2019 Race Report #2: WBR Harvard Time Trial

My second race of 2019 was the seventh race of the 20-race Mid-America Time Trial Series (MATTS). The course was an out-and-back 20 kilometer flat course south of Milky Way Park, Harvard, IL, 73 miles northwest of Chicago.

The weather was cold and windy. Temperature at my start was 46 degrees and the wind was from the east-northeast at a steady 13 miles per hour creating a wind chill of 41 degrees. The wind would be a strong headwind during the return leg of the course. I was able to average over 25 mph outbound with a tailwind, but only averaged 17 mph inbound into the headwind.

I had no trouble increasing my heart rate to just above lactate threshold, roughly 133 BPM (100% of my functional threshold of 132 BPM). My cadence averaged 92 RPM; maximum was 123 RPM. My power target was 205-215 watts. I averaged 211 watts with a maximum of 472 watts.

My time was 0:40:28 (20.46 mph average) for second place. The winning time for my age-group was 0:34:40 (23.88 mph average). My top speed was 31.1 miles per hour (with the strong tailwind on the first leg half of the course) as I reached the turnaround point.

Race replay: WBR Harvard 20 KM Time Trial

My next race is in a week, another MATTS 20 km time trial, in Kankakee, IL, 60 miles south of Chicago.