Saturday, May 9th, 10:12 AM - ABD 2 Man Team Trial
Would like a do-over on this one. I had a great time riding with Stocky, but I think we were both in agreement that we could've gone harder. Speaking for myself, it was hard enough, but yes, I think I kept too much in the tank. I'll chalk it up to inexperience in a new event, and an ungodly headwind - a ferocious 25mph plus on the return trip.
We finished strongly - thinking at the time that we'd put a pretty good time in of 59' 13", but rolling back to the parking lot, we were met from behind by Mike Jones and Jim Host who'd completed it in under 54 minutes. With a dropped chain that they'd needed to stop to fix.
Upon reading Newtron's race report this morning, I could tell that where I was mentally on Saturday morning, his and Randy's time of 55' flat would've been out of reach, quite frankly. I don't think I went much past 90%, and with the length of the course and the headwind, I was too afraid of blowing up in that wind to push myself any harder.
I was indeed pegged the entire ride at least 87% and ran a normalized power of over 300 watts. My nose was a clotted mess of snot and sweat and I had a very hard time staying focused and controlling my breathing. The latter is a problem in much more than just bike racing; the former only during blind dates and job interviews. In retrospect however, I believe that had we been a little more prepared to suffer that extra bit, had we pushed it just a little more, closer to 94 -95%, communicated better on our pulls, and taken turns that much more confidently, we could've finished as much as 90 seconds faster.
There's a first time for everything, however, and if anything, I'm a patient learner. The biggest lesson learned was that I can't wait to do this again, hopefully with Stocky, so we can learn from our mistakes together. Equipment wise, I'm set. My Max Lelli bike is a great TT bike with the clip-ons, and how can you beat the HED Stinger 60s for a more versatile aero set of wheels? I have a brand new Rudy tear drop helmet, as well. While I've never been much of a gear whore, I realize quality the likes of all that helps save precious watts and seconds.
In preparation for the 50K edition of this event - July 12 - I will be much more ready to suffer, will bring a tigher focus - starting with my 20 minute x 2 intervals this Wednesday.
Later that evening, in my upstairs neighbor's apartment
Josef and Kayla invited us for their Polish Constitution Day party. We hung out, drank some Okocim, and ate some goodies - like keilbasa from the Montrose Deli and this delightful little number:
...and enjoyed one another's company with all the dogs - mostly - getting along. Once again my guy Jack kept pushing Pua's buttons until she decided she wasn't going to have any more of it. This is her stewing in the corner about it:
When we finally all settled down:
Sunday May 10, 6am
After getting to bed too late with thankfully a minimum amount of beer to drink, I was ou the door after a quick breakfast and trip to the yard with Jack. Jeff, Jacques, Moran, and Billy rode the Delucca route with me on a gorgeous sunny day. Ogden Ave was more potholed than ever, but once out on the smooth pavement of the far southwest side, I attacked the hills with a fervor and strength it seems I've never had - especially since Snake Alley last year, which is coming up soon. My regret from the time trial the day before pushed me hard up the top, getting there first more times than not.
And what can I say about the rest of the afternoon? I'll keep that to myself, but it did involve the Giro, some tasty treats, some serious lounging, and one slap on the wrist...
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