Bryce Master 20K TT
August 1, 2009 – Harvard, IL

Race#1
Masters 30+ – 3rd – 27:19.21
290 watts – 26.1 MPH

Race#2
Cat 4 – 3rd – 28:10.42
269 watts – 25.3 MPH

One of the hardest things about time trialing isn’t the physical effort, it’s the mental discipline that’s required. I’ve been reminded of that during my past couple of races.  The weather conditions at the Bryce Master 20K TT today had some waving the white flag before the start, while others were excited for the challenge.  I was one of the latter.

With a strong, 20 MPH headwind, scattered showers, and temps in the mid 60s, this felt more like an April race than one in early August.  Having had some horrible weather early in the season, I was ready for anything. My goal was to hammer the first 10K, then just let the wind carry me on the way home. I didn’t care as much about time.  I was looking more for a good workout, so I decided to do two races.

The one great thing about only doing 20K on the Harvard TT course is that there are no turns (just one turnaround). I went out very strong in my first race, since Rose and I had been running late and I was warming up right before my start. I didn’t even really notice the wind at first.  I just focused on trying to maintain 300 watts and maintain my form in the wind. I was pretty spent at the turnaround, but was excited for the return trip.  I had several miles where I average over 30 MPH.  This was a lot of fun, especially when it started to rain!

One of the things I love about the 20K is how relatively quick the races are compared to a full 40K.  I was hurting at the end, but incredibly focused on having a strong finish.  I really tried to hammer the last two miles.  I didn’t hold back that much.  This can be very hard to do when you have a second race.  Even though you’re focused on your first run, your second run is still sitting subconciously in your mind.  After finishing, I headed back to the parking lot.  I was exhausted and soon started to get the chills.  Weird, since it was August. It’s not easy to convince yourself to do a second race in these conditions when you’re cold and tired and could easily change into dry clothes and head home.

I was happy with the time from my first race, but was curious how my second one would go.  I’ve been pretty consistent this year on days when I do more than one race.  I kept biking around to keep myself warm, which I knew would help.  The rain started to come down more, but thought that might help me more during the second race. However, I knew within first few miles, my second wasn’t going to go as well as my first. I was really hurting and just decided to finish the second as a good workout.

Overall, I was very happy with both races. My power was where I wanted it to be on the first race, and it didn’t drop off that much in my second race.  Plus, my time in the first race was one of my most competitive of the year.  My times got me third in both the Masters 30+ and Cat 4. My performances have seemed to improve as the season has progressed, but most importantly I’m getting more focused mentally.  After all, it’s all in your head!