Short story:
As a new guy, I entered the mens category 5 class. Somewhere along the line, I thought a 40k is 24 miles, WRONG, it's 24.8miles. That's a big difference when you had thought it was 24, and did all your caclulations with the other numbers... "I'm going the right speeds, I'm where I should be, why am I three minutes down on time??? Any way, long story short. This old dude (me) on a first try knocked out a 1:05:58 time, averaged 22.55mph and a 2:39 pace. Most happy with the result. There is heart rate, pacing and MPH information on the image at the bottom, including a course profile.
Rest of the story:
What a fiasco of a weekend. Did about $5500 damage to my Yukon (hit a deer) on the way down. Got to Bozeman and some crazy concert was going on and no hotel rooms for 250 miles. Even the hotel people said they hadn't seen anything like it in a while... swell... We nearly had to sleep in the Yukon. 2 hours of phone calls later, we found a hotel that had a room (2 guys on cell phones simultaneously demon-dialing all the numbers in the phone book until we got a hit.) Can't wait to get my roaming bill. We killed 2 hours I had hoped to be sleeping by calling just about 70 hotels.
I get up tired, disgusted (wrecked my car), and head to the race. I had left one detail on the bike until we got there, busy work, to give me something to do. I had "assumed" the reason my cateye double wireless computer had died, was that the batterys were dead... NOPE, turns out, it's just DEAD... Found that out 45 minutes before I start... So now I only have my polar HRM. The onboard bike computer that I was going to use for cadence, Speed, distance and splits was not going to happen. Mind you, all my riding and pacing on the bike were done with both computers... Last minute I decide to run just my polar in speed, HR, and cadence. No mileage, no split times, no idea where I was on the course (well, so to speak, it was marked every 10K, and last k). That makes it a lot tougher for somebody as anal as me to keep track of what the heck I'm doing. Just then, I realize we left my MAIN gear bag in the hotel. Has my water bottles in it, Warm weather gear, shoe covers, HRM STRAP!!! D'OH!!! I send my son back to the hotel, it's like 12 miles away in traffic. MERCIFULLY, he gets back with 10 minutes to spare.
So, I'm frazzled, My car is wrecked, it's cold out 59 degrees, I have no timing, mileage or pacing equipment on the bike. I get to the start line and pull in just as they launch the guy in front of me... NOW THAT is cutting it close. I've got a million things running through my mind, none of them having to do with racing and concentrating. I get up and get ready to go... I "toughen up" and let 'er rip. Whithin about a minute, I actually started to feel better and start to concentrate. Before it was over I managed to pass 4 dudes, and got passed by 3 faster dudes. At the 40 minute mark, my gut was starting to ache, pretty hard. Like harder than I've ever had a gut ache. Right side right below the rib cage. Actually almost hurt to take a deep breath. That subsided a bit, and or I worked through it or ignored it or something.
I was never so happy in my life as when I started to recognize scenery similar to the finish line... HR was 89% of max for the first half of the race, 90.3% of maxx on the way back. I kicked it hard for the last 2 miles. Last mile averaged 92.9% of MHR. Result: 1:05:58 time, averaged 22.55mph and a 2:39 pace.
The good news is that I had estimated pretty close. Here is what I wrote in another post a week ago:
Quoted post said:I'd like to come in under 66 minutes (2:45 pace, or 21.81mph), and the closer to 63 (2:37 pace, or 22.92mph), the happier I will be about it. I'm confident I could do the 2:37 pace at 2100 feet. I'm more concerned about what will happen to my pace and HR at 4400 feet.
What's neat about that, is I did all that original estimating of a 40k at 24 miles not 24.8 miles (duh). So I actually I would have run a 63:49 if it were 24 miles. So I hit my estimates, almost EXACTLY on the mark, and without times to look at on the course. I had no idea what my time was until I saw it on the sheet in the timers area.
Here's what's funny. Huge turnout THIS year. Last year, mens 4/5 had a grand total of 3 riders between the classes. I think this year cat 5 had 13, of which I finished 8th. Cat 4 had 4-5 riders and I would have placed 3rd in cat 4. Some sandbagging goin' on... 😄 The cat 4 guys can't keep up... lol...
I finished about 11 minutes behind the overall fastest rider for the event, and I'm pretty happy with that! 🙂
I was looking at some pictures, My position doesn't look fast. I'll see if I can get a picture.
Thanks for all the help (cycling forums community), especially Rappdaddyo for making the course profile and offering ideas and help.
-B