Race Report: Ipswich Open - 20 & 21 April 2013

Individual Time Trial @ Purga - 20 km

This was a frustrating ride. I thought I was doing okay as I had quite easily caught my minute man and could see I was on track to catch my two minute man. The course was quite hilly so I chose to ride slightly easier than normal on the flat sections so I could bomb it up the hills. I don't think this was an effective strategy because with 5 km to go I wasn't hammered and knew I had left too much fuel in the tank. I did belt it home but in the end I knew I hadn't done enough. I finished so quickly I'm actually Strava KOM for a segment someone set up that was the last 2.4 km off the course. I finished 8th in Elite B with a time of 28 min 52 sec, and I am very disappointed.

Silver lining on cloud moment: I did the 5th fastest ride by a master across all the divisions and was the 2nd fastest in the MMAS (40 - 44) category. This augers well for masters time trial titles later in the year.

Road Race @ Mount Marrow - 68 km

68 km sounds short but it was a very hard 8 km course that we did eight times. There were forty-five starters in Elite B and by the last lap there were only about twenty-five of us left. I really struggled on the steeper hills today. There is no hiding that fact. I was in trouble by lap six and most frustratingly I got popped with about 5 km to go on the very last lap. Nothing worked for me today. I tried climbing in the seat, out of the seat, grinding, spinning, whatever, nothing would work for me. This was another extremely disappointing ride.

Silver lining on cloud moment: Hmm. Tough one. I guess I have identified a gap in my fitness and possibly an issue with my taper. This was the shortest week on the bike I have had since November last year and this crapola weekend is the result! Bring on the hard miles I say!

Hmm...what now. My standard response of 'have a whinge' - 'regather myself' - 'train my arse off' - 'get smarter' will probably do. I have some big fish to fry next weekend so I'm looking forward to moving on from this 'blip' in my progress. 

Queensland Road Team Series (QRTS) with Team Time Line Drafting

http://m.thechronicle.com.au/news/toowoomba-cycling-team-geared-queensland-road-seri/1833545/

Very kind of The Chronicle to talk me up like that!

Really, really, looking forward to this series.

Race Report: Club Time Trial - 14 April 2013

Today, was a good day. Good because I have been able to see how much I have improved in seven months, and good because there is nothing quite like having a great day on a time trial bike.

So the course was the usual Wyreema one, 20 km long, 10 km out and back with a long downhill run out and a corresponding run uphill coming back. I came 2nd in a time (official, actually had myself a few seconds quicker!) of 27 min 50 sec. This gave me an average speed of 43.5 km / h. Darren Rolfe (who is a time trial rider of note and course record holder) beat me in a time of 26 min 42 sec. No shame in that; he is a machine!

Okay so now to the number crunching. 

Good news number 1:

I did this course in 29 min 36 sec early last September (almost a 2 min improvement). 

Good news number 2:

Andy Patten, who had just returned from a silver medal ride at the world time trial titles (MMAS 3) a week earlier, rode a 27 min 42 sec on that same day in September. A handful of seconds faster than my time today. 

Good news number 3:

My heart rate and power output were strong the whole way  meaning I had a well controlled ride. 

Overall, I am really happy with how today went and how things are progressing. I actually haven't done any specific time trial training this year. That is still to come. I'm looking forward to seeing the impact that makes. 

Race Report: Club Criterium - 6 April 2013

With ten starters, we had the best field in an A grade club race for ages. I was a little worried about how I would go, because I had just done a very hard ride that crossed the Bunya Mountains twice, two days earlier. As it was, I was also in the midst of a 720km week. In the end, I shouldn't have been worried, because I actually had reasonable legs.

The pace was pretty solid from the start with a few attacks. The decisive move came at about half way when Jared Graves (yes him again), Pete Collins and myself managed to sneak away. We stayed there with a good gap over the chasers until the very end.

Jared pumped me and Pete at one to go for the win. I had nothing left for the finish and Pete disposed of me very easily in the sprint.

I'm very happy with the third place though. Very eager to see what I can do with fresh legs.