Jackmen

I am an older guy who has gotten into cycling a lot after 50. I am currently 57. Last year I did some Senior Olympic Time trials and did Ok. I am really just getting 5 years of solid road riding under my belt (>3000 miles per year).
I live in Missouri. The first race, I did was a St Louis Regional TT event (End of May 2015). They had 4 short TT races. 5 Mile, 5 K, 1 Mile, 1/4 Mile. Like I said really short. I used my road bike (nice road bike Giant Defy Advanced 0 with DI-2) with some clip on Aero Bars and did Ok. I was 3rd in 3 races and 2nd in one race in my age group. The level of competition was a little lower in the regional, but I did pretty good for a first set of races. I think I avg about 22 MPH in the 5 mile.
I was signed up for the Missouri State Senior Games which had a 5K, and 10K TT's , but I had a death in my family so I didn't have an opportunity to do that one. Then I also signed up for the Missouri State Time trial Competition which is a 40K TT (24+ Miles) Mid Aug 2015. This was a serious step up in quality of competition, and You have to have a USA Cycling Licence, which I got. I was in the 50-59 age group and there were 7 of us in that group. Same Road bike with clip ons. I averaged about 21.2 for the 40K, which was pretty fast for me. I placed 6 out of 7, like I said much better competition. I actually thought I did pretty good for the amount of riding I had done, and the equipment I had.

After this first Year of Racing I made a decision I was going to step it up this year. Got on Zwift with the trainer this winter, and have already put on 2000 miles this year, and am in much better shape, also lost 15 lbs. I also Bought a Nice TT bike which is very aero, deep Carbon wheels, with full Sram Red. I am in a great position on the bike, have a nice TT helmet, and a skin suit. I have been practicing with the TT bike and my riding buddy's have struggled to hang with me, in our rides.

I am preparing to ride the same set of races this year (starting with the regional Senior Olympics short TT races this coming weekend). I am aiming for much better results and feel I have prepared adequately to do better. Its been fun getting faster and in better shape, even though at 57 its not real easy.

We will see how the preparation and training will allow me to do.

Heathpack 

Good luck!

I was just mentioning to some friends how glad I was to have found cycling, even though it would have been more ideal to have started at a younger age. But so many people just give up as they get older, they literally lie down on the sofa and await old age.

What kind of TT bike do you have?

sarals 

Many of us here started racing "at an older age". That doesn't make it less doable or less fun! Glad to have you among us!

Jackmen

Well here is my race report from Time Trial Number one this season that I did on Saturday. I competed in a 5 mile lowered my time by 1 minute 30 seconds or went from 21 to 24 MPH; 5K lowered time by 1 minute or from 21.5 to 24.3 MPH); 1 mile lowered time some I don't remember time, and 1/4 mile may have gotten a little slower, should have used my road bike. Overall I received 3 silver medals, and one bronze, in this St Louis Regional Olympics. I felt very good about the overall results, as I ran my heart rates up to 166-171 consistently on these and felt pretty wasted afterwards, even after the short efforts.

In two weeks I will do the state Senior games which is a 5K & 10K Time trial and a 20K and 40K road race, and I signed up for all. Two on Saturday, and two on Sunday. I have put a picture of my Blue triad TT bike that I got on Ebay. Its a real speed machine. Very nice bike, all Sram Red with 85MM deep tubular wheels. It just weighs 17.6 lbs. On the road it really flies.

DMC707

Love the bike! How'd you do at the races?

Jackmen

In senior games I took third in age group in both the 5K and 10 K time trials. Avg about 27 in the 5K and about 25 in the 10K. In the 40K road races I lost the wheel of the lead group about 1Km from the finish so i was about 10 Seconds behind lead group finished about 6th out of 12. Hung better in the 20K but still lost lead peloton about 400 Meters from the finish and finished 4th in my age group.

Just need to learn to hang to the end in the road races. Loose the wheel of the lead group and you are toast!

Jackmen

I competed in state (missouri) time trials on saturday. I am competing in the 55-59 Masters category and unfortunately in our state we get stuck doing the 40K TT. This is a really long distance to do in a Time trial for this old guy. To keep going full out for 1 hour plus is pretty tough on this old guy. Once you hit 60 and up they let you do 20K, which I wish they would let us do at 50+. This is a USA cycling licensed event.

The course is an out and back on rural missouri roads with pretty rough pavement. Mostly flat with some rollers, and there is a pretty large group of small hills on both side of the turn around. I believe its 400 feet of climb in the 40K.
Wind was out of the Northeast at 8 MPH. The course is mainly east and west with a 3 mile bend to the turn going N-S. So wind was mainly with us on the way out and against on the way back. This is the first year I was running my full TT bike, skin suit and helmet.

I was the first out of my age group with 7 other in my age behind me starting in 1 minute intervals. Felt good first half kept pretty good pace and think I was about 25.5 MPH average at the turn. At the turn You could really feel the wind, and pace definitely slowed. I don't have a power meter on my TT bike, so I pretty much go by my heart rate. I try to get it up around 160 and hold it there, as I can tell that feels about right for output. I was hoping to keep somewhere around a 23.5MPH average over the course. I have my garmin set to read Heart rate, cadence, Instant Speed and average speed. I could tell the avg speed declining on the leg into the finish. It was gradually dropping, 24 then 23.5 then 23. My heart rate was pretty solid at 156-159 through out. I felt like it was a pretty strong effort, but at the end I was down to 22.6MPH. My time was 1H 6:15M.

Not as fast as I had hoped. I went back and looked at last years time 1H 11:6M . So I guess not too bad. Dropped overall time by just under 5 minutes. Pretty good drop. Ended up 4th in my age group out of 8. Back for more training next year.

Overall it was a good competition. A little disappointed I didn't do better.

sarals 

Jackman, a 5 minute improvement in a TT is huge. Huge! Don't be disappointed, your placing was likely influenced by any number of factors other than your performance. Look at what you did and how you improved, and take that as a win. I do!

Jackmen

Thank you for the kind encouraging words Sarals. I do need to look on the good side of the performance, not how much better i could or should have done.

sarals 

"Coulda, shoulda, woulda" How many times have I done that? It takes time to learn to focus on what went right. Beating one's self up after not achieving a goal (sometimes unrealistic goal) is self-defeating. Bike racing is so mental, and winning the mental game is often harder than the physical aspect.