Black Fly Tri - Pre-Race TT

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Black Fly Tri - Pre-Race TT - CycleTime Trial


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Waterville Valley, New Hampshire
United States
EndorFun Sports
70sF / 0C
Overcast
 		Total Time = 7h 00m
Overall Rank = 55/200
Age Group = M30-34
Age Group Rank = 7/19
Pre-race routine:

Put my bike together and got registered.
Event warmup:

Did a ten minute warmup around the area. Some 30 second hard pickups and steady state riding.
Bike
  • 11m 55s
  • 4 miles
  • 20.14 mile/hr
Comments:

This was my first time trial and it was a lot of fun. The start was sort of interesting. They lined everyone up by their bib number and when you got to the start line, two big guys held onto your bike while you clicked in. Then a lady with a mega phone counted down from three and the two guys literally launched you out over the start line. It was awesome. I almost did a wheelie, no joke! I really mashed the pedals hard on the way out. It was a blast going down hill. Passed a few people. I hit the turn-around at just over three and a half minutes, just about 34 mph avg so far. The turnaround is a hair-pin and I always feel uneasy going fast, so I slowed way down. And then of-course back uphill. I set a goal for myself of 12 minutes. There is a sharp left and then another sharp left into the finish. I only got passed by one guy, who would haunt my bike for the rest of the weekend and beat my goal by 5 seconds. I was happy and could have pushed harder, but didn't really know how to ride this distance at all. My Joule got messed up and somehow I didn't get correct lap data for the actual time trial.
What would you do differently?:

Push harder obviously.
Post race
Warm down:

None.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Nothing...hills?

Event comments:

I liked this race a lot. Now that I know the course and understand the feeling of pushing hard for only ten minutes, I think I can improve upon my time. By the time you really start feeling it, it's over. :)




Last updated: 2011-06-01 12:00 AM
Biking
00:11:55 | 04 miles | 20.14 mile/hr
Age Group: 7/19
Overall: 55/200
Performance: Good
Wind: Little
Course: Out and back. Downhill fast out, uphill slow back.
Road: Rough  Cadence:
Turns: Average Cornering:
Gear changes: Hills: Average
Race pace: Hard Drinks:
Post race
Weight change: %N/A
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks?
Post race activities:
Race evaluation [1-5] 3

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2011-07-11 8:43 AM

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Pro
3804
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Seacoast, NH!
Subject: Black Fly Tri - Pre-Race TT

2011-07-11 2:22 PM
in reply to: #3590090

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Master
2327
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Columbia, TN
Subject: RE: Black Fly Tri - Pre-Race TT

I wonder what the best way to pace this is?  Since the first half is down hill and second half is up hill it's not straightforword to me.

For instance, let's say you could push a steady 300watts of power for 12 minutes.  It's extremely hard, perhaps impossible to push 300 watts downhill...but if you did you would get less return on your investment than you do up hill because at faster speeds more of your power is spent fighting wind resistance.   And wind resistance doesn't increase in a linear fashion.

But if you put out 200 watts downhill, that doesn't mean you can push 400 watts back up hill either.

In the end I'd probably push something like 250 watts downhill and if I'm top-geared out then just soft pedal it.  After the turn around (if I were good for 300 watts for 12 minutes) I would then try to push 320 or something...?

Interesting question.  The same question comes up in miniature for each hill encountered in longer races.  Do you try to keep your power output steady?  Or HR?  Or do you try to stay as close to your average pace as you can on the way up and recover on the way down?

 

 

2011-07-12 4:44 AM
in reply to: #3590090

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Master
3486
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Fort Wayne
Subject: RE: Black Fly Tri - Pre-Race TT

Nice TT! The group I ride with does these occasionally and now my interest is peaked a little bit.  The TT's that I would be doing wouldn't have any of the hills since most of the area is flat.

2011-07-12 4:55 AM
in reply to: #3590090

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Pro
5892
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, New Hampshire
Subject: RE: Black Fly Tri - Pre-Race TT
Great TT! I think we pretty much had the same time (11:52).

Regarding pacing, this is a difficult one... you definitely need to take advantage of the downhill and get the most speed out of it, but at the same time, you will probably expend 75% of your energy on the way back. It's really a nice climb back though... not steep, just a nice long gradual "riders hill".
2011-07-12 1:15 PM
in reply to: #3590090

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Pro
3804
20001000500100100100
Seacoast, NH!
Subject: RE: Black Fly Tri - Pre-Race TT

Thanks for all the input.  I agree it was tough to pace this at such a short distance.  I tried to analyze it before hand.  I pretty much looked at the times from last year and tried to guess my average speed and then figured I wanted to beat 12 minutes based on the time it would take me to get to the bottom of the hill.....still not a great guess.  I'm so pissed my Joule didn't pick up the numbers.  I swear I hit lap and I had the thing on interval mode!!!  Really the only short distance numbers I could go off was an indoor 20 minute time trial I did back in April.  I was able to muster 283 watts for 20 minutes....so I figured shoot for 300 and see what happens.  I ran out of gears for a while on the downhill.  I ran a 12-25 and will definitely be investing in an 11-25 if I can. 

Dirk, I would do one as soon as I could!  It was fun...our course was sort of crazy with the turns and the uphill on the way back.  I will be signing up for this again next year as well.

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