Well, I did my second time trial yesterday, and I think I learn something new every time I get on the bike. Yesterday I learned what pain is all about. I woke up a 5:00 am listening to tree branches bounce off the roof of the house - oh well, I guess it's going to be a bit breezy. By the time we got to the course, the breeze was gusting up to 52 km/h!! OMG or what?
It was a real treat to be in an event with my daughter, and ATTA really run a nice event. I did a bit of a warm up and everything seemed okay, so I went back to the car, dropped off that which I didn't need and proceeded to the start. Was I nervous? Nah, I do this for FUN....
Well, as I took off, it was breezy, but not too bad. By the end of the first leg, short turn and run down wind. Hey, this isn't bad! Then the turn onthe West side of the lake...It was like running into a wall! The winds were gusting to 52 kph, and I have a lot of "sail area" for it to hit. I was doing all I could do to pedal faster than 22k's.
By the end of the first lap, I was starting to feel sick. By the end of the second lap I was HOPING I would be sick. Holly had passed me and (I think) she yelled out "DON"T STOP PEDALLING!" I'm not sure, but by then I was praying for a puncture - anything.
On my third lap, Holly, Bec and Anna had already finished and I think they were cheering for me to go faster. What a DUMB thing to tell a TT rider....How the fricking hell can you go faster when pedalling INTO a cyclone? I then thought that Holly said something like "What are you doing?" which I translated into "you should be finished" and "get off the track". Hey, cool, I'm outta here! No, I looked at my computer, I still had one lap to go. As I started my last lap Some of the ATTA comittee were cheering at me (I assume it was encouragement..) so I gutted it out - one more lap.
When I went past the start, one of the other largish riders was starting and I thought "I'm not going to let him catch me..." but he did. Again, I was questioning why in Hell I was doing this? I looked ahead and saw the larger than normal rider and thought, I can at least close the gap a little bit, so I pumped harder. I came around the last straight (into the 52 km/h breeze) and tucked down and gave it all I had. It worked for a bit (about 2 metres) and I "bonked". It was all I could do to keep going, but by now I was determined not to quit.
Nearing the last corner, I could hear another rider coming and I found some energy and didn't let him catch me. At least I don't think he caught me, I could barely see the track.
I made it over the line, and while I was 3 minutes slower than last time, I still beat two other riders and lived up to my family motto "Never finish last"....
When is the next event? I'm still looking for that PB after my time.
Do I qualify as a TT rider yet?
