Dump Block ITT Summer Series 07/08
Well, summer is here and the Time Trial I have been waiting to do all year is back on the race programme.
The Dump Block is essentially one big country block, with two small rises but otherwise mostly flat. It is 17.6km long.
Course description … start on the flat beside a lagoon, in 500 metres or so turn left by the pub, dairy and church, up a short rise and then across a one-lane bridge (where, if you are unlucky, you will have to wait for a car). Another 500 metres or so and turn left again onto Omaranui Road, up another steady rise, down a short stepp descent and then flat beside the river… beautiful.
Another turn left onto a state highway, past the golf course, then over another bridge (two-lane this time) and back up the other side of the river. Past the dump (hence the name of the course – Dump Block), past lots of vineyards, a deer farm and some orchards. Turn left onto Puketapu Road and go flat out to where you find the lagoon again and cross the start/finish line.
Remember, we drive on the left in this country, so this is a sweet course in the sense that there are no intersections to cross.
The only real bug-bear on this course is the one-way bridge where we have to give way to oncoming traffic. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you meet a car…
I first rode "the Dump Block" in October 2005. It was 18km that day, it took me 38’17” with an average of 28.21kph.
After a few failed attempts in 2006 due to illness and weather, I finally did a PB on the 17.6km course in February this year. In February I had a time of 35.05minutes averaging 30.10kph.
Just writing my first report... will post immminently...
Thursday Night, 20th December
So… first Dump Block ITT since February… Thursday evening, perfect weather conditions. It stopped raining early afternoon after two days of solid wet. The afternoon was mild, the wind wasn’t too windy, the sky was overcast.
I felt really wound up, this isn’t the usual everybody together race turn-out. This is a Thursday night TT. We have some of the best in Hawkes Bay riding these… medal winnners at the Nationals, international riders from the Bay – Jeremy Venell was there (and won it naturally - in 23’10” ).
So here I am, with a bunch of the elite club riders and a handful of teenage ‘young guns’. There are only two other vet women there – one is visiting from out of town and rode in the Nationals. The other is a woman I know well (Karo) and ride with often – we are in the same grade and on Saturday we will be in the same team in the Team Time Trial.
We start in these evening TTs in the order we sign up – Karo is number 1, I am #18. Both in front and behind me I have A-grade club members (the fastest grade) and Jeremy is starting 3 places behind me… way to make a girl feel out of her league!
But I won’t be intimidated. This race is against myself and I have been waiting all year to do it…
I start well – held, my feet are clipped in, I am in the right gear… I’m off…. Stand, build up speed and then down into the aero position… around the first corner and up the first rise and the first person catches me and flies up the rise as if he were gliding downhill… I momentarily wish “hills” were that easy for me, remind myself I am travelling well up the hill and focus back on my rythym. Get to the bridge – a car is approaching on the other side, I slow and prepare to stop – but they have stopped – unexpectedly, and wave me on – so I wind up again, cross the bridge and grimace and mouth thankyou at the car – I can hear a disc wheel behind me and sure enough, just before the next left onto Omaranui, Jeremy Venell glides by effortlessly…
I start up the rise and somehow drop my chain – I never drop my chain on my TT bike – never, but I did this time! And changing back wont hook it on so I pull over, cursing, and put it back on. Jump back over and immediately topple, I had been too quick and the chain wasn’t on properly. Curse again and take more precious seconds to pop the chain on AGAIN!
And off, over the rise and settle into a rythym… I watch my HR and ride only to that. Aiming to keep it above 152bpm – my LT is 158.
This is the part I love – its pretty much all flat now, and I can just ride. Its hard though – I have no-one to chase and I much prefer that.
Men still passing me at a steady rate… that’s ok. This is my race. The river smells good and I breathe deep and concentrate on matching my breathing to my legs…
Turn left again and past the golf course – another guy passes me and then buttons back – I keep pace with him for about 600m.
Over the bridge – I know I am nearly there. I want to do this race in 33minutes, and I have 10 minutes to make it to the finish line… I should be able to do it. But this bit of road is notorious for unhelpful cross winds and sure enough – there they are L
I can see further and I have more riders in sight – including the first one I am catching. This makes it easier to lift my speed
As I turn and head down to the finish line, back past the lagoon, I have only one rider in front of me and nothing to lose – I should give it everything and slowly wind it up – I start to debate whether I can catch him before the line and finally decide to stop wondering and just do it. I mnanage to lift my speed to 38kph for the last 500m and we cross the line at the same instant and I sail on by wheezing and unwilling to let my legs stop – I know they will hurt when I make them slow.
I glance at my speedo – 32minutes55secs… I did it – unofficially I did it! Yay me.
My official time is 33.30 – but that time includes slowing at the bridge and my chain coming off twice and a topple to the ground.
I am well chuffed.
Karo has beaten me with her officail time of 33.18 … but she didn’t stop st the bridge and she operated her gears well and didn’t drop her chain. That half minute discrepency matches my guesstimate of what I lost…
I did it girls… I wanted to do it in 33 minutes and I did… I wanted an average of 32kph on this course and I made it with 32.08kph.
Well chuffed with myself…
Dump Block #2 - almost...
Last night was the 2nd Dump Block time trial for summer. However, there was a last minute change of course due to road works, so the course was only 15km long - out and back.
However, I will still post the report here. I was geared up for the Dump Block and rode it in a similar way.
The course was out and back, and only 15km in total. Swamp Road is much flatter than the Dump Block, and only one turn/corner – the turn-around. However, Swamp Road almost always has cross and head winds and is very rough so brings its own difficulties.
The final times haven't been posted on our website yet, so I don't know whether it was a fast or slow day. What I do know is I not only caught Caro who started 30secs in front of me (she is on a par with me fitness wise, and although TTs are about oneself, I use her to measure my performance on the day) I also caught my “minute man”.
Despite the cross-tail wind most of the way it was still tough going out...but I managed to keep my speed up to about 36-38kph most of the time - sometimes up over 40 (I lurve tail winds). I kept watching the two in front, counting the seconds til I was where they were... but by the 7.5km turn-around I had only made 1oseconds...
This was going to be a grunt. Strong head wind and gusts all the way back. But, I told myself, I can ride into the wind. It might slow me down but head winds rarely phase me. 16 minutes in to the race and I start being passed - in total by 6 people before the finish line. But that usually doesn't phase me either.
So again, I would watch for shadows on the road as those two in front passed them and count the seconds til I reached the shadow. I was gaining - 20 seconds, 25 seconds - right behind her. I couldn't hear her breathing as mine was so raspy by this point. But her cadence had slowed. I seem to sit for a moment about 10 metres behind her (and out to the side) thinking I am not gaining, and then realise I am... I pass her as my partner goes by on the way out. He doesn't see me of course, he will be wanting to pass the guys in front of him.
Then I start the self-talk... no aero-helmet, so I have the luxury of being able to glance down at my HR and my speed. I desparately want to go over 32kph... desparately. My HR has climbed to 160-161... my LT is 158bpm. I can do this. C'mon legs, you can do it. There is no pain, only the finish line. A little bit more won't hurt...
I start counting the seconds to my minute man and know I am catching him fast before I finish counting. He has gone to hard on the way out and the wind is sucking it out of him. I pass him as we reach the only small rise and I have a moment of doubt - I suck on any hills, what if he catches me back? My speed drops to 26kph - my legs feel dead, but then over the rise and I am back up to 30, and pushing it. I have nothing to lose now. Only 3 kms to go - it doesn't matter if it hurts, it'll all be over in 5-6 minutes ... it doesn't matter if I can't walk when I finish - the goal is the finish line... glance at my HR, its 165 - I can go higher than that... the head wind is brisk, my legs are ignoring me, manage to lift my speed to just over 32 and my HR to 169...
I crossed the finish line gasping - my vision was fuzzy, so I knew I got it right. I remember thinking momentarily I am glad the marshall at the finish line knows me cause no way could I have called out my number.
Final time? Well, unofficially it is 28.07... just over 32kph.
Afterwards I walked like a blind duck... this morning my legs ache and I will go for a long gentle ride... but do I feel good.
My partner had a time of about 22minutes... about 10kph faster then me. But thats ok. He is a TT specialist. He was thrilled for me, and so am I.
I whipped my but! :p;):D
