In the past I used this blog to detail exactly what was involved in a personally satisfying attempt to race National and World level track championships. I added a day by day run down, sun up to sun down, the successes and the attempts at success. This time around is going to be a bit more focused.
The premise was to train at the 250-meter BVV track away from where other racers were planning to train in Colorado Springs, plus BVV is a real 250-meter Olympic size and shape velodrome. A kind of track I learned on and fell in love with this crazy thing called track racing. There are a bunch of track friends as well at the Erie track and it’s a second home to me, my adopted track home since the demise of the NSC Blaine track.
The days pasted quickly as I began to feel more altitude fit while remembering the fun, thrill and pain of track training and the unknown race expectations. The competitors I planned to race have been training and racing every one of those 6 years I missed.
Week one down and time to move to my Colorado Springs lodging, a hand full of miles just west of the track.
The plan, 3 races, 30 lap 10K Points race, 6 lap 2K Individual Pursuit and a final 5K Scratch race. Two days of “warm up” training on Monday and Tuesday to pick what would be the “right” gear ratio of front chain ring to rear cog, big enough to stay competitive in the mass start field, not too big meaning I’m out the back of the race working too hard for my ability.
As we all age, there are fewer racers willing to train and dedicate time and life to be a competitive racer. The organizers are aware and group multiple 5-year age categories together to make a reasonable size field. The Points and Scratch races were made up of the 70-74, 75-79 and 80+ age groups. The 2K was 75-79 only.
There is a lot of logistics related to a week of track racing. Lodging close enough to the venue to make transit back and forth easy and stress free. Registration sign ins, finding a location inside the velodrome to set up and “store” bikes, trainers, other gear for the week. Sharing space with others as the fields of racers from all over the USA show up to compete. Learning the daily schedule and being able to predict how long a session will last before you need to start warm ups and be in the warm up ring ready to be called up to a race. I have seen numerous racers miss a race they have trained all year for because they didn’t calculate race times properly. Food, being prepped with food on hand at the velodrome so if a session goes longer for some reason, you can be fed and fueled and ready to race. Again, I have seen others perform poorly because they didn’t have enough food/fuel when they needed prior to a race.
I am happy I signed up for three races as it took me the first two races to come up with the perfect combination for my last race, the Scratch race. The first two races were ok, 6th overall in the Points race with a gear that was not nearly large enough to stay with the fast pack. Only 3 in my age group for the Points race, 5 for the 2K. I got a participation medal for each, finishing 6th overall, 2nd in age group in the points and 4th in my age group in the 2K.
All the 5-lap points sprints I got dropped, caught back on and then dropped again. I was the last of the field to not get lapped finishing about a half a lap behind the fast 5. The 2K, I was 14 seconds slower than 1st place, 10 seconds slower than 2nd and 4 seconds slower than 3rd. Both events, my gear choice was too small.
Saturday finally arrived with my race not happening until about 3:00 in the afternoon and I am now in the largest gear selection I have every raced. Gear inches, it is about 98, a bit intimidating for me but here we go for 15 laps of mass start fun with about 10-12 of us total on the track vying for first across the finish line. The first 2 laps were a bit chaotic, I settled in to a spot in the field behind a big guy, saving energy in his draft about half way up the track until about 5 to go when the pace got spicy saying in the top 6 places, two to go and time to sprint as long and as hard as possible. The gear on the bike felt good and I was finally getting the adrenalin rush I remembered from the past. Half a lap to go and from out of nowhere behind me one of my age group guys passed me, his tactics obviously better than mine leaving me 3rd in age group and 7th overall. A bonus was to finally beat a racer I have raced since 2009 in Sydney AU, a very happy accomplishment for me.
Sunday, day off the track but a chance to ride my road bike around Colorado Springs casually to unwind. Some packing and food and then trying to get a good night’s sleep which didn’t happen. Monday, an 8-hour drive to Kearney NB, hotel check in at a favorite hotel stop, another casual road bike ride and early to bed. Tuesday, up early, motel free breky, not great but not bad. Foggy morning so an easy pack up and finally on the highway by 9 as the weather cleared. Another 8 hours of driving and I’m back home nursing a cold virus I picked up the last few days in and amongst a lot of others from all around the states.
My goals were to have some personal good results, which I did, giving me the incentive to register and participate in what could be my last ever World Master’s Track Championships Oct. 2025, Roubaix France. As of now, I am booked and registered and planning another attempt at good World Championship results.
Wish me luck!
