I have done my homework and the Smith Dairy race in Orrville (which is next weekend) is a virtually flat course and will prove to be super fast. Past race results indicate that a breakaway works if it is near the end of the race and the peloton has been lazy all day. There is a slight rise around mile 16 (its a 20 mile race) which is where I will launch out if nothing has happened to that point. I am going to this race with a secret weapon: I am an unknown. This is an Ohio Series race so literally no one save my teammates will know me there. My plan is to sit in mid-pack all day and monitor attacks until the end. Then hopefully I can launch on the slight uphill and hold off attacks until the finish....OR I will try to catch second or third wheel on the bunch sprint and try my luck finishing in the craziness. Only time will tell. From race photos and past times the pace looks to be extremely fast and Ben says this is the only race where has been dropped on the flats. Another interesting fact is that Orrville Cycling (the local team and sponsoring club for this race) seems to fill a large chunk of the top ten each year, which proves that knowing the route is going to be advantageous. A small contingent of our team will be there and I hope we beat the pants off of Orrville. I for one will once again be chasing that ever elusive win at this race as I have not pulled one out all season. I will have at least one other team mate in my category (Cat 5) to pace with during the race. Once I attack I will be on my own though, and will not have a teammate able to protect me against counter attacks. Following the race I will be able to upgrade my license and race as a Cat 4 (which I realized that I had disseminated misinformation in my last post. The Long Street Crit in Columbus has a purse of $2500 not $1250. The winner will receive $1250 for first, not $250. Hence, we would really like to do well there...).
In an effort to keep my life and training organized, I am reassessing my current training program. As I will now be not only extending my road season through September but am planning on a competitive cyclocross season as well, adopting a periodized training schedule is my only hope of keeping from burning out completely. Ideally I would be able to take a break from the road and start in on a cyclocross specific training program following 7-10 days off the bike...however as I am still in the midst of road season I am going to have to settle on just working in some cyclocross drills/workouts for now. For anyone that may be unfamiliar with cyclocross races, they can best be described as an hour of torture in the dead of winter. Cyclocross bikes look like road bikes with knobby tires and races consist of making laps of 1.5-2 mile courses. A race course is normally held in open fields or on old golf courses and can have a variety of obstacles worked into them like: singletrack sections, sand pits, "run-ups" (muddy hills or stair steps that are impossible to climb on the bike), and barriers. Akin to the steeplechase, cyclocross involves cycling, running, and lugging your bike over anything and everything that is in your path. While each race lasts an hour or less, they are held rain, sleet, snow, or shine during the winter months as a way to maintain race intensity training through the inclimate weather typical of this time of year. It is said you either love or hate cyclocross, but no one just "kind of" enjoys it.
I am under no false impressions, it sounds horrible. But those that have done it say it is alot of fun too. So I am gonna try it out. I am in the midst of a cyclocross bike build up and should have it put together mid-August or so. I can pretty much keep my current training program but will need to add some interval sessions, cyclocross specific training days, and....running. Thats right, running. Quite possibly my most hated outdoor activity EVER, however at least I will only need to do 30-40 minute running workouts as cyclocross involves more explosive power than it does endurance.
So in case any of you thought you wouldn't hear any more about racing as winter approaches...think again, haha. This season has been one adventure after another, and should prove to be just as interesting as we move into Fall and Winter. Hopefully I can keep everything in this delicate balance as we move forward. I constantly strive to remember that racing is something that I DO it is not who I AM. I AM a husband, father, son, friend, and employee as well as a racer. As long as I remember that, my race results can do nothing but improve.
Have a great one guys and hammer hard!
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