Philly TT

Really don't care to write a lot so...

Got there in plenty of time to ride the course as a warm up. HR was a bit higher than I like (note to self: NO(!) Starbucks 1 hr before a race.). Steady headwind out.
I was 4th out and set my pace at what HR I thought I could sustain, turns out the wattage was higher than I thought but since it was a "B" race to see where I am at I didn't worry about the power. Saw my first rider coming back when I was almost to the turn. Passed one guy at about mile 6 then another at mile 7. Crossed the line and was able to get the helmet off before the coffee and half a bagel was deposited on the road.

Beat by less than 6 seconds. Bottom step of the box. No pictures. I'll leave those to Valygrl and Sara

IBO - :beer:

Though you might need to wait until your stomach settles...

Good job.

Thanks. 3 weeks til the next race.
I can hear Hermes in the back of my head....

something like....Go hold 310 for a spell. If you can't make the distance then you need to back off. 2x20's and 2x30's with some 3-5 min VO2max chucked in there. :D

Great job!

Ibo, :beer:

Way to, um, leave it all out there on the road, IBO. :)

Nice job, IBOHUNT! Stop wasting coffee.

IBO, come on, pictures!!! Congratulations!!!!!

Thanks all.
@LAJ - the only thing wasted was the money I spent on that hideous stuff. Can't see how Starbucks makes money.
@sara - Nobody else from the team likes to do ITTs (and I don't like Crits err um crashes) so I was the only one there. I reckon the truth hurts. Want pictures I can post scenes from the hunting shows :roflmao2:

Based on experience, I should stay safe and only race crit's. Them TT's are dangerous.

IBOHUNT, sounds like a total effort and a great result -- even more so given it's your first race coming back from an injury.

Oh, and AZTR isn't the only person on this sub forum who has crashed during an ITT. However, you are correct in thinking that time trials are generally safer than criteriums.

Despite the power of positive thinking and analysis of 5 years of TTTs on this course, our time was BAD. :cry:

To help inspire our team, I analyzed our prior years of split times at each corner and put together a best race for us and compared those splits to our PR splits. I taped those times to my to my tube to look extra pro. Unfortunately, Mother Nature, lack of fitness, and lack of experience conspired against us. The wind, while relatively mild for the high desert, was blowing opposite of it's normal heading. That meant two long headwind straights, start and finish, instead of the opposite.

I always get us started since I am always the shortest. After a few rotations I was hurting and I sat out a rotation. Unfortunately, our rookie team member was hurting worse and he started getting gapped and sitting out rotations. The winning team that started 2 minutes behind us, passed us less than 6 miles into the race, just before turn 1. Since the wind was relatively mild, I was getting totally psyched out because I figured I was just really in bad shape.

Turn 1 to 2 was an exercise in keeping us all together. When we hit the back straight I finally figured out the wind direction and recovered to a degree. We started making up some time. Just after turn 3 the third place team that started 4 minutes after us passed us. I was surprised to see only three of them together.

We got through turn 4 and hit the headwind leg again. Our rookie was fading fast. One of my two reasonably strong teammates asked if I was OK. I was at that moment so we dropped our fourth. After 3 miles of the 6 mile finish straight, I wasn't seeing straight. I sat out a couple of rotations. I probably should have sat out the rest of my rotations because the wheels totally fell off the cart on the last rise before the finish. It's embarrassing when your teammates are about 20 meters ahead of you and you can't do more than 20 MPH. :o

We were 7th out of 7. My falling apart probably didn't cost us 6th as we were about a minute behind them. What really hurt was that we were just under the "magical" 25 MPH mark. We did 24.9 MPH.

We are already planning our next TTT in September.

Tough race.

Cleave, When TTs or worse yet TTTs, do not go as planned the recap of the event is difficult. I have a lot of experience with this. When one has bad legs for a crit, you worked for the team, got into a break, rolled in with the pack or went off the front and then off the back and called it a day. In a time trial, there is no really good spin to put on the race if there are unrealized expectations.

However, you finished with the required number of riders, you did not crash and I suspect you guys did some great sections of the course looking fabulous as a team. Plus you got a great workout. And better yet, you are planning next year. And 24.9 mph is not 25 but still excellent.

I got a recap from some of the women who raced at the TTT at the track yesterday. One team got lost during warmup and showed up at the starting line 8 minutes late. They started and finished the course winning the jersey. Yes, they were they only team in that category.

Way to gut it out, Cleave. You did all you could in that race. Better days ahead. Still, you left it out there. As it should be.

Cleave, you survived, and did your best on that particular day. Not much more you can do. Good job.

I, of course, have never been involved in a crash during a crit. I Eddie Lawson well in Offthebackistan

Sorry to hear that Cleave. Gutted it out, gave it all you had. Can't expect any more.

Saturday City Park Crit 35+4, 24/62

Last race of the day there, and the course is a 3 corner, .6 mile affair, that goes on the inside of two roundabouts. Last year, I raced the kids race (4's), and had a literal blast. I hoped for the same this year, and was hoping it would be on from the ***. It was fast, but I forgot to turn on my Garmin, but I did turn on my camera. Whacked priorities, for sure. I don't have exact data, but I used this race to hone my cornering confidence, and general comfort in the pack. It worked, as it was pretty sketchy, yet I stayed upright. The last turn was a double apex, and every single lap, someone boogered it up. It was like they forgot there were two corners in one, and overcooked it. I hung in the pack, traveled around, and just don't have any top end, compared to the youngsters.

Sunday Coal Miners Classic 45+4 22/62 2 mile circuit that isn't flat. False flats up or down, with a very bumpy final turn at the bottom of a downhill, to an uphill climb, then a 100 yard downhill. Team plan was to push the pace. We all took turns getting to the front, other than the designated guys. It was fast, and I chose not to fight for position on that final corner, as there were teammates in good shape up there. They took 1st, 2nd and 5th.

35+4 28/30. Thought there were more... Oh well. Started out slow, I took a flyer, led for a lap and a half. I got reprimanded by the fellow that gives me a lot of great advice for doing that. I had fun, and finished with the pack.

I am really looking to do well next weekend in the 55+ race, and I spent this whole weekend taking corners side by side, close proximity, out of my comfort zone, etc. Also fighting for wheels. My finishes may not reflect it, but I wasn't giving up the wheels I normally did. Other races, I would allow it, and rationalize it was early, and not worth it. I held my ground the whole race, but wasn't ready to fight for it on the last corner, simply because I was looking ahead. Maybe I should have put the warpaint on, and fought for it the last corner, but discretion won out. There is no discretion for next weekend, so I best realize that right now.

Great racing and learning.

I echo what Sensei Shovel said... and add for Cleave that almost all of us make TT's a comedy of errors. I sure do - been a long time since I got one even half right.

Laj :beer:

LAJ - sounds like you went to school and this weekend you get to apply. Go get'em but stay safe.

Thank you all!

Above all, I really do have fun at this stuff.