Gudrun and Kate attacked individually with less than ten laps to go, forcing the ProGrahics team (now three strong with the addition of Grey) to give chase. Kate, riding her strongest race this season, put the hurt on ProGraphics by attacking with five laps to go and they gave chase. Kate fell back a bit after her attack.

I tried to force a chase with three laps to go but I could not get a breakaway. I pulled off on the last lap. Kate was able to rejoin the group and help Lauren, who was staying put behind ProGraphics in the last few laps, sprint to a second place finish. Way to go Lauren!

Overall, I think our strategy worked well. Attacks by individual teammates always resulted in a response by ProGraphics. Who attacks and when we attack is going to depend on who has the “legs” that week (Holly F. no more hill repeats on Mondays!) and how many SCE ladies show up.

Suzanne suggested and I agree, we should take turns on who is the “protected” teammate for the race. We can discuss it ahead of time as to who is feeling good and who is tired and go from there.

We certainly have an advantage with our sheer number of teammates. We can afford to attack more than any other team or group on the track and make the others work to catch up and hopefully tiring them out in the process!

Have a good dinner the night before.

Pack your race kit the night before.

In your race kit you should have:  jersey, shorts, shoes, socks, sports bra, gloves, helmet, glasses, HR monitor if you wear one.  Sometimes I visualize myself getting dressed from bottom to top to make sure I have it all - socks & shoes; shorts; bra & Jersey; gloves; helmet; glasses.  Plan on wearing regular clothes and changing at the race unless you really like being in chamois for hours and hours.  Some say that “chamois time” is “training time” but hanging out in your shorts for hours  is a good way to get a nasty yeast infection.  So, pack a towel or blanket that you can use to put around yourself if you need some privacy.  You should plan on sunday being chilly - so leg warmers or tights, long sleeve jersey if you have it, windvest or jacket, whatever works best for you to not be chilled.  Check the weather the night before to get a sense of whether it will be winter or spring.  www.noaa.nws.gov.

Water bottles and whatever food you like - GU, clif blox, pb&j, whatever.

Warm clothes to wear after the race.

Don’t forget your USCF license and $$ for race entry. (The flyer will tell you what your race fee is if you didn’t pre register).  I also have a small cache of safety pins that I carry with me to races to make sure I have pins for my number.

Eat a good breakfast - oatmeal !   Or go to the Square Cafe around 11 and have some pancakes.

Plan on getting to the venue at least 1 hour before the race is set to start.

When you get there, take a moment to check out the Start/Finish  (S/F) - just to see what it looks like.  There will at least be a line marked on the pavement, a couple of officials, some kind of lap card set up.  THis is a good time to check to see if the races are on time.  The women’s race is set to start at 2:30, but is at the end of a long day of races and I would not be surprised if it actually starts closer to 3pm.  This will be important for planning your warmup.

Go to registration - You will need to fill out a USCF waiver - you’ll need to remember your home address, email, and put down your USCF license number.  Then go to sign up where someone takes your $$, checks your USCF license, adds you to the start list, and gives you a number.  ASK which side you pin your number on your jersey.

Your next step is to pin your number on your jersey - or whatever will be your outside layer of clothing.  Then get dressed, get your bike set - race wheels if you have them, whatever wheels you have, pump up the tires to 100 psi or so (unless it is wet in which case you want the tire pressure a bit lower to increase tire contact on the pavement).  You’ll probably hear guys saying their tires are at 120 or 130, but ignore them.  You know how guys are.  Water bottles.

It’s important to get in a good warm up - which can be a challenge if there are no quiet roads available.  If there is a large parking lot that doesn’t have too much glass and junk, then big loops around the lot will help.  Otherwise, bring a trainer.  I am sure Suzanne has a favorite warm up to suggest, but the idea is to start by spinning in an easy gear for 10 minutes or so to get your muscles warmed and loose, then increase the intensity until your HR is close to your race effort or you are breathing hard and sweating a little.  Then cool down for 5 minutes or so.  The thing you don’t want to do is just pedal around for 5 or 10 minutes and then expect to start racing.  You also don’t want to sit around for 15 minutes after you’ve warmed up - that will just undo your warm up.

Make sure you drink.  Plan on using the Port-o-Joan before you head over to the start.

Keep an eye out for the race going on before the women’s race - check the lap cards - watch long enough to get a sense of how long each lap is taking.  Then, when there are about 2-3 laps to go, migrate over to the S/F, ready to race, and hang out, cheer, smile, etc.  You almost always have a chance to ride around on the course before your race starts - so once the finishers from the race before are all done, get on the course and start riding.  This is when you can take note of any potholes, sewer covers, the approaches to the turns, and how far it is from the last corner to the S/F.  Practice the corners, resist the urge to squeeze your brakes, if you must brake, do it before the turn, not once you are in the turn.  The officials will ring a bell or blow a whistle or something to call riders to the line.  LINE UP ON THE LINE — for some reason new women riders tend to lurk 4 or 5 feet back from the line.  Be on the line, and then listen.  The officials will tell you all you need to know - how long the race, where the lap cards are located, any racing rules.  The official will tell you how they will handle lapped riders if there are any.  They will tell you that you cannot ride with or work with riders from another race that is on the course at the same time.  As Lee-Ann said - the race is by time, so the officials will keep an eye on how long each lap is taking and as the race gets close to 35 minutes, will tell you (i.e. lap card) how laps are left in the race.  There will be a ‘last lap’ bell.

After the race:  be a good sport and congratulate the top finishers.  Congratulate yourself for trying your first race.  Ride around the course once or twice (unless the next race is starting) in an easy gear, small ring, spinning your legs out as a cool down.  Cool down some more in the lot unless you are cold and wet.  Change out of that chamois and get into warm and dry clothes.  Check the results and make sure the placings are correct.  If you placed well enough to get $$ - stick around, but don’t bug the officials.

It’s March, so don’t try to measure yourself against where you will be in mid season.  In fact, don’t measure yourself against any body.  These early season races are about gauging where you are now, how it feels to ride with some intensity, getting re acquainted with riding close to others, getting into race groove.  It’s a training race, not the state road race.

I have a couple of mantras I try to keep in my head before and doing a race:  “No whining, no quitting, have fun”  and “I think I can, I think I can.”  And to borrow a page from John Fite  “Wow, it’s cold, it’s windy, my legs feel like crap, I feel like crap, it doesn’t get any better”

Barb

Seven Steel City Endurance Racers made our first team debut in the Women’s Open Race, many for their first criterium race ever. The classic Pittsburgh backdrop for this race was stunning. The .8 mile circuit consisted of a clockwise route over the Andy Warhol and Roberto Clemente bridges, crossing the Allegheny River twice with each lap. The corners were wide and fast with two of them coming off the downhill side of each bridge.

Fans had amazing views of the race with the start/finish/officials stand directly in front of the Pirate’s PNC Park and the Roberto Clemete bigger than life statue. Sunday was cold, but sunny and I can’t imagine a better day for the team’s first race.

Steel City Endurance Team Member Rachel Teodori, in her first criterium ever, finished in 6th place in an open field consisting of the Women’s national Cross Champion, Betsy Shogren and some of Pennsylvania 2006 Cat 4 State Criterium Champ Lee-Ann Beatty.

Great job ladies!

March 23, 2008 Steel City Showdown

The criterium will be a one-of-a-kind race through the downtown area of Pittsburgh.
Riders will learn why Pittsburgh is often called “The City of Bridges,” as they will be racing
a closed 0.8 mile loop over two bridges. Located across the Allegheny River from
downtown, the start-finish will be located next to PNC ballpark. The finish line will have
a backdrop of the waterfront and downtown skyline

Mingo Creek Spring Series, March 30, April 6th, April 13th

• USCF license is required.
• All riders must complete and sign 2004 Standard athletes release
• For additional information contact Don Mosites @ (724) 575-4000, dono@trekofpgh.com
• For more info visit the ACA website at www.acaracing.com

Directions:
The race will be held near Mingo Park, which is near 84 PA, which is in
Washington County PA, which is south of Pittsburgh. From interstate 79 take
the Houston exit east on route 519 east towards 84 PA. Follow 519 until you
get to Brownlee road, and turn onto it. There is a Mingo Park sign right in
front of you on Brownlee. Continue on Brownlee about 1/2 mile, then make a
left on Patterson. Follow Patterson all the way to the Mingo Park entrance.
Then follow the signs to the parking lot.

Course Description:
The race will start out on Valley View Rd. (about 200m from Sugar Run Rd.)
heading south and make a right on Sugar Run Rd. A right on Sundust Rd.
then proceed to Green Valley Rd. At the stop sign make a right and then
another right onto Gilkenson Rd. Follow Gilkenson to Patterson Rd.
and make another right. Then back down to Valley View where the
finish line will be.

March 2008 Training Block

The schedule assumes that you’ve been riding a few times during the weekday with a longer ride on the weekends. The march block begins to introduce some new training levels that are determined by either your HR or your perceived exertion. Pay attention to the “Zone” specified in the workout. If you have not had the opportunity to do the lactate heart rate field test yet, simply go by perceived exertion levels in Zone 3.

Email questions, or post comments in reply here.

Thanks,

Coach Suzanne

I wanted to touch on some basic information that you may or may not know about stair workouts…this is primarly for those who have never done the cathedral stairs before, or are in their first season of bike riding/training for racing.

The steps are simply a PLACE to workout, as opposed to a specific workout in and of itself.  The steps add a component of gravity, therefor requiring more muscular force, then other places, like a track, treadmill or stairmaster.  Just as there are many different workouts you could run on a track or do on the treadmill, there are many different types of stair workouts you can do.

I see many new step enthusiasts try to emulate the stair workotu of seasoned veterans, and as a result become disillusioned or injured in the process.  Remember that the key to improving your fitness is consistency…and if you get hurt, you’ll miss your workouts and your ability to be consistant.  It’s far better to start low/go slow, then to go too hard/fast and become injured.  It’s better to be 95% trained for a race, than 105% trained and injured.

When doing your stair workout, or any workout, ask yourself what the purpose of hte workout is, and what benefit you hope to gain from it.

In cycling, the best way to become a better cyclist is to be on your bike riding (ride lots!).  Stair workouts are a convenient way to add a strength training workout indoors in the wintertime.  The best strength workouts for cycling are done on teh bicycle itself by riding hills, ridnig into the wind, or simply gearing up and riding hard.  So stairs are not a substitite for riding, but simply an alternative.

In the plan that I made for the team (I think I”m overdue on the 2nd month block…why didn’t anyone call me on that?  Who’s following the plan???) the stairs are a strength workout.

Imagine you go to the weight room adn do a few sets of squats, step ups or lunges.  A typical routine might be 2-4 sets of 8-20 repetitions with or without weights.  The whole thing probably takes no more than 15-20 minutes, less if you only count the time that you are pushing weights.

The stairs do not need to be any more than that to see benefit.  In otherwords, as a strength workout, I woudl suggest starting with ONE set of steps (36 flights ~ 400 feet) which will take you 10-15 minutes.  A perfectly adequate leg workout if you were doing it in the gym.

If you have done the steps in a previous season as part of your training, you might consider startnig with 2-3 sets on your first workout, but again, walking up at a conversational pace.  You shoudl be able to talk with a partner.

You will see people running up the steps, breathless and collapsing or puking at the top.  You will see people doing 8-10-12 or more sets.  You will see people jogging up taking the elevator down and immediately jogging up again.

This isn’t necessary for many people, especially if you are new to it, and will more likely result in injury if you have never done the steps before.  Be conservative at first, don’t give into peer pressure, keep your pace down adn dont be afraid to rest every few flights if you need to.

If you do the steps weekly, increase the number of sets by one each week.  Don’t consider trying to run the steps until you’ve given your body time to adapt to the new workout adn recover from yoru previous one…and more importantly, do it in a tmie of the training year where the stair running will show a direct benefit to your cycling season.  (i.e. probably not in the dead of winter)

If it helps, I have NEVER run up the steps.  Running pushes your heart rate up into an anaerobic level on the steps…while this can be a good training tool, it is not necessary for helping us reach our CURRENT cycling goals- to build basic leg strength that will hopefully transition to the bike….those anaerobic intervals are BEST done on the bicycle which is where you’ll need them in a race!  Save your anerobic workouts for the bike later in the season.

On the other hand, if you have done the steps in the past, feel like an experienced step person and want to push yourself then go ahead, but be conervative and do less than you think you should initially.  Don’t for get the undertrained vs. hurt rule.  (95% vs 105%)

OK…conservative coach/doctor speech over…go have fun!