It Feels Good to Go Fast

DRietz · #1 03-20-2016, 10:53 PM

I was recently urged by one of my coach's other athletes to post up on the forum about my experience these past few months, so here it goes. Just to be clear, this isn't meant to be an advertisement for my coach, more like a ringing endorsement. Just me doing some bragging. But if you have any questions or want me to put you in touch, feel free to reach out. I'm also linking him at the end.

For those of you here that don't know me, I'm a third year undergraduate at UC Berkeley studying plant genetics. Besides my academic career, I've also spent a fair amount of time in the cycling world for my (relatively) young age. I've worked in shops for like a third of my life, started racing shortly after I started wrenching, and now help to coordinate the cycling team here at Cal.

The funny thing is, though, for as long as I've had a USAC license (going on 6 years, according to the internet), I've never really ever been good at racing a bike.

To give you some perspective: I've never weighed more than 137lbs in my life, but until recently, I'd never been able to hang on in a race featuring anything resembling a climb. When I did hang on, I finished as pack fodder. I've done okay in crits, but that's mostly owing to the bike handling I have from my mountain bike background, and I'd never ever won a sprint.

I was lucky to fall under the experienced supervision of my coach right at the beginning of November. And since then, my already-busy schedule of work and class and research got a little busier, but manageably so - my workouts were expertly crafted to fit my hectic schedule. My legs and lungs most certainly felt the burn, but they also got stronger because I put in the work - I never skipped a workout, and when I needed motivation or advice, it was only ever a text away.

And now, I'm riding away on those climbs. I'm winning those sprints. After only the 4th race of the collegiate season, I stood on the podium enough to secure my upgrade to the 3s, and now the 2s are square in my sights.

It's just really rewarding to see my hard work pay off - it feels good to go fast. If you're ready to commit, I highly recommend it.

beeatnik · #2 03-20-2016, 11:06 PM

Go Bears!

soulspinner · #3 03-21-2016, 05:56 AM

MattTuck · #4 03-21-2016, 06:48 AM

Nice work! congrats on the podiums and the upgrades. Must be nice to be so light!!

Other than the fact that you're like 60 pounds lighter than me, you also have they key advantage that you're riding your bicycle outside.

It is snowing here today.

shovelhd · #5 03-21-2016, 07:51 AM

If you are planning on upgrading to Cat2, then start doing P/1/2/3 criteriums now. The speeds are higher, the tactics are more dominant, and it's going to take a lot more to make a statement than in a Cat3 race. P/1/2 is a rung higher than that, and P/1 is another rung higher. The sooner you get used to racing at a higher level, the better chance you will have to succeed at that level. It's a steep learning curve.

Structured training is important for racing success with limited time. It's good that you discovered this early.

Keep up the great work, and race safe.

redir · #6 03-21-2016, 08:00 AM

Good job! I've never had a coach before but i can definitely see the benefit in having one especially when it comes to the motivation and drive to do better. Living in a college town I ride and race regularly with the college team. Enjoy it while it lasts.

DRietz · #7 03-21-2016, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beeatnik

Go Bears!

Thought you might enjoy this one from down on the farm a week or so back... (no Stanford in sight!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattTuck

Nice work! congrats on the podiums and the upgrades. Must be nice to be so light!!

Other than the fact that you're like 60 pounds lighter than me, you also have they key advantage that you're riding your bicycle outside.

It is snowing here today.

So the weight makes a difference, sure (though I'm really jealous that you can throw yours around in crits - at a certain point, we all need to play to our strengths), but I will tell you that I put in a surprising amount of work on the trainer. I have a pretty strong aversion to California drivers in the wet, and so I basically sat on the trainer for a lot of November and December. Maybe some of January, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by redir

Good job! I've never had a coach before but i can definitely see the benefit in having one especially when it comes to the motivation and drive to do better. Living in a college town I ride and race regularly with the college team. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Not only the motivation, but also the ease and the adaptability. It makes it a lot more feasible to train hard if Joachim plans and tracks what I'm doing because he's really good at it, and, alas, I'm not - I'd spend way too much time just planning my workouts without his help. Let alone the fact that I can be in contact with him daily, if I want, about how I'm feeling, what I have going on, and what we can do to ensure that I'll hit my peak as hard as I want to.

sandyrs · #8 03-21-2016, 09:12 AM

Nobody has asked the most important question yet. What kind of bike is that?

benb · #9 03-21-2016, 09:17 AM

Nice. I'm not racing this year but I did sign up with a coach for the first time in 10 years. Not a huge involvement as I bought about the minimum level but there is no question a coach is by far the best investment you can make if you want to go fast.

It's been a shocking improvement for me too the past 5-6 weeks doing base training on an intelligent plan for once.

Congrats on your success.. not much feels better than a good race result when you're working really hard.

AngryScientist · #10 03-21-2016, 09:18 AM

good work!

this may be a stupid question, but i'm confused? you race for your college team and you had to seek out coaching elsewhere?

DRietz · #11 03-21-2016, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

good work!

this may be a stupid question, but i'm confused? you race for your college team and you had to seek out coaching elsewhere?

There are only something like 12 varsity cycling programs in the US.

The rest of us are sports clubs. We train ourselves, we fund ourselves - we just throw on the university logo on the weekends.

The bike is a "Tsunami" welded by Joe Wells. It does alright by me, even if the cable guides are a little lopsided!

sandyrs · #12 03-21-2016, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

good work!

this may be a stupid question, but i'm confused? you race for your college team and you had to seek out coaching elsewhere?

At least in the northeast many college "teams" are clubs with no coaching to speak of. They are student-run.

edit: OP beat me to it.

MattTuck · #13 03-21-2016, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandyrs

At least in the northeast many college "teams" are clubs with no coaching to speak of. They are student-run.

edit: OP beat me to it.

Yeah, I'm on the local team's listserv, so I get their emails. They're currently trying to put together a group stroopwafel order to save something like $2/box. This is in contrast to the NCAA basketball tournament that is going on currently. Cycling (and other sports) don't get much support.

Ralph · #14 03-21-2016, 09:31 AM

Congratulations! Sounds great. You can be proud of yourself. If you were my son, I sure would be. It's tough to be a successful student athlete, and hold down a job also. Hope you have a terrific career in your chosen field.

makoti · #15 03-21-2016, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattTuck

Nice work! congrats on the podiums and the upgrades. Must be nice to be so light!!

Other than the fact that you're like 60 pounds lighter than me, you also have they key advantage that you're riding your bicycle outside.

It is snowing here today.

Yeah. Why is the sky so blue there? I thought it was grey everywhere.