First Time Trial - Crash Course in Reality

[AuntieK]

Wow, freshsushi, you couldn't have written a better description of my first
TT! I still haven't gone back, but am planning to soon, so I too am thankful for the advice given in this tread.

[Brecca]

Hi gang, well, I didn't do the 40k at the Iowa State Time Trial today but opted to cut my teeth on the 20k and I'm glad I did. The course is for the most part flat for both the 40 and 20k, although there are some slight rises in the road and a couple of banked curves. The first leg of the run was great thanks to a tail wind that felt more like 12 to 15 mph instead of the 5-10 the weather service was predicting. I managed to hit 21.6 mph on my Catrike Speed and average 18.6-7 mph, which everyone tells me is a fairly decent speed for a trike.I made the turn around with no problem, thanks to the turning ability of the Speed. It can spin on a dollar and leave you change.....and smacked head on into that aforementioned headwind that had everyone, including the strong Roadies and Recumbent riders moaning and dropping mph's like rocks. At one point, probably about with 4 miles to go in my run, I thought to myself....you know you DON'T have to do this ....and my next thought was no, I WANT to do this! And I dug in and managed to finish in 44 minutes with a personal best of 16.75 mph. up almost 1.5 mph from my average last week at North Manchester. This may not seem fast to a lot of people, but considering the fact that I am 53, just started training in March and racing in May, and ride with a history of Rheumatic Heart Disease, I ain't complaining. Every mph that I can gain on my average is hard earned and every race I finish is a success story. Was it hard? Yeah, it was brutal, but I know that from this point on it will get easier. My S.O. managed to finish the 40k in 55 minutes riding a True Grit/faired recumbent. Now THAT's an accomplishment. I can only hope to be as fast on a bike as he is. My advice is to try a time trial when you can. I came home with a medal for my efforts and a true sense of accomplishment. No matter if you finish 1st or last, you go into it pedaling your heart out....and win. I have pics from the race that will be posted. I'll put up the website addy when it is available.

[SheFly]

Congrats, Brecca! Sounds like you had a great time, and you improved your average speed a significant amount. Those headwinds can be terribly demoralizing, but you perservered, which is fantastic!

RoadRaven - how did your TT go on Saturday?

SheFly

[Brecca]

Pictures from my race at the Iowa State TT can be found at: http://www.veloliner.com/iowaTT06
brecca

[RoadRaven]

Congrats, Brecca! Sounds like you had a great time, and you improved your average speed a significant amount. Those headwinds can be terribly demoralizing, but you perservered, which is fantastic!

RoadRaven - how did your TT go on Saturday?

SheFly

Alright I guess... I did win my grade (G), and would have come 11th in the next grade up, and second to last in the grade above that.

There were 17 women out of the 98 riders, I came 7th out of the women - but don't know where I would have come if it was age graded rather than ability as I don't know the ages of all the girls/women.

It was a nasty nasty day with a dreadful cross and head wind that swirled around the hillsides so despite the relatively flat course I didn't even average 30kph. Coming down the only hill I was pedalling flat out in my biggest gear and couldn't get over 40! It really sucked.

My only consolation re my time is that everyones times were slow. My eldest son and my partner would usually expect to have a 40+ average... they were both 39.something...

But did I enjoy it as a race - oh yes... I loved it. I loved it loved it loved it!

I am so obsessed and addicted its crazy!

Thanks for asking - sorry its taken a week to get back to this thread!

[SheFly]

There were 17 women out of the 98 riders, I came 7th out of the women - but don't know where I would have come if it was age graded rather than ability as I don't know the ages of all the girls/women.

Woohoo! That is an awesome result! Top half - you should be impressed with yourself. As I mentioned to Brecca, the wind can definitely be your enemy on the TT courses. Sounds like you hung in there, though, and did well despite the breeze!

But did I enjoy it as a race - oh yes... I loved it. I loved it loved it loved it!

I am so obsessed and addicted its crazy!

Thanks for asking - sorry its taken a week to get back to this thread!

Now that's enthusiasm And just remember, there are many worse things to which to be addicted. I was about to put out an APB on you, so glad that you finally got back to us with your results.

I, however, have some "bad" news to share. After working so hard two weeks ago to set the tandem record on our course, our competition beat us last week by 2.2 seconds (or 0.05 mph). We were really hoping that our record would hold until next season, but it looks like we will have to get out on the beast one more time (we only have one week left) to see if we can regain the course record. Of course, Ma Nature is conspiring against us - supposed to rain here all week....

Congrats, RoadRaven - looking forward to hearing many more TT adventures this season.

SheFly

[RoadRaven]

Gaaargh! SheFly! 2.2 seconds!!!

Bet you were gutted! So close...

So have you been out again? Had any luck to get that record back so you can hold it til next season?

I have just started my own "brag" thread (or maybe I'm being hopeful and it will be a "shame" thread) in this forum about my race goals... no stories there yet as the TT here I wrote about is the last race I have entered.

I am doing some specific TT training at the moment based on The Female Cyclist (which draws heavily on Friels Training Bible)

Hoping to see a significant improvement in my TT times.

Sushi and Brecca - hows your TTing going?