TT 2012, sub-30 and a new PR

Okay, it has been about a month since the second TT.  If you remember, I did PR the first one with a 30:21 @ 23.33 MPH (for 11.85 miles).  I was also the first person about 30 minutes and the first person beaten by Donna (fast girl from the coast).

This time I arrived at the starting line on time.  We would line up in reverse order from our previous time (slowest to fastest).  As we were lining up I knew Donna would be right behind me.  I also knew that she was 26 seconds faster than me from the previous TT.  We stagger the start every 30 seconds.  I knew that she would be on my tail.

I had a strategy. I was going to use the Virtual Racer on my Garmin watch.  I have used the Virtual Partner (I call it my Virtual Nemeses) many times in running racers.  The Virtual Partner will run even splits.  This is great on a flat course but he will not slow down up hills.  It is simply an even pace.  However, since I had PR’d the TT and recorded the event with my Garmin I was able to load the event as a course.  I could now race against myself!  It will be in ‘real time’ and not just an even split.

I started out on the ride at a measured pace.  Quickly the nemesis got the jump on me.  What?  I struggle to even keep pace.  But I remained calm and waited for my legs to come back.  It was a hard effort but I was maintaining my previous speed.  I had done some quick math and I ‘needed’ to gain 20+ seconds from the previous ride.  I rounded up to 24 seconds (2 seconds a mile).  At the turn around I was not even close.  I was maybe a second or 2 faster – still a PR but not where I wanted to be.

On that back section I pushed hard and just on the edge.  I started to gain some time.  The only numbers displayed on my Garmin was the amount of time ahead (or behind).  I was not looking at speed or heart rate or anything.  The seconds ahead started to slowly increase. 

When I crossed the line I had given everything and I knew that I have achieved victory.  I had been chasing the sub-30 TT for a couple of years.  The bike set up was exactly the same.  In fact, all equipment was exactly the same.  This meant that I was truly faster than previous attempts (or at least I paced better).

I finished this TT with a new PR with a 29:46 @23.78 MPH.  Donna still beat me (she was 17 seconds faster).

So, for year to year results, I cut down my TT time from 30:32 to 29:46 (46 seconds and 0.6 MPH faster).

Second TT results can be found here.