Finally done a ITT!

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toolonglegs
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Finally done a ITT!

Postby toolonglegs » Mon Aug 27, 2012 4:13 am

Took a while (I have done 2 prologues and 2 TTT's but this is the first over 5kms long ), 19.2kms to be exact.
I had 2 objectives, one was to have a 40kmph av and the other was to finish in top 6 for my age / department.
Happily I did both... 41.284 av on a rolling course with very little flat terrain.
3rd for the Department de l'Ain where I live... So should qualify for the nationals if I can go.
23rd scratch out of 130 (AT) 2m35 ( 3 French Age group Champions in Front of me ).
Really enjoyed it, well as much as you can!.pacing seemed pretty good with the time for the 2nd lap only 2 or 3 secs slower than the 1st. Did get held up in traffic on one corner with people warming up not getting out of the way.

So the calculations for next year ... Hopefully 8kgs lighter, disc rear wheel, proper TT frame instead of a 63cm road frame with the biggest tubing known to man ( cannondale system 6 ) ... And maybe some more dedicated training!.

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby Ozkaban » Mon Aug 27, 2012 9:15 am

Nice one. I'd be dead happy with that avg speed.

It is a universal truth though that it doesn't matter how well you went or how happy you are with the time, you're always planning how you're going to beat it next year!

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby vander » Mon Aug 27, 2012 11:15 am

Well done TLL killed it. Kit up and train hard for nationals and smash it!

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ldrcycles
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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby ldrcycles » Mon Aug 27, 2012 11:47 am

That average speed :shock: .
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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby GraemeK » Mon Aug 27, 2012 11:55 am

Fantastic result -- especially given you were probably competing against specialists and doing it on a less than optimum bike. Must mean that you could go faster with a little more focus on the discipline but the result is the sort to gives you the encouragement to try harder.

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby toolonglegs » Mon Aug 27, 2012 2:43 pm

Thanks guys!. Yup, definitely want to go faster. I have the regional championships next Sunday and have disc rear lined up for that... But it is real pig of a course with a good climb each of the two laps... But it also a very technical course which may suit me. I will check it out this week if possible.
The nationals are my aim so I am pretty tired with the amount of training I have been doing... But the course actually suits me there as it is flat!.
Might even be on a tt frame by then :-) .

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby Strawburger » Mon Aug 27, 2012 3:34 pm

Nice one!

Did you pace yourself with a PM or was it intuition? I recall you were looking at getting another PM a few months ago.
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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby vander » Mon Aug 27, 2012 3:41 pm

Get the TT frame and be meticulous with your training till the nationals, do it properly or you will regret it. I am guessing (based on results from hilly courses here) you will have to do around 47-49 to win nationals (and probably well over 45 for a place)? To do that you will need to go all out, you will need every bit of advantage you can get (not just you anyone that wants to do those speeds). How far away is it?

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toolonglegs
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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby toolonglegs » Mon Aug 27, 2012 4:24 pm

Strawburger, just self paced... I havent bothered with a power meter yet. Thinking about it for next year but we will see. I pre-rode the course last weekend and got a good feel for it... tried not to go too hard on the first long climb up to about the 3km mark. But I maybe still went a little too hard... didn't go silly on the downhills as the extra effort didn't make huge differences. Saved a bit for all the climbs. While they weren't too long they hurt and I wanted to stay seated as long as possible .
Vander, 47 ( on a calm day ) would see me on the overall podium. That's what the French champion in the age group under mine does around there... but he is a specialist in TT's and wins some big TT's in stronger Federations than mine.
IF!!! I can do a 44 I will be in with a chance for a podium in my age group, but that is a big if... my frontal mass is still too big for the watts I could put out over the 30 minutes. I am just not aero enough!.
But I have till the 30th September so I will have fun trying :D .

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby toolonglegs » Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:27 am

2nd TT today... not a great day.
But after seeing a team mate head off in the ambo's with broken arm / collar bone / shoulder blade I am happy to be in one piece.
Tough course of about 23kms... 2 laps with an off shot to finish. Didn't feel amazing the last couple of days so just happy to be at the start.
Rather windy day for a TT but I took off with disc rear and 82mm front. Tried to pace myself on the long rolling climb in the first couple of km's but never found a good rythm... turned out to be how the whole TT continued. Just too much climbing for me and just didn't feel strong. The descent was rather fast and a bit tricky but had no problems until the bottom section where the wind was catching the front wheel a fair bit... and at 60kmph it wasn't nice. Anyway apart from the super rough road,huge headwind and steep climb to finish the first tour I arrived with an average of 39.7 ( strava loop ).
2nd lap I quickly realized I had gone out too hard and just had to dig deep to survive... caught my 1 min and 2 min men but I knew there would be others much quicker than me... av for the 2nd loop was 37.9. Over 40 seconds slower.
Anyway the final section was rather tricky and fast and I was happy to cross the line.
Results are in and I only got 16th out 44th for my age... 2.46 down on the winner :oops: .
43rd out of 138 for scratch ( French champ did a nearly 45 av, 2.5 kmph quicker than anyone else! ).
So not very happy but could of been worse... will have to see what happens with the Nationals now... at least they are flat!.

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby foo on patrol » Mon Sep 03, 2012 3:17 pm

Hey TLL, you need to work out if, you finish stronger than you start in the TTs and then adapt your style to it. :wink:

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby toolonglegs » Mon Sep 03, 2012 3:32 pm

Went out too hard for sure yesterday... but never felt good.The climbs really stuffed me up.
I think if I was feeling 100% I could of held the pace pretty much through to the 2nd lap. Already feeling healthier today.
A power meter would have really helped to control myself though... and being a bit lighter!.
Anyway great road race course but rubbish for a tt ( speed humps, ripple stripes, gravel on corners, blind super fast corners with cars coming head on, terrible rough surfaces in parts that haven't been maintained for years ... blah blah blah ).
Good learning experience :D .

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby toolonglegs » Mon Sep 03, 2012 6:18 pm

Some pics :lol: ... first time I have seen myself in TT mode... position ( when seated looks OK I think... opinions )
Note that my bars have rotated down a bit due to harder hits than expected on the 4 big speed bumps. Normally forearms are raised.
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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby vander » Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:49 pm

You look the part mate. Will be good to see what you can do at Nats if you end up going.

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby ldrcycles » Mon Sep 03, 2012 8:19 pm

vander wrote:You look the part mate.
+1 :) . I'd love to be able to do that speed on a good day, let alone a bad one. You've given me something to strive for TLL.
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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby toolonglegs » Mon Sep 03, 2012 8:46 pm

Gotta look at the positives right!.
39.1kmph av for 34 minutes on a windy hilly course... If my frame is losing me a sec per km or more and I can still lose another 7 or 8 kgs I hope... Then I could easily put over a minute into that time on a good day. That would have me well in top 20... I would be very happy with that!

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby Breakaway » Thu Sep 06, 2012 7:43 pm

Hey TLL,
congrate's on the 39 average mate that is still great for a windy hilly course.

How tall are you mate? LOL thats alot of height to get slippery :-)

Did you use your road frame with a bent seat post and TT bar set up? looks good.

Good luck for the next one definately sounds like you have the power for them.

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby ldrcycles » Thu Sep 06, 2012 9:52 pm

Breakaway wrote: Did you use your road frame with a bent seat post and TT bar set up? looks good.
I was just about to say, is that a backwards Thompson seat post i see?
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toolonglegs
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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby toolonglegs » Fri Sep 07, 2012 1:32 am

Yes it is a Thomson post backwards... Works a treat. I can only get the nose of the saddle 7cm behind the bb but as it is an adamo saddle that is a long way forward as it is comfy to sit right on nose.
194cm's mate... So pretty tall. Power wise I am not sure but my climbing times are way ahead of where I was when I last had a power meter... If I am not losing too much power in the more extreme position then I think I am holding about 360-390 w average for the 30 minutes. My FTP was 360 3 years ago... But I am feeling a lot stronger than I was then.
BUT I can not ride the nationals :-( ... Insurance and politics has come to a head at just the wrong time... So I think I will racing under a different federation for the future... Oh well... Switching over to CX season training a bit earlier than I thought!.

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby PawPaw » Fri Sep 07, 2012 5:38 am

I've a long way to go to catch you TLL. The longest I've held 40kph for is about 5 minutes, on a flat windless course.
But we'll see what 100 days of vegan diet does :)

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby toolonglegs » Fri Sep 07, 2012 7:46 am

Why 100 days vegan?...and why do you think it will give you gains?.
I am going to try and find a flat TT before the season is out... gives me a good idea for next year what improvements can be made... ie; how much difference a TT frame, getting to my supposed ideal weight ( how much frontal mass will I lose dropping 8 kgs?... pretty sure I won't lose any power ), try to get more slippery by getting my back a bit straighter... will they be just little gains or big!.
Anyway just drove back from doing fashion in Paris... got too many technical photo details to sort out now to think about cycling details... just need a good thrash out tomorrow to straighten out the head and legs :mrgreen: .

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby thearthurdog » Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:43 am

You are 1 cm taller than me...

Is that an ISM Breakaway seat? I have those on both of bikes and they are awesome.

Looking at your position, I honestly think with some flexibility work you can drop a little in the front and extend your arms a bit as well. Not a big deal; just a little tweak.

A TT frame will help you get to 5cm behind the BB which will make a difference.
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toolonglegs
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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby toolonglegs » Fri Sep 07, 2012 3:34 pm

Cheers thearthurdog, yes 100 % agree on improving my flexibility. I am recovering still from a long term back / hip flexor problem but still have a long way to go.
Yes getting to 5 sec behind the BB will change my position a lot... but the arms are at 80cms already so will need to work with that ( knees are already taping elbows, but not badly ).
Saddle is a breakaway... I dont like it so much when on my roadie, too wide for big thigh muscles!....but in tt position in is heaven.

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby Ant-R » Sat Sep 15, 2012 7:54 pm

Looking good champ!

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Re: Finally done a ITT!

Postby toolonglegs » Sun Sep 16, 2012 10:14 pm

:lol: Cheers Ant.
TT #3 today... not feeling great... slight tummy bug meant a couple of stops in the forest on the 45km drive to the course :lol: ... plus I am a bit tired, end of the season so not so bad and lots of driving during the week.
I did a quick loop of the course... pretty flat, a 400 meter climb at the start then into 2 km's gradual climbing then mainly slight slope downwards for the 9.5 km lap. But lots of corners especially in the last 2kms... I think there was a lot of time to be made by knowing the course.
Anyway after a very quick warm up I was away... the starting hill was much harder than I thought and I definately went out too hard. Sat up during the corners which wasn't great... had I known them better I could of stayed tucked down... calmed myself down as I finished the first lap. Got out of the saddle for the climb which definately wasn't the way to do it. Top of the climb I caught my minute man and the bugger jumped on my wheel and never left it :| ... I am a good bus to follow after all!. Pushed it as hard as I could but lost time again on the corners and s-bends.
Toast at the end which I suppose is the way to feel.
19.3kms in 28.31 ( 40.6 av ) ... not great but not bad either. 1m5s behind the winner of my catergorie. 3 minutes behind first and 2nd place ( but 1st place is the French TT Champion for my federation in 30/39 and 2nd place is French Road Champion in U23 )... apart from them I was 2minutes behind :lol: . 6th in my class and 29th scratch.
I am confident I could take a minute out of my time next year so can't be too discouraged.
Remains to be seen if I can find another TT this year or maybe it is time to take a break and start building for cyclocross.

Anyway €7.50 entry fee... but everyone walked away with a huge box of local produce :D .
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