Mall - 40K TT by kirkmorr at Garmin Connect - Details

Mall - 40K TT by kirkmorr at Garmin Connect - Details: "Share"

Sea Otter

Had a great time this past weekend at Sea Otter in Monterey, Calif with Sam and his CU friend Peter. This event is touted as the largest bike racing festival in the country. The races (road, mountain, gravity) were impressive and the Laguna Seca racetrack was amazing (300 to 400 feet of vertical / lap with exhilirating, twisting descents). Driving a car or moto here would be awesome.

The Expo was much larger than I expected with hundreds of bike industry suppliers displaying their goods in booths. Got lots of comments (mostly positive) on my 17 year old Serotta Colorado CR road bike. It was a bit of an oddity among all of newer super light carbon fiber & Ti bikes. I even ended up being chased down by a photographer/reporter from a bike magazine for pictures and a mini-interview (look for the white Serotta and the hairy legs in an upcoming issue !).

I stuck to the road (both literally and figuratively) with a Mens Masters 45+ CAT5 road race on Friday (40 miles) where I finished 22nd out of a field of 36. Unfortunately, I got caught off the back of the pack when the race whistle blew (after a 4 mile neutral moto out to the course). The pack went out with sprinting pace which was faster than I wanted at the start. I then spent the rest of the race off the back picking off the riders that cracked from the groups pace. On the positive side, I did have the chance to work with some of the 25+ and 35+ riders as we chased.

Saturday's Gran Fondo 100 mile ride was very cool. Great terrain with a 2,200 ft climb up Cahoon Summit at mile 70 gave some breathtaking views. Total climbing for the day was 6,500 feet and my riding time was just under 6.5 hours. The reward was at the end where we enjoyed complimentary showers, pasta buffet, Sierra Nevada beer and a massage (yes !). Highly recommended.

Mingo Creek RR 4-11-10

I entered my first road race this past Sunday. Ended up choosing to run in the Masters class since the field was smaller (18) and the distance was longer (33 miles vs 27 for the 4/5's) ... this was my warm-up for the Sea Otter 47 mile Men's Masters RR on 4/16.

Unfortunately, I arrived a bit late, missed the chance for a warm-up (mistake #1). Hung with the Masters through most of the first lap before getting dropped towards the end of the lap (mistake #2) when the tempo picked up. Finished the last 6 laps in an individual TT mode since Gary B. had advised that we were not permitted to ride with the 4/5 groups. Ended up finishing the 33 miles in 16th place with an avg speed just under 20 mph.

Overall, I got in a good workout and was happy with my speed/endurance. However, I would have liked to spend a bit more time in the group to develop some tactics and technique. I suppose more racing will help with this.

Next up ... Sea Otter on my 50th birthday !