PACE BEND ULTRA, 2020

     Two years in a row with great weather (for the 3-hour race).  Last year I did this on my time trial bike but this year I decided to go with my very fast Trek Emonda.  In terms of speed, that was a mistake.  I could have broken with tradition and put a water bottle cage on the bike, thus eliminating the hydration problem.  I was also remembering how my neck and wrists felt after that race.  Besides, while we call this a race, for me it's just a hard workout.  Without age-group divisions, I know where I'll end up.  I refer you to my February 3, 2019 post for some additional background.
     Our race started at 11:00 am so I arrived about 9:15 am and checked into registration, picked up my timing chip and the rest of the packet and prepared to do a warm-up lap.  My computer wouldn't turn on.  Pook!  I used my phone and Strava to record the ride.  Last year it took 24:11, this year was 26:22.  Because I wasn't really racing, the warm-up ended about a half hour before the start.  That gave me time to take off my tights and switch from cold weather jacket to wind-breaker.  The temperature when I left the house was 37, when I arrived at Pace Bend 47, and race time about 64.  Three hours later it was 77.
     Meanwhile, I whined to my mates on Slack that I couldn't turn on my computer and was advised (thanks Todd) to give it a hard boot by holding the on/off button for 30 seconds.  It took several tries, but just before the start it booted up and I was able to have data.  Except for heart-rate.  When it looked like I wouldn't have computer data I took off my HR strap.  Not that I planned to monitor my HR, but I think Training Peaks uses it in their algorithms.
     So, off we went, something like fifteen of us, maybe nine men and six women.  I eased into the ride and was quickly watching the others pull ahead.  Last year my first lap was 18:56, this year 20:39.  I had hoped for twenty minutes.  Twenty minute laps comes out to nine in three hours.  Of course, I knew I'd slow down, but that would give me thirty minutes to divide into the remaining laps  to give me the eight.   So I cruised along, happy with my cadence, and going up and down the gears to keep everything smooth.
     When lap two came in at 21:17 I started calculating (having nothing else to do while I pedaled along) if I was going to make eight laps or not.  Lap three came in at 23:19 and four at 23:56.  The wind picked up and I knew I couldn't go faster, so eight laps went out the window.  After the sixth lap I eased up even more, knowing I had seven and couldn't make eight.  Just as well, my right piriformis was beginning to complain.  I finished with fifteen minutes to spare, but since it was taking twenty-five, I was ten minutes short of making eight.  Thank goodness I wasn't closer, like needing a twenty minute lap to make eight.  I would have gutted it out.
     As it was, Training Peaks gave me four gold medals for 10,20, 60, and 90 minute power.  I just needed to be pushing a larger gear.  My normal Monday morning includes a 5:00 am trip to the Y to get in a leg workout.  I'll put that off until Tuesday.  Meanwhile I'm working on the piriformis and will take a recovery cruise later today. (Note: once I got going on the hurt, it wasn't the piriformis, but ha to do with the greater trochanter.  Doesn't really matter, other than it hurts to move my right leg). Neck is good, wrists are good, HR back to normal this morning.  All in all, I'm quite pleased with how things turned out.