.. or my second cycling time trial experience.
Once upon a time, I rode a 10 mile time trial and was unsatisfied with the results. I expected more of myself, perhaps to much. Recently, I tried again. The following might be considered a shortened transcript of the.. well, we’ll call them thoughts.. which passed through (or near by) my brain while enduring through that experience:
- passed already?
- passed again already?
- I should be going much, much faster..
- passed again already?
- Once we turn this corner, we’ll be out of this head wind..
- This sure feels like a head wind..
- Definitely a head wind..
- passed again already?
- Once we turn this corner, we’ll be out of this head wind..
- This sure feels like a head wind..
- My leg is going to fall off!
- Passed, passed, passed again already?
- Finally, it’s just a cross wind..
- Shit, there’s a crash… I probably know who that is..
- OK, settle in.. focus on position.. try to be respectable..
- This sure feels like a head wind..
- I’m dieing!
- This sure feels like a head wind..
- I’m dieing!
- Surely I can pass these recreational riders..
- This sure feels like a head wind..
- Please kill me!
- Finally, it’s just a cross wind..
- Hey, there’s some people up there..
- They said,
Thank you.
I suppose it’s because they don’t have to wait for me anymore.
Out of those scattered thoughts I can provide the following.. um.. we’ll call it wisdom:
- Showing up at the start line thirsty with tired legs is not a good thing.
- Eating something before an event like this is a good thing.
- A latte does not constitute
eating something.
- Form (position) should probably be a primary focus. If you’re rocking all over the place, you’re wasting energy.
- You might want to have a reasonable shifting strategy worked out ahead of time.
- Give up gears as you loose speed, take back gears before you think you’re ready for them, and always take any speed the terrain or wind direction gives you.
I’m sure there’s more. Results are probably out there someplace, I don’t care to look them up and neither will you.
{ 2 } Comments
was this on the new time trial bike or a stock road bike? Treat your road races like you treat your running races and you won’t be sorry. You can fuel pretty much the same.
It was a stock road bike, and an old one at that. However, it was not the vehicle that lacked, rather it was the engine. The bike could have gone faster if the rider would have been capable.
There are other extenuating circumstances, but at the end of the day it was just a poor performance on my part.
{ 1 } Trackback
[...] morning meal was accidentally left at home. Fortunately, I did not suffer a major bonk as I did in another time trial of this distance. Possibly related posts:2008 Lifetime Fitness Olympic Pre-raceMidYear [...]
Post a Comment