October 3 - CCCX Circuit Race #3 E3/E4

CTL: 115
TSB: 10

Really wanted to be more active and not just in the first half of the race. I already was able to sit in for a couple of technical, non flat crits in the E3's.

Today was a mixed E3/E4 race but with mostly E3s. I had a good fifty minutes but unfortunately our race was seventy minutes. First four laps, sat in, covered a few moves. Fifth lap worked my way to the front on the four rollers, only sat on the front for a little bit but did too much during that lap and on the sixth lap could not hang on through the roller section. Got dropped and pushed myself to catch back up but totally blew up on the last roller, someone else who got dropped checked in to make sure I was OK when he saw me wobbling! Just did the last one plus laps solo. Probably should have saved my move for later in the race but at least I tried something a little different. Something to build on for next season.

This course is only going to be used for maybe more seasons. A veterans cemetary is being built and they will have a lot more traffic on these particular roads and the roads are probably too narrow to limit a race to half the lane.

2010 October 2 CCCX Circuit Race, Fall Series #3 E3/E4 from Steven Woo on Vimeo.

September 26 - Oakland Grand Prix

CTL: 115
TSB: 10

Warmed up for this by doing the Central Coast Cyclocross race in the morning, almost made it through that unscathed but managed to slide out on the last lap and show up for this race with some road rash on my right leg.

Took a few laps to get used to the ebb and flow of the pack on the course but felt comfortable enough to move up on different sections of the course. Never felt confident enough to attack - seems like I would move up to near the front on the straights and not have enough energy or space to move up farther by the time we got to a corner. The lap cards went into single digits and then we had a pretty bad crash coming out of the hairpin, I was behind it and caught back up to the group but we were neutralized to permit an ambulance to treat a downed rider.

We got restarted from scratch with six laps to go. Was thinking more about safety versus finishing position and could not get myself to commit to a move that would better my position so just finished with the group.

2010 Oakland Grand Prix E3 - until neutralization from Steven Woo on Vimeo.

T: 49:28
C: 104
S: 38.7
Pavg: 196
Pnorm: 203
Someone else must have an identical ANT+ heart rate ID because my maximum heart rate is not 238.

September 10-12 - Folsom Cyclebration Omnium

CTL: 122
TSB: 26

Got in two short easy days on the TT bike to try to make up for not riding it much at all this season, got a decent race, but really need to ride the TT bike more prior to a event. This is equivalent what I can do the second or third time up OLH including this Wednesday so I should be able to do better than this if I am fresh. On the other hand this is the best TT performance I've had this season, faster than last year, had something in the tank at the end, might be able to make up that minute deficit to first place next year.


T: 24:30
S: 42.3
C: 81
H: 186
Pavg: 227
Pnorm: 230





First flat criterium in a long time that was faster than I could time trial. Tried a few moves but too many people interested in a sprint finish. Should have attacked more, had a lot left in the tank at the end. Got caught behind accident with two to go and still moving back up to the middle of the pack by the time the sprint was engaged.

2010 Folsom Cyclebration Challenge Criterium E3 from Steven Woo on Vimeo.

T:48:20
S:43.4
C:97
H:170
Pavg:168
Pnorm:204





Circuit race was slightly rolling. The uphill portion was relatively easy to float onto the back of the group but I kept losing position out of the hairpin onto the downhill. Didn't think the race was that hard but then made contact with another rider going into the uphill hairpin with two to go and stopped, it was hard enough that I blew when I caught back on just before the downhill, got pulled on the last lap.

2010 Folsom Cyclebration Two Bridges Circuit Race E3 from Steven Woo on Vimeo.

T: 36:40
S: 40.2
C: 101
H: 169
Pavg: 174
Pnorm: 216

September 6, Giro di San Francisco

CTL:126
TSB:16

Originally registered for the E4/E5 and 35+ 4/5 races and just switched the categories when I upgraded. Probably should have done only one race instead. Same course for last five years, small hill, rough pavement in different spots, old trolley track crossing, though the new potholes this year destroyed lots of carbon fiber wheels. I broke out the $80 Bike Nashbar front wheel for this race.


First race up was the master 123's. Went out conservatively and managed to be in front of Larry Nolan (since he started on the back of the field) for three laps and I saw him go to the front on Chris Phipps' wheel and that was the last the whole group saw of Larry until the finish straight on the last lap where he pulled out the win. I pulled out on lap eight. The pace was not that bad, about threshold for me, just had some doubt in my mind about whether or not I could do this effort twice for 24 laps.
35+ 123


T: 14:13
S: 43.1
Pavg: 205
Pnorm: 243
H: 177
C: 103



The E3 race had about 90 starters and was a little less smooth and slower than the masters race. It felt hard but ended up being a little easier than the relatively short time I was in the masters race in terms of normalized power. Possibly the heat and some fatigue caught up with me, just not fit enough to do two races twice in day, though other riders were capable of this.

One big difference is that it seems like the E3/M123 races were significantly less negative than most E4/M4 races, I could essentially take it easy during a lot of E4/M4 races with big fields until the last five minutes, versus having to try hard for the whole race to stay with the pack it seems with my current fitness in the E3/M123 races.


T: 42:47
S: 41.2
Pavg: 183
Pnorm: 229
H: 182
C: 106

September 4, CCCX Circuit Race #2 Fall Series

CTL: 131
TSB: 8

Only signed up for one race today so no excuses for not doing well even though it's a mixed E3/E4 field. The 1/2/3 race starts late and I don't want to hang around all day today.

We have about thirty starters, even with the small field a few riders go up the road to animate things every lap. After about forty minutes riders attrition takes its toll and riders start dropping out. Chica Sexy riders start the attacks and soon it's four riders in the lead, four riders just behind with teammate Tony in there and the main group of ten with myself and teammate Dave. I sit in and wait to see if Tony can hang in there or see if we have to do something from this group but right before I can do anything interesting there is a crash on the last lap at the bottom of the hilly section and I have to stop for a few seconds to avoid running into the riders and bikes and lose contact with the group, not strong enough to chase back. Race didn't seem that hard so a disappointing way to end it.

cccx fall circuit race series #2 September 4 2010 from Steven Woo on Vimeo.

T: 1:14:17
Pavg: 176
Pnorm: 226
H: 167
S: 33.7
C: 98

August 29 - Vacaville Gran Prix

CTL: 131
TSB: -5

Wasn't sure I was going to make it to this after both legs cramped up yesterday but felt fine this morning.

We had a pretty big field in the E3's so the yo-yoing was going to be pretty bad at the 120 degree turn if one wasn't near the front. Just didn't have the legs after yesterday to move up, ended up tailgunning the whole race and lost touch with the field on the penultimate time down the hill.

I would probably do a lot better if I didn't do Winters the day before!

2010 August 29 Vacaville Gran Prix E3 race from Steven Woo on Vimeo.

T: 45:41
S: 40.5
C: 99
H: 171
Pavg: 193
Pnorm: 238

August 28 - Winters Road Race 30+

CTL: 130
TSB: 11

Since we have a lot of teammates who are ahem, 30+, we sign up for the 30+ race. The course is flat to gently rolling with one signficant climb. The temperatures are very mild, some racers start with arm warmers.

I am here to support a couple of teammates so I will try to help them however I can, chase down breaks, get water or give up a wheel so they can continue - last year there were a significant number of flats due to goatheads on the course. This year it seems the milder temps and course grooming by Velopromo means much fewer flats.

First time up the climb I am with the group and manage to lose sight of them on the descent - I think I am the only one who heeded Paula's directions to not cross the center line - having the moto behind me is also an incentive. :) But Joe and Jon are near me at the bottom and we TTT back up to the group in a couple of miles.

The next lap I am gapped a little before the summit after sprinting to close a gap. This time Jon and Sam are near me at the bottom and after a concerted effort we catch the group on the final lap after the right turn. The motoref tells us we are almost five minutes behind the solo rider. Jon and Sam are pacing the group and I move up to help. Understandably the Taleo guys who have a teammate up the road are not helping but everyone on other teams seems to be satisfied with going for second place and not pulling. After a few miles of this and finding myself with a small gap, I just keep going and see if that will motivate other riders to chase. I hope to make it to the feedzone so I can pick up a bottle and carry it up the hill but I start to cramp in my right calf after ten miles and have to ease up and the group catches me quickly about a mile before the feedzone. The vastus medialis seizes up on my left leg and I get dropped at the feedzone and get to TT in the last ten miles. The team got second and third so it was a pretty good race, and this is the best I've ever done at this race, 21st.

What I learned - when it's this cool, I only need one bottle. Carried the other bottle around for no reason for 80 miles. The climb with the group settles into about ten minutes at 4 w/kg then for the last three minutes goes to about 5 w/kg to the peak.

T: 3:28:44
S: 34.7
C: 91
H: 154
Pavg: 162
Pnorm: 196

August 22 - University Road Race

CTL: 130
TSB: 14

Since I only did one lap of San Ardo, this will be the freshest I have ever been for University, on the other hand, I sent in an upgrade request on Saturday morning and Larry Nolan approved by the time I checked my mail on Saturday afternoon so I had the opportunity to make University my first E3 or 35+ 123 race. I chose E3, mainly because I woke up too late to make the 35+ 123 start.

I only last one lap with the group, a gap opens in front of the riders in front of me and that never closes. This is pretty similar to what happened to me when I did the masters 4 race a few years ago. Being rested didn't help, it felt like I was going hard but only 4.2 w/kg for 5.5 minutes on the hill the first time up. Weird how it always feels harder than it is for me.

Anyways, better preparation (other than a much higher FTP) for this race would be 5.5 minute intervals followed by 2.5 minutes of rest, repeated 15 times.

Actually beat about 15 people - they all quit - I kept going but got lapped - twice. I am 853 - unknown rider. I think the issue is changing categories on the day of the race - the registration system really isn't built to handle that unless you make sure the results are right after the race, and I did not do that.

I timed the women's race - there were some early 7:15 laps when Shelley and Devon were establishing the break, but after the sun came out, they slowed down a little to 8:00 plus laps and the top E4 riders passed them, causing a little scoring confusing because the plan was to end the race when the lead women finished.

T:2:03:18
C:86
S:27.5
H:165
Pavg:170
Pnorm:222

August 21 - San Ardo Road Race

CTL: 130
TSB: 9

Unseasonable cool temperatures extend to what is normally one of the hotter races of the season. Am racing to assist my teammates so I shelter them from the wind and pace them as much as I can on the first lap in our full 35+ 4 field. Not much action but there are a lot of flats from goat heads. I manage to avoid this fate but there is a section of broken pavement with about two inch diameter chunks in the rollers that I smack with my front wheel and get a pinch flat immediately on the second mile of the second lap. This is probably the only flat I have had during a race that I might not have gotten had I used tubulars. No follow vehicle so that's the end of my race. Pretty disappointing because I felt strong, though I do get to enjoy the entertainment of the sag wagon and watch some of the other races during their second lap.