Zachary Hilton
San Bruno Hill Climb
Category 35+ 4/5's Combined with 35+ 1,2,3's
San Bruno Hill Climb
Category 35+ 4/5's Combined with 35+ 1,2,3's
Brisbane, CA
Place: 5
Teammates: None
Place: 5
Teammates: None
Weather: 48 foggy down below, sunny up top, roads were wet in areas
Start Time: 10:34:00 (delayed 30 min)
Start Time: 10:34:00 (delayed 30 min)
Total Time: 00:21:55 (My results 4th fastest time since 00:19:20 in 2012. I'm behind 00:02:35)
Power: 260 W avg, 535 W max, 263 W NP
Power: 260 W avg, 535 W max, 263 W NP
Average Speed: 10 MPH, Top Speed 25.3 MPH
Average HR: 176 Max HR: 186
Elevation Ascent: 1,181 ft
Elevation Ascent: 1,181 ft
Flyover by Relive
I'm riding a 2015 Specialized S-Works Tarmac with Ultegra 6800 53/39 11 speed group set with an 11/28 for this race. I have a pair for Race Rim carbon tubular 32's for this race. I'm wearing my Race Suit from Jakroo Custom Apparel, and my S-Works Evade helmet. I follow Hammer Nutrition's Steve Born on many pre-race strategies. Hammer Nutrition's Fully Charged is on the menu before the race too.
My goal for this race is to simply start the season off fresh. I'm overweight for this race and under trained. Last season sucked after I crashed at Cat's Hill Classic. SBHC will make you put all that behind you and jump start the season. You will have one race more than most in the fields for the season.
The race starts with a group start at the bottom. Anxious to start the New Year off several hundred experienced and new racers show up to the start line. The fields are combined in waves. I'm the 2nd wave to go through and combined with the 35+ 1,2,3's. There are 17 of us together and each numbered in our categories but I never bother checking to see who's in my category. You just go with the flow and stay with the led group and within your power range that you can sustain. I stayed with the lead group until the first stop light just sitting in the back hurting with the pace but it was about the flatten out. There are several sections where it flattens and you can pick up some time. I didn't train at all fo this race and it's showing. I have markers for time, and I'm already off them. It's still a beautiful morning and putting in this effort feels awesome. My lungs are feeling great and legs aren't giving out. My max heart rate is a little lower than what I can normally hold for a hill climb. The roads here are consistently the same since my first time here in 2011. The road after the parking booth shack and to the top are the worst sections. There's one rider ahead of me that I'm keeping pace with. The road is closed going up so I will work to catch him on this section. As long as no group or rider is coming up fast from behind I imagine winding hill climb roads as a straight line. Taking the shortest line to the next turn. This seems to always allow me to catch a few riders who stay to the right side of the road and don't pay attention that they are taking the long way. At 1K togo I ride up next to the rider and then he tucks in behind me for 100 meters for a break. With 500 meters to go I stand up to accelerate and put in an effort to drop him and it works. Finished across the line in less time that last year and that's a small battle with myself that I won! Thanks to Pen Velo for driving all our warm gear to the top. It's freezing riding down when your wearing just a race suit and sweating.
The race starts with a group start at the bottom. Anxious to start the New Year off several hundred experienced and new racers show up to the start line. The fields are combined in waves. I'm the 2nd wave to go through and combined with the 35+ 1,2,3's. There are 17 of us together and each numbered in our categories but I never bother checking to see who's in my category. You just go with the flow and stay with the led group and within your power range that you can sustain. I stayed with the lead group until the first stop light just sitting in the back hurting with the pace but it was about the flatten out. There are several sections where it flattens and you can pick up some time. I didn't train at all fo this race and it's showing. I have markers for time, and I'm already off them. It's still a beautiful morning and putting in this effort feels awesome. My lungs are feeling great and legs aren't giving out. My max heart rate is a little lower than what I can normally hold for a hill climb. The roads here are consistently the same since my first time here in 2011. The road after the parking booth shack and to the top are the worst sections. There's one rider ahead of me that I'm keeping pace with. The road is closed going up so I will work to catch him on this section. As long as no group or rider is coming up fast from behind I imagine winding hill climb roads as a straight line. Taking the shortest line to the next turn. This seems to always allow me to catch a few riders who stay to the right side of the road and don't pay attention that they are taking the long way. At 1K togo I ride up next to the rider and then he tucks in behind me for 100 meters for a break. With 500 meters to go I stand up to accelerate and put in an effort to drop him and it works. Finished across the line in less time that last year and that's a small battle with myself that I won! Thanks to Pen Velo for driving all our warm gear to the top. It's freezing riding down when your wearing just a race suit and sweating.
We had plans to travel on New Year's Eve and I was planning on skipping this race. I reached a point after the crash in 2017 that I would say yes to plans that came in the way of training and racing. For years I let the training drive my schedule. I love the feeling of accomplishment with cycling and pushing myself. I wasn't burnt out by it but I gave racing the back seat for a while. It definitely out me in a place I didn't like though. I would go on group rides where I normally excel and keep up and I was being dropped when I shouldn't. Racing keeps me fit and ahead of the curve. I'm happy to be back at it, and secretly I was craving it!
Time to recover with Hammer Nutrition's Recoverite and get a good night sleep. Don't forget to recover during your sleep and take some Hammer Whey to boost that HGH. I've also added Hammer Nutrition's Chromate, and Super Antioxidant to the recovery mix. Both have great recovery ingredients!
Next race will be Central Coast Circuit Race January 27th!
Thanks for reading!
Thanks to Hammer Nutrition!
Thanks to SJBC Race Team!