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A Tale of Two Time Trials

Sunday, July 17th, 2011

Friday evening I participated in a 20K time trial. That effort was planned. Saturday morning I participated in a 42 mile time trial. That effort was unplanned.

This morning I woke up feeling like a Mack truck hit me. That was partially because of the two efforts, but more because of the event that led to my second time trial of the weekend.  But, I am getting ahead of myself.

After a very hot week, I made it up to Marshall, NC to find the weather perfect for the time trial. The temperature was in the upper 60s. The rain that had been threatening all day never came. The wind was blowing, but not too bad since the course was shielded to a degree by a ridge along the road.

I changed my approach somewhat from the last time trial I participated in. This time I kept an eye on my heart rate. I also paid greater attention to my average speed. Power wasn’t as much my focus.

Lining up to start, I was glad I decided to race. At 11 AM that morning, I wasn’t so sure I would. My motivation was so low. It wasn’t until then that I signed up — just shortly before the noon deadline.

Of course, that meant that I was going to start near the beginning. As a matter of fact, because of some late arrivals and no-shows, I ended up the second rider away!

The course was an out and back. It was slightly uphill/rolling on the way out. As you made certain turns around the base of the ridge to your left, you would get hit by a headwind.

On the way back, you had the opposite… rolling/downhill with some tailwind. Because of this, I figured if I could ride on my limit on the way out, then I could count on the advantages of the return to hold the speed.

Things were running according to plan on the way out until I neared the turnaround. I could see the rider who started before me up ahead. Behind her was a car rolling slowly. It was as though the car was supporting her.

My brain automatically calculated that I would catch them before the turn. For a moment I felt a bit of panic. This could really hurt my time. Rather than rolling up fast behind the car, I tried to time it so that I would reach the turn just as the car would move through.

The the car stopped! I wasn’t sure what to do and looked at the official. There was some confusion between the elderly woman driving the car and the marshal. She would stop… go… started to turn her wheel to the left. “Stop!” The official commanded and then motioned me around the right side of the car. Finally I was able to make my turn.

While the turn seemed to last forever, it probably was no more than 10 seconds. I got back up to speed and kept watching my average speed. I was well below what I hoped to average. At this point, I was around 25.2 mph. However, I knew that I would be able to pick that up on the way back… but by how much.

Shortly before I reached the finish I ticked past 26 mph. I was wishing and hoping that the next turn would reveal the finish. I dug down to bring out anything I had left. My heart rate was moving up into the 184 range – the upper end of my red zone.

I stopped my clock at 28:49. The official time had me stopped at 28:55. Oddly enough, it appeared that most all the riders had 5 more seconds on their times than they thought. I timed my teammate Mark Caskey during his effort and he finished 28:00 by my watch. He was given an official time of 28:05.

The next morning I woke up in the hotel room feeling comfortable. My muscles felt good, but the bed felt better! I knew that it was going to be a tough road race. Had I not already paid my registration fee, I might have just rolled over to sleep.

Looking back, I think that might have been a good idea. When I first started warming up, I didn’t feel that way. My legs felt loose and strong. Dare I start to dream that I would be able to at least pull in a top 20 finish?

We lined up and waited for the announcements to finish so we could start on our way. I was racing the Giant with the iBike on it. I also had my Garmin Edge 500 on the bar to read the wattage from the power meter.

As the flag dropped for us to start, I looked down and saw that the Garmin had timed out. Foolishly, I tried to turn the computer back on while getting my cleats attached to the pedals.

The power button was on the left side up against the iBike. I was trying to get my finger between the two units. As I was pushing down with my left foot, I had my right hand off the bars. Suddenly, the front wheel turned abruptly left. I then “tripped” over the front wheel and went down hard on my left hand and shoulder.

The field disappeared as I disentangled myself from the bike. I wasn’t even thinking about whether I was okay or not. I just wanted to get back on and catch the field.

I grabbed the stem to pick the bike up. When I did, I noticed the first damage. The iBike mount was broken and the until was hanging loosely. I ripped it off and stuck it in my jersey pocket.

Once again I focused on getting back on the bike. However, I noticed immediately that my rear wheel wasn’t turning. At first I thought I had bent the wheel or the brake calipers. Checking the brakes, I noticed they were fine, but the pads were both up tight against the wheel.

I quickly took a look at my left shifter. Sure enough, I could see and feel that the shifter was jammed. At that point, I thought my race was done. Pushing on the shifting paddle, I heard a “click” and suddenly everything cleared up. Checking the brakes and the gears, it appeared that I was back in business.

“They field is neutralized until they get out of town,” the officials told me. “You can probably catch back on.” I jumped on and took off after them. At that point, I really believed I could catch them.

I passed out of town and couldn’t see them. I knew there would be a turn unto a climb soon. Would they kill it up the climb or pace in preparation of the two later killer ascents? If I didn’t catch them here…. it was going to be a loooong day!

It struck me at this point that I was running about as hard now as I was in the previous day’s time trial. How long could I keep this up? Then I saw the back of a rider disappearing around a bend ahead. Wow, maybe I could catch them yet, get in the field, and recover.

Then I discovered he was being dropped. The road was still winding and I knew they could be just around the next turn. I would know more once I caught the dangling rider.

I got him on the next slight climb. The news I learned wasn’t good. Seems they were going hard that first climb and the rider I caught had been dropped early on. Still, there was some downhill and if I worked hard….

Soon I glimpsed another carrot up ahead. This was all happening within the first 30 minutes. I was still hoping.

That is until I reached a straight rolling section. Ahead I could see my carrot and then off in the distance — about a two to three minute gap. The truth hit me hard. I was not going to catch them. No way.

I caught my carrot (John Martin who would go on to finish a rider ahead of me) and we worked together for a bit. Unfortunately, about an hour in I couldn’t pull through to take my turn. I was passed by the Category 3 field as I climbed the first ascent.

Now it was just a matter of finishing. I did pass one more rider before the finish. As I was slogging up the final kilometer, I passed a rider who had dismounted and was walking barefoot up toward the finish while pushing his bike ahead of him.

I guess things could have been worse. Of course, the full affects of the adventure didn’t get me until this morning. I woke up with a bruised shoulder and left wrist, sore right fingers, and a saddle sore.

It seems this is the story of my racing career recently. It is all enough to get me questioning why I do this. I’m not doing much to help myself and I’m not doing much to help my team. I love racing, but I don’t seem to reach the full potential. Well, I guess I’ll just keep pedaling away and waiting for a change.

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Listen to your wife

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Yesterday I was given a choice by my coach – a) race in the Tuesday Night World Championships, or b) do repeats on Paris Mountain. With the heat index heading upward to 110 degrees, I was kind of hoping for a third option! Thankfully, I listened to the Beautiful Redhead.

“Shouldn’t you go out to Donaldson tonight,” she asked. “It would be probably be good for you to ride in a group like that since you have a road race coming up.” It is true that I have been mentioning that while I have been able to see some progress in my fitness, I am struggling once I get into a race. Training and racing are two different things. The TNWC give you a perfect opportunity to train in race like conditions.

As I waited for the ride to start while leaning on my bike in the shade with two of my teammates, I took a look at the temperature reading on my computer. 106 degrees Fahrenheit. You could feel the heat on the road coming up like tentacles trying to grab at your legs to pull away their strength.

Thankfully, the field started out with a pace to conducive to the conditions. As we progressed I stayed back toward the rear of the field. I figured I would see what would happen for the first couple of laps and give it an effort here or there and then pull out after three completions of the 7 mile circuit.

That first lap was uneventful. On the second lap I slowly began to work my way up toward the front. I knew that the field wouldn’t keep this pace the whole night. Soon, someone was going to make a move. Even though I wasn’t planning on doing all five laps, I did want to participate in the process.

Until that time I concentrated on watching the indications of the wind as we progressed. With that knowledge, I looked to position myself so that other riders were taking the wind. So, on the second lap when I saw a dangerous group of riders begin to test the field as we crossed rail road tracks, I was trapped against the white line. This kept me out of the wind, but also made it a challenge to make a move.

Well, that is why I was out there. I began to work my way toward the yellow line. This was accomplished by looking for small gaps and slowly moving my bike into them. While avoiding any sudden moves, I was “prying” my way through the pack to make my way over to where I could see Eric Christophersen begin to make a move along the left side of the field.

I was there shortly before we reached the “smooth pavement” section of the course. I settled in behind Eric’s wheel and worked across the gap. He was following the wheel of another rider in front of him. As we neared the riders ahead, Eric slowed. It threw me for a moment, but I accelerated around him and caught the tail. At that point there was a good sized pace line going.

From that point on through the third lap I was in the front dozen or so.  A couple of times I closed some gaps and by the time we were heading toward 3M hill, I was hitting my red line. This means I was registering over 183 bpm on my heart monitor. If I kept this up I would be hating life in a few minutes. I had to slip back a bit to recover.

The good news is that by the time we reached the top of 3M hill and turning onto the rail road track portion of the course, I was recovered. That is exciting. Success is not so much measured by how long you can ride on the limit. It is more important to be able to recovery quickly from an effort. Of course, ideally you can ride for long periods on the limit and still recover quickly.

At this point, I wasn’t really focusing on my placement. I was mentally starting to wind down for my predetermined finish. Up ahead I saw my teammate, Thomas, begin to accelerate. He had mentioned before that he was only going to do three laps as well. If that was the case, I felt kind of sorry for the two other riders who hooked up with him. It would be a surprise if when they passed the start/finish line that they suddenly lost that power house. Of course, Thomas might not could have helped himself and pushed on to the finish.

I continued along with the group directly surrounding me until we started into the dip. It was then that my mind shifted to the position I was in. I glanced behind expecting to see the field bearing down on me. There was no one.

Hmmm, it crossed my mind to try to close up the gap and catch back on for the remainder. No. I had pushed myself the last couple of training rides – including an all out effort on Paris Mountain the day before. I was going to stick with my plan. So, I pulled off the road and headed home.

I’m glad I did the TNWC. I was feeling more comfortable in the pack. I also was feeling much better with my fitness – surprisingly so. Now, I just have to turn my focus to this weekend. I wonder what advice my wife will have for me then.

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Talking the Tour

Monday, July 11th, 2011

The Tour de France has not been much of a topic here on Low Cadence. I’m not a professional cycling expert. I am a fan and on this first rest day of the Tour, I think we fans need the rest as much as the riders!

When I say I am a fan, that does not mean I am a fanatic. My relationship with pro cycling is a complicated one. I don’t have much trust for it. However, I can’t help to be drawn into the spectacle of it all. The Tour de France is like a novel with intertwining plots and sudden surprises waiting behind the next turn of the page. Sure, the book may be a fantasy, but the storyline is captivating. You get drawn into the experience regardless of whether the characters are real or not.

Yet, they are real. This Tour more than any other in my short cycling experience has shown the frailty of the human element in this sport. With 18 riders having abandoned in this first week – most due to injuries from crashes – I’m emotionally beat up. I’m happy to close the book for a moment and leave the plot behind.

The emotions come from my own experience. There was a time when I would see a wreck on TV and I would feel bad for the rider. However, I was a spectator with really no emotional connection to the event.

Now days, with each accident it is more like a scene from Harry Potter where the dementors suck the happiness from the soul with each pass of their dark forms. I”m not putting myself on the same level as Johnny Hoogerland, but as the tears came when he stood on the podium to receive the polka dot jersey, I could feel his emotions. I’ve cried those tears before.

They are tears of pain mixed with relief. They are the result of survival followed by questions of the future. It is the expression of a body and spirit that has overcome — but with a price.

Meanwhile, we find Tommy Voeckler climbing atop the podium. A grown man looking like a school boy. His excitement over taking the yellow jersey was obvious.

It is going to be an interesting rest of the Tour. Here are my thoughts going forward…

BMC

Okay, I admit I have a soft spot for this outfit. It has a couple of Greenville connections and is a ProTour team with an American history. With Cadel Evans they definitely represent the underdog persona.

Let’s face it, they are one of the only teams with a GC favorite that has their whole team available. In this Tour that is saying something! However, in the back of my mind I can’t just help wondering if that is enough.

I envision a day in the high mountains when Cadel will be isolated with no teammates to help him battle the various attacks that are sure to come. I do hope I am wrong. Obviously, the team has met every challenge so far. Besides, Cadel always has the individual time trial to help level out the mountains a bit.

Contador

Seems to me that if Alberto Contador is to win this Tour, he is going to have to do it by himself. His Saxo-Bank team seems disjointed and is not a full strength. They seem to have no chemistry on the road.

Perhaps he is riding into form, but the Spaniard also doesn’t seem to have the punch you see in other races. Could it be the multiple crashes he has had? Could it be the distraction of the drug allegations?

Bottom line is that I could be wrong, but I don’t see him taking back the time he has lost. No doubt he will try and may even cut into the deficit, but it is a mighty challenge awaiting him… pretty much alone.

Who am I watching out for?

Leopard Trek has quietly been carrying on business. When I see Cadel Evans isolated on the climbs, it is the black and white kits of the Schleck’s team that I see pressuring him. Perhaps they have not lived up to their super-team status so far this season, but barring some unforeseen event (and this year that can’t be ruled out) I see a very good finish for Andy or Frank.

I always enjoy watching the sprinting machine that is HTC. However, I keep seeing Tony Martin popping up here and there. Not a bad individual time trial rider there. With his teammate, Veilts, there challenging for climbing stage wins, I will be interested to see how they counter punch the Schleck duo.

But really, what do I know? Could be that Contador has just been playing around with us and is waiting to “dance on his pedals” to the top of the podium. Then again, it could very well be as some others have said, “It will all come down to the rider who hasn’t wrecked himself out of the Tour.” I hope not. I hope this rest day staunches the bleeding — figuratively and literally!

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Happy to be unhappy

Friday, July 8th, 2011

Yesterday was full of unexpected changes. I was trying my best to be negative, but good things continued to surprise me. I finally had to give in and just enjoy it.

Early in the afternoon I walked across campus to get a cup of coffee and to stretch my legs. On the way back to the office I looked out toward Paris Mountain to see clouds begin to build behind it. “Don’t know if I’ll be riding the time trial tonight,” I thought to myself. “I really don’t want to be out there in the rain.”

The main reason I wanted to participate was to go out and get a personal best. If I didn’t have a chance to do that, then I just didn’t feel up to getting out there and suffering or putting myself into danger. Rain – with thunder, lightening, and wind – would create that scenario.

Back at the office I checked the weather map and things didn’t look so good there either. However, around 430 the clouds were breaking up and I could see blue sky. Surprisingly, it appeared that storm was going to stay away for a bit. It was time to go.

I grabbed me a peanut butter and honey sandwich, grabbed a bottle of gel along with some water, and headed out the door. My Felt was on top of the car with it’s time trial setup. My alien helmet was in the hatch. Let’s roll!

The versatile Felt AR

Once I got on the course to warm up, the negative thoughts started creeping back into my mind. The reason was due to the wind. The course was much more windy than it was during the last TT at Donaldson. Basically, that meant even if I rode harder this time, there would be a good chance that I would come in slower.

My plan was simple. I would set up my computer to give me an average power reading. I would then ride to maintain an average that would exceed my last power average and be consistent with what I knew I could do for a 20 minute effort.

I timed my warm up perfectly. Just as I arrived back to the line my name was called. I was feeling cautiously optimistic as I got my gearing sorted and waited to go.

The rider ahead of me was Jake Strasser. When I first saw him there, I was disappointed. Jake is a pretty strong rider and I know that he has a good power output. It crossed my mind that I wouldn’t have the pleasure of a rabbit to chase.

As soon as the countdown ended the surprises kept coming. I came out strong and my average was easily holding over 400 watts. More than that, it appeared that the wind – rather than growing stronger as the evening progressed – was calming. My mental condition tilting upward.

My plan was to finish the course with an average power over 300 watts. I told myself that it didn’t really matter what time I got. The important thing was for me to give my best so that when I came across the line I was spent. If I averaged that wattage for the 20+ minutes, that should be the case.

As I passed the halfway point on the leg out, I could see that the average was still over 325 watts. As I glanced below the average watts line occasionally to see what I was doing I started feeling better and better. Most times I was showing over 300 watts though sometimes touching a low point of 290 – 280.

Then I came into sight of the turning point. Ahead I could see Jake. That was a surprise. I figured I would see him near this point, but he would be going back the other way. Ah, there was my rabbit!

I made the turn at 10 minutes 30 seconds. The slight climb up to the turning point had put a few nagging negative thoughts in my mind, but I put them aside and concentrated on the back of Jake’s jersey. “Find your happy place and just turn in circles,” I told myself.

The average watts read 316 as I made the turn and pointed the Felt home. I caught Jake at last just before making the right hand turn that would take me to the next challenge — the climb up 3M hill. I could see the flag off to my right waving gently, but out from the pole. Here I was getting a crosswind. That meant it would be tough going on the section after crossing the railroad tracks.

About that time I caught another rider. This contestant was riding Merckx style. As I went by, he cheered me on. That made me smile and I settled in to level out 3M.

After making the turn that would lead me to the railroad tracks, I could see that I was still holding watts over a 310 average. “Almost there,” I told myself. What I tried not to tell myself was that this final bit was going to be tough.

As I crossed the tracks I just aimed for the section of the course where the tarmac would smooth out. While that would also mean the beginning of the wind, it would be a welcome relief from the rough asphalt around the tracks. It would be nice to get away from that resistance reaching up and trying to grab my wheels.

Ahead I could see another group. It was one of the teams (three riders in this case) who were participating in the team time trial. It was a co-ed team. As I approached them, I could hear the sound of a vehicle coming up behind me. I did slow slightly as I overtook them at the same time the driver overtook me.

Then it was clear road ahead. I was really feeling it at this point and the average had dropped to around 308 watts. The wattage dropped further as I made the slight descent into “the dip” before the long climb up toward the finish.

As I descended, I found it hard to get my wattage up. My legs weren’t able to turn the gear fast enough to exceed my momentum enough. I used the moment for a chance to catch my breathe before giving it all I had for the climb up to the finish.

I started the climb up having reached a low point of 303 watts. I tried to find a rhythm to my breathing and tried to ramp my power up as best I could. I moved into the 400 watts range and started to find it harder to hold. I kept turning, but watched the real time wattage continue to drop. Still, I was staying over 300 watts.

It wasn’t until that point that I realized that I was going to meet my goal. I finished that final section averaging 350 watts and crossed the line averaging 311 for the effort. My watch showed a time of 22 minutes 39 seconds. Officially, I was given the time of 22 minutes 40 seconds.

That was nearly a half minute faster than my previous best time. However, it was only 5th best for the night. Pat McCallion finished first with a time of 21:22. Of course, he is a South Carolina time trial champion. Unsurprisingly, Eric Christophersen (also a former SC TT champion and runner up to Pat this year) was second coming in at 21:32. Third was my teammate, Mark Caskey, with a time of 22:22. Edging me out of fourth place with a time of 22:37 was Brian Kadien.

I summed it up on Twitter following the race, “Got a PB at TT tonight, but placed 5th. Not happy about it. That makes me feel good.” It was nice to feel disappointed because it means that some of the fire that has been missing from my belly has returned.

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Love or Obligation

Tuesday, July 5th, 2011

Last week I watched the page views for the blog tick pass 200,000. It gave me a moment to pause and go back to the beginning — back before LowCadence.com. It also caused me to take a time-out and reassess where I am today.

Since 2005, I have posted to either StackOfStuff.net, GreenvilleOnline.com, or LowCadence.com over 2000 times. Combined, the page views have exceeded 400,000. To be honest, I’m surprised that I have managed to continue for so long with only small breaks along the way.

That pretty much describes my relationship with the bicycle over that time as well. Actually, I would never have thought I would be doing the things I have done back on that day my wife encouraged me to get back on my mountain bike. It has been a time of love, hate, sweat, triumph, failure, elation, suffering, pain, confidence, questioning… and any other number of descriptors from life. Indeed, it is as though the bicycle gives you an opportunity to magnify both the weaknesses and strengths of “normal” life.

Something has changed inside me though. I look at my “numbers’ and they are as good or better than  ever. According to my coach I “have what it takes.” He follows that up by saying, “Now it is time to use it.” My problem is I don’t seem to have the same drive to “use it” as I once did.

Take last Thursday for instance. My numbers said I should have been right in the mix. However, I struggled mentally to find my place. That was compounded by watching my teammate go down right in front of me and then narrowly missing another crash.

I don’t ride with fear. It is amazing how you can ride through a near crash – or even crash – and then get right back at it. No, it is more of a calculated assessment.

I lined up for the 1-2-3 race right after the Masters race. My coach told me to do so. As I waited for the official to call the start, I thought ahead to the next 45 minutes.  Here were some fresh young guns including at least one continental pro. I was about to set myself up for suffering and potential pain — for what?

We started off and the fire never came to my belly. Ten minutes in and I could see my family sitting up on the top of a hill watching me race. Just sitting there watching me hanging out in the final third of the field.

We came around the final two sweeping turns of the course and I wound it up. Let’s see how long I could stay off the front and then call it a day. I quickly moved up toward the front and as I moved into the top 10 I could see a rider starting to attack on the opposite side of the field. We both broke through onto the front at the same time just as we passed the start line.

As we were doing so, Blair was yelling, “Prime on this lap! Prime on this lap!” Great. That was just what I needed about the time I was trying an attack. Still, I kept the hammer down.

The two of us soon caught two other riders who had attacked right off the bat. I didn’t slow and went right around them. As I passed, I could see they were reacting to get on our wheels.

About halfway, we started the little climb back onto the main track and I noticed a wheel coming up near me. As we crested, that wheel was joined by others. I had been caught. By the time we reached the chicane, the field was all together. Coming out of the turns, I have to admit, I glanced up to see my family and wanted to go home.

Some will say I should never pull out of a race – unless pulled off the course by the officials. Some will say that I just don’t have the competitor’s spirit. Some might say that I gave up too easily. Maybe all of that is true.

The question I have to ask myself at that point is does it really matter what “some” say? Paul Sherwen commented recently during the Tour coverage that the reason the professionals race their bikes is because they love it. Only love is what makes them go through the suffering.

Do I love the bike? I guess because I pause to answer the question that probably means I don’t. Perhaps right now I am more “in like” than “in love.” Or maybe it is all the structure of training and racing that has turned love into obligation.

I actually enjoy training. My coach tells me I am a hard worker. I like being given a goal and trying to meet it.

I love getting on my bike and exploring new roads. I love those times when I am riding the bike and don’t think about it. My mind is solving some problem or dreaming of a new idea while my legs automatically move me along.

I enjoy racing — when given freedom to try and fail. The thing that weighs most on my mind is not pulling my weight for the team or getting in the way. It was much easier when I was racing alone. I knew what to do and if I failed, I didn’t let anyone down but myself.

Still, one thing I have learned over the last six years: things change. Like a batter in a slump, sometimes you just have to keep swinging until you come out of it. Right now, I’m must looking for that one good hit.

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My trophy: my own skin

Friday, July 1st, 2011

I think I now know why I was so nervous before the race last night. Sure, part of it was due to the fact that I hadn’t participated in racing for several weeks. However, memories of the technical aspects of the BMW course played a role as well. My nervousness was not unfounded.

In the parking lot I struck up a conversation with one of my teammates about his new Felt bicycle. “It is aluminum,” he informed me. “Well, that is the bike you would want for out here!” I replied as a joke. “That is why I have it,” he said — and I didn’t detect any humor in his voice.

The ladies were out racing the course and I connected with some other teammates to ride around the skid pad circle as we waited for the full course to open. This pad is where drivers will work on their drifting skills in the myriad of BMW’s parked around the track. The funny thing is you can get down right dizzy going around and around the circle on your bike.

Taking a break from the merry-go-round, I rode up an interior road to an area near the start line. There I found David Curran watching the current race. “So, what course do they have us doing tonight,” I asked. “Everything,” he replied. “We’re going all the way around the lower area and then through the chicane,” he paused for a second. “I think there will be a kitchen sink out there somewhere as well.”


View Larger Map

This meant we would be starting going left to right. There is a slight grade and a very shallow turn to the right. At that point you have to set up for a tighter turn to the left that then straightens for about 20 meters before you dive down into the lower portion of the course.  So far things are not so technical. However, that then brings you into a very tight left turn that immediately leads to another only slightly less tight turn to the left.

These are technical only in the sense that you must know the limits of how far you can lean. More than once I have seen riders — and have myself — clipped the ground with a pedal. The problem is that the turn is not so tight that you can’t pedal, but it is tight enough that if you don’t watch it you will find your rear wheel lifting off the ground. Other than that the tarmac is smooth and you can maintain quite a bit of speed.

My first two times through this section I was embarrassed. The speed of my entry made me lose my nerve and I didn’t trust my bike. I found myself washing wide in the turn. I’m sure the riders around me weren’t too happy with me. However, by the third lap, I just made up my mind to trust my tires. I weighted my right leg and pushed down on my left bar. The tires stuck and before long I was taking the turn as tight as anyone and riding on that edge that allowed me to turn as sharply as I could while still pedaling to avoid a gap forming.

After these two turns the course straightens for a bit. At the end of this straight section is the climb back onto the main test track. As you crest the rise the course narrows. More than once racers would bunch up in this section. It was a combination of the grade and the bottleneck that caused it. Thankfully, even though a couple of riders ended up taking to the dirt and a few words were spoken here or there, there were no “instances” in this spot.

Once back on the main track the group had a small straight section to get set up for the next technical section. This is the ONE. It is the tightest chicane of the course. Off of the short straight you take a 90 degree left turn. Almost immediately you have to bring your weight over the bike to go into an even tighter right hand turn.

The last time I raced on this course, it was in this section I ended up riding over a guy and off the tarmac. I don’t know if it is because sometimes riders don’t get their weight correctly proportioned after the shift from left turn to right or what, but it is in this spot where you will find bikes coming out from beneath their owners. This race was no exception.

I had struggled in the first part of the race getting back used to race speed. I also was trying to get comfortable with the turns. It was starting to come together and I determined I would start working my way back toward the front. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there at this point. I was in the last third of the pack.

As we entered this chicane I was comfortably on the wheel of the teammate with the aluminum Felt. I say comfortably because I trust these guys and their bike handling skills. I’m the least experienced of all of them. I always feel good about my safety around them.

So I was shocked as I watched my teammate lose traction with his rear wheel. All of a sudden everything went into slow motion. I immediately ceased pedaling and started to feather my brakes. He was unable to right the bike and I watched him slam into the ground. All the while I was trying to decide what to do.

My fear was that if I swerved to go around him I would go into the line of the riders behind me and cause a pile up. I could also continue into his bike with the hope that I could ride over his wheel — and not flip over it! Thankfully (for me), both he and his bike slid forward on the track and not across it. This allowed me enough time to brake and get out of my pedals. I got my feet on the ground just as my rear wheel was lifting due to my heavy breaking.

In the heat of the battle, I moved around the wreck, got back in my pedals, and then started to chase back on. “What am I doing?” I berated myself. The groans of my teammate had finally registered in my brain. I couldn’t just leave him there in the middle of the road! I went back to help him.

At this moment, I do not know the extent of his injuries. All I’ll say is that I hurt for him. His right shoulder was chewed up pretty badly. I hope that the pain isn’t more than skin deep.

I slowly rolled off and waited for the field to catch me. It gave me the chance to see my teammate Thomas continue his solo break (which was the winning one). Then the field came by and I worked my way back into the rear of it. I had not requested a free lap, so I wasn’t sure if I was considered to be a lapped rider or not. I figured it didn’t really matter because I wasn’t in contention for anything anyway. Our team was just trying to control so Thomas could stay away.

Back to the course… after the section where the first accident happened there is a fast left hand turn out of the chicane. It really isn’t that bad of a spot except that the cars cut the inside corner here and wash sand up on the track. I made it a point to take the middle of this turn to avoid the sand.

Once through that section you are pretty much home free as the course goes straight for a bit into two very fast, slightly banked, and shallow left turns as the main track follows the contour of the skid pad located within this area — think your classic two turns on an oval track. Coming out of those the course straightens a bit as you head to the finish.

My plan was to make it through the chicane and then turn up the wick through those final turns. You can easily move from the back to the front at that point. The turn is wide and most riders go inside. If you pedal fast you can come around their right. The only sketchy spot is you have to make sure you can slot back in once you come out of the turn since many riders then shift to the right to line up for the finish. I’ve gotten some good finishes in the past this way.

It wasn’t to be. As we entered the sandy section I began to prep to accelerate with the move I was sure would come once the field got on the straight. Suddenly, I found myself braking once again as I heard the sound of bikes going down and saw riders continuing straight off the course instead of making the left turn. I avoided a rider coming across my front wheel and went as wide as could to avoid braking too hard and having someone crash into the back of me.

Had I been two riders up I would have been right in the middle of it. I looked down and saw a 10 to 12 foot scrape on the ground where someone’s rear derailleur had slid across the pavement. As I moved away from the scene I saw riders disentangling themselves and checking their wounds. I slowly rode the final distance to come across the line 20th. Of course, I could care less about the placement — I was just glad I had survived!

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Good, better, but not quite best

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

Sitting in my office at around 4PM I brought up the weather map. The forecast for the next several hours called for potential thunderstorms. Walking outside and taking a look at the sky showed clouds north of Paris Mountain. To the south things didn’t look so bad. Looked like the Greenville Spinners Time Trial at Donaldson Center would be on.

I rushed home to get ready. All the while the clouds continued to mass. I could hear thunder in the distance. It would be my luck that I would be all ready and get there just to get dumped on. Still, it was worth the chance.

What a surprise to find that when I arrived it was overcast, but not threatening. The bigger surprise was that normally windy Donaldson Center was dead still. The flags hung limply from their poles.

Hmmmm, low wind and cloud cover easing some of the oppressive heat from the sun just might be a good setup for a good time. The only weather condition that might be an issue was the incredible humidity. You really could feel the air around you.

I got registered and started warming up for my 6:09 PM start time. As I followed the course I took note of the road surface and the various flags and trees around the course that could give me an indication of the environmental factors. Another objective was to map out in my mind how I would approach the terrain.

When I got to the turn around spot, I hoped to find the cone so that I could practice making a quick turn around it. Unfortunately, the cone had not yet been placed. Also, traffic was heavy at that point and I had to stop with several other riders to wait for it to clear so we could start back.

Arriving back at the start I just had enough time to swallow some gel and jettison one of my water bottles before I was called to the line. I would be about fifth out. I slotted in and waited for my turn.

The track start still was uncomfortable for me. I’m sure I gave the guy holding my bike fits as I couldn’t seem to get my pedals positioned correctly and my weight shifted around. To make matters worse, I shifted my weight on the aero-bars and pushed my elbow rest down. The count down got closer to “Go!” and I tried to put all that out of my mind.

Then I was off! My goal was to beat my time of 23:32 from the previous TT I did a year ago on this course. I wanted to do well on the finish sheet, but that was not my primary focus. The person I wanted to beat the most was myself.

I had started in my big ring and about the middle of my rear cassette. I tucked in my aerodynamic position and started shifting the gears into a consistent cadence. I worked to hold myself back a bit in this first section to around 300 watts.

Immediately, I could tell this wasn’t a warm up anymore. As I started up the first incline my breathing began to change. I focused on avoiding quick draws into my lungs and tried to bring my breathing into a rhythm with my pedal strokes.

Alone, cutting through the heavy air around me, I was suddenly elated! This time a year ago, I was on pain killers with a neck brace and sleeping in my recliner. “I’m alive!” I thought to myself. “I’m not just alive, I’m competitive.” Sure, I wasn’t back to the point I had reached last year, but I was better. Suddenly, it didn’t really matter how I did. I was just enjoying the moment.

Crossing the tracks I reached a straight section where I could see ahead to the next turn. There was my minute man. Hey, maybe I could catch him. “You’ve got the majority of the whole course to do it,” I had to tell myself to keep from accelerating too quickly.

I didn’t really have an idea of how I was doing with my time. Unfortunately, all the uncertainty with my start caused me to forget to start my computer until a number of seconds into the effort. How many seconds I did not know.

My minute man got closer as I made the turn that would bring me to the turn around. I could also see several other riders ahead or coming toward me. I might not have the best time, but I certainly was going to have a time better than most.

As I got to the cone, my minute man was just starting off on his return. Going into the turn I found myself coping with another participant who was just passed by the rider in front of me. I had to negotiate around him, but my turn was still waaaay better than last year!

So, I had already overtaken the rider who started 2 minutes in front of me. By the time I made it to the first turn that would take us to 3M hill, I passed my minute man. Up ahead, I could see yet another rider. It was encouraging to have some targets.

At the same time, I was starting to feel it. I found myself wanting to mash on the pedals instead of pedal in circles. As I would get my legs back in form I could feel the lactic acid begin to build. “That’s not pain,” I would repeat to myself. “That is power.” A grin came to my face as I found myself actually enjoying that swelling feeling that comes into your legs as your heart rate nears its threshold.

I passed the third rider before I reached the rail road track. I was struggling a bit at this point and the thought of the final climb began to affect my effort. It was at this point I probably lost time that I could have gained. My power average for that section was a dismal 209 watts. My thought was on saving something for the climb.

As I started up, I could see the fourth rabbit up ahead. I put my head down and went after him. I caught him at about 1K to go. Then I knew it was just me to beat. I had the sensation that if I continued to sit I would start to fade, so I stood and began to push toward the line.

I knew immediately that I had left something out there. My calculations left me with a bit in the tank. Of course, the number one rule of time trials is to leave nothing there.

Looking at my clock, I could tell that it was going to be close. I cooled down and made my way back to the officials’ tent. The more I figured in my head, the more I began to think I might end up with a time very close to my personal best. At the same time, I wasn’t sure I beat it. Just how long was it before I pressed the start button?

I pulled up to the tent. “Could I have an unofficial time?” I asked. The volunteer took a look at the spread sheet… “23:08″ Yes! I had beat my time!

Still, I knew I was far from the fastest time. People regularly turn 21:00 to 22:00 lap times. Turns out there were two Cat 4 racers with faster times (22:38 and 23:00). However, since there were only three of us in the Pro/1/2/3 field, I got a second place. I trailed Eric Christophersen by 57 seconds.

My evaluation? It was good. I followed my plan and accomplished my goal. It was certainly better than last year. However, it was obviously not my best. My power average was well below what I know I can turn out for 20 minutes.

Well, now I have a goal for when we take to the course again in July. It won’t be a time goal. It will be one simple objective: Go for broke.

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T T Tonight

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

It has been over a year since I last participated in a traditional individual time trial. After searching through the archives I finally came upon my blog entry for that event. It will give me something to aim for going into my effort tonight.

It was May 6th when I lined up with a borrowed time trial rig to see how I would do in the “race of truth.” You can read about it in the entry titled, “Telling the truth about the race of truth.” I enjoyed it and after some success gaining a PB on the following Saturday doing the Paris Mountain Time Trial, I was looking forward to some more opportunities. However, in a later post titled, “Trial Love,” I was prophetic is saying I wasn’t sure when I would do another.

That brings us to this evening. I have accomplished one goal of acquiring my own TT rig. Actually, it is my Felt AR road bike with a TT cockpit replacing my drop bars. After the race, I’ll make the switch and get back to using the bike as my primary road ride. I will admit that the Giant TCR Advanced has more than adequately met my needs while the Felt remained configured for the time trial.

What will I be aiming for? I have no illusions of placing high on the list. In my blog post, I mentioned that I finished 7th in my category, but think I may have read the results incorrectly. One thing I do know for certain  is that I finished the 10 mile out-and-back effort in 23 minutes and 32 seconds.

That gives me my goal. To be open about it, I’m not certain I can beat it. I was in VERY good shape at that point. Had I not messed up the turn at the mid-point, I’m certain I could have gone under 23:20.

So, tonight I am hoping that my experience of that event will help me use my head to overcome my lower fitness level. I think that being smart and nailing the turn will help give me a chance of improving my time. Here is my plan…

1. Be less aggressive on the downhill portions of the course. The return for output is much less there than on the climbs. Losing a little bit of time descending could help me avoid losing even more when I have to climb.

2. Settle into the winning pace. On the rolling course this could be a little tough, but I know the speed I will need to average to beat my current record.  I want to pace myself to stay in that zone. Going out an entire minute slower than I did last year could pay dividends on the return. I was over two minutes slower coming back in.

3. Make the turn. This should be a great way to shave off some time. Last year was embarrassing. Now I know to get around that cone as quickly as possible. The road bike geometry should help me with that.

My concern? My concern is my energy. I don’t know if it is the heat or bad sleeping patterns, but I feel very lethargic. If I get out there and go off like a dud, it could all be for naught.

Hey, that’s why we race. I might get out there and find my inner TT specialist! Either way, I’ll know several hours from now.

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Sometimes a finish is a victory

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

The US Pro Championship race on Memorial Day here in Greenville was quite the event.  No one can complain about negative racing from that peloton! It made for a very exciting finish — though for those of us here in Greenville, it wasn’t quite the finish we hoped for.

There was some more racing going on in the Upstate this weekend. Saturday, of course, was the US Pro Championship TT. Sunday found hundreds of riders converging on the rural roads of Pelzer, SC for the SC State Road Racing Championships. I was one of them.

POA Cycling Team had riders in three of the Masters fields. 35+, 40+, and 50+. I was helping out in the Masters 40+ race. Mark Caskey, Rodney Dender, Reece Jackson, and I would be working to get Mark into a break or if needed set Rodney up for a sprint finish. My only concern personally was that I wanted to take as much work off of our top two guys as possible.

We rolled off early – around 8:10 AM. At first I wasn’t happy with the early start time. I just don’t seem to ride well in the morning. It is probably due to the fact that most of my training has to take place after I get off work.

However, by the end of the race, I was very thankful for the early morning start! Even as we were finishing up two and a half hours later the temperature was beginning to rise and it was hot. I was feeling for the racers who came after us.

We had our own work to do. The course was altered the morning of the race so that it added about two extra miles per lap for us to cover. However, the selection hill up to the traditional finish was taken out. We would only have to deal with hills on the back part of the course.

We got started slowly. One rider went off the front and the field let him go.  He got a relatively good gap but then the distance stuck and we would see him off in the distance on some of the straighter sections. Then action started picking up as we turned onto Dunklin Bridge Road. Mark and Rodney were near the front as a break began to develop.

I moved up to cover it and took a long pull on Dunklin and then onto the finishing straight. As we kept it going the gap began to close. Funny, but the thing that was going through my mind was after this effort I didn’t know how long I would last and I hoped I could stay pulling until we reached the line. At least then people would know I had been there!

That didn’t happen. I started to wane just in sight of the officials’ trailer. Others came around me and took up the chase. At that point I just tried to tag onto the field. The surge put me in difficulty and a gap began to form. “No!” I yelled in my mind, “I am NOT going to drop now.” I knew if I could just hook back onto the tail of the riders in front of me, I could recover.

The terrain worked in my favor. The road dipped before we reached two significant climbs. It was just enough for me to work my way back onto the field and recover before grinding up the climbs. I fell back a little, but stayed in the group.

About a third of the lap through, I was feeling recovered and started picking my way through the field to get back to the front. I didn’t know how much I could help at this point, but I wanted to be in position should the need arise. The opportunity came once again on Dunklin Bridge.

A break had formed again and as I looked ahead, I could see Mark on the point pulling the field at a tempo pace. In my mind, he didn’t need to be there. He was taking wind and if a counter started he would not be in position to hop in it without bringing the rest of the field with him. Of course, Rodney was not much farther behind him and it crossed my mind that Mark was there to help spring him into a break.

Whatever the case, I figured it was my job to be taking the wind for Mark. I moved up the right side of the field and slotted into the point position. “Steady tempo,” Mark said. “Just hold a steady tempo.” I found a comfortable power range and settled in. We continued this way until a flurry of activity started to my right and attacks started. I saw Rodney going.

I stood to cover another rider and felt immediately that if I wanted to be a help closer to the end, I would need to conserve a bit. So, I covered myself in the field and tried to stay near the front. Thankfully, I wasn’t needed at the front as the field was coming together again.

For most of the third lap, I tried to sit in. However, as we reached the hills on the back side of the course I once again found myself toward the front. Two riders attacked and I went with them. One other rider was working to create a gap. On the last climb before turning onto Dunklin Bridge, I had to shift down and fight to stay on. However, I made it onto the fourth and final lap!

I knew there were several riders up on this last lap. From my perspective I guessed there where two — a single rider and a smaller chase group. As we continued into the final lap, I started to get concerned that we would not be able to bring them back. You got the feeling everyone was aiming for a field sprint, but if we didn’t catch the break, it wouldn’t matter.

Once more I moved to the front. I figured I would do what I could to cut into the 40 seconds or so. At that point, I knew I wasn’t going to be crossing the finish line with the field. My hope was that I could help cut down the time and then Reece could take over and help get Mark and Rodney into a better position.

My mind was filled with disappointment as I reached my limit on one of the final climbs. My brain was sending the same signals to my legs, but they weren’t reacting the same way. “Disney has caught up to me again,” I thought. The field started surging pass me and I knew if I went after them, I would absolutely blow.

Funny thing, once I got back on Dunklin Bridge my legs started to some back. That was especially the case when I got caught by a two-man break from the Masters 35+ group that had started behind us. At least it gave me a chance to cheer on my teammate, Thomas Smith, who ended up taking the win! However, I knew the main field would soon overtake me and I didn’t want to get caught up in that.

With 1K to go, I looked back and could see the glint of the Masters 35+ field coming behind me. I knew I could beat them to the line if I gave it one final effort. It didn’t really mean anything, but every little success would help me going forward. Plus, I didn’t want to get caught up in their sprint!  I got across the line about 30 meters in front of them.

Turns out Rodney was able to bridge over to the chase group and win the sprint among them. That meant he ended up third in the race, but second in the state since a rider in front of him was from North Carolina. I just wish I had started working to bring back the break a bit sooner. The terrain would have worked more in our favor.

As it was, I was the last rider scored in 20th place. Considering that we started with a lot more, getting a finish was a victory. It is a little bit of confidence to put in my bag for later.

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The Good, the Bad, but not so Ugly

Friday, May 27th, 2011

I should have known it would be an interesting night when I got home from work to find my family had headed out with the Fit. We got our wires crossed and that would mean I’d have to get my bike to the BMW test track in my convertible. That wouldn’t really be too big of a problem except that there were some threatening rain clouds showing up. They would end up affecting more than just my bike’s transportation.

Once at the track, I lined up for the race. Right up until the officials sent us off it appeared we would escape the rain. Then right as we rolled away from the line, the drops began to fall.

I was a little nervous at first, but then settled in as we did several laps of the track without incident. The rain even seemed to let up a bit and the wetness of the track varied depending on where the cloud cover was. I was glad because I had other things to be concerned with.

First, I am still dealing with my hip problem. This was my first competition back since taking two weeks off in an attempt to rest it. My mind was aware of any pain that might come. The good news is that I was feeling pretty good on that front.

Second, I didn’t know how I would do at race speed. I definitely was fresh! The question is did I have the fitness to stay with the group? At least here in the early going when I was either riding tempo or catching wheels in an effort to support my teammate up the road, I was feeling pretty good.

Then it started happening. The water started bringing the oil out of the tarmac. You could feel the rear wheel start to lose traction. Since the course was set up with some technical turns, there were plenty of opportunities for your bike to get out of shape.

My turn came when Brian Kadien’s bike washed out in front of me. Things were looking pretty bad when I put on the brakes to avoid him. My rear wheel fishtailed and I had to let off the brake and straighten the bike to keep from sliding out myself.  I ended up riding over Brian’s front wheel. At that point I decided to get out of the line and onto the shoulder of the track.

I was congratulating myself for avoiding what appeared to be a sure wreck when my front wheel bogged down in deep sand. Then things got ugly — at least for my pride — as the bike came to a full stop and tipped over before I could get released from my pedal. Like a rookie, I went straight down. The good news was that there was no damage as it was a very soft landing into the silty dirt. Other than being coated with dirt, I was fine.

As I got going again, my teammate Paul rolled by. “At least you fell in soft sand!” he said. Others were not so lucky. Brian had a bit of rash, but two of the guys in the break had gone down. As I was coming out of the chicane I saw them picking up their bikes and checking their body parts. There was some nasty road rash visible.

The officials halted the race and reconfigured the course to turn it into a more traditional kidney shaped arrangement. We all lined up again (the rain had basically disappeared by this point) and they sent us out again trying to place the riders as close to possible where they were before the stoppage. We would have about 30 more minutes to race.

The time we stopped was not good for me. It was at that point I started to feel my hip. My right leg was starting to tighten up. However, I worked to get back going as best I could.

I won’t go into a lot of detail about tactics, but mention the turning point in the race for me. I had a teammate up the road and was once again covering moves or holding tempo. At one point my teammate Mark had been doing a bit of work and I had gotten shuffled back several riders. He was wanting some relief and about that time two riders attacked.

Though I was several riders deep when they made the move, I went after them. It really didn’t take that long to work my way up to them, but it was the first real sustained power output for me. It was at that moment that Disney World caught up with me.

We caught them and they slowed. I was trying to catch my breath and another surge happened around me. Looking back at my race file, I see my heart rate was around 190 at that point. I reacted to try to stay with the group, but I started pedaling squares and watching the gap slowly grow between me and the racer in front of me.

Then I was dropped. I decided at that point I would race to see if I could stay on the lead lap. The time on the bike was needed and why not get it in now? Besides, I knew that quite a few guys had dropped out. Last place might not be too bad a finish!

I almost pulled it off. The lone breakaway rider caught me with about two laps to go. The field caught me on the final lap. Overall, I had maintained a pretty good wattage. Last place ended up being 15th. More importantly, I came home without a scratch. It was definitely a night with some bad and some good, but overall not so ugly.

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