Road racing - need tips from a woman's perspective

[kaian]

Does anyone here do racing or competing seriously or for fun? I think I might like to try a duathlon as well as some road races this year - something on the short side (20-25 miles). I am looking for training tips from a woman's perspective and also some goals to set for myself so that I know when I am ready. For example, how fast should I be able to go and for how long to determine if I will do well in a beginner category for a 30-34 age group? What would be a good time for a 20 mile race?

I've been cycling for two seasons, but am still learning. Any info or tips would be helpful. I do have the Cyclist Training Bible, but I want to know what speeds/times are reasonable for a beginner female. Thanks!

[SadieKate]

I don't do anything but time trials so I can't tell you much about training. For speed, search for results of the races in your area. They are posted a great deal of the time. Do the math. You'll be able to figure out the average speed. Then, remember that in a road race they are in pacelines so the average speed is high.

One other thing, good road racers can put in bursts of speed to catch or stay with a breakaway. A skill a lot of us don't work on.

[runnergirl]

I race somewhat seriously, I think it's a blast! My understanding of duathalons is that they are like tri's without swimming, ie, no drafting. It doesn't really matter how fast you can go since it's you against the clock. Speed matters more in a crit or road race where you dont' want to be shelled out of the pack.

[CR400]

In my limited racing I have found that it is best just to pick a race and see how well you do. My first race was a Crit, I came in second but the woman who beat me stayed with the men's pack, they ave 24+mph. In my only RR this season it had like 12 of the 20 miles were climbing. I managed to beat a few people but got beat by most. The top woman completed that in an hour seven minuets if I remember right. So go into your first season of racing with an attitude to learn as much as you can and don't worry about placing and winning. Because unless you are super talented you won't even win the CAT 4 races.

As far as training get your heart rate above 90% as often as you can for as long as you can. Don't be afraide to push it but be carful as well.Because that's where it will be in a race. Work on improving your maximum sustainable watts and your sprinting. Work on your anarobic threshold and recovery from that effort. Racing in the pack may seem easier because you have a draft but remember you are usually going 24+mph, which isn't easy for most. Of course speeds may be slower in the lower CATs but don't count on it. I had the ability to sprint into the low 30's at times but was still dropped over the long haul.

[Nanci]

When I want to find out if I am running/biking/swimming reasonable times for a particular event, I look at the past years results for my age group- then I have a ballpark figure of where I need to be for that particular course.

Nanci

[RoadRaven]

Just going to pretty much agree with what has been said.
The best thing is to go to results of local club races and look for the length of races you are looking at.

Some of these may be listed by distance only, but it will give you an idea of womens times albeit in unknown age groups.

If you go to club champs results, or nationals, they will be listed in age categories and will give you an idea of what to aspire to.

The goals you set yourself and the speed you want to do will really depend on the skill level of the riders you ride with and the terrain of the various rides/races.

I suggest you go along to the next meeting of your local club and have a chat to either some of the women there, or to some of the male riders aged in the 30's/40's and older... they will give you a good idea of where and how to begin. (I say males of that age because they have got over their self-importance, and are genuinely interested in you as an aspiring cyclist first rather than as a woman)

Without knowing your skill level, I suggest you start in the lowest grade and get a feel for it... these are the novices and newbies and those who are not there to ride more competitively. If that is easy, ride up a grade the next time.

The advantage of club riding is that it will also teach you race and pelaton protocols too

[pkq]

Work on cornering fast. If you are uncomfortable with taking curves fast, work on those first and graduate with fast cornering.

Work on bike handling skills for close pack riding and drafting with local racers or fastest riders. You'll need good paceline skills.

As you learn to paceline, don't be afraid to take your pull as it will make you stronger and you'll earn respect from the others. If you get spit off the back, don't get frustrated, too much, and work to stay as close to the group as you can. If you keep at this, you will get better each week. Someone should drop back to help you catch the group.

Don't forget to ride solo and push yourself. You have to make those higher speeds yours. It is easy to put in a 25 mile ride with an average speed of 24 mph by drafting the whole ride. It is much harder to do 25 miles and average 20 mph solo. If most of your riding becomes club riding and you don't get enough pulling time, figure out ways to ride with them but not draft so much to make those higher speeds yours.

Your top end sprint should be at least 34 mph. At my age, 45, I can still do that but younger women, in your age group, beat me now. Your comfortable cruising speed in a paceline should be 28ish mph. I needed that in a RR last year to come in 3rd, only 20 seconds behind the top lady. She is a competitive tri-gal and very strong. It was a 20 mile race and I averaged 20 mph. The course had two decent hills and one was very steep.

If you have significant hills nearby, climb them. Find the worst one and do hill repeats on it, do those until you are tired. That is a good way to gain significant strength on the bike. You will notice the difference.

Get with a team and work with them. If you don't have a team nearby, find a strong group of riders at the race and stick with them. The lady who beat me last year was nestled in a strong group of male riders the whole race. The number two lady was in the same group. I rode most of the first lap solo until a paceline caught me. I was pulling 26 while they were pulling 28. I lost them on the 2nd hill and waited for them because I knew I'd need them on the 2nd lap. During the 2nd lap, I dropped them on the 2nd hill again. They were so far back, I had to go on. I would have lost too much time by waiting again. We were close enough to the finish, too, I deemed it OK to drop them.

If you ride with a group of strangers and find you are the strongest rider, don't pull all the time. Make others pull, too. They may be sandbagging and letting you deplete your energy stores to beat you at the end. Don't let that happen regardless of how pumped or fresh you feel. A sustained effort like that will take its toll on your legs and you will die at the end. You will find your sprint sprang.

Be aware of who's around you. Tactics are important in racing. Some people may be silent riders just waiting for a chance to come around. If I can, I do that on club rides. It's fun to catch people unaware that an attack is coming. I will repeatedly attack, especially the guys, to wear them down during the ride only to beat them at the end. My attacks are false attacks but their's are not. :) Evil but it works. Sometimes guys just have to strut their stuff. :) On the last club ride, one of the guys was finally doing that to me. I watch for him because he's real strong so I was aware of his positioning and he didn't quite catch me as surprised as he wanted.

I did one race this year and averaged 17.6 mph over a very hilly 32 miles and a really nasty grade very close to the finish. What were they thinking??? Wind was strong that day and I didn't like the course. The start was "different" and chaotic so I lost my pals and rode solo the whole time. I had not done enough climbing this year to really perform well in that race.

Use psychological tactics, too. They work. I dropped a young woman on a nasty grade by letting her know she was trying to beat a 44 year old woman. Little did I know just how much that would demoralize her. She admitted at the end she tried desperately to catch me but just couldn't.

Learn how to use the big muscle groups from your butt on down. If your butt doesn't tone up, you aren't using it. Use it! Same for the quads. You should begin to see some real definition in those gams, if you are pushing hard.

Learn how to tuck as low as possible for good aerodynamics. When things get heated, you will also provide very little slipstream for others in a tight tuck.

Learn how to ride with your forearms resting on the top of the handlebars. You can get a decent aero position without the added weight of the aerobars.

Become a smooth, fluid cycling machine from the hips down. You don't want to rock back and forth or pump up and down. Watch the pros to see how smooth you want to be.

There is an excellent racing thread on bikejournal.com. You can pick up a lot of tips from those guys. If you want, I'll bump it for you.

[Yasmin]

Work on cornering fast. If you are uncomfortable with taking curves fast, work on those first and graduate with fast cornering.

Work on bike handling skills for close pack riding and drafting with local racers or fastest riders. You'll need good paceline skills.

As you learn to paceline, don't be afraid to take your pull as it will make you stronger and you'll earn respect from the others. If you get spit off the back, don't get frustrated, too much, and work to stay as close to the group as you can. If you keep at this, you will get better each week. Someone should drop back to help you catch the group.

Don't forget to ride solo and push yourself. You have to make those higher speeds yours. It is easy to put in a 25 mile ride with an average speed of 24 mph by drafting the whole ride. It is much harder to do 25 miles and average 20 mph solo. If most of your riding becomes club riding and you don't get enough pulling time, figure out ways to ride with them but not draft so much to make those higher speeds yours.

Your top end sprint should be at least 34 mph. At my age, 45, I can still do that but younger women, in your age group, beat me now. Your comfortable cruising speed in a paceline should be 28ish mph. I needed that in a RR last year to come in 3rd, only 20 seconds behind the top lady. She is a competitive tri-gal and very strong. It was a 20 mile race and I averaged 20 mph. The course had two decent hills and one was very steep.

If you have significant hills nearby, climb them. Find the worst one and do hill repeats on it, do those until you are tired. That is a good way to gain significant strength on the bike. You will notice the difference.

Get with a team and work with them. If you don't have a team nearby, find a strong group of riders at the race and stick with them. The lady who beat me last year was nestled in a strong group of male riders the whole race. The number two lady was in the same group. I rode most of the first lap solo until a paceline caught me. I was pulling 26 while they were pulling 28. I lost them on the 2nd hill and waited for them because I knew I'd need them on the 2nd lap. During the 2nd lap, I dropped them on the 2nd hill again. They were so far back, I had to go on. I would have lost too much time by waiting again. We were close enough to the finish, too, I deemed it OK to drop them.

If you ride with a group of strangers and find you are the strongest rider, don't pull all the time. Make others pull, too. They may be sandbagging and letting you deplete your energy stores to beat you at the end. Don't let that happen regardless of how pumped or fresh you feel. A sustained effort like that will take its toll on your legs and you will die at the end. You will find your sprint sprang.

Be aware of who's around you. Tactics are important in racing. Some people may be silent riders just waiting for a chance to come around. If I can, I do that on club rides. It's fun to catch people unaware that an attack is coming. I will repeatedly attack, especially the guys, to wear them down during the ride only to beat them at the end. My attacks are false attacks but their's are not. :) Evil but it works. Sometimes guys just have to strut their stuff. :) On the last club ride, one of the guys was finally doing that to me. I watch for him because he's real strong so I was aware of his positioning and he didn't quite catch me as surprised as he wanted.

I did one race this year and averaged 17.6 mph over a very hilly 32 miles and a really nasty grade very close to the finish. What were they thinking??? Wind was strong that day and I didn't like the course. The start was "different" and chaotic so I lost my pals and rode solo the whole time. I had not done enough climbing this year to really perform well in that race.

Use psychological tactics, too. They work. I dropped a young woman on a nasty grade by letting her know she was trying to beat a 44 year old woman. Little did I know just how much that would demoralize her. She admitted at the end she tried desperately to catch me but just couldn't.

Learn how to use the big muscle groups from your butt on down. If your butt doesn't tone up, you aren't using it. Use it! Same for the quads. You should begin to see some real definition in those gams, if you are pushing hard.

Learn how to tuck as low as possible for good aerodynamics. When things get heated, you will also provide very little slipstream for others in a tight tuck.

Learn how to ride with your forearms resting on the top of the handlebars. You can get a decent aero position without the added weight of the aerobars.

Become a smooth, fluid cycling machine from the hips down. You don't want to rock back and forth or pump up and down. Watch the pros to see how smooth you want to be.

There is an excellent racing thread on bikejournal.com. You can pick up a lot of tips from those guys. If you want, I'll bump it for you.
Wow!!! You get top marks from me for this A+ grade info. Fabulous stuff. I don't ride professionally but do ride with 42 men & usually 1, sometimes 2 women. I'm petite & 49 yrs old. Isn't it curious how the guys really take it personally when you beat them? I love 'em dearly, but they don't like it when a chick's up front.

[pkq]

Thanks Yasmin. It is interesting to watch guys. They are a competitive lot. I, too, love them dearly and really enjoy riding with them. They are real characters. The group I ride with has more than a few that really like to be the first cresting each hill or mountain. Since you ride with 42 men, I bet you get some great workouts. You have probably picked up on bike handling skills from them, too.

I'm 5'7" and have ridden with two women about your height. They kick my butt everywhere. Well, one does. One wants to.

[runnergirl]

pkg, yasmin, you might be able to answer this for me,

Why do women "block" (slow the peleton to 12mph for long periods of time)? Why don't they race like guys? It's sooo confusing after training with all men and learning how they race, and to then be thrown into a womens race where the rules seem to be TOTALLY different. Mixed races are less problematic (except for all the juniors with no bike handling skills!).

[pkq]

To let their heart rates come back down some. Men do it, too, but don't slow down that much. I've not seen women slow to 12 mph though.

I've done rides/races where men do "brake checks" but the true intent is to throw people off the back with the yo-yo effect it creates. Being at the back of the pack is a tough place to hang on.

[Yasmin]

Actually, since riding at this level I've only ridden with blokes so am unsure how women ride. You've enlightened me pkq. It would probably take me a few tries to ride with the girls until I got it right.
PS- I would love to ride with the girls, but got no invite. It was the blokes who asked me to join after they knew I was doing 100's of miles alone.

[runnergirl]

I know that the pace should yo-yos some, it would be nuts to hold 27+ for long when the race is over 40 miles. I've only done 5 races, 1 road race and 4 crits, but in all of them the lead women droped the pace under 15, once down to 8, it's actually hard to ride that slow in a pack. There's not a lot of good racing here for women. Most races don't even count toward an upgrade because there are hardly ever 10 women (even when they combine all cats). It's 3-9 hours each direction every weekend come March!

[BikeMomma]

This is a thread from earlier this year. Hope it helps.
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=2407

:D :D

[pkq]

I've seen one all female crit race in Texas and they didn't drop the pace that low. That does seem odd. Maybe it's part of their strategy to see who will lead off. The other RR/crits, the women have been in mass starts with the men. I suppose because there are so few female racers.

[kaian]

I ride by myself more than I ride with groups. A group that I rode with a little last year was not fun. They rode in areas where there were too many cars, too many traffic lights, bad roads (potholes) and some of the people in the group didn't know how to keep a line or pay attention when people stopped suddenly in front of them. Eventually I stopped riding with them because I would be in so much pain from the 35 mile rides due to the jerky, sudden stopping and really bumpy, messed up roads.

So...I think I'm pretty good at riding solo (thus used to pulling my own weight and not drafting off of others), but I think next season I'll ride with another group to get my speed up and learn the ropes. On flat terrain with little wind I think I can maintain about 19-20 MPH by myself consistently. Of course I'll have short bouts of 22 or 23 MPH, but as far as holidng a speed, it's closer to 19 or 20. It's not great, but it's a start. I'm small (5 ft tall. 110 lbs) and sometimes I feel like my short legs limit me. Plus I have 650c wheels. Are any of these things going to put me at a disadvantage riding with taller or bigger riders? Hill climbing seems to be something I am good at because I am pretty light and have somewhat muscular legs. Even when I am tired, it's almost like I have a "booster" switch in my quads that kicks in and allows me to charge up a hill. I'm sure most experienced riders could still pass me with no problem, but at least I have something to work with. :p

Right now since it's Winter in Michigan, I'm spending my time on the trainer. Does anyone have any favorite trainer drills? I'm using Spinervals here and there.

[bluerider]

Your top end sprint should be at least 34 mph.

:eek: Crikey that is FAST. I'm an aspiring racer and that just put a dent in my aspirations pretty quickly. Do you mean is when you are racing with a pack or on your own?

Nonetheless, this post was fantastic and extraordinarily helpful.

Thanks

[BikeMomma]

Do you mean is when you are racing with a pack or on your own? Nonetheless, this post was fantastic and extraordinarily helpful.
Bluerider - she means your fastest standing-up-in-the-pedals finish line type speed....34mph is quick, yes, but the guys go over 40!!

I agree, pkq's post was great. Lots of good info there. Thanks from me, as well, pkq. :)

Speed Rules...
-BikeMomma

[BikeMomma]

... but I think next season I'll ride with another group to get my speed up and learn the ropes.

Does anyone have any favorite trainer drills? I'm using Spinervals here and there.
Yes, definitely start riding with groups. Not only do you learn drafting, but you'll feel much more comfortable in them. Remember, racing involves bunch sprints, chases mid-race and much much much drafting. It's also riding at very close quarters, and often you'll touch shoulders, handlebars, etc. You absolutely HAVE to know how to and feel comfortable riding in situations like that, or you'll be a danger to everyone there. After a while of riding with others, you'll develop a "feel" for your space. A quick glance behind with only your peripheral vision will give you a mental "map" of where everyone is. These two things, knowing how much room you need and where everyone is, will help you in swinging out to attack, sprinting against targeted competitors, maneuvering within the peloton, etc. It's an absolute essential to have that "pack" sense.

As for the trainer, I found, oddly enough, that riding at the start of the news hour or my favorite show and riding to the very end of it makes time fly by. Hammer during the commercials, cruise during the show. Easy as eating Thanksgiving pie! I've even prolonged a trainer session by saying "ok, just one more American Idol singer"....then another, and another. :D

[runnergirl]

Great post on why group riding is important bikemomma!

I was just refelcting on that during the team ride this morning, there was a new guy who had very little clue, and it was amazing how different the "group feel" was as everyone adjusted to give him berth. I aspire to be like the really smooth riders on the team, I'm not sure really how to describe it, other than that they are so at one with the bike that nothing fazes them. They are easy to ride behind because they are so predictable. While I'm no longer a danger to others, I'm no where near as predicatble or rock steady as they are yet.

Kaian, if you haven't rode with groups much I would try riding with a touring/recreational club first. As much as it pains me to say, racers can be very territorial (though they're usually kinder to women), it would be best to have paceline basics down before looking for a team.

That said, being on a team makes a big difference. Most teams have deals where they reimburse race entry fees and some travel, plus sponsorship deals like a free helmet a year, cheap gel/e-caps, etc. If there are other women on the team you can work together during races--the top women around here are on top because the team has 5 women who work to get 1 a win. Team rides make a huge difference, even when you're tired and it's 30 degrees outside you have to show up and ride hard. Plus it's nice at a race to have people to hang with while your waiting/warming up/cheer you on etc!

Question on the 34mph, I do 200m sprints and can't get over 30 at that distance. Over a slightly longer distance I can get into the mid-thirties. What is the best acceleration distance to work on since it changes from race to race?

[pkq]

Bluerider, BikeMomma had it. That needs to be your top end speed whether solo or pack riding except yours will need to be higher. Don't let that dent your aspirations though. You can do it. It just takes a lot of work. Since you already have the dedication to work at it, you will get there. Back in the day, the guys top end sprint was 38 mph. People only get better. :)

You'll know you're doing a good effort on sprints when the quad muscle just inside the knee, the Vastus Medialis, begins to get highly defined. You'll feel it burn during repeated all out efforts. Vastus Medialis (http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/Quadriceps.html)

Another reason to ride with pacelines is to learn to push big gears at high rpm's. It's the only way I got there and drafting with high speed pacelines is what helps your leg muscles get the "feel" for it. So when you ride solo, your legs have that feel and you can begin to build that base on your solo rides.

BikeMomma is right about the close quarters and getting a feel for your space. In a race about 15 years ago, a young woman made erratic changes to gain an increasingly better position. Everyone, guys and gals, told her to stop it because she was going to cause a wreck. She didn't and was rude in her response. She caused a massive pile up by moving over erratically once again thereby overlapping a rearward rider's front wheel. She single-handedly knocked about 10 people out of the race because she wasn't aware of her space. Talk about some PO'd bikers and justifiably so. She was knocked out of it, too, which was the only saving grace on her part for that day.

I don't have a feel for how much distance I need to hit 34. It doesn't seem like it takes long. I have been told my quickness to gain speed is surprising more than once. If you mean from a dead stop, I am completely clueless.

The next opportunity to ask one of the lead riders about slowing down to 8 mph, ask. I'd like to know why they do it, too.

The ability to suffer for long periods is a good "skill" to have. You get that through childbirth and age. :D

Thanks BikeMomma. I have learned a lot from reading your posts and the posts of so many others. TE has a great bunch of gals. :)

[ladyjai]

How do the training techniques vary when you start dealing with races of 70 miles, 100miles, and 250 miles... ?

In a once day spurt :) Those are the things I want to do. Completion itself is a huge bonus. But, how does one attempt it competatively? i'm looking at the results from one local 252 mile race, and no one is even accomplishing platinum, and they are spread out far, so pacelining isn't as big a thing (not enough starters?) when you start dealing with over 200 perhaps? Or maybe that race isn't as big a deal. I know that at El Tour, they're still pacelining heavily, and accomplishing some amazing speeds considering the distance.

[Yasmin]

( I'm small (5 ft tall. 110 lbs) and sometimes I feel like my short legs limit me. Plus I have 650c wheels. Are any of these things going to put me at a disadvantage riding with taller or bigger riders? Hill climbing seems to be something I am good at because I am pretty light and have somewhat muscular legs.[/QUOTE])


I can relate: I'm 5' 2'' & 112lbs. I ride alone most times but have joined a group of 42 men & 2 women. If you had 700c wheels, for each cadence you would travel further for no perceivable extra effort. Riding in a group does teach you skills & the assisted effort is pleasant, as long as you know who to steer clear of. The social (& security) thing is nice too.
Hill work is also where I excel, but the long, flat stretches are where I'm weakest. This is where the big chaps in our group do so well. Nothing much we can do about the way we're engineered. I'm working on increasing my quads in an attempt to improve my weakness. Hope some of this helps. Cheers, Yasmin.

[Yasmin]

You'll know you're doing a good effort on sprints when the quad muscle just inside the knee, the Vastus Medialis, begins to get highly defined. You'll feel it burn during repeated all out efforts. Vastus Medialis (http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/Quadriceps.html)



Fantastic site, pkq. You girls & your knowledge never cease to amaze me!!!

[BikeMomma]

The ability to suffer for long periods is a good "skill" to have. You get that through childbirth and age. :D
Oh, goodie! Two plusses in my favor! :D :D


Thanks BikeMomma. I have learned a lot from reading your posts and the posts of so many others. TE has a great bunch of gals. :)
...and you're one of them! Glad I can help someone out there, and I learn from yours, too. Keep posting! :) ;)

[bluerider]

Thanks BikeMomma and pkg :) :) :) !!! It just blows my mind that you can hit those kind of speeds!!! I plan on joining a club next year to get pack riding experience and so far am riding solo so reaching those speeds by my own seems impossible in my mind. But I have a goal! I won't lose hope but know I have a lot of work cut out for me before I think I'm ready to race. I will take notice of the Vastus Medialis you mentioned.

The top women in my area hit high 40km/hr on rolling terrain with some climbs. I don't have aspirations to take a podium finish (yet ;) ) but want to maintain a speed fast enough so that I don't get lapped and pulled out of race. The problem with racing here is that pro women and beginner women get lumped into one cat and forced to race together. :(

[RoadRaven]

Hey there Blue (been meaning to say, excellent avatar!)

36/38km/hour is what the top women in my age cat average (39-45yrs) in a Time Trial

In a road race, of course, you might get a higher average because of the benefits of the pelaton.

Rolling terrain, specifically downhills can increase your speed of course... my fave downhill for speed is steep and straight - only about 200 metres but with some 500 metres stretching in front so you can slow down before the next corner... I have got over 60km/hour going down there... but mostly my downhills are windy and I keep myself to 35/40...

I can ride on the flat at about 40km, but not for very long. I have excellent power output but not much endurance... endurance is what I am working on.

Like you, Blue, I don't want to embarrass myself... or more importantly, don't want to embarrass my partner and our boys at the club... so have yet to do my my first club race... I think I'm almost ready... this summer I hope...

[bluerider]

Hey there Blue (been meaning to say, excellent avatar!)

36/38km/hour is what the top women in my age cat average (39-45yrs) in a Time Trial

In a road race, of course, you might get a higher average because of the benefits of the pelaton.

Rolling terrain, specifically downhills can increase your speed of course... my fave downhill for speed is steep and straight - only about 200 metres but with some 500 metres stretching in front so you can slow down before the next corner... I have got over 60km/hour going down there... but mostly my downhills are windy and I keep myself to 35/40...

I can ride on the flat at about 40km, but not for very long. I have excellent power output but not much endurance... endurance is what I am working on.

Like you, Blue, I don't want to embarrass myself... or more importantly, don't want to embarrass my partner and our boys at the club... so have yet to do my my first club race... I think I'm almost ready... this summer I hope...

Thanks RoadRaven. The avatar was borrowed from a design from the Project One site at Trek. It's a design you can pick to customize your bike's paint job. If only I had the dinero for such finery...*sigh*

The times you post for flats is amazing. I can do that if I have a nice tailwind on my back...and it's downhill...LOL!

With your times, why don't you give it a go? I will if you will! :) My goal is to do one race this coming summer.

I agree, I think shame has deterred me from entering into races so far as well. The ladies who race locally here are amazing and to be in the same field as them would be a seriously humbling experience. But the thing is, I know that I'll probably finish last but just want the opportunity to finish! :)

[pkq]

You girls don't let shame or embarrassment prevent you from racing. If you do, that is shameful. I entered my first race in over a decade last year just to see what I had left. I had no idea I'd come in 3rd and soooo close to 1st. I was just interested in giving it a good effort and finishing without crashing.

kaian, don't worry about size. Two women I've ridden with in Pittsburgh are about your height and very good riders. One beats me up hills consistently. She is built for climbing. She rides a lot year round. I take time off. The other one would be better than me, if she changed her training up some. She lacks my endurance and speed. She can hang as long as she's drafting. Over long distances, she loses a lot of energy and falls off. On a couple of days of hard riding, I took her. I studied her the first day and part of the second day to know when to make my move. Again, some may think it's evil, but that is part of being competitive. Know your competition.

ladyjai, I don't know how to train for long distance racing. I've never done it or been interested in doing it. I did my first double century this year and had a good time. The guys I rode with were dying so I rode their pace. I suspect you'll have to ride an awful lot just to get the conditioning necessary. How many miles have you ridden this year?

What I have shared are things I picked up along the way. I am sure others can provide a lot more, and probably better, information. Two heads are better than one. :)

Pittsburgh usually hosts a pre-season cycling clinic, which is very good. If any of you have an interest, I would recommend it. Last year they had two Olympic cyclists, DeDe Berry and Christine Thorburn. They were fantastic! Very humble and the one thing they stressed, to have a racing career like their's, is a support network. You can't do it alone. I gotta' tell ya', holding DeDe's olympic medal was a real thrill!

[ladyjai]

I'm at 4905 miles right now. I'm averaging between 150 and 200 per week. I figured I'd have to increase it, but am curious about other aspects of training. it would seem that sprinting speeds are not as vital when you start getting into the triple digits.

[RoadRaven]

With your times, why don't you give it a go? I will if you will! :) My goal is to do one race this coming summer.

I agree, I think shame has deterred me from entering into races so far as well. The ladies who race locally here are amazing and to be in the same field as them would be a seriously humbling experience. But the thing is, I know that I'll probably finish last but just want the opportunity to finish! :)

Well, I have set myself a few goals
I entered a 50km RR in October with a goal of under two hours, which a achieved (1:57)
So my next goal has been another 50km RR in January... it is not so hilly and I expect to do much better (fingers crossed)

My partner just showed me an organised 18km TT that is on a week later on the 20 Jan... its a course I ride often, I have to aim to do a minimum of 35mins... the last time I rode it was in August and my time was 40mins into a strong headwind (out and back course). My goal is 33 minutes, but we'll see...

So there... I have accepted your challenge...
What will you train for and commit too?

Road -alittlenervous - Raven

[bluerider]

Well, I have set myself a few goals
I entered a 50km RR in October with a goal of under two hours, which a achieved (1:57)
So my next goal has been another 50km RR in January... it is not so hilly and I expect to do much better (fingers crossed)

My partner just showed me an organised 18km TT that is on a week later on the 20 Jan... its a course I ride often, I have to aim to do a minimum of 35mins... the last time I rode it was in August and my time was 40mins into a strong headwind (out and back course). My goal is 33 minutes, but we'll see...

So there... I have accepted your challenge...
What will you train for and commit too?

Road -alittlenervous - Raven

RoadRaven! You’re on!!! The race I am interested in doing is in June though. Being in Canada, there aren’t too many RRs past September. The race is 15 laps of this pretty hilly and intense loop. I have no time aspirations except to finish and not get lapped.

You’re lucky you have some coming up in your area??? Man, I can’t wait to hear about the race and your results. You’ll be my motivation throughout the winter. :)

Go RoadRaven Go! :D :D

Blue-reallynervous-Rider