The Maine Time Trial Series (METTS) Championship Series was this past weekend. The course starts in Topsham, goes out 10 miles into Bowdoin, and then back 10 miles.
Registration closed the day before with only *5* riders planned for the Merckx division (non-aero). At race time, the total was 6 and I knew half of the racers in this division -- My teammate Brad, Back Cove Fitness's John Allen, and co-worker Nick Wilkoff. Knowing these people (and the level in which they ride), put my mind at ease in some way.
The weather was gorgeous. Sunny skies with a small wind from the northwest....which would mean a small tailwind during the last 10 miles. My type of conditions, I'd rather have a headwind to start than to finish!
After arriving and registering, I suited up and did a quick 9 miles with Brad and John to warm the legs up. I arrived back at the starting line at 9am to watch everyone ahead of me depart (which was every 30 seconds). My departure time was 9:14:30. Brad was a few minutes before me:
Before I knew it, I was off and riding. Fellow teammate Pete Talbot and I scouted the course weeks before so I knew what I was up against. Having prior knowledge allowed me to mentally prepare for what I was up against. My approach was simple: go as hard as you can, without over doing it. In other words, reaching and maintaining a threshold level (the trick here is not to enter Z5!):
Throughout the whole race, I felt great. I never left sight of the rider in front of me, Time Trial veteran and PVC member, John Liston. I used him as my carrot. During hills, I'd gain while on the flats, he'd pull away. We did this the whole race.
It was only once that I got passed by a Merckx rider-- right at the 10-mile turnaround point. It was then where I really felt the need to step it up-- I mean, "who is this guy?" I literally said out loud.
Attempting to use him as a new carrot, I went into the red and quickly learned that he's simply a better rider than I am. "Let him go."
I returned to my original game plan and stuck to my threshold plan. 8 miles left became 4. 4 became 2.
At the 1 mile mark, it was time to cash my chips in. I picked up the pace outside my threshold since there was nothing left to lose. The closer I got to the finish line, the harder I went. By the time I passed the finish line, I was well into the red (+30mph, +180bpm).
Finished.
Returning to the parking lot, Brad, John and I talked about how we thought each of our efforts went. We all felt we went as hard as we could have gone, which, at the end of any race, is something you can feel proud of. The remaining racers finished up and before we knew it, the results were posted. Tall Sock Racing placed 2nd and 3rd for the Merckx Open field:
Mike Stivaletti - 50:50
Brad Coull - 50:57
Not only was it a great day for racing, it was a great day for Tall Sock Racing!
