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First Road Race

913 views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  Drichman 
moto142 said:
Entered My First Road Race Yesterday Which Was Only 36 Miles Elevation Was Rolling Hills But Some Pretty Tough Climbs. At Mile 17 I Bonked!!! I Usually Ride Many Miles With Pretty High Intesity But During The Race My Heart Race Was Maxed Out Almost The Entire Time.

Was My Heart Rate That High Because Of Racing? Not Recovered, I Did Ride Pretty Hard On Thursday Before. I'm Suprised I Thought I Would Do O.k Which I Was Front 10 Or So Of 50 In The Pack. What Should I Do To Prepare??

Thanks
One mistake a lot of people make when they first get into racing is thinking a CAT 5 race will be easy, or because they can hang in their club ride that they can hang in a race.

Sometimes this is true, sometimes not.

A CAT 5 race many times has a similar pace to the CAT 4's and many times the CAT 3's. Most CAT 5 races have about 10 really strong riders and a bunch of riders that are not as strong. The stronger riders can push the pace pretty hard and split a pack quickly, especially with hills whether long or rollers.

The thing with being able to stay in most races is handling the surges. When the pace picks up, being able to go hard for 5-10 minutes and holding on until the pace slows back down. The better riders will cause surges to break off the slower riders.

Intervals and hill repeats will help you handle the surges.

The other thing that will help is learning how to stay in the pack and protect yourself....which is what CAT 5 racing is about....learning! I'm not much smaller than you are but am able to hang in hilly races because I wheelsuck like crazy in the climbs. I'll find better climbers and draft off of them on the lower pitches and when it gets steep I won't let their wheel go. I'm sure it annoys the crap out of them...but racing is about being first to the finish not helping others win (unless they are on your team).

Also, as mentioned, when it comes to climbs bigger guys can start out at the front of the pack and slide back as the climb progresses, then make up a ton of ground on the descent. However, this means you need to know the course and when you will have trouble on some of the climbs so you know when to move up in the pack and when not to.

The more you race, the better you will get at it and the more tactics you will learn....and the better you will get at it. There are very, very few riders that can go out and control a race or even place top 10 in their first race out.

Also, when it comes to racing try lots of different races to see which ones fit you best. With your size if you have a really good sprint...crits may be your race of choice. If you don't have a good sprint but can hold a good pace for a long time...Time Trials. If you can handle rollers and long flat courses then certain road races. If you are super fast but don't have any endurance look toward velodrome and track racing. Heck, if you have good off road skills and good speed maybe cyclocross or MTB racing is more toward your skill level.

Basically try a lot of different races and find out what you like best. Then talk with those that are faster and ask them what they do/did to get faster. Also join a club that has a team if you haven't already...you can get a lot of valuable tips there and have some competitive rides that will help you with your training.

In the end...you took the first big step...you got out there and raced and that's what it's all about :thumbsup:
 
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