Training week ending May 4 and Shimano Fiets Challenge race report

Week ending May 4
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Getting back into my weight training routine, plus a chance to bike a bit!
There was a great race scheduled for saturday, in pretty much the only hilly place in
Holland. Details at the end of the rerport.

In view of the bike race, I tapered the leg weights for the legs this week.
I eased slowly into my previous weights.


Time Type Volume Time Details
28 Apr ---- OFF ----------------- Travel
29 Apr AM Run 3.2 km @ 50 2.4k + 400m@84 + 2x(20,40,60)[2']
29 Apr PM Weights 15.4 Mg @ 60 3x5@90% Upper body, 3x8@90% Arms, 3x12@90% Legs
30 Apr ---- OFF ----------------- Queensday!
01 May AM Bike 20.0 km @ 60 Easy-medium rolling hills
02 May PM Weights 14.5 Mg @ 60 3x6RM Upper body, 3x10RM Arms
03 May AM Bike 40.0 km @ 219 MTB race, muddy, tough hills and paths
04 May PM Weights 5.8 Mg @ 45 3x5RM Lats, Shoulders

Totals
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Weights: 35.7 Mg @ 165
Run: 3.2 km @ 50
Bike: 60.0 km @ 289
Total: 504 min

Details
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The race was fun. I was however quite unprepared. It was my first bike race, if that can be an excuse. However I was thinking all of the following beforehand.

a) Perhaps I should get mud tires rather than semi-slicks.
b) Perhaps I should get a couple of spare tubes.
c) Perhaps I should get a new portable pump since I lost my last one!

The reason I entered this race was that it was advertised as the 'hardest race in holland' and it took place in the hilly region near Maastricht. The highest point there is 330m. However, the race route goes up and down all the time, so the total climb must be at least 2000m (but there is no profile available, alas).

In any case, I thought I'd be able to handle the hills no problem. The weather was unusually warm and dry - fortunately! While I had gone riding out in Austria and Switzerland many times, it was usually dry there and thus there was not a lot of mud.
This race was short of a mud-fest, but there was much more slipperiness than I had been used to. My tyres were nowhere near up to the task.

After the first hill, everybody started going down at breakneck speed - another thing I was not really used to. I hit a stone and my hopes deflated along with my front tyre.
I walked back (up), only to find a mechanic at the top of the hill, who dutifully replaced my tube and gave me a spare. I did have an emergency re-fill capsule, though I had never used it.. so now I was fully equipped.

I went down the hill again - losing a total of around 30minutes, I guess.
The next section was horribly muddy and full of obstacles. I soon realised how mud can get in the way of things and how it can make your pedals too slippery to push against.
Oh well.

At some later point I missed a turn by following the road-bike signs - this fortunately was a slight shortcut and I ended up in the middle of the MTB pack. But in doing so I missed the middle checkpoint. I thought of re-climbing that section, but only briefly. I was already a bit tired.

Soon, it was 2 hours, my projected finish time and I was still at km 25 or so. The rest of the race was a mix of walking and hanging on to the bars for dear life in downhill sections.

Anyway, I made it. Next time I'll at least remember to bring a water bottle!