GamJams.net: Where Mid-Atlantic bike racers roll

Coach's Tips For... Fort Ritchie Criterium

[ed: Here's another article by BJ Basham, part of the series called "Coach's Tips for... ", in which BJ will give you all the inside track on how to race a specific event. BJ knows all these races, and he probably also knows most of the racers hellbent on beating you at them. If you like BJ's contributions, let him know in the Comments section below. You can even ask him questions in the comments, which he'll answer there as well.]

Coach's Tips for... Fort Ritchie Criterium
by BJ Basham
USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach

This is a new course on the MABRA program. Joe did have a race at Ft Ritchie about 6 years ago, but I think that was on the base and all I remember from that was the tank that pulled on the course during one of the races.

This course looks totally exciting and similar to Reston with plenty of speed and lots of corners. Richmond has the "Go Fast Turn Left" races and we have the "Go Fast, Turn Left, Right, Right, Left, Right, chicane Left, Hard Right" race at Ft Ritchie. So what does that mean to the riders who want to win? Lets look at the course in pieces.

1. The Start. This will be an all out drag race to the first turn to be in position for the quick left, right, right, left. Riders at the front will be able to carry their speed and choose their line. Riders at the back will be on the gas and then hard on the brakes and then hard on the gas, using up that precious energy. Coaching tip. Start at the front.

2. The sweeping right hander into the stretch at the far side of the lake. This is where some riders will be able to make up for their mistakes, but in most of the race with big fields, the front of the field will stay on the gas and string it out. Coaching tip. Pay attention. If you get gapped in the first bunch of corners and are closing back to the field, keep your head up. If the front riders sit up just a second, you may end up slamming into the back of the accordian. When you do close the gap, carry your speed and pass as many riders as you can before the next turn. Don't try to weave your way up the middle of the field. Pay attention to the wind direction and go up on the protected side.

3. The hard right turn into the chicane. This is where the speed is going to go up, especially on prime laps and the finish. The chicane will make for a challenge when it comes to moving up because the field will take the shortest line and likely pinch you off on the curb. Coaching tip. Be near the front going into the right hander before the chicane and then follow the line. If you do need to move up, be sure you can complete the move before getting pinched. After the first couple laps, you will know what line the field will follow and you will have an idea of the side you should and should not try to move up on.

4. The final turn. This thing looks tight. Kind of like the last turn at Williamsport. If the surface is good and the road tilts in the right direction it will be a no brainer, but if the road is off camber, you may need to scrub a bunch of speed to get through safe and quick.  Coaching tip. Pre-ride the course and try this corner at speed and using different lines. If you are too far back in this corner, you may find it really hard to re-accelerate over and over again.

5. The final straight. This looks pretty straightforward and pretty long so the race will not be over until you cross the line. The final turn is important, but if you are not first through the turn, you can still make up ground in the sprint. Coaching tip. Practice for the finish by going for some of the primes. Maybe not kill yourself to win them, but get up there and lean what works.

6. The whole race. This looks like a challenging course and without actually riding it, I would guess that some of the races will come down to a field sprint and some will break up with a group getting up the road. The tight turns after the start finish present a good opportunity for a small group to get out of sight and for their teammates to slow the chase. If you are sprinter, you need to stay up front to save your energy and to react if the field does break up. If you are not a sprinter, then you need to break the field field up by driving the pace or attacking hard. Like the Reston GP course, this loop does not look conducive to a parade around the parking lot. This is a challenging and exciting course that will let many different kinds of riders have a go to make the race into what works best for them. Coaching tip: RACE!!! Do something to have a positive affect on the race. 

Be safe.

--

BJ Basham is a USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach with Peaks Coaching Group. He lives in Fairfax, VA and competes in most of the same races you do. To learn more about his coaching practice and philosophy, visit his website at PowerCyclingCoach.com.

Coach's Tips for... Poolesville High School Road Race

[ed: Here's another article by BJ Basham, part of the series called "Coach's Tips for... ", in which BJ will give you all the inside track on how to race a specific event. BJ knows all these races, and he probably also knows most of the racers hellbent on beating you at them. If you like BJ's contributions, let him know in the Comments section below. You can even ask him questions in the comments, which he'll answer there as well.

Note: This article was first published in 2007 and is re-published here for new readers, new racers, and those of us who forgot a little something since this time last year.]

Coach's Tips for... Poolesville High School Road Race
by BJ Basham
USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach

The famous dirt road "classic" of the MABRA calendar.  There is about a mile of dirt road on this course, and it is a major obstacle, but there is also the whole rest of the course to deal with.

First of all, getting through the dirt takes some good luck and some bike handling skills. There are usually two wheel tracks to pick from where the gravel is not bad and you can get the bike moving. The sketchy part comes if you decide you need to switch lanes, or you get slowed down for some reason. The dirt road section is mostly downhill so carrying your speed is not that hard. The way the Euro dudes do it at the cobbled classics is to put it in the big ring and hammer along at a slower cadence. This lets you kind of float above the bike, letting it bounce around all it wants without you having to endure the pain in the butt. The big gear also lets you carry your speed a bit better, but it can come at a cost. If you have to slow down, or you are on too big of a gear, you can get bogged down and have to work hard to get your speed back up.

Another thing to try to do when riding rough roads is to relax. Too many riders get keyed up by the fact that they are not on nice smooth tarmac and they burn nervous energy without spending any of those matches to go forward. Also if you are tense and try and control the bike too much, the bike will fight you. Let the bike move freely within the limits of control, but don't imagine that you will be better off holding on tight.

The feature of this course that usually hurts more than the dirt is the little steep "wall" just after you leave the dirt section.

As with any race, staying up front is your best strategy. In this case, being up front will help you avoid anyone that is having trouble keeping their speed up.

The rest or the course is rolling, so being up front will also let you carry your momentum down and up the climbs and you will be much fresher when the time comes to race.

--

BJ Basham is a USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach with Peaks Coaching Group. He lives in Fairfax, VA and competes in most of the same races you do. To learn more about his coaching practice and philosophy, just email him.

10 Simple things to remember when racing as a team

(ed: In response to yesterday's Debate: Team Play post, BJ Basham sent me the following article he wrote previously while he was coaching an elite team. It's a little reassuring to learn that even elite teams need a primer on the basics once in a while.)

10 Simple things to remember when racing as a team
by BJ Basham
USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach

This past weekend, I was working with a team of riders who where preparing for an important local race. As I was writing a pep-talk e-mail, I decided to remind them of all the things that we have been learning the hard way, that we all really already knew but were not putting into practice.

These things seem like common sense when you are standing on the sidelines, but sometimes do not even come to mind in the heat of the racing action. Below is a list of “rules” that we can all benefit from when racing, either as a team or even when you are the only one from your team or club that shows up.

1. Have a reason for every effort you make in the race. Jumping off the front and hanging 20 yards ahead of the field for a couple of laps is a waste of energy.  If you are going to try a move, give it 100% commitment. If you do not think it will work, then you do not have a good reason for doing it.

2. Stay in the front half of the field for the whole race. There is nothing to be gained by sitting more than halfway back. You cannot respond to an attack or launch one of your own. 

3. Don’t try to chase on the front of the field all alone. If you are racing with a team, get three or more riders to share the work. Don't start chasing hard until you have your backup. If you are racing without a team, try to instigate the other riders in the field to start working. Even if all they do is pull through and off, they are keeping the speed up.

4. If you get into a break, don't be the only rider in the break who is working to establish the gap. If you find that no one else wants to work to get away, they probably will let you work until you die and then flick you in the end. Sit-up and try again in another break. 

5. Get to the race early enough to talk to the rest of the team about the race and how the team might ride. This is a good chance for the riders on the team to share experiences with the course and other riders in the race. Make a plan for how the team will ride the race and make sure everyone on the team knows the plan.

6. Have a back-up plan for your team if your original plan does not work out and make sure that everyone knows, without discussion, when it is time to switch to the back-up plan.

7. When going for a team win, it is sometime necessary to sacrifice the results of a few riders on the team. In the truest sense, finishing the race should not be first concern of anyone on the team. If a rider is worried that if they work too hard they may not finish in the field, then that rider has essentially limited the amount of work they can contribute.

8. Stick around long enough after the race to talk about what happened. What went right, and what went wrong.  Waiting too long can make it harder to remember so plan on a team meeting right after the race, while you are cooling down or after everyone has cleaned up.

9. If you get a good result due to the team working for you, remember to let them all know how much you appreciate their efforts. Some teams share in the prizes, but a verbal “thank you” is usually the reward that most riders really value.

10. Never give up. The race is not over until someone crosses the finish line.

--

BJ Basham is a USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach with Peaks Coaching Group. He lives in Fairfax, VA and competes in most of the same races you do. To learn more about his coaching practice and philosophy, just email him.

Coach's Tips for... Carl Dolan Memorial Circuit Race

[ed: Here's another article by BJ Basham, part of the series called "Coach's Tips for... ", in which BJ will give you all the inside track on how to race a specific event. BJ knows all these races, and he probably also knows most of the racers hellbent on beating you at them. If you like BJ's contributions, let him know in the Comments section below. You can even ask him questions in the comments, which he'll answer there as well.

Note: This article was first published in 2007 and is re-published here for new readers, new racers, and those of us who forgot a little something since this time last year.]

Coach's Tips for... Carl Dolan Memorial Circuit Race
by BJ Basham
USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach

The Carl Dolan Circuit Race at the Columbia Gateway Center has been going on so long it's become a MABRA classic. We originally raced the other direction on this course, but only for one year and the race was called something else back then.

This race is not run on the most selective course around. There is only one turn and the fastest section is right as the field comes out of that turn. The hill that follows is basically negated by the fact that the field usually will carry its momentum right up to and over the top.  So if you are not hoping for a field sprint, where can you make an effort that might get you some separation from the field? The feature of this course that must not be over looked is the wind that is almost always blowing right in the face of the field as they come through the start finish line. If you have the punch to get a gap into the wind as the group bogs down at the top of the hill, you might have a chance. But you need to get a big gap and get it quick, otherwise you will be pulled back as the course loops around and the wind ends up at your back.

If you do think you can win it in the sprint, the thing to keep in mind is that with the high speed coming from the bottom of the hill, the sprint will be long and fast, and if you start too soon, anyone who is close will likely be able to come around you.  The feature that you should look at is that there is a slight break in the pitch of the hill as you get to the top, but before you reach the finish line. There are 100 - 200 meters where the sprint will be played out among anyone who is still in the front row after the climb. A well drilled lead out train on the final climb can limit the number of riders in contention when the actual sprint starts with 200 meters to go. If you have a big team in the race, then be ready to set the pace and keep the tempo super high in the last lap. If you are alone or your team is not big and strong, you will need to do what you can to infiltrate the train and be ready to go when the sprint starts.

--

BJ Basham is a USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach with Peaks Coaching Group. He lives in Fairfax, VA and competes in most of the same races you do. To learn more about his coaching practice and philosophy, just email him.

Coach's Tips for... Tyson's Corner Circuit Race

[ed: Here's another article by BJ Basham, part of the series called "Coach's Tips for... ", in which BJ will give you all the inside track on how to race a specific event. BJ knows all these races, and he probably also knows most of the racers hellbent on beating you at them. If you like BJ's contributions, let him know in the Comments section below. You can even ask him questions in the comments, which he'll answer there as well.

Note: This article was first published in 2007 and is re-published here for new readers, new racers, and those of us who forgot a little something since this time last year.]

 

Coach's Tips for... Tyson's Corner Circuit Race
by BJ Basham
USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach

It may sound like a broken record, but the warm up for this race is super important.

With an uphill start leading into a fast descent before tackling the climb of the finishing stretch, if you are not warm and ready to rock from the gun the gaps will open.

On this course, even small gaps can kill you. So make sure that you stay vigilant and stay with the field all the way over the top of the climb and even on the flat section before heading down the back stretch. If you let even a small gap open on the climb, you will be working to close it on the descent when everyone else is coasting and recovering, then you have to hit that hill again, this time after working on the downhill.

Think about it - how long would you last doing intervals with no rest?

--

BJ Basham is a USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach with Peaks Coaching Group. He lives in Fairfax, VA and competes in most of the same races you do. To learn more about his coaching practice and philosophy, just email him.

Coach's Tips for... Jefferson Cup

[ed: Here's another article by BJ Basham, part of the series called "Coach's Tips for... ", in which BJ will give you all the inside track on how to race a specific event. BJ knows all these races, and he probably also knows most of the racers hellbent on beating you at them. If you like BJ's contributions, let him know in the Comments section below. You can even ask him questions in the comments, which he'll answer there as well.

Note: This article was first published in 2007 and is re-published here for new readers, new racers, and those of us who forgot a little something during the off-season.]

Coach's Tips for... Jefferson Cup
by BJ Basham
USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach

The Jefferson Cup Road Race, the sign that the new racing season has arrived.

This race is held on a classic loop road couse with plenty of ups and downs and one longer steeper climb to keep you honest.

The roads are usually slow (rough) which can make it a job to even sit in on some sections, and the hills are not long but enough to chew you up if you do not ride smartly.

There are really no races where a good warm-up is not important.  Until you are doing 100 mile races with a flat roll out for the first hour, plan on getting to the race early enough to get in a warm-up. Your warm-up does not need to be as long or intense as you would do for a criterium, but it still needs to be enough to get your aerobic energy system primed and working. Since this is one of the first important races of the season, expect things to start out hot right from the gun.

In the race, where you sit in the field will have a big affect on how well you will be able to respond when the hammer goes down and how much gas you will have in your tank as the race goes on. On a rolling course, the riders in the front half of the field will be able to roll down the hills and carry their momentum on the climbs. The further back in the field you go, the more you will find yourself braking and having to re-accelerate, sometime even on the up-hill, which will kill you.

Mentally it may seem easier to sit in the back, but physically, you will be working much harder than the riders up front.  In the back you do not have to work to defend your position as much, but you will be coasting, braking and re-accelerating much more which means you will be burning up your fuel just sitting in the field.

For any race over an hour, you will want to have food in your pockets or some kind of fuel in your bottles. Use what you always use; race day is no time to experiment.

--

BJ Basham is a USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach with Peaks Coaching Group. He lives in Faifax, VA and competes in most of the same races you do. To learn more about his coaching practice and philosophy, just email him.

Coach's Tips for... UMD President's Cup

[ed: Here's another article by BJ Basham, part of the series called "Coach's Tips for... ", in which BJ will give you all the inside track on how to race a specific event. BJ knows all these races, and he probably also knows most of the racers hellbent on beating you at them. If you like BJ's contributions, let him know in the Comments section below. You can even ask him questions in the comments, which he'll answer there as well.

Note: This article was first published in 2007 and is re-published here for those of you us who didn't win at UMD last year and are still trying to get it right.]

Coach's Tips for... UMD President's Cup
by BJ Basham
USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach

“.70 miles with 3 90 degree turns, a tight technical chicane and wide open finish…” That is what the flyer says and this is what you should be reading into it:

• .7 miles = Short fast course with not much place for recovery. Get in a good warm-up so you are ready to rock from the gun.

• 3 90 degree turns and a tight technical chicane = Being too far back could mean a very short race. Start at the front and stay in the front third of the field. Remember that as the race goes on, the field will be getting smaller and you need to be looking for places to move up all the time.

• Wide open finish = Everyone will want to sprint so you need to be up front to avoid the mayhem.  If you are going to try and win in the sprint, then rehearse the finish by going for prime early in the race. If you are going to try to win off the front, attack in the hardest part of the course.

• Plenty of chances to show off for your friends and family = Efforts without a competitive purpose are a waste of energy. Ok this one is not on the flyer, but it applies to every race. There is no competitive reason so sit on the front and grind away pulling the field lap after lap. Wouldn’t everyone you know be more impressed with a good result compared to the fact that you led 3 laps in the beginning of the race before being spit out the back?

Have fun. Bike racing is fun.

--

BJ Basham is a USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach with Peaks Coaching Group. He lives in Faifax, VA and competes in most of the same races you do. To learn more about his coaching practice and philosophy, just email him.

BJ's Bike Fit Promotion

Bike Fit is important, and now is probably the best time to have it done, if you haven't ever. If you have to make adjustments, you ought to follow them with a period of low intensity riding, which a lot of you are probably doing right now anyway. Plus, you may also be looking at longer-than-average rides, either on the road or on the trainer. A poor fit could make those long slow slogs in the basement even more uncomfortable. Finally, if your perfect fit requires you to slap on a longer stem or seatpost with greater offset or shallower drop bars, a lot of that stuff is more likely to be had on the cheap in the heart of the off-season.

Knowing all of this, BJ shares his thoughts on getting the right bike fit here, and also offers GamJams.net readers the following promotion:

Make an appointment and mention GamJams and get $20 off the cost of setting up a second bike.

Get your race bike dialed in and then setup a trainer bike or a winter beater or cross bike with the same position.

Email BJ for details or to schedule an appointment.

BJ is a Wobble Naught pro and does his bike fits at his home in Fairfax, VA.  I had BJ set up both my road bikes for last season, and it's made a big difference for me. The fit I cobbled together for myself had me much too far forward, which bent my back uncomfortably and also didn't engage my glutes much at all. The new fit has me stretched out much flatter, giving me better aerodynamics, relieving my lower back pain, and putting my glutes to work, which translates into improved power (and even gives me a little junk in the trunk for the first time ever in my life).

So I recommend without reservation getting a pro fit, and if you're at all convenient to BJ in Fairfax, do consider him.

Coach's Tips For... Fitting the Bike to the Rider (not the other way around)

[ed: This is the next article by coach BJ Basham, and part of a continuing series called "Coach's Tips for... ", in which BJ will give all the racers lucky enough to have found GamJams.net the inside track on local racing and training. If you like BJ's contributions, let him know in the Comments section below. You can even ask him questions in the comments, which he'll answer there as well.]

Coach's Tips for... Fitting the Bike to the Rider (not the other way around)
by BJ Basham
USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach
Wobble Naught Bike Fit Professional

Does your bike fit you or do you fit your bike?  In other words, is your position on the bike based on the length of your limbs and range of motion about your joints and your riding style, or is it based on the equipment you have chosen or what came with your bike from the shop?  Too often, I have found that the latter is the case. Many riders try to adapt the way they ride and the way they sit on a bike to the what the bike allows them to do, as opposed to adjusting the parts on the bike to allow them to ride in a position that is efficient, aerodynamic and allows them to avoid many overuse injuries related to long hours in the saddle.  The other mistakes many riders make is worrying about the “look” of their bike or trying to match the position of their favorite pro.

The fact of the matter is that the human body is very adaptable and will learn to work in even the worst riding position over time. There have even been some very successful cyclists who have ridden in very unorthodox positions (check out old photos of Sean Kelly).  Another fact is that the damage done by a bad riding position or misaligned pedal stroke may not be noticeable for quite a long time. How often have you noticed a pain in your knee or hips that only comes on when you put in some extra miles?

The goal of a good bike fit is to set the saddle, handle bars and cleats in a position that allows you to turn the pedals efficiently and with no damage to your joints or bones and to avoid undue fatigue. When your riding position fits you, your bones can carry more of the stress of applying power to the pedals and supporting your body, and your joints can work and track within their normal range of motion.

A precision bike fit is one that is based on the length of the bones and the position of the joints that are involved in the process of pedaling your bike.  In order to get a precision bike fit, each segment of the limbs involved in the pedaling motion needs to be accurately measured. Short of using an x-ray machine, the best way of getting accurate measurements is by locating and marking anatomical landmarks that can be used to identify the position and shape of the rider’s bones and joints. Using these landmarks, the rider’s ideal position can be determined based on the size and shape of the bones and joints in the rider’s legs, hips, torso, shoulders, arms and feet, and how all these body parts can work together to pedal the bike.

Another challenge cyclists with more than one bike may face is how to make sure they are riding in the same position on whichever bike they choose to ride. It is important to avoid changing your riding position frequently because muscle memory is a very big component of a smooth and powerful pedal stroke. If your saddle height changes up and down and back an forth every time you ride, your muscles will be trying to pull up before your reach the bottom of the pedal stroke or push down while your foot is still on its way up. This lack of coordination can lead to injuries to the joints, muscles and other connective tissue as well as impaired performance.  A good bike fit is one that can be transferred from one bike to the next while maintaining accuracy and precision. Remember that your position is your position no matter which bike you ride.  What this means is that frame geometry should not have an affect on your riding position. Your butt should still be in the same place relative to your feet and hands.

The type of riding you are planning to do should also be considered when determining your riding position. The requirements of road, mountain and time trial/triathlon riding will result in a different riding position for each style. Aerodynamics, bike handling, sprinting and climbing requirements all have an affect on your riding position.

There are many good fitting systems that use different landmarks and biomechanical measurements and calculations in order to determine the riders ideal saddle, handle bar and cleat position. When shopping around for someone to fit your bike to you, the more precision there is, and the more factors that are included in determining your position, the better. I will admit that there are probably one or two gurus in the world that could look at you and tell you exactly what needs to be changed, but the rest of us need to do some measuring to get it right.

I would recommend that you look for a system that determines your ideal riding position independent of the bike or equipment being used and look for a bike fit professional who will take into consideration other factors including riding style, biomechanical imbalances, physical differences from one limb to the next and neuromuscular issues that may not be fixed by even the most precise setup. 

Something to keep in mind if you are planning on having a professional bike fitting done is that the equipment that you currently have may not allow you to achieve your ideal riding position. The seat post or saddle may not allow for the amount of adjustment required or the top tube on your frame may not allow you to get to the ideal reach to the handlebars. The bike fitter will aim to get you in the best riding position, but it will be up to you to take their advice and make the recommended changes.

Also remember that it may take a bit of time for you to adapt to the new riding position. A period of low intensity riding should always be planned for after making any changes to your riding position, especially if the changes are big. Never change your position right before an important event.

Riders at every level have a good reason for having a precision bike fitting done. Riders who only get out once or twice a week will want to be sure they are getting all they can from the time they spend in the saddle and riders who compete or put in a lot of time on the road will want to be sure they are as riding as efficiently as possible while at the same time avoiding overuse injuries from even the slightest misalignment or imbalance.

Remember, your bike should fit you, not the other way around.

--

BJ Basham is a USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach with Peaks Coaching Group. He lives in Fairfax, VA and competes in most of the same races you do. To learn more about his coaching practice and philosophy, just email him.

Coach's Tips For... MP Murad Road Race

[ed: This is the next article by coach BJ Basham, and part of a continuing series called "Coach's Tips for... ", in which BJ will give all the racers lucky enough to have found GamJams.net the inside track on how to race a specific event. BJ knows all these races, and he probably also knows most of the racers hellbent on beating you at them. If you like BJ's contributions, let him know in the Comments section below. You can even ask him questions in the comments, which he'll answer there as well.]

Coach's Tips for... MP Murad Road Race
by BJ Basham
USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach

I hate to sound like a broken record, but this course is not selective. The hills are not long or steep enough to make a big difference if no one is willing to take a chance and put in the attacks. For most categories racing, the distances are not super daunting either. Again, it will need to be the riders who make the race.

With that in mind, how can you make the best of your chances in this event no matter what race you are doing? Unfortunately, the time for training is pretty much gone. So with the fitness you have now, what can you do to improve your chances?

1. Know the course. If you know where the hard parts are and where the easy parts are, you will know when you can make your efforts to move up or attack.

2. Fuel up. This should be second nature to you. Do what you do in training on race day. Nothing new. Race day is not the time to experiment.

3. Stay fueled up. If you normally have to eat on a two hour ride and your race is long enough to take two hours, plan to eat.

4. Look for the parts of the course that suit your strengths. If you are a break away rider, where can you put in your attack to maximize the gap as quickly as possible? If you are a sprinter, where are the critical spots on the course when you have to be in the right place to put in your best sprint?

5. Look for the parts of the course that play to your weaknesses. If you climb like a bowling ball bounces, you need to be up front at the start of the climbs so that you can drift back and not lose contact with the field.

6. Don't waste your energy without a good reason. This one could also be, "have a plan". Going into any race with more on your mind than surviving is one of the best ways of improving your chances. The plan needs to be sound, but anything is better than nothing. If you plan is to wait for the sprint, then what do you need to do in order to ensure the race ends in a sprint and that you are in position to participate? If you want to take your chances in a break, how far is a reasonable distance on this course? How many riders do you want to go with? Think logically and be honest with yourself and come up with a plan.
Every course is different, and some courses a suited better to different kinds of riders. The riders who seem to consistently get in the money on every kind of event are the ones who look for ways of using the course in ways that suit their strengths and minimize the effect of any weaknesses they might have. As I have written before, if you really want to do well in this race, and if you are not a sprinter, don't sit in the field and wait for the sprint. And if you are a sprinter, don't hang about at the back and hope it stays together to the end.

--

BJ Basham is a USA Cycling Level II Certified Coach with Peaks Coaching Group. He lives in Fairfax, VA and competes in most of the same races you do. To learn more about his coaching practice and philosophy, just email him.