The 19-29 Expert class race started out about the same speed of my usual sport class races. However, this pace either stayed the same or sped up as the race progressed throughout the five grueling laps. I noticed that I caught up with some of the racers who shot out ahead the beginning of the first lap. I seemed to have a difficult time keeping a steady fast pace. I started to fade a little due to some fatigue and a lack of drive but I soon began to pick the pace up on the end of the fourth lap and the whole fifth lap. I realized that I was gaining on another racer during the middle of my first lap, however it was too late in the race to catch him. A lot can happen during five laps, unlike a sport race with only three laps where a flat can put you out of the race on the first lap, the extra two laps gives plenty of time to chase or enhance true race strategies. Overall I felt good, but i believe I could have stepped my pace up a couple of notches and gained a couple of positions (results). This race served as a good learning experience and I'm looking forward to the next SERC race in Brison City, North Carolina on April 6.
Brent
I, Kurt, have spoken with Brent on several occasion during the past two weeks. He is clearly highly motivated to build a solid base for this summer. Bill Bracken and Ryan Walsh have helped him out by providing him with a heart rate monitor and strap so that he can determine is training heart rate zones. This will also assure he does not over train as he can monitor his effort on easy days. He has a solid program of working on his core muscles, which will greatly help him increase his training mileage. His current plan is to do a few SERC Races and carry his training into a summer Mountian Biking Camp with goals of placing top three which will qualify him for the USA Cycling Training camp later in the summer. More on this next month. I ask that the local Polk County Cycling enthusiast keep track of his training and mentor him appropriately.
