Carolina Cycling Individual Time Trial 9.30.09 Rewind

It was after 9 pm when I returned home last night from the Time Trial at Lowes Motor Speedway. After cleaning up and trying to get some sleep because of a 14 mile run this morning, I found it just wasn't happening. I was just too wired after riding my fastest time trial this year.

In mid July, my first time trial time was in the mid 28 minute range for 10 miles. Later in July my time pushed up toward 29 minutes but then I attributed it to the rain that evening.

Late August, I got a whiff of things to come when I rode 25:23. On that evening, I felt strong and pushed hard throughout the entire ride.

Then, because of the faster time, my start time was pushed later into the evening. The time trial starting order is based on a seed time with the faster riders going off later when temperatures are cooler and there are fewer riders. Thus, they have a better opportunity at producing faster times.

Arriving around 5:30, I picked up my number and chip before changing and getting in some warm up miles.

7:12 was my roll off time and I was at the line and ready to go.

Going into the night, mentally I was up for the event. However, I was a little worried about my body. With hard 10k on Saturday, 22 mile long run on Sunday, 70 on the bike Monday, 30 more miles on the bike Tuesday and doing 6x1 mi on the track, needless to say I have been feeling just a little tired.

But this is the last 3 weeks in the build up before my fall marathon, so everything is pointed toward making these 3 weeks the most physically and mentally demanding weeks possible.

Aero helmet in place, shoes clipped in, and the clock was counting down. A quick shove from the volunteer and I was off riding or as some people call it "Dancing on the pedals".

My Garmin's display has been reconfigured to show the elapse time, distance, laps i.e. miles, and avg speed. Around the first turn and heading down the back stretch, the average speed began to increase.

First, it was in the teens, and then with each progressive lap it went up. 5 miles was covered in 12:45 which was about on par with my August time trial and I wondered if the miles running and riding had taken their toll on my legs.

Starting the 2^nd 5 miles, my focus was on just trying to relax. If I didn't ride any faster than Aug, at least I knew why. But relaxing – especially trying to relax the quads and hamstring something different started to happen.

Instead of riding slower, my mile splits got faster. With each mile, my confidence grew and I pushed harder.

Reaching the last mile, I changed the gear down to the smallest sprocket and proceed to ride the fastest mile that I have ever ridden on a flat stretch of road.

Coming off the 4^th turn and with the finish line in sight, I could tell from my Garmin that I had a slim chance of breaking 25 minutes and I was not about to let it slip away.

Clicking the Garmin stop button at the 10 mile mark, my split was 24:52.

I had reached a time that I never thought possible when I rode my first time trial in July. Heck, before July I had been riding my mountain bike with no aspirations for riding in a time trial.

Returning to the infield my next half hour was spent riding circles on the small track and just trying to enjoy the moment.

Another 2 miles of running was followed by my drive home.

So now you understand, why was wired up and couldn't sleep last night.

And, I paid for it this morning during my 14 miler with Jay, Catlin, Todd, Billy, and others from the Charlotte Running Club but that is okay. Being tired is a state of the body and will be overcome in time.

Tails from the track.