Fremont Peak Hill Climb (NCNCA's Hill Climb Championship)

Zachary Hilton
Fremont Peak Hill Climb

San Juan Bautista, CA 
Place: 4
Field: 4
Teammates: In Other Categories but grouped together (Alexander Komlik, Andy Crews, Alan Weatherall)

Weather:  85 Sunny down below and the warmest on the hill, especially miles 6-8!! No wind..just sun!
Start Time:  10:20 am

Total Time: 00:54:52
Power: 235 W avg, 632 W max, 251 W NP  

Average Speed: 10.8 MPH, Top Speed 35.7 MPH

Average HR: 179 Max HR: 187

Elevation Ascent: 2,365 ft

Training Peaks Data

I'm riding a 2015 Specialized Tarmac with Ultegra 6800 11 speed group set with a 53/39 11/32 for this race.  I have a pair for Race Rim Tubular 32's that are perfect for this race.  I've been hooked on my current breakfast for a while now.  Trader Joe's Multi-Grain oatmeal cooked in egg whites, peanut butter, berries, and maple syrup.  Yum and full of energy to start race day right.

My goals for this race are to try and salvage any racing effort I have after Mt Tam and get back on the podium.  Last year I set a PR of 45:09.  That's 9 seconds off from getting a free beer from the promoter at Jardine's Mexican after in San Juan Bautista!  I am not in the same shape as last year though :(  I'm still showing up and giving it my best.  There is a huge need to support these races.

I went to bed way to late the night before.  We were hosting a party and staying up late with friends we hadn't seen in a while, and you can't say no to that.  I still managed to get 8 hours of good sleep.  I woke up tired and the weather was starting to heat up again.  I got a great warm up in the shade, but the average temp is 87 now!  Not great weather to do a hill climb in for me.  Making me feel more out of shape.

We started off at the whistle and quickly formed a two by two formation that lasted for several minutes.  At around mile 2 we were starting to break up into smaller groups.  I followed the leaders until mile 3.5 when the rollers came.  At mile 5 I started to drop back and settled into my own tempo.  Miles 6-8 are the toughest and also most exposed to the sun.  I was by myself now and hoping to pick some others off.  I hit mile 7 and started to loose power and felt like I was going backwards.  Not a good feeling but I kept on pushing through it.  At mile 8 it begins to level out with some rollers and then the final mile is the best.  It's a technical and fast final 1K!  If you know the course well, you can take risks.  I crossed the finish line 9 minutes over my PR.  What a bad feeling, but it's what I deserved for being out of racing for so long.  The second and third place guys were at 49 and 50 minute marks.  That was even more defeating because I wouldn't even have to PR in order to get on the podium.

Overall this only make my will to come back stronger!  I'm racing SJBC's Vuelta, Winter Series, and some Low Key Hill Climbs.  I plan to be stronger than last year this January for the 2016 season openers.

I used one bottle of Hammer Heed no need to carry any more for this short race, Race Caps Supreme, and two Hammer gels.  Time to recover with Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite and get a good night sleep.

Next race will be Vuelta de San Jose on September 27!  That morning my wife Katie and I are running a 5K together in San Martin.

Thanks for reading!

Thanks to Hammer Nutrition!

Thanks to Voler!
Thanks to Vittoria Tires!

Thanks to SJBC Race Team!

Mt Tam Hill Climb

Zachary Hilton
Mt Tam HC

Stinson Beach, CA 
Place: 16
Field: 24
Teammates: None

Weather:  64 foggy down below, and warm on the hill
Start Time:  09:55 am

Total Time: 00:53:36
Power: 260 W avg, 640 W max, 251 W NP  

Average Speed: 13.6 MPH, Top Speed 41.9 MPH

Average HR: 173 Max HR: 192

Elevation Ascent: 2,280 ft

Training Peaks Data

I'm riding a 2015 Specialized Tarmac with Ultegra 6800 11 speed group set with a 53/39 11/28 for this race.  I have a pair for Race Rim Tubular 32's that are perfect for this race.  I've been hooked on my current breakfast for a while now.  Trader Joe's Multi-Grain oatmeal cooked in egg whites, peanut butter, berries, and maple syrup.  Yum and full of energy to start race day right.  I'm playing a big catch up game with racing.

My plans for this race were to get a current FTP on the climb, get some hard racing on the legs, and enjoy being back racing!  I got a great 45 minute warm up on the trainer right next to the beach.  Stinson Beach is a great destination!  Golden Gate Velo always makes it worth the trip.  This year they gave away bottle, socks, and banana bread!  I was feeling well rested this week and took two additional days off the bike to recover.  I registered with the Elite 4's because the only masters 4 categories started at age 40+.

Race starts at Stinson Beach and mile 1-4 are flat on Highway 1 before we make a right turn onto Bolinas-Fairfax Rd.  The first 4 miles you need to be near the front.  Sometimes there are attacks and sometimes just a nice pace line.  I got to the start line early and was sitting 4th wheel.  The pot holes on this stretch of the road are brutal when not called out.  Mile 1 there was an attack of the front and everyone let him go.  The headwind was moderate and no way he was going to stay out front with us charging for the next 3 miles.  An attack came from behind with 3 from different teams and all of us at the front jumped on for a ride.  At mole 2.5 we were all back together and another solo attack went off the front.  We let him go and he started the climb on his own.  He was caught by everyone on the climb.  I stayed on the wheel of a tall rider until we made the right turn. My legs were feeling it from the surges, but I'm used to that at the start of the race.  We were only 8 minutes into this race and already attacking each other and covering them too.  I settled into a good tempo and power for myself like I do on all these hill climbs.  There is no good reason to blow up early.  You will always catch people that do that.  I knew this climb well and planned to use that to my advantage.  There were three of us together now with me just following a wheel.  I wasn't planning on attacking until some of the areas where it flattens out around mile 7.5.  We caught 4 others and now were a group of 7.  I came around to lead the group into the flats at mile 7.5.  At this point I never looked behind me!  I kept my head down and breathing steady.  It was starting to get hot and I was sweating down my face.  I didn't want to show them any of that.  No one ever came around me so I just settled into my own tempo, and led us into the "dark woods".  I wanted to be the first one through the dark woods before you get to the seven sisters.  So many obstacles on the road and no room for mistakes.  There are potholes and tree roots that can throw you off your bike.  I led us through all of the sisters.  Right as we approached the final one I didn't hear as many riders behind me anymore.  Two of them were talking to each other and trying to figure out how many miles were left.  I knew they didn't know the course.  I had to try and shake them now.  Around mile 11.5 you can get into the big ring and just let it ride.  I knew this course well enough to drill it around the corners tight!  My S-Works Tarmac takes corners like a champ!  As we crested before the final sweeping left up to the finish one rider came around me...it was me and him....I was going to follow him down and sprint around in the final meters...he hesitated as if he didn't know what to do and I had a quick decision to make.  Come around him on the inside and punch it or wait for him to make the move.  I didn't know how far back the others were, but looking a pictures they weren't far back.  I decided to cut him on the inside of the turn and go full gas (41.9 mph to be exact)  This is such a fun finish!  He never came around!

I didn't PR on this ascent but I didn't expect too.  Last summer when I did this course I was peaking.  I did however set the same FTP that I had at this point last year.  That's a great way to go into the final race of the season and the Low Key Hill Climbs Series.  I can build off that number, and be ready early for the 2016 season.

I used one bottle of Hammer Heed no need to carry any more for this short race, Race Caps Supreme, and two Hammer gels.  Time to recover with Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite and get a good night sleep.

Next race will be Fremont Peak Hill Climb (NCNCA's Hill Climb Championship) on September 20!

Thanks for reading!

Thanks to Hammer Nutrition!

Thanks to Voler!
Thanks to Vittoria Tires!

Thanks to SJBC Race Team!

University RR

Zachary Hilton
University RR 35+ 4's

Santa Cruz, CA 
Place: 12
Field: 12
Teammates: Giles Douglas

Weather:  70 little headwind on descent, sunny at start
Start Time:  10:32 am

Total Time: 01:36:00
Power: 233 W avg, 701 W max, 225 W NP  

Average Speed: 16.7 MPH, Top Speed 37 MPH

Average HR: 171 Max HR: 188

Elevation Ascent: 3,540 ft

Training Peaks Data

I'm riding a 2015 Specialized Tarmac with Ultegra 6800 11 speed group set with a 53/39 11/28 for this race.  I have a pair for Race Rim Tubular 32's that are perfect for this race.  I've been hooked on my current breakfast for a while now.  Trader Joe's Multi-Grain oatmeal cooked in egg whites, peanut butter, berries, and maple syrup.  Yum and full of energy to start race day right.  I'm playing a big catch up game with racing.  My last race was Berkeley Hills RR in May.  That's just the way the season has been with me.  This race will be the opener for me on the second half of the season.  I'll be racing a few more USAC races, Low Key Hill Climbs, and then SJBC Winter Series.

I needed a good warm up for the legs before this race starts.  It starts out on a hill.  There are 4 legs to this circuit.  An uphill gradual climb, straight away that turns into a hard right, downhill, and then final straightaway.  There were only 12 of us in the 35+4's but that's normal for this race.   I was here to suffer and I knew that I wouldn't last long.  Racing is essential throughout the year if you expect to compete.  It's hard to get that race effort in your legs any other way.  Something about racing against the clock and others drives you to the extreme.  I survived 2 laps and then the pace was exploded by the eventual winner of the race.  Only 3 were able to stay with him, and then rest formed groups throughout the course.  He eventually dropped everyone and lapped the field.  He obviously needs to upgrade soon :)  But not enough points given out in the small fields.  Once I was dropped I pushed myself to complete the race at my temp on the climb and recover on the downhill.

Not much else was learned in this race.  It went as expected, and it felt awesome to be back racing.

I used two bottles of Hammer Heed , Race Caps Supreme, and two Hammer gels.  Time to recover with Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite and get a good night sleep.

Next race will be Mt Tam Hill Climb on September 12!

Thanks for reading!

Thanks to Hammer Nutrition!

Thanks to Voler!
Thanks to Vittoria Tires!

Thanks to SJBC Race Team!