Monday, June 29, 2009

I can't Sprint!

Race name: 2009 ACA Summer Criterium Series

Date and start time: 06/23/2009; 07:00 pm

Location: Washington Blvd Cycling Oval, Pittsburgh

Type/distance: 0.5 mile banked Cycling Oval; 35 laps in total

Competitors to watch: Samspon (Prographic team)

Weather: 75 degF, hot and humid

Course condition: good

Race goal: Get placing

Race strategy: Save energy until the last 3 laps

Pre-race meal:
1300 - 1 Pop-tart (210 kcal)
1400 - 1 Swiss Miss hot cocoa (120 kcal)
1500 - 1 Pop-tart (210 kcal)
1700 - 4 Hammer gels (360 kcal) and 1 bottle of Cytomax (180 kcal)

Mid-race meal :
A couple of sip of water

Warm-up description:
8 min Tempo (2 min Recovery)
2X 2 min Power Interval (2 min Recovery)
30 sec Speed Interval
Endurance Miles for the rest of the time
Total 1 hour

Start-line arousal level(1-5): 5

Results: Finished in last one-third

Power files start/end point: 1'01"59/1'41"58

What I did well:
1. Followed my recommendation from last race

What I need to improve:
1. Timing for sprint
2. Sprint power - I think I haven't been doing this training for a while
3. Cornering

Aches/pains/problems afterwards:
None

Comments on or description of how race developed:
I started at the front again, but this time, I made an effort to hold back on the last neutral lap, and drifted back to the third position.

I positioned well until half-way through the race, and I was actually in the 2nd position for the 2nd prime until the last 100 feet. I decided to hunt for the prime, but someone started the sprint a second ahead of me. When I tried to follow him, I almost caused a cramp in my left leg.

After this, I slowed down and my goal for the rest of the race was to keep my left leg from cramping. As I stayed closer to the back of the field, I noticed how much easier it was than staying at the front. Perhaps I should do that a bit more often.

Because of my leg problem, I made a couple of steering error and scared the people behind me. At the third corner in one of the last few laps, I was behind someone and got too close, so I had to move to the outside lane. As I did so, I got yelled at by a marshal to hold the line. I guess that was becuase I moved too far out but not because of the maneuver itself.

I tried to advance to the front at the last three laps, but I went too forward when there's one lap to go, and didn't have the energy to jockey for positon. I finished in the last one-third.

Drew and Samson tried to broke away during the race but didn't succeed. They thought it was because they went too hard at the outbound section but not hard enough at the inbound section. Also, one of the experienced rider said the best place to initiate a breakaway and advance shoud be at the inbound section, or right after the 4th corner. Becuase of the small "hump" at this part of the course, most people slow down, and thus provide a better opportunity to attack or advance.

I think I need to learn from people who placed well in the last few races, especially in terms of finding a good position in the race. Here is a list of the people and ways to recognize them:
Kevin - my racing partner in Ft Cherry race. He did quite well in this race, given that this was his first criterium. I think he got 15th.
John - he wears a blue Tour of PA jersey
Samson - he wears a ProGraphics jersey and a LG red helmet

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

台灣需要繞圈練習賽


Chris Mayhew(左)- 職業教練, 17年經驗的選手], 匹茲堡自行車賽圈的重要資產, 及一個很棒的人

上星期六(6月20日)我參加一個公路車競賽入門的講習. 主講者是Chris Mayhew. 一些有經驗的選手如Steve Cummmings幫忙一些雜務如帶領輪車. 講習內容大略如下:

為什麼參加比賽?
-挑戰自我
-促使自己再上一層樓

比賽的種類
-繞圈賽
-公路賽
-計時賽
-Cyclocross
-場地賽

裝備需求
-公路車
-安全帽
-有袖的車衣

如何找到比賽
ACA
Pittsburgh Masters Velo Club
True Sport
Bike Reg
Iplayoutside

基本技巧
-你的前輪是你的責任
--它是唯一”可動”的部分
--你不應把你的前輪放在前面騎士的後輪的左右側
-輪車
--手勢
---鼓動手肘: 鼓動側是你要後面騎士前來的位置
---揮手: 較危險因為手要離開把手
-過彎
--找一個空置的停車場或沒車的路練習
--內側腳要在12點鍾方向

大部分的內容在我參加Panther Cycling Club團練時就提過. 但是我想要看Chris作為一個專業的教練如何帶領這個講習, 而我事實上還是學到不少東西. 其中一個主要的課題就是繞圈練習賽的重要性. 新手往往做出許多危險的動作, 例如急煞車, 過度左右晃動, 或是前輪和其他選手的後輪攪和在一起. 在ACA繞圈練習賽系列中, 動態裁判(有經驗的選手義務擔任)跟隨在集團後方, 指正錯誤的動作並給予立即的指導. 一個較新引進的任務是再C級(入門)及女子比賽充當前五圈的前導車. 這是因為新手往往會有卡入踏板的困難, 而當他們卡入後, 較有經驗的選手早已繞了大半圈. 這會讓他們十分挫折而且可能造成危險. 當一個動態裁判是很花時間的. Chris說他在每個比賽都要花費約五小時. 然而, 他們讓比賽更安全更易入門. 所以, 一定要給他們鼓鼓掌!

另外有一些規則讓ACA繞圈訓練賽系列更安全. 例如, 參加人數限制在35人. 這是因為人越多, 比賽越難控制, 選手也更多機會碰撞在一起. 較少人也讓新手更易學習如何跟住集團. 此外, 在每場比賽前都有個講習, 由教練或經驗選手講解騎乘技巧, 營養, 傷害處置等課題.

在台灣, 越來越多業餘選手有練習輪車技巧, 這是十分可取的. 但是由於練習者往往在技巧和體能上參疵不齊, 速度往往不會超過25 km/hr. 這和比賽平均40-45 km/hr的速度比起來是有段差距的.當業餘選手參賽時, 往往表現出不好的操控技巧, 甚至造成摔車, 最主要是因為不習慣在高速和許多人進距離騎乘.

感謝中華民國自行車協會的努力, 台灣和10年前比起來有更多的比賽. 而在參加人數方面, 在剛開始大約只有幾百人參賽, 但是現在動不動一場比賽就有上千人! 大部分的參與者, 我猜大概都是只想騎個有交管的活動, 而有些甚至沒有團騎的經驗! 這個現象逐漸對比賽安全性有不良的影響. 每年我都聽說在比賽開始就有人因為不擅卡踏而摔車. 這個問題需要被解決, 否則比賽的質不會進步, 而且不易吸引新的人加入. 我建議我們應每月在每個城市舉辦至少兩場繞圈練習賽, 並規定新手只有在參加10場(舉例)繞圈練習賽後才可參加大型的比賽. 如此這般, 我們才能有更安全的大型比賽, 而新手也能以此在更有效更安全的環境下學習比賽技巧.

這聽起來太遙遠? 是的, 目前是不可能. 因為中華民國自行車協會已經達到其舉辦比賽的數目極限. 我們需要更多小型的組織依協會的指導來舉辦繞圈練習賽. 然而即使如此, 我們需要更多人像Chris, 捐助其時間來幫忙舉辦比賽, 才能達成任務. 所以台灣的選手們, 起來吧! 如果你希望有更多更好的比賽, 想想你能做什麼, 更重要的是, 實際去做!



公路車競賽入門講習的簡章


背後的英雄 - 動態裁判(穿黃色菊色背心者)

Taiwan Needs more Training Criteriums


Chris Mayhew(left)- A professional coach, a racer with 17 years of experience, a wonderful asset to Pittsburgh racing community, and an all-around great guy

I attended an introduction to bike racing clinic hosted by ACA,JBV Coaching, Morningside Velo, and Iron City Bikes on Saturday, June 20th. The instructor was Chris Mayhew, and several experienced racer such as Steve Cummings helped out as well. The outline of the clinic is listed below:

Why Race?
-To challenge yourself
-To be better than your previous self

Types of Racing
-Criterium
-Road race
-Time trial
-Cyclocross
-Track

Requirements
-Bike
-Helmet
-Sleeved jersey

How to Find a Race
ACA
Pittsburgh Masters Velo Club
True Sport
Bike Reg
Iplayoutside

Basic Skills (includes time on the track)
-Your front wheel is your responsibility
--The only “movable” part of a bicycle
--You don’t want to be at the sides of rear wheel of the rider in front
-Pace lines
--Gesture
---Flapping chicken wings – the flapping side is where you want the trailing rider to come through
---Waving the trailing riders through – a bit sketchy because you are not suppose to take hands off the handlebar
-Cornering
--Practice in an empty parking lot or roads without traffic
--Put the inner side pedal up when in the corner – experienced riders do that only for a few seconds

Most of the stuff was similar to what I learned during Panther Cycling Club’s practice sessions, as I had expected. But I want to see how Chris, a professional coach, runs a racing clinic, and I actually learned quite a few things. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is the importance of training criteriums. New racers tend to do dangerous stuff such as hitting the brakes hard, weaving excessively, or crossing the wheels with other riders. On training criteriums, race marshals who are experienced riders will trail the pack, and correct rider errors and give instant advice. Another relatively new duty is to serve as pace car for the first 5 neutral laps in C and women’s races. The reason for doing this is that new racers often have problems clipping into their pedals, and by the time they clip in, the more experienced racers are already half-way across the course. This makes the new racers feel frustrated and causes potential hazard. Being a race marshal is pretty time-consuming – Chris said he has to spend about 5 hours at each race, but they make the race a lot safer and more attractive to new comers. So, many kudos to them!

There are also many other features which make training criteruims safer. For starter, the field limit is 35 racers. This is because the bigger the field, the harder it is to control the race, and more chances of people running in to each other. A smaller field also makes new comers learn the skill of riding in pack easier. Second, before every race, there is a clinic before each race which coaches or experienced riders talk about riding skills, nutrition, and injury management, etc.

In Taiwan, more and more amateur racers are starting to practice paceline skills, which is a good thing. But because of the varying fitness and skill level in the riders, the speed of the paceline rarely goes beyond 16 mi/hr. This is a lot slower than the usual race pace of 26-28 mi/hr in races. So, when amateur racers in Taiwan get into races, many of them display poor bike handling skills and even cause crashes due to lack of training of riding in close proximity with other riders at high speed.

Thanks to Taiwan Cyclist Federation, we Taiwanese have more road races than 10 years ago. At the beginning, there were only about a couple hundred participants in each event, but now every race has more than a thousand participants! Majority of them, I’d guess, join to enjoy a car-free ride, and some of them have never ridden with people before! This is starting to affect the safety of the races. Each year, I heard about crashes at the start line caused by riders who had problems just getting into pedals! This problem has to be solved! Otherwise, the quality of the race will not improve and fewer people will be attracted to the sport. I suggest that we have at least two training criteriums held in each city each month, and only those who finish 10 races (or a certain number of races) can enter large events. This way, we will have safer races in large events and new comers to the sport will learn the skills required in a safer and more effective way.

Does this sound too far-fetched? Yes, it is impossible right now. But it’s because the Taiwan Cyclist Federation is already at its maximum capacity in holding events. We need smaller organizations which are sanctioned by Taiwan Cyclist Federation to hold the above mentioned training criteriums. But even smaller organizations need more people like Chris, who is willing to donate his time to help with the races, to be able to complete their missions. So rise up, Taiwanese racers! If you care about making road racing bigger and better in Taiwan, think about what you can do and actually do it!


Flyer of the Road Racing 101 clinic


Angels behind your back - race marshals (in yellow and orange vests)

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Center Line Rule is Effective - Most of the Time


Pro 1/2/3 riders coming through

Race name: 2009 Fort Cherry Road Race

Date and start time: 06/21/2009; 09:00 am

Location: McDonald, PA

Type/distance: Mostly rolling hills - Hill 1 at 1-mile mark from the start and Hill 2 at 7-mile mark from the start; 4X8 mile-loop; 33 miles in total

Competitors to watch: Edward King-Smith (Ted) - The coolest kid in Pitt

Weather: Lower 60s at the beginning; around 70s in the middle of the race

Course condition: Mainly two-lane country roads. Sand in the corner of Ft. Cherry Rd/Walnut Rd and Walnut Rd/Waterdam Rd. Dead squirrel in the middle of the road near the last 1 mile of the loop

Race goal: Stay near the front till the end

Race strategy: Stay near the front from the start to the 1st hill at 1-mile mark. Expect people passing me at the downhill section right after. Look for gaps to advance to regain foward position. Attack or expect attck at the 7-mile mark where the course climbs back up to the start. Repeat the process four times and work hard for the last 0.8 mile to the finish line

Pre-race meal:
0500 - Pancakes with syrup (420 kcal); 1 glass of soy milk
0800 - 1 Hammer gel, 20 oz water with 4 scoops of Cytomax

Mid-race meal :
5 Hammer gels (450 kcal)
16 oz of water with 4 scoops of GU powder in one bottle

Warm-up description:
1 3-min Power Interval
Endurance ride (150-200 Watt) for the rest of the time
Total 22 min

Start-line arousal level(1-5): 4

Results: Pending

Power files start/end point: 23"23/1'55"52

What I did well:
1. Getting a good position from the first 1 mile
2. Bring arm warmer even though weather forecast said it's going to be in 70s

What I need to improve:
1. Descending skill - especially the ability to descend with the pack
2. Aggression of advancing forward
3. Pack riding skills - I've got to do more Oval training criteriums

Aches/pains/problems afterwards: None

Comments on or description of how race developed:
The day started in 60s. Several people, including my racing partner, Kevin, did not bring any extra clothing. I was glad I thought of that and prepared for it, otherwise I would suffer from the cold like during Mingo Creek race in the early spring. The course had little traffic, so I did my warm-up on the course instead of the trainer. Due to delays in setting things up, I only had about 30 minutes to warm-up. I think I should leave about one and half hour for all the preparation stuff for the next race.

The race started from the parking lot of the Ft Cherry highschool and was neutralized for the first 1.8 miles, or until the first hill on the course. I got a pretty good position, about 4 riders from the front, at the beginning, but once the race was on, quite a few people surged from the left and took over the lead. At the downhill section that immediately followed, I got passed by more people. One of the West Liberty Cycle guy went off the road to the left when making a right hand turn, which made me tensed up even more. There was a flat and straight section about 1 mile long at the bottom, but I couldn't find any gap to move forward. I saw a Trek of Pittsburgh guy tried to advance one position by riding right on the center line, but when he gestured, the rider in front of him wouldn't let him cut in line, so he returned to his former position.

At about 3-mile mark, we turned right from the Walnut Road onto Waterdam Road. I could see from the back that the front riders slowed to make the turn, but the riders behind slowed even more, so when I made the turn, I really had to accelerate hard to catch up. This is the reason that staying near the front is always a good idea. Similarly, there's no room to advance on the Waterdam Road, and when we turned right onto the Cherry Valley Road, I had to waste more energy to accelerate and catch up.

When we arrived at the first hill on the course on the second lap, I was so far behind in the group that even though I hammered up the hill as hard as I could, I fell behind about 100 feet, and that distance kept growing after the downhill section. I joined up with another rider from West Liberty Cycling about halfway through the 2nd lap.

At the beginning of the 3rd lap, we were told we were one and a half minute down from the main group. About halfway through the 3rd lap, we were joined by 3 more riders, but we didn't work together very well, and didn't really make up any time lost. The chasing group broke up near the end, and I was with two West Liberty Cycling guys.

At the beginning of the 4th lap, we were told we were 3 minutes down from the main group. When we arrived at the top of first hill on the course, I was dropped by the West Liberty Cycling guys. I tried to catch up but didn't make it. About halfway through the course, I was joined by one West Liberty and one Procycling guy. I asked them if they would help me chase the two riders up front, but they refused. So I figured I might as well ride easily behind them since I wouldn't go any faster without help. And we did ride very easily - the average power of this section was about 175 Watts.

When we arrived at the place where the loop started and ended, there was a 0.8 mile climb up to the finish line, which was in the school parking lot. I tried to attack, but the West Liberty Cycling guy outclimbed me at the end. I am not happy about the results at all.

I feel the outcome of this race was dictated by the rider's position in the pack and how well he held the position. In my past experience, I couldn't hold on to my position very well, but I could always advance near the center line, and sometimes just off the center line to the other lane a little bit, to regain my position. In Section 3B1 in USA Cycling rule book, it says: "If a course is not closed to traffic, all competitors must keep to the right of the center line or enforcement line, but may pass on either side of another rider [warning for accidental crossing of the center line with no advance in position; relegation or disqualification for advancing position; 10 day suspension for a flagrantly dangerous attack]." We also have similar rule in Taiwan, but I saw quite a few instances where people broke it to advance to the front. I wasn't sure about how this rule is enforced in US, but seeing how a bunch of riders crossed the center line to get to the front in the first lap, I think it can be done if the marshal is not watching and the rider is not constantly doing that. So the bottom line is that if I were to do the race again, I would advance forward using the center line at the bottom of the hill on the Walnut Road. But on the other hand, I need to work on my descending skill and pack riding skill. For the latter, I will try to do every Oval race in the next couple of weeks.

# Samson said the best place to advance in this race is at the the power climb at the 1-mile mark.


My racing partner - Kevin


Where the loop starts and ends


Looking at the final climb up to the finish line


Ft Cherry High School


Looking at the the start/finish line


I started at about 4th place (courtesy of Fred Jordan)


By the end of the 1st lap, I was at the back of the main field (courtesy of Fred Jordan)


End of 2nd lap with 5 other riders (courtesy of Fred Jordan)


End of 3rd lap with 2 West Liberty Cycling guys (courtesy of Fred Jordan)


Climb to the finish line (courtesy of Fred Jordan)

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

First Crit that I Finish


Manny(the one in green) - A dedicated racer, who shows up on most Oval races. Too bad he is not allowed to leave home for hours to do road races. /_\

Race name: 2009 ACA Summer Criterium Series

Date and start time: 06/16/2009; 07:00 pm

Location: Washington Blvd Cycling Oval, Pittsburgh

Type/distance: 0.5 mile banked Cycling Oval; 35 laps in total

Competitors to watch: Jeff - 40+ guy with solid performance

Weather: 78 degF, hot and humid

Course condition: good

Race goal: Finish the race safely

Race strategy: Try to start at the front and stay at the top 1/3rd. Advance to the front whenever possible

Pre-race meal:
1300 - 1 Pop-tart (210 kcal)
1400 - 1 Swiss Miss hot cocoa (120 kcal)
1500 - 1 Pop-tart (210 kcal)
1700 - 4 Hammer gels (360 kcal) and 1 bottle of Cytomax (180 kcal)

Mid-race meal :
A couple of sip of water

Warm-up description:
20 min Endurance Miles
8 min Tempo (2 min Recovery)
2X 2 min Power Interval (2 min Recovery)
Endurance Miles for the rest of the time
Total 56min

Start-line arousal level(1-5): 5

Results: Middle of the pack

Power files start/end point: 57"09/1'39"49

What I did well:
1. Staying at around top one-half to 2/3rd
2. Moving toward the front whenever there's an opening seems to help me stick with the group

What I need to improve:
1. Sticking with the wheels in front of me at the corners - I felt as if I was going to run into the rider in front of me, so I let a gap open
2. Don't get too close to the marshals - I was alone at the front when the race started
3. Save enough energy for the last 5 laps

Aches/pains/problems afterwards:
None

Comments on or description of how race developed:
I left from work about 4:30 pm and arrived at Oval about 5 pm. I did the warm-up as described above. At the beginning of the warm-up, I noticed that my left calf felt tight, but I was hoping that it would go away after warm-up. As mentioned above, I ate a lot of food in the afternoon, but when the race began, I felt hungry again. Perhaps I should have another pack of gel next time.

Owing to the experience last time, I decided to start at the very front. And I was right behind the marshals for the first 5 neutral laps. Unfortunately, I found myself alone at the front once the marshals left - I was too absorbed in staying on their wheels that I didn't realize that. I soft-pedaled and let the others catch up, but they came at speed faster than I thought, and I lost ground quickly. But I advanced whenever there's an opening at the outer lane, and got to the front in a few laps. My position wasn't great, though. I felt I was relying on passing on the outer lane too much that I was trapped in the middle quite a few times. One thing I noticed that I did a lot was when I advanced, I moved up to the top 3-4 riders and rode alongside. After a while, I merged into them, but my position didn't last long. Soon more people passed by, and the whole process started over again. On one hand, I felt moving toward the front contantly help me stay away from trouble, but on the other hand, I think I used up too much energy in doing that. Another thing I noticed was that I couldn't stay on a wheel very well in the corners, becuase I felt I was going to run into the rider in front of me. I wasn't sure if it's my imagination or truth, but it seemed like the riders in front of me slowed down in the corner.

Once we reached the last 5 laps, the whole field picked up the pace again. At this point, I saw the person I was supposed to stay with - Jeff - moved to the front. I tried to catch up, but my left calf muscles felt like they were going to cramp, so I stayed back. It's interesting, though. During Tour of Tucker County race, it was my right calf muscles giving me the trouble, but it was my left ones this time.

I couldn't do much for the last 5 laps, but I am glad I finished my third crit since I started racing in one piece and with the main group!

Forgot I didn't have my May 5th Oval race report posted, so I post it below:

ace name: 2009 ACA Summer Criterium Series

Date and start time: 05/05/2009; 07:00 pm

Location: Washington Blvd Cycling Oval, Pittsburgh

Type/distance: 0.5 mile banked Cycling Oval; 35 laps in total

Competitors to watch: None - first time doing the race and don't know anyone

Weather: 50-60 degF, pouring rain

Course condition: slippery

Race goal: Stay with the group

Race strategy: Stay near the front at the beginning of the race, and advance to the front whenever possible

Pre-race meal:
1630 - 1 Pop-tart
1730 - 1 Cliff bar and 3 Hammer gels

Mid-race meal :
A couple of sip of water

Warm-up description:
3 3-min Speed Interval
Endurance ride (150-200 Watt) for the rest of the time
Total 50min

Start-line arousal level(1-5): 4

Results: DNF

Power files start/end point: 57"25/1'38"11

What I did well:
1. Got a fairly good paceline going with 3 other guys
2. Prepared for the rain

What I need to improve:
1. Need to get closer to to the wheel in front of me

Aches/pains/problems afterwards:
None

Comments on or description of how race developed:
I got to the race site fairly early, and I'm glad I did, because it was a full field that evening. Some people got turned away because they arrived late.
I warmed up in the oval for about 30 min, and the women's race started. I continued my warm-up on my trainer. It started to pour when the women's race was about to end. By the time we got on the course, it was raining really hard and the ground was slippery.

The first 5 laps were neutral laps, and I was about in the middle of the pack. When the race really started, I was surprised at how people were driving the pace even though the weather was poor. I soon started to suffer. I think the main reason is that I didn't hold on to a wheel well enough, and wasted a lot of energy. I was getting really nervous from the slippery course condition. Although I was riding my commuter bike instead of my race bike, I don't think it would make much difference.
After a few laps, three riders and I were dropped, and we started a paceline to try to get back to the main group. However, despite our best efforts, we were losing ground, and got lapped. We tried again, but the speed of the main group was too much for us, and we got lapped for a second time. By this point, we all got exhausted, and just rode easily for the last few laps.


Chris (the one in blue) has been helping promoting bike racing in Pittsburgh for quite a long time - what a great guy!


Race marshals (wearing yellow vests) are experienced riders volunteering to lead the neutral laps and keep the race safe. Thanks guys!


Oval has four corners which are banked, so you could pedal through the corners most of the time. Also, a few girls have been racing with guys, like the one in the photo. They are pretty good.


Can't help noticing this guy's - beard! I think his beard grows to about his chest level now. I wondered how much drag that produces? ^_^

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Duel with the Rice Krispies Man - Tour of Tucker County Race Report


Race name: 2009 Tour of Tucker County Race - WVRRS #3

Date and start time: 06/06/2009; 11:00 am

Location: Thomas, WV

Type/distance: Mostly rolling hills with a major climb at the end; 33 miles in total



Competitors to watch: WVU guys - some of them did pretty well in the Mingo Creek race series

Weather: 70-80 degF, a lot of shade on the course

Course condition: Mainly one-lane mountain roads. Lots of ruts and gravel. Quite a few corners are covered with gravel, especially on the right side of the road. County officials chipped and tarred part of the roads last week, which makes the course even more slippery. Also, road side grass has been mowed at several sections, and lots of residue was left on the course, which is even more slippery than gravels.

Race goal: Beat whoever is left in my group on the last climb

Race strategy: Stay near the front from the start to St. George. Expect the sudden increase of gradient after reaching St. George would create separation - try my best to go with the front group. Take the inbound trip to St. George easy - there are lots of tricky turns and road conditions are bad. Conserve energy for the big climb to the finish line, especially at the bottom of the climb - ride slightly below threshold at the first 5 miles. Attack near the end of the next 0.8 miles, which is the steepest part of the climb, to get rid of anyone in my group. Take a break on the slight downhill after this, and ride hard again on the last 2.7 miles of climbing.

Pre-race meal:
0530 - Pancakes with syrup (420 kcal); 1 glass of soy milk
0900 - 1 cliff bar, 20 oz of water with 4 scoops of Cytomax
1100 - 1 Hammer gel

Mid-race meal :
12 Hammer gels (1080 kcal)
48 oz of water with 4 scoops of GU powder in one bottle and 2 scoops in the other

Warm-up description:
1 1-min Fast Pedal
1 2-min Power Interval
Endurance ride (150-200 Watt) for the rest of the time
Total 20 min

Start-line arousal level(1-5): 3

Results: 2nd in Cat 5


What I did well:
1. Correctly estimated where I might catch up with Rice Krispies Man
2. Conserving energy for the steep climb really helped
3. Food and water were adequate

What I need to improve:
1. Muscular endurance - this is the second time I had cramps, even though the distance was shorter the New Martinsville race.
2. Descending skill
3. Allocate more time for packing and bike check the night before – two and an half hours at least

Aches/pains/problems afterwards:
1. Need to find out the cause of the cramps

Comments on or description of how race developed:
I woke up feeling tired in the morning for I spent more time than I thought on packing and doing bike check the night before. The heavy fog that blanketed the whole Pittsburgh area in the morning didn’t help me feel any better, either. I was fighting sleepiness when driving toward the race.

At last the sky cleared up when I reached Thomas, WV. To my surprise, the registration was actually in a school that is about 9 miles away from Thomas. I got there with about one hour to spare. I spent only 20 minutes warming up, for the day was getting hotter and I didn’t want to get exhausted before the race started. Before the race started, the organizer announced that the county officials tried to make the race safer, but they woefully did the opposite by tarring and chipping the road the week before. Apparently, they have never ridden a bike before.

The field started out timidly, as the section where we would climb back up was neutralized due to safety issue. On the way down, I found out what “tarred and chipped” means – the surface of the road was full of oily tar and loose gravel. Riding through it is like riding through sand. When it got wet, it felt more like ice. I was glad I made it down safely. The whole field stopped at the bottom, which was about 3.5 miles from a small town called St. George, and then started the race. The Cat 1-3 went first, and the rest of the field went in 5-min intervals. My group – Cat 5 – went last. There were only twelve riders in my group.

One of the guys from Four Western Maryland Wheelmen, perhaps Tom, led us into St. George. The outbound course from St. George started with a 6% climb. As soon as we hit the climb (5 miles from the start), I opened up the gas a little bit, and after awhile, I found only about four people remained. Two riders were from WVU. Another rider, Justin, was wearing a Rice Krispies jersey. WVU guys were doing a great job on this climb. One of them with a slightly bulkier build led most of the time, and the other with slender build followed behind. I was suspecting that perhaps the bigger guy was trying to break the wind for the smaller guy, whom I thought was a climber, so the smaller guy would have more energy dealing with the hills later in the race.

The climb eased off about 8-mile mark, and then went up again about 10-mile mark. This time, the gradient was about 8-9 %, and I found the WVU guys and the Rice Krispies Man falling behind. I stood and pedaled hard a little bit to ease some strain on my quads, and found I had created some gap. From the reaction of my rivals, I guessed I am a little better on steep climbs. However, I did not want attack and enlarge the gap at that moment, for it’s only halfway through the race, there’s a long downhill section afterward, and the race would end with a huge climb. So, I decided to take it easy, and let the Rice Krispies Man work his way up to me. Around 11-mile mark, I saw “1-km to KOM” painted on the ground, and recalled the organizer mentioned about it, so I surged forward again, and I think I got to the point first in my category, but I’m not sure if it’s making any difference. After this, Rice Krispies Man pushed hard and got a little gap on me, which I didn’t work too hard to close for fear of using up too much energy for the last climb. This was a mistake, for Rice Krispies Man had shown that he was a superior descender, and he enlarged the gap to a few hundred yards. However, I wasn’t too worried, because I estimated I could probably catch up to him on the steep climb before the finish.

The downhill section inbound to St. George (26 miles from start) was not pleasant at all. A lot of corners were sharp and covered with newly mowed grass. I don’t think I did well on that part at all. Once I passed St. George, I was anxious to see Rice Krispies Man again, for if I had missed him on the steepest climb, I wouldn’t have had any chance to catch him before the finish.

I went into the steepest climb (30 miles from the start) and saw quite a few riders struggling up the hill. To my happiness, I saw Rice Krispies Man – my strategy had worked! I inched forward to him, and by two-third into the climb, I caught up with him, and I decided to attack! Unfortunately, I was way over my head when I did that, for I noticed my pedaling was getting sloppier once I made it through the steepest section. I tried to find a way to stretch my calf muscles, but I actually caused a cramp in my right calf in the process. I had no choice but to stop and wave to Rice Krispies Man, who was just a minute behind me, knowing that I just missed my opportunity to get the first place. It took me about 2 minutes to get on my bike again, but I had to stop to stretch again after a few yards. I finished the last few miles in an awkward pedaling style – I couldn’t sit down and pedal hard because my calf muscles were threatening to cramp again, but I also couldn’t stand up and pedal hard because my quads were feeling funny. Still, this is my best racing experience in US so far, and I’m really happy with the result.


Jason got this picture of me - thanks a lot!


Really nice picture of the racers with the windmill in the background


Nice chat and race with Ed and Tom from Four Western Maryland Wheelmen.


The winner of Cat 5 - Justin! He is a local resident - riding the St. George loop is quite easy for him.