Adam gets PR and 3rd in Series Finale

Cycling Fans -

Not the tour de France, but the Team Armada Time Trial Series Finale!
Sunday was the 5th and final TT of the spring / summer series.
My goal for this season on this 4.1 mile course was to set a new "PR" (Personal Record) for myself.
Top speed for me on March 29th, 2009 was 28.35 mph (and I haven't been able to beat it since).
I had come close a few times this season but failed to execute on my strategy and needed just a bit more fitness.

So, Coach Dara and I have been working diligently on some hard core cadence (how many times per minute I rotate the pedals) intervals on the TT bike to get my speeds up.
We drilled it over and over week after week in prep for this final race.

Sunday was "go time" and all I had to do was execute cause I knew my training was about to pay off.
I warmed up, rolled up and I was off - timed my start perfectly as I had not yet begun to cool down.
The strategy was to blast it from the get go, peg it (my pace and speed) and hold it for as long as I could.
To PR I needed to keep my speed as close to 29 mph as possible. The winds were mild so I knew this was completely doable.
I had gotten off pretty quickly and up to goal speed (between 29 and 30 mph).
I found my line, (the straightest line to follow is your fastest line) kept my head down and just tried to focus on what I needed to do which was trust the training.
I was doing AWESOME but by mile "3ish" at an average of 29+ mph I started to fade; I watched my speed drop slowly to the low to mid 28s!
However, I knew I was close and just kept trying to push as hard as I could as the end was near.
By mile 4.1 I had nailed it, average speed of 28.73 mph and a new PR!

My times over the series (5 races) earned me 3rd Place Series Champion which is pretty cool - see podium pic attached (got me some more hardware).
Next race is the Gwinnett Bike Fest just outside Atlanta, GA. There is a 6 mile TT on Saturday July 24th - should be fun with competitors from all over the southeast.
Geri and I are going to make it a bit of a vacation!

Thanks for your support!

Adam

Adam Gets 3rd - West Palm Beach Race Series

Race Fans,

I was in West Palm Beach visiting family so I thought I'd test my legs and enter the West Palm Beach Race Series.
Races are held once a month on Sunday mornings. Distance is a 15k on a flat out and back road just past Lion Country Safari.
It was a beautiful Sunday morning and of course a bit windy.

My sister Erica lives in West Palm and has been joining me for some races.
Most of us who do Time Trials don't have much support in getting set up and race ready; it's a solo effort.
It's nice to have someone in your "camp" to assist with your equipment and above all provide the emotional support to race your best!
Thanks Sis!

I felt great despite a long week of training. However, this was a new race for me and I registered kind of late. The challenge was staying warm and loose as I was the 35th rider to go.
I've done quite a bit of riding in South Florida and the winds tend to pick up as the sun rises.

The wind and my "start" position were really the only factors as my fitness is coming along nicely.
There were 10 cyclists in my age group. I got 3rd. Very pleased with my result.

Thanks for your support.

Adam

2010 FL STATE TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Race Fans,

Over 250 cyclists showed up Saturday in Jacksonville for the "Race of Truth" - the 40k Time Trial.
There were 25 of us in my category.

The course was the same as last year, approximately 12.4 miles out to the half way point and then back another 12.4 miles.
Leading up to the race I worked a lot on mental prep knowing this was going to be an outright sufferfest.
Time Trials are called the "Race of Truth" because it's just you, your bike and a ton of suffering for the entire 40k - no drafting off other cyclists.

My goal this year was to complete the Time Trial in under 60 minutes.
I warmed up, lined up and I was off right on time - 9:55 a.m. sharp.
The winds were beginning to pick up and I knew that I would have a little help on my way out to the turn-around, but be working against me on the way back.
Cyclists in other categories started at 8:00 a.m. and I caught a glimpse of a few faces on their way back while being on my first leg out.
I could see the pain and suffering on their faces and the not so steady pedal stroke and areo positions - I tried my best to be ready for what was coming.

I was completely calm and most of the nerves were gone by the first mile. I tucked in nicely, found my gearing and worked up steadily to a heart rate of about 175 bpm.
My speeds were for the most part between 26 - 27 mph.
I had to slow down a bit to navigate the sharp turn-around and begin my approach home.
Once the turn was made I began to feel what had helped me - now I'm completely relying on my mental stamina as I have a direct headwind all the way home (12.4 miles).
I had huge confidence heading back as I was over 2 minutes ahead of breaking an hour.
So, I relaxed and just attempted to stay positive and focus on a tight areo position with a higher cadence and a smooth pedal stroke.

Ultimately I finished in 61 minutes and 10 seconds; this represented an average of 24.4 mph (I needed an average of 24.86 to break the hour - so dang close).
The wind chipped away at me slowly over time dragging my time down. As I crossed the line I chuckled a bit to myself trying not to take things too seriously knowing I fell short of my goal.
The wind got the best of me and that's it with no other regrets, that's a great feeling. Progress, not perfection - 2011 here we go!
Got 10th out of 25 - not too bad, plus I shaved an entire minute off my time from last year. That's right, 11 months of work to cut my time by a minute and I'm proud of it!

Thanks again for your continued support.

Adam

Adam Gets 3rd in Team Armada Series Opener

Race Fans,

Sunday was Team Armada's Time Trial Series Opener.
I had been looking forward to this race for 2 reasons: 1) it was a short 4.1 mile course, and 2) it's a point to point flat course (no turn-around)
Essentially, this is an all-out "hammerfest" from the get go!
I was so inspired these past two weeks watching the Winter Olympics, especially the ladies downhill skiers.
You could see on their face just how amped and mentally prepared they were to attack the downhill courses - every time I race I just hope to "be in the moment."

The weather for most of the course was absolutely perfect with a nice tailwind, but a mean headwind last mile.
The first 3 miles were just awesome as I was pushing a record pace for me, about 28.5 to just over 30 mph.
By mile 4 came the headwind. So I just switched into an easier gear and attempted to "spin" my way thru and keep the speeds up.

Got 3rd place with an average speed of 27.97 mph (not a PR on this course, but still fast)!

My Time Trial Teammates Val and Shelley (see pic below) also rode wicked fast.
Shelley averaged 25.18 mph and Val averaged 23.57 mph; 1st and 2nd place!

Thanks again for your support,

Adam

Adam gets 3rd in Swamp Classic

Race Fans,

Friday night we (took the whole family - see attached pic) made the trek to Gainesville for the Swamp Classic (a two-day cycling event).
I competed in the Saturday Time Trial as "Crits" (group bike racing usually around short city blocks) are just not in my DNA.
This is a great early season race to benchmark your racing fitness.

The day was perfect other than the wind which is always a factor here in Florida.
The Time Trial (TT) was an "out and back" 9 mile course on a very narrow country road with no traffic lights or stop signs - our Honda Pilot barely fit within the lane, no kidding.

There was a tailwind heading out with fierce "head-on" winds way back. The challenge was to bring myself to the edge of my pain and speed threshold leaving enough in the "tank" to get back.
Fortunately, Coach Dara and I did some training prior to this race to prepare for these race conditions.
It was the the most brutal TT yet as I have never had to face headwinds that fierce for that long.

In my category, there were 12 of us and I got 3rd (got me some hardware)! I managed to average a bit over 24 mph - not a bad TT and quite happy with the result.

Thanks for your continued support,

Adam

Race Sponsors:
CarInsurance.com
outspokenbikes.com