The Washington State Time Trial Championships was my last “A” priority event for my 2011 season. After a good month of racing in May that included my best ever effort at the Enumclaw Stage Race, my plan was to do some focused time trial training in the weeks leading up to the event. That was the plan, and as you go through life and racing, you learn that sometime the plan doesn’t come to fruition and you just have to adapt and make do. Life’s other commitments and responsibilities intervened and in the two weeks leading up the State Championships, I rode only twice. I was rested for sure, but not at my best form. On the plus side, I got to travel to the race with two of my teammates which was quite entertaining at times and definitely made the hours in the car pass quicker.
The race was held in Tenino as it has been several times in recent years. It’s a course that I really enjoy and most of it has been recently resurfaced which made the ride even better. As for the race itself, it was pretty unremarkable. I got off to a good start and settled into my pace easily. I caught a few riders prior to the turnaround. On the way back, I was passed by one rider, but I kept my pace high and felt strong all the way to the finish. My time of 59:18 ended up being good enough for 7th place in the age 40+ Category 4-5 group. An okay result from an okay time resulting from okay form. Hopefully, next year the plan comes to fruition and the result is a little better!
Chris Casey:
It turns out, It's all about the goats! I should probably explain that statement, considering this is a race report, but it is relevant, trust me!
Bike racing is a mysterious pastime, some days you've got it and others you don't. This years State TT in Tenino was one of those where despite feeling good, the results on the day just weren't. The weather obliged for the first time this race season- warm, no rain, minimal breeze. The course was fairly flat (a little rolly about half way out, but not too bad if you carried some momentum) and the road surface smooth. The ride was hard, as all time trials are, and I was certainly feeling tired by the last few miles.... then I hit the last mile or so where the road turns from asphalt to chipseal and my speed dropped even more... it was clear that this was not to be my day. Final time 1hr 52 minutes and change, good for 9th place in the Masters C class, but way off the sub 1 hr goal. As my last road event this year, I am left with a disappointed sense of the season. My training was diligent (mostly), my weight was good (could have done a bit better, but not bad), but when it counted, it seemed that my 'top end' power/speed was AWOL. Too many night shifts at work? Not enough high intensity training? Training too sporadic because of my work schedule? All of the above? Certainly there is some cause for thought because there is a limit as to what I can or am willing to compromise in order to race a bike. Maybe I need to reassess why I race.... which brings me back to the goats.
Over the last few years of racing, one of the highlights has actually been the traveling to races (namely with Dave A) and the various conversations or experiences that have ensued on the way, during and on the way back. This race was notable because Karla Segale came with us, adding a new dimension to team travel and a vast increase in the sheer number of bags to be squeezed into the car. The highlight of this trip, occured during the drive over to Olympia. As the hunger pangs set in, we found a restaurant (via Yelp on the iphone) which was well rated, served veggie food and looked to be worth a try. It turned out to be a strange experience in more ways than one. The whole place was done up in a Tolkein-like theme (I suppose the name "Mirkwood cafe" was a first clue, the second was the tatoo place upstairs named Rivendell tatoo!) So there we were, shaved leg bikers mixing with tattoo clad folks, listening to a lone Blues guitarist on the stage, surrounded by 'middle earth' type artwork on the walls. (Karla, It was definitely not Harry Potter!) After one song, the guitarist engaged in some banter with one of the audience who had perhaps clapped a little too enthusiastically and asked him if he played an instrument. The fellow responds, and I quote, "No, but I can eat a burger while hugging a tree.." and here is the good bit, "...and I love goats!" As far as we could tell, nobody had asked about his goat fascination, but the silence was golden as we sat mystified as to what he meant. We never found out- maybe this is a good thing- but needless to say the 'attraction' to goats was mentioned several times over the weekend, with great levity for all!
In summary, maybe it is more about the journey than the destination? However, I will be taking a closer look at what improvements can be made so that the journey and destination both rate better in the future!
Karla Segale:
Karla Segale:
Okay so I wasn’t reading Tolkein as a kid, and now I’m too old to care about Harry Potter, so I finally made it to my “tweens”. All I know is that if it is true, as Chris says, that it is more about the journey than the destination, this season has been one heck of a ride!
I came out of retirement (literally) to join this team because I love cycling. I didn’t think I would be racing again, let alone competing in state or national events in both road and mountain biking. What I love about racing is that anything can, and frequently DOES happen. If that isn’t a metaphor for life, I don’t know what is.
You can train with utmost precision (I don’t), you can plan for every eventuality (personally, I just call Dave), you can hedge your bets with the best equipment (here’s where I excel) and still have a mechanical, a flat, or just feel FLAT! Doesn’t matter and what if it did. You race because you have teammates that are counting on you, sponsors that believe in you and because there isn’t squat on TV anyway.
Coming in to the Washington State TT, I had exactly one week on my new TT bike to prepare. This is because I had only decided a week prior to that to even get a TT bike! Joe was on it pronto, and he spent the better part of a day getting my bike to fit like a glove. Riding a TT bike is a completely new experience for me. The set up is designed for speed, not for comfort, which only stands to reason. You want to pedal as fast as you can so you can get off the dang thing as quickly as possible!
We arrive at the venue with plenty of time to drive the course. As we do, Dave points out the various road features, wind pockets, potholes and strategic places to gear up or down. I make a mental note of all of them.
I started out strong, and passed several women within the first ¼ mile of the course. My strategy was to keep my heart rate and cadence close to threshold on the way out, and punch it over the top on the ride back. I have tested this approach in training TTs and know that I can sustain a steady pace for an hour if I stay focused.
Barreling down a straight-away, I come upon a dog in the road, weaving in and out of two cars in front of me. Course marshals are waving their arms frantically, and I maneuver out of their way on the right side of the road. I am locked on to my cadence and heart rate, concerned that I may have lost tempo with all the ruckus.
I remain intent on regaining my tempo. Funny, I think to myself, but nobody is coming the other way and they should have been at the turnaround by now.
I feel eerily like something is amiss, but I forge ahead, concerned that I am losing ground by losing focus. Then I come up on a road closure sign. “Funny” I think to myself again, “ I don’t remember this in our drive this morning. It was nice of the course marshals to close the road at the turn-around.”
Then it hits me. I missed the turn in the midst of the dog cluster. I maintain my pace, because I’m still out on the course, after all. I double back, make the turn and complete the race in 1:17:10. Dave calculates that the scenic route cost me silver in Women 35+, which wouldn’t have been half bad for 58+. And so it goes. Hey, there’s always next year. And GPS!
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