Hi everybody!
The last weeks have been really busy as usually! I trained a lot and did a few bike races which was great fun! When I would have to pick my favorite sport in triathlon it would be cycling so it's not really surprising that I enjoy pure bike racing as well! I raced 4 races in the last 2 weeks had a lot of fun while I gained some good fitness and learned a lot about the differences in triathlon and road racing! The biggest difference (beside the fact that you can draft) is the permanent speed change... For me as a triathlete it is the goal to sit on the bike and try to maintain the highest possible speed for the longest possible time without building too much lactate acid so that I am able to run afterwards. It's a totally different story in road racing. The speed wasn't the same for longer than 2 minutes in a row as there is always somebody who things it is good to go harder or to slow it down... This permanent speed change was really hard on my legs and during the first races of the season I cramped up badly towards the end of the races. I made some nutrition changes and worked on this short and fast attacks on the bike and I didn't cramp up once this entire last weekend.
The last weekend I participated in the Jason Lapierre memorial race which is a 3 day bike event. It starts with a individual time trail Friday evening and is followed by a criterium on Saturday evening. Before the race weekend comes to an end on Sunday with a road race. I don't want to go too much into the details of each race but to recap the weekend I can say the time trail and the road race were fun and I was lucky that I could win both races in my category and I really suck at racing criteriums. This is the kind of race where the speed changes and riding fast corners are really important and these are also things I really have to work on if I want to be able to place better in these races next year.
I expected to do well in the time trail as this is the kind of race that comes the closest to my usual races in a triathlon. That I would win the race with a 1:30min lead surprised me a bit-but I take it! As mentioned the criterium was an experience and I am happy that I didn't crash and that I wasn't last (but fairly close to be last)! My goal before the weekend was to try to upgrade into the next category within one weekend. That means that I had to win the TT and place at least second at one of the other two races- as I mentioned now a few times, the criterium wasn't the place to do that for me.
So all cards on the road race! I drove the course with the car before the race and was sure that it would fit my skills very good. No too steep climbs and the last 13km of the lap which we had to ride twice was flat or rolling. Just the finish, which was on the top of a hill and wasn't necessarily my ideal finish-line. I knew that there was one spot on the course where I should start an attack and riding the first lap of the race confirmed my plan so that I decided to attack after a downhill with 13km to go to see what happens. It was an "all or nothing strategy". I could motivate 2 other riders to go with me and we were able to build a gap fairly fast. I didn't notice directly that I dropped the other two going up over a roller but decided to keep the speed high instead of waiting for them. My gap got bigger and bigger and at around 3km before the finish I started to believe that I could really bring it home. I knew the final climb before the finish would take everything out of me and there was still a good chance that I blow up and get passed- I didn't! I was really happy and couldn't believe that I really won two of the three races and that my plan worked out so well! I enjoy bike racing and I enjoy working with a team. I am lucky to have a great group of riders in my club and we work very well together.
My bike season is over now and my focus is full on towards Challenge Penticton in less than two weeks. I will also ride my bike there, alone, 180km and I am really looking forward to this great event! Until than I still have a few hard days of training and I can't wait to do my last long run on Sunday before race week starts and the excitement raises!
I also would like to thank everybody who wrote me after this weekend to congratulate me. It is really nice to see and feel that people are happy for me, when I do well!
I will give you an update before the race!
cheers,
Elmar
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