Yesterday afternoon, I headed out on the P2sL for another time trial on the airport service road. It was 89 F with 16 mph steady winds and 19 mph southerly gusts. I did not bring water since it was a shortened, 50 minute ride. That was a mistake. I believe that I could have wallpapered my house with the paste that developed in my mouth by the end.
The first half was a steady-state effort into the wind for 4.68 miles while carefully minding pace to keep from going red-line. I nearly felt defeated by the wind at the turn around. It could have been mental, but it certainly felt like fatigue. But then with the wind to the back and speeds over 30mph, motivation suddenly recovered. As those of you know when cruising with the wind, agonies experienced only moments before get wiped clean from the memory. Ah, the joy of cycling!
The Results
Dist: 9.36 miles
Time: 22:30
Avg: 24.96 mph
Max: 32 mph
This is a two minute improvement from a similar effort in March of this year. Munson was right: I will get there. So with that, I feel good about going into the Cornhusker State Games Time Trial this Saturday. Granted, the airport is absolutely flat as opposed to what I imagine to be a hilly course at the State games. Still, I'm looking forward to competing in my first licensed bike race since upgrading from being a self-proclaimed CAT-6 rider.
Let the games begin!
Goldilocks and the 3 Bears
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Let's pick up the story in roughly the middle of the action.
... Goldilocks first sampled Papa Bear's porridge, "Holy shit, that's hot,"
she cried, toss...
2 years ago
dude, if you beat me on Saturday I'll probably cry. Be nice.
ReplyDeleteI meant that not from a "You're so slow, Brady" kind of way, but a "Damn, you're fast and I have a tender ego" kind of way.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the poor writing in the first one.
Very nice, Brady. So the meditation about bunnies and lollipops helped, aye?
ReplyDeleteThe course is not really hilly. There's 2, maybe 3 climbs. It just seems to take forever though. 22 miles is a long way to go (relatively) all out. The course goes South, East, then South again before the turnaround. So if there's a SE wind (most likely), you'll have to measure out your effort for the first half. I used to do poorly when I wasn't happy with a low average speed going into a headwind for the first half of a TT. You still need to push it into the wind, but with a tailwind, pushing it seems easier. Or maybe it's just more fun going 30+mph compared to nearing redline just to maintain 20 mph.
Good luck to you (and you Bryan) and have fun.
I'm gonna just go ahead and predict that you'll win the Cat V TT going that fast.
ReplyDeleteBryan, I hope you cried last year when I beat you injured and with my mouth wide open in that Mount Michael Time Trial. Ah those were the days. I'm too fat to bend at the waist right now or otherwise ...
No offense taken, Bryan. I'm even going to let you inside my race-day game plan: it's gonna be full bore with mouth wide open. So you'd better bring the kleenex 'cause you're gonna need them.
ReplyDeleteMunson: you know that I have a more refined adult taste: potbellied, camouflaged bikini clad Lake Manawa women bow-fishing carp. Oh Lady of the Lake, lead me to CAT-5 victory!!!
Wow. Just...wow. My brain eye is bleeding with that mental image in sight. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteUm... as a (license lapsed) Cat 5, let me tell you about Cat 5's:
ReplyDeleteThere are three kinds.
1. Dreamers
2. Sandbaggers
3. Pragmatists
The Dreamers have the full kit, new bike, are Dentists or mid-late 30/early 40's looking for a way to make lose a few pounds, find out they can ride, they tear the legs of their other dreamer friends and come into the race with a sneaking, "WOW I may just win this". THey are quickly brought to reality--esp in a time trial. They either stay CAT 5, or find out how to be scheduled mowing the lawn the next race day....
2. Sandbaggers: Not the newest or most expensive bikes/kits, but sneaky fast. Think Millenium Falcon. They are Cat 5 in experience curve only. Subset A quickly movest to cat 4/3, Subset B MILKS THE CRAP out of being a Cat 5. They are the 24 year old 7th year Parks & Rec?General Ed Major seniors waiting around to hit on the incoming freshman hotties at the local college bar.
3. Pragmatists: See #1, but really are much better at assessing their lack of pain threshold. Quick test: Dreamers have shaved legs, Pragmatists have the wookie-stix.
Brady is a 2, subset A.
You might need to add a few more things to the classifications.
ReplyDeleteA fred: Has all the gear and can't hold a speed over 12mph, but they wear world champ jerseys.
Shop Guy: Dedicated their life to getting other people to ride bikes, but they sacrifice getting to ride themselves. What's the point of a discount if you can't use it.
I think that everyone is a mixture of all categories, except for Munson, he is a category all unto himself. We shall call it the freckled burrito category.
Good Luck Brady.
when my mind drifts from the half naked CB Athena w/bow and arrow, it usually is assessing what kind of pain I can tolerate. It's in those moments that I remind myself that the pain will be forgotten at the race end and then ***poof*** there we are bow fishing carp again.
ReplyDeleteThat and I really hate mowing the yard, so I can't use that as an excuse.
As for the few other classifications such as a "Fred". Dude! are you attacking Hinsley?! Awesome!
Shop Guy: Matt you are sorely missed here as the shop guy as well as the guy who could rarely use his discount or join us on group rides b/c of your shop hours. Thanks again for your efforts. They were appreciated.
Hey Freckled burrito (Munson): I don't get it. What image are you referring to?
(NB: keep in mind that Steel-cut is all about wholesome goodness - The Editor)