Texas State Time Trial Championship 2012

The Texas State Time Trial Championship was today, which is an annual bicycle race, held this year in Lytle, which is just south of San Antonio. In the time trial, riders start 30 seconds apart, and try to cover the course in the shortest amount of time. Time trials are sometimes called "the race of truth", since it is a real test of who is the fastest rider, without being able to join with a pack and use other riders to break the wind.

This was the 7th year that I've done this race. I've usually finished in the top five in my age group, but this year I was first place!

So I'm the state champion in an athletic event. I've never done that before.

I've been trying not to slow down as I get older, and eventually I found myself in an age group that I could win. 

My time was 57:26, average speed of 26 mph for a little over 40K, 1st of 22 entrants in the 55-59 age group. Bicycle racing uses year of birth for calculating racing age, so I'm a bicycle racing 55 year old, even though my birthday isn't until October.

The 55-59 year olds are actually a very competitive group.  Bicycle racing seems to be popular among men of a certain age. Probably because it involves expensive equipment, and we're getting too old to run well.

Here are a couple of photos that someone took of me out on the course.  I'm peddling as hard as I can! If you click on the picture it gets bigger.

I look pretty happy, even though its miserably hot.

Here's a picture of the top 3 finishers. I'm the only one still in my silly lycra racing suit. Apparently you're supposed to raise your arms for the photograph (I think its a bicycle racing thing). Perhaps the other guys have won races before and know what to do.

Well that was fun!

Here are the results for the 55-59 age group, with times:

Triathlon season starts in 2 weeks, so tomorrow I have to start doing more running and swimming, and perhaps a bit less peddling.