I rode a 40K TT this weekend.
For those of you have not ever done so, don't. For those of you that like them, find a different blog to read. They are lame. I am not sure how anyone can focus on hurting themselves for that long.
The good news is that the TT should lock up the Zipp Challenge in the Master's 3/4 category for me. You had to do one to qualify for the series (i.e. why I was there). Now for the bad news.
I went out of the gate pretty quick and caught my minute guy by the 10K mark. He was on a Cervelo speed demon machine with a Zipp disk and an 808 front, so he looked like he could rip it. He even had the cool Bell TT helmet. I passed him, then he would pass me back, then I would pass him and so on. It was getting annoying and then at the 25K mark, my minute guy passed me and quickly after, his minute guy passed he and I. We could have formed an impromptu team time trial, but what is the fun in drafting? Riiigggghhhhht.
Anyway, I suffered on, wishing I would have taken Rich's advice and started with an Ipod in, especially with all of the creaking my bike was doing. I would have loved to have something blocking out the heavy breathing and repetitive pops and clicks my rig was pounding out.
Note to self, if there is a next time, which I hope there isn't, take Ipod.
Anyway, I flatted with about a half mile to go and rode it in. I felt it going soft, so it was not a big deal and got me through the line and to the parking lot with no problems, so I can't blame that on my slowness. Based on the shadows and clicks of the sundial, we were able to determine that I beat an hour and now I should get a cool sub hour T-Shirt (reminiscent of the you went on vacation and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt fame) and more importantly, won the Zipp challenge.
Here are the key take aways from the weekend:
-As evidenced by the picture above, I am way too out of shape to be in contention in a 5 mile TT, let alone a 25 mile TT or bike racing for that matter
-Must take Ipod, regardless of race distance while riding alone
-I have to change a flat tire
-I am getting a new T-Shirt
(By the way, that pic is from the Indy Stage race where one of our juniors had to ask me to get off of the bike path because I was holding up some women walking with the jogging strollers, he rode up to tell me to move)
From the island of E'ville,
The Enmark
3 comments:
I think I've solved your problem. No, not that one. You have to take the penicillan a bit longer to "solve" that issue. I've solved your TT issue.
You're spending too much time looking at the ground, as seen in your attached photo. In this position of grovelling, your helmet has become more of a shield than a bullet increasing your drag.
Now, I've never done a TT and hopefully never will, so I could be wrong.
Damn... The MOB yute rode by you w/o even aero stuff. I'm concerned about you being able to peak in time for Hilly. If all else fails, there's the 6-pack of Mickey's.
Man, I am glad I read this! I was going to ask Santa for a new TT rig. Now I'll just ask him to bring my wife a new rack! Now that's money well spent!
Spence
The Enmark has it wrong, he was being asked where the Ice Cream truck was.
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