Zachary Hilton
Stinson Beach, CA
Placed: 4th overall GC and 3rd Bronze Medal in Age Group
Placed: 4th overall GC and 3rd Bronze Medal in Age Group
Weather: 63 degrees avg. light rain morning, sunny with clouds for the end
Start Time: 10:00 am
Total Time: 00:57:00 (STOPPED FOR 2 GUYS WITH FLATS)
Power: 194 W avg, 655 W max, 237 W NP
Power: 194 W avg, 655 W max, 237 W NP
Average Speed: 13.68 MPH, Top Speed 38.49 MPH
Average HR: 165 Max HR: 190
Elevation Ascent: 2,277 ft
The California Firefighter Olympics are held annually. It's either up north or down south. San Francisco Fire hosted this year. The cycling portion would be a 3 Day Stage Race. Hill Climb, Time Trial, and Road Race. I'm riding my 2009 Specialized Tarmac with the new Ultegra 6800 11 speed group set. I ride a 53/39 11/28 for most races. I am also racing with my Race Rim 32 Carbon Tubulars. The HC is the same course we race every year in September at the Mt Tam Hill Climb. I was very familiar with this course, and excited to see how I would do this time of year. I had some breakfast when I got out there with Hanns. Blueberry pancakes, maple syrup, and egg whites. I have ditched the morning oatmeal for a while. I created a multi-grain oats with whole wheat flour pancake that I now eat with fruit.
I put on the SJBC Race Team Voler Speed Suit and began my warm up on the trainer. I needed at least a full hour to get warmed up. I carried one small bottle of Hammer Heed with me for the race, and packed a bag they would sag to the top of the mountain for us. This race will be done in less than 1 hour. I wanted to PR on the climbing portion, and try to set a new and higher FTP (Functional Threshold Power) for the month.
We had around 15 to start the HC. Mostly smaller fields for the first 2 stages. Good competition however. I had no room to carry anything besides a bottle, so I ate a quick Hammer Gel Peanut Butter before the start. We were off and I was sitting 3-4 wheels back. The first 4 miles is on HWY 1 and can be pretty windy. At mile 1.5 there was a pothole that 2 guys hit and pinch flatted. We all agreed to stop and wait. No big deal after we all calmed down a bit. Some guys traveled real far for this competition, and good sportsmanship in a small field is always appreciated. In a real race they would have been out. In the big picture everything you do counts towards placing higher than your competitors in a race. How you train, eat, recover, prepare your bike, and race your bike. One of the guys who flatted Dave Stepp from San Diego ended up being my strongest competitor in the overall GC and our age category. He finished the HC 1:47 ahead of me and the TT 1 second ahead of me. Dave became a good friend during the races, and happy to have raced with him. Good karma always comes back around. Once we got back on the road I stayed up front. At mile 3.5 Hanns D went off the front and I followed his wheel. This was a good place to start ramping up the intensity for what was about to come. The first few miles of the climb are the toughest and a great place to separate the group. Rob Herrick came around us and set a fast pace up the climb. Followed by Rob Martone, Dave Stepp, Hanns Detlefsen, Ken Rodriguez, and John Galvin. I settled in at my FTP power and decided to stay there. I would either catch them or not. This has been my plan on HC's especially at the beginning. I can attack later. Rob H, Rob M, Dave S, and Hanns D were all about 20 seconds ahead as I caught Ken R and John G. The four of them were putting in a steady climb that I couldn't bridge just yet. I had them in sight which was still to my benefit. There are a few flat spots where you can try to gain some ground. Rob H started to drift towards me, and now the three of them where 30-40 seconds off the front. I then saw Hanns break apart from the group. Rob M broke away from Dave S in the dark forest where it was really wet this year. As I came through the forest I spotted them at the top of the first sisters climbs. Hanns wasn't in sight. They were now over a minute ahead of me, and Rob H was still about 20-30 seconds behind me. I settled in TT mode and paced myself over these next 6 climbs. I wasn't going to catch them now. The sweeping left turn and uphill finish is one of my favorite. You can catch someone off guard if they aren't hitting the finish hard!
I PR'ed the hill climb by over 1 minute. PR'ed on all the sisters hills, and my new FTP is now 272. That's way ahead of where I was this past year. I am feeling strong and right on track.
I drank some Recoverite when I got back to the truck. Were all hung out, and had a quick medal ceremony. I walked away with a Bronze in my age category, and I am sitting 4th overall GC.
Time to recover!
I put on the SJBC Race Team Voler Speed Suit and began my warm up on the trainer. I needed at least a full hour to get warmed up. I carried one small bottle of Hammer Heed with me for the race, and packed a bag they would sag to the top of the mountain for us. This race will be done in less than 1 hour. I wanted to PR on the climbing portion, and try to set a new and higher FTP (Functional Threshold Power) for the month.
We had around 15 to start the HC. Mostly smaller fields for the first 2 stages. Good competition however. I had no room to carry anything besides a bottle, so I ate a quick Hammer Gel Peanut Butter before the start. We were off and I was sitting 3-4 wheels back. The first 4 miles is on HWY 1 and can be pretty windy. At mile 1.5 there was a pothole that 2 guys hit and pinch flatted. We all agreed to stop and wait. No big deal after we all calmed down a bit. Some guys traveled real far for this competition, and good sportsmanship in a small field is always appreciated. In a real race they would have been out. In the big picture everything you do counts towards placing higher than your competitors in a race. How you train, eat, recover, prepare your bike, and race your bike. One of the guys who flatted Dave Stepp from San Diego ended up being my strongest competitor in the overall GC and our age category. He finished the HC 1:47 ahead of me and the TT 1 second ahead of me. Dave became a good friend during the races, and happy to have raced with him. Good karma always comes back around. Once we got back on the road I stayed up front. At mile 3.5 Hanns D went off the front and I followed his wheel. This was a good place to start ramping up the intensity for what was about to come. The first few miles of the climb are the toughest and a great place to separate the group. Rob Herrick came around us and set a fast pace up the climb. Followed by Rob Martone, Dave Stepp, Hanns Detlefsen, Ken Rodriguez, and John Galvin. I settled in at my FTP power and decided to stay there. I would either catch them or not. This has been my plan on HC's especially at the beginning. I can attack later. Rob H, Rob M, Dave S, and Hanns D were all about 20 seconds ahead as I caught Ken R and John G. The four of them were putting in a steady climb that I couldn't bridge just yet. I had them in sight which was still to my benefit. There are a few flat spots where you can try to gain some ground. Rob H started to drift towards me, and now the three of them where 30-40 seconds off the front. I then saw Hanns break apart from the group. Rob M broke away from Dave S in the dark forest where it was really wet this year. As I came through the forest I spotted them at the top of the first sisters climbs. Hanns wasn't in sight. They were now over a minute ahead of me, and Rob H was still about 20-30 seconds behind me. I settled in TT mode and paced myself over these next 6 climbs. I wasn't going to catch them now. The sweeping left turn and uphill finish is one of my favorite. You can catch someone off guard if they aren't hitting the finish hard!
I PR'ed the hill climb by over 1 minute. PR'ed on all the sisters hills, and my new FTP is now 272. That's way ahead of where I was this past year. I am feeling strong and right on track.
I drank some Recoverite when I got back to the truck. Were all hung out, and had a quick medal ceremony. I walked away with a Bronze in my age category, and I am sitting 4th overall GC.
Time to recover!
My next race is Stage 2 CA/FF Time Trial.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks to Race Rim Wheels!
Thanks to Race Rim Wheels!
Thanks to Hammer Nutrition!
Thanks to Voler!
