Race Result

Racer:	Richard Gendron
Race:	Wintergreen Ascent Time Trial
Date:	Saturday, May 3, 2008
Location:	Wintergreen, VA
Race Type:	Bike - Other
Age Group:	Male 40 - 44
Time:	0:55:46
Overall Place:	26 / 37
Comment:	Wintergreen Ascent 2008 - Gravity Wins

Race Report:

PRE-RACE Misgivings (Written Thursday)

In May of 2006 I used the Wintergreen Ascent as a focal point to recover from August 2005 knee surgery. The goal was simple, up in one hour or less, don't vomit in front of the cameras. It was the hardest thing I could think of that did not involve running. Weather was gorgeous and cool. 58:17

Last year, I repaid an emotional debt. The mountain was there for me when I needed motivation so how could I desert it after one year. I wanted to beat 50 minutes, and missed by 2. 51:58. I had spent the month leading up to the race on the spin bike propped up on a aerobic step to simulate climbing, using high resistance, low cadence sets. I got to see Pete Custer in action in a very tough CAT 4 race.

Wintergreen is advertised as a "pleasant 6.75 mile climb that gains 2,626ft up to the summit of Wintergreen, at an average grade of 7.5% with maximum grades of 20%". What they don't say is that you only gain about 250 feet in the first 1.75 miles - which means the average grade over the last 5 miles is 9.3%! (If my math is correct) There are three separate 20% - one of them in the middle of a sustained 14-15.

The only reason I can think of to race this year is that my wife gets to go to the spa and my kids (3, 5 and 10) can actually run along side me and cheer as I go by. The pain is worth it, to gain their support for my racing habit. It may also help me hang on up Wakefield Chapel with the A's.

I've done no specific training for this race, so I am being optimistic by predicting a 48. The weather is forecast with thunderstorms and rain showers. Uggh.

Focus: Solid 35-40 min warm-up, steady climbing effort, blow the doors off up the last 20%. Don't let weather distract me.

A Little Physics
A 170 lb rider on a 15 lb bike, with no wind, who can generate 300 watts, can reasonably expect to travel at around 22 mph on flat ground. A 150 lb rider can expect to do the same. Once they hit the hills, the story changes. In order to maintain 10 mph you get:

(Slope/170lb rider/150lb rider)

- 9.3% slope/400w vs 345w
- 15% slope/610w vs 530w
- 20% slope/800w vs 690w

Dunk (at a svelte 200 lbs) needs to sustain 460w to go 10 mph up that 9.3% grade and close to 1000w to go up the 20% slope at 10mph, think of that the next time he blows past us all up Wakefield Chapel - RESPECT

Kinda Brings Power/wt ratio into perspective ... Gravity Wins
I dropped 10 lbs this past year, and my LT power has clearly increased, so despite the lack of training, I'm feeling OK.

Wattage Calculator for you Numbas types
http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm

RACE
My start time was 10:38:30 so I got to the start area around 9:00. I took my time getting ready and felt pretty relaxed. I opted to leave the trainer at home since I know the local roads and had a nice path lined up for my warmup. I was riding my Giant, which is Campy with a 50/34 compact and a 26 in the back. I don't have a PT with a campy hub, so I rode according to HR.

I executed warm up as well as I could have. 20 minutes of tempo and 20 minutes of harder efforts including two 4 minutes climbs at LT +. At one point I was alone on a country lane and looked up to see the mountain and thought "I'm going up THAT !". Not intimidated, just a statement of awe. I rode up to the start line nice and warm with 2 minutes to ignition.

I can break down my race into four sections.

The first section (1.75 miles of gentle climbing) went as planned. I stayed on the big ring and maintained a comfortable cadence (around 90). It was warmer than I expected (around 77F) and I was feeling the heat.

The second section is from 1.75m to the guardhouse at about 3.5 miles - the hardest part of the course that includes the first 20% grade. As planned, I dropped gears as the grade increased, but it kept getting steeper, and I ran out of gears. I dropped cadence down to about 70. There was no shade and the sun was hot. I had no rhythm - I was mashing on the pedals, my chest was heaving and my HR strap felt like a vice around my chest. I knew I couldn't maintain, my HR was up around 178 - about 97% of my Max.

The third section is a series of switchbacks through the woods leading up to the lodge. I was a complete mess, I had no answers to the questions being asked. I wondered if it might be smart to stop and recover enough to get some power on the pedals. As an alternative, I started using both lanes, when safe, to switchback up the road, at least I could get to a cadence of about 70-80, that I could stand. Mercifully there was some shade. About half way up this section, my kids handed me a fresh bottle of water (they had been leapfrogging me up the mountain in the car) and I started spraying my whole body, which helped. Near the top of this section the winds picked up, the temp dropped about 10 degrees and I hit the only semi flat section on the course. I shifted up and got to a rhythm. Glancing at my watch I realized there was no way I could better last year's time and was in danger of missing my first year's time. I got back on the big ring for a short stint, but started planning for the second 20% grade. It hurt bad, but I was in a good rhythm on this steep and I knew I only had 1.25 miles left.

Fourth section, steady 12-14% grade up to the final hill (the third 20% grade) to the finish line. The rhythm I managed to find stuck with me, so even though it hurt, I was still going strait up the mountain. I took the stops off and put everything into the last 500 meters (300 at 18% plus and 200 meters of flat to the finish line). It's the worse I've felt on a bike, ever.

My unofficial time was 56:00.

ASSESMENT
I am extremely discouraged and maybe a little angry right now. I've spent most of the last 8 months working on aerobic base and LT. I've also dropped ten lbs. I'd like to think it's purely a lack of specific training, but I'm doubting my fitness and strength. Maybe I just didn't respect the mountain like I should have. I think this is also telling me to go back working the top end. I'll be looking to work out some of these emotions at Fort Ritchie next week. I want to put a teammate on the CAT 5 Podium and myself there in the 30+ CAT 5 race.

I just couldn't move the pedals on those steeps.

Gravity Wins