# Race Report: My First Cat. V Criterium



## Vee (Jun 17, 2010)

_I want to apologize in advance for this long post. :thumbsup: _

This weekend I participated in and finished my first criterium race ever. And my first race as Cat V. The race was setup on a 1 mile, completely flat loop with a headwind on the long stretch crossing the finish. The criterium for Cat V was scheduled to be 25 minutes. The officials sounded the bell lap after minute 25. Total laps done ended up being 11 laps, so you could say the average speed was a bit above 23 mph. 

Here is how my race went. Lined up at the start in the front with the idea of staying in the top 1/3 of the group for the majority of the race. Total field consisted of only 10 riders. We pushed off at the start and completed the first lap 4th from the front, my HR was approx. 92% max and speeds were around 26-28 mph. Second lap I was pushed back to about 6th from the front, my HR was approx. 94% max and speeds were around 26-27 mph. Third lap I found myself at 8th from the front, my HR was approx. 95% max and speeds were around 25mph steady. I knew I was on the back at this point and losing ground, but I ended up not being aggressive enough trying to get back up to my stop in the top 1/3 of the group. That would be a major mistake. The fourth lap I sat in 8th, still, but I was breathing heavy and trying hard to keep up the intensity when the guy in front of me finally went off the back dragging myself and another down with him. By the time I realized he was off the back and tried to get around him it was a bit late and I honestly did not have the power to get back into the main group alone. Plus, I was pretty shocked at the intensity that the main group was keeping. I am still unsure if I could hold that kind of intensity for much for than I had. So, I don't blame the guy for us all coming off the back, it was as much me as it was him.

Myself and the two other riders who had been dropped off the back rode the rest of the race together, but the other two riders seemed keen on battling it out with each other rather than trying to work together (the three of us) to get back caught up with the group. The officials and a few bystanders even yelled at us to work together a few times. By lap 5-6 I had realized we would not be working together to get back to the main group, so I decided rather than waste all of my energy battling it out with the two I was with, I would just sit behind a bit and draft them. Many times they rode side by side rather than working as a small group. Kind of frustrating to watch it all unfold, and in hindsight I guess I could have yelled for them to work together and try to pull them into some sort of organized force, but I guess I was more concerned with not getting lapped . By lap 8 or 9, the main field seemed to spread out a bit and get pulled apart, one and then two of the guys going off the front in full on sprints passed the rear group (us) lapping us. We held it together and on the end of lap 9, one of the two riders I had been riding with decided enough was enough and pulled himself out of the race. I had decided before the race that I would not be doing such a thing, unless forced. I was determined to finish. Lap 10 was a slow-ish lap while we recovered slightly, and Lap 11 got a little heated, but in the end I made a huge mistake waiting too long before I tried to pull around the guy I was riding with. He went first, and I didn't do well at playing catch up. I ended up finishing 9th.

In hindsight, I had a few things I needed to improve on. First, and perhaps most shocking to me, the intensity of that crit was INSANE. I had no idea I would be coming from that race with over a 92% Max HR average. And that was with a few slowish laps with the back group. Had I sat in the main group for the entire race I probably would have had an even higher average % max HR. I guess when I say I was shocked that the intensity was that high, it also means I really didn't do much training int he 96%+ Max HR area, or even 91%+ for that matter. This is definitely something I will be changing, as I am just finishing Joe Friel's book, The Cyclist's Training Bible. Second, I feel like I let too many of my competitors dictate my place in the field. I should have been more conscious of my position in the field and more aggressive in maintaining it. If someone wanted to try to edge me out of my position, I should have come around them edging them back out rather than sitting back and accepting what they had just done. Lastly, in hindsight I think I could have maybe taken the lead when we fell off the back and tried to encourage the group of us to work our way back onto the tails of the group. 

Overall, I had a good time, but ended up a bit disappointed. Next race isn't for a month and a half, though, so now is the time to train harder and get faster and stronger. I was really shocked at the race intensity everyone in Cat V was able to maintain. I really expected it to be quite a bit lower. Perhaps this was a mistake on my part, but it was mentioned by a few people that the pace of Cat V crits are generally unpredictable. 

Here is the race data from my Garmin 500: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/69102846
*Note that this includes my cooldown lap once the race ended, as I was too winded and focused to remember stopping it after I finished *

Picture of the lineup at the start. I am in the black and white. 









Anyone care to share your thoughts on my race?


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## MisterC (May 26, 2007)

Keep at it. You'll get better. Your description is a pretty typiclal V race with a field that small.

In a race like that you need to either be attacking bridging or sitting in. If they start rotating through a paceline then feel free to practice but there is no one chasing you so softpedalling in the wind is your best bet unless there is an attack.

The fact that in a field of 10 there were at least three teammates vertainly hurts you. If they were just as strong as the rest of the group and could work together at all then that is a bi advantage. But then again its a V race so that's asking a lot.

Again, keep at it and race smart. The most important time to be up front is at the beginning of the race when the dumb sketch mistakes are most likely to happen. After that its conserve, conserve, conserve. When you decide to make your move is up to you but try to be as rested as possible when you do. I recommend using the fives to try different things. Attack from the gun and see how long you can hold them off. Chase down every move no matter what or do 0 work until the last 200m. its a learning experience and a chance to learn how your body reacts when its motivated beyond anything you can achieve on a training ride.

And I just had a recent discussion about this on mtbr but, get fit. Every race like the one you had people will tend to discuss the tactics that led to their poor performance when the reality is that they just didn't have the fitness to contest the race from the moment the gun went off. It's good to see that you had a realistic idea of the effort you could maintain even in the best position. Work hard and you'll be up setting the tempo before you know it.


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## Bridgey (Mar 26, 2003)

Thanks for the race report. I enjoyed reading it. You are right when you said Cat V events can be unpredictable. Don't be surprised if the winners are moved up to Cat 4 for the next race. To be averaging 40km'h in a Cat V race is a bit strange. Whoever was doing the driving was in the wrong grade. 

You may not believe this, but racing Cat 4 is actually easier than Cat 5. The reason being is that you have more riders. I remember starting in Cat 5 last year. I raced a lot in my younger years and had been riding to work and back for about 1yr at this time so was relatively fit. They always start you off in Cat 5 when for your first race til they can check you out, unless someone from your club says otherwise. We had cat 4 racers from other clubs who entered thinking it'd be an easy win. My mate and I basically attacked the field and split it apart until there were only a few of us up front. We didn't average 40 but the course is a bit hillier than yours. There were a few Cat 4 riders who said after the Cat 5 race was much harder than Cat 4 and complained to the commisionaires that they want to ride in Cat 4 for this reason. It had to do with the less numbers in it. In saying this, I wouldn't move to Cat 4 until you win a few Cat 5.

Anyway don't despair. Your body adapts very quickly. Especially the more you race. Next thing you know you will be winning. In the first year you will make large improvements just by riding your bike as much as possible. Forget the intervals, etc. Just ride, ride, ride. Leave the intervals til next year. Besides you get enough in normal training without even trying. Try and ride with a group at least 1 x a week. Just for the experience. If criteirums are your thing then forget the mountains. But still do shorter hills to help develop strength. Mountains, timetrials, etc will kill your speed, but great for muscle endurance. So still important, but only every now and then. Just concentrate on miles. Perhaps next year start doing some intervals, but remember that it takes time for your body to adapt. 

When you race, race as if you're the strongest. Always practice trying to win. Unless you are on the edge of being dropped as in your 1st race. In which case set your initial goals to just trying to keep up and then go from there. Once you can keep up, don't be one of these riders that just sits in the pack and does nothing. It doesn't matter if you think you can't win. Practice trying to win ie. driving the pace, attacking, sprinting, adopting any strategy you think will work. The hard work will pay off one day. Part of the fun my mate and I have is devising strategies prior to the race and then analysing them after. We actually came up with one that worked this Saturday and a couple of Saturdays before came up with one that landed us a 2nd. It's all fun. It's a great feeling knowing you helped dicatate the race. Every week my mate and I are watched like a hawk as the other riders know we are going to try something. It rarely works but hey at least we race with charisma and are well known for it. Not scared to fail (which also happens). 

Anyway, keep it up. It's a great sport. And a wonderful feeling when you get your first win.

Send us a report in 1 1/2 mths.


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## Vee (Jun 17, 2010)

The feedback is much appreciated guys. Glad you enjoyed my report.

My riding/training background all began in June 2010. Bought my first road bike and have been riding it hard ever since. I am, and have been, riding around 5-6 days a week with the other day or two as scheduled off days. I generally an putting anywhere from an hour, on a recovery day, to 2 hours on a heavy day. I started off riding without any real purpose or focus other than to go fast. Over the past few months I've been trying to tailor my training into some sort of formulated plan and make each ride have a specific purpose. I guess the biggest reason for this is that I knew I wanted to try out Cat V this year, and I felt like I needed to know what the heck I was doing training wise to prepare myself to race. 

You aren't the first person I have heard say, this is your first year, just ride ride ride. And I do, but I sometimes wonder if perhaps I should be focusing on certain intensities that I am not. Especially in this case, where the intensity of this race seemed higher than I had ever truly trained for.

And to be completely honest, I had/have myself convinced that starting a workout specific schedule with periodization was what I was going to do now that I know what I need to train for. I have been working out my schedule according to Friel and it seems that according to how much I've ridden thus far, I am riding towards 400-450 annual hours. Seems like plenty enough. 

Do you think I should forget the periodization for now and even forget the workouts focusing on particular areas and just ride hard all of the time? I guess I just worried that this would not be structured enough training to see benefits past a certain point.


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2011)

Great story, thanks. I am looking to participate in my first race here in two months. I am training regularly, and I ride on the weekends with the B group (22-24mph + sprints). Did you warm up before the race?


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## Vee (Jun 17, 2010)

Mevadus said:


> Great story, thanks. I am looking to participate in my first race here in two months. I am training regularly, and I ride on the weekends with the B group (22-24mph + sprints). Did you warm up before the race?


I warmed up before the race in my recovery zones and then did a few quick efforts in the zones I thought the race would hit and then did a quick cool down before the start. The zones that I thought the race would sit around were way off, with the race ending up in Zone 5+ for its entirety.


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## MisterC (May 26, 2007)

Also, beware of misinformation. 

A training plan is a good idea. If you stay motivated, you'll do fine.


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## BeeCharmer (Apr 30, 2003)

"Do you think I should forget the periodization for now and even forget the workouts focusing on particular areas and just ride hard all of the time? I guess I just worried that this would not be structured enough training to see benefits past a certain point."

You've just started, not even a year of training in your legs, so don't give up on Friel's basic ideas. He does talk about macro cycles, you are not yet through the first one. He also talks about the need to ride for new racers, so don't worry much about the fine points of training until next year. 

Do worry about recovery after hard efforts like you just did, if you want to be riding in June. If you just ride hard all of the time, I guarantee you will be burned out by early summer and think that this racing thing really sucks.


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## Vee (Jun 17, 2010)

BeeCharmer said:


> "Do you think I should forget the periodization for now and even forget the workouts focusing on particular areas and just ride hard all of the time? I guess I just worried that this would not be structured enough training to see benefits past a certain point."
> 
> You've just started, not even a year of training in your legs, so don't give up on Friel's basic ideas. He does talk about macro cycles, you are not yet through the first one. He also talks about the need to ride for new racers, so don't worry much about the fine points of training until next year.
> 
> Do worry about recovery after hard efforts like you just did, if you want to be riding in June. If you just ride hard all of the time, I guarantee you will be burned out by early summer and think that this racing thing really sucks.


For sure. I actually fell victim to a bit of overtraining already during the past 8 months. I realized very quickly the need for recovery days. I definitely focus on the need to recover after hard days, now. Perhaps even too much. 

I guess what I will do is use his workout suggestions as a way to structure a schedule, like I had decided I was going to do, but I guess I am struggling with where to draw the line. If I don't follow his suggestions on periodization, do I just train the same every week doing the same workouts for the next year?


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## jspharmd (May 24, 2006)

Vee, great write-up! The biggest thing to do is not get discouraged. The efforts will get easier. As previously stated, there were likely a few guys that are going to be Cat 4 or should be Cat 4 driving the speeds at that race, BUT looking at your Garmin data, it looks like a pretty typical Cat 5 race (especially on a flat course).

Something to consider is that this is your first race ever! Additionally, this is an early season race. They always feel tough. As you race more, the efforts will feel better. Your body hadn't seen a race yet, and many new racers think the local fast rides are at race pace. They are often blown away by the efforts of a real race, and become discouraged.

Hang in there, you will be fine.


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## Matador-IV (Aug 2, 2010)

Vee,
thanks for the report. I'll be doing my first race in may, so you sharing your experience is appreciated. Looking at your cadence (avg 100, max 126), for me, I would consider that on the high side. Do you think you could have carried a bigger gear to increase your MPH and possibly eased your heart rate a bit, putting more on the legs?


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## Vee (Jun 17, 2010)

Matador-IV said:


> Vee,
> thanks for the report. I'll be doing my first race in may, so you sharing your experience is appreciated. Looking at your cadence (avg 100, max 126), for me, I would consider that on the high side. Do you think you could have carried a bigger gear to increase your MPH and possibly eased your heart rate a bit, putting more on the legs?


I've spent time focusing on my cadence and have found that I can average around 100 rpm and be comfortable. Lower cadence and larger gear actually seems to raise my heart rate (higher perceived effort) versus higher cadence and smaller gear. Should this be opposite?


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## Poncharelli (May 7, 2006)

Congrats!! Sounds like you had fun. 

Just keep at it and work on your fitness. At least you had the balls to do one. I know some guys who do tons of miles, and long races, but are afraid to enter a crit. I believe crits are the ultimate in racing skill, savvy, and adrenalin. 

I've done dozens of crits and last season upgraded to a Cat 3. I didn't earn a single upgrade point in a crit, so maybe you'll be better at them than I am.


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## Bridgey (Mar 26, 2003)

Vee don't ride hard all the time. When you feel fresh, by all means put in some extra effort up the hills, for 5mins, etc. But not hard from start to finish. This will make you fit but kill your speed and burn you out. No more than 1 x a month do that unless your training for a timetrial, triathlon or testing. By all means vary your terrrain you train on. Sometimes flat, sometimes hillly, sometimes in between. It's important just to have fun in your first year and ride. 

But again, don't go hard all the time. IF you feel fresh, yes put some effort in. If you feel tired or a little unmotivated have a nice slow ride and enjoy the scenary. Hope it helps.


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## Vee (Jun 17, 2010)

Bridgey said:


> Vee don't ride hard all the time. When you feel fresh, by all means put in some extra effort up the hills, for 5mins, etc. But not hard from start to finish. This will make you fit but kill your speed and burn you out. No more than 1 x a month do that unless your training for a timetrial, triathlon or testing. By all means vary your terrrain you train on. Sometimes flat, sometimes hillly, sometimes in between. It's important just to have fun in your first year and ride.
> 
> But again, don't go hard all the time. IF you feel fresh, yes put some effort in. If you feel tired or a little unmotivated have a nice slow ride and enjoy the scenary. Hope it helps.


oh, I know. I hope I didn't give the impression of being a total noob. I have done a lot of research on training, and have acutally tried to structure in recovery days to my training weeks. I just have not structured specific workouts in, as of yet. I had been planning on replacing my very broad beginner training schedule with the Friel based periodization schedule I've been building with assistance of his book.

I am unsure what I'm going to do at this point.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Vee said:


> I am unsure what I'm going to do at this point.


Just stick with it. Your fitness will improve as time goes on. You might have a decent training plan, but other riders are starting with a better fitness base than you.


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## ewitz (Sep 11, 2002)

You are racing not training.

That means until you are used to racing, no HRM on the bike during races. It will only serve to psych you out. The pace dictates the speed and your effort, if you can't keep up then you cant keep up. 

Looking at a heart rate monitor, or the computer, displaying numbers that you think are unsustainable will only negatively affect your attitude.


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## Vee (Jun 17, 2010)

ewitz said:


> You are racing not training.
> 
> That means until you are used to racing, no HRM on the bike during races. It will only serve to psych you out. The pace dictates the speed and your effort, if you can't keep up then you cant keep up.
> 
> Looking at a heart rate monitor, or the computer, displaying numbers that you think are unsustainable will only negatively affect your attitude.


very good point that I had read before but never seriously considered. What you describe definitely happened. I need to look into making a race page that I can switch to on my Edge 500 when I race.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Vee said:


> very good point that I had read before but never seriously considered. What you describe definitely happened. I need to look into making a race page that I can switch to on my Edge 500 when I race.


The only thing I tend to look at during a race is my cadence and just a glance from time to time. If you're looking at your Edge 500, you're probably off the back already.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

There is a lot of opportunity for you to learn how to race too. While you can train and even ride with other guys, nothing prepares you to race like the "desperate to hold the wheel" types of efforts that come with racing or competitive group riding. 

There is a ton of energy to be saved with good cornering and drafting technique. Cat 4/5 races usually have a good amount of accordion effect that comes from everyone slowing down a little more than the guy in front of them. Learn to see the line through the turn past the guy in front of you and you will learn to coast right past him instead of having to pedal hard to get back up to the speed of the guys up front. Also learn to be aware of which way the wind is blowing, most times the best draft is not direclty behind the rider in front of you. Just those two things can be the difference between holding on for dear life and contending for the win.


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## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

spade2you said:


> The only thing I tend to look at during a race is my cadence and just a glance from time to time. If you're looking at your Edge 500, you're probably off the back already.


In a 25 minute crit, that's probably true, but there are situations where it's a useful real-time tool, at least for more experienced racers.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Undecided said:


> In a 25 minute crit, that's probably true, but there are situations where it's a useful real-time tool, at least for more experienced racers.


In a time trial? Sure. In a RR it's nice to get an idea of how far you've gone and you can do some basic mental subtraction with how many miles are left, assuming how well your computer is calibrated vs. the one used to estimate the total miles.....all of which are good, but there really isn't much in racing where a computer is more valuable than holding the wheels in front of you.


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## Poncharelli (May 7, 2006)

spade2you said:


> In a time trial? Sure. In a RR it's nice to get an idea of how far you've gone and you can do some basic mental subtraction with how many miles are left, assuming how well your computer is calibrated vs. the one used to estimate the total miles.....all of which are good, but there really isn't much in racing where a computer is more valuable than holding the wheels in front of you.


Agreed. For training, I use my powertap religiously. 

For races, I slap on the race wheels, and wear a wrist watch. That's it. Knowing finishing times from previous years helps meter out efforts, and regulate food consumption rate and quantity. Knowing landmarks and course profile in relation to course completion is extremely helpful as well. Anything more than that is a distraction to what's going on in your group. 

I also like doing my warm-up routine integrating the finishing stretch of a race. In one road race, I think I was one of a few in my group who pre-rode an uphill finish that was shortened drastically from the year before (this finish was a mile away from the starting line). It caught everyone by surprise, except for the few of us that appeared to be sprinting way, way too early at the final corner.


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## Undecided (Apr 2, 2007)

spade2you said:


> In a time trial? Sure. In a RR it's nice to get an idea of how far you've gone and you can do some basic mental subtraction with how many miles are left, assuming how well your computer is calibrated vs. the one used to estimate the total miles.....all of which are good, but there really isn't much in racing where a computer is more valuable than holding the wheels in front of you.


I guess we have different styles of racing, or maybe it wasn't clear that I primarily care about the power data, but I've been in solo and small group breakaways or bridge moves sufficiently far from the line that I valued being able to have power data and kJ. If a move goes in the final 20 minutes of racing, I may not be that interested in the computer, but if it requires holding off the field over even the final hour of a road race, I like the reality check of power output. Also very useful (for me) to know how close to threshold I'm at over an extended period for deciding whether a move is realistic or justifies not being in the field to work for a teammate. Although the precise numbers vary (and I know I'd be best off with a perfect sense of knowing my body), I know that I can race the closing ten minutes much more effectively after an hour at 93% of threshold than I can after an hour at 97% of threshold. I feel like all that info is useful. If I was hoping for a sprint, I probably wouldn't care.


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## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

spade2you said:


> but there really isn't much in racing where a computer is more valuable than holding the wheels in front of you.


I agree, I think in amateur races like ours (especially crits and circuit races) the speed and technicality are so intense that I rarely look at the computer. It really doesn't matter what my actual speed is, which might be influenced by the wind anyway. My HR? I think my breathing tells the story, and I "listen" to my lungs. 

And a poster above wrote "conserve, conserve, converse." That's totally right. Unless you have, say, 3 or more riders on your team, if you are riding unsupported, it really makes little sense to be launching an attack or a counter-attack unless it's in the last kilometer or so -- in a cat 5 or cat 4 early escapee attempts are chased down. Just try to do your best to stay near the front and pedal through corners. It isn't speed per se that makes you tired, it's the _*changes*_ in speed -- the yo-yo effect -- that make you tired.


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## bmxhacksaw (Mar 26, 2008)

Good write up and great responses. The two yahoos that sliced and diced with each other instead of working together seems typical of Cat 5. I've been banging my head against the wall trying to get across to the guys I ride with from our local club that we could really kill it locally if we rode with purpose and tactics but they don't seem to get it. It's very frustrating. One thing I would suggest is find some group/training rides with Cat 3s or above and hang on for dear life. Spend the summer getting shelled out the back but hanging on for as long as possible will have you going faster in no time.


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## Cableguy (Jun 6, 2010)

Vee said:


> We pushed off at the start and completed the first lap 4th from the front, my HR was approx. 92% max and speeds were around 26-28 mph. Second lap I was pushed back to about 6th from the front, my HR was approx. 94% max and speeds were around 26-27 mph. Third lap I found myself at 8th from the front, my HR was approx. 95% max and speeds were around 25mph steady.
> 
> Anyone care to share your thoughts on my race?


Very cool report, just looked at your garmin summary too and got a little chuckle... apparently no one can't resist the urge to exagerrated their speed when talking about it online!  Those speeds you mentioned are actually your *max* speeds for each lap that you rode near for maybe a minute at a time. You seemed to have like a one minute spike in speed every lap, I'm guessing you had some type of tailwind/gradual downhill at that spot?


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## SlowMover (Jun 6, 2010)

Vee said:


> _I want to apologize in advance for this long post. :thumbsup: _
> 
> This weekend I participated in and finished my first criterium race ever. And my first race as Cat V. The race was setup on a 1 mile, completely flat loop with a headwind on the long stretch crossing the finish. The criterium for Cat V was scheduled to be 25 minutes. The officials sounded the bell lap after minute 25. Total laps done ended up being 11 laps, so you could say the average speed was a bit above 23 mph.
> 
> ...


It's humbling isn't it? Gives your some perspective on those boys who have upgraded to the top and what it takes. Welcome to the madness! Keep your head on a swivel b/c they don't call it 'crash V' for fun. Lots of ego's looking to prove their 'look at me awesomeness factor' 

Have fun!


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## Vee (Jun 17, 2010)

Cableguy said:


> Very cool report, just looked at your garmin summary too and got a little chuckle... apparently no one can't resist the urge to exagerrated their speed when talking about it online!  Those speeds you mentioned are actually your *max* speeds for each lap that you rode near for maybe a minute at a time. You seemed to have like a one minute spike in speed every lap, I'm guessing you had some type of tailwind/gradual downhill at that spot?


haha touche! Everyone does it. There was a headwind at the stretch along the start and finish line, so I guess it's possible that there was a tailwind at that point, but nothing noticeable at the time.


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

Vee-
Great race report. I think You'll find the crude or non-existent tactics pretty common in the lower CATs. 

On last year's local stage race, I was having to instruct guys on how to take a pull and then peel off, as they were accidentally sprinting off the front and then throwing on the brakes once they realized they had a gap. In the race, I think two of us actually understood basic race tactics, and only one of us really used them to win. I used them not to lose my advantage, which cost me the stages but gave me the GC. Having pretty healthy leads after the prologue and TT, I was content to let small gaps and most time bonuses go.

As the guy with the lead in the class, I just made sure to get on the front early and set a decent pace that was high enough to discourage attacks but manageable for the entire race. I'd been in far too many races where adrenaline got the best of the field and the first few miles were at red-line before they ran out of steam. Better to set the pace for the herd for a few miles and then manage it from there. The flip side is while I was on front dictating the pace, my serious competition was out of the wind resting up to attack. I may have been the strongest, but I wasn't the smartest one out there. That's something I'm going to have to work on. As with every sport I participate in, I've found that the better I get, the more the race slows down and I can actually make tactical decisions. When I'm redlining, all I'm thinking about is killing the man with the hammers.

I would enter as many different types of races as you can, to see where your natural strengths are and areas for improvement. For me, I found I can do a decent TT, but I can't climb or sprint to save my life. With that in mind, I had a coach design my winter workouts to improve those areas. I'll probably still be a big old diesel, but at least I won't be dropped as much when the pace picks up or the road starts getting steep. This knowledge helps me plan strategies and allows me to formulate responses for attacks (or launch attacks of my own). At this stage, knowing your own capabilities is far, far more important than knowing the capabilities of others.


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## hrumpole (Jun 17, 2008)

Great race report. Makes me want to pin on a number and try it, but still have a ways to go fitness wise.


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

hrumpole said:


> Great race report. Makes me want to pin on a number and try it, but still have a ways to go fitness wise.


pinning a number on is a great way to get in shape, and a great motivation to stick with it. Works for me, at least.


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## the_gormandizer (May 12, 2006)

Vee, I had to chuckle at your first race report. It sounded so much like mine from a year ago:
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=210277
even though mine was road race and yours was a crit. It seems that nothing quite prepares you for your first race. I know all to well that "uh-oh" feeling of being dropped.

The good news is that it will get better. By the end of the season I got three very solid results to make up for my first couple of disasters. Hang in there, and have fun!


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Alaska Mike said:


> pinning a number on is a great way to get in shape, and a great motivation to stick with it. Works for me, at least.


This is mostly why I got into racing. Anyone can get "in shape", but the competition aspect means you're likely to have a better functional plan and often forces you to come up with solutions as opposed to making excuses for skipping today's workout.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Alaska Mike said:


> Vee-
> Great race report. I think You'll find the crude or non-existent tactics pretty common in the lower CATs.
> 
> On last year's local stage race, I was having to instruct guys on how to take a pull and then peel off, as they were accidentally sprinting off the front and then throwing on the brakes once they realized they had a gap. In the race, I think two of us actually understood basic race tactics, and only one of us really used them to win. I used them not to lose my advantage, which cost me the stages but gave me the GC. Having pretty healthy leads after the prologue and TT, I was content to let small gaps and most time bonuses go.
> ...


Agreed on doing many races to find the natural strengths as well as the type(s) of racing you like. To a certain extent, a good training program can help minimize a weakness or two, although that's not to say that you'll be able to make yourself a sprinter, climber, TT or crit specialist, etc. if that's just not what your body and mucscle type will allow. 

One thing about Cat 5 I really noticed is that there's a lot of inconsistency. I've had races where the overall tactics and handling were horrible, yet others where I was legitimately surprised with the overall quality. Nonetheless, the constant attacks and accelerations are generally what gets ya. I found that I did better when the races got a longer when I upgraded.


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## BurgerEarner (Sep 1, 2009)

First, nice race report, glad you had fun and stayed off the ground, keep going, it gets more fun and you'll get fitter even if you ignore Friel and just ride.

A few tips:
- don't worry about all the data analysis/power meter stuff yet. You're going to get better no matter what
- learn how to read the wind and how to get the best drafts
- pedal less and stay aero
- don't be afraid to launch attacks, it's more fun (for me anyway) to be aggressive than it is to sit in the pack hoping to slide into a good result in a field sprint
- do group rides, I agree with bmxhacksaw on this, if you can find a tuesday night training crit with cat 3's they'll make you faster.
- when you train pay attention to making improvements week over week as opposed to day over day.
- racing is not garmin time as others have said. Think of it this way, NFL linebackers spend the week doing intervals, lifting weights and measuring their performance. But come Sunday they step on the field and it's time to just do it. You have to be aggressive, have presence of mind and even want to inflict pain. Doing mid-race data peeking on the Garmin only gets in the way of that.
- I know you think June 2010 was a while ago, but you're still very new. Riding for another few months or a year will make you stronger pretty much no matter what. It's going to be a lot easier to train harder, ride longer and be faster next season than this. So don't stress your results and don't think you need to be winning Cat 5 races right away.


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## Speedi Pig (Apr 18, 2004)

Good job just going out there and pinning it on. Here's what I'd suggest for goals for your first race (in DESCENDING order of importance):

#1 Don't crash (but don't get discouraged if you do).
#2 Learn something (10+ years later, I'm still a student of the bike).
#3 Finish the race. Lots of guys will quit when the fall off the back. I always wait for the official to pull me. Fine if he does, but until then, I think it's my job to stay in the gas.
#4 Place well.

Sounds like you got the first three of those which is about as good as you could hope for. Don't get discouraged, it's good to still have a lot to learn. If not, why would you want to come back for race #2?

I wouldn't get too wirred about staying in the top third of the group in a 10 man field. Staying near but not on the front is good advice, but it's not exactly a state secret either. If 10 guys are fighting to stay in the first 3, 7 of them are going to lose. In a 10 man group, I'd let the other 9 guys hash that out for the first half of the race and blow buy' em when they've worn themselves out. Warning: there is an aero disadvantage to being the last guy in line...the only guy with a worse deal is the guy at the front. Still, you don't have to get in the scrum using energy to fight for position.


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