling is pretty good IMO and I feel as happy as I'm going to get in the bunch now so I either need to find a way to get better results with what I have or stop wasting entry fees until I'm fitter 🙂
That race on Tuesday lost me 1 fitness point on Strava F+F 😆
132 for nearly an hour is CRAZY!!!
Gray is a bit of a spinner isn't he? Raced at Hillingdon last night too. I quite fancy MG fixed too.
Spent 75 minutes lapping Milton Keynes Bowl this afternoon in a 50+ E1234 race. Arrived 10 minutes before the start, so what warm-up? Attacked, attacked, attacked again. Two got away and I tried to bridge, but it was "chase the guy in blue day". Attacked after a Prime too 🙂 . No joy and I bunch sprint with a lot of old trackies out of winter hibernation. Was about 13/50-odd. Was pretty negative racing to be honest, but the course has only a very shallow gradient anti-clockwise, so getting away is hard.
Another tomorrow, but I may be poking the tiger to get a pass for that one!
Gray is a bit of a spinner isn't he? Raced at Hillingdon last night too
He certainly is.
Greg was also there from The Park. Apparently he tried to bridge to Gray's group but just failed to get there, and finished in the bunch. I'm hoping to get down to a couple of vets races this year (big four-oh in 2 weeks 😯 ), but the Mrs does yoga and it's also our club TT series on Wed evenings. Will see how it goes.
Good luck tomorrow @TiRed!!
Quite enjoying sticking the headphones in and lapping around Hillingdon - going to head back there on Sunday morning. Today I was towing West Drayton cycle club around with me 😆
57 Mile FTR spring classic 2/3/4 for me today, in classic conditions.. 5C and driving rain. 80 started 40 finished. Was happy with a bunch finish (and to finish at all) after 57 miles @ 25 mph :-0 in those conditions. Borderline hypothermia at the finish.
I think the weather made it harder, as people slowed almost to a standstill on the corners, and then it was mental acceleration up to 30mph
Sounds grim Djglover!! Well done on getting through it.
I'm switching to Thruxton tomorrow for a change of scenery and Cat4 only.
I went off piste on my training plan over the weekend. I skipped Friday's recovery ride, did Sunday's long Z2 on Saturday instead of some 5min Anaerobic Endurance intervals and then a 3 man chain gang on Sunday.
I'm not sure what I ended up was as Crit focussed as what I had planned- but I was eventually pleased with Sunday's ride. It took an hour to warm up and shake off Saturday's miles 😀
Recovery day today but will be interesting to see how the legs feel.
Crosshair warming up at Thruxton
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2 laps done and he's sitting in about 11th near front of pack. Its quite spread out but none dropped
5 laps, mid bunch. Hard to say from here if he's going OK or struggling. But he's in there!
Wooo go CH!!
How long (miles) is the circuit??
Starting last lap, he's in bunch but looks from here like hard work to hold
2.5 ish?
Spread out a bit in last few corners but he finish in the back half of bunch.
Shouldn't have skipped my anaerobic intervals 😆
After I'd calmed down from my first lap heroics, I just sat in, ebbed and flowed with the attacks and waited!
Approaching the bell, I was drifting off the back but didn't panic, just held my power and let it come back to me.
By the bottom of the hill (finish is Hill, Chicane, Sprint a little like Hillingdon anti-clockwise) I was in perfect position! I couldn't believe it!!
So when the front five launched, I picked a wheel and went!
Doing great! Just got to hold it for what, 40 more seconds?
Uh- no. Died a death 😀
The guys who'd backed my horse to tow them to the line weren't impressed 😉
Still buzzing- I nearly pulled that off for a point!!!!
Well done CH!
At least you're identifying tactics for next time - it's all a big game of cycle chess!
Sounds like it will come CH!
My biggest mistake was switching Time to Laps on my Garmin. (It was a 9 lap race).
Because we started from the pits, Autolap didn't work so I had no idea where we were!!
I didn't hear my 20min alert either so subsequently I tipped another full bottle of SIS electrolytes away 🙁
It might have gotten me to the chicane before I died at any rate 😀
Sounds exciting crosshair, well done!
Thanks! I've entered next week over and above a return to Zwift racing at any rate!
Rode back to back 3/4 and E123 races at Hillingdon. The 3/4 was a 14 lap points thrash. Felt like a bunch time trial. Desperate for points. Finished top third but really didn't enjoy it at all. By contrast the E123 was smooth and fast. New PR of 1:53 for a lap. Reverse race tactics so first third was at the back, mid third was middle and last third was at the pointy end. Felt good for the last lap acceleration and held position throughout. Was fifth third cat, about 20th overall and very pleased. Rode 50 km home via tea at the clubhouse. Time trialling tomorrow...
Nath you need to race these E123s. You'll learn a LOT about how to race. The 3/4 is best avoided CH. Too pointy for 4ths to progress and too edgy for proper racing 3rds. It was much more fun when there were no points up for grabs.
Nice one TiRed.
Now you've done a E123 you can't go back to the 3/4?
I still don't feel 100% in the bunch yet, I'm not racing for points but experience at the moment and mentally I feel that 3/4 is where I belong. Hopefully I'll be employed by the end of the week so will make a return to racing in the next week or so....do a few 3/4s to get into the spirit of things then do the E123s. Particularly if CH has ditched Hillingdon 😆 May try Thruxton at some point too!