Race Report - 2008 Coconut Cup - Markham

I get to the course about 40 minutes before the race, because I don't want to get there extra early like most racers and hang out. I like to swoop in, sign up, get the bottles, and warm up.

When I went to sign up, and I was very surprised to see Bounds, Mad Maddox, and T-Wiz signing up. All of a sudden the middle of this race was going to be very fast. Damn, I picked a bad day to get a good training ride in on race day. I started looking around and it looked like most of the riders that was in the Expert 19-39 race were ballers so there would be no core midddle group of riders. It actually made it easier for me as I knew I didn't have the firepower to stay on the front like last year.

I warm up a bit with Bounds, Tim, Adam, and a few other going in to do Armadillo backwards. After that went back to the tent, because I forgot my water bottle.

I'm actually being extremely radical this year in my approach. Last year I did this race after 6 weeks off and 2 weeks back on the bike, and I had no power and had to DNF. This year, I'm going to use it as a tool to get faster while working on my endurance for Santos and the Hospice. There was a small, I mean very small inner conflict going on with the super competitive ass kicker in me that wanted to challenge the front of the group. But I would simply DNF if I put down the little power that I did have.

Things I was doing different this race
1. No powders in my bottles(Emergen-C, 20 calories per bottle)
2. No powergels, or gu's (Actually, nothing)
3. I'm going to finish every bottle that I have
4. I'm going to ride more after the race(about 20miles)

If I was drinking this alkaline water of a 9.5 and it was going to keep my body more hydrated, then I was going to put it to the test. It takes character to come to a race and actually experiment. Almost all the racers I know are more concerned about their image with regards to their results. They have to do well, and if they don't it's like the world has come to an end. Note to them: If you think you have to do well "All the time", then you simple have not done enough losing. You need to "Lose" to "Learn". I used to train with Jimmy Butler (2-time US Olympic Table Tennis Team) and he helps me understand the importance of playing a tournament when not in top form. He said all the sports have some type of scrimmage system, and he said, "No one is going to ask you how many practice matches you won in your scrimmage period". I have not been able to get that out of head, and it's been especially challenging in cycling as we pretty much race year round. It's not like living in the north when their are no races because the weather is awful for 5 months out of the year. OK, that is my schpill on why I think it's important to have a training races.

Riders! 5 seconds, whistle and we are off.

Going through the gate Bob and Victor are jocking for position to be in the front and Bob makes a surge. But I admire what Victor is doing because he is not playing defense at all. He is taking the race to Bob. In all the races in the North Bob has used wisdom in playing defense instead of surging to got off the front. Then he would pick off the riders that have been dropped out of the front group. That is simply wisdom over youth, and they both work. See, you don't have to be a Pro to have a Pro's perspective. I'm not sure how many people would have ever picked up on it, or even have the confidence to say it. Shit, I will.

We are going around the fireroad, Bob, Victor, LaRue, Joe V. me, and Bounds. About 200 meters before we turn off the fireroad things starts shaking up, and I manage to get in behind Joe V. And I don't mind making this surge because it won't cost me. We are on a long straight that goes to Bermuda, so I know I'm safe for the time being. My HR is 171bpm, but I don't feel tapped out at all.

We keep it steady through Bermuda, and when we cut out of that section there is a surge and don't even make an attempt to go. Bounds comes around me, and I'm expecting LaRue to be with him. But he is not, and when Bounds says "Jump on my wheel, Pace", I go and he bridges us back up. My heartrate is still the same, but I know things won't get humbling until I get to the Gun Range. Actually, Bounds gets gapped by the front 3 in the gun range and I can feel myself going a little to deep for 14 minutes of racing. But out of the gun range Bounds and I have a gap on LaRue, so I just stay behind him.

I said all that to say that I really didn't want to keep up with Bounds, but I didn't want to wait 10 second to let LaRue pass me. I was just going to keep on riding until he catches me. I go into Outback and I turn off the after burners big time, as it is time to start Speed Pacing. LaRue catches up to and I just pull over, grab a tree and he says "Thanks Pace".

Now, I'm like Patti Labelle, "I'm on my own", and I have to manage the next 4 and a half laps taking in no calories. Just drinking that 9.5. I soon get caught by Trent, then about 3 minutes later, T-Wiz. T-Wiz is in front of me and it's tempting me to go into the red to get on his wheel, but I just keep my effort right were it is.

I go into Armadillo and I can still see him, I go into Toilet bowl and I can see him, I cut into Alligator Alley and I can see him. I get ready to go into warm-up loop backwards and I can still see him. "Nope, not gonna do it", and I just keep it Pacing.

I look down and my HR is 170bpm, and I really wanted it to be around 10 beats lower, but I keep that same effort. I can still see Tim and when I come out of Bermuda Jorge tells me that he has 20 second, and I say, "Thank God". I know if he is still in sight I will end up keeping my effort high. I come out of the Gun Range and just before I go into Outback backwards Luiz M. and Danny say he has 30 seconds. Damn Tim, go ahead and put me out of my misery. I know I'm at the back of the race and the only person I can see is Nixon so I will only ride hard enough to keep my position on him.

I go into lap 3 and I have found a flow, and I have not even felt that tingle in the legs that lets me know that there is some cramping on the horizon. At the halfway point in the Gun Range I hear a group of at least 5 riders together, so I know that's the 40+ group. I was expecting Matt to catch me first as he is the Alpha Male at this course in his category. But it takes them a much longer time to catch me, and once I have made it up the backwards steps in Armadillo, Matt and Campbell passes me and Oscar has to put a foot down, so I push off and I'm behind Campbell. I really don't want to be between any of the riders in this category. I really want get in the back, and watch how things shake up.

I finish Armadillo behind them and I realize that I have been going way too slow. There pace is good, but it's not punishing at all. Maybe that is why there is such a flock of riders together Before toilet bowl I let Oscar pass me as he has bridged up to me. Things stay flowing and cutting into Alligator Alley Oscar has to put a foot down as he hits the soft sand the wrong way. Adams asked to pass, then Joe D., then Andres, then Henry. Shit, 7 riders together going into the last lap. I need some popcorn. Now my agenda is to keep the slow rider in the group on all the fireroads. We go into the warm-up loop and the group gets stretched out.

Once we go into the start/finish it has broken up with Matt and Campbell up the fireroad, Joe D and Oscar and Adam trying to bridge up to them. Andres surges off and Henry is by himself so I surge up to him and give him a push and he able to come up on the group of Adam and Andres and pass them both and now he pulling them. Things stay steady through Bermuda, and once we get out, Adam is struggling so I give him a push also. I'm giving out the pushes like lollipops from the dentist and it raises my heartrate, but I feel good.

I'm sitting at the back and Matt and Campbell are gone, and Oscar, Andres and Henry are in the group ahead of us. I don't have the balls to ask if I can come around them so I just sit in. Adam has slowed down a bit, and Joe is starting to soft pedal and I say, "Joe this is the end, don't play defense". I try to keep him motivated so we can make a surge to bridge back to the trio up the trail. We come out of the gunrange and I yell out, "Who wants a ride" and I put the hammer down as I can see the trio about 15 seconds ahead of us. I'm a little bit inspired as I feel like I'm just a worker trying to pull back a chase group. I go into Outback backwards and I'm racing now. I look back, NOBODY. Damn! "Who's wit me", I say like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. I soft pedal until Joe gets back to me, and keep it steady. I gap him again, and I got into Armadillo by myself. I make a mistake at the steps and when Joe comes around I give him a push. Ok, that is push number 3.

I stay behind Joe, but he is seriously going backwards, and I pass him in the last section before the warm-up loop and bring in the 4the lap all by myself. Damn, I won't have any drama this lap to make me forget how painful the race is. The only thing I can think of is Nixon is a pretty strong finisher, so I was expecting him to make some kind of surge. I actually started to soft pedal since I knew I was going to put in more miles, and had to almost force myself out of the flow I had riding with the 40+ guys. I finish out that lap about 40 seconds slower than the lap before.

I went back to the car, and ate half of a blueberry scone, and hit the road to ride on the levy. The first 10 minutes was a bit painful as I was trying to get the body back in the zone, and the fact that my body had cooled down made it especially challenging.

I go to the levy, and realized that it was going to be a little painful as I had a serious headwind. I could only manage about 12-14mph, but I was glad that it was in the attack position. My shoulders started to ache, and so did my back. Great! This is what I need as it make the body stronger. I need to train the body to be in this position more often and the body aching is a great sign that my core strength is being raised.

I started mediating on Santos and the Hospice 100, and just managing the distance, the body, the food intake, etc. These would be the 2 races that I'm focusing on before I start bringing in the power for the new year. I'm also going to get down on some road racing at Rosewood. I think it's going to be more challenging now that I'm Cat 3, so I won't set any goals beside trying to stay near the front for the sprint.

After about 40 mins on the levy, I had enough of being mauled my the wind(thanks Eddie O), and turned around to enjoy the 30min ride back down the levy. Once I got back to Markham I did another 5 miles home, and brought in the days effort at 49.1 miles.

Goals I accomplished
1. I reached the 4hr mark on the mountain bike and did not cramp up, compared to Santos 3hr and 55 min full leg lock up even when I was taking in food(Mission Accomplished)
2. I was able to hold back myself from racing all out and focused on steady riding which is what I need for Santos and the Hospice (Mission Accomplished)
3. I did a XC race on just 20 calories per laps and 9.5ph water, and I now understand the importance of water(Mission Accomplished)
4. I did a XC race on no powders, gu's, gels, etc. (I'm never doing that shit again)(Mission Accomplished)

I can't say I'm interested in going to Amelia to do the same thing this weekend, so I'll most likley do 6 laps on the Pre-ride day, then go to Oleta on Sunday. Now, I know how far I can ride based on no food, I want to see how I can ramp up the power when I add in bars, gels, and powders.

I think my next purchase is going to go towards a bike fit from Matt Goforth of "On Your Mark" Performance. I had said something to him, but never really followed up. I was on the velonews site and Nate Ross and the owner of Wobblenaught explained how they fit the riders based on the body's geometry, and it was really extensive. I have followed this, especially on Eddie O's 55nine performance, but never pulled the trigger on gettin the bike fit. Even after hearing all the overwhelming testimonies. So if I'm going all out in 2008, then I have to get this done. The reason is I still don't understand how I'm so much more effective as a rider on the road bike, but it's just not translating into the mtn bike. I plan to get it soon, and give my body enough time to get used to it for Santos. By the way, that 6hrs of Santos is looking more and more attractive than the 12hrs every day now.

But when I know more, you'll know more

Pacer Out!