My own goals and race achievements

[RoadRaven]

Hi there folks... I did join the journal site, but never have time to get there to log mileage etc... so have decided I will make a thread here to talk about my races etc - but it will also serve as a "but-kick" motivator for me ... cause I'll "have" to be answerable to it...

I always read everyone elses goals and aims and achievements although I often don't comment. So thank you to anyone who reads this - knowing someone else is "watching" will help keep me motivated too.

So, here's me - currently I have agreed to support a Sports Therapy student - I am her assignment - she does a bunch of tests on me, writes a training programme which I follow religiously for 6 weeks and then she repeats the tests and has to explain any changes in my physiology (or explain where she went wrong if there are no changes or my fitness regresses).

So yesterday I did a VO2 max test, tomorrow I do a lactate threshold test and Friday I do an indoor TT... next week I start her training programme.

She knows my goal/interest is time trialling so this is an interesting and useful way to start the year...


So - my goals for 2006 thus far...

January 15 - Tour de Beautiful Race and Funride. (I have previously only ridden the 10km kids ride with my youngest boys) I wanted to do this in under 1 hout 50minutes but due to illness we didn't go. I was pleased not to be there as a cyclist lost control and went off the road and was killed instantly when he hit a tree down the hill - he lay there for three hours before anyone realised he was missing.

January 28 - Dartmoor 18km club TT... chickened outta that one cause I didn't feel "ready"

March 19 - 20km cycling leg of a triathalon. Last year I did it in 42 minutes (and I crashed during it too - the 42 minutes doesn't include the crash/get back on bike time). This year I hope to go under 35 minutes and not crash.

March 25 - 25km club race over a flat course... I haven't ridden this course before. My aim is to complete it with the bunch and not get dropped.

April 1 - Dartmoor 18km clubTT - my PB over this course is 37.33 minutes I am aiming to do it in under 35 minutes

I'll add other club races when the winter schedule comes out.


October 15 - Tour of the Bay Race and Funride. 2005 time was 1hour 56 minutes. Goal for 2006 is under 1 hour 40 minutes.


Other general goals before the end of the year - these are personal measures of imporovement...

- climb the top of Tiropai (the last bit of hill before my house, 11% gradient) in under 2 1/2 minutes (at the moment my PB is 3minutes 21seconds)

- cycle out and back through 'the gorge' (I know, another meaningless bit of geography - but its the last rolling hillocks down beside the river just before you reach the first intersection on the way to town - about 10kms from my house) at a minimum of 20km/hour (at the moment I often am sitting around 16-18km when I return home - I want to have enough "oomph" left so that these little rolls don't slow me down so much)

- 20km Apley/Swamp training TT course - PB 46.46. I want to do it in under 33minutes by the end of the year.

- Dump block TT - training course and club TT course - PB 37.01. I want to do it in 31 minutes by the end of the year.

K... its out there... now lets see how I go...

[RoadRaven]

Um... I have a new bike... Soooo purty

Partner took me in to "try out" some bikes so we could start thinking about getting me a TT specific bike... and what did we do - walked out with a new GIANT TCR Aero 2...

I have only ridden two kms on it this week after my partner, my son and I set it up, because I am in the middle of fitness tests and have to rest every other day (between the tests) but I can't wait til Saturday when I can ride it properly.

Its a very long wait til Saturday...

Guess I'll have no excuses come my TT races... and all I can say after riding just the 2kms... Lance, it IS about the bike... it felt just fantastic and without even trying I was faster...

[DeniseGoldberg]

So pretty! Congrats on the new bike.

--- Denise

[RoadRaven]

I know, Denise... I keep going out to the shed to make sure its ok... I need to think of a name - my other bike is my Red Pony.

I've never had a brand new bike (or car for that matter) before - this is my first!

I was asked yesterday if it would get an outing on Sunday (race) and I said "no way - somebody might scratch it!!!"

Guess I'm feeling a tad protective...

[bluerider]

NICE BIKE RoadRaven! Good luck on your races! Sounds like this is a big year for you.

[RoadRaven]

Firstly, thanks Blue... and yes, she is very niiiice (tho still un-named) but she didn't get an outing today though... went on my Red Pony

Well... first goal since I started this thread... achieved!

March 19... the length of the course had been shortened by 2km to avoid nasty corners and the improvement to safety for cyclists and runners was great. I didn't crash this time... woohoo!

I don't have my team's time as I had to leave early, but I averaged 30.6km per hour - last year I averaged 27.0km. I did some calculations (with the help of one of my sons) and we worked out that if it had been the same course exactly as last years (the conditions were very similar) then I shaved over 6 minutes off my time.

Feeling very tired, a little achey and very very pleased with myself...

<<< Raven well-chuffed

[RoadRaven]

OK... second goal achieved... almost

I am feeling rather good about this - although my legs still ache quite a bit

18km Dartmoor TT - official distance is 17.6km

My goal was to beat my PB set in February of 37.33 mins and finish under 35mins.

It was quite a tough day (listening to other riders afterwards I realised this, til I heard them I was admonishing myself for not going hard enough).

As guest I actually started first and so one goal set on the start line was to let no-one pass me. We were set off at 30second intervals. No-one passed me - woohoo.

And my official time was 35min 2secs... I needed three more seconds to make the goal, but I'm well happy.

I don't know where I came in my grade as the results have not yet been posted on the club page.

K... I'm off for a nice SLOW RECOVERY ride today... maybe do an average of about 24-25. I'll take my 12 year old son with me who is recovering from a torn ligament in his foot, and that will make me be sensible and keep the pace gentle...

[Quillfred]

Congratulations on a race well run with a beautiful new bike to boot! May all of your time-trial successes come true.

[RoadRaven]

Thanks for your kind wishes, Quillfred The giant rides so niiiicely too - she is a beautiful fit.

Now, my latest update to keep myself/goals on track...

OK... I have ridden three races as a member now in the local club... I joined the club in the beginners grade after the TT I last wrote about here ...

I came third the first race (though I got the winnners points as those ahead of me were visitors or riding down a grade)
The second race I won outright, and yesterday's race I came third in again behind two visitors.

The second race was particulalry special. My partner rode beside me as "coach" (he's in the middle of base training and not riding in races again til the Winter series), but I won F grade, my 15 year old won D grade and my 16 year old won B grade! So we had a family hat-trick!

But based on my performance, I think I will be told by the club captain I have to move up to E grade, which is rather daunting. Because although I am strong enough to stay with them on the flats, I will be dropped every time on the hills, so guess what my focus will be in my training... yup, you guessed it... hill reps...

I was hoping to make it to E grade by the end of the year... seems I'll be there much sooner - exciting but also very scarey!

[Bike Goddess]

RoadRaven- Can you tell us a little more about the grades. Not familiar with that kind of rating! TX!

Yes, we're listening. (BTW- was sorry to hear about the cyclist's death in January )

Please do get your mileage into the BJ- every KM counts!

[RoadRaven]

Hey there Bike Goddess

The grades here are basically arranged by ability - its not a national standard at all.

The club champs and national comps are organised by age (so I would be Vet 1 or 2 if I entered a local or national competition)

Ramblers itself arranges itself on ability for the weekly races... so entry level racers begin in F. Its slower paced than all other grades and a shorter distance (usually between 20-25km).

E is a longer distance and slightly faster pace. E grade bridges the gap between F and everyone else.

The hardest move will be from E to D which is faster and longer.

D, C, B and A all ride the same distances, but at faster and faster paces.
In our club in A grade we have several national and international riders, so our A grade is a much higher calibre than some other A grades around the country and of course there are no women in A grade. I don't think there are any women riding in Ramblers B grade either - though I may be mistaken.

My long term aim is to get to D grade... if I can do that I have a chance of picking up places at club level in local competitions. If I could get to C then I would not embarrass myself at national level - however, thats a heckuvva lot of work and at my age D is (hopefully) an achievable goal.

Here is the link to the club and if you are interested you can check out times and distances to give you an idea. The home page also explains a little about the grading and what the club does...
http://www.ramblers.co.nz/
If you are interested in knowing what the courses are I can describe them for you and might even be able to find a pic.

[RoadRaven]

Hi again Nancy, talked about this with my partner last night, and he said "over there" (where you are) you would recognise the system at Ramblers as Cats...

A grade would be Cat 1

Where I am riding would be about Cat 5

Our grades for club races are unisex at Ramblers
At local and national competition, categorisation becomes based on age and gender.

[RoadRaven]

Raven- Please do get your mileage into the BJ- every KM counts!

Done... at last
1356.42 km (only about 840 miles) for 2006, over 66 hours of ride time...

[Geonz]

"Only" :-)
How many people have gone that far? Go to the grocery store and take a survey...
Something tells me your riding's got a lot of energy packed into a short distance, too :-)