Testing Tales of the Time Trial

On July 2, 2010 I competed in my first time trial since my 7th place finish in the State Time Trial in 1997 (I placed 3rd in 1996). It was a 15 mile event at the Bud Harris Cycling Track in Pittsburgh, and I finished with a time of 36:34.  On August 20 of 2010 I did another 15 mile time trial and finished that one in 35:06, one minute twenty-eight seconds faster.  Good improvement.

Exactly one year later, on July 1, 2011, I once again raced in a 15 mile time trial, and finished with a time of 34:31 (26.07 MPH average speed), two minutes three seconds faster than the 7/2/10 race and one minute fifteen seconds faster than the 8/20/10 race.  Much, much better improvement.  I was very happy with that result and time.  It shows that I'm on the right track but there's still room for improvement.

With that said, it all fell apart last night, July 15, 2011, at the 20 mile time trial.  Going into the event I was feeling a little tired already from mowing a hilly lawn and then climbing up and down a ladder painting walls, but I was feeling up to the challenge.  However, just a few miles into the race I knew it was all over for me.  My legs felt like I was churning thick butter with them... slow and laboring.  I tried to fight through it thinking I'd come around, but it wasn't to be.  At the 15 mile mark I saw that I was considerably slower than my time at the 15 mile race just two weeks earlier.  People I passed at that race were now passing me.  I did what I could and gave it everything I had for the last 5 miles, and ended with a time of 48:09, good enough for 8th place in the Men's Open.  Blah... completely empty.

Today, the day after, I'm still feeling the effects... sore legs, sore shoulders, sore back, and all around tiredness.  Whew, time to regroup and put it back together.  In two weeks is another time trial, the big one, twenty five miles, which I did last year in a time of 57:09, a 26.2 MPH average speed.  My head believes I can beat that time, I just hope my legs do too.

And kudos to my great teammates for their awesome results in last night's race too!!!