Author

Peter Allen on May 19, 2008

Race name: MATTS Double Bong 40K TT Race date: Monday, May 19, 2008

MATTS Double Bong 40K TT

May 18, 2008 – Brighton, WI

Cat 4 – 5th – 58:01.24

266 watts – 25.4 MPH

Any veteran racer will tell you that sometimes it's just best to go with your gut. Whatever your plan, sometimes it's best just to rely on your experiences and instincts.

The MATTS Single Bong 40K this past Sunday was my first target race of the year. Even though I wasn't putting as much focus on it as I had originally planned, I was still nervous about my performance since my training plan tapered for this specific race. I didn't have high expectations, but I didn't want to have a bad race. The weather conditions weren't looking extremely favorable for good times, but I still was determined to give it my all.

The weather wasn't as bad as it was for the Single Bong TT a month ago (windy and in the 30s). However, it wasn't up to normal May standards. Temperatures were around 50 with mostly cloudy skies and a wind that was like the "wrath of Kahn". This race would definitely be a mental challenge.

I got up to the start a little late due to the construction on I-94. I asked for a later start time, which allowed for a much needed longer warm-up. One of the things I was eager to try out was my new Blackwell 100. This was my first time trying it out. The wheel felt harder to control in the 10-15 MPH winds. My gut told me to go with the Zipp 404 front during the race. Good idea. It proved to be a much better choice given the conditions.

I was pretty anxious to get started, but I had to wait due to a slight delay in the start times. I stayed near the start, as I didn't want to make the same mistake of last year when I missed my start time at a target race. With the wind behind us at the start, I was able to stay warm but knew things might get chilly on the course. My start time soon came and I was off.

The first few miles flew with a strong tailwind, but hanging a right a the first corner and onto the backstretch gave me a sense for how hard this race was going to be. The NW wind definitely killed your momentum. I noticed my power was right on target and I started picking off other riders. The home stretch was a blast even though much of it was uphill. My first lap was 28:53 at 25.5 MPH with an average power output of 273 watts.

Taking a quick drink of water with my new Bontrager Speed Bottle from Mission Bay (HINT: they have lots of cool Bontrager accessories), I knew things were going to get rough on the second lap. I was already dripping foaming spit at the mouth and looked a bit like a rabid Badger. My gut told me not to look at power and just go with how I felt. I soon lapsed into my mile 4-5 mindset from running 10Ks. Just enough effort to keep going, but holding a little back for the final few miles. I don't know if it helped, but I definitely felt spent at the end of the race. My second lap was 29:07 at 25.3 MPH with an average power output of 260 watts.

Whew! I was sure happy I went with my gut. I ended up with a PR speed over the 40K distance, which was a nice surprise given the conditions. Ironically, I should have gone with my gut on one thing--knee warmers. I didn't want the restriction on my joints, but I felt the cold later in the race and I'm sure it slowed me a little. My final time of 58:01 was good enough for 4th place in Cat 4. My average speed was 25.4 MPH at 266 watts.

Now that my first target race is over, I need to start focusing on my second--the IL State TT championships in August. I've gotten a fair amount of experience from my training plans and will actually concoct my own now. HA! We'll see how that goes. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to the WI State TT championships in a few weeks because they will be on the Bong course. I hope the weather is a little nicer. It will be enlightening to compare performances to this past Sunday's.

Now, my gut is telling me it's time for a much needed massage at Athletico...:)

P.S. OK, this is blatant promotion for one of our sponsors, but Athletico's massage therapists are great. Their rates are reasonable and they offer a nice discount on prepaid packages. They aren't JUST a physical therapy clinic, they offer lots of services to help keep you out of PT...:)