Gloucester (both days)

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ppereira
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Gloucester (both days)

Post by ppereira »

I was waiting for someone else to get the ball rolling (i.e. someone better than I am lol), so you'll have to be stuck with me to kick things off! I did both days, I think this is technically the closest race to me (driving from Winchester), so the 8am start wasn't super painful.

Day 1, start off really well, feeling good around 50/100 (after starting probably high 80s), but 2nd lap right at the end of the straight section by the ocean (and right as I was about to pass several more folks) I flatted. Didn't want to DNF, so I kept going on a completely flat tire, it was quite an adventure. Finished 89/100, so glad I stuck with it, but now I've got the stink of another 600 level crosspoints result on my record lol

Day 2 - usual back of the pack start, got off to a good start again. But I didn't really feel like I got going until later in the race. Finished 55/95, not bad, but was hoping to get a few positions higher to 50th (was beat by 15 sec by one guy I always beat), so maybe not my best effort. Got faster/more powerful as the race went on, so I definitely need to experiment with a warm up that is even a level beyond just casually pre-riding the course and see if that helps me maintain a good pace after the initial effort.

It was my first time at Gloucester and it was fun, didn't get to hang out, but we did end up in Salem early yesterday and got some primo parking downtown before the hoards of people showed up later.
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eboos
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Re: Gloucester (both days)

Post by eboos »

Cat 4/5 40+ both days.

Day 1. I left my house at 4 am to drive the 2+ hours to get there. Get a preview lap in and I already love the course. As I am waiting for the first race to end and my race to be called up, the rain begins.

I line up at least in the 8th row. I look down at my left pedal and I notice that it is not in my preferred position for a start, but since we already got the 30 second warning I don't try to reposition it. The whistle blows and I bring my left foot up but cannot clip in. After fumbling about for a moment and barely moving while everyone else is rushing past me, I finally clip in and get going. Worked my way up the pack a bit going up the hill, and through the first few turns. It was a bit tight, but I made my passes where I could.

At each obstacle I have trouble clipping back in, but I am riding pretty strong. I end up behind a guy for about a lap and his brakes are howling at every corner. I say to him "if you are racing tomorrow I am going to put a dab of grease on your brakes". He chuckles. On one right corner, I nearly loose my front wheel in some loose gravel on the first lap, forgot and nearly did it again on the second lap. Final lap, I take someone on the hill in the finishing straight who seemed to let off the gas.

As the results are posting, I see myself on the second page and get excited because there were 135 people entered in the race. That excitement turned to disappointment when I saw that there were only 103 that started. Where did the other 32 people go? 57/103

Day 2. Ctrl C, Ctrl V. Despite going to bed at 8PM, I got next to no sleep. Had the alarm set for 3:30 because I was to car pool up with Ethan. From about 11 on, I didn't get more than a couple minutes here and there, only to give up at 2am. Drive up to Ethan's house and get my wife's bike rack set up on his car. Coffee never tasted so good.

Arrive 6ish, and it is cold! Walk the course and see what changed. It is cold! Eventually did a preview lap, and really liked the course but it is cold. Waited around for my race to start, and did a bit of warming up. Practiced my starts, and they were error free.

8th row again, and at the start I clip right in and take off (as best as you can with about 80 people in front of you). I am second from the left side and I make my passes pretty well going up the hill. Through the first few turns all was well, and having watched the first race I dismounted and started running early for the two run ups, passing quite a few people.

Near the first pit entrance the guy in front of me goes really wide and nearly puts me in the tape as I was going to pass. Shortly after I feel as though I dropped my chain so I dismount and check it out. The chain was on my crank and on my cassette, so I remount and keep going. I probably lost 5-10 positions from this. I ride on, but my chain is skipping and my shifting is all crappy. At some point later it seems better.

Getting towards the end of the second lap I am moving along quite well and still passing quite a few people. Going up the finishing hill I am surprised to see a guy pass me so I cheer him on. I ended up taking him again going into the run up area and I find myself behind Nathan Muehleisen from Wheelworks. I stick with him, but that thing with my derailleur started again. I am right on Nathan's wheel, but my shifting is driving me nuts and it is skipping all over the place. In the gravelly straight near the water, he gets a couple seconds on me, but I catch back up through the last few grassy corners. Nathan gets ahead entering the pavement for the finish, and while I pass another going up the hill, I don't have enough to catch him.

57/97. I was a little surprised by this finish since I felt like I did better than Saturday. Had plenty of power, and I didn't really make any mistakes. When I pulled off the line after the finish I learn that my chain was off of the rear derailleur's top pulley. I will have to investigate what was causing this. Power data, heart rate data, average speed, finishing placement, and the fact that Nathan beat me by just seconds were all the same from both days.
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pace21
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Re: Gloucester (both days)

Post by pace21 »

Quick tip: practice starting without clipping in. It’s half skill half confidence. You can go 90% for 5-10 pedal strokes to get up to speed and then concern yourself with clipping in. You lose a lot fewer spots (if any) this way
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BikeRider
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Re: Gloucester (both days)

Post by BikeRider »

"Flat pedals win medals" - anonymous
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strat
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Re: Gloucester (both days)

Post by strat »

Might be just psychological but I've found if I start with my ass planted on the seat rather than off to one side then there's less opportunity for coordination error (i.e. landing your foot cleanly on the pedal) during the first crucial 5-10 pedal strokes!

Decent result for me on Saturday (4th) in the 4/5 40+ (employing said "ass planted" start method) where the 30 min race duration meant that I could lean on it more than a typical 40-45 min effort. First time at Gloucester so only raced on Saturday...next year I'll do both days and hang out for longer as I'm sure the beer tent would've been worth a look!
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