Leroy TT, Arrgghh, Too much information

What a great night and weather for a Time Trial at Jim Behrens Thursday nighter. Thank you Jim for putting it on.

I had a bit of an odd week. Mostly running and no biking except for some fun riding with Audrey on Tuesday. I didnt commute Wednesday as planned (totally wussed on the weather and then it did not rain)so I hadnt ridden my bikes with any force since Sunday's Milk Race. In case your wondering....I won it and I am still just in shock about it. Opportunity knocked and I answered. I feel like screaming a wild tribal scream...

OK ,back to reality. So I try for a longer warm-up and I hit some 2 minute intervals and do my usual power checks to see what wattage it takes in a few key places (after the turn, down the hill and the final 2 miles).

I am also gathering power data so I am running my disc covers on my PT wheel. I had gone 16:58 earlier in the year without covers so this was a good test of speed of covers vs no covers.

I also narrowed up my bars and that was a big success I'd say. I had no problems riding a straight line and breathing felt the same as always.

We lined up Rudy first then myself and then Batke (howd he end up behind me?), I was a speed demon sandwich. Great turnout too. Looked like more than 10 to me. Only one problem, I got to the line and I had forgotten to tape over the wattage. I hate pacing on watts. I think it makes me slower and more tired at the end of the race. Everyones different, but I always have gone quicker without seeing the power in real time.

Jim said dont look at it, but I knew I would as it was also a goal tonight. My other big change for tonight was to intentionally make cadence my #1 focus of the event. More than speed or a result. It is a practice TT!! I had let my cadence drop (probably due to a few factors (position, longer cranks, etc.) to scary low levels at PI and States and got it better for Nats. Today was a big test of that and to feel if it was faster than slogging that 53/11 at 80 cadence.

I wont bore with too many more details, but suffice it to say that I was just bombarded with info and it was hard to actually concentrate on just going fast. While trying not to look down the whole race I was seeing and analyzing speed, cadence, power and also trying to time rough splits to Rudy ahead and Batke behind and also check my halfway split and in the last 2 miles my overall time to see what time I was going to turn (as a motivator to push that little extra bit).

I was a busy little bee!!

So anytime I saw my cadence dropped into the 80's I would first try to pick it back up or if the road was gradually going up at the same time I went for an easier gear then watched speed to make sure I didnt lose any speed and in fact tried to increase speed. Quick check of wattage too. Always way too low.


And that darn wattage. I looked at it and since a sub goal was to set the highest wattage I could over the course of the race I was constantly looking at the wattage. I was not surprised to see wattage drop dramatically anytime I was going 30+Mph and slightly downhill. I was not maximizing my speed and wattage when it was so called "easy". Just a quiick side, last Wednesday I set a PB 10 miinute ave power of 323 watts. Tonight my best 10 min average was 292. Big difference, but those higher numbers were set on my road bike. I was very tired too when I set that 323 watt average too.

As another side, like others I think going into timed events cold or well rested without stress is BAD. YOu need some stress pre-race. Those open up rides are so important.

My legs felt pretty fast actually, but a bit flat too. I pushed hard the last 2 miles and averaged 29.1mph and came in with a 16:54, missing my PB of 16:52 from last year. For some reason I am beating my personal bests everywhere but Leroy. And its not because I am putting any extra pressure on myself. I put plenty on myself ALL the time!!

My cadence was up so hooray, I went 4 seconds quicker with similar power with the narrower bars and wheel covers from a couple months ago. And my initial thoughts is that I am going the right direction with the substantial increase in cadence vs the spring. It seems easier to maintain speed at times like when you face an obstacle like a short grade or a gust of wind or out of a corner.

Only bummer was it was perfect conditions and my recent race and training rides indicate I am putting out gobs more power than a coupe months ago. But thats OK. I still averaged 27.1mph. Brian Batke had FTD at 16:17!!