Beat the Clock #1

I won a pair of knee warmers for registering first...how cool is that?

In any case, Beat the Clock was my first fitness test of the season. I didn't use any aero gear, except for the bike. Left the race wheels, helmet, skinsuit and booties at home. Just wanted to work on pacing and position on the bike.

I have a theory that if this race was run in the opposite direction, I would race at least 2 minutes faster. I need to go out and test my theory some time. It starts on Canada Rd., just a bit north of the Jefferson intersection - pretty much at the high point of the road. You basically head down hill for the first 1.5 miles and bottom out a bit below Edgewood Rd. Then, you roll your way to near the junction of highway 92 and head back. That last 1.5 miles is what kills me every time. I have a hard time pacing over that section of road even when I am in a pack. It pitches up steeply near Edgewood and then levels into a gentle up-grade the rest of the way to the finish. I blow myself up trying to get over the steep section and then slow way down on the last upward stretch. If anyone has any suggestions on how to pace this, I'd love to hear them! I'm typically turning around at 14 minutes, which means I'm 4+ minutes slower on the way back. Aaack!

Anyway, I finished 32:45 for the 10 miles, which was 45 seconds faster than last year in March. So, I am still seeing significant improvement year over year. Unfortunately, I was still last place of the individual women. But, I have to remember I am on my own journey and not compare with others!