Deschutes River Valley Time Trial Festival

[Wahine]

I finished my first ever road bike even this weekend. I have raced MTB before (not well) and I race triathlon regularly. This was a training weekend for me and I got well schooled.

Here's what the weekend brought:

Saturday:
Stage 1 - 25 miles with about 2200 feet of climbing, rolling hills loop. 9 AM
My time: 1:28:57, 3/4 in my AG.

Stage 2 - 8 miles steady climb, one way only, climbs 1880 feet. 3 PM
My time: 48:28, 3/4 - by far this was my worst event relative to the crowd.

Sunday:
Stage 3 - 48 miles out and back 1st half is pretty steady uphill so down hill almost the whole way home, total climbing is about 3800 feet. 9 AM
My time: 2:56:23, 3/4

I'm treated this as a training weekend and was planning on sitting right at my anaerobic threshold for both events on Saturday and about 5 to 10 BPM for the Sunday stage. What really happened was that I stayed at my LT for the first 10 miles of stage 1 then I didn't have enough in my legs to stay there on the flatter parts of the course. No problem with that on Stage 2 since it was a pretty steep uphill.

Stage 3 was a steep uphill for the first 4 miles then a lesser grade for about 17 miles then another steep bit at the end before the turn around. I was right at my target HR for the first 5 miles then I had trouble keeping it up on the lesser grades, it kept going lower and lower even though I felt like I was working. Then I got a second wind before the turn around for the last steep part and held that on the downhill which gained me a lot of time because a lot of the other riders that had gained on me on the uphill were losing it on the down, especially in the flatter parts where there was a mild headwind.

So in the end, it was a good weekend. I learned a lot. Mostly that my legs need a lot more power to catch up to my aerobic system. Yuck, more intervals.

Of 67 riders only 10 were women and I placed 8/10.

Raven - this was a really fun weekend, I would encourage you to try to start something similar in your area.

[Veronica]

I was wondering how your weekend went. It sounds like it was a good training weekend.

V.

[RoadRaven]

Woohoo!
You rock... after one TT (if I have ridden it well) I walk like a duck... are you able to walk at all after three???

I am really enthused by this and have asked for it to be placed on our agenda.

A TimeTrial Festival... if we did it right it could become (in a few years perhaps) one of THE events in NZ... maybe (can you tell I am slightly enthusiastic???)

We (in this house) have already discussed several courses that could be in a 3 or 4 stage TT event... and if you drew only 67 riders, then we could anticipate less to begin with which would be good for teething problems.
Our club purchased last year an electronic timing system, and we have just about ironed out the glitches in making that work for graded racing and cat racing.

And 8th out of ten... and you went in thinking "training event" - what a supreme effort. You finished and that makes you a hero in my eyes.

I would have been like you on the return - I am fast downhill even when my legs have become seemingly dead in a climb... and head winds rarely bother me. Its a shame we aren't closer geographically - we might be a good match in team time trials!

Do you think you'll do any more TTs, or just stick mainly still to mountain bikes and tri's?

[Wahine]

Raven, I love your enthusiasm about this!! I will be doing more TTs, mostly because they get me out of my comfort zone. It's the best way I can think of right now to get better on the bike. I already know I can go long, I just need to go harder.

[RoadRaven]

Hey there Wahine

Hmmm, we have another TT convert then?
Most excellent.

Don't forget this thread: Training for Time Trials

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=12489

It might be useful for the cycling legs in your triathalons too.

Going harder is the toughest thing. I count my improvements in seconds... with a 30 second improvement being a sound thrashing of my previous PB.

So much of an effective TT is in the head, and I suspect it is the same in a triathalon. There is only you - no group to carry you, or bouy you up, or challenge you. Only yourself to answer to, only yourself to keep you motivated... very challenging

[SheFly]

Nice job, Wahine! That sounds like a brutal race. I love to TT, but uphill for 3 stages??? I MUCH prefer flatter courses (don't we all ).

I agree with Raven - you went in thinking about it being a training race, still gave it your all, and finished the event with what I consider great success. Give yourself a pat on the back, and for heaven's sake - take a rest day!

SheFly

[Wahine]

So much of an effective TT is in the head, and I suspect it is the same in a triathalon. There is only you - no group to carry you, or bouy you up, or challenge you. Only yourself to answer to, only yourself to keep you motivated... very challenging

This is very true. And it's especially hard to keep that push on for almost 2 hours of climbing.

I agree with Raven - you went in thinking about it being a training race, still gave it your all, and finished the event with what I consider great success. Give yourself a pat on the back, and for heaven's sake - take a rest day!

Thanks for the encouragement. I was going to run at lunch - nice easy 4 or 5 miles. But I changed my mind and devoured about 2000 Cal and now I need a nap. I have a meeting tonight after work, so it will be a rest day after all.

[imdeanna]

Wow.....Good Job!!! You truely amaze me!!!

Glad the weather held up for you too!! it was close to being really icky!


I think a trip to Carson Hot Springs is called for!!!!!