Zachary Hilton
Santa Cruz, CA
Place: 9
Field: 11
Teammates: Tom Stanis, Jeff Rogers, and Giles Douglas
Place: 9
Field: 11
Teammates: Tom Stanis, Jeff Rogers, and Giles Douglas
Weather: 71 degrees avg. sunny and getting warmer
Start Time: 10:51 am
Total Time: 01:38:00
Power: 181 W avg, 665 W max, 233 W NP
Power: 181 W avg, 665 W max, 233 W NP
Average Speed: 17.83 MPH, Top Speed 40.01 MPH
Average HR: 171 Max HR: 193
Elevation Ascent: 3,766 ft
University RR has come around this year in a build period for me. I am starting to feel the pains of all that riding this morning also. My legs are feeling achy. 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 46 Carbon Tubulars. My goals were to improve my course lap time, improve my time on the climb, and help out my teammates. I arrived early and warmed up on the trainer for around 45 minutes. The last time I did this race was in 2011. It was my 2nd cat 5 race. The course is easy to get used to once you go around it once. It's one of my favorite courses! This is a great course for me to get ready for Fremont Peak HC and Mt Diablo Challenge.
We started at the line with 11 and 4 SJBC riders. I carried 2 bottles, one with water and the other Hammer Nutrition. There is a neutral water provided by the race promoter Velo Promo. The race starts off on a hill, and I was feeling good. I stayed up front and wanted to be there until I get dropped. I knew going into this race I wasn't fresh enough to last the 12 laps. I am content with that. I'm just not there yet, and I am building towards that in 2015. Yes....I am already thinking of 2015 :) Thats why I write so much, so I don't make the same mistakes! Once you reach the top of the climb its a right turn towards the descent. You can take this section of the race with no brakes. There is an awesome sweeping right turn before you go straight down to the bottom of the course. Lap 1 was uneventful and seemed like SJBC would be able to control the race. Pen Velo wasn't doing much. I felt good on the climb in Lap 1 and Lap 2. On the descent of lap 2 the 45+4's passed us up. After lap 3 started a Jon Meals from Team Oakland started to accelerate and I stayed on his wheel. Once he started to quit I came around him and counter attacked to the top of the hill and then put in a huge acceleration towards the descent. At this point I just felt great and knew my teammates would either sit up and block if no one chased or grab a wheel. My goal was to lead this whole lap and try to separate myself if I could or leave my opponents hurting. Half way down the descent I could see the 45's ahead. I wasn't going to let them slow me down. I came around them as we were at the bottom of the descent, and I never looked behind me. In my mind I thought maybe my chasing group would sit up because we were coming to a hard right corner and the groups were colliding, and that could be another chance to separate myself on the climb. I could hear guys behind me, but I was still not going to look until I made it to the top. I lead the group to the top and one complete lap!!! That was huge for me, and a confidence builder. Jeff Rogers came around me and the group chased. We were 9 now, and I could see the pain on some faces from that lap. Jeff and Tom came by and lead us down the descent. I stayed up front and tried to recover from that last lap. I started to loose contact with the group right before we got neutralized by the Cat 3's. After we made it to the top of that climb I was done. I finished racing the rest of the course at a steady tempo. As I came into the finish I was told that SJBC got 2nd and 3rd place on the podium. Whohoo!
Recovering from 6-9 minute hard climbing efforts is an area that I need to work on to compete in this type of race, and also for many of the races in our district. This is my last road race for the season. The final 2 races are going to be Hill Climbs. Fremont Peak and Diablo Challenge. It's been a long season for me, and racing all different types of races. I still feel like I'm trying to find my way in this competitive racing district, but writing these reports has been huge for me to not make the same mistakes. I'm learning a lot!
My next race is Fremont Peak HC Sept 7th.
Thanks for reading!
We started at the line with 11 and 4 SJBC riders. I carried 2 bottles, one with water and the other Hammer Nutrition. There is a neutral water provided by the race promoter Velo Promo. The race starts off on a hill, and I was feeling good. I stayed up front and wanted to be there until I get dropped. I knew going into this race I wasn't fresh enough to last the 12 laps. I am content with that. I'm just not there yet, and I am building towards that in 2015. Yes....I am already thinking of 2015 :) Thats why I write so much, so I don't make the same mistakes! Once you reach the top of the climb its a right turn towards the descent. You can take this section of the race with no brakes. There is an awesome sweeping right turn before you go straight down to the bottom of the course. Lap 1 was uneventful and seemed like SJBC would be able to control the race. Pen Velo wasn't doing much. I felt good on the climb in Lap 1 and Lap 2. On the descent of lap 2 the 45+4's passed us up. After lap 3 started a Jon Meals from Team Oakland started to accelerate and I stayed on his wheel. Once he started to quit I came around him and counter attacked to the top of the hill and then put in a huge acceleration towards the descent. At this point I just felt great and knew my teammates would either sit up and block if no one chased or grab a wheel. My goal was to lead this whole lap and try to separate myself if I could or leave my opponents hurting. Half way down the descent I could see the 45's ahead. I wasn't going to let them slow me down. I came around them as we were at the bottom of the descent, and I never looked behind me. In my mind I thought maybe my chasing group would sit up because we were coming to a hard right corner and the groups were colliding, and that could be another chance to separate myself on the climb. I could hear guys behind me, but I was still not going to look until I made it to the top. I lead the group to the top and one complete lap!!! That was huge for me, and a confidence builder. Jeff Rogers came around me and the group chased. We were 9 now, and I could see the pain on some faces from that lap. Jeff and Tom came by and lead us down the descent. I stayed up front and tried to recover from that last lap. I started to loose contact with the group right before we got neutralized by the Cat 3's. After we made it to the top of that climb I was done. I finished racing the rest of the course at a steady tempo. As I came into the finish I was told that SJBC got 2nd and 3rd place on the podium. Whohoo!
Recovering from 6-9 minute hard climbing efforts is an area that I need to work on to compete in this type of race, and also for many of the races in our district. This is my last road race for the season. The final 2 races are going to be Hill Climbs. Fremont Peak and Diablo Challenge. It's been a long season for me, and racing all different types of races. I still feel like I'm trying to find my way in this competitive racing district, but writing these reports has been huge for me to not make the same mistakes. I'm learning a lot!
My next race is Fremont Peak HC Sept 7th.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks to Race Rim Wheels!
Thanks to Hammer Nutrition!
Thanks to Voler!
