Weekly Update

Let me first start by saying that I love training and I love racing.  With that said I can’t wait for the season to be over.  Burnout is high this time of year because many of us have been racing and training hard since last October and, for some, even earlier.  No matter how much success you have, it can be tough to make it through an entire season, but I’m pushing on.  I have most likely six (or so) more race days coming up and I plan to make the most of them.  Starting with the Salida Classic Criterium and the State Championship Road Race.

So Close I Could Taste It

Today was the Vic’s Expresso Criterium in Prospect Park, which is located in Longmont.  Coming in to this race I had a lot of confidence after coming in third at the State Criterium Championship as well as second at the Sanitas Sports Criterium.  As usual, I showed up a few hours early to get registered and walk the course.  I’ve found that walking the course (or riding it slowly) is a great way to get a feel for how things are going to play out.  I’ll also generally watch a previous race from various places to know where the good lines are in the corners as well as where I can pedal and where I can’t.  I did my standard 25 minute spin the on the trainer and rolled up to the start.

The One that Got Away

North Boulder Classic is, well, a classic in Boulder.  A criterium with a rich and storied history with numerous big names coming out to race, and win, the event each year.  This year was my first attempt at this technical criterium.  In fact, given the nature of the course, I came into the day with extremely good feelings about the day.

As has become the norm the last few weeks, BRC Reality decided that they would drive the front for the first several laps, attacking and then slowing the peloton at the front.  This tactic is particularly good at a course like this one because they were able to keep everything strung out most of the race.  I’ve been taking a different approach to my racing in that, instead of hiding in the middle of the peloton, I have been ensuring to stay in the top three to eight riders.  From previous experience and basic logic, this should work out as all of the action naturally happens at the front (this also helps avoid crashes that happen from people diving corners.