Wente RR Race Report 2013

Wente RR Livermore, CA  (35+Cat 4) 3 Laps

Field Size: 56

Placing: 40

Start Time: 11:55 am  (Finishing time 2:32)

Teammates: Christian Mauri, Manny Managbanag

Average Speed: 18.8 MPH, Top Speed 39 MPH

Average HR: 167 Max HR: 189

Elevation Ascent: 3773 Ft.

Weather:  91 degrees avg.  Not windy
Garmin Data

                Oh Wente RR, you are always my first true hot race of the season.  The 35+4’s start at 12pm, and it was around 90 degrees on certain parts of the course.   I have been racing some really challenging hilly races, and finishing with the pack will come in time.  Right now I am shooting for some mini personal achievements.  There are a few areas of the course that I wanted to improve my times on, and also wanted to get comfortable riding in a pack that takes of the lane.  Centerline rule is enforced the entire race.  I got an OK warm up in.  Maybe could have gone a little bit longer but didn’t have the time.  I am still trying to figure out what I want to eat when a race starts at lunchtime!!!  Today I started with my regular breakfast at 8am.  A bowl of hot oats, wheat, barley, rye, cocoa, brown sugar, pumpkin seeds, and cranberry.  Then a bagel/cream cheese at 10, and performance power bar at 11am.  I didn’t have anyone at the feed zone so I drank a bottle of water during my warm up.  I carried one large bottle and one small.  This is a good move on hot days, but bad move on cold ones.  (You’ll have to stop to pee)

                Race is off!  We are following the Elite 5’s.  I got in a good position up front from the start line.  Centerline rule in effect for the whole course and Greenline and Altamont Rd’s are pretty wide and easy to move up.  I wanted to be in the top 5 all the way till the right turn on Carroll Rd.  We’ll have to ride up Carroll Rd 4 times.  That’s where the finish is.  The start line is down by registration on Greenville Rd.  Pretty much an easy tempo until you get to Carroll Rd.  We hit Carroll Rd and I was maybe 10^th.  Hard effort, but sustainable.  After you go past the finish line there is a flat section to goes across Hwy 580, and then a false flat pretty much up Flynn rd until we make a right turn to begin the descent.  You can’t move up in position once you get onto Flynn Rd.  There is no shoulder to ride on and the road is narrow.  We had a large group that filled the road up.  Some began to fall back on Flynn Rd that went too hard on Carroll Rd climb.  The descent down Flynn to Patterson Pass Rd stayed pretty calm.  I have ridden this course a lot, and moved up some positions on guys that weren’t comfortable descending this winding road.  We stretched out around the hairpin turn and one guy went off the road, and through the 5 ft weeds.  He stayed upright and tried to hop back on.  The pace up Patterson Pass Rd to Cross Rd was a good tempo but no one at the front was trying to make a move.  Once we hit Tesla rd the pace began to pick up, and on Greenville Rd I found myself too far back in the group.  This is the widest section of road on the course, and a good place to move up.  We made our way to Carroll Rd for the 2^nd time and it hurt.  I fell off the front but caught the group as we started to descend on Flynn Rd.  I wasn’t ready to give in yet, and burned a lot of matches to stay with the lead group.  I got dropped last year at this point.   Fast forward to Carroll Rd for the 3^rd time I was done at the finish line.  It was so hot that the sweat on my face was stinging.  No wind, and no cover from the sun!  I chased with 2 other guys and we never got passed up.  We did pass some Elite 5’s along the way. 

Finished strong and acclimated to the weather now J  I got a few PR’s and some good racing miles on a hilly course.   A couple of things that happened along the race I am stumped by.  On lap 2 I had the worst stomach cramp for about 10 minutes.  My feet also cramped up on the last lap.  Both really painful.  The feet thing happened last year also.  Probably the heat and exertion I was putting out.  

              My next race is Mt Hamilton RR May 26!

Thanks to SJBC Racing!

Thanks to Concept Cyclery of Morgan Hill!

Thanks to Voler!

Thanks to Cytomax!

Thanks to Vittoria Tires!

Thanks for reading!