The Tundra Time Trial

Well... the 2008 Race season has begun!

I had my first Race this past Saturday for 2008 and it was my VERY 1ST cycling race ever.

I was very excited about it because first of all as I just said it was my first cycling time trial and secondly because of the three sports of triathlon, cycling tends to be the one that I'm halfway decent at, so I wanted to see what I could do!

The Tundra Time Trial is a 9.5 mile out and back course on the Silver Comet. The Silver Comet is a cycling course that goes from Atlanta to Birmingham, and is a really cool place for locals (Despite a few unfortunate situations due to some sick people). I mean it's not just for cycling. People run, in-line skate, and do all sorts of exercise type activities on it! It is a narrow trail that appears to be flat but isn't entirely. But it's a great place to get out and do some speed work on the bike since you can just get out there and GO!!

Fortunately for us, the weather was actually unusual for the Tundra this year as it was actually pretty nice! Normally, it's raining and freezing and miserable. I went out early, so it was still a little chilly outside, but overall you couldn't have asked for a better day!

I read somewhere Michelle Jones say that you want to use every race as a learning experience. Well I can say I learned A LOT from this time trial!!

I did ok. I finished 5th in the Women's Cat IV and 7th overall with a finishing time of 26:17. However, as I sat there and watched as the other people I know finished I noticed something. Everyone was talking about how painful that was and how hard they pushed it, and though I was huffing and puffing when I crossed that finish line, I never felt like I was suffering, and I should have! Quite honestly, if you would have told me that I had to do another 5 miles, I could have done it and maintained the same pace, and as most of you probably know... it's not supposed to work that way!

Pacing is an issue for me. It's partly because I've spent the past almost 2 years constantly doing different races and different distances. So it seems every race is a First for me! :)

So it's constantly this... well it was your first and you didn't know how hard to push it. But I'm tired of that excuse!! Thanks to all for saying those encouraging things to me, but... I can't believe I'm about to say this...

I'm Ready to Suffer!!!

As Adam put it to me when I was expressing my disappointment with myself for not going out there and doing what needed to be done, he said, "Kellye, you've never finished a race where you had nothing left to give once you got to that finish line. You've got to figure out how to go out there and leave it all out on the course!" And he's exactly right!!

I said at the beginning of this year that the one thing I didn't do enough of last year was PUKE!! I know that may sound crazy, but in all seriousness... I have no idea what my PUKE pace is!! I've never pushed myself out there that hard.

So this year I'm done with doing OK. I want to go out there and learn to give it everything I've got! And if I bonk or don't finish with the time or place I'd hoped for, I at least want to be able to say that I could NOT have done any better!!

Here's to PUKING!!

K :)