San Diego Bicycle Club: Summer 2023 Recap

The road season in Southern California  stretches from mid-January to early August. As such, it can be a difficult balancing act to stay consistent and perform from start to finish. SDBC did an excellent job of representing the club during the late Spring and Summer months, racking up several wins and many podium finishes across multiple fields

 

After an impressive spring of many podium finishes, the San Diego Bicycle Club’s blue train kept chugging along to keep the momentum rolling into the summer season. Historically, the SoCal season has been front loaded, with most of the racing occurring from February through  April, so it is important to come into the season strong, but with the addition of some new races on the calendar, finishing the season strong is just as important. Furthermore, many of the summer season races occurred right in SDBC’s backyard, adding fuel to the motivational flames. SDBC had solid representation at the Boulevard Road Race, the Hunte Parkway Circuit, the team’s very own Barrio Logan Criterium, as well as the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Center Criterium. 

 

Back on the calendar after a ten-year hiatus was the infamous Boulevard Road Race. The Boulevard Road Race is an iconic road race in the back country of San Diego.  This race offers a 22-mile loop on deserted back country roads with a rolling uphill climb and a smooth fast descent. Race categories list 44, 66 or 88-mile options with 1800 ft of climbing per lap. Boulevard is only about 90 minutes away from San Diego proper, making it one of the few road race options in our backyard. In addition, the Boulevard Road Race is tailor made for climbers, a rare treat in an ocean of sprint-centric flat criteriums. 

The Boulevard Road Race traditionally occurred in mid to late February but with a late addition to the calendar, the road race was slated for a late April race date. Although at a medium elevation of 4000 ft above sea level, the heat was a factor not to be ignored and wreaked havoc on all but the earliest starting races. SDBC had excellent representation for the afternoon with the club’s very own David Garcia taking the victory in the penultimate master’s race in the 35+ event and Micheal Morrison clinching the victory in the men’s 55+ master’s field. Honorable mentions go to David Gomaidy for an excellent 4th place in the men’s, Fabiola Garcia with a 4th in the women’s cat 2/3 race, and a 7th and 9th place respectively for David Morrison and Stephen Burge in the men’s 50+ master’s field. Great performances in multiple fields not only indicate the depth of the club’s strength but also the dynamic ability to perform when the road tilts upwards!

 

The 2nd Annual JKC Memorial Hunte Parkway Road Race took place on May 20, 2023. The 5km course sits on an exceptionally clean and fast rolling hills section on the outskirts of the master planned community of Eastlake / Otay Ranch, in Chula Vista on Hunte Parkway. The Hunte Parkway Road Race is another excellent option for zestful racing, perfect for escape artists and those that find themselves at home among the hills. Once again, the SDBC had a smattering of worthy results across multiple fields with David Garcia and Micheal Morrison taking emphatic wins in their respective fields (master’s 35+ and master’s 55+). Alexa Alarcon occupied the final step on the podium in the women’s 1,2,3 race. Honorable mentions going to Martin Adamczyk for a 4th place finish in the master’s 40+ race, and Thomas Jacobs for a 9th place finish in the master’s 55+ field. 

 

Riding the momentum of the Hunte Parkway Road Race, the next stop on the race calendar was SDBC’s own Barrio Logan Grand Prix. Touted as one of the most technical criteriums in Southern California, the BLGP boasts a figure eight course with a challenging hill on the backside of the course that ensure a worthy competitor comes equipped with both the proper fitness and handling skills to excel on the course. Apart from promoting the race, SDBC also partook in the event with racers representing the club in just about every field. Although the elusive win evaded the club, David Garcia continued to stamp his authority on the master’s 35+ field with a hard-fought 3rd place finish out of the breakaway. Special thanks to Ben Anton acting as Race Director, as well as all the volunteers that helped make this special event happen. 

 

Concluding the summer race block was another last-minute addition to the calendar in the form of the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Center Criterium taking place on July 29th. Joining BLGP on the calendar, the CVEATC Criterium becomes the 2nd criterium on the calendar to take place in San Diego proper. The course takes place at the Olympic Training Center on a closed circuit with tough, punchy hills and winding chicanes. David Morrison pulled out a vehement podium performance, placing 3rd in the master’s 45+ on the testing circuit. 

 

Now that summer is wrapping up, SDBC members turn to the velodrome to get their racing fix in. This time of year can be an excellent opportunity to dabble into other disciplines, explore new routes and put structured training aside to get back to your roots. It is important to spend a bit of time reflecting on the past season at this point as well.

Summer results:

Boulevard:  1st David garcia Masters 35+

Hunte Pkwy: 1st Micheal Morrison Masters 55+, 9th Thomas Jacobs masters 55+, 1st David Garcia Masters 35+, 4th Martin Adamczyk 40+ 1-3, Alexa Alarcon womens 1-3

Barrio logan:  3rd David Garcia Masters 35+

Chula Vista Elite Athlete Center Criterium: 3rd David Morrison Masters 45+

 

As the harvest moon rises over the 2023 season it’s a good time to take a moment and reflect on your season.  Did you achieve your goals for the season? Reach out to a Source Endurance coach for a consultation to get your training and goals aligned for the 2024 race season. 

We like to ask our clients to answer the following questions when doing your self assessment: 

 

1. What was the highlight of your season (for example, best race or greatest accomplishment)?Why?
2. What was your greatest disappointment? Why?
3. Review your top three goals for this season. Do you feel these were achieved?
4. What did you do in training this season that you feel made you faster?
5. What did you do in training this season that you feel was not productive?
6. If you could change your training, mental preparation, or race tactics/strategy this past season, what would you do differently?
7. Was there anything missing in your training this season?
8. Do you feel that you trained enough and worked hard enough in training this season?
9. Do you feel that you had adequate rest during training and before races?

And finally, if you’re wanting a professional hand in helping you to make sense of it all, and make some recommendations for you moving forward, consider the Comprehensive Performance Analysis.  For 20% off use code: CoachTaylor20 

If you’re ready to seriously talk about taking that next step, Schedule a Free Consultation. 

Thanks for reading. 

• Taylor Warren