Where do I begin?
Favorite Race:
Hot August Nights. I was relaxed, I felt strong, I really enjoyed the venue, and the track was just perfect. It just overall was a great weekend of racing, and I met a lot of riding buddies and future racing pals.
Least Favorite Race:
Summer Epic 8. A truly devastating mechanical brought my day to a complete halt. Non mechanical would have to be the Spring Epic 8. I crashed hard on my first lap, and really set my right knee back a few weeks during the repairs.
Hardest Race:
Canal Days Mountain Bike Race. It was insanely hot and humid that day. Losing my bottle didn't help at all, and the cramping for a 30k race was indeed incredibly painful. I finished it, but I was wrecked for at least 2 days, recovering from the pain.
Worst Race:
Summer Solstice. I'm unsure why, but I just had a hell of a time at this race. My night lap was just absolutely brutal and took so much out of me that my morning lap felt like hell.
Best Performance:
Fall Epic 8. I pushed myself hard. I cramped up but my body was good all the way through. The cramps I can deal with in the future with some proper preparation, but overall, the difficulty of the track paired with a good solid technical skillset drawn from a summer of riding, allowed me to put in some very respectable times. 34 minutes on my first, and 40 minutes on my last.
I also wore shorts that got loaded with sweat and weighed no joke about 10lbs by the end of the day. Har.
Things I learned:
1. Pre riding is essentially one of the best things you can do for a course. Planning where you're going to drink and what hills you can get for free is good. This is actually a skill too. Riding a course pre race is fine, but you really need to think critically during your ride. Getting good lines is fantastic.
2. Group riding should be encouraged. I met a lot of really good people this year. Future race buddies, weekend warriors, and great riding partners. They'll push you to get on your bike. Some will be faster then you, and make you work for it. Some will be slower and you learn by teaching some *albeit simple techniques*. They're all good to ride with.
3. Stay off that brake, your tires are fine, they'll hold you in that corner. Unless they don't, then its just a spectacular crash you can take pictures of.... either way its win.
4. Singlespeeding is effing hard. Sure its all shits n giggles to blow by geared riders on hills for your first 2 laps and such, but if you're not in really good shape, *Read: Me.* by lap 3-4 those geared riders are going to crush your soul in granny gear.
5. HTFU.
6. There are specifics that I need to train for next year. I have a good skillset, but its nowhere near complete. Cardiovascular restrictions make the skillset useless when you're trying to get your body to respond to you during a sudden lack of oxygen. A down right after a large hill can be dangerous. Mansfield proved that to me on my first lap.
Ultimately it boils down to this:
Cardio wise, its there but lactic threshold training needs to be improved significantly over the winter.
The best upgrade I can give my bike is to drop around 35-40lbs off my own body. Currently I can put in times which are fairly competitive. Not elite level by any stretch, but sport competitive. A 35lb weight loss will increase power to weight ratios more then any bike part will, and its completely free.
Ultimately this is what will push me into being competitive for next season. The drop in weight from last years 285 to 250, shaved 20 minutes off my Hot August Nights time. I doubt it'd shave another 20 minutes, but even another 5-10 would put me into some REALLY respectable times.
So with that, the push to drop into my 220s is now there. I believe at 220, I will be exceptionally better then I was this summer, and hopefully will help me continue to be excited about this sport as I was this year.
The byproduct of dropping the weight, is the time in the gym that will be required to do it. This will make me stronger, and should help my thresholds.
In 2012, I will train and race all summer again, with the end goal of Crank The Shield. To ride it well, and to hopefully, with some sort luck and training... possibly put in a good enough time to scare the podium guys into bolting like deer every time they see me rolling after them.... on my Big Unit.
Great year of biking. Every day I wish I had picked this up sooner.
