Frustration Station
Friday, August 03, 2007
The other day, I checked in at the Spirit of Racine site to take a look at the results. While I'm not a real numbers person, I just wanted to see, approximately, how I might've stacked up. And what I saw freaked me out.
Not the swim times, or the run times, but the bike times. Or, more specifically, the bike averages: 20 to 22 mph at the top, down only to 16 or 17 mph at the very bottom of my age bracket.
This stung a bit. Again, I'm not a big on numbers, which translates into being not being big into gadgets. The whole bit is just kind of lost on me. But I know numbers enough to realize that I'd likely be in the very bottom percentage of my age bracket with the averages I usually put up on my bike -- often running the gamut of the 15mph range.
And, just like the woman with the choppy-ugly stroke in the lane next to me today at the Y, I couldn't just let those numbers be, I had to try to beat them.
So, last night, after a four-mile run (and man! it was h-o-t-t out there!), I mounted up for my scheduled two-hour ride with a goal to go as fast as I possibly could. Period. (Disclaimer: I recognize the unscientific and possibly detrimental nature of this little experiment as it relates to my training. But really, I didn't really care.)
My route took me out-and-back along about a third of the Ironman loop. Just after the turn-around point, I biked one of the hills so hard that I threw up. It was the first ever chuck-it on my bike, which I took to mean that I was doing well, pushing myself and all.
I pushed the highest gear I could, eventually causing my hipflexors to feel pinched and sore. But I didn't back off. My quads started complaining. But I didn't back off. I was feeling a bit overheated...hard to do on a bike. And still, I didn't back off.
I tried not to let myself look at the computer, but whenever I did, there were pretty numbers like 18, 19, and even 22 or 23 that flashed back at me. Surely, I was cru-sing.
Finally, I reached the end of the route, dismounted, and with great anticipation, clicked through my bike computer's screen for my average....
Drum roll....
16.2 mph
WTF?!?!?!?
I felt a tempter tantrum simmering up. I felt like kicking my bike (as if it had something to do with those numbers). And then I felt like crying. Because I had just ridden my ass off and mustered a measly 16.2.
I know I don't need to (or probably physically can't) average close to 20 for the Ironman. I'm fine with slow-but-steady and all that. I have no sights set on a specific finishing time; I just want to finish.
But still. That's a big gap -- between16.2 and the age groupers at Racine. And I just keep wondering what I'm not doing that I could be.
Because the thing is, I'm in great shape. Probably better than I've ever been. I've done countless intervals interspersed with putting significant time in on long rides. I starting to finally feel "one" with my bike (despite a few hiccups). The only thing I haven't been doing with any regularity is pushing as high of a gear as I can, mostly due to the fact that when I do, my hip screams bloody murder for me to stop.
So now I'm wondering, what else? Short of investing thousands and thousands of dollars in Powercranks and power meters and other helpful gadgets, how do I go faster? More drills? A coach? More time on the bike? Or am I just doomed to slowness?
Any ideas? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
Posted by Erin 3:30 PM
Keep at it. Ther is nothing wrong with 16.2 on a long ride like, say, Ironman Wisconsin.
I agree with the 1st comment - experience. Here is my experience so far with the 112 mile IronMan course. Took me 7hr 35min the 1st time, 7hr 20min the 2nd time, and 6hr 43min the 3rd time. What was the difference -- experience with the course and more experience on when to push and when to just ride (certainly not fitness level). The 6hr 43min ride comes out to be 16.4 mph. I'm very new to the bike, but I have learned from the few tri's that I have done on when to push the rollers/flats and when to just ride em. Look at it this way -- 16.2 -- at least I'll have someone to ride with during the IronMan.
Robert
You're going to do just fine at IM WI.