Racing vs Training

[davenoeljones]

Hey,
This is a weird one....on the weekend I raced in K2...192km in the coromandel with 2,800m of climbing. We did it as 16 mates and aiming for 6 hours 30 (Elites did 5 hours 30) so reasonably casual pace. We started dead last and slowly made our way through the groups.

I had done the training, averaging 350kms a week for the last 3 months....with 10 rides of 130kms plus with no signs off cramp.

The weekend before me and a mate did 90kms of full on race pace in the hills, red lining on probably a dozen occasions....not a single sign of cramp.

We rode the first half fully cruising, my HR only hit 168 (pushing it I will go to 183 - 185), but by the 100km mark I was cramping, not aggressively but enough to hold me back. My bro was the same.

What gives? I've done harder 150km rides by myself with nothing? Same nutrition, fully hydrated and well fed.

The only thing I can think of is coasting a lot more (because of the bunches) or the anxiousness or nerves of the race environment??

Anyone get this? No cramp training....but comes on in races even tho you aren't smashing it?

[Marty Moose]

Change f cadence or pedal stroke due to taking it easy ?

[jules21]

you probably lifted your intensity in the race event, regardless of whether you perceived it to be the same in training.

[BarryTas]

i train buy doing group rides where the group is made up of A and B graders - thus it feels like a race/hell.