Hot, Hot Hot and power fading away....

Hot and humid with a wind that blew right in your face up the climbing portion of the Leroy TT course. 6 guys showed up for the TT including two new faces. One of which was Brian Batke my team mate.

I again was there for training coming off of another hard week with two races Sunday and hard efforts Tuesday. Really hard efforts Tuesday. The goal was again to collect data and hopefully put some power down and also to test my recovery within a TT ride. By that I meant sprinting hard mid ride to see if I could recover quickly once back to threshold pace.

I did a better warm up than last week and did some speed testing where I go at a set speed that I want to achieve and then see how many watts it takes. I found that if I could hold 320 to 330 watts on the way back in after the left turn that I should be able to hold 32mph steady. Thats humping considering the wind. And that was without the funny helmet and shoe covers. For the race I tape over my wattage to go on PE.

I told Jim to start me first and let Brian chase as that seemed like good motivation to be chased, but not see how close he is. Its always easier to chase than eb chased and since this is training I want to learn as much as I can.

I start and I go really hard out of the gate and once up to speed I immediately work on deep, controlled breathing. I average 27.4mph mph at 307 watts to the turn, but I could tell I wasnt feeling it today. The legs just felt weak and full of lactic acid burn. I made the turn right into the headwind and up the first rise I go one mph slower than last week (where I went 16:58) at a bit lower power, but I sprint up the climb as was the plan and top the climb 2.7mph faster. I blow the turn around probably costing myself a little time and then its tailwind to the left turn.

I average 31.8 despite feeling like a crap at only 238 watts and make the left at 28mph still on the clip-ons and try to charge for home.

Its not 500m after the corner that I start to contemplate seriously sitting up. I check my HR and due to the heat its a few beats off my max so I switch to time and see that I am not doing that bad on time actually so I use that to try and motivate me the last 3 miles. Its my body telling me to quit and its my inner monologue saying "training, tred is ok, just push, this will make you stronger". And other motivational things like "Push really hard and see if this is just mental, maybe youve got it in the legs, just not in the head." I guess it all works, I pushed all the way in, if not quickly.

You know that bonking into a headwind feeling? Thats what it was like for my legs. Instead of my plan of averaging 32mph for the last two miles I am pushing the pedals as hard as I can at 27mph and I feel like I am dragging a parachute. I only average 28 or so mph for th trip in vs 29 to 31 on a good night and at a whopping pedestrian like 258 watts!

But it was about the same for Batke. Not having done the course before he charged really hard out from the gate and he estimates he put 20 seconds on me by the top of the rise after the turn. But my sprinting up the climb and my speed on the way back down the hill bought me back some of it.

The weather was another reason I showed up. Because it was hot, because it was windy and because it humid. Nationals could be a hot, humid day and with aero booties, funny helmet (that doesnt flow much if any air inside)and a skinsuit that needs to remain zipped up for aerodynamics it can get pretty hot. Mentally you cannot let it get to you.

And of course afterwards both Brian and I did the course again. He went pretty hard and I did sub race pace. And then after that we both did 1 minute intervals that actually felt better than the TT effort did. I cooled down while he did another TT effort. I should add that at the end of the intervals both my calves were cramping and that after drinking bottle after bottle of Heed and water with electrolytes. Thats some sweating...eeeww.

In the end I got a challenging mental workout and some hot weather testing in too. The hot weather taught me some valuable lessons about pacing on a hot day. Batke got FTD at 16:57 (16 minutes his first try on a hard, hard day) and even only averaging 274 watts and a horrible last 3 miles I still managed a 17:09 (~27.2mph). I again take away that my aero package is pretty sweet. I am starting to think maybe its costing me wattage so well have to see if it comes back with more rest or training and adaptation or it is what it is. I cannot wait to do the Hinckley TT this week with my disc wheel.