Weekly TT Update

[SheFly]

OK. I do our club TT almost weekly, so am starting this thread to post results and progress through the season (unless you all get bored, in which case I will stop ;) ).

Last night was my second ride of the season. On the warmup, I noted that the whole ride out was into a pretty stiff head/cross wind. My legs also didn't feel great. This wasn't going to be fun.

I started 5th, behind a friend I knew I would not be able to catch (although he tried to convince me that I would). Given the wind, I was trying to keep an even pace hoping that I could save some legs for the hills on the way back. I was frustrated by the wind, and looked down to see numbers well below 20 mph - not a good indicator!

I reached the Carlisle rotary and turned away from the wind (thankfully). Unfortunately, as I was trying to adjust my shifting I ran through some bumps in the road, and my computer flew off into the road (shifting, bumps, doing 35 mph - didn't think I should stop to pick it up!). Now I was flying blind (except for my HRM and RPE).

I continued on, figuring that I was going to put in my slowest time in two years. I did have a bright spark as I actually passed someone going up the final climb, and pushed it as hard as I could coming into the finish.

The end result (despite wind, a lost computer and an 8-speed casette with 9-speed shifters :eek: ) - 26:11 (22.34 mph) which is 30 seconds faster than last week - WHEW! Here's hoping that next week will see a further improvement.

SheFly

[RoadRaven]

Silly!
Of course we won't get bored!!!
With only one TT per series until the summer series, I intend to live vicariously through this thread of yours, SheFly :p

Soooo... 35.7kph average? Yes?
Well impressed, SheFly.

Our roads are very slow over here (roads are coarse chip) so that speed, given my age, is probably something I will never achieve in a TT (unless its a tail wind the whole way :rolleyes: ).

What a bugger about your comp deciding to travel solo, good on you for staying focused and completing in such good time regardless.

you rock, SheFly :D

[SheFly]

The weather tonight was ALMOST perfect for a TT - still a little too dry, and not quite warm enough, but temps were in the low 80s, and the wind was much more manageable.

Before my warmup, as I was heading out of the parking lot, I heard someone call my name, and was glad to see that Robyn had made it over to introduce herself! It was a pleasure to meet you finally.

My warmup ride wasn't great. My legs felt pretty tired from last night's NEBC women's ride, and I didn't think I would be able to do well.

I lined up starting 30 seconds before DH, who was doing his first TT after arthroscopic surgery on his knee to repair a torn meniscus. He SAID he was going easy, so my goal was not to get passed by him. Needless to say, he DIDN'T go easy, and he DID pass me, but it took him longer than normal ;) .

I ended up feeling great once I got underway, and made it into Carlisle in 11 mins :eek: ! I was on pace for a great ride, so just tried to stay focused. The hills on the backside got a bit of the better of me (I went a little too hard on the front), but I managed to finish in 25:17 - 56 seconds FASTER than last week! Average speed - 23 mph (Raven - that's 37.01 kph). I'm still 45 seconds off my PR, but think I may actually be able to beat that this season...

p.s.
Had a new computer this week, and the shifting was flawless. MUCH better than the issues I had last week ;)

[Crankin]

Great job, Cathy. When I rode home, as soon as I crossed the intersection, I heard someone whizzing up behind me, going super fast. I assumed it was someone warming up from the TT, but no, it was a commuter with a super heavy/giant backpack on. I was going 21 and he flew by me so fast, I thought I was seeing things :eek: . He shot down by the rotary when I turned onto College Rd to my neighborhood.
I am glad racers have days where their legs feel like s***. Mine really hurt yesterdaywhen I came up to see you, but I did ride in to work today.

PS I read your post from last week. I have also lost things off of my bike on those bumps in that spot on 225. I guess they will never be fixed!

[RoadRaven]

Sounds like an awesome ride :)
Glad you have the new 'puter
Sometimes a tough ride the day before can work in your favour - just think of it as if you were in a Tour!

[mukluk]

Sounds like you did well. Sorry about your computer. I would feel lost without mine but I would have kept going just like you did. I stupidly lost or misplaced my computer after my time trial last night. I'm thinking I probably won't find it because I feel like I looked everywhere. Oh poop. Anyway you did awesome, looking forward to hearing about more races.

[SheFly]

With DH still sort of in recovery from his knee surgery, and me having done a hard effort at our women's team ride last night, we decided to go to the TT and give the rocketship (aka tandem) its first run of the season tonight. Figured it would likely be easier for us than riding our own bikes ;) .

We started out well, and quickly got into a good rhythm on the bike. About 2 - 2.5 miles into the loop, we were forced off the road and onto the dirt by a car that was turning left and taking up the whole road :eek: . DH is an expert bike handler, so quickly got us back onto the road without incident, and back on our way. It was awkward and somewhat difficult getting back into our rhythm after that, but we managed, and were cruising along quite well.

At about mile 5, we were almost killed. This section of the course is VERY fast, and we were cruising along at about 35 mph when a woman started pulling out from a driveway in front of us :eek: . DH locked up both disc brakes, but a tandem with two large people on it moving in a forward motion at that speed is very difficult/impossible to stop. Heart rates went up, and sadly, some cursing ensued.

After that, DH lifted the visor on his helmet and declared that he was done. We pedaled fairly easily for a short distance, and then the competitiveness kicked back in and we were off, trying once again to get into a rhythm. At this point, we were demotivated, and having trouble catching anyone who started in front of us, and we still had the hilly part of the course to come.

As we turned onto the final stretch (where the hills start) ANOTHER car made a left turn DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US! Is it a full moon tonight? We're not small, and the rocketship is bright yellow/orange - you can't miss two large aliens on a rocketship like that! I honestly don't get it...

We finally caught a couple of people who had started ahead of us, and ended up in a sprint finish with our 30 second person (who set a PR tonight - he was FLYING). We finished the 9.75 mile course in 22:40 which is a great time given the challenges we faced. I am just glad to be sitting here typing this story.....

SheFly

[Crankin]

God, Cathy, I am scared to go out my door now! I was picturing every single spot you mentioned. Was that last one on 225 or Monument St? I haven't done that route in awhile, since I've been racking up the miles commuting. Hopefully, you will have a better day tomorrow!
Robyn

[RoadRaven]

Wow SheFly
So pleased you are both ok
Thats one scarey story - a tandem is SOO much more visible than a single bike - how could they NOT see you!?!?!

Anyways, good on you both for finishing, and finishing well is a fine bonus

Take care

[SheFly]

Was that last one on 225 or Monument St?

It was on Monument. Car was turning left onto Monument from Skelton. Not sure how he couldn't have seen us, and at that point, we were probably doing about 28 mph. We were so frustrated by that point that we decided to race him - he won ;) .

Traffic was a bear last night!

SheFly

[Mimosa]

Maybe you should add such a blinking light on the bike to make yourself more visible ... scary stuff.

[SheFly]

For the past couple of weeks, DH and I haven't participated in the TT here - the weather has been cold and windy - not really conducive to good TT performances.

Last night, despite the threat of thunderstorms and an earlier rain shower, we headed over for another shot at the tandem TT, hoping not to have any near death experiences like we did last time :D .

Since our regular volunteers are off to the Masters National Championships in Kentucky, we helped out with a few other club members to get racers registered before the start. That's actually a fun job because you get to see everyone! Fits right into my social butterfly personality ;) .

We started in 15th place, and quickly got up to speed and into a rhythm. The traffic didn't interfere tonight, and the weather wasn't TOO bad (although there was a head wind on the way out). We ended up passing about 6 other racers (set off at 30 second intervals) on the course.

The whole ride last night hurt - I had a really hard time breathing. About half way through, I really felt like I was going to throw up - that's when you know you're putting in an all out effort :eek: !

We finished with a time of 21:24 (just under 27 mph) - only 41 seconds off of our best time last season, and this was only our second try this year!

SheFly

[RoadRaven]

Good girl... not being able to breath... wanting to throw up...

And you caned your last time!!!

Way to go SheFly!!! 41 seconds is significantly impressive!

I take it you were on your tandem!!! You guys rock :D

[Crankin]

I know that speeds on tandems are different, but an average of 27 mph rocks!

I feel like I'm going to throw up on Monument Street, too, sometimes on that little roller... won't tell you what the speed is, but I when it gets above a certain point there and I'm trying to stay behind my husband, there is something about that spot that induces the nausea that doesn't happen elsewhere.

[SheFly]

Well, it seems as though last week's training camp has paid off for me. In last night's TT, I managed to set a PR by 36 seconds - breaking below the 24 minute mark with a time of 23:56! That translates to an average speed of approx. 24.5 mph - woohoo!

DH had a good night as well, tying his PR time of 22:09. He started 1 minute behind me last night, and my goal was to be to Carlisle center before he managed to pass me. I got to Carlisle and still hadn't seen him, or the person who started 30 seconds behind me. I looked at my average speed there, and saw that it was 25.5 mph - faster than I have ever ridden the front part of the course! I thought that my readings must be off...

DH finally passed me as we turned onto River Rd and onto the "hilly" part of the course. Later both he and my 30 second person told me they were surprised at how long it took them to catch me - goal achieved! Once I got to the top of Punkatasset hill, I looked at my time and knew that I was on target for a PR, and HOPED that I could break the 24 minute mark. I put on the gas the whole rest of the way to achieve that goal as well (my overall goal for the TT for the season).

BTW - I think this puts me in select company - only 3-4 other women have broken the 24 minute barrier!

All in all, a very successful night! Now we need to work on that tandem record :D .

[Crankin]

Congrats on that super time! Your training camp sounds grueling, but it did pay off. I clicked on your blog and was amazed to see all of your pictures of all of my familiar riding places! You are right; we take this beautiful area for granted and at times I even get bored with some of my local routes. But then I go ride somewhere else and I always come back and say how jaded we are.

I took my first road bike ride with a group (a very small group) to that spot at the top of Prospect Hill Rd. by the Fruitlands. This was only 7 miles from my old house, but I managed to drop my chain twice and fall over at the base of Madigan Rd. because I freaked out when i started climbing up the hill and I didn't shift. But after a lot of crying and some not so gentle encouragement from my husband, I made it up. Looking at your picture reminded me of how that was only 5 years ago!

[RoadRaven]

What was the distance, SheFly? This is still the 10mile course?

You rock, girl. You truly do. Just under 40kph... something I will never achieve now...

I have mentioned our road surfaces before - NZ roads are notoriously slow because mostly they are covered in a coarse chip.

What kind of surface do your roads (or more specifically does THIS TT course) have? Just that will help me relate your effort to what I know/see over here.

Wow... another 36 secs... on a less than ideal night... can you go any faster??? ;)

[SheFly]

Thanks Robin and Raven! I am still kind of shocked at my last week's performance on the course...

Raven - yes, this is the same 9.75 mile course. We use this same course each week, which is good for setting PRs and maintaining consistency. The other thing that using the same course allows is for me to know every inch of the pavement, and what the best line is through some of the rougher sections. Most of the roads are in good shape, with smooth pavement. There are sections, however, that are badly pot-holed and cracked (we get frost heaves here in New England that impact the pavement). At times, you need to take the entire lane (not closed to traffic) to get around these sections.

After three full seasons of racing the same course, I now could ride it with my eyes closed, but I won't try that just yet ;) .

I have to adjust my gaol now - I am only 15 seconds slower than the 3rd fastest woman. We also have to go out and retry our tandem TT record this year, so I HOPE I can go faster ;) .

SheFly

p.s.
I found out that I was the 4th fastest woman to ride the course, behind an Ironman Hawaii winner, a Cat 1 Elite road racer and a highly ranke Cat 2 road racer - some pretty select company for a lowly Cat 4!

[SheFly]

Current TT Course Tandem Record: 20:41.0
Our current tandem best time: 20:43.2
This week's result: 20:52.9

It's amazing what 12 seconds means. Now we have to go out and do this again...

Oh - and we had ANOTHER near death experience this week. As we approached the finish line, there were two cars stopped. This is in the final uphill sprint, at which point we were moving at about 27 mph! After committing to go around the cars on the left, the first car decided to turn left :eek: . I let out a scream, DH somehow went left of the second car and right of the first, and we crossed the line intact. All of the timers, however, were very nervous, and were also yelling and gesticulating wildly. A scary moment for everyone.

Hopefully the pursuit of the tandem TT record won't be the end of us ;) .

SheFly

[RoadRaven]

SheFly!
*Raven puts on best stern and growly face*
You must... I repeat MUST... stop, cease and desist from having near-death experiences!
It frightens me, upsets me and I shall have to come find you and send you to your room and confiscate your bike!

Seriously, I am so pleased and relieved you and your DH are ok... its such an easy and quick thing to be fine one moment and then wondering how you are going to avoid the crash a split second later.

What fools in the car to do that if they were stopped near the finish line - surely the marshalls, cones and other cyclists gave them a clue that it is wise to LOOK FIRST!!!

Bl***y idiots!

Now, if you had just pushed yourselves a tad harder, you would have been past them 9 seconds sooner and thus avoided this situation all together! I dunno :rolleyes: its ONLY a few seconds.... :p ONLY a teeny bit more power :p ONLY an uphill sprint :p

Next time... next time ;)

[Crankin]

What were those cars doing there??? Were they on Liberty St. or Monument? I mean were they part of the crowd waiting for cyclists or just stupid people in the way? That is really scary.

[SheFly]

SheFly!
*Raven puts on best stern and growly face*
You must... I repeat MUST... stop, cease and desist from having near-death experiences!
It frightens me, upsets me and I shall have to come find you and send you to your room and confiscate your bike!

Seriously, I am so pleased and relieved you and your DH are ok... its such an easy and quick thing to be fine one moment and then wondering how you are going to avoid the crash a split second later.

What fools in the car to do that if they were stopped near the finish line - surely the marshalls, cones and other cyclists gave them a clue that it is wise to LOOK FIRST!!!

Bl***y idiots!

Now, if you had just pushed yourselves a tad harder, you would have been past them 9 seconds sooner and thus avoided this situation all together! I dunno :rolleyes: its ONLY a few seconds.... :p ONLY a teeny bit more power :p ONLY an uphill sprint :p

Next time... next time ;)


Yes, mom :D . We made a slight adjustment to the rear wheel lat night, crafting our own version of a "disk" that is lighter than what we had run previously. Hopefully, with the weight savings and NO NEAR DEATH experiences, we can conquer that 9 seconds this week...

[SheFly]

What were those cars doing there??? Were they on Liberty St. or Monument? I mean were they part of the crowd waiting for cyclists or just stupid people in the way? That is really scary.

They were on Liberty, turning left into the visitor center parking lot. I don't honestly think they had a clue, and I KNOW they didn't see us... Scary for sure, but we were fine in the long run.

[SheFly]

This week was our last TT for the year. I have to say that unlike past years, I am happy to hang up the TT rig for the next 6 months, after 13 races this season!

My goal for this year was to beat last year's PR of 24:32. After our "training camp vacation", I managed to post a PR of 23:56 this year, becoming the 5th woman to break the 24 minute mark. Unfortunately, the end of the season saw my times going up rather than down, despite some fancy new Zipp wheels...

We sadly didn't hit our goal of recapturing the tandem record this year, despite 5 attempts (and some marital discord ;) ). After some [too] close calls with traffic, and a disparity in the timing of our training, we just couldn't pull it off. Guess we will have to wait until next year for that one - maybe by then, racing the tandem will be fun again :rolleyes: .

The end of this season, however, brings the beginning of the next. 'Cross racing starts this weekend in Milford, NH, and then becomes more intense with races both days every weekend through December. I've been out practicing dismounts/remounts, and trying to get rid of the dreaded "stutter step remount" I developed last year.

Time to change the bike, change the training and change the focus. Thanks for being interested in my reports!

SheFly