TsPoet
04-27-2006, 06:05 PM
OK, so this isn’t really a race – it’s just a training series, but wanted to write my newbie experiences.
The series is every Tuesday night all summer – 5 mi, then 10 mi, then 40 k, then hill climb, then the rotation starts over.
Men and women all race and some form of “correction” is taken for age and gender. I don’t understand what they do, but my factor is 1.223 (an age-matched male has a correction factor of 1.062). It looks like they divide the actual time by the correction to come up with the standings.
First 5 mi TT
Actual Time 18:50
Corrected Time 15:24
Average mph 15.93
4th out of 11 women
14th (after correction) out of 33 people
Lessons learned:
TTs aren’t necessarily flat (I thought they all were)
Don’t come out so fast. On the way out, keep that HR ~165 (my approx lactic acid threshold)
On the way back, let her rip.
I need to work on my RPMs – avg cadence 85
Second week, another 5 mi TT
Actual Time 17:52
Corrected Time 14:35
Average mph 16.79
5th out of 12 women
15th out of 37 people (after correction)
Lessons learned:
Did better, came out slower, maybe not quite so slow next time.
Warm up! I never feel good until I’ve ridden a couple of miles, quit worrying about warming up tiring me out and warm up.
Third week, 10 mi TT
Actual Time 37:40
Corrected Time 30:47
Average mph 15.93
5th out of ? women
15th out of 40 people (after correction)
Lessons learned:
Don’t eat a slice of pizza on the way to the TT. (AKA 1 disadvantage of a recumbent is, if you need to throw up, you have to get off the bike in a hurry to keep from throwing up on yourself. I didn’t actually throw up, just thought I was going to)
Still need more of a warm up. I parked about 1 mile away and gently rode to the ride, need more.
Even if you feel lousy, you can gently pedal through it. Repassed the 2 women who passed me in the last 2 miles.
Fourth week, 40 k TT
Actual Time 1:29:05
Corrected Time 1:12:50
Average mph 16.74
4th out of ? women
15th out of ? people (after correction)
Lessons learned:
I can do it! I almost chickened out – I didn’t think I’d be able to do 25 miles of trying so hard
Keep at it. While not unfriendly, this was the first week the club was friendly to me. Several men walked up to me afterwards and “congratulated” me. One said “Commendable! For a recumbent”. I wasn’t able to explain to him the recumbent is why I did as well – he discounted that due to “the hills” – which were rollers of 1-4% grade consistently for the whole ride.
Overall Lesson learned:
I need (not want, need) a racing road bike and a mentor! I wonder if I could do the Tour De Walla Walla next year?!? Don’t know if they even have a citizen’s class. If I can lose 20 lbs maybe, just maybe…
Right now, my bike handling skills are perfect for a TT – skills need a lot of improvement if I want to ride with others. Need to get up the nerve to ask the club about their Wednesday night training rides – I hear them talking about these rides, sound pretty serious.
The series is every Tuesday night all summer – 5 mi, then 10 mi, then 40 k, then hill climb, then the rotation starts over.
Men and women all race and some form of “correction” is taken for age and gender. I don’t understand what they do, but my factor is 1.223 (an age-matched male has a correction factor of 1.062). It looks like they divide the actual time by the correction to come up with the standings.
First 5 mi TT
Actual Time 18:50
Corrected Time 15:24
Average mph 15.93
4th out of 11 women
14th (after correction) out of 33 people
Lessons learned:
TTs aren’t necessarily flat (I thought they all were)
Don’t come out so fast. On the way out, keep that HR ~165 (my approx lactic acid threshold)
On the way back, let her rip.
I need to work on my RPMs – avg cadence 85
Second week, another 5 mi TT
Actual Time 17:52
Corrected Time 14:35
Average mph 16.79
5th out of 12 women
15th out of 37 people (after correction)
Lessons learned:
Did better, came out slower, maybe not quite so slow next time.
Warm up! I never feel good until I’ve ridden a couple of miles, quit worrying about warming up tiring me out and warm up.
Third week, 10 mi TT
Actual Time 37:40
Corrected Time 30:47
Average mph 15.93
5th out of ? women
15th out of 40 people (after correction)
Lessons learned:
Don’t eat a slice of pizza on the way to the TT. (AKA 1 disadvantage of a recumbent is, if you need to throw up, you have to get off the bike in a hurry to keep from throwing up on yourself. I didn’t actually throw up, just thought I was going to)
Still need more of a warm up. I parked about 1 mile away and gently rode to the ride, need more.
Even if you feel lousy, you can gently pedal through it. Repassed the 2 women who passed me in the last 2 miles.
Fourth week, 40 k TT
Actual Time 1:29:05
Corrected Time 1:12:50
Average mph 16.74
4th out of ? women
15th out of ? people (after correction)
Lessons learned:
I can do it! I almost chickened out – I didn’t think I’d be able to do 25 miles of trying so hard
Keep at it. While not unfriendly, this was the first week the club was friendly to me. Several men walked up to me afterwards and “congratulated” me. One said “Commendable! For a recumbent”. I wasn’t able to explain to him the recumbent is why I did as well – he discounted that due to “the hills” – which were rollers of 1-4% grade consistently for the whole ride.
Overall Lesson learned:
I need (not want, need) a racing road bike and a mentor! I wonder if I could do the Tour De Walla Walla next year?!? Don’t know if they even have a citizen’s class. If I can lose 20 lbs maybe, just maybe…
Right now, my bike handling skills are perfect for a TT – skills need a lot of improvement if I want to ride with others. Need to get up the nerve to ask the club about their Wednesday night training rides – I hear them talking about these rides, sound pretty serious.