Hi Guys,
It seems the season has now really ended in NYC and pretty much nothing till turkey day which I think I will skip. Today I did my last race in Propect Park and I can say with some advice from my coach and the training sessions have made a big difference from the first race a month ago.
I learned how staying right in the front on the start of the race and taking the lead on the hills while falling back on the descents allows me to stay in the pack much longer. In fact one thing I thought would be true does seem to be true, I perform a bit better in longer races as people seem to conserve much more in these races in the early laps which give me time to warm up. While I was not in the final sprint I stood till the end and finished with the pack.
Even more important was that it did not feel as tough as the past races, I was able to even do another 30 miles in the park when I got home and no soreness as in the past. The other thing of most importance was the confidence level increased dramatically.
I still feel I need more confidence and skills staying in the pack as opposed to the yo yo effect I seem to experience in this race. I feel the yoyo effect was coming from my lack of aggressiveness in the corners and descents. I was just cruising through them and letting the pack get too much separation. Also the pack in this race seemed vey jittery and riders were not keep a straight line as I have seen before. I feel the skill of keeping a straight line is another thing I need to work upon.
In the end I can say I have improved in a big way compared to where I started...
Let me ask a few questions though,
I have three weeks left in the 250 watts training course and upon completion do you feel I should just move into the next one after a new test?
People are talking about Cyclocross, is it really that good and in my situation should I focus more on the aerobic engine? I know it is suppose to help with bike handling but not sure I should stop where I am.
On the dumb side, during a race, how hard do you guys hold the handlebars in the drops? Should it be more relax, more tense or loose in the arms and hard with the hands?
-Js