Out-of-the-saddle, getting up to speed at the start. Orange cones and the white-pant clad race official mark the race start.
I recently tested my early season form at the Wawawai 20km Time Trial just outside Pullman, WA in the Snake River Canyon. It was an excellent race in a gorgeous setting.
A shot of the Snake River Canyon
Driving over the snow-blanketed prairie lands to reach the long-descent into the canyon, we were pleasantly surprised to find temperatures increasing a pleasant 10 degrees F. as we drove down the short road. This was also a scouting section of the drive for Alan, a close friend and riding buddy who would be participating in both the time trial and the mass-start uphill climb held afterward.
We parked at a park, as redundant as that sounds, and met Ted Chauvin, the event director who has done an excellent job with the race. Guided through a smooth sign-in process, we grabbed our packet and headed down to the time-trial specific staging area along the water.
The time trial staging area was very conveniently located in a parking lot on the opposite side of the above hut, with the starting line set just about where the trees are located in the photo. The time trial takes you down 8 km of baby-smooth, flat asphalt to 2km of good-condition chipseal. This was actually pleasant in that, on the return trip, I had the combination of going with the river, a tailwind, and a return to smooth asphalt to all but catapult me back towards the finish line.
We'd been watching the weather all week and it finally looked promising. Some thunderclouds threatened to defeat the hopes of fair weather cyclists, but just as Ted promised, the micro-climate of the canyon made for great race weather and beautiful sun despite the fact that it was snowing in Spokane as I loaded up my bike and left early that morning.
I was set to start in 8th position, as many minutes after 10am. We got out our bikes, made final adjustments, and set about warming up on the trainers in the sun.
While getting ready, Alan unleashed a novel new product developed by a riding buddy- the Tritenda.
Attaching to the car by powerful magnets, the Tritenda affords one the privacy of changing without forcing you to squinch around in the front seat of a car or in the tainted confines of a porta-pottie. If you've had difficulty with this process at a race, I would definitely look into it.
Speaking of porta potties, the restroom situation at the race was nothing short of beautiful. It was really sheer magic. Porta-potties practically outnumbered the racers, and I was afforded the luxury of having any number immediately available. Bravo, Ted!
With a minute to go until my start time, I bid the guys what I hoped would be goodbye (Alan was starting after me, after all) and made my way to the line. I was riding my brand new 2010 Felt B12, which I am in love with. I literally could not love a human baby as much as I love this bike. In an attempt to avoid neutralizing the bike's aerodynamics, I was wearing a layer of spandex beneath my tri suit in what worked out to be a good clothing decision for the relatively modest temps.
The race official counted down from ten and I was off! In retrospect, I had wished that I'd done a trackstand at the line as I didn't clip in terribly quickly. Alan caught a picture (the first one of this entry) as I got up to speed and I immediately commenced hitting the race as hard as I could. Being a medical student, I have spent seemingly countless hours over the winter studying on the bike trainer, but only at an intensity conducive to learning, so this race would be an exercise in the application of base miles.
Right away I knew that my warm-up had been too hesitant as my legs started to load up with lactic acid. Racing without a bike computer, heart rate monitor, or power, I went purely off of perceived exertion. I would learn later that a fairly solid headwind would oppose our progress outbound and then push us home, and this is just what I experienced.
Two days before the race, I'd looked at photos from the previous year's event and felt the competitive urges kicking in. I was highly motivated after over a year away from racing (having lived and trained in Thailand for 6 months before school started), and lots of pent up energy came out.
I was flattered after the race when Alan, starting 7 positions behind me, said that he began counting returning riders, expecting to find me in 8th given my 10:08 start time. As he said it, "I counted the first rider.... 2nd... 3rd... 4th... Derek?" as I rode by on the return having passed a few riders. To qualify that statement, however, Alan put in an excellent ride, coming in 1:30 faster, and high-praise also goes to Nic Carey, a University of Idaho rider who won the Men's 4/5 with a 29:10 that I'm told was completed on a road bike. Solid work.
Either way, I was happy to be moving through the field out on the course. On the return trip, I simultaneously came back into the sunlight just as the gorgeous asphalt surface returned and, propelled by the tailwind and ever-so-slight decline consistent with traveling in the same direction as the river, motored towards the finish. I began pushing my legs to unsustainable levels as I neared the finish, and with the 1km sign behind me, did my best to leave it all out there.
I came through the finish line in a time of 30:39, good for an average of 24.3 miles per hour. That time was good for 4th in the Men's 4/5, but interestingly would've had me 3rd in Cat 3 and second in Cat 1/2. I'm pleased with the result, given that it was only my third time riding outside and on the new bike this year, having ridden only at easy intensity on the trainer. I'm excited to make it under 30minutes this season and potentially under 60 for the 40km distance.
I was left to study Microbiology as a solid field went about a brutal uphill bike race. Either of these races, or, for the hardmen/women, both, are excellent early season opportunities to get outside and put in a good effort. Thank you very much to Ted Chauvin and all of the race officials and volunteers who made it happen. If you live within driving distance, especially Eastern WA, and want to race an early-season time trial or test your climbing fitness, I highly recommend this event. The post-race food and generous prizes were icing on the cake!
