Sunday, July 28, 2013
Two in a Row
This weekend I had to choose between two races: one on a really hilly course (Lake Nockamixon) and one on a very flat course (Blueberry). I waffled back and forth for the last two weeks.
At the last minute, I chose Blueberry. I had done Nockamixon twice before and it's just not a course that I enjoy. It's a beautiful course and a well-run event, but it's almost constant climbing and descending for just a couple minutes at a time with no chance to get into a rhythm on the road.
I had never done Blueberry before, so it would be a new experience. Most of the guys I had been racing all season would be there. Perhaps most importantly, it's part of the NJ time trial series that I want to compete in next year and I wanted to do the course to gain the experience. Oh yeah, and it had a start ramp :-)
The course was more or less a triangle. We start in the middle of one leg and then have three sharp right-hand turns on the course. One leg of the triangle had some rolling hills, just enough to slow you down a bit but not enough to really consider them climbs.
We got there on time, got in a good warmup, and got to the start ramp just a minute before my start.
I thought the ramp would be exciting, but I was more worried about the road at the bottom. We would roll down the ramp at an angle to the road and then have to ride in a 2 foot wide section of road that was blocked off by cones. It was going to be a bit tight.
I was so nervous that I messed up my normal routine. In the final countdown, I usually hit the Start button on my computer with 2 seconds to go. I messed up and hit the wrong button. I made it through the cones without incident, when I noticed the alert on my computer telling me that motion was detected and did I want to start the clock. I had probably been rolling for 5 or 10 seconds, but I would not know my exact finish time when I finished.
Like most of these flat, straight time trials, I could see my 30-second man almost the whole time. As I settled into my target power, I started keeping an eye on him. I was a bit worried because going into the first turn about two miles into the course, he was about 35 seconds ahead of me. He was pulling away!
The turn was really sharp and I had to slow down from 27 mph to about 18 mph to make it through without running over the volunteer manning the corner. I sprinted out of the corner, maybe a little too hard, and settled back into my target power.
Once I was comfortably back in my rhythm, I started watching my 30-second man again. When he'd go past a sign, I'd look at my bike computer and see how long it took me to get there. The first one was 25 seconds. Then 20 seconds, then 10... I was not just gaining, I was accelerating in relation to him. I was careful to keep my power right on target and not overdo it. I caught him at about mile 8.
By then, he was the 4th person I'd caught and no one else was in sight. It's very motivating to have people in front of you to chase and now it was just me and my power meter.
I was really looking for the next turn. I finally saw two guys in orange vests standing a little off to the side, just talking to each other. At first I thought they were blocking traffic on a cross street, but then I saw the train tracks ahead that I was pretty sure we were not supposed to cross. I yelled out "Where do I go??" They look annoyed that they had to respond, but they both pointed into the turn. By then I was almost on top of them and had to jam on the brakes and take the turn in WAY too big of a gear. I probably lost a few seconds there since it's really hard to get back up to speed in a huge gear like that. (on a side note, I talked to several other people at the finish who had completely missed the turn because of those two volunteers not doing their job)
The third leg was really nice because it was almost all in the shade and, most of all, I knew the finish line was about a half mile from the end of it. I spotted another rider in the distance and was gradually gaining on him.
Going into the last turn, I was just about on top of that other rider. I decided not to risk passing him in the turn so I slowed down. Then he slowed down a LOT to take the turn. I was really annoyed at how much time I lost in that turn waiting for him to go through. As soon as I was through, I sprinted past him.
In just a few seconds, I saw the 500-meter-to-go sign.... or perhaps I should say, forest of signs. There were signs every 50 meters to the finish line telling you how far to go. 500, 450, 400... I hit the line at about 35:03 according to my computer... but remember that I didn't start right away.
It was not until after I got back to the car, got changed, got something to eat, and wandered over to the award ceremony that I would find out my actual time... when the announcer called it out as the winning time and I got to take the top step of the podium.
That makes two wins in two weeks! My next race is in two weeks with a much harder course. We'll see how I do there.
What went well:
Pretty much everything.
What to work on:
Tight turns at high speed
Passing people before a turn
The Numbers:
Distance: 15.5 miles
Time: 35:18
Avg. Speed: 26.35 mph
Avg Power: 265 watts
Avg Heart Rate: 165 bpm
Sunday, July 21, 2013
A Different Result
This week I had to choose between two races: The PA State Time Trial Championship and the Sandrino's Sacrifice TT. The PA State TT was a 40K (25 miles) over hilly terrain, almost three hours away, and required a hotel (or to leave at 4 AM).
Sandrino's Sacrifice TT was 7.7 miles over pretty flat terrain (with no turnaround) and less than an hour away. It was also part of a series to which most of my races this year belonged, so I'd be racing against people I knew. Shelli is still on crutches from her knee surgery. It also seemed like a better idea to have a shorter drive and a race with a parking lot right at the start line. It seemed like more fun and less hassle, so that's what I did.
This race was the culmination of the season's lessons so far: I had a new time trial helmet, which is the best one yet. It's sleek and aerodynamic but comfortable and surprisingly well vented. I knew that I had to worry about overheating in the humidity while warming up, so I got a DC converter for the car so I could have a fan blowing on me. I also wore an ice vest while warming up to make sure my core temperature stayed down. I kept my drinks in a cooler with ice packs to keep them cold. Since it was warm and humid, I wore the shirtsleeve suit.
I rolled up to the start line feeling well-warmed up but not overheated, even though it was almost 80 degrees and pretty high humidity. I was also surprisingly calm considering my goal was to win today.
I started out strong... a little too strong, actually. At the end of the first 5 minutes, after two slight climbs, my power was about 15 watts higher than my target. I should have slowed down, but I made a rookie mistake and kept the power up, thinking I was just having a magical day and that I could maintain it. Um.... no.
I caught several people on the road. It was kind of a pain to pass on this course. There was a nice shoulder for riding, but there was not enough room to pass in the shoulder. I had to go out into the traffic lane on a road with a 45 mph speed limit and a fair number of cars, so I had to time my passes just right so I didn't get run over.
At 10 minutes, I knew I was in trouble. I could feel the humidity and breathing a lot heavier than I wanted to be. My power was dropping. I was 15 watts above target before, now I was struggling to stay 10 watts below. Not good.
They told us at the start that at about 1K to go, there was a 4-way intersection with state police. I had passed that quite a while back, it seemed, so I was looking for another one. There is usually a sign with 1K to go. If there was, I did not see it. I was really hurting and looking for the finish.
As I came around a slight curve, I could see the finish cones and tent ahead. Relieved it was almost over, I dug deep and pulled my power up just a couple of watts.
I hit the finish, shifted to an easier gear, hit the lap button on my computer, and then pulled into the gas station parking lot to wait... I waited to see how close the guys behind me were. My biggest competitors started 30 seconds and 1 minute 30 seconds behind me. The first one arrived... I think at 36 seconds. The second arrived at 2 minutes. I was pretty sure that I had won.
We rode back to the start, chatting about gear and racing. I got changed, put all my stuff away, and wandered over to the start just in time to see the results.
I was right: I had won. After three second-places this year, I had finally won my first bike race :-)
What I did right:
Kept cool while warming up
Picked a race I really wanted to do
I took a bottle with me to drink on the ride back from the finish line
What could have been better:
My pacing
The Numbers:
Distance: 7.7 miles
Time: 17:29
Avg Speed: 26.4 mph
Avg Power: 282 watts
Avg Heart Rate: 164 bpm
Sandrino's Sacrifice TT was 7.7 miles over pretty flat terrain (with no turnaround) and less than an hour away. It was also part of a series to which most of my races this year belonged, so I'd be racing against people I knew. Shelli is still on crutches from her knee surgery. It also seemed like a better idea to have a shorter drive and a race with a parking lot right at the start line. It seemed like more fun and less hassle, so that's what I did.
This race was the culmination of the season's lessons so far: I had a new time trial helmet, which is the best one yet. It's sleek and aerodynamic but comfortable and surprisingly well vented. I knew that I had to worry about overheating in the humidity while warming up, so I got a DC converter for the car so I could have a fan blowing on me. I also wore an ice vest while warming up to make sure my core temperature stayed down. I kept my drinks in a cooler with ice packs to keep them cold. Since it was warm and humid, I wore the shirtsleeve suit.
I rolled up to the start line feeling well-warmed up but not overheated, even though it was almost 80 degrees and pretty high humidity. I was also surprisingly calm considering my goal was to win today.
I started out strong... a little too strong, actually. At the end of the first 5 minutes, after two slight climbs, my power was about 15 watts higher than my target. I should have slowed down, but I made a rookie mistake and kept the power up, thinking I was just having a magical day and that I could maintain it. Um.... no.
I caught several people on the road. It was kind of a pain to pass on this course. There was a nice shoulder for riding, but there was not enough room to pass in the shoulder. I had to go out into the traffic lane on a road with a 45 mph speed limit and a fair number of cars, so I had to time my passes just right so I didn't get run over.
At 10 minutes, I knew I was in trouble. I could feel the humidity and breathing a lot heavier than I wanted to be. My power was dropping. I was 15 watts above target before, now I was struggling to stay 10 watts below. Not good.
They told us at the start that at about 1K to go, there was a 4-way intersection with state police. I had passed that quite a while back, it seemed, so I was looking for another one. There is usually a sign with 1K to go. If there was, I did not see it. I was really hurting and looking for the finish.
As I came around a slight curve, I could see the finish cones and tent ahead. Relieved it was almost over, I dug deep and pulled my power up just a couple of watts.
I hit the finish, shifted to an easier gear, hit the lap button on my computer, and then pulled into the gas station parking lot to wait... I waited to see how close the guys behind me were. My biggest competitors started 30 seconds and 1 minute 30 seconds behind me. The first one arrived... I think at 36 seconds. The second arrived at 2 minutes. I was pretty sure that I had won.
We rode back to the start, chatting about gear and racing. I got changed, put all my stuff away, and wandered over to the start just in time to see the results.
I was right: I had won. After three second-places this year, I had finally won my first bike race :-)
What I did right:
Kept cool while warming up
Picked a race I really wanted to do
I took a bottle with me to drink on the ride back from the finish line
What could have been better:
My pacing
The Numbers:
Distance: 7.7 miles
Time: 17:29
Avg Speed: 26.4 mph
Avg Power: 282 watts
Avg Heart Rate: 164 bpm
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Forced Recovery
With the PA State TT just 3 weeks away, the last thing I wanted to do was take a week off the bike but I really didn't have much choice.
I woke up last Sunday with a seriously sore throat and my nose was running constantly. At the time I thought it was just allergies, but by the end of the day I knew it was something more. I went to work Monday and tried riding but I felt really terrible.
Tuesday I took a turn for the worse and I called out of work Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I spent three days pretty much doing nothing but sleeping, watching TV, reading, and eating everything in sight.
I barely got on the trainer Friday just to see if I had any energy yet and I really didn't. My power was really low and my heart rate really high. I cut it short and went into work, which was not fun but at least it got me out of the house.
I'm still kind of congested but I don't have the serious fatigue that I did earlier in the week. I was able to get in a short ride yesterday and didn't feel too terrible. Hopefully today will go a little better.
While I'm sure my body enjoyed the rest, I'd like to get back to training with another 40K coming up!
I woke up last Sunday with a seriously sore throat and my nose was running constantly. At the time I thought it was just allergies, but by the end of the day I knew it was something more. I went to work Monday and tried riding but I felt really terrible.
Tuesday I took a turn for the worse and I called out of work Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I spent three days pretty much doing nothing but sleeping, watching TV, reading, and eating everything in sight.
I barely got on the trainer Friday just to see if I had any energy yet and I really didn't. My power was really low and my heart rate really high. I cut it short and went into work, which was not fun but at least it got me out of the house.
I'm still kind of congested but I don't have the serious fatigue that I did earlier in the week. I was able to get in a short ride yesterday and didn't feel too terrible. Hopefully today will go a little better.
While I'm sure my body enjoyed the rest, I'd like to get back to training with another 40K coming up!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Full Speed Success
After several events in a row where I did well but felt I could do better, I can only call yesterday the best I've ever done.
When the year started, my major goal was to do a 40K time trial in under an hour. 59:59 would be good enough, I just wanted under an hour. That would require an average speed of 24.8 mph for an hour, which is pretty fast.
Yesterday at the Church Creek Time Trial in Cambridge, MD, well.... I did a little better than an hour.
After losing a lot of time in the heat three weeks ago at the NJ State Time Trial, I was worried about doing that same thing again. To help keep me cool, I opted for short sleeves this week and didn't wear gloves. I carried one bottle with me on the seat tube, which I had practiced removing and drinking without coming up from the aero bars so I did not lose as much speed while drinking.
There were light winds on this very flat course which seemed to hit me the most in the first and last stretches of the race.
Mentally I had broken the course into four 10K (6.2 mile) quarter. I set my bike computer to automatically set a new lap every 6.2 miles so that I could see my average power for that quarter, making sure that I was pacing correctly.
The first quarter was into the wind and a bit slower than I would have liked. I kept calm, knowing that at some point I would get a tailwind and be able to make up the speed I was losing. I paced it well, hitting the 10K marker just 2 watts above my target power. I had the guy who started 30 seconds in front of me in my sights the whole time, but did not seem to be gaining much.
The second quarter had 2 miles of really bumpy pavement that practically vibrated my aero bars out of my hands. I was all over the lane trying to find smooth pavement, but there was none to be found. I just had to grit my teeth and deal with it. At the end of the quarter, again I was 2 watts above target power, seemed a little closer to my 30-second man and passed one other guy.
The third quarter is always the hardest. I'd been going full speed for a half hour and it was starting to hurt. I had a tailwind now and was going noticeably faster than I was before. I was definitely gaining on my 30-second man and I passed another guy. With the tailwind I was putting out a little less power, and was 1 watt below target this time.
The fourth quarter was sheer agony. My legs and lungs were on fire. My helmet visor was coated in sweat and all I could think was "keep pedaling, you're almost there." I finally caught and passed my 30-second man. That gave me a little mental boost.
In the last 5K, they give you a sign each kilometer telling you how far to go. 5K... 4K... 3K... with 3K to go, I knew I was inside the last 5 minutes and gave it everything I had left. I think I went up about 2 watts, which is almost no difference at all. I had nothing extra left... and suddenly I came around a corner into a headwind. I fought hard to keep my speed up as much as I could, but I really had nothing left.
So far, I had not looked at my overall time. I was watching my average power each quarter and my average power for the overall ride, but not my time. I knew my quarters were pretty fast because I'd happened to glance down to see one turn around 14:30. With 1K to go, I just had to know. I took one had off the aero bar and flicked my finger across the touch screen on my computer... with 1K to go, the computer read 55:55. At that speed, I was going to cover a kilometer in about a minute and 45 seconds. Oh my God!!!
I switched the computer back and dug as deep as I could. Seeing how close I was to a massive personal best, I wanted it to be as fast as possible. My legs screamed in protest but I was so close to the finish I didn't care.
I hit the line, switched to a lighter gear, hit the button on my computer, and suddenly everything hurt. The massive effort hit me all at once, my legs started shaking, my balance was off, and the slightly-out-of-alignment pad in my skinsuit hurt like someone was stabbing me. I managed a wobbly half-standing position over to the start area where they had a jug of water and a bathroom.
A few minutes later, I finally got my time: 57:44, an average speed of 25.8 mph (I posted the wrong time on Facebook by a few seconds). When I was planning the event, I thought I could do 58:45. Maybe if everything went miraculously well, I thought I could hit 58:00. I never dreamed I would come in below that, let alone by 22 seconds.
For comparison, in 2011 I did this course in 1:03:05. Pretty big difference... 5:21.
I finished 7th place. The winner put in a time of 54:23, a speed of 27.4 mph. Now I have a potential target for next year :-)
What went well:
Pretty much everything. My planning, pacing, and equipment choices we dead-on.
I can't remember a race where everything went as perfectly as it did yesterday.
What to work on:
Picking the right outfit to wear so I'm not changing skinsuits in my car halfway through my warmup when I'm soaked with sweat.
Remember that short sleeves and no gloves means sunblock. I got sunburned on the tops of my forearms and hands.
The numbers:
Distance: 40K (24.8 miles)
Time:57:44
Avg Speed: 25.8 mph
Avg Power: 260 watts
Avg Heart Rate: 166 bpm
When the year started, my major goal was to do a 40K time trial in under an hour. 59:59 would be good enough, I just wanted under an hour. That would require an average speed of 24.8 mph for an hour, which is pretty fast.
Yesterday at the Church Creek Time Trial in Cambridge, MD, well.... I did a little better than an hour.
After losing a lot of time in the heat three weeks ago at the NJ State Time Trial, I was worried about doing that same thing again. To help keep me cool, I opted for short sleeves this week and didn't wear gloves. I carried one bottle with me on the seat tube, which I had practiced removing and drinking without coming up from the aero bars so I did not lose as much speed while drinking.
There were light winds on this very flat course which seemed to hit me the most in the first and last stretches of the race.
Mentally I had broken the course into four 10K (6.2 mile) quarter. I set my bike computer to automatically set a new lap every 6.2 miles so that I could see my average power for that quarter, making sure that I was pacing correctly.
The first quarter was into the wind and a bit slower than I would have liked. I kept calm, knowing that at some point I would get a tailwind and be able to make up the speed I was losing. I paced it well, hitting the 10K marker just 2 watts above my target power. I had the guy who started 30 seconds in front of me in my sights the whole time, but did not seem to be gaining much.
The second quarter had 2 miles of really bumpy pavement that practically vibrated my aero bars out of my hands. I was all over the lane trying to find smooth pavement, but there was none to be found. I just had to grit my teeth and deal with it. At the end of the quarter, again I was 2 watts above target power, seemed a little closer to my 30-second man and passed one other guy.
The third quarter is always the hardest. I'd been going full speed for a half hour and it was starting to hurt. I had a tailwind now and was going noticeably faster than I was before. I was definitely gaining on my 30-second man and I passed another guy. With the tailwind I was putting out a little less power, and was 1 watt below target this time.
The fourth quarter was sheer agony. My legs and lungs were on fire. My helmet visor was coated in sweat and all I could think was "keep pedaling, you're almost there." I finally caught and passed my 30-second man. That gave me a little mental boost.
In the last 5K, they give you a sign each kilometer telling you how far to go. 5K... 4K... 3K... with 3K to go, I knew I was inside the last 5 minutes and gave it everything I had left. I think I went up about 2 watts, which is almost no difference at all. I had nothing extra left... and suddenly I came around a corner into a headwind. I fought hard to keep my speed up as much as I could, but I really had nothing left.
So far, I had not looked at my overall time. I was watching my average power each quarter and my average power for the overall ride, but not my time. I knew my quarters were pretty fast because I'd happened to glance down to see one turn around 14:30. With 1K to go, I just had to know. I took one had off the aero bar and flicked my finger across the touch screen on my computer... with 1K to go, the computer read 55:55. At that speed, I was going to cover a kilometer in about a minute and 45 seconds. Oh my God!!!
I switched the computer back and dug as deep as I could. Seeing how close I was to a massive personal best, I wanted it to be as fast as possible. My legs screamed in protest but I was so close to the finish I didn't care.
I hit the line, switched to a lighter gear, hit the button on my computer, and suddenly everything hurt. The massive effort hit me all at once, my legs started shaking, my balance was off, and the slightly-out-of-alignment pad in my skinsuit hurt like someone was stabbing me. I managed a wobbly half-standing position over to the start area where they had a jug of water and a bathroom.
A few minutes later, I finally got my time: 57:44, an average speed of 25.8 mph (I posted the wrong time on Facebook by a few seconds). When I was planning the event, I thought I could do 58:45. Maybe if everything went miraculously well, I thought I could hit 58:00. I never dreamed I would come in below that, let alone by 22 seconds.
For comparison, in 2011 I did this course in 1:03:05. Pretty big difference... 5:21.
I finished 7th place. The winner put in a time of 54:23, a speed of 27.4 mph. Now I have a potential target for next year :-)
What went well:
Pretty much everything. My planning, pacing, and equipment choices we dead-on.
I can't remember a race where everything went as perfectly as it did yesterday.
What to work on:
Picking the right outfit to wear so I'm not changing skinsuits in my car halfway through my warmup when I'm soaked with sweat.
Remember that short sleeves and no gloves means sunblock. I got sunburned on the tops of my forearms and hands.
The numbers:
Distance: 40K (24.8 miles)
Time:57:44
Avg Speed: 25.8 mph
Avg Power: 260 watts
Avg Heart Rate: 166 bpm
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Another Record with an Asterisk
By now, it's no secret that I'm faster on the bike than I've ever been in my life. I've done well in every race and broken every personal best that I've ever had.
The problem that I am having mentally is that very few of those records are over courses I am familiar with. Sure, I just broke my 40K record, but my previous record was not on that same course. Maybe it was easier than the one I had done before.
Yesterday, I was excited to finally be able to do the normal West River Time Trial, held every Saturday through the summer over an 8.2 mile course that I've ridden hundreds of times in my life. Between my racing schedule and the random rainy day, I have not been able to do this yet this year. Yes, the race two weeks ago was on this course but used a different start/end. I was finally about to get the comparison I wanted.... except for one problem.
The road which we use is closed to cars from 6AM to 5PM. The first mile and a half is re-opened to cars at noon, which are blocked by a pair of gates across the road (which are chained and padlocked in place). Whoever closed the road to traffic that morning closed those gates as well, blocking the road for us.
Our solution was to go around them. Once on the way out and once on the way back, each rider would have to drop from racing speed enough to make it onto the sidewalk/path beside the road (which has a very narrow curb cut to get to the trail), travel about 50 yards, then get back onto the road and get back up to racing speed. Looking at my download, I'd guess that I lost about 20 seconds going each way for 40 seconds total.
Other than that, it was a perfect morning. Sunny, light winds, temperatures in the low 60's, not too humid.
My previous best time on this course was 19:42, set back in 2006. Yesterday I did it in 19:32. Let me reiterate this for those of you who missed it: I was 10 seconds faster despite having to go around the gates each way.
I probably would have been under 19:00 otherwise. Of course, I have a race next weekend and won't be able to try again then. I just hope I get another good shot at it this year!!
The problem that I am having mentally is that very few of those records are over courses I am familiar with. Sure, I just broke my 40K record, but my previous record was not on that same course. Maybe it was easier than the one I had done before.
Yesterday, I was excited to finally be able to do the normal West River Time Trial, held every Saturday through the summer over an 8.2 mile course that I've ridden hundreds of times in my life. Between my racing schedule and the random rainy day, I have not been able to do this yet this year. Yes, the race two weeks ago was on this course but used a different start/end. I was finally about to get the comparison I wanted.... except for one problem.
The road which we use is closed to cars from 6AM to 5PM. The first mile and a half is re-opened to cars at noon, which are blocked by a pair of gates across the road (which are chained and padlocked in place). Whoever closed the road to traffic that morning closed those gates as well, blocking the road for us.
Our solution was to go around them. Once on the way out and once on the way back, each rider would have to drop from racing speed enough to make it onto the sidewalk/path beside the road (which has a very narrow curb cut to get to the trail), travel about 50 yards, then get back onto the road and get back up to racing speed. Looking at my download, I'd guess that I lost about 20 seconds going each way for 40 seconds total.
Other than that, it was a perfect morning. Sunny, light winds, temperatures in the low 60's, not too humid.
My previous best time on this course was 19:42, set back in 2006. Yesterday I did it in 19:32. Let me reiterate this for those of you who missed it: I was 10 seconds faster despite having to go around the gates each way.
I probably would have been under 19:00 otherwise. Of course, I have a race next weekend and won't be able to try again then. I just hope I get another good shot at it this year!!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Burning Under the Sun
It's been over a week since I set a lifelong accomplishment and it's way past due for me to write about it.... but the fact is I didn't have a very good day so it does not feel like such a great thing.
I've had a long standing goal of doing a 40 kilometer (24.8 mile) time trial in under an hour. Maintaining 24.8+ mph for an hour is not easy. I've tried several times, with my previous best was in 2011 at 1:02:50.
The New Jersey State Time Trial Championships was held last weekend. It's a gently rolling course that is more downhill on the way our and more uphill on the way back, but it's not that much of a climb really. The biggest challenges came from the weather: 85 degree heat and 15 mph gusting crosswinds that did nothing to make the heat feel any better. They just made it dramatically harder to ride in a straight line.
It was so warm before the race that I had a hard time warming up. I had my trainer set up in the shade and the winds were not enough to even remotely help me keep cool. It got me thinking about things I've seen other riders do, like wearing ice vests as they warm up and maybe finding some way to run a fan off my car. It was brutal.
I rolled up to the start pouring sweat, but not really feeling like my legs and lungs were warmed up enough to race. The long sleeved speed suit and aero helmet with very few vents did not help.
At the start, the guy behind me was giving me grief about having two water bottles on my bike. He kept telling me that I should throw one away and that it would not get me anything in a race like this. I resisted the urge to tell him to mind his own business and an even stronger urge to challenge him to beat me if he thought they were such a detriment to me. Over the course of the race I drank both bottles... and beat that guy by almost 3 minutes.
Mentally, I try to break races into quarters. For a race this length, I did them in 15-minute quarters for easier math on the road.
The first 15 minutes were both the best and the worst. It was the best in the sense that it's the only time during the entire race that I was putting out the kind of power I wanted, about 255 watts. It was the worst in the sense that I felt so awful that I was not sure I'd even finish the race. There was no shade, I was constantly fighting with the winds for control of the bike, and my heart rate was sky high. I was trying to drink only every 15 minutes, but it was so hot that I drank three times in the first 15 minutes. I was not even thinking about pacing my intake so the drinks lasted me the whole hour. I was just drinking all I wanted.
In the second 15 minutes, my power dropped a lot, only averaging about 225. I was still fighting the winds, but dropping my power made me feel a lot better. I was not longer worried about heat stroke and just tried to keep on going. The course curved slightly, putting the winds more at my back... which was only good until I turned around and headed back into them. I hit the turnaround pretty smoothly at 30:32.... not terrible really. I figured that if I could hold the same pace on the way back, I'd finish around 1:01:00 or so, which was still way faster than my previous best. At the turnaround, I was already starting my second bottle.
The third quarter was just hell. My heart rate was back up again and the course was both slightly uphill and into the wind. I still kept my power around 225. I tried keeping my head down as low as I could to cut down my wind resistance all that I could. The winds did not feel as bad as I'd expected. In fact, they seemed to be helping me now. On the way back there was a little more shade, which made it a little more tolerable.
The last 15 minutes was just beyond description. My legs were sore, which I couldn't explain since I was way below my target power. My hips and back were not used to being in this position for so long and were really aching. With about 10 minutes to go, I drank the last of my second bottle. But I had a suspicion... The winds were helping me a lot more than I'd expected. I saw the 1K to go sign at about 58 minutes. As awful as I felt, I knew that I had only about a minute and a half to go and that I would almost certainly reach my goal.
I hit the line at 59:35, immediately switched to a lighter gear, sat up, and unzipped my suit. I pedaled softly for several minutes until I caught my breath. I never really stopped pouring sweat until I'd been back in the car with the air conditioning on for a really long time.
I reached the goal... but it felt a bit hollow. Going into the race, I had expected to hold about 250 to 260 watts for the race. I only averaged 237. My whole season has been focused on hitting a target power for a set duration. To me, missing my target power (even with the heat) was a huge failure. It means that if I had been able to cope with the heat, I would have been a lot faster.
I also look at my new equipment. With the new bike and the rented disc wheel, I am inherently faster than I was before. It's true that the new gear leveled the playing field with the competition, but in comparison to my own goals, I really wanted to break an hour by more than just a few seconds to really feel like it was me that did it and not the bike.
It's a couple more weeks until my next 40K and I am working on being ready for the heat and a much better time.
I've had a long standing goal of doing a 40 kilometer (24.8 mile) time trial in under an hour. Maintaining 24.8+ mph for an hour is not easy. I've tried several times, with my previous best was in 2011 at 1:02:50.
The New Jersey State Time Trial Championships was held last weekend. It's a gently rolling course that is more downhill on the way our and more uphill on the way back, but it's not that much of a climb really. The biggest challenges came from the weather: 85 degree heat and 15 mph gusting crosswinds that did nothing to make the heat feel any better. They just made it dramatically harder to ride in a straight line.
It was so warm before the race that I had a hard time warming up. I had my trainer set up in the shade and the winds were not enough to even remotely help me keep cool. It got me thinking about things I've seen other riders do, like wearing ice vests as they warm up and maybe finding some way to run a fan off my car. It was brutal.
I rolled up to the start pouring sweat, but not really feeling like my legs and lungs were warmed up enough to race. The long sleeved speed suit and aero helmet with very few vents did not help.
At the start, the guy behind me was giving me grief about having two water bottles on my bike. He kept telling me that I should throw one away and that it would not get me anything in a race like this. I resisted the urge to tell him to mind his own business and an even stronger urge to challenge him to beat me if he thought they were such a detriment to me. Over the course of the race I drank both bottles... and beat that guy by almost 3 minutes.
Mentally, I try to break races into quarters. For a race this length, I did them in 15-minute quarters for easier math on the road.
The first 15 minutes were both the best and the worst. It was the best in the sense that it's the only time during the entire race that I was putting out the kind of power I wanted, about 255 watts. It was the worst in the sense that I felt so awful that I was not sure I'd even finish the race. There was no shade, I was constantly fighting with the winds for control of the bike, and my heart rate was sky high. I was trying to drink only every 15 minutes, but it was so hot that I drank three times in the first 15 minutes. I was not even thinking about pacing my intake so the drinks lasted me the whole hour. I was just drinking all I wanted.
In the second 15 minutes, my power dropped a lot, only averaging about 225. I was still fighting the winds, but dropping my power made me feel a lot better. I was not longer worried about heat stroke and just tried to keep on going. The course curved slightly, putting the winds more at my back... which was only good until I turned around and headed back into them. I hit the turnaround pretty smoothly at 30:32.... not terrible really. I figured that if I could hold the same pace on the way back, I'd finish around 1:01:00 or so, which was still way faster than my previous best. At the turnaround, I was already starting my second bottle.
The third quarter was just hell. My heart rate was back up again and the course was both slightly uphill and into the wind. I still kept my power around 225. I tried keeping my head down as low as I could to cut down my wind resistance all that I could. The winds did not feel as bad as I'd expected. In fact, they seemed to be helping me now. On the way back there was a little more shade, which made it a little more tolerable.
The last 15 minutes was just beyond description. My legs were sore, which I couldn't explain since I was way below my target power. My hips and back were not used to being in this position for so long and were really aching. With about 10 minutes to go, I drank the last of my second bottle. But I had a suspicion... The winds were helping me a lot more than I'd expected. I saw the 1K to go sign at about 58 minutes. As awful as I felt, I knew that I had only about a minute and a half to go and that I would almost certainly reach my goal.
I hit the line at 59:35, immediately switched to a lighter gear, sat up, and unzipped my suit. I pedaled softly for several minutes until I caught my breath. I never really stopped pouring sweat until I'd been back in the car with the air conditioning on for a really long time.
I reached the goal... but it felt a bit hollow. Going into the race, I had expected to hold about 250 to 260 watts for the race. I only averaged 237. My whole season has been focused on hitting a target power for a set duration. To me, missing my target power (even with the heat) was a huge failure. It means that if I had been able to cope with the heat, I would have been a lot faster.
I also look at my new equipment. With the new bike and the rented disc wheel, I am inherently faster than I was before. It's true that the new gear leveled the playing field with the competition, but in comparison to my own goals, I really wanted to break an hour by more than just a few seconds to really feel like it was me that did it and not the bike.
It's a couple more weeks until my next 40K and I am working on being ready for the heat and a much better time.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Coming Home
Some races just feel like home. You've ridden the course so many times that you feel a sense of belonging and being home just being on it and that you should have some sort of advantage because of it.
Of course, usually courses like those also come loaded with a lot of memories of races that did not go as well as you'd wanted. Today was one of those courses.
It was the first race this year that I've ever done before. All the races so far this year were new courses that I'd never ridden before, so I had to put a lot more planning into how I'd ride the course. I've ridden today's West River Drive course so many times I probably could have done it with my eyes closed.
I've also got a lot of memories of not getting the time I wanted here. I've always wanted to do times under 20:00 and I've only done it a handful of times in my life. 19:00 was a far off dream.
This year I was really trying not to put a lot of pressure on myself. It's not a priority race for me; I just really wanted to do well here just out of my own history here.
It was a warm morning, with about 72 degrees and high humidity at the start. There was a light wind from the south, so there would be a tailwind on the way out and a headwind on the way back. Considering my speeds in past races, I was aiming for a time of 18:35 and a power of 280 watts. I expected to be slightly ahead of pace and below the power on the way out to allow for the wind and keep a little gas in the tank for the way back.
Of course, for the longest time, this was my only held start of the year and I used to panic over that. Now I've done several and been practicing whenever I could. I didn't even think about the start; it's almost reflex now.
On the way out, I was FLYING. I kept my power up, starting fast off the line and getting up to speed quickly. I was routinely seeing speeds of 27 to 28 mph. I was actually a bit paranoid seeing speeds that high, watching to make sure my power was not too high. I was worried about burning out.
I was also focusing on my position, keeping my head down and trying to be as aero as I could.
I hit the turnaround at 8:55. WAY ahead of pace, but I knew I'd have to fight the wind on the way back... In a rare moment, I was happy with my turnaround. I waited until the last minute to slow down, dove into the turn, and came back out accelerating quickly.
I was probably a mile back before the though went through my head: what wind? I was not really noticing any wind. Then the road slightly bends... ah, there it is! Strong wind right in my face, but I kept enough in reserve that I could increase my power to keep the speed up.
With just a mile to go, I dug as deep as I could, trying to get just a little more power. I was going as hard as I could already and could barely get any more power out of my legs.
I hit the line with nothing left. I don't think I could have done anything more. I looked down at my computer and saw the time... I was stunned. 18:09 and 284 watts. Way faster than what I wanted with exactly the power I wanted. Very nice!
It was good enough for 4th place. I've never even cracked the top 20 in this race before, so I am absolutely ecstatic about that result.
The Numbers:
Distance: 8.1 miles
Time: 18:09
Avg Speed: 26.8 mph
Avg Power: 284 watts
Of course, usually courses like those also come loaded with a lot of memories of races that did not go as well as you'd wanted. Today was one of those courses.
It was the first race this year that I've ever done before. All the races so far this year were new courses that I'd never ridden before, so I had to put a lot more planning into how I'd ride the course. I've ridden today's West River Drive course so many times I probably could have done it with my eyes closed.
I've also got a lot of memories of not getting the time I wanted here. I've always wanted to do times under 20:00 and I've only done it a handful of times in my life. 19:00 was a far off dream.
This year I was really trying not to put a lot of pressure on myself. It's not a priority race for me; I just really wanted to do well here just out of my own history here.
It was a warm morning, with about 72 degrees and high humidity at the start. There was a light wind from the south, so there would be a tailwind on the way out and a headwind on the way back. Considering my speeds in past races, I was aiming for a time of 18:35 and a power of 280 watts. I expected to be slightly ahead of pace and below the power on the way out to allow for the wind and keep a little gas in the tank for the way back.
Of course, for the longest time, this was my only held start of the year and I used to panic over that. Now I've done several and been practicing whenever I could. I didn't even think about the start; it's almost reflex now.
On the way out, I was FLYING. I kept my power up, starting fast off the line and getting up to speed quickly. I was routinely seeing speeds of 27 to 28 mph. I was actually a bit paranoid seeing speeds that high, watching to make sure my power was not too high. I was worried about burning out.
I was also focusing on my position, keeping my head down and trying to be as aero as I could.
I hit the turnaround at 8:55. WAY ahead of pace, but I knew I'd have to fight the wind on the way back... In a rare moment, I was happy with my turnaround. I waited until the last minute to slow down, dove into the turn, and came back out accelerating quickly.
I was probably a mile back before the though went through my head: what wind? I was not really noticing any wind. Then the road slightly bends... ah, there it is! Strong wind right in my face, but I kept enough in reserve that I could increase my power to keep the speed up.
With just a mile to go, I dug as deep as I could, trying to get just a little more power. I was going as hard as I could already and could barely get any more power out of my legs.
I hit the line with nothing left. I don't think I could have done anything more. I looked down at my computer and saw the time... I was stunned. 18:09 and 284 watts. Way faster than what I wanted with exactly the power I wanted. Very nice!
It was good enough for 4th place. I've never even cracked the top 20 in this race before, so I am absolutely ecstatic about that result.
The Numbers:
Distance: 8.1 miles
Time: 18:09
Avg Speed: 26.8 mph
Avg Power: 284 watts
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Chaos
I'm a little late in posting this one.
Last weekend was the Seaside Time Trial, an 18-mile race on super-flat roads with just a couple of turns.
The course started out along a curvy road along the Atlantic coast. It then made a sharp right then a left... and then went completely laser-straight for 7 miles. Turn around, go back the way you came.
Most races are about how hard you can go. This one was about how well you could focus your attention. With no turns, no hills, and no real landmarks other than sand and trees, you had to constantly keep the pressure up. It was a rather serene ending to a crazy week.
The week before was my company's annual conference. It took up large chunks of time for weeks in advance to prepare. The week itself was filled with installing software in computer labs and meeting with customers. Oh yeah, and the public announcement of the project I'd been working on for the last year. By the end of the week, I was run ragged.
On Friday, I picked up my new bike: a Trek Speed Concept 9.5. We did a fit on it, setting it up as close as we could to my old Specialized Transition. I went to a different shop and picked up the disc wheel that I rented for the weekend... only to realize that the disc was wider than my normal wheel and had to go back to the bike shop to have the brakes adjusted (the Speed Concept uses a custom brake system like none I'd ever seen before and I was not about to mess with it).
Finally, Shelli and I were off to the shore. We were spending the night before there due to the 7:00 start of the race. Friday night traffic on the Garden State Parkway reminded me of old movies of demolition derbies with cars flying everywhere in the diminishing light of dusk. Not fun.
Saturday morning came. We got up, got over to the race, and got warmed up. About 10 minutes before my scheduled start, we put away the trainer and other gear and for the first time I rode the new Trek... the 200 yards over to the start line. Kinda daring....
It was almost a perfect morning for racing. About 55 degrees and no wind, kind of overcast so there was no sun glare.
The rider in front of me did not show up, so there was a minute between me and the rider before me. I complained to the officials at the start that it would take me a while to catch him. My confidence was definitely up.
The official held my bike, I clipped in, and watched the clock tick down.... 3....2.... 1... and I was off.
The race was not that exciting. Not many turns and very, very flat. The power meter really helps me on days like today since I can keep my intensity right where I want it.
Mentally, I divided the race into quarters. I knew that thinking of 14 miles of dead flat with nothing to look at would cause me to slow down. I was guessing that I would finish in around 44 minutes. Breaking it into four 11-minute sections helped me a lot. I even hit the Lap timer on my computer every 11 minutes so that I could make sure the average power was where I wanted it to be each quarter.
I hit the turnaround at 21:30. Nice, I was ahead of schedule. Coming out of the turn, I saw... no one. It was almost a minute before I saw the next rider, so at least I knew no one was gaining on me.
The way back was pretty uneventful. I caught a couple more riders, one of them right at one of the turns. I wound through the final neighborhood to the finish line.... 42:10 at 264 watts, 25.1 mph. Very nice.
I was wiped out. I rolled around for a few minutes catching my breath and then going back to the car to get out of the wet spandex (which by now was starting to get a bit cold).
I got a drink and a power bar, changed into dry clothes, and then we started towards the registration area to see if the results were posted. We realized that we didn't have the camera so Shelli went back for it. I wandered over to the tent to find that the results were already posted. I found my group and started at the top of the list. I didn't have to look far: I was 2nd again.
Whenever I get second, I can't help but think about what I could do to win... not this time. The winner beat me by 2:20. Short of another year worth of training, I don't think I could have done anything to beat him.
We had planned on doing the time trial on Sunday, but the rain and wind really didn't inspire me. We decided one good race result for the weekend was enough so we called it a trip and headed home.
With 5 races done, the racing season is almost half over already. I have 2 races in June, 2 in July, 1 in August, and 2 in September, most of them on courses that we have done before so I won't be freaking out as much over studying the courses in advance.
Last weekend was the Seaside Time Trial, an 18-mile race on super-flat roads with just a couple of turns.
The course started out along a curvy road along the Atlantic coast. It then made a sharp right then a left... and then went completely laser-straight for 7 miles. Turn around, go back the way you came.
Most races are about how hard you can go. This one was about how well you could focus your attention. With no turns, no hills, and no real landmarks other than sand and trees, you had to constantly keep the pressure up. It was a rather serene ending to a crazy week.
The week before was my company's annual conference. It took up large chunks of time for weeks in advance to prepare. The week itself was filled with installing software in computer labs and meeting with customers. Oh yeah, and the public announcement of the project I'd been working on for the last year. By the end of the week, I was run ragged.
On Friday, I picked up my new bike: a Trek Speed Concept 9.5. We did a fit on it, setting it up as close as we could to my old Specialized Transition. I went to a different shop and picked up the disc wheel that I rented for the weekend... only to realize that the disc was wider than my normal wheel and had to go back to the bike shop to have the brakes adjusted (the Speed Concept uses a custom brake system like none I'd ever seen before and I was not about to mess with it).
Finally, Shelli and I were off to the shore. We were spending the night before there due to the 7:00 start of the race. Friday night traffic on the Garden State Parkway reminded me of old movies of demolition derbies with cars flying everywhere in the diminishing light of dusk. Not fun.
Saturday morning came. We got up, got over to the race, and got warmed up. About 10 minutes before my scheduled start, we put away the trainer and other gear and for the first time I rode the new Trek... the 200 yards over to the start line. Kinda daring....
It was almost a perfect morning for racing. About 55 degrees and no wind, kind of overcast so there was no sun glare.
The rider in front of me did not show up, so there was a minute between me and the rider before me. I complained to the officials at the start that it would take me a while to catch him. My confidence was definitely up.
The official held my bike, I clipped in, and watched the clock tick down.... 3....2.... 1... and I was off.
The race was not that exciting. Not many turns and very, very flat. The power meter really helps me on days like today since I can keep my intensity right where I want it.
Mentally, I divided the race into quarters. I knew that thinking of 14 miles of dead flat with nothing to look at would cause me to slow down. I was guessing that I would finish in around 44 minutes. Breaking it into four 11-minute sections helped me a lot. I even hit the Lap timer on my computer every 11 minutes so that I could make sure the average power was where I wanted it to be each quarter.
I hit the turnaround at 21:30. Nice, I was ahead of schedule. Coming out of the turn, I saw... no one. It was almost a minute before I saw the next rider, so at least I knew no one was gaining on me.
The way back was pretty uneventful. I caught a couple more riders, one of them right at one of the turns. I wound through the final neighborhood to the finish line.... 42:10 at 264 watts, 25.1 mph. Very nice.
I was wiped out. I rolled around for a few minutes catching my breath and then going back to the car to get out of the wet spandex (which by now was starting to get a bit cold).
I got a drink and a power bar, changed into dry clothes, and then we started towards the registration area to see if the results were posted. We realized that we didn't have the camera so Shelli went back for it. I wandered over to the tent to find that the results were already posted. I found my group and started at the top of the list. I didn't have to look far: I was 2nd again.
Whenever I get second, I can't help but think about what I could do to win... not this time. The winner beat me by 2:20. Short of another year worth of training, I don't think I could have done anything to beat him.
We had planned on doing the time trial on Sunday, but the rain and wind really didn't inspire me. We decided one good race result for the weekend was enough so we called it a trip and headed home.
With 5 races done, the racing season is almost half over already. I have 2 races in June, 2 in July, 1 in August, and 2 in September, most of them on courses that we have done before so I won't be freaking out as much over studying the courses in advance.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Angst
I had a lot to worry about for this weekend's Somerset Circuit time trial.
On paper, the course looked really difficult, with screaming downhills and sharp turns onto climbs. Previous year participants talked about the turn near the end (which you come into downhill at 35 mph) that is really sharp on a very narrow road. I was a bit worried about the course.
All three races I've done so far had no turns and were relatively flat. As a result, I could just plan for an average power target. Since this course had several turns and downhills (where my power would drop), I could not rely on average power as much. I had to use normalized power as well, which gave me one more mental task during the race. So I was worried about pacing.
Since I was treating this as a training race, I didn't really rest much this week. Going into the race, I was a bit tired.
Yesterday morning when I woke up, something in my mid-back hurt so badly that I could barely turn my head. I spent the morning barely able to focus and was able to see a massage therapist to fix the worst of it. It was still really sore.
Last night when I was doing my equipment run-through, I found that my front wheel was suddenly badly out of true enough to be rubbing the brakes, so I had to swap it out for another less-aerodynamic wheel. There goes a couple of seconds in the race.
Oh yeah, and with lots of strong results in the last few weeks, there was a little pressure to perform well.
I was pretty much a wreck, even though I didn't want to admit it to anyone. I didn't want to be negative before a race.
So I did what I always do when I'm worried: I prepared.
I spent the whole week looking over charts and maps, learning the course. Where were the steepest climbs? How long did it take riders to climb them in previous years? How should I plan my pacing for the course? By the time I drove the course this morning, I knew exactly what I was looking for and just confirming what was in my head. While it had a few tricky spots, it was not nearly as bad as I'd originally thought.
I got there in time to get a good warmup and go over my strategy in my head a few times. I had a pretty strong suspicion from previous results that the guy starting 30 seconds behind me would be the winner. We'll call him Orange Guy, for his uniform color. I fully expected him to catch me on the course. If he was strong enough to catch me, it was unlikely that I could stay with him, but I at least wanted to use him as a guide so that I could watch the line he took through the corners ahead so I could gain a little from him being ahead of me. It didn't exactly turn out that way.
My other goal was to catch the guy starting in front of me. I'd seen him in previous races. With a $13,000 bike and $600 helmet, he looked pretty intimidating. I came within 5 seconds of catching him in a previous race, so this time I was out for him. We'll call him Giant Guy (for the brand of bike he rides).
The race starts with a 2 mile descent. I took it fast, but not working too hard. Then a series of quick turns into the first real climb. I was surprised to find that I could stay in the big ring and on the aero bars for the climb. I held onto a lot more speed on the rise... and I spotted Giant Guy and another rider just reaching the top of the hill ahead of me.
Up and over the top, down the next descent, and back up hill again through a cute little neighborhood. Going through an uphill turn, I glanced over my shoulder and saw Orange Guy behind me slowly gaining. I was also gaining on Giant Guy... and passed the other rider along the way.
On the next descent, Orange Guy passed me. As planned, I watched him take the next corner at high speed and followed him through it about 60 yards behind.
The next couple miles were gently rolling hills. Orange Guy was not pulling away from me as I'd expected and we were both gaining on Giant Guy and another rider. Going into the next turn, the four of us hit the turn in rapid succession, just seconds apart.
At the bottom of the hill, I looked at the three riders in front of me. In my mind, I knew this hill was about 2 1/2 minutes long and we were about 8 minutes from the finish. I smiled to myself and thought "what the hell?".... and attacked with everything I had.
Orange Guy had just passed Giant Guy and the other rider. I stood up on the pedals, accelerating past the other rider.... then past Giant Guy.... the past Orange Guy. I kept the pressure up to the top of the hill, then hitting the downhill section. It was very steep and very fast.... right into that sharp, narrow turn.I jammed on the brakes, took the turn as fast as I could, and glanced over my shoulder to see who was there. Orange Guy was gaining fast, but no one else.
On the next straight section, Orange Guy passed me again. Going into the last turn, he was maybe 5 seconds ahead of me. The last section was uphill and he seemed to be bogging down on the climb. I poured on everything I had and passed him again. I crested the top of the hill and could see the finish line ahead. I was pushing as hard as I could... and just seconds before the finish line, Orange Guy passed me again, beating me by just a few yards.
Keep in mind, he started 30 seconds behind me, so he had already beaten me. At this point, it was just for fun.
In the end, Orange Guy won. I got third, with an official time of 31 seconds behind him. The guy in second beat me by 10 seconds.
This race actually had a podium that we got to stand on at the end. It really made it feel like an accomplishment to be on it. I felt a little goofy waving at the crowd, but the picture looked really cool.
Looking back at my power download, I didn't attack as hard as I thought I had on that last climb. I was just hitting my power target.The other riders around just gave me incentive to do it and to not slow down (and made it feel a little cooler). I definitely worked a little harder than I had planned on the last two minutes, but since I had it in me to do it, it just tells me that I'm capable of more than I realized.
That's my third podium finish in four races. While I want to be annoyed that I "only" got third this week, it's a damned impressive start to the season.
Oh yeah, and thanks to Joe Wentzel at Breakaway Bikes for talking me into the new skinsuit. I used to wear an XL and now wear a medium. That was exciting on its own, but the new one is also a lot more aerodynamic!!
What Went Well:
Planning my race pacing
Maintaining the pace I wanted
Staying over the night before (90 minute drive, 8:39 start time)
Driving the course before the start
Checking my equipment before I left the house
Not panicking when I was caught
What to Work On:
High speed turns in the aero bars
Getting my wheel fixed
Not getting caught ;-)
The Numbers:
Distance: 9.6 miles
Time: 23:33
Avg Speed: 24.5 mph
Avg. Power: 280 watts (305 watts, Normalized)
My rankings after this event:
On paper, the course looked really difficult, with screaming downhills and sharp turns onto climbs. Previous year participants talked about the turn near the end (which you come into downhill at 35 mph) that is really sharp on a very narrow road. I was a bit worried about the course.
All three races I've done so far had no turns and were relatively flat. As a result, I could just plan for an average power target. Since this course had several turns and downhills (where my power would drop), I could not rely on average power as much. I had to use normalized power as well, which gave me one more mental task during the race. So I was worried about pacing.
Since I was treating this as a training race, I didn't really rest much this week. Going into the race, I was a bit tired.
Yesterday morning when I woke up, something in my mid-back hurt so badly that I could barely turn my head. I spent the morning barely able to focus and was able to see a massage therapist to fix the worst of it. It was still really sore.
Last night when I was doing my equipment run-through, I found that my front wheel was suddenly badly out of true enough to be rubbing the brakes, so I had to swap it out for another less-aerodynamic wheel. There goes a couple of seconds in the race.
Oh yeah, and with lots of strong results in the last few weeks, there was a little pressure to perform well.
I was pretty much a wreck, even though I didn't want to admit it to anyone. I didn't want to be negative before a race.
So I did what I always do when I'm worried: I prepared.
I spent the whole week looking over charts and maps, learning the course. Where were the steepest climbs? How long did it take riders to climb them in previous years? How should I plan my pacing for the course? By the time I drove the course this morning, I knew exactly what I was looking for and just confirming what was in my head. While it had a few tricky spots, it was not nearly as bad as I'd originally thought.
I got there in time to get a good warmup and go over my strategy in my head a few times. I had a pretty strong suspicion from previous results that the guy starting 30 seconds behind me would be the winner. We'll call him Orange Guy, for his uniform color. I fully expected him to catch me on the course. If he was strong enough to catch me, it was unlikely that I could stay with him, but I at least wanted to use him as a guide so that I could watch the line he took through the corners ahead so I could gain a little from him being ahead of me. It didn't exactly turn out that way.
My other goal was to catch the guy starting in front of me. I'd seen him in previous races. With a $13,000 bike and $600 helmet, he looked pretty intimidating. I came within 5 seconds of catching him in a previous race, so this time I was out for him. We'll call him Giant Guy (for the brand of bike he rides).
The race starts with a 2 mile descent. I took it fast, but not working too hard. Then a series of quick turns into the first real climb. I was surprised to find that I could stay in the big ring and on the aero bars for the climb. I held onto a lot more speed on the rise... and I spotted Giant Guy and another rider just reaching the top of the hill ahead of me.
Up and over the top, down the next descent, and back up hill again through a cute little neighborhood. Going through an uphill turn, I glanced over my shoulder and saw Orange Guy behind me slowly gaining. I was also gaining on Giant Guy... and passed the other rider along the way.
On the next descent, Orange Guy passed me. As planned, I watched him take the next corner at high speed and followed him through it about 60 yards behind.
The next couple miles were gently rolling hills. Orange Guy was not pulling away from me as I'd expected and we were both gaining on Giant Guy and another rider. Going into the next turn, the four of us hit the turn in rapid succession, just seconds apart.
At the bottom of the hill, I looked at the three riders in front of me. In my mind, I knew this hill was about 2 1/2 minutes long and we were about 8 minutes from the finish. I smiled to myself and thought "what the hell?".... and attacked with everything I had.
Orange Guy had just passed Giant Guy and the other rider. I stood up on the pedals, accelerating past the other rider.... then past Giant Guy.... the past Orange Guy. I kept the pressure up to the top of the hill, then hitting the downhill section. It was very steep and very fast.... right into that sharp, narrow turn.I jammed on the brakes, took the turn as fast as I could, and glanced over my shoulder to see who was there. Orange Guy was gaining fast, but no one else.
On the next straight section, Orange Guy passed me again. Going into the last turn, he was maybe 5 seconds ahead of me. The last section was uphill and he seemed to be bogging down on the climb. I poured on everything I had and passed him again. I crested the top of the hill and could see the finish line ahead. I was pushing as hard as I could... and just seconds before the finish line, Orange Guy passed me again, beating me by just a few yards.
Keep in mind, he started 30 seconds behind me, so he had already beaten me. At this point, it was just for fun.
In the end, Orange Guy won. I got third, with an official time of 31 seconds behind him. The guy in second beat me by 10 seconds.
This race actually had a podium that we got to stand on at the end. It really made it feel like an accomplishment to be on it. I felt a little goofy waving at the crowd, but the picture looked really cool.
Looking back at my power download, I didn't attack as hard as I thought I had on that last climb. I was just hitting my power target.The other riders around just gave me incentive to do it and to not slow down (and made it feel a little cooler). I definitely worked a little harder than I had planned on the last two minutes, but since I had it in me to do it, it just tells me that I'm capable of more than I realized.
That's my third podium finish in four races. While I want to be annoyed that I "only" got third this week, it's a damned impressive start to the season.
Oh yeah, and thanks to Joe Wentzel at Breakaway Bikes for talking me into the new skinsuit. I used to wear an XL and now wear a medium. That was exciting on its own, but the new one is also a lot more aerodynamic!!
What Went Well:
Planning my race pacing
Maintaining the pace I wanted
Staying over the night before (90 minute drive, 8:39 start time)
Driving the course before the start
Checking my equipment before I left the house
Not panicking when I was caught
What to Work On:
High speed turns in the aero bars
Getting my wheel fixed
Not getting caught ;-)
The Numbers:
Distance: 9.6 miles
Time: 23:33
Avg Speed: 24.5 mph
Avg. Power: 280 watts (305 watts, Normalized)
My rankings after this event:
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Two In One
This weekend had two races at the Jersey Shore: the Long Beach TT and the Cape May TT.
In preparation, I went out Wednesday night to practice my starts. I did not want to repeat my embarrassing start from last week. As the season goes on, those seconds will matter more and more.
The course was a bit strange: 1.7 miles to the first turnaround, 6.7 miles back the way you came (past the start), then a second turnaround, and 5 miles back to the start.
I got there on time (I followed the GPS this time), used the rest room, got set up and got in a good warmup. As a slightly longer race, the warmup did not need to be as intense as it does for the shorter ones but it was still really important.
The winds coming off the bay were really strong, so I opted for a shallower front wheel. The logic was that I would sacrifice better aerodynamics (higher speed) for more control over the bike. At the time I was really sure of the decision. It turned out the winds were a lot stronger in the parking lot than they were out on the road.
I got to the start and the guy scheduled to start in front of me (who last week started in front of me with a $13K bike) did not show, so there was a minute gap between the previous rider and me. "See you soon" I thought as he took off.
I stepped up to the line and the holder grasped my bike. I clipped in, and focused....5....4....3....2...1.. released the brakes and stomped on the pedals. I took off and quickly reached my target speed. I smiled at the success and then focused on the first leg.
The crosswinds were pretty strong, as I'd expected. I was fighting against them quite a bit in that first leg. It went past pretty quickly. I could see the flashing lights of the police car at the turnaround almost from the start, so I had a visual target to aim for.
Going into the first turnaround was a big mistake. I stopped pedaling about 50 feet before the turn. It was far enough that I had time to realize my mistake and start pedaling again. I lost an easy 10 to 15 seconds there. Damn.
The second leg just felt like it was endless. It was 6.7 miles long with no grade and just a slight bend in the middle. The crosswinds were annoying but I could control the bike. I kind of wished I had kept the deeper profile wheel. I'd bet I lost another 20 seconds to that decision.
A much bigger mistake on that section was my pacing. The winds, which were now slightly behind me, gave me a sense of false confidence, giving me a higher speed. I let my power drop several times and then had to ramp it back up when I noticed. Looking at the download later, my average was 15 watts lower on this segment than I was the rest of the race. I had planning on being a little lower here, but not that much. This screw up was probably another 10 to 15 seconds.
On the plus side, I caught the guy who started a minute ahead of me on this section. I really needed that little boost to keep my focus on that section.
The second turnaround, I think, went perfectly. I was annoyed about the first one and I knew the second one was a lot easier. The first one was a U-turn. This one was a left turn down a short street, another left turn onto an angled street, and then a slight right turn back the way I came. I went into the first turn at nearly full speed, barely let up in the second turn, and was out of the saddle for just a second to get back up to speed.
The last leg is a blur to me. I was annoyed about letting my power drop in the last segment. Coming out of the turnaround, with 5 miles to go, I just tucked myself as low as I could on the bike to get under the winds as much as I could and focused on keeping my power up.
With about a mile and a half to go, I could see the police lights in the distance for the finish. I gritted my teeth and pushed as hard as I could with everything I had left.
I hit the finish feeling like I had done a decent race even if I made a few mistakes. These early season races are the right time to make these kinds of mistakes.
They put up the results not too long after the finish. I finished in 5th place, about 30 seconds behind the next rider and a full 2 minutes behind the winner. I'm thrilled with another strong result... and starting to think about what it will take to climb to the top next year.
What Went Well
Much improved start
Got one of the turnarounds right
What to Work On
Turnarounds (don't slow down too early)
Don't second guess your equipment.
Pacing (especially with tail/crosswinds)
The Numbers
Distance: 13.4 miles
Time: 31:52
Avg Speed: 25.2 mph
Avg Power: 275 watts
Today I was back on the deep rim wheel. The winds were about 15 mph against me on the way out and then with me on the way back. There is a VERY slight downhill on the way out (and the reverse on the way back), but for the most part it's a flat course with the wind being the major factor.
My warmup was a little bit sloppy. It was a lot colder than I'd expected and only had thin spandex gloves and shoe covers, so I had a hard time focusing on it. My hands and feet were slightly numb. I needed to go pretty intense to get ready for this short, fast race and had a hard time doing it. Adding to that, the pavement was a bit uneven and the trainer kept rocking back and forth. With 5 minutes to go, I packed up and headed over to the start... and sat in the cold for a while longer.
I stepped up the start line feeling focused and calm. The holder grabbed my bike, I clipped into my pedals, pressed Start on my power meter, and got into my start position. 5.... 4.... 3.... 2....
If you've ever seen the Avengers movie, there is a great scene near the end when Captain America tells Dr. Banner, "This might be a very good time to get angry." Dr. Banner looks over his shoulder and says, "That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry." He then changes into the Hulk as he turns around and saves the day, roaring at the top of his lungs as he does it. That went through my head as I hear. 1....Go!
I took off from the line without even a thought, accelerating smoothly up to my target speed and settling onto the aero bars.
The race went by really quickly. I was pushing harder than I did yesterday, trying to find that line between pushing too hard and being able to maintain it. Fighting into the headwind on the way out, it was not hard to push pretty hard.
My biggest mistake on the way out was at the train tracks that cross the road. They cross at a bit of an angle and I stopped pedaling about 5 seconds before I hit them, trying to make sure I didn't crash on them. I did not need to give up that much time or speed to reduce the risk. On the way back, I only stopped pedaling for a second and flew right over them.
I hit the turnaround and had a dumb moment. I was moving towards the center of the road instead of the edge of the road so I could take it at full speed. I slowed a lot and and still almost hit the guard rail. I got back up to speed but lost several seconds in the turn. I really need to work on that.
The way back was a blur. All I thought was "pedal harder." I'd look down, make sure the power meter had a number I wanted, then try to keep my head as low as I could. The tail wind pushed me a lot faster on the way back, but this time I kept my focus on the power.
I hit the line and was totally done. Other than a couple minor mistakes, I thought the race went really smoothly and I paced it almost perfectly.
One other mistake: since I pushed the Start button on the computer a little early, my power read low the entire race (it had about 10 seconds of zeros at the beginning). When I hit the finish, I thought my average power was 289 watts. When I downloaded it, I realized it was a little better: 293 watts.
I was really happy with that.... until they posted the results. I got 2nd place again by only 2 seconds, a gap I easily could have made up by taking the train tracks more smoothly or not messing up the turn. (I could also mention the winner had a deeper front wheel, a disc wheel, and a more aero bike frame, but I'm OK with that.... for now).
All told, it was an awesome weekend of racing, letting me fine tune a little bit, and getting some great results. The perfectionist in me wants to complain, but getting 5th and 2nd are really good results.
What Went Well
Start
Predicting the power target
Aggressive pacing
Staying focused on what I needed to do and not the results when I felt I was a contender
What to Work On
Staying focused on the warmup
Getting to the start closer to the start and not getting cold again
Turnarounds (again)
Not coasting over potential hazards
The Numbers
Distance: 7.3 miles
Time: 17:29
Avg Speed: 25.1 mph
Avg Power: 293 watts
In preparation, I went out Wednesday night to practice my starts. I did not want to repeat my embarrassing start from last week. As the season goes on, those seconds will matter more and more.
Long Beach Time Trial
This 13.4 mile course was almost completely flat and straight, so much so that I could see the flashing lights of the police cars at the turnarounds from over a mile away. The biggest challenges on this course were the 14 mph crosswind over the entire course and that it is the longest time trial that I have done in a while. With an expected 32 minute finish time, I have not done anything in training that gave me a way to estimate what I could do with any certainty.The course was a bit strange: 1.7 miles to the first turnaround, 6.7 miles back the way you came (past the start), then a second turnaround, and 5 miles back to the start.
I got there on time (I followed the GPS this time), used the rest room, got set up and got in a good warmup. As a slightly longer race, the warmup did not need to be as intense as it does for the shorter ones but it was still really important.
The winds coming off the bay were really strong, so I opted for a shallower front wheel. The logic was that I would sacrifice better aerodynamics (higher speed) for more control over the bike. At the time I was really sure of the decision. It turned out the winds were a lot stronger in the parking lot than they were out on the road.
I got to the start and the guy scheduled to start in front of me (who last week started in front of me with a $13K bike) did not show, so there was a minute gap between the previous rider and me. "See you soon" I thought as he took off.
I stepped up to the line and the holder grasped my bike. I clipped in, and focused....5....4....3....2...1.. released the brakes and stomped on the pedals. I took off and quickly reached my target speed. I smiled at the success and then focused on the first leg.
The crosswinds were pretty strong, as I'd expected. I was fighting against them quite a bit in that first leg. It went past pretty quickly. I could see the flashing lights of the police car at the turnaround almost from the start, so I had a visual target to aim for.
Going into the first turnaround was a big mistake. I stopped pedaling about 50 feet before the turn. It was far enough that I had time to realize my mistake and start pedaling again. I lost an easy 10 to 15 seconds there. Damn.
The second leg just felt like it was endless. It was 6.7 miles long with no grade and just a slight bend in the middle. The crosswinds were annoying but I could control the bike. I kind of wished I had kept the deeper profile wheel. I'd bet I lost another 20 seconds to that decision.
A much bigger mistake on that section was my pacing. The winds, which were now slightly behind me, gave me a sense of false confidence, giving me a higher speed. I let my power drop several times and then had to ramp it back up when I noticed. Looking at the download later, my average was 15 watts lower on this segment than I was the rest of the race. I had planning on being a little lower here, but not that much. This screw up was probably another 10 to 15 seconds.
On the plus side, I caught the guy who started a minute ahead of me on this section. I really needed that little boost to keep my focus on that section.
The second turnaround, I think, went perfectly. I was annoyed about the first one and I knew the second one was a lot easier. The first one was a U-turn. This one was a left turn down a short street, another left turn onto an angled street, and then a slight right turn back the way I came. I went into the first turn at nearly full speed, barely let up in the second turn, and was out of the saddle for just a second to get back up to speed.
The last leg is a blur to me. I was annoyed about letting my power drop in the last segment. Coming out of the turnaround, with 5 miles to go, I just tucked myself as low as I could on the bike to get under the winds as much as I could and focused on keeping my power up.
With about a mile and a half to go, I could see the police lights in the distance for the finish. I gritted my teeth and pushed as hard as I could with everything I had left.
I hit the finish feeling like I had done a decent race even if I made a few mistakes. These early season races are the right time to make these kinds of mistakes.
They put up the results not too long after the finish. I finished in 5th place, about 30 seconds behind the next rider and a full 2 minutes behind the winner. I'm thrilled with another strong result... and starting to think about what it will take to climb to the top next year.
What Went Well
Much improved start
Got one of the turnarounds right
What to Work On
Turnarounds (don't slow down too early)
Don't second guess your equipment.
Pacing (especially with tail/crosswinds)
The Numbers
Distance: 13.4 miles
Time: 31:52
Avg Speed: 25.2 mph
Avg Power: 275 watts
Cape May Time Trial
Yesterday went really well. Today, I decided to see if I was pushing myself hard enough. Instead of pacing conservatively based on what I've seen in training, I decided to go a little harder and try for a win. I aimed for a power that was the same as last week (290 watts), even though today was almost 2 miles longer.Today I was back on the deep rim wheel. The winds were about 15 mph against me on the way out and then with me on the way back. There is a VERY slight downhill on the way out (and the reverse on the way back), but for the most part it's a flat course with the wind being the major factor.
My warmup was a little bit sloppy. It was a lot colder than I'd expected and only had thin spandex gloves and shoe covers, so I had a hard time focusing on it. My hands and feet were slightly numb. I needed to go pretty intense to get ready for this short, fast race and had a hard time doing it. Adding to that, the pavement was a bit uneven and the trainer kept rocking back and forth. With 5 minutes to go, I packed up and headed over to the start... and sat in the cold for a while longer.
I stepped up the start line feeling focused and calm. The holder grabbed my bike, I clipped into my pedals, pressed Start on my power meter, and got into my start position. 5.... 4.... 3.... 2....
If you've ever seen the Avengers movie, there is a great scene near the end when Captain America tells Dr. Banner, "This might be a very good time to get angry." Dr. Banner looks over his shoulder and says, "That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry." He then changes into the Hulk as he turns around and saves the day, roaring at the top of his lungs as he does it. That went through my head as I hear. 1....Go!
I took off from the line without even a thought, accelerating smoothly up to my target speed and settling onto the aero bars.
The race went by really quickly. I was pushing harder than I did yesterday, trying to find that line between pushing too hard and being able to maintain it. Fighting into the headwind on the way out, it was not hard to push pretty hard.
My biggest mistake on the way out was at the train tracks that cross the road. They cross at a bit of an angle and I stopped pedaling about 5 seconds before I hit them, trying to make sure I didn't crash on them. I did not need to give up that much time or speed to reduce the risk. On the way back, I only stopped pedaling for a second and flew right over them.
I hit the turnaround and had a dumb moment. I was moving towards the center of the road instead of the edge of the road so I could take it at full speed. I slowed a lot and and still almost hit the guard rail. I got back up to speed but lost several seconds in the turn. I really need to work on that.
The way back was a blur. All I thought was "pedal harder." I'd look down, make sure the power meter had a number I wanted, then try to keep my head as low as I could. The tail wind pushed me a lot faster on the way back, but this time I kept my focus on the power.
I hit the line and was totally done. Other than a couple minor mistakes, I thought the race went really smoothly and I paced it almost perfectly.
One other mistake: since I pushed the Start button on the computer a little early, my power read low the entire race (it had about 10 seconds of zeros at the beginning). When I hit the finish, I thought my average power was 289 watts. When I downloaded it, I realized it was a little better: 293 watts.
I was really happy with that.... until they posted the results. I got 2nd place again by only 2 seconds, a gap I easily could have made up by taking the train tracks more smoothly or not messing up the turn. (I could also mention the winner had a deeper front wheel, a disc wheel, and a more aero bike frame, but I'm OK with that.... for now).
All told, it was an awesome weekend of racing, letting me fine tune a little bit, and getting some great results. The perfectionist in me wants to complain, but getting 5th and 2nd are really good results.
What Went Well
Start
Predicting the power target
Aggressive pacing
Staying focused on what I needed to do and not the results when I felt I was a contender
What to Work On
Staying focused on the warmup
Getting to the start closer to the start and not getting cold again
Turnarounds (again)
Not coasting over potential hazards
The Numbers
Distance: 7.3 miles
Time: 17:29
Avg Speed: 25.1 mph
Avg Power: 293 watts
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