Tundra Time Trial - CycleTime Trial


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Hiram, GA, Georgia
United States
Surge Sports
20'sF / 0C
Overcast
Total Time = 27m 20s
Overall Rank = 124/192
Age Group = Cat V
Age Group Rank = 36/65
Pre-race routine:

Prepped everything the night before. Woke up at 5:40AM so I could take a warm shower, because it was going to be a cold morning. Dressed (warmly), made a PB&H sandwich to eat upon arrival at race location, drank a yogurt, grabbed a bottle of water and headed out to meet Brett (aka Rocket Man) and other NAMC/BT'ers (Rebecca, David, and Felix) at our designated meeting point.
Event warmup:

Wore the warm clothes until approx. 45 minutes prior to my start (10:23.30AM). After getting race-ready, I worked on the trainer for approx. 20-25 minutes. So glad I brought the trainer, as being able to warm up was a *big* help. Approx. 10 minutes prior to start, I took the bike off the trainer and did a quick "spin-up" up/down the trail. My legs felt good; they were turning a good cadence and generating some speed. The only issue - the wind was starting to pick up.
Bike
  • 27m 20s
  • 9.5 miles
  • 20.85 mile/hr
Comments:

ALL riders had to be checked-in by 8AM; the race started at 8:31. A new rider was put on the course every 30 seconds thereafter. If a rider didn't show, he was started as a "Ghost" - this helped keep everything in order and on time.

This was my first official cycling race - ever - and I was pleased with my effort. I paced myself well going out and was able to hit it hard coming back. My *only* gaffe was slowing down at the "200m to go" sign - my eyes were blurry and I thought it was the finish. I made a final push to that point and then coasted a bit after passing it, only to realize I *hadn't* finished yet. Fortunately this error only cost me 5-10 seconds.
What would you do differently?:

Not much...biggest thing would be to pay more attention to exactly where the finish is located so I could plan my final push accordingly. Otherwise, just work on continuing to push to my limit. Did I leave anything out there today - perhaps a little bit, but not much. It felt like I put forth a consistent strong sustained effort.
Post race
Warm down:

Spun up the trail another 3/4 mile, turned around, and then headed back to "Camp NAMC/BT" in the parking lot adjacent to the SCT. Then I put on some warm clothes - it was cold!!

What limited your ability to perform faster:

I think better performance will come simply via time in the saddle and more strength training (legs).

Event comments:

Surge Sports did a good job with this race. Despite the chilly, chilly conditions, they had plenty of volunteers on hand to keep things safe and moving smoothly.

PICS (below, from top left): #1. David, Brett, and Rebecca - cold!!, #2. Felix and Brett helping Rebecca get set up with new (used) *fast* Zipps! #3. The start ramp, from behind, looking out. #4 Top 3 Overall loot - hand-blown glass trophies. Really sweet!. #5. Some Surge Sports folks and volunteers who helped make this event happen. Without volunteers, Race Directors would be lost!


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Last updated: 2007-02-04 12:00 AM
Biking
00:27:20 | 9.5 miles | 20.85 mile/hr
Age Group: 36/65
Overall: 124/192
Performance: Good
Additional ranking info: Quite a few folks "no-showed" the race (wonder why?)...they weren't counted for ranking purposes; I also excluded Yth (who only rode half the course). 9/21 of Cat V racers aged 40-49 Max HR was 165; avg was ~153
Wind: Some with gusts
Course: Out and back. This is not a flat course. The course is a section of the Silver Comet Trail located between Hiram and Paulding. The "out" portion includes some 2-3% grade that hits a rider hard. Throw in some head and crosswinds for good measure and a time-trialist has his/her hands full. This is where the real work is done. A good pre-race warm-up is key to hitting this portion with strength.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 90
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Hard Drinks: Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities: Below average
Race evaluation [1-5] 4