Race pacing?

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Permalink Reply by Todd Everett on October 15, 2013 at 8:24am

Hey Graham-

I think that is exactly what makes CX difficult. You've got to manage those two aspects as best you can. I believe the basic race strategy is to go out hard on the first lap and get on with the lead group, and then try and recover and save something for the end. I've tried both strategies. If I go hard to beat the rush into the first corner and hold a good position through the first lap, I burn my legs out and they never come back. If I start at a manageable pace, I get stuck in the scrum and never see the race leaders again. I think the trick is starting out hard, but not crossing that line where you won't recover. Maybe it's one lap, maybe it's a half lap. Maybe it's just to the first corner. Also, make sure you are doing a decent warm-up before the race. Make sure your muscles are already dealing with lactic acid and you've worked through the first burn in your legs. You don't want to be doing that during the first lap of a race.

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Permalink Reply by Craig MacIntyre on October 15, 2013 at 8:54am

Agreed - this is the thing that kills.  The first corner is the key ... I would say almost to the whole race.  A good warm up and make sure in training you do some simulation intervals.  That means little to no recovery after the initial sprint.  If you are ahead of the scrum you can actually use corners to do some recovery (entry, not exit) by taking the best line.  Sure you may get jostled or passed but you are making everyone else work harder to do it.

Your sensation of dying at the end is what separates those that finish in the top 5-10 from the rest.  Everyone dies at the end ... how long you go with your eyes bugged out is the key.

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Permalink Reply by John Mansell on October 16, 2013 at 7:23am

There is no pacing..... Its go as hard as you can the whole race. If you make the lead group, then can sit in and be tactical, otherwise its all you got. Your body will adapt to the all out effort after several races and use its self governing system to keep you from blowing a gasket. Remember, if you are not gaining ground on the people in front of you and behind you are losing ground. 

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Permalink Reply by BSUdude on October 17, 2013 at 6:14am

Another important thing to tell yourself during races is that if you are hurting, everyone else is hurting as well (especially those behind you).  Keep hurting so those behind you have to work hard to get to you.

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Permalink Reply by Graham Winterbottom on October 17, 2013 at 4:01pm

Thanks guys, everything said confirms my thoughts; getting the hole shot, resting into corners etc. I've tried full out but I don't think my body has a self governing system ;)

A double header race weekend this week will give me a chance to try some of this out, one more race then provincials so hopefully I've got it figured out by then!

cheers,

Graham

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Permalink Reply by Craig MacIntyre on October 22, 2013 at 1:48pm

Chad - yep, I only own a single speed.  I have two speeds: run, pedal.  Good when the brain is dying from lack of oxygen - no thinking required.  I have found that the worst courses for a ss is open and long - you really miss gears there.  On the short, tight, punchy stuff you just kid of go....

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Permalink Reply by Craig MacIntyre on October 22, 2013 at 6:24pm

Ah the track... Since I left Texas I have not lived near one.  Similar but very very different.  Cross translates best to probably the points race ...

BTW, I never push too big of a gear... key for me is less is more and I am weak.  Funny thing is on a gravel grinder I will run a 42x17 down to a 39x18 but for most cross stuff I am sort of comfy in the 39x17 or 18 range ... super blender legs!

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Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on October 21, 2013 at 6:33am

I tell people "go as hard as you can *almost* until you puke, then hold it there. But in all honesty I struggle with this too. Starts are usually bad for me, i am gassed by the first corner and folks blow by me. In a lap or so then I come back around and start picking them off but again, since I couldn't hang with the lead group to start I usually don't make it back to them. Seems I am more like a diesel than rocket.

I am finding that a good long warmup works better for me. And taking the first few corners blocking, more than my preferred line helps. I want to enter a corner wide and then about 1/3 of the way through, cut down and make a straightaway out of the rest of it. But in the beginning of a race if I do that I get run up to the tape and the train goes by. Have to cut the inside of the corner early and be prepared to sprint out of it.

Still a very long learning process for me. Hard as hell and a whole lot of fun.

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Permalink Reply by Geoffrey Grosenbach on October 21, 2013 at 8:29pm

As Eddy Merckx said when someone asked him how to ride a time trial:

"At the beginning, go as fast as possible to get a good start. Then at the end, other riders will give up so you must go as fast as possible to put time into them."

"And what about the middle?"

"In the middle of the race, go as fast as possible."

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