NFR - Race Report #9

[RidgeRider]

Copperopolis Road Race -

After not racing the weekend before at Warnerville, due to illness, I was ready to get back out there and test the legs and lungs again. On Saturday, I raced in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada gold country, 2 hours southeast of where I live.

This race has been going on for 30 years and is a well known stop for pure climbers. The roads are the worst roads we will race on all year and this course is known as the 'Paris-Roubaix' of California. 

It is a 21 mile loop with two climbs and nothing but rough roads. After a 2 mile start and bone jarring tarmac, you start a 4-mile ascent on what starts as more rough road, then a smooth section, and then more rough road. The pitches are 6-18% grades and when you finally crest the top, there is a nice fairly flat, with rolling grades, on good pavement section that lasts for 10 minutes and then into a long, headwind filled, rutty road section that wears you down slowly until you get to the second climb which is about 1 mile long and leads to a fast, technical, and extremely bumpy downhill to a hill top finish.

We did two laps in my category. I had signed up to race with my age group, 45+ fellas, but my teammates talked me into riding in the 35+ group, so at registration I switched, more as a symbolic gesture rather than anything cerebral.

Given this was the hardest race of the year with lots of climbing, I knew my placing would not be great as this was a 'pure' and simple climbers race. Meaning, guys with 5-7% body fat who weighed a 155 pounds or less. When I got to the line, I could see it looking at my competitors. 'Oh boy' was what I was thinking, but then quickly reminded myself I came to do the race, regardless of whether or not it was suited to my size and would work as hard as I could and hope to outlast a few.

We started down the 2 mile section at good clip. I took a position out front as I wanted to get to the climb on the front because I knew I would slip back. By the time I got to the climb my legs were clearly not warmed up enough and I quickly slid to the back and then started to lose touch with the peloton. 

I passed one guy and then caught another at the top, but the lead group was gone down the road by at least 300 yards and I would never see them again. I rode with a guy named Jeff, 175 pounder who lost touch as well and we rode together for awhile. He jumped on the wheel of another guy from another group (not supposed to) and then a car. I ended up riding by myself for about half of the 1st lap and then caught Jeff (surprised the crap out of him) on the long climb the second time we did it. He quickly jumped on my wheel and I towed him the rest of way, as he didn't want to work and I still had in my head to keep going and that I would catch another rider or two. We passed a few stragglers from other races but never re-caught our group.

At the end, near the very top of the second climb (about 2 miles from the finish) the leaders of the group that started 5 minutes after us finally caught me and I rode to the finish with them. Given they were the leaders and were working together in a group of 8, and I was solo for most of 40 miles, I was quite pleased I had maintained a hard pace.

Not a great result but a very hard day and good test. I will need to drop a lot more weight to be able to compete on this course next year, which I will do, and I am now targeting this race for next year as a way to stay focused. It was great day out and I had a lot of fun riding down with my teammates and recapping the suffering we all shared on Saturday and what might have been on the way back. I reminded them "I told you I would get dropped on that first climb!". :)

Sunday is the Menlo Park Criterium against 45+ 1, 2, 3's. Am I crazy or something?  :007:

[Lighthouse]

Yes is the answer to your question. Out of your tree. However....hold on.... lungs struggling...fingers cramping....eyes straining.... it is always (wheeze cough...flemmy throat) always good to know that ... there are members of my species who can do this sort of thing. Although why has always escaped me. Good luck for the next one and thanks for the update.

I am off to sign up for the 30s to 40s age group. I am older than that but I can hang out with the kids in telly watching. ( Cough, Splutter, wheeze) who happen to be the name of my fitnees intstructors.

[HatterDon]

Keep it goin', Jack. And keep the reports coming.

[GoldCoastWhite]

Copperopolis ? Sounds like police HQ in Athens !  :005: But well done once again Jack. My legs start to hurt just reading about your exploits , or is that just my varicose veins acting up ? Anyway, yes, I think you are barking mad but loving your reports - keep on pedalling and hope to see you in the Tour Down Under soon. 

[Tom]

Great work RR! I just got done riding the bike at the gym but after reading about how much you rode, my legs are hurting now.

[Steve_orino]

I rode 20 miles this past Saturday!  O wait, you did double that in less time...whoa.

It was called Tour Dallas, more of a joy ride than a race...although there were a few "lance armstrong" types out there that didn't get the memo.

[HatterDon]

I woke up early Saturday morning to watch a football match on ESPN2. I thought that was pretty athletic of me.

[Tom]

I woke up early Saturday morning to watch a football match on ESPN2. I thought that was pretty athletic of me.

Very nice Don! Hell yeah that's athletic and don't let anyone tell you different.