Time trialling - Interclub, Club champs & a PB

Last Thursday was another TT on the H10/2 in Berkshire. TVT club champs and also the annual inter-club between MDCC and TVT.

I cam straight from Heathrow, and would have been very early though by the time I'd found a cashpoint I was running late and ended up with #28 - a 2013 start time.

A good warm up on the course with a few others then a little time to relax...

Soon enough I was on the line and being counted down. After the last TT where I smashed the first few km despite trying not to, I kept a lid on it, watching HR and time to ensure I'd got about 4 minutes in before laying down the power. It is at this point that I suddenly feel like I'm not moving and everything is hard work. Well, it is and I had to get on with it.

The outbound run is downhill but in to wind It wasn't very long before I overtook my minute-man. The turn point is always a question of up on the base bars or stay aero; managed aero on the warmup but after 7 km ended up on the base bars for the TT - I think I can corner better and lean over more.

The inbound leg is uphill but downwind, so some help, but the upflats are noticeable. I caught a club member a few km after the turn point. Up the lumps and still feeling strong. Round the large roundabout near the start. 

One other thing that helped this time was my Garmin 310XT. IN previous weeks it has stopped recording at 2-3km. I have a speed/cadence sensor on the bike but don't run a magnet on the rear wheel. The Garmin should default to GPS but for some reason does not. This only happens on the TT bike though strangely on the road bike the speed sensor is broken so only picks up cadence and does use GPS for speed... This time I'd fitted a wheel magnet and had a good record of my distance and how far to go. This enable me to pace much better and then really give it the beans for the last km, half of which is an upflat with the final effort flat. 

Bars gripped tightly, mouth wide open trying to get oxygen and push push push.

Official time was 24:15 and 18th overall. Of the TVT members I came 5th. Happy with that result and an obvious improvement due to the TrainerRoad sessions earlier in the year. TrainingPeaks data here. This also includes the ride back to HQ. Note that the best 20 minute power is also the first 20 minutes. The downhill I guess.

Watching the Tour de France TT today I was intrigued to see that the riders all sit up for the final push. I wonder what difference this makes?

Weekly update

After the bittersweet PB at Shinfield I took it easy....not!

Tuesday night was the tri-club chaingang. A new thing for me, so I set off in a group of people I've ridden with before. It wasn't long before we were overtaking most other groups. As the 2 riders on the front tired they'd rotate to the back, and everyone would take a turn.

A few attacks here and there around the 30km course, then a big final push where I completely emptied the bag then limped back to the finish, absolutely spent! Good fun, and our group finished in about 55 minutes for the 30 km loop. We'd taken it easy as it was the first week!

Wednesday was a gash rest day.

Thursday was the Maidenhead CC 10mile time trial. I've done a few, though this was the first time on course H10/2. I signed on as number #11, then went for a 10km warmup looping around two roundabouts in a business park.

The course was an out-and-back along the A4. The course trends down on the way out, and up on the way back. To make it interesting a strong wind was blowing. Weather was:

Rain, 10 °C, SW 23 mph, 1005 hPa, Rising

So in-to wind on the downhill way out, and downwind on the uphill way home.

I took the first km easy, as going all out here has caused problems in the past. Last km was a big push, and I came in at 25:38 - second overall. Winning time was 25:13.