Last Sunday I did the NC RR championships. I raced in the cat. 4's--my last cat. 4 race. I have managed to get enough points to cat. up to a 3! I have 25 points now, half of which I got at the Tour of Atlanta about 2 weeks ago. Since this was my last category 4 race, I really wanted to be aggressive, race good and just have fun.
The cat. 4's lined up at 8:40 a.m. to complete 3 laps of a roughly 16 mile loop, for 50 miles total. The course this year was slightly different from the last 2 years, with a short section added on to the loop that included what people said was a mile-long climb.
I started the neutral section out to the main loop in the top 10, but slipped back pretty soon in the huge field of at least 60 people. We got to the hill, but it was less than half a mile long followed by an easy false flat. Not what I was expecting, but oh well.
With 1 lap to go I was still boxed into the huge field, but with half a lap to go I finally saw an opening on the right side of the road. One rider had attacked and another rider had just went up the road chasing. I saw an opportunity and went off the front. I bridged up to the 2nd rider and let him pull me up to the first. We shared pulls for a while and were really cruising, even passing the category 3 breakaway (we passed the field earlier). Were were going over 30 pretty frequently, but were all getting more tired. With a mile to go the hard charging field appeared to be almost up to us, but we tried to keep the break going.
We rounded the left hand corner leading back to the Start/Finish line, and had about a mile to go. With 1 k to go the field was just hanging back a couple of bike lengths, prolonging the catch, and I decided to go. I tried to attack, and thought for a while I had a chance, but was caught and swarmed with 400 or 500 meters to go. I crossed the line near the back of the pack.
After the race I was hardly disappointed, because I had almost held off an 60+ rider peloton for 5 miles, which is the longest break I've ever been in in a category race. I raced aggressively too, and am really looking forward to the 3's.
Lord willing, my next races are the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, July 2nd-5th, and the French Broad Ominum, July 17th, 18th, and 19th, where I'll race the 3's for the first time. I am really hoping to do well in both races; in MA with the Juniors and in Asheville with the mountaintop finish Road Race.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Southeastern Regional Developement camp: Day 5 results
Last Thursday night I went down to lectures at 8 o' clock where we got a chance to see both that days' and the whole camp's GC results. Turns out I got 8th that day in the flat short TT's, only losing a total of 10 seconds to Matthew Spinks, a cat. 2, in 4 efforts! The guys behind me made up some time, but not enough to pass me on GC meaning I held on to my 2nd place (3rd 15-18)!
I was really pleased with my results and the camp as a whole. I came into it not expecting more than a top 8 or so, but performed well and learned a lot. Stay tuned for a description of the June 15th NC RR championships.
I was really pleased with my results and the camp as a whole. I came into it not expecting more than a top 8 or so, but performed well and learned a lot. Stay tuned for a description of the June 15th NC RR championships.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
2009 Southeastern Regional Developement Camp: Days 5 and 6
DAY 5: Thursday, June 11th, 2009
I went down to the ride assembly area trying not to think about the flat TT's that awaited me. I was expecting to lose huge chunks of time to Matt Spinks and pretty much everybody else, but I was thinking, at least I did good on Monday.
We rode out to the start of the repeats, lined up, and started them. On the first one my foot clipped out. I got to restart it, but noticed my cleat was chipped on the back. From then on I was careful not to pull up on it that hard, but still gave a maximum effort.
After 2 of the intervals I was dead. After three I was really dead. As I lined up for the last one I was just looking forward to being done with these things.
I started the last one fast and just tried to power through it. I hammered to the finish, turned around, and went to a park were we ate lunch. I tried to eat but couldn't because I was so nauseous, but that was probably a good thing because I knew I went hard enough.
I went down to the ride assembly area trying not to think about the flat TT's that awaited me. I was expecting to lose huge chunks of time to Matt Spinks and pretty much everybody else, but I was thinking, at least I did good on Monday.
We rode out to the start of the repeats, lined up, and started them. On the first one my foot clipped out. I got to restart it, but noticed my cleat was chipped on the back. From then on I was careful not to pull up on it that hard, but still gave a maximum effort.
After 2 of the intervals I was dead. After three I was really dead. As I lined up for the last one I was just looking forward to being done with these things.
I started the last one fast and just tried to power through it. I hammered to the finish, turned around, and went to a park were we ate lunch. I tried to eat but couldn't because I was so nauseous, but that was probably a good thing because I knew I went hard enough.
After lunch we took the long way to a "big ring", but long climb near Saluda. We started the climb and raced to the summit. I moved up to the top 10 pretty quickly, but when the climb was steep enough to create a gap I was tired and still warming up. It was all I could do to stay with the front 7 riders for the first half of the climb. There were numerous attacks, and pretty soon I launched one myself, but didn't get a gap. Another flurry of attacks, and then I got to the front and really went hard. I pulled off only to have Jacob Arnold counter-attack me. I was too tired to go with him. Only Travis, one of the camp staff/coaches, a cat. 1, could follow him the whole way up.
Near the top I took a hard pull hoping to catch them, but all of a sudden I saw the finish line. Will Richter sprinted past me, and I tried to pass him, but it was too late. We rode over the top and descended to Saluda.
We regrouped at the Wildflower bakery for a long stop. From there we descended from Saluda, and got back down to the bottom of the climb just before it started raining. Then we rode about 1.5 or 2 hours back to campus.
DAY 6: Friday, June 12th, 2009
I rode down to the start of a really fun, optional easy ride at 8:00 a.m., got back, packed up my stuff, and left. That ended a great week in Greenville. Hopefully I'll come back next year. An NC State Championship post is coming soon.
2009 Southeastern Regional Developement Camp: Days 3 and 4
Coming into Tuesday, I was pretty nervous. I had done great on the mountainous Time Trials, but now I would have to prove myself against a field of 100 in the A race. After that, another decisive day on Thursday that would likely reshape the GC awaited.
DAY 3: Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Tuesday was the A Race, but first we had to get there. We did a 13 mile route to the Donaldson center on roads I wouldn't ride on by myself, but in a big pack it wasn't bad at all. Once we got there we rested for a while, then warmed up.
I lined up for the start of the A race in a huge pack of almost 100 riders, including 25 juniors from the camp, easily distinguishable because we were all wearing USA cycling Jerseys.
The race started slowly thanks to a neutral first couple of miles. When the real racing started, it started fast and didn't slow down. I think the first 7 mile lap (out of 6 laps) was done at an average of almost 29 miles per hour. The next couple of laps blew by, and with 2 laps to go I was trying to move up. In the last lap I was in 2 short-lived breakaways. With 3 or so miles left I was fighting for the top 10 spot. There were some very hard pulls, with people trying to catch a breakaway 10 or 15 seconds up the road. With 1 K to go I was in 8th. I started my sprint a little too late, but still got 4th in the field sprint (the 2-man break stayed away), for 6th or 7th place. Will Richter and another camp Junior did great too, getting 4th and 5th. Not to mention Jacob Arnold, who was in almost every breakaway there was in the whole race.
As we rode back to campus, I was yet again so thankful for my results. I couldn't relax yet though--Wednesday was an easy day, but Thursday was where the GC will be cemented.
DAY 4: Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
Wednesday was a day to relax after 2 long, hard rides. We did a 1.5 hr ride earlier in the day were we worked on sprinting and braking, then another 1 and a half ride after lunch practicing cornering.
DAY 3: Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Tuesday was the A Race, but first we had to get there. We did a 13 mile route to the Donaldson center on roads I wouldn't ride on by myself, but in a big pack it wasn't bad at all. Once we got there we rested for a while, then warmed up.
I lined up for the start of the A race in a huge pack of almost 100 riders, including 25 juniors from the camp, easily distinguishable because we were all wearing USA cycling Jerseys.
The race started slowly thanks to a neutral first couple of miles. When the real racing started, it started fast and didn't slow down. I think the first 7 mile lap (out of 6 laps) was done at an average of almost 29 miles per hour. The next couple of laps blew by, and with 2 laps to go I was trying to move up. In the last lap I was in 2 short-lived breakaways. With 3 or so miles left I was fighting for the top 10 spot. There were some very hard pulls, with people trying to catch a breakaway 10 or 15 seconds up the road. With 1 K to go I was in 8th. I started my sprint a little too late, but still got 4th in the field sprint (the 2-man break stayed away), for 6th or 7th place. Will Richter and another camp Junior did great too, getting 4th and 5th. Not to mention Jacob Arnold, who was in almost every breakaway there was in the whole race.
As we rode back to campus, I was yet again so thankful for my results. I couldn't relax yet though--Wednesday was an easy day, but Thursday was where the GC will be cemented.
DAY 4: Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
Wednesday was a day to relax after 2 long, hard rides. We did a 1.5 hr ride earlier in the day were we worked on sprinting and braking, then another 1 and a half ride after lunch practicing cornering.
Monday, June 15, 2009
2009 Southeastern Regional Development Camp: Days 1 and 2
Last Sunday was the first day of the 2009 SE Regional Camp, held June 7th-12th. This was my first year I could do the camp because of my age (you have to be 14 by the 1st day). For those of you who have never been to a USA cycling Development Camp, I highly recommend going. Here is some information about it.
Every year from June to late July there are Regional cycling camps put on by USA cycling. During the camps, you get in some great training (and this year racing, too), learn a ton of stuff, and do field tests. Perhaps the most important thing that you do during the camp is the field tests, because if you do well in the tests you have the chance to go to the National camp in Colorado Springs, and then from there to being a member of the National Team, and from there to Izegem, Belgium.
This year, the riding schedule for the Southeastern camp is as follows: arrive Sunday, June 7th, at Furmann University (in Greenville, South Carolina) and do an easy 2 hr. ride. Monday gets a lot harder, with an 80 mile ride including 5 minute and roughly 15 minute long field tests up Cesar's Head. Tuesday isn't any less difficult, a 3.5 hr. day with the Donaldson Center Tuesday Night Training race halfway through. Wednesday is a rest day; two easy 1.5 hr. rides with drills on cornering and sprinting. Then comes Thursday, which is an epic 80 mile ride, with 4 1.5 mile long Time Trials. Friday, the riders leave camp before noon, but not before an optional 40 minute easy ride.
DAY ONE:
We got to the camp at 11:20, and my parents helped me unpack. After they left I waited for the start of that days ride, feeling a little nervous. I got down to were we met on time, and saw a lot of riders I knew, including guys from Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Georgia; nearly the whole East Coast and then some.
The ride started faster than I expected (I like to go super easy on easy days), and I realized I wasn't feeling strong. Despite that, it was different and really fun training with Juniors that I'm only used to racing with.
We stopped for a water break after a little more than an hour, then rode back to Furmann. Later that day we had lectures, then did field games, which are where you go out on a field, and practicing bumping shoulders, track standing, braking really fast, and other fun stuff. Then we got to back to our dorms, and had an hour before lights out.
DAY TWO:
I went down to the ride start with plenty of time to spare, thinking about the upcoming field tests. I wasn't that optimistic, mainly because I didn't feel good Sunday and it seemed like there were a bunch of strong guys there.
I didn't feel great riding out to Cesar's Head, but would get some confidence soon enough. We took a right turn to the start of the climb, and people automatically started sprinting up it (the field tests started later on the climb, after a short slightly downhill section, the beginning of which we were racing to). I started the climb at the back half of the field, but when it started I found myself moving up. All of the sudden I was bridging up to the front group of less than 8 riders. I crested the hill with them, while Jacob Arnold was about 8 seconds in front of us. Although some guys weren't going all out to save some energy for the field tests, I was a little more confident about how I would do after that.
I started the first 5 minute field test 20 minutes later. It was hard to get going at first, but I was holding 12+ m.p.h on all but the steepest grades. I rounded the last bend, and sprinted for the line, expecting a top 10.
After that I rode back down the mountain and got back in line for the 2nd, longer field test. I started it a lot easier than the first one, and soon found a rhythm up the climb. I tried to go a little harder after about 8 minutes, but couldn't hold it and backed off a little. I rounded some very steep hairpin turns, went through the last corner and sprinted for the line.
After that all the riders attempted to go another kilometer up the hill to a regrouping site. We waited there for 20 minutes, then rode the remaining roughly 4 miles of the climb at a tempo pace.
During the climb the field split into two groups, with about 18 riders and myself in it. Once we got to the top we ate lunch at the park there, then went down the descent in groups of 4.
At the bottom we met up again and rode back to campus. The results were posted around 9 0' clock, and before I could see them someone said I had gotten 2nd in the long field test. I looked at the results and saw that I got 5th in the short test and 2nd in the long one (out of everybody, 15-18), which shattered my expectations. In the 15-16's, I got 4th for short one and 1st in the 3 mile one, meaning I was 3rd on GC! (2nd 15-16's).
So, after the first day of field test, I was only 3 seonds behind Matt Spinks, a category 2, on 15-16 GC. Although I was extremely happy with the results, I was hoping no 15-16 yr. olds would be able to pass me on GC in the coming days, especially on Thursday's endless flat repeats. I also had to prove myself in Tuesday's A Race, competing against Pros, 1's, 2's, 3's and other 4's, but I'll write about that later.
Every year from June to late July there are Regional cycling camps put on by USA cycling. During the camps, you get in some great training (and this year racing, too), learn a ton of stuff, and do field tests. Perhaps the most important thing that you do during the camp is the field tests, because if you do well in the tests you have the chance to go to the National camp in Colorado Springs, and then from there to being a member of the National Team, and from there to Izegem, Belgium.
This year, the riding schedule for the Southeastern camp is as follows: arrive Sunday, June 7th, at Furmann University (in Greenville, South Carolina) and do an easy 2 hr. ride. Monday gets a lot harder, with an 80 mile ride including 5 minute and roughly 15 minute long field tests up Cesar's Head. Tuesday isn't any less difficult, a 3.5 hr. day with the Donaldson Center Tuesday Night Training race halfway through. Wednesday is a rest day; two easy 1.5 hr. rides with drills on cornering and sprinting. Then comes Thursday, which is an epic 80 mile ride, with 4 1.5 mile long Time Trials. Friday, the riders leave camp before noon, but not before an optional 40 minute easy ride.
DAY ONE:
We got to the camp at 11:20, and my parents helped me unpack. After they left I waited for the start of that days ride, feeling a little nervous. I got down to were we met on time, and saw a lot of riders I knew, including guys from Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Georgia; nearly the whole East Coast and then some.
The ride started faster than I expected (I like to go super easy on easy days), and I realized I wasn't feeling strong. Despite that, it was different and really fun training with Juniors that I'm only used to racing with.
We stopped for a water break after a little more than an hour, then rode back to Furmann. Later that day we had lectures, then did field games, which are where you go out on a field, and practicing bumping shoulders, track standing, braking really fast, and other fun stuff. Then we got to back to our dorms, and had an hour before lights out.
DAY TWO:
I went down to the ride start with plenty of time to spare, thinking about the upcoming field tests. I wasn't that optimistic, mainly because I didn't feel good Sunday and it seemed like there were a bunch of strong guys there.
I didn't feel great riding out to Cesar's Head, but would get some confidence soon enough. We took a right turn to the start of the climb, and people automatically started sprinting up it (the field tests started later on the climb, after a short slightly downhill section, the beginning of which we were racing to). I started the climb at the back half of the field, but when it started I found myself moving up. All of the sudden I was bridging up to the front group of less than 8 riders. I crested the hill with them, while Jacob Arnold was about 8 seconds in front of us. Although some guys weren't going all out to save some energy for the field tests, I was a little more confident about how I would do after that.
I started the first 5 minute field test 20 minutes later. It was hard to get going at first, but I was holding 12+ m.p.h on all but the steepest grades. I rounded the last bend, and sprinted for the line, expecting a top 10.
After that I rode back down the mountain and got back in line for the 2nd, longer field test. I started it a lot easier than the first one, and soon found a rhythm up the climb. I tried to go a little harder after about 8 minutes, but couldn't hold it and backed off a little. I rounded some very steep hairpin turns, went through the last corner and sprinted for the line.
After that all the riders attempted to go another kilometer up the hill to a regrouping site. We waited there for 20 minutes, then rode the remaining roughly 4 miles of the climb at a tempo pace.
During the climb the field split into two groups, with about 18 riders and myself in it. Once we got to the top we ate lunch at the park there, then went down the descent in groups of 4.
At the bottom we met up again and rode back to campus. The results were posted around 9 0' clock, and before I could see them someone said I had gotten 2nd in the long field test. I looked at the results and saw that I got 5th in the short test and 2nd in the long one (out of everybody, 15-18), which shattered my expectations. In the 15-16's, I got 4th for short one and 1st in the 3 mile one, meaning I was 3rd on GC! (2nd 15-16's).
So, after the first day of field test, I was only 3 seonds behind Matt Spinks, a category 2, on 15-16 GC. Although I was extremely happy with the results, I was hoping no 15-16 yr. olds would be able to pass me on GC in the coming days, especially on Thursday's endless flat repeats. I also had to prove myself in Tuesday's A Race, competing against Pros, 1's, 2's, 3's and other 4's, but I'll write about that later.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
More Photos
The Georgia Cup Tour of Atlanta Stage 7 photos are now posted at the bottom of the 'Tour of Atlanta 2009' blog entry.
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