Tag Archives: Lacc

Hard lessons learned

image: wikimedia commons

Shelled

Last night I raced again in the ongoing Newington Armory Criterium Series.

Boy, did I learn a thing or two.

A little background. For the last few weeks I’ve been labouring with a cascade of minor injuries, each flowing on from the last. It started with tendinosis and bursitis in my elbow, aggravated by a low aero position on the road bike. Subsequently, I managed to strain my shoulder and neck, from trying to stay off the elbow. My physio got that under control with massage, taping and enforced rest, to which were added a set of recovery exercises to both strengthen weak points and loosen things up a bit. Of course me being me, I managed to add a calf tweak and strained abs to the list of woes by overdoing the off-bike workouts. Yeah I know.

So there I was, hurting already before I’d even turned a pedal. Leading to lesson learned number one: If you’re injured, don’t carry on as if you’re not. And if your training regimen changes, ease into it instead of suddenly shocking your system with new workouts.

In addition, because I’d lowered my overall training volume, I’d also let myself slip and had a few mid-week beers the night before the race. And, to be honest, the night before that. This meant I’d spent the morning fighting off a bit of a hangover and didn’t get properly hydrated through the day. In fact, I ended up slamming nearly a full bottle just before the start.

Lesson number two: lots of beer the night before is a bad idea (though to be fair I already knew this)

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Some good advice

Source: wikimedia commons

I did a group ride with LACC today. On it, I got some good advice.

If you’re smashing it off the front, don’t look back. Keep your head down and pedal harder. If there’s someone holding your wheel, he’s got enough speed to stay with you and you don’t need to check he’s there. If there’s no-one on your wheel, you’ve broken away and you need to go hard to stay away, and looking back won’t help.

Don’t. Look. Back.

Also: being hung out to dry on the front because you’re the new guy and being a bit cocky. Ouch.

Also also: Holy shit, a full peloton can pass you like a truck when you eventually crack.

Also also also: If you’re not smashing it off the front, looking back now and then is a really, really good thing.

(Thank you Scott, I actually really, really appreciate the advice)