The Race: Nature Valley Grand Prix St. Paul Time Trial
The Course: 7.7 miles, gently rolling terrain, out and back style
The Field: Pro 1/2 women
The Finish: 24th
Today started brutally early when my alarm (and my roommate’s alarm, which blared with an intensity more suited for a nuclear holocaust warning) went off at 4:45am. The two of us needed to get to the time trial venue early for an interview with the local Fox news channel. As we waited to get started, another news anchor came over and asked to use my bike as a prop. He asked how much it was worth and was afraid to touch it after that, even after I explained that I beat the shit out of it in races. I heard him tell the cameraman, “If this falls, drop the camera and go for the bike.” Then he announced on camera the bike’s value, ensuring that at some point before I leave the state, it will be stolen.
The good part about making an early morning television appearance was that I had something to focus on other than wanting to hurl and/or cry from anxiety. My previous experience with time trials was limited to a sub-four mile TT that I fumbled through at Toona last summer and a short uphill one in Vermont last fall where I threw up four times. My plan for today was just to ride hard and hope for the best, and I kept calm by focusing on the interview and talking to my teammates. I didn’t cry once, not even in the starting corral where I’ll admit to assessing a nearby USA Cycling official for his potential willingness to hug out my nerves. Score: 0.
The Coach advised me to not start like I was on fire, so I rolled down the ramp, sprinted the first hundred meters to get up to speed, and settled into a steady hard pace. The goal was to hold that for the first five minutes before ramping up to 100% effort. It worked well – I didn’t blow up immediately or explode from tension, and after the initial five minutes, I was able to increase my effort to full-out without much agony. The few rolling hills passed quickly (though not painlessly) and I took the sweeping turns and the turnaround point smoothly. At one point I threw up in my mouth, but that was to be expected and, since it was mostly just Hammer Gel, it went straight back down. Why waste a good gel?
I was hurting quite a bit when I hit the 3km to go sign, but knew it was close to the end and not time to let up. Just after the 1km sign, I thought about standing. The key part there is ‘thought about’, as it took a mere second to realize the burning in my legs and butt was not conducive to starting a long sprint. When I saw the final curve, I knew the end was near, so I sucked it up, stood, and hammered across the line. Although I was dizzy and gasping like a dying fish, it felt good overall and I was satisfied with the ride. When the results came out, I was 24th out of 95, sitting 1:14 down from the leader. I’ll take it.
Congrats to the other Nature Valley Pro Chase riders on solid performances today, especially Brianna Walle, the newly-anointed Best Amateur!
keep up the great effort and I absolutely love reading your blog. Way to not waste that hammer gel.
Way to go. Congrats on your steady nerves and no tears experience. Bike insurance is definitely called for.
You did it. Great time, great tale. What’s wrong with all of us. We regularly push ourselves to the point of having a taste of vomit when we’re at the top of our game, and at the brink of success or failure. Well done LB, well done. And don’t forget, tears relieve stress like none other. Looking forward to round 2.
Wow, great job Lindsay! You’re in the top 25% of the field after the first event (and one in which you don’t have a lot of experience) so congratulations!
Hey…if your normal routine is to cry before the start, I say go for it! If that’s the formula that has gotten you to this level, I wouldn’t try to change things now. Just do what your heart tells you to do. I’ve always been a big believer in expressing how you feel but I also understand there is a certain social etiquette and protocol you’re ‘supposed’ to follow at races. If there is nobody there to give you a hug and if racing regulations forbid you from coming to the start line holding a large four-foot stuffed teddy bear then it might make more sense to try to hold it in. I dunno…tough call! 🙂
Oh, and focus on the race stages, resting, refueling, and taking in the whole experience…don’t stay up late updating your blog (unless you really, really have to and want to)!
Best of luck to you during the upcoming stages!!
Oh, and of course, congratulations to the other Nature Valley Pro Chase riders…especially Brianna! Wow, 8th place in the individual TT…awesome!!