Ocup #1 Mansfield - Race Journal

Race Journal

Prep
Leading up to the race my prep was not very structured. I put very little time in two weeks prior, the weekend prior only rode 1 hr and only 1 hr during the previous week. On the Friday before the race we pre-rode and I rode one lap at about 80%. This was too much too early in the season. On Sat night I could feel my legs and was thinking “oh no”. I think this contributed to the cramping late in the race (see below).

Food
Food wise everything worked out perfect I think, I ate a high carb and protein diet the days before. Morning of I ate breakfast, a little coffee and a pasta w/chicken lunch at 11am. I never felt hungry and felt I had the energy for the race. However in hindsight I think that I could have hydrated more effectively over the days leading up to the race – this could also be connected to the cramping.

The Race
My plan for the race was to hold my heart at 165 to 172 and ride a clean race throughout. During the first two laps (1hr) I held at this pace and my position was somewhere around 10th. I was comfortable at this pace. Heading into the 3rd lap I began to feel my legs and backed off slightly to try and conserve for the final climbs. During the forth lap at 1hr 40mins my legs where cramping whenever I stood up. Coming into the final set of climbs and at 1hr50mins my legs went into full cramp. I dug deep and worked through them up a steep granny climb, I thought I would be able to recover during a break in the climb but that didn’t happen. I had to get off and walk up the climb, had to do the same during the 2nd last climb (losing lots of places and putting close to 3 mins into my time). After this there was enough time for me to spin the cramps out and I was fairly strong during the final climb, downhill and finish.

During the cramping I felt a new level in my right quad, an electric feeling – very strange odd. During this period my HR stayed elevated in the 165+ zone, which I was pleased with. I think this is a good indication of my overall fitness. I think the cramping is due to the lack of intensity training, coupled with not being fully rested (due to Friday’s ride) and poor hydration.

Note: Be sure to use the pre-ride to learn the course. You don’t need to ride through it fast to get a feel at speed. Learn the course and keep your legs as fresh as possible for race day. No hard & sustained efforts from Thursday till the race.

Training wise I’m going to focus on higher intensity work for a minimum of 2 hrs. I think my body needs to be working for that amount of time. Also going to increase hill work as this was really lacking in early season, need to balance this with lots of rest and stretching (yoga).

Race Stats
Place: 19
Time: 2:05:44.61
Lap 1 - 29m08
Lap 2 - 30m07
Lap 3 - 31m33
Lap 4 - 34m56

Max HR: 184
Ave: 167

What did I learn in this race?

• Hydrate better leading up to the race
• Having structured work during 2 weeks prior to the race is key
• Limit intensity efforts during pre-rides
  Make sure your legs are fresh for race day