Race Report: Trinona Time Trial

Or, "The Showdown With the Race Director.

Or, "3.5 Miles Straight Up!"

This was the race that Trinona founder Dave Schutz invited me down to do. He talked a lot of trash about how he could beat me. (I announced the showdown last week in this post, and I responded to Dave's thoughts in this post.)

I got to Winona Saturday afternoon and got checked into the dorm at St. Mary's University where I was going to be spending the night.

Then I headed a few miles down the road to the base of the bluff to the start of the Time Trial. There, I found Jenn, one of my relay partners for the next day's Trinona Sprint Triathlon:

Oh yeah... I brought out the "leisure suit" jersey again.

In Saturday's post, I said "I'm ready for anything because I feel like Dave could change the rules at any time. Rumor has it that he's going to be starting side-by-side with one of the sponsors from Dahl Toyota. I'm sure noooo illegal drafting will take place if that happens. Nope. An unscrupulous race director and a car salesmen - just a TON of morals there."

Well guess what? Dave made ME go off first, and then him and Andrew Dahl started 30 seconds behind me using me as their "rabbit."

Just 2 seconds after my start! (From the Trinona Facebook page.)

The only good news about that is that I got to follow the lead car, and they took some nice photos of me:

Working the flats before "the bluff."




Dave and Andrew back there trying to make up some time before turning up the hill.

I took a split at the bottom of the hill: I did the first 1.6 miles with a 24.7 mph average. Last year, I was 0.5 mph faster, but I think there was a slight tailwind last year. Time to work the hill:

Start of the climb.


Close up of that last photo: that lady was thrilled by my efforts. Obviously.
(And I was already looking for the top of the hill.)


More climbing. Gosh it's pretty when you're not fearing imminent death.


Close up of that last photo: 1 of the 2 spots I stood and hammered for a moment.

I heard someone breathing behind me. F*ck. Not only was Dave going to have a better time, but he was even going to PASS me. I didn't turn around. I just worked.

About to be passed.

BUT NO! THAT WASN'T DAVE! THAT WAS SOMEONE WHO STARTED 30 SECONDS BEHIND HIM!! I still didn't look back, but I just kept hammering. This guy who passed me was a stud and a half.

Other people climbing, from the Trinona Facebook page.


The crowds at the turn off of Garvin Heights. (There were more to the left of the photo.)

I stood up on that final climb once I turned off Garvin Heights Road. I crested the top and try to build some speed. Then a big pickup truck turned out of a driveway and didn't look my direction!! I had to slam on my brakes as it finally saw me and stopped in my the middle of my path! I had to go around it's back bumper. Here's the spot in my Garmin data where that happened on a flat-ish section:

Note that last year at the end of the ride, it just leveled off (it didn't take that sharp drop) before building a little speed to the end like it did again this year:

2013 speed chart, minus the sharp drop in speed at mile 2.75.

I tried to get back my speed ASAP, but that's hard to do after biking 1.5 miles straight up. My first thought was "GREAT! Now Dave's gonna beat me by a few seconds, and I'll just have this lame excuse to fall back on." I powered down a little hill and up to the finish:

From Instagram: "Finish line of the @Trinona TT."

I rolled through the parking lot at the top of the bluffs. I kept looking for Dave. He came through, and I knew it was going to be close - he seemed around 30 seconds behind me (the same difference that he started).

Old man Schutz gasping for breath after his TT.

I found the official results shortly after we finished. I beat him by 5.6 seconds!

OFFICIAL RESULTS:

Steve Stenzel, Bib 246, 33, M
12:38.55
16.6 mph average
15 out of 60 overall
9 out of 23 in the "open male" division

David "Old Man" Schutz, Bib 242, like 100 or something, most likely M
12:44.15
16.5 mph average

We had a deal: something from the loser gets buried at the top of the bluff. Dave ripped off part of his race number to bury (along with a little of his dignity):

He's not thrilled about this.


Memorial to Dave's pride.


A step back to show the grave at the edge of the trees.


A few more steps back to show it buried among all the bikes.

Dave and I smiled for one last photo: you'll remember that local buddy pro-triathlete Devon Palmer just got sponsored by Peace Coffee, and he gave me a few bags of coffee to giveaway. He had specific bags he wanted to go to the winner and loser of Dave's and my challenge. Here we are with our post-TT coffee:

I gave another bag to my upcoming relay parter Jenn. But not because we were soon-to-be teammates. I gave it to her because she was the first female at the Time Trial! She was actually 7th OVERALL beating me by nearly a minute!

Congrats Jenn!


Her hubby immediately tried to steal the coffee for himself.

4 RACE THOUGHTS:

• The course was a bit shorter this year. We didn't start up in the parking lot; we started a block or 2 lower down on the flats. So it was definitely a few seconds shorter this year... but I was still 11 seconds SLOWER this year. Dang.

• I hope to be back next year. Some of the first words out of Dave's mouth once he found out I beat him were "well NEXT year…" So stay tuned for that.

• Post-race pizza! One of the best ideas ever. (There was beer too.)

• I love the idea that if you "beat the rabbit," you get a special goodie bag. Dave and Andrew were the rabbits this year, and I beat both of them. They called everyone who beat them up 1-by-1 for their goodie bag. Dave didn't even let me get up there - he just chucked the bag at me. Here he is (with a smug look on his face) just after doing that, while I'm laughing at him just after catching my bag:

Jen and I biked back down the hill to get home. I had TWO backpacks on my back, so my aero helmet was caught on them - I couldn't turn my head. We didn't BOMB down the hill, but it's still fun to go 34-36 mph for over a half mile with absolutely 0 effort:

Seriously, I didn't pedal at all. I just rode the brakes at a few turns.

I'll have more photos from this over the next week or so, but in the next day or 2, I'll be back with a Trinona Sprint Relay race report! Stay tuned! As for right now, I'm just going to bask in my 5.6 second victory.