Regular readers know I hate racing (not to be confused with riding, which is pleasant) at Pace Bend. This year was no exception. Don't get me wrong, I came home with three gold medals (and I had a smidgen of competition). I was also faster than some of the younger riders. But let's start at the beginning.
Last Monday I took my time trial bike down to Great Northern, mainly to check my positioning and warn my neck what was in the future. As it turned out, the Garmin decided not to recognize the bike, equipped with a Stages power/cadence meter. I defaulted to the Strava app on the phone so at least I received credit for the ride. But the drill I had planned never happened. Just as well, the wind was up and it was a chore just to get an hour in. I took the bike and computer to the bike shop in search of a solution. After a lot of fiddling, and explanation, he got it working. Friday I was back at Great Northern for a leg opening session. Only thirty minutes. My neck still complained.
Saturday I cleaned and lubed the bikes and loaded them into the car along with whatever essentials I thought I might need (mainly nutrition and fluids). Senior Games run 20 and 40k road races and 5 and 10k time trials in five year categories starting at 50. Because they are now run on the same day, with the 40k being the first race at 9:00, I skip it. Pace Bend is a 10k loop. I arrived Sunday morning at 8:45 and saw the riders off. Then checked in, received my timing chip and number and went back to the car to leisurely get ready.
Due to the sparseness in the categories, we all start together. This is a decided disadvantage to the older groups and ladies. Tactics are essential. The first 1.8 miles are mostly a slight downgrade with two longish climbs. The wind was into our right shoulder. I started at the back, but that was only about six places. At the start there are always some who cannot get clipped in quickly and Sunday was no exception. I was quickly mid-pack and behind a father-daughter(?) duo. The leaders accelerated and those who couldn't find a wheel were soon left behind. The three of us made it up the first hill still attached, but at the second the lady kept up but dad was gassed. That left me with too much of a gap to close.
For those who don't race, I digress into riding in the peloton. With pros and younger riders, it is the same, just faster and closer together. Us seniors place a higher value on our bodies, so we are a bit more cautious. Still, we ride fairly close and pay attention to any slight wheel movement. We also evaluate the riding styles of our companions. Any signs of erratic behavior will result in giving that person more room. For this race, dad-daughter were very good.
In any case, I was on my own after the first 1.6 miles. On this first loop I felt as though the wind was in my face 90% of the time. Perhaps a bit of a misconception. But I kept up as best I could and on the second lap I could see my teammate, Tom, about two hundred yards ahead. I almost caught up but was very slow going up the last big hill (7-9% grade) and finished seven seconds behind him. I count eleven ascents per 10k loop, some harder than others. For the two loops, I shifted my front derailleur 5 times and my back 301. Cadence averaged 82 with 104 max and heart rate was 140 with a top of 149 (about 95% of max).
I had about 40 minutes before the start of the 10k time trial. Back at the car, I switched bikes, moving the timing chip to the Felt and bringing out the TT helmet. As I toodled around getting used to the position, it occurred to me that the wind would have me coming out of my tuck and holding on for dear life for most of the loop. Also, the computer once again wouldn't recognize the bike. Since I wouldn't be fighting for seconds (the fast guys were a no-show this year), I switched back to the Madone. This would also give me the opportunity to evaluate the wind for the 5k, which was an out-and-back course.
The 10k is run in the opposite direction of the road races. I lined up third, knowing faster riders would be passing me. We start every 30 seconds so I estimated no more than six would catch me. The ride was uneventful. My heart rate and cadence and power were similar to the road race. I was slower than last year, but last year had good weather. I determined that the wind was too much even for the 5k, so the Felt stayed in the car. My neck was appreciative.
For the 5k I started close to the back, giving me an additional ten minutes of rest between races. Several gusts of wind moved me a bit and bolstered my decision to stick with the road bike. It was over in a little over ten minutes. No stats for this race, because now the Garmin wouldn't connect to the power pedals. I must have hit some button, because the next day the Garmin connected to both bikes without any fuss.
Even though I hate racing at Pace Bend, the race itself is extremely well-run, everything goes off like clockwork. Check in was quick and easy. The chips/computer sorts everything out and results posted within minutes of the last rider finishing. I don't know if I missed an actual award ceremony, since I was last coming in and busy getting the bikes squared away. In any case, when I walked up the hill to the tent, they were already starting to pack up. But I just identified myself and the age category, it was quickly looked up the the medals handed to me.
I have two months to get my TT act together. I'll be spending a lot of time on Great Northern.
