I missed last weeks time trial, and this week I felt so tired I might have skipped it again. I had done a long slow ride on Saturday to Richmond Park with Olivia, and a faster one on my own on Sunday. On the Sunday ride I was surprised to feel my legs stronger than they have been for a while. So after a few days off, and on a warm evening with a very light westerly wind, I felt duty bound to go to Maidenhead, though it was a bit of a struggle getting off the sofa.
I think it's worth talking a little about nutrition - for breakfast I had bran flakes and granola with milk, and a small orange. I had a Sainsbury's meal deal of 500 ml diet coke, triple sandwich with chicken/turkey/cheese, and a big bag of Walkers cheese and onion. Mid afternoon Snickers bar completed the day except for a handful of salted peanuts just before I left home and an Isogel+ about 45 minutes before the race. I had about 3 cups of coffee at work too, and a few sips of water while waiting near the start line.
My warm-up was a 16 km ride to the start, a bit of a rest, and then 4 loops of the side road. I didn't do any real efforts as I was feeling tired, but i did time my last loop so that I turned up at the start 3 minutes before my time (I got number 30 this week so was off at 8:14 pm) and just had time to get my heart rate back down.
I know this course very well now, and have a very good feeling after only a few minutes for how the ride will go. Getting up to speed from the standing start is always the same, and turning the corner at the roundabout. The gradient then increases, and my speed goes down, and suddenly I remember I need to breath (at 1:50 elapsed time on this occasion :) ) The next 3-5 minutes are decisive. If my speed drops to 32-33 km/h, and my legs start to hurt, and I start panting and wanting to give up, then I'll have an average (for me) ride. I might beat 25 minutes, but might not. That's the normal early season. Today, I found I was right about my form, and my legs felt strong, and I maintained 34-6 km/h on this hard section. I knew it would be a good time.
I kept in as low an aero position as possible into the slight headwind and it seemed to work - my speed was good an the average crept up. I think I need to change my bike set up because even sitting at the back of the saddle, and reaching forwards, my elbows are practically off the front of the pads and my hands off the front of the gear controls - I can't get any lower though I feel that I want to and am capable of it.
At the half way turnaround roundabout my average speed was 39.1 km/h - this is close to my record I think and I was still feeling good. I overtook number 29 which always feels good, but was soon overtaken by 31 - not so nice. I think I must have relaxed a little on the return - with my good start I was confident of my best time of the season. Number 31 didn't pull away from me as fast as I'd have liked and I had to slow a little to let him get out of my drafting zone - I lost a bit of time doing that but I had no choice - you're not allowed to draft other riders. I kept my average speed between 38.8 and 39.1 and after the final hill really pushed for home.
I think my push for home should have started sooner - I felt fast, and I still had some energy at the finish line. It's hard to judge this, and maybe if I'd pushed harder earlier that wouldn't have worked.
Very happy with my 24.11 time - best of the season and 3rd best ever. A little surprised it wasn't under 24 minutes, given my good first half. Maybe I should spend less time looking at my speed, and more riding by how I feel. Perhaps I'll try a ride with the Garmin screen covered :)
I rode home again as my warm down, it was getting really dark and though there had been 100% cloud cover all evening, a small patch on the horizon cleared in the west showing a red sky, which was nice.
Links maidenheadCC Strava
I think it's worth talking a little about nutrition - for breakfast I had bran flakes and granola with milk, and a small orange. I had a Sainsbury's meal deal of 500 ml diet coke, triple sandwich with chicken/turkey/cheese, and a big bag of Walkers cheese and onion. Mid afternoon Snickers bar completed the day except for a handful of salted peanuts just before I left home and an Isogel+ about 45 minutes before the race. I had about 3 cups of coffee at work too, and a few sips of water while waiting near the start line.
My warm-up was a 16 km ride to the start, a bit of a rest, and then 4 loops of the side road. I didn't do any real efforts as I was feeling tired, but i did time my last loop so that I turned up at the start 3 minutes before my time (I got number 30 this week so was off at 8:14 pm) and just had time to get my heart rate back down.
I know this course very well now, and have a very good feeling after only a few minutes for how the ride will go. Getting up to speed from the standing start is always the same, and turning the corner at the roundabout. The gradient then increases, and my speed goes down, and suddenly I remember I need to breath (at 1:50 elapsed time on this occasion :) ) The next 3-5 minutes are decisive. If my speed drops to 32-33 km/h, and my legs start to hurt, and I start panting and wanting to give up, then I'll have an average (for me) ride. I might beat 25 minutes, but might not. That's the normal early season. Today, I found I was right about my form, and my legs felt strong, and I maintained 34-6 km/h on this hard section. I knew it would be a good time.
I kept in as low an aero position as possible into the slight headwind and it seemed to work - my speed was good an the average crept up. I think I need to change my bike set up because even sitting at the back of the saddle, and reaching forwards, my elbows are practically off the front of the pads and my hands off the front of the gear controls - I can't get any lower though I feel that I want to and am capable of it.
At the half way turnaround roundabout my average speed was 39.1 km/h - this is close to my record I think and I was still feeling good. I overtook number 29 which always feels good, but was soon overtaken by 31 - not so nice. I think I must have relaxed a little on the return - with my good start I was confident of my best time of the season. Number 31 didn't pull away from me as fast as I'd have liked and I had to slow a little to let him get out of my drafting zone - I lost a bit of time doing that but I had no choice - you're not allowed to draft other riders. I kept my average speed between 38.8 and 39.1 and after the final hill really pushed for home.
I think my push for home should have started sooner - I felt fast, and I still had some energy at the finish line. It's hard to judge this, and maybe if I'd pushed harder earlier that wouldn't have worked.
Very happy with my 24.11 time - best of the season and 3rd best ever. A little surprised it wasn't under 24 minutes, given my good first half. Maybe I should spend less time looking at my speed, and more riding by how I feel. Perhaps I'll try a ride with the Garmin screen covered :)
I rode home again as my warm down, it was getting really dark and though there had been 100% cloud cover all evening, a small patch on the horizon cleared in the west showing a red sky, which was nice.
Links maidenheadCC Strava
