Always 4th place

This seems to be my week to be 4th out of 4. Did it twice today in two different cycling time trials, plus last week the same at Steelhead duathlon. Oh well. Today that means I don't qualify for the Senior Nationals in time trialing, unless I can manage to pull it off in another state games (Delaware?).

I found out that they never posted official times from the last time trial because their chip system wasn't working properly - whoops!

5k time trial: Got a slow start clipping in and made a poor turnaround.

Watch time: 9:41(?)
Garmin time: 10:12(?)
Average heart rate: 170 bpm
Average bike computer speed: 18.5 mph
Maximum bike computer speed: 23.3 mph

Official 5k time: 9:41
Calculated speed: 19.26 mph

Rode another mile or two between time trials to keep the legs warm. They were 45 minutes apart.

10K time trial: Better start (clipping in) and better turnaround, but I could feel some fatigue slowing down my legs from the start.

Watch time: 19:52(?)
Garmin time: 20:27(?)
Average heart rate: 166 bpm
Average bike computer speed: 18.2 mph
Maximum bike computer speed: 21.5 mph

Official 10k time: 19:43
Calculated speed: 18.91 mph

I had hoped to go faster, but that's as fast as I could go today. That's as much "oomph" as my legs had in them. No excuses, it just shows that I have a lot of work yet to do! That gives me a benchmark for my first 5K and 10K cycling time trials and helps chart the path for improving on them the next time around.

Still, it was fun and I met some very nice local Maryland cyclists - a very congenial group of Senior Olympians!

Buttercup is rarin' to go

My bike Buttercup is ready to begin her race season at the 40 km road race on Saturday! (Yes, they are permitting tri-bikes to race in this non-sanctioned event, I called in advance and checked). I took off her bento box so now she's hungry, which is a good thing for a racing bike. I also removed the behind-the-seat bottle cages and put on the sleek black rear skewer so now she feels fast.

I'll leave on the seatpack with the flat-fixing supplies until I determine that they will have an adequate sag wagon on the course, but probably that will stay in the car on race day.

I did two little 5k time trials on the painted course which happened to appear out on the highway near here last week. 5k with a tailwind on the outbound leg = 10:01 (18.6 mph). Return 5k leg with a headwind = 10:58 (17.0 mph).

Maybe I would have shaved off a second or two if I had taken off the water bottle cages before I rode instead of after. . . . but I still think I'm leaving the new aero helmet at home Saturday. I'll save that for the Columbia Triathlon and a course I've raced on before.

I'll have my work cut out for me making 40k in 82 minutes to make it a 18.0 mph average on Saturday. That's a good aspirational goal for me, but it will only happen if everything comes together and I get a great ride.

I'm addicted

Yesterday I was feeling cranky and tired and headachy. Hmm, I hadn't run in four days. When I finally got a 1500-yard swim done I felt like a new person. Coincidence?

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I'm in for a running series put on by a great running club about an hour drive from here, to put some more emphasis on running speed in the year 2008:

This message is generated as confirmation of your recent registration on Active.com. You have been successfully registered for the following:

Registration: 2008 Annapolis Striders Championship Series
Purchase Date: 01/26/08
Category: Registration
Event Date: 02/09/08 - 12/14/08
Name: NANCY TOBY

Important Information Regarding Your Registration

CONGRATULATIONS! You have pre-registered for all of the Annapolis Striders Championship Series Races. On race day, just give the registration volunteers your name and tell them you are a Champ Series pre-registrant. Good luck and stay healthy!

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I think I've also decided not to attempt to become a triathlon race official this year, mainly because I'd have to cancel out my sold-out Columbia Triathlon registration (and lose $40) in order to take the clinic - and my schedule for the rest of this race season is pretty full. Maybe next year - I really would like to become qualified to officiate at races. Right now I'm already doing what I can do give back to the sport by managing three different triathlon-related websites, and working with my training buddy Dave on starting up a new local triathlon group - which has taken away a little of my normal blogging time and volume.

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Today I was talking to another mom of a girl in Catherine's swim class today who is doing Columbia (Olympic distance) Triathlon for her first triathlon. She says she needs to learn how to swim, and is not quite sure about those "skinsuits". Her husband was completely amazed when I said there are over 1500 entrants, and was in disbelief when I said some people were meeting in this weather regularly for group rides (well, actually not me in the last several weeks, truth be told), and wanted advice on how to teach her to breathe out underwater. Hmmm, yeah, it's 16 weeks away. She looks pretty fit otherwise - I'll bet she can do it if she gets some swimming lessons and doesn't freak out during the swim. It's amazing how fast relatively-fit younger people can get with just a little technique work (and yeah, pretty much all moms of 4-year-olds are a lot younger than I).

It's different for the pros

Amanda Lovato doesn't like it when she hears pros say that they're going to "participate" in a race instead of saying they're racing it.

As for me, I participate in races. Even while going as fast as I'm able. I don't entertain any delusions of head-to-head competition with anyone.

Except if I see woman with a calf number in my age group ahead of me. Then it's game on. Unless I'm mid-bonk, that is.

My race history

On one of my lists someone asked about our race histories. This is mine, from what I recall:

• First competitive races/awards: 1970 (on horseback), in suburban Chicago area. Competed successfully for about a decade.
  
• First road races: circa 1982, in rural Illinois. Mostly 10Ks in those days. I was definitely NOT competitive, though I did get one 3rd-place trophy in a 5K once.
• Late 1980s: three-year sojourn into powerlifting, in which I was quite successful. I've got a body built strength and power, not for endurance!
  
• First multisport race: 1989, a duathlon (run-bike, then called a biathlon) in New Hampshire. I don't recall any helmets. I've still got the bike!
  
• Decade-long break to pursue my career, plus sit on the couch a lot and gain as much weight as I possibly could.
  
• First triathlon: 2002, New Jersey. I walked a lot on the swim in a shallow lake.