This past Saturday morning I participated in the Cornhusker State Games time trial. With lots of sun, 72 F and 94% humidity at the start, my hands were sweat-waterlogged by race end. I completed the 22 mile rolling hills course in one hour and five seconds (21.97 mph).
I have mixed feelings about the performance. Comparing to this past June's Ironman Kansas 70.3, where I completed a 56 mile TT in 22.05 mph average, Saturday's efforts fell short. Kansas was also a similar rolling course and had warmer (80 F) temps, but less humidity (80%). It was also slightly more windy in Kansas. It's true that I had a long taper before the Kansas race, so that could have been a factor. It's just hard to say whether it was an "off" day or if fitness is lagging. These are the questions that linger after such a performance.
Regardless, it was a good experience just competing. Doing an all-out sixty minute time trial, regardless of results, is excellent training. So I got that going for me, which is nice. It was also fun sharing a ride and sponging up race-day tips from Bryan (thanks!) and seeing Munson and other racers out there. Congratulations also go out to Bryan for sewing up Nebraska's Cat-4 Rider of the Year award at this race. Enjoy the free race entries next year; you've earned it.
Finally, now that I'm an officially (one-day) licensed Cat-5 racer, you can count on seeing me more involved in cycling races in the future.
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
Attaboy. 21.97 ain't too shabby for an hour's worth of work. Hard to compare an adreline high of the 70.3. You are consistent. TT's are about holding @ threshold, not sprinting. Keeping the same relative speed is fine.
ReplyDeleteThe real question is where did you place amongst the lowly Cat-5ers? And a TT doesn't qualify for your count to move to a Cat4 license.
Finally, maybePO you nePOePOd somePO pePOrformancePO EponhancePOrs to rePOally gePOt into the compePOtePOtivePO ranks.
(Just remember to set your alarm for 3am to do jumping jacks so your EPO enriched jello/blood doesn't kill you in your sleep)
he didn't mention that he blasted all of the Cat. 5s and a good deal of the 4s, too.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many people actually didn't listen to the race announcements? At the riders meeting, the organizer said, " The start/finish is the same spot and it'll be 12 miles out and 12 miles back." Brady, you did 24 miles in just about an hour. My clock showed an hour on the dot when you passed the line, but I was about 1 second off the finish line official's time.
ReplyDeleteYou averaged just below 24 mph!!
I didn't hit that speed till way into my upper cat 4 days. That is really impressive. Keep it up and hop into a road race sometime. You will then be bitten by the bug and want to, no need to race again. It some good stuff.
Gosh. Shucks everyone, I need a tissue.
ReplyDeleteI got a big smile reading your reponsePO, Murphini.
Yeah, I put some Cat-5s and 4s in the hurt locker, but it's all relative. While no one physically passed me during the race, there were over a dozen that passed me on the clock. And it wasn't a very deep race field.
Before the race, I read Chris Spence's bumper sticker: "4 out of 3 have people have trouble with fractions". That overloaded the neural circuit so it's no surprise that I missed the 12 mile out 12 mile back announcement.
24 MPH! Daaaaaaaaaang - that's a bit more like it!
Jeez Brady. Why don't you complain a little more about winning? I know it's upsetting to get beat by people who've been taking it seriously for more than a year, so I understand: baby.
ReplyDeleteGood job, though (even though you're upset about it - because you suck).
Now go get some tissue and cry yourself to some better results.
You're still not angry enough to compete with Munson, but I'll do me best to change that.
After meeting Munson's dad, by the way, I see why he's so mellow. I probably could have started a fire in the back of the truck yesterday and his dad would have said, "hey, no worries. I've got nothing going on the rest of the day."
ReplyDeletebrady -- In your one official bike race, you now have more wins than me. Nice.
Munson's dad is the angriest person in the world. Actually, I would think that Munson's parents were the best parents in the world if it weren't for one little thing. They've never adopted me. Then there's his aunt and uncle who took in 6 smelly cyclists for the weekend at no charge in the suburbs of Denver. It might be the nicest family in the world.
ReplyDeleteMunson is still evil, though. I'm just sure of it.
good job brady.
ReplyDelete