Some Success!!!

[Gowest]

Well ladies - I won my time trial - finally on the second try of the season - yes - it was WAY back in May - but good news travels slow and fast......Took 50 seconds off my personal best. It was a 20 K - and funny thing is - I felt awful during the race - but just kept at it - I actually had a STITCH in my side at one point - yes a STITCH!!! I have never had that feeling before riding a bike - only running - it was brief - but I though - oh crap...this isn't good.....but alas it was...

I also won a bronze medal back in April on the track in the 3000m ITT - I was so proud of that medal - the first sporting medal of any kind I have EVER won - at 41 no less. Some good things are worth waiting for....

I am going to hang up the bunch racing cleats though - after my crit crash in Feb I have found the risk to reward ratio for bunch racing is not in my best interests. Since I earn my living with my hands, and am self-employed, I just can't see taking the chance of really hurting myself at age 41 racing as a cat 4 racer...so I will be sticking to the time trials and having fun riding hard just for little ole me.

I ordered some kevlar reinforced "racing tires" (Schwalbe Plus) to put on my rig for a touring ride in Glacier National Park I am doing in August - I just can't bring myself to put total touring type tires on my racing frame...so this is my compromise.....laugh at me as I will probably still have to deal with punctures, as my touring mates with their touring rigs cruise on by me changing a flat!

Gowest

[beccaB]

Well ladies - I won my time trial - finally on the second try of the season - yes - it was WAY back in May - but good news travels slow and fast......Took 50 seconds off my personal best. It was a 20 K - and funny thing is - I felt awful during the race - but just kept at it - I actually had a STITCH in my side at one point - yes a STITCH!!! I have never had that feeling before riding a bike - only running - it was brief - but I though - oh crap...this isn't good.....but alas it was...

I also won a bronze medal back in April on the track in the 3000m ITT - I was so proud of that medal - the first sporting medal of any kind I have EVER won - at 41 no less. Some good things are worth waiting for....

I am going to hang up the bunch racing cleats though - after my crit crash in Feb I have found the risk to reward ratio for bunch racing is not in my best interests. Since I earn my living with my hands, and am self-employed, I just can't see taking the chance of really hurting myself at age 41 racing as a cat 4 racer...so I will be sticking to the time trials and having fun riding hard just for little ole me.

I ordered some kevlar reinforced "racing tires" (Schwalbe Plus) to put on my rig for a touring ride in Glacier National Park I am doing in August - I just can't bring myself to put total touring type tires on my racing frame...so this is my compromise.....laugh at me as I will probably still have to deal with punctures, as my touring mates with their touring rigs cruise on by me changing a flat!

Gowest

I am so Jealous! I want to go to Glacier, but I can't even imagine riding at that altitude. I live a few hundred feet above sea level. I hope you will post pictures!

[smilingcat]

congratulation on your win. You blah! tongue hanging out feeling is probably you were going at your limit? Maybe? It does to a person you know. I remember reading about you shattering your frame in a pileup, Last turn on a crit. Second most common location I think. It sounds like thats all behind and you are back in your groove.

Is it another Orbea you are riding?

Smilingcat

[Gowest]

Yes smiling cat - I replaced my road frame with the same - and Orbea Orca. For road time trials I am riding an Orbea Ora - you can see a photo on my blog - and for track time trials I ride a Pinarello.

[RoadRaven]

Hey there GoWest... I'm a bit late coming to this thread, but well done you!

50 seconds?!?! Thats awesome. 18-20km TTs are what I do most, and some 25km TTs... so I know exactly what 50 seconds means in terms of upping your peformance and digging it in just a bit more.

Remember... stich is good - in an ITT any pain means you are beginning to put in enough effort - getting past the pain and being unable to walk properly (I call my walk the "duck-walk") means you did well.

We use Kevlar race tyres on a couple of our bikes - Kevlars are good. I look forward to reading about your August tour in Glacier NP