Berkeley Hills Road Race

This should be short...


This was my first Cat 4 race. It was also my A priority race, which means I actually tried to peak for it. Unfortunately, my fitness is just not there yet. I could keep up with everyone just fine (even led for a little bit) until the Bears came up. First lap I was able to hang on up Mama Bear (my best pace on that climb was ~10mph, this climb was ~12mph)...but I was dropped half way up Papa Bear.


I wrangled up a couple of guys and tried to get them to work together...but one of them decided to give up as we passed the registration area (we had been dropped, after all, and it was raining). So I rode with one other guy for a while (not ideal)...eventually we were caught by another group of 3. We rode as 5 for a while, until we got back to the Bears again, then 2 of them were dropped. I stuck with these 2 other guys for another lap all the way until we got to the next round of Bears. At this time, I started majorly cramping (actually, I had been fighting off cramps on and off since the end of the first lap...but now they were getting pretty bad) so I let them go. I ended up finishing by myself (again).


I definitely need to go back and focus on anaerobic/VO2max efforts, so I can hang with these guys on the climbs. But next up is the Davis Double next weekend




Totals:
Placing:    
Duration:   2:44:27
Distance:   52.702 mi
Ascent:      4382 ft
Norm Power: N/A (aero wheels)


                 Max / Avg
Heart Rate:   195 / 169 bpm
Cadence:      122 / 86 rpm
Speed:        43.1 / 20.9 mph