Race Report: Cunningham Classic, 5 August 2017

The Cunningham Classic is regarded as the most important road race on the Queensland calendar. It has been running for a long time now and it still manages to attract some quality fields. This year was especially significant for me, as it was twenty years since the first of my two Elite A wins in 1997 (and then again in 1998). After the good legs I had at the Charles Coin Memorial, I actually considered riding Elite A. 171km though, is very different to the 126km at the Charles Coin, so I opted for the 96km Masters A race instead. 

Almost fifty riders lined up in Masters A. I went in with a rough game plan of 'see what happens after the climb - and hopefully there will be crosswinds'. I felt reasonable at the start and I could feel my legs improving as the race went on. I stayed out of trouble early and didn't really get too involved. I went up the main climb no problem, cresting over the top in (I think) fourth spot. 

After the climb things started to get interesting. The cross wind wasn't too bad, but it was certainly enough to make things difficult. This is where I decided to get active and make sure I was in every move that looked like it had potential (which turned out to be most of them). 

I lost count of how many breaks I was in, but at 18km to go, I escaped with Ian Johnston (Hamilton Cycling Club). Ian is a very solid rider, but I knew he had a much stronger sprint than me. We worked very hard together and managed to get a lead, which by the look of it, never went much above thirty seconds or so. Coming into the finish the bunch was closing fast and with about two kilometres to go Jack Brumpton (Lifecycle Cycling Club) managed to get across to us. We manged to hold the bunch off (by about nine seconds) which was just enough for Ian to take a well deserved win, with me in second and Jack in third. I also managed to pick up the 'Most Impressive Rider' award, after being so active in the second half of the race.

Rob Walker (CyclingTex) helped out on the day and put together one of his vlogs. It is worth a look:

Cunningham Classic

Race Report: Charles Coin Memorial Road Race, 30 July 2017

It has been a few years since I have raced in Elite A. I still have an Elite A / Masters A grading, so it is nice to have the option. There are a couple of reasons why I chose Elite A on this occasion. Firstly, the morning start suited me a lot better than the afternoon timeslot that Masters A had. Secondly, the Charles Coin course has always been good for me and I thought that the fast and long hit out in Elite A would do good things in terms of preparing me for events later in the year. So 126km with some solid young riders was ahead of me. I was in fact, the oldest man in the race at 44.

Thirty-five of us started the race and it was a solid pace right from the start. A group of about seven slipped off the front early, but they never really managed a big lead. This left the bunch in a position where a reasonable sort of chase could keep the break in view and this situation went on for literally around 100km. At around that time, the break started to unravel with Kaden Groves and Ollie Smith forging ahead on their own (they would finish first and second). The leftovers from the break came back to the bunch. Two riders (including Troy Herfoss) went up the road, leaving a shatterred and tired bunch of about twenty or so racing for fifth place.

We hit the last climb near the finish line very hard. Around seven of us slipped off the front and went full gas down the other side. I had a really well timed sprint with surprisingly good legs and took second in that group, for sixth place overall. 

You don't need to be too switched on to realize that I am pretty happy with this ride. Our average speed was 43.2km/h and there was plenty of talk about how tough this race was. This was probably my best 'non-masters' result since getting back on it six years ago. 

Early Impressions of Zwift

Zwift is really old news for a lot of people. I am conscious of the fact that I am way behind the times in terms of catching on to an indoors cycling platform that has been popular worldwide for a few years. Zwift is something I have been meaning to look into for ages and I had promised myself I would set it up in time for this winter; which is exactly what I have done. Now, after a few weeks of using it, I have the opportunity to share my perspective as both a competitive rider and as a coach.

Why Indoor Training?

If you know me, are coached by me or have been coached by me in the past, you will know that I am a huge believer in indoors training. You get massive 'bang for your buck' in terms of quality vs. time invested. I find it greatly amusing when people tell me that training indoors is not 'real training'. Come and spend a few minutes watching me in my shed and I will change your mind! It is also a far safer option in the early morning and night when it is dark and in winter it keeps you out of the elements. If you know me well you would probably be aware that I have battled chronic sinusitis for the majority of my life. I made some significant changes around diet and nutrition in the last two years and have set myself a '5 degree rule' when it comes to training in the cold (less than 5 and I train indoors). These changes have had a major positive impact on my sinusitis and I am looking to keep things going as they are. Whether or not there is any scientific basis for my '5 degree rule' or not, my N=1 study of myself has been positive and I am not prepared to modify things. This does mean that at this time of year (where I live often has sub-zero mornings), I am indoors most week days, as I have no opportunity to train later in the day and afternoons can be very challenging due to work and family commitments. This is where Zwift looks like it will be an absolute live saver. Zwift helps overcome some of the boredom and mundane nature of training indoors and the races are a superb workout (more about the races later).

Computer Set Up

The Zwift website has all the information you need about this. For the record I am just running my Quarq power meter (s), using an Elite Turbo Muin trainer and a standard laptop connected to a 4G mobile modem. A little ANT+ USB dongle connects the Quarq to the laptop. From a technology point of view, this set up has been spot on so far.

Training

Any established indoor workout is transferable to Zwift. You just ride around any of the courses and do the prescribed efforts. There is no difference in the end with what you are actually doing on the bike, but the Zwift courses make the time pass a little easier. Even longer rides and things like hill repeats work well on Zwift and are a great training option.

Racing

For me, the races are the best thing about Zwift. A quick Google search will get you all the information you need about how to join a race. In a nutshell, the races depend completely on the watts / kg formula (FTP / weight) as this is translated into speed on the current gradient. Amazingly, drafting works as it requires less power to stay behind someone at a given speed. When you first read how the racing works, you kind of wonder how realistic it can actually be. The answer is 'very'! I am absolutely loving the racing; great fun and an awesome workout. The only issue I am having with the racing is the use of the watts / kg formula. You need to be honest when you enter your data (although I am sure that a lot of people lie). For me, my FTP / weight puts me at close to 4.28 watts. Zwift races have grades like regular races, and anyone over 4 watts ends up in A grade (sigh). The issue for me though, is that like a lot of riders, I have a noticeable gap between the power I produce indoors vs. outdoors. If I used indoor only data to determine my FTP, I would come in at close to 3.92 watts, which would put me in B grade. So I am kind of 'stuck' with this situation. No doubt about it, I am getting an absolute flogging in A grade, normally finishing in the last few riders, but I am getting a brilliant workout. I also somehow feel that going with the 3.92 number would be cheating, but the races would be easier and I would have more of a chance. For now (given that for me Zwift is all about quality riding) I will stick with A grade. I do see though, that a series of masters races has just started where you race with riders in the same age categories as normal masters championships races (regardless of power). You have to actually submit evidence of your age (a copy of your racing licence) to be allocated an age group. This sound extremely interesting and I am looking forward to getting involved.

Negatives

To be honest, there is not much about Zwift that I don't like. The only bugbear I have is that the process where you exit a ride and have it save and upload to Strava is extremely temperamental (this seems to be a known issue). Other than that, I am liking it a lot.

Summary

So there you have it...I am completely hooked! A fantastic indoors option in the cold weather that gives one hell of a workout. See you out (in) there soon!

Race Report: World Masters Games, 26-28 April 2017

The World Masters Games are held every four years and the event claims to be the world's largest multi-sport event. 28,000 athletes competed and 300 of those were in the track cycling program. There were 17 riders in my 40-44 years division. The games were based at Auckland but the track program was held at the Avantidrome, in Cambridge (about two hours south of Auckland).

3 km Individual Pursuit

This event went above expectation for me. I qualified with a personal best time of 3.34.14 (previous personal best was 3.36.5). That is a big chunk of time and I was exceptionally happy with that. Fortunately, that was enough to qualify me in second place and a spot in the gold medal final later that day. I was up against Argentina's German Ariel Lopez, who had qualified fastest in a very impressive 3.30. I had to try something to close that gap. I put a bigger gear on and started harder than I ever had before. We were dead even at halfway but I blew up and faded pretty badly after that. I ended up with a 3.38 and German with a 3.33. But in the end, I was pretty happy with my silver medal. New Zealand's Andrew Grainger took the bronze:

20 km Points Race

This was a fast and furious affair with two Argentinians riding very aggressively and a group of strong New Zealanders determined not to let them get away. I sat back and watched this battle unfold for a while. Eventually the elastic broke and I chased hard to get across to the two Argentinians and we were gone. We lapped the field before too long and secured the three medals. Both riders were a lot quicker than me in the sprints, so I ended up with the bronze. Marcos Pettovello with the gold and German Ariel Lopez with the silver. Another result that I am very happy with. I also need to mention that in terms of safety, this was one of the wildest track races I have ever done. My two breakaway companions were not too worried about the safety of everyone else; me top of the list!

750 m Time Trial

This event is normally one for the sprinters and this would be no exception. I rode 53 seconds (which I was actually quite happy with) and finished in 8th place.

10 km Scratch Race

I like my scratch races a lot longer than this. Despite that, I rode  aggressively and tried very hard to escape the bunch. There were still ten or so of us left at the finish and I ended up 6th.

So overall, a silver medal and a bronze medal. An outcome I am very (very) satisfied with.

The other highlight of the trip was hanging out with a very fun and supportive group of Aussies (including Queenslanders of course). Too many to mention by name, but the middle of the track was a lot of fun! 

I must admit though, I am relieved that track season 2016 / 2017 has finished. I have trained through four major championships since October last year and I am grateful to be able to stop. I couldn't be happier with how the season has gone. I won't bore you with a list of what went well, but I will just leave this here (blatant brag picture coming up). Thanks as always to my coach Mark Brady for helping make this happen and my ever-supportive wife Nadine as well:

So what's next? Some road racing before long. I have just had a week off the bike which I thoroughly enjoyed. Queensland Road Team Series Round 1 with Colliers Racing Team is just five weeks away.