Beer Drinker Appreciation Society (BDAS) - Open (Page 94)

Hi, everyone.  Sorry that I've been AWOL but first I was on vacation in Costa Rica and then my mom passed away suddenly.  Funeral was yesterday - I wrote and delivered the eulogy which was very comforting for me. Family is doing OK considering.

And I toasted her with a Goldfinger IPA from Iron Hill Brewery in Newark, DE, in true BDAS fashion.

Will be back on the grid once I get my act together - swam a little bit today and about drowned LOL.

Good luck this weekend, Jenn!

Clipped In: A Cycling Podcast

Ive been absent. I was up in northern quebec competing in a stage race. And I was camping without electricity so my access was limited. 

The race was brutal. I finished every stage but I ended up as the lantern rouge.  Here's an overview:

Stage 1: TT

Pulled off 19:00 over a rolling 13km TT which was a pretty respectable time for me. So I was happy with that.

Stage 2: 108km Road Race with 3 big climbing sections

Got dropped on the first KOM and couldn't reconnect. Rode 80km Solo trying to chase. Was exhausted when I finished. New best power numbers in the 60min and beyond.

Stage 3: 14km hill climb race (basically a short road race that is entirely uphill) The First climbing section was a 5minute climb at avg. 15%

I came dead last because I just rolled it easy. The Crit was in the afternoon and I wanted to save my legs (already way too far down in GC after stage 2 to worry about the overall)

Stage 4: Crit

The course was awesome but one of the big teams put the screws to everyone by riding hard on the front. My power profile for that race is basically Zone 1 and Zone 6. Nothing in between (huge accelerations out of corner, coast a little on the straight, corner, do it again). I spent 15 of the 30minutes I lasted in that race above 366 watts. 

Stage 5: Flat 8km Circuit race (14laps)

Felt awesome. Legs were good. Was at the front.Unfortunately part of the circuit features a 2km gravel/broken ashpalt section not on the tech guide. I flatted. Chased like a beast to get back on. Recovered. Went back to the front. First of three intermediate sprints for the green jersey I had bad position but still managed to sprint from 10 places back past the main team's leadout train to take third. So after that I was feeling good, I had a sense of who was leading out and who was sprinting so I was ready to hopefully win the next two by being better positioned. Another Flat. Chased again, this time the pack had picked up its pace getting ready for the next sprint and I couldn't catch so I rode solo for the rest of the race.

Stage 6: 99km Road race with huge climbs. 

Legs felt the best they have all week but I couldn't hold the wheel when attacks started on the climbs. Got dropped and rode with two other guys for awhile then flatted. By now the only thing left behind me on the course was the broom bus. I debated calling it a day and getting in but instead I asked one of the guys who had quit if I could use their wheel to finish. I rode the last 20km, caught the two guys I had been riding with and then beat them in a friendly sprint at the end. 

It was a really tough race and I learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses (namely that I need to work on my climbing ability) but I finished the entire race so Im happy with that. 

Dave, I think you 100% made the right decision, and your go-forward strategy sounds awesome.  Go out and find a fun sprint race and just enjoy it.  Maybe the race adrenaline will get you back in the right mindset.

Agreed.  If I knew anything about how to post his jacka$$ response onto social media I would. 

I think you made the right decision Dave!

I think we sometimes equate sprints as a lesser sport....no different than comparing 100 meter sprint to marathon...both great races!

With your already busy life a sprint works well with training. More intense but much, much shorter training sessions, allowing you to add some fun back into your life!

Besides much better chance you can ride the vomit comet in a sprint...

Good luck moving forward.

As others have said, I think this is a good call on your part, hard as it was to make. Even leaving aside your current injuries and their impact on your training, you're clearly not enjoying yourself. 

Speaking of sprints, are you back in MA yet, or will you be soon? I haven't raced at all since the season opener in May, but am starting to look around for something in September now that I've started training again. How's another BDAS meet-up sound for "having fun"?