2019 Race Report #3: Stray Kats Kankakee Time Trial

My third race of 2019 was the eighth race of the 20-race Mid-America Time Trial Series (MATTS). The course was an out-and-back 20 kilometer flat course near Splash Valley Aquatic Park, Kankakee, IL, 60 miles south of Chicago.

The weather was warm and windy. Temperature at my start was 68 degrees and the wind was from the south at 17 miles per hour (mph), gusting over 20+ mph. The wind would be a direct headwind during the outbound leg of the course. I was only able to average 16.64 mph outbound into the headwind, but averaged 24.50 mph inbound with a tailwind.

Due the high probability of rain, in addition to the strong winds, I raced my new road bike, rather than my time trial bike. Hence, I had no power data for this race. I recorded an average heart rate of 128 beats per minute (BPM), just below my lactate threshold of 132 BPM. My cadence averaged 88 RPM; maximum cadence was 113 RPM.

My time was 0:37:31 (20.57 mph average) for first place. The second place finisher completed the course in 0:39:10. My top speed was 28.3 miles per hour (with the strong tailwind on the inbound leg of the course).

Race replay: Stray Kats Kankakee 20 KM Time Trial

My next race is Sunday, June 2, a 30 kilometer MATTS time trial, in Kansasville, WI, the site of the first race of the season.