First Road Race

Anonymous
Anonymous Posts: 79,667
edited September 2013 in Amateur race
Hi guys how are you doing tonight?


I am looking for some advice. I have entered my first road race, it is a novice level rave 20 miles so not massively long and the average speed last year was 18mph. I can manage this speed and just now I am averaging about 350-400Kms a week.

What I need advice for it what type of preparation should I be doing. What should I be eating in the build up on the day.


I know it might not seem alot but I had a bad crash at the start of the year and its taken me a while to be back to fitness and have confidence. I have plenty of experience riding in a group through club runs etc.

Comments

  • turnerjohn
    turnerjohn Posts: 1,069
    race ? my first cat 4 road race was 55miles at an average of 25mph !
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    turnerjohn wrote:
    race ? my first cat 4 road race was 55miles at an average of 25mph !


    Helpful thanks. As I said it has taken me a while to get my fitness back after a bad crash. Next year I will get a BC ticket and race 4th cat and then maybe I will be good enough for your advice?
  • chrisaonabike
    chrisaonabike Posts: 1,914
    turnerjohn wrote:
    race ? my first cat 4 road race was 55miles at an average of 25mph !
    Thanks for confirming that you have nothing to contribute to this thread.
    Is the gorilla tired yet?
  • JayKosta
    JayKosta Posts: 635
    If the event is happening soon, then I wouldn't do any additional training beyond what you currently do. Increasing training intensity and duration requires a fairly long time to produce physical improvements.

    Don't ride too hard on the day before the event - make sure you are fully rested and recovered from earlier training. Just eat as you would for a hard 30 mile training ride, and have adequate water with you during the event.

    Tactics - strong riders may go hard from the start to force weaker riders to drop back from the lead group. Attempt to stay in the lead group! Don't rely on being able to catch them later. Be especially careful at a 'mass start' - it is very easy to get caught-up in an accident.

    Jay Kosta
    Endwell NY USA
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    I'm a bit confused to be honest. What sort of race is this? For 20 miles at 18 mph average you shouldn't really be needing to do anything much to prepare if you are currently riding up to 200+ miles a week. As for eating, just eat as you would normally as your body should have more than enough reserves. Have I misread something here though as I've never come across a race so short with such a low average speed or am I missing a wind up :?
  • Omar Little
    Omar Little Posts: 2,010
    If the race last year was 18 mph and you are averaging that for normal rides then it will be straight forward and nothing to worry about, you can spend the last couple of weeks of training time practicing your celebration for crossing the line! Unless the course is much more hilly than you are used to.

    Riding in a group in a race is quite a different experience to riding in a group in a club run - although as it is a novice race the difference probably wont be so big - but i'd still recommend getting in a couple of rides in the local chaingang if possible. Its obviously not the same as a race but its more comparable to one than the average club run in terms of how full on it is.
  • Omar Little
    Omar Little Posts: 2,010
    Pross wrote:
    I'm a bit confused to be honest. What sort of race is this? For 20 miles at 18 mph average you shouldn't really be needing to do anything much to prepare if you are currently riding up to 200+ miles a week. As for eating, just eat as you would normally as your body should have more than enough reserves. Have I misread something here though as I've never come across a race so short with such a low average speed or am I missing a wind up :?


    It might be the TLI weekend on the Isle of Bute which has various events like a 2 up TT, TT, cyclocross, hill climb as well as the road races one of which will be about 20 miles. By novice it is aimed at those trying racing for the first time rather than 4th Cats (who will instead be in the first group in the APR).
  • maryka
    maryka Posts: 748
    Yep OP just eat normally -- have some food in your system but nothing that will make you want to vomit at high intensity (e.g. don't chug 5 gels at the start line) . Racing at that level is all about the surges, not the overall speed. Sure you can handle 18mph but can you handle increases in pace after attacks/corners up to 30mph? You'll soon find out I guess!

    In my experience, the shorter the race the faster it tends to be so just get a good position on the start line and be prepared to start hard -- get a good warmup so your legs are ready for it. Then just stay near the front, try not to be on the front much, ride safely and predictably but competitively. It's not a club run, there's no need to do all the work for the weaker riders.

    And enjoy it! You only get to do your first race once. :D
    http://www.twitter.com/smaryka
  • AK_jnr
    AK_jnr Posts: 717
    Is this 'race' aimed at the over 85's?
  • displacedaussie
    displacedaussie Posts: 356
    AK_jnr wrote:
    Is this 'race' aimed at the over 85's?

    Not very helpful. Everybody has to start somewhere.

    @sjmclean as usual, Maryka has the best advice so do what she said. Good luck. :)
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Come on it s a bit odd - even the toughest courses will see 4th cats average 22mph or so - 18 mph is so slow that you have to suspect the OP is mistaken or it's not a road race.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Tom Butcher wrote:
    Come on it s a bit odd - even the toughest courses will see 4th cats average 22mph or so - 18 mph is so slow that you have to suspect the OP is mistaken or it's not a road race.

    It's a NOVICE race ... on the road ...

    The OP has stated fact (as he sees it) - not opinion - so the race is 20 miles and last year they averaged 18mph ...
    sounds like the competitors were just getting value for money!

    Anyway - if it was the same course then it's possible to compare, but it will also depend on weather conditions and who is competing.

    Back to the OP - who didn't ask for advise on the course or speed - but what to eat and how to prepare for the event ...
    You never know what speed will be this year as competitors and conditions change - but as had been said above, you've got to stick with the lead group and go with the surges/accelerations ...
    Sounds like some interval and sprint training may not go amiss?
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Slowbike wrote:
    It's a NOVICE race ... on the road ...

    But, the trouble is - in the UK at least - I don't believe there is any such thing. 'Novice races' (ie 'go-race' events) do not take place on the road and even then, they would probably go off at a higher average than that. As above, I'd be interested to see the details or a link to the event.
  • paul2718
    paul2718 Posts: 471
    I'd recommend nothing more than a strong cup of coffee. But this event and the question make no sense, especially in the context of 200-250 miles a week.

    Paul
  • Omar Little
    Omar Little Posts: 2,010
    Imposter wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    It's a NOVICE race ... on the road ...

    But, the trouble is - in the UK at least - I don't believe there is any such thing. 'Novice races' (ie 'go-race' events) do not take place on the road and even then, they would probably go off at a higher average than that. As above, I'd be interested to see the details or a link to the event.


    I dont know if this is the event the OP was talking about but there is one on Bute http://www.rothesayweekend.co.uk/
  • AK_jnr
    AK_jnr Posts: 717
    This is either a ridiculously short sportive, the route is vertical..... or the OP is on the wind up!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    Omar Little wrote:
    Imposter wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    It's a NOVICE race ... on the road ...

    But, the trouble is - in the UK at least - I don't believe there is any such thing. 'Novice races' (ie 'go-race' events) do not take place on the road and even then, they would probably go off at a higher average than that. As above, I'd be interested to see the details or a link to the event.


    I dont know if this is the event the OP was talking about but there is one on Bute http://www.rothesayweekend.co.uk/

    Looks likely (although the winner last year took 1 hour 3 minutes so 19mph average). I assume the course is very hilly!
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,330
    Could it be a grass event?
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • napoleond
    napoleond Posts: 5,992
    pinarello001 wrote:
    Could it be a grass event?


    Yeah, you have to smoke some first hence the chilled out speed and short distance.
    Insta: ATEnduranceCoaching
    ABCC Cycling Coach
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    NapoleonD wrote:
    pinarello001 wrote:
    Could it be a grass event?


    Yeah, you have to smoke some first hence the chilled out speed and short distance.

    :lol:
  • Monkeh
    Monkeh Posts: 6
    Just out of interest - where is this race? Not that anybody would be interested in sandbagging.. ahem :roll:
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    Monkeh wrote:
    Just out of interest - where is this race?

    that's just it - nobody actually knows for certain, and the OP hasn't said.
  • Martin bikeradar
    Martin bikeradar Posts: 28
    I suspect the OP means circuit racing - not 'proper' on-the-road racing. I think the "Go Race"s at Suffolk Circuit Races for example would fit this speed/description.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Ok sorry Ive been away from my computer for the day, Its the novice race, on the road as part of the Bute festival f cycling. So to the person who said the event isn't real or doesn't exist, you were wrong. http://www.rothesayweekend.co.uk/


    Thanks to the people who took time to give me advice, rather than slag me and make me feel even less confident in wanting to try and race bikes.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Tom Butcher wrote:
    Come on it s a bit odd - even the toughest courses will see 4th cats average 22mph or so - 18 mph is so slow that you have to suspect the OP is mistaken or it's not a road race.


    Have I not stated above that it is not a 4th cat race, I said it was a NOVICE race, which I was hoping would give me some confidence again on my bike.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,490
    sjmclean wrote:
    Ok sorry Ive been away from my computer for the day, Its the novice race, on the road as part of the Bute festival f cycling. So to the person who said the event isn't real or doesn't exist, you were wrong. http://www.rothesayweekend.co.uk/


    Thanks to the people who took time to give me advice, rather than slag me and make me feel even less confident in wanting to try and race bikes.

    With the amount of riding you do you really should be fine so stop worrying about it and enjoy it. Honestly, unless it's a very hilly course or conditions were very tough 19mph for that distance will be easily do-able for anyone who has cycled regularly. I did a Go Ride race, which is BCs novice racing, when I started riding after a 12 year break and the pace was far higher even with a very small field so even for a novice race it looks quite slow. Don't forget to raise your arms when you cross the line to win :wink:
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    The amount of training he's doing he sounds like a ringer.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I'm not sure what a ringer is?

    Pross thanks very much.

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