Morgantown Road Race, April 3, 2010

Time to resurrect the blog now that racing season has begun again! I'm now part of the Global Ride Racing Team and we've had a great winter of training. Now for the fun stuff!

Morgantown Road Race, April 3, 2010 – Race #1 in the Appalachian Road Race Series by the Appalachian Bicycle Racing Association (ABRA). Conditions unusually hot for April. Wind at times was so fierce it nearly blew me off the road. 42 miles of un-relentless southwestern PA (yes none of the race was actually in WV) hills and rollers.

I was uncharacteristically calm at the beginning of the race. It was a good feeling considering how I typically felt before each race last year. My heart rate wasn’t extremely high as I stood at the starting line surveying the field. The whistle blew and we were off to a neutral start for the first mile or so. The pace then steadily increased while we slowly dropped part of the field. I pulled at the front along with a few other riders while we rotated through the flats. The first major climb would split up the race leaving me with the lead group. I stayed on their wheels to the top which sent my heart rate soaring to 201! I knew that if I wanted a chance at the podium, that’s what I had to do. The course took us through a brief rolling section and it wasn’t long before we hit the next climb. This one was not as steep but much longer. Again I tried to stay on their wheels but this time I couldn’t keep the pace. I dropped back along with PG from Steel City. At least I still had someone to work with. We finished the second climb and rode along together, taking turns in the front. When we got to the 3rd climb, PG began climbing faster and didn’t look back. I couldn’t hold on and got dropped. This climb was a mile long and while steep in sections probably averaged a 6-7% grade. Pretty soon after that I found myself back at the first climb. On one hand, I was relieved that this meant the end was coming soon. On the other, I dreaded having to climb this beast again. When I got to the top, a nice old man told me “It’s all downhill from here”! What a relief! And what a liar! That man has never ridden a bike in his life, I swear. All downhill my a$$. The course finished after 7 miles of rollers and I just put my head down at turned my pedals one, after another, after another. My cadence was surprisingly even and consistent, I think largely due to the fact that B-I-N-G-O was repeating over, and over, and over in my head… it was better than nothing!

Heart Rate Data:
• Max HR: 201
• Average HR:171
• Time Spent in Zones: Z1 – 11, Z2 – 5, Z3 – 11, Z4 – 1hr 50 min, Z5 – 46 min
• Total Time: 2:37
• Avg Speed: 16 mph

Standing:
• 2nd place Cat 4 Women
• Teammate Jason Draper took 6th in Cat 4 Men