The Tundra Time Trial

Finally, the 2009 race season arrived today.  The long awaited race season.  It was drizzly, low 50s.  Miserable.  I almost didn't even get my camera out, but how could I not document the moment.  James was nervous, but he always is.  His goal was to hit 22 mph.  It was going to be close because the course was nasty but we all thought he had a shot.

He was the first junior to have his trainer set up.  He was just ready to get it going.  (For all races except road races, you warm up on your trainer.  This was such a short race - around 4.5 miles - he actually road almost 3x as long on the trainer as he did in the race.)  He was nice and toasty and not real happy about all the cold weather gear.  He does not like wearing it.  Of course, I would have had on 10 layers.  

Once he got out on the course he was glad he had all the layers.  It was nippy.  It was also littered with all the adults who were just finishing.  Check out the guys on the righthand side.  Makes James look like a miniature.  As a reminder, in a time trial each racer starts exactly 30 seconds after the one before.  Today we think the starter may have had a watch that was fast because several guys missed their start times because they weren't there.  It was kind of sad to see these grown men rushing to get to the start line trying to get all clipped in and all.  They were a little stressed out.  

James looked great from the start.  Relaxed, no bobbles, good cadence.  

The adults went out and back.  The kids just went out and all rode back together.  After they had all been gone a while, Coach Kelli touched my arm and said, "James is ok"  (it is never good when they start out "xxxx" is ok) "but his pedal came off."  

I've been learning about this one with your bike thing and being clipped in, but having your pedal come off just cannot be a good thing.  I immediately begin to wonder if it's possible for your pedal to come off and to not crash.  I asked her how far into the race.  She didn't know, but she thought pretty far because he finished pedaling with one leg.  (There's some really bad joke there somewhere, but I won't linger on it.)  

There are several long stories here, like how James was lost for a little while (he wasn't with the team when they rode back), how he actually rode three miles with a malfunctioning/no pedal.  He doesn't really know how it happened other than he felt a jerk, his face almost hit his aero bars and he turned back to see his pedal flying through the air.  There was a race official right there who told him he did a good job not crashing.  I guess that is something after the week the Todds have had on bikes.

He did manage to finish averaging roughly 5 mph.  A 6-year-old beat him.  He did say he thought he could have put an effort and beat him, but why bother.  His dad told him that was a great strategy for Nationals.  When the favorites are evaluating the field, they won't give that James Todd a second thought :)

He did finish with a fabulous attitude and a little birdie told me he was very encouraging to said 6-year-old.  Hopefully, we have no where to go but up.   Oh, by the way, get ready for the whining.  They moved Nationals from Kentucky to Bend, OR.  I just looked at a map.  It looks like it's not close to ANYTHING.