I lost the Outdoor TT!

[Pedal Wench]

Sorry, just having fun with the 'I won the indoor TT' thread!

Well, as predicted, I didn't do very well, but I'm hooked. It was a
blast! It was cold (37 degrees), it started raining about 10 minutes into it, and
I made a dozen rookie mistakes, but I loved every minute of
it!

I would love to write a trip report, but it was a time trial on
relatively flat course - what is there to say? I started, I pedaled
like crazy, I finished. Obviously, I didn't pedal fast enough!
Headwind on the way out, slight incline on the way back, plus the
rain. I'm not sure if this was right, but I wanted to keep my heart
rate up in my max zone, and I did - it was about 176/177 the whole
way, so I think I did my best, I just need to train more to make that
176/177 more efficient.

Notes for next time: (note that there will definitely be a next
time - just gotta figure out when/where)
1. Take all the warmup advice seriously. I was so excited that I
really only spent about 10 minutes on the trainer. There was just so
much going on!
1a. Are they serious about ONE porta-pottie for 200 riders? You're
kidding, right? No amount of planning ahead could have planned for
that line!
2. Don't stop to talk to the course marshalls. They don't really
care that you bought your shoe covers on ebay...
3. Practice turning. Stopping and picking up your bike to turn it
might not be the fastest way around a turn.
4. Don't get distracted by all the people at the end - ride all the
way to the finish line. Your times will be much better that way.
Seriously, I started to ease up at the end instead of pushing it - I
definitely had a bit of a sprint left in me, and I just started to
ease up instead.
5. Sign up for the next race you can find because it's just so much
fun!
6. Try training seriously for this stuff - it's probably a lot more
fun if you know what you're doing!

Thanks everyone for the encouragement.

[BikeMomma]

Way cool, PW.....you hit it right on the head -- the object is just to have fun, and sounds like you did! Let us know how the next one turns out!

BTW, liked your subject line....

~BikeMomma

[Nanci]

I know _nothing_ about time trials, or crits. But the concept fascinates me, actually riding fast and racing! I admire people who can ride fast. I would like to hear blow-by-blow details of the ride, just to be able to picture what the whole process is like!

That port-a-potty thing sucks. Guys have it so much easier. I'm getting to be an expert at squatting between open car doors, though. But it shouldn't have to come to that!

Nanci

[skibum]

Well, I did the same race as PedalWench and I finished second to last. It was my first race and my objective was to finish and have fun doing it. I had a blast! So, I met my objectives even though I had hoped to do a little better.

Not much of a race report. Like PW said, the course was an out and back on a rail-to-trail path so it was relatively flat and uninteresting. Which means you just pedalled your butt off from start to finish. My goal was to keep my HR around my LT of 169 and then bump it up for the last mile or so. The adrenaline of the race got the best of me and I was in the mid 180's for the whole race. The race was short enough (9.5 miles) that I was able to keep my heart rate that high without burning out. Talked to some more experienced racers that I train with adn they said that for shorter races, they are always well above LT for the whole race so I guess I was just a little conservative in my original plan.

Lots of lessons learned... that was another goal, get that first race in early in the season so you can make those rookie mistakes and learn what you need to focus on in your training. Some of my rookie mistakes:
1. Not warming up enough. I thought I got there early enough to get registered, visit the porta-pottie and warm up for about 45 min. Everything took longer than expected (especially the porta-pottie part) and I only got about 20 min to warm up.
2. Practice the track-stand start. They hold you up so you don't need to be able to do a true track stand but I still felt wobbly and uncomfortable so I asked the guy holding me to let go and I started with my right foot clipped out. Then I was so nervous that I had troubles clipping in. I'm sure I lost 10-15 seconds right there. Since the person that finished ahead of me only beat me by 5 seconds, getting better at this one thing would have made a difference in my standings.
3. Don't do a hard workout 2 days before the race. OK, that was planned. I knew the race was more of a practice race so I chose to stick with my long-term training plan and do the hard workout even though it might affect my race performance. It did... I didn't have the energy in my legs to push a real hard gear. I ended up going for high cadence (100 rpm) and lower gear. Not sure if this affected my overall time but for a serious race, I need to taper properly.

I'm sure there's more to be learned and I've got more races planned so it can only get better from here.

[Nanci]

This is so exciting to hear about! I had no idea they held you up to do a track stand start. I never got the total hang of that on a MTB, much less a road bike...

So to warm up, what would you do? Ride on a trainer?

I don't think I could race full-out for 10 miles.

Do you ride in aero bars? Do you wear any special aerodynamic clothes??

Can you drink, or would you even want to? I would imagine your pre-race meal would have to be pretty light, or pretty digested, before you start, not like how I eat a big meal to fuel me for at least an hour.

Is it ok to ask what your time was?

Was everyone doing the same distance? How far apart did they start?

You guys are awesome!

Nanci

[Pedal Wench]

SK! I'm SO happy to hear that we had about the same experience. My heart rate was right where I thought I should keep it, but I kept thinking that I should (and COULD) go faster/higher, but I was afraid to, so I kept a little something held back. My heart rate was right around 176, right where I knew I could hold it, but I always felt like it could have been much better. Next time -- again -- I'm already talking about next time!

We did all set up trainers. It was a blast to see a parking lot full of folks on trainers. I checked my computer this morning, and I only had 15 minutes on the trainer. Probably on a normal day, that might have sufficed. On a very COLD day, not enough.

The standing start was fun! I'm petrified of falling, but I saw the starter holding much bigger men, so I trusted he wouldn't let me tip. You start out clipped in one one foot. Hold your brakes. The guy stands with his legs clamped around your back wheel, holding the end of your saddle (don't even remember feeling a stranger's hand on my bottom!) When I felt stable, I clipped in the other foot, ready to just roll. It's VERY scary the first time, but I had a sneak practice, with two people standing on my sides in case I started to fall.

I didn't drink during it. In fact (not that it helped...) I took off my waterbottle cages. For 30 minutes, I didn't feel I would need water. If it was hot or a longer distance, I would have thought about it.

I didn't use aerobars - don't know how to use them. Actually, that's funny, because I actually use them on my trainer bike because I have some hand issues. However, I really tried to stay in my drops as much as possible. When I would look at my heart rate, see that it was as high as I thought it should do, I thought to myself, "What else can I do to go faster?" Tuck into the drops, try to make myself smaller. As far as what to wear, that was tough, because it was so cold and rainy. I ended up with multiple layers, but left off the flappier jacket.

They started us every 30 seconds. I was thrilled that I wasn't passed immediately! I even passed one guy! Actually, in retrospect, I'm not even sure he was actually a racer, because it wasn't a closed course.

My time was 33.00.85. I'm kicking myself because it would have been so easy to trim enough time to get it down into the 32 minute range. My turnaround sucked - actually put my foot down to get me around the cone (narrow trail, tight turn, I didn't want to fall!) Skibum's time, even though right before me, was significantly faster. I would have been VERY happy with her time!

I'm sticking to my theory that all the people I could have beat stayed home!

[annie]

CONGRATULATIONS, PW and skibum!!!

A TT is really a race against the clock and yourself. To finish is a success! To even try is a success! The first time is an unknown. Now you're ready for the next time. You know what you need to do. I'll bet your time improves! Certainly gives you a goal to work towards, and goals are good thing, right?

I am so glad you had a good time!

annie

[RoadRaven]

and this is why I lurve TTs...

[Nanci]

Cool, thanks for all the details! Don't forget to write about the next one! Do they get longer, or stay the same?

Nanci

[RoadRaven]

TTs are set distances usually over set courses

For example, the local club here uses
... an 18km course with some small rolling hills in the middle (out and back)
... a 20km flat course (out and back)
... a 20km flat course (circuitt)

Historically a TT should be a flat course as it is purely about strength, not about hill climbing ability. However, recently there has been a trend to put hills into TT courses which is a shame, because big strong riders can be disadvantaged on hills.

You always race the same courses/distances in the same direction, because although you want to beat others, the Time Trial is about whupping your own butt.

Riders are set off individually, 30seconds or a minute apart usually.
You are not allowed to draft from anyone or anything - you must do it all on your own.
You endeavour to ride as hard as you can for the entire distance and better your personal best.
When you reach the end you should have nothing left.

TTs are not about tactics, hill ability, pack cooperation or sprinting ability.

TTs are about knowing your lactic threshold and riding just underneath it for the entire time

TTs are about jumping straight into pain and staying there til the finish line

They are the ultimate race for me, because it is a race against yourself, and physically and mentally, yourself is the hardest person for you to beat...

Thats my take on it anyways, Nanci

[SadieKate]

Good write-up! Bubba and I started doing these this summer. Yellow, HotRod and Killer Bea came down from the mountains also so it just kind of turned into a party during and after.

It is an informal 10 mile flat TT sponsored biweekly by our LBS and the local Tri club. You'll get everyone from 12 year olds to Hawaii Ironman winners. At 56, Bubba is usually the SOF (senior old fart) but not always. It's fun because you're racing against the clock, not anyone else . . . well, fun if riding 10 miles at just below puke level in 95-100F weather is what you call fun.

I'm hoping this year to take 31 secs off my time for a 21 mph avg. Course, this is all on my triple crankset century-comfy Litespeed carrying double water bottles. I did add clip-on aeros but that has been my only concession. Yellow can make the pavement smoke. I wanna be like her when I grow up.

Now for the confession. Said group above? We probably race it more for the excuse to have Mexican and frozen margaritas after.