March 27, 2014 was my last day of training indoors. Time to put the Fluid Trainer away, and hit the asphalt of Dane county for the rest of the cycling season. I always look forward to the first outdoor rides of the year. I get to check on my riding form and see if all the hard work done indoors pays off in performance on the road.
Riding outside is a lot different than indoors, wind, hills and surface of the road are constantly changing which makes training in the elements a fun little factor to play with as a rider. My early season rides usually consist of using my small chain ring to work on my spin and leg speed. My cadence is 87 RPM so I am constantly checking on that. If I get 30-40 miles in for a ride 3-4 times per week over the next two to three weeks I should be ready for racing.
April 6th is my first race of the year for 2014. The race is 35 minute criterium at Research Park here in Madison. My race is at 12:55 PM and I hope that a few of my fellow Bobcats will come out for the race. Crits are lapped races and usually start fast and stay fast for the 30+ minutes that they last. They are also good races for spectators to watch because I come riding by every few minutes without the spectators ever moving from where they are siting.
When I race I am constantly trying to hold my position at the front of the field and keep an eye on my competitors. I like to ride 3-4 riders behind the front rider so I get the draft of the riders in front of me and I am able to mark any attacks off the front and possibly get into a break away. The crits that I race usually come down to a sprint finish and over the years I have become quite good at sprinting.
I like racing bicycles and after 30+ years, I think of it as just a part of me. Over those 30 years I had many teammates so I always look forward to the first race of the year and seeing the new racers. I sure hope my blogs become more entertaining with stories of success on the racing circuit this year. Winter training and lifting weights, while fun, do not make for good story telling.
Last year was a great year for the team and me so I am hoping for more success this year. Next week I will be able to give you a full report from the world of training outside on the road. My Regular racing bike, De Rosa Dual HF, is still getting tuned up for the year so if you see me out there I will be riding the Trek training bike.