Fort Custer-CPS Race #2 May 6th, 2007

Race Time: 1:29:32
Placement: 8/24
YTD Standings: 6th

My HR Info:  Max: 175 (93%) Avg: 166 (88%)
Zone 4: 23:51  Zone 5: 1:05:03 minutes.

The is my first year doing the Fort Custer race and I was really looking forward to it.  I had come down the prior week and test rode the trail.  This is by far the best 'race' trail I've ridden.  It plays into all of my strengths, especially climbing.

The race started really good.  About three of us really separated ourselves from the rest of the pack.  I was sitting in third letting the guys in front of me do all the work.  I held that position for much of the first lap.  I think we a couple of guys may have caught up to us right before the first lap ended.

About a mile or two into the trail there are two hills.  The first is called Cardiac Hill and CPR Hill.  They are just about back to back steep hills, composed of loose dirt.  Tough to keep traction.  The day of my pre-ride I spent a lot of time on these hills because climbing is my strength.  Come race day, my legs did not disappoint.  I climbed those hills extremely fast, usually passing one or two people.  I recovered quickly then hit CPR hill just as strong.

The entire race my body felt great.  I great balance between recovery and full force.  This helped control the lactic build up.  My HR info reflects the strong effort with over an hour in zone 5.  I sincerely believe my strong performance is a result of finally putting together a good nutritional plan.  I used the following products, all by Hammer Nutrition:

 

The morning of the race I had an instant breakfast drink and a protein bar.  The combination worked great, so I'll try to duplicate it.