Tour de Los Alamos - CycleRoad Race


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Los Alamos, New Mexico
United States
70'sF / 0C
Sunny
 		Total Time = 1h 45m 37s
Overall Rank = 20/56
Age Group = 30
Age Group Rank = 4/7
Pre-race routine:

Got up ate the sludge (1 cup raspberry granola, 2 scoops chocolate whey protien powder and 1 cup milk), had cup coffee and some Heed. Checked the forcast to see how hard the wind was supposed to blow. The wind it blows!
Event warmup:

Road around parking area to see if everyhting was in order and it was about a 1.75 mile pace car start, tour through town I guess. I live here so, just an extra 2 miles for me.
Bike
  • 1h 45m 37s
  • 27 miles
  • 15.34 mile/hr
Comments:

This loop takes me a little longer than the sprint tri's I have done this year. For me it is great physical and mental training. I know being able to knock out these riduculous climbs into the wind helped me in the bike on the last tri I did when no one passed me, and I was whipping by some of the much smaller (I'm a clyde) and younger athletes.
So even though it sucked (blew) riding in the wind it was good training.

Winner was 2.9 MPH faster than me, or about 16 min, spread was 1:28-3:19.
What would you do differently?:

Drafting is legal and I did this essentially on my own. I know the front runners pack up and it makes a difference so learning to draft would have helped, but it's freaky in the wind and can't do it in tri's which is my focus.
Post race
Warm down:

Waited for the wife, walked around had a sports drink and 3 bottles of water. Spun back to parking lot from finish about 1.75 miles.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

1st year traing hard so I need more time, very happy with close to top 3rd finsih.

Event comments:

Cop directed me wrong at the finish, so I had to make a u-turn after going wrong way probably cost me 2-3 minutes.




Last updated: 2011-06-06 12:00 AM
Biking
01:45:37 | 27 miles | 15.34 mile/hr
Age Group: 0/7
Overall: 0/56
Performance: Good
Wind: Headwind with gusts
Course: The loop starts with a 3-6% (1st cat2) incline into a 20mph head wind, that's how you get the blood going. Climb out to peak elevation for the race and then the rollers go for a few miles and then its 3-6% downhill to the lowest course elevation through Bandelier into Ancho Canyon. Constant 20-25mp sidewind with gust to 30+, I had a slight tailwind on the short cat5 climb out of Ancho Canyon. Course from here is relatively flat to the bottom of the Truck Route, straight into a headwind and cat2 climb back to the finish. I train on this course and it is brutal without the wind. The times for the pros was 10 min slower (same winner) than last year.
Road: Rough Dry Cadence:
Turns: Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills:
Race pace: Drinks:
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall:
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities: Average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4