Masters Team Update
Members of our master team will be headed to the Wayne Elliot Circuit Race on Saturday and the Blue Hills Classic on Sunday. These races will be fast and flat. The weekend looks to be spectacular for bike racing. Much better than the conditions we’ve had this week.
Vermont Sun Triathlon Series 2010
Just a short little plug for the Vermont Sun Tri Series. These are great events that take place in and around Lake Dunmore in Salisbury, VT. Two of our beloved sponsors (Fit Werx and VT Chiropractic and Sports Therapy) also sponsor these events and for good reason; they are some of the best events in the region. If you are a triathlete and are looking for some races to do, check out www.rushtonsports.com.
Bicycle Racing 101
I raced Turtle Pond this past weekend. At the beginning of the season I committed myself to doing the Masters 35+ category whenever there was one. This category is an interesting category because you have ex-pros mixed in with cat 1-4 riders. The field at Turtle Pond was about 36 riders. This is small in comparison to the other fields. The more races I do in this field the more I am realizing that success depends much more on tactics than on fitness. Of course you need fitness, but you also need to pay attention.
The 35+ race started fast. I stayed near the front, trying to mark the fliers as best I could. Two teams were present with more than 5 guys, so knew it was a matter of time before the machine gun attacks would begin. Sure enough, one right after the other launched off the front. I chased. I chase again. I chase again and again and again. Then I realized I was the only one doing this. So I stopped. Another guy launched off the front, followed by two more. Then two more. Know one chased them. Their teammates came to the front and blocked. Away they went.
I was too tired at this point to do anything about it. I just watched them ride away. We were only 8 miles into a 57 mile race. I accepted the fact that I missed the decisive move. Then, after about 20 miles it happened again. 3-4 riders broke free and nobody chased. So I did. The peloton followed me. We caught them. Then it happened again and nobody chased. Away they went.
It was at this point I realized there were three types of riders in this field. The experienced riders from the big teams knew they could continue to attack until nobody would chase them. The less experienced or less fit riders were just trying to sit in and survive. The third type of rider in this field was plenty fit, but lacked support and was relegated to doing most of the work to bring back the breaks. This was me and maybe 3 or 4 others. I think I worked harder in this capacity than I would have if I made the early break.
There are more than a few lessons here:
#1. Get 4-5 teammates to race with you. This will allow you to cover more breaks and share the work should you have to chase.
#2. Know who you are racing against. Certain guys have the legs to get away. Be sure to mark them.
#3. Don’t do too much work too early. If no other riders want to work, it will be along day anyway.
#4. Race more. The more experience you have racing in the same field the better you know the competition.
Last but not least, try and have fun even if you get stuck riding with wheel suckers. We’ve all been there.
The 2010 Prouty Century
Dear Rider:
On behalf of Impulse CYCLEsport of Shelburne, VT and Fit Werx of Waitsfield, VT, I would like to invite you to participate in the 2010 Prouty Bike Ride. This event is one of the most challenging and rewarding cycling events in the North East. From the Prouty website:
Participants in The Prouty and The Prouty Ultimate come together to celebrate and support the courage of cancer patients and survivors everywhere and to raise money for crucial cancer research and important patient services at this nationally-recognized cancer center. Since 1982, The Prouty has raised more than $9 MM in the fight against cancer.
Please consider joining us for this amazing event. Our goal is to raise at least $5,000 as a team. Information on The Prouty can be located online at www.theprouty.org. Cycling events include 20, 35, 50, and 100 miles. It is my hope that our team will commit to the 50- or 100-mile events.
As part of our team you qualify for the Fit Werx gives back program and a discounted Fit Werx jersey for the event. With every pre-event purchase made at Fit Werx, Fit Werx will donate three percent (3%) of your pre-tax spending to The Prouty up to $300. You will also be provided a customized training program from Impulse CYCLEsport to get you primed and ready for The Prouty.
The event will be held on Saturday, July 10, 2010. If you would like to join us please email me at impulsecyclesport@gmail.com. You can register as a member of the Impulse CYCLEsport-Fit Werx team on The Prouty website. We would love to have you! Download the official invitation here: Prouty Invitation
Many thanks,
Mike Burris
Director, Impulse CYCLEsport
802.497.4882
The Red Zone
I remember doing the Green Mountain Stage Race for the first time. I think I had done one bike race before that. Nothing like starting with the hardest race in the North East! During the prologue we turned up the Sugarbush access road. I watched the pack ride away as my heart rate skyrocketed to 190 bpm. I didn’t know it could go that high. I reached the top of the climb absolutely crushed and dizzy. The second day I was dropped on a climb again. I made it to the finish and dropped out of the race.
I trained for that race by riding a lot with no real plan. I figured if I could go the distance, I would be fine. Obviously I did not know how to train. What was I doing wrong?
The answer is obvious to anyone who knows anything about competitive cycling. You have to train your body to handle repeated maximum efforts. At the time, I had know idea what a max effort was. All it took was a little race experience to reveal that.
Developing your endurance in the anaerobic zone, sometimes referred to as the “Red Zone” or “the match burning zone,” is critical to success as a bike racer in the North East. Typically the climbs are short and steep, lasting less than 5 minutes. This was very much the case in the Tour of the Battenkill this past weekend. Criteriums are also common in New England and require repeated anaerobic efforts. Developing this ability requires some pain tolerance and diligence.
I usually recommend establishing a solid base with 8-12 weeks of easy to moderate riding before beginning any anaerobic endurance work. If you are new to cycling, proceed carefully. These intervals are extremely taxing and can cause injury, over-training, and burnout. I typically take two approaches to anaerobic work: 1) interval training and 2) racing or race pace group rides.
Racing and race-pace group rides are my preferred method of training because the competitive nature of these rides cause me to ride much harder. I am always amazed at how much harder I will go in a break or on a climb when riding competitively than I will when training by myself. Nothing trains you for racing better than racing.
Most weeks, I still have to do an interval session or two. Typically workouts for me are a few sets of 5 x 1 minute, 5 x 3 minutes, or 5 x 5 minutes with equal rest. Obviously power is higher the shorter the duration. The shorter intervals I do on flat sections focusing on my sprint or breakaway abilities. The longer intervals I tend to do on short to moderate climbs. I will continue to do intervals until I see about a 10% drop in power from the second or third interval. Then it is time to stop.
These intervals hurt. They are not fun. But, they are essential if you want to improve your race results or your performance at the local hammerfest.
mb
Tour of the Smack and Kill
Oooooh baby! The Tour of the Battenkill was a good one. Having never done it before, it certainly exceeded my expectations. I would rank it up there with the hardest races in the North East. I would also rank it as one of the most enjoyable. The race directors did a fabulous job and I send them many shout outs for putting on such a great race.
Now about the race itself: Category 30+, 62 miles, sun, wind, temps hoovering in the area of high 40s to low 50s. The questions: 2 water bottles or 3? Leg warmers or embrocation? Vest, no vest? The answers: 3 bottles, warmers, and the vest.
Thankfully I stuck an extra water bottle in my vest. When we hit the first dirt road section, not even 30 seconds into it, I hit a pot hole so hard I thought I’d snapped my steering tube. One of my bottles went flying and my handlebars shifted forward. Now my brake hoods looked like Andy Shleck’s and my computer was at a 45 degree angle. I thought about stopping, but I resigned myself to riding on the tops and surviving on two water bottles.
I settled in after that jarring beginning and concentrated on my position especially before the climbs. I would start the climbs in the front. Sometimes I would stay there. Sometimes I would drift back. Either way, I stayed with the lead group. The pace was fairly relaxed except for the climbs. The boys hit the gas on the climbs. Hard. On the flats we cruised at a slow enough pace that many racers that were dropped on the climbs managed to reconnect. I didn’t quite get this. I got used to navigating the dirt sections so as to not hit any more pot holes. It did hit a few, but not as hard.
The final kilometers included some deep rollers and a final climb, before flattening out to the finish. With about 10 K to go, the leaders hit the gas and strung out what was left of the peloton. I was at the back which was poor positioning on my part. A small group of riders escaped leaving the rest of us looking like a splintered mess.
It was clear that this situation deflated most of those left in the wake of the leaders. We started to reassemble and organize a chase, but only a few ponied up to pull. I still had some legs and thankfully it was enough to take off with two other guys and gun it for the finish. We finished just under 4 minutes behind the winner.
The Tour of the Battenkill is the kind of race that makes you better, no matter what happens. You will never improve unless you really challenge yourself. For me, this race was the perfect length and intensity at this stage of training. It will surely pay dividends over the next few weeks. My results could have been better (I think I could have been top 20), but not bad at all. I am definitely satisfied with my performance and I know exactly what I need to work on in weeks to come.
The only real complaint I have on the day is this: The new bibs we received from Louis Garneau absolutely suck.
Ride Fast, mb
Our 2010 Team Sponsors!
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