TIME TRIAL MIS-ADVENTURE

     But first, a little background for those not in the Austin area.  The Driveway Series is probably the premier criterium race venue in the US.  Every Thursday from March through October, or, Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time, Kelley puts on a half dozen races and allows up to 75 rabid racers (per race), myself included, to achieve their wildest dreams.  Perhaps that is a tad misleading, but you get the sentiment.  In any case, Covid-19 has put a huge damper on the proceedings.  Like many entrepreneurs, Kelley has made temporary adaptations.  First came the Virtual Driveway in conjunction with Zwift, then the Old Sayers Road Gravel Race.  This was a race where you biked solo and posted your time.  For the month of May we have the Manda Time Trial.   This is on country roads, 8.8 miles and again you bike solo and record your time on Strava.
     Regular readers know that I dearly love my TT bike.  Time trialing is my best event even though there are precious few races during the year.  I had put the Castroville time trials on my calendar this year but they too have been curtailed.  So when Manda was announced it caught my interest.  I haven't been on my TT bike in months. 
     The weather forecasting has been a bit spotty this last week, with the timing of the front moving from Wednesday to Tuesday evening to Tuesday noonish.  As a result, my original Tuesday cycling went from a two hour ride to either cycling in the kitchen or getting in an early cadence drill.  I woke up this morning and checked the weather: overcast, negligible wind, front at 11 am or so.  I really liked the idea of light wind and determined I'd get in a preview of the TT course, about a forty-five minute drive from home.  Quickly I switched the Stages Power Meter crank to the TT bike, had breakfast, and donned my bike kit.
     The start was easy to find, but I figured I'd drive the course first.  Easy enough, three right turns on acceptable asphalt, one minor section excepted.  It didn't take long to get ready and start out.  With the course being square and 8.8 miles, it looked like two miles per side.  Since this was just a preview ride, my plan was to warm up for the first lap then be more serious the second.  And since I haven't been on the bike in awhile, I took several breaks from being in the tuck position to give my neck a break.
     After the second right turn I checked the computer and it had just clicked over three miles.  It took about a minute to register.  That should have been four miles.  Too late now, just carry on.  I made the last turn and enjoyed what wind there was at my back and came to the finish, then back to the car.  Well now, so to speak.  The finish segment was Wells School Road.  I had made a wrong turn onto Wells Lane rather than going on to Wells Road.  As a result, I was two miles short.  But that wasn't the end.
     As I reviewed the posted course I could see where I messed up.  But in going to the website, I was reminded that I hadn't signed up nor signed the waiver.  Of course, that really didn't matter all that much, this was only a preview ride.  I started to do that, but didn't get very far in that I could not, for the life of me, remember my sign in and password for bikereg.  Then it felt like the wind shifted.
     I took it as a sign for me that my activities should be curtailed and I packed up and came home. I'm now signed up and waived and ready to go back and do a serious TT.  But it won't be tomorrow.  Tomorrow is forecast to be a perfect day to get in a long ride.