My stomach was upset and I am coming down with a cough so my spirits weren't high. Despite this, I put on my 12/27 cassette and started with a very slow 20 min. warm up across the bridge and onto 9W. I alternated between ramping up my power and returning to an easy rest pace about 4 times; each time I ramped up the power, it was to a higher wattage. I concluded the warm up with a 4 min. steady effort at around 330W; for me it helps to introduce this effort to my legs and heart so the TT wouldn't be my body's first daily exposure to it.
I checked in and after getting help pinning my number on, I had about 10 min. to roll around the parking lot where I introduced my legs to the high cadence (about 110-120) I was intending to employ in the effort.
I was sandwinched between two strong Adler riders (Matt Cuttler and Chris Chaput) in the start-time roster. We started 1:30 apart. Tron Witt got me situated at the line and I took off fully seated. My girlfriend, Kirsten, was waiting about 3/4 the way up; she enjoys coming to my races and helping me any way she can. I asked her to watch for Chaput (who started before me) and time the distance between the two of us. When I passed her, she yelled out 1:30 exactly; Chaput and I were going up at the same pace.
I knew I had to step it up so with about 150 meters of climbing to go and another 150m of flat, I got out of the saddle, shifted several times, and put forth a moderate sprinting effort I could hold for 300m and didn't let up until the line. I didn't leave the small chain ring the entire time.
Out of breath and at the line, I was told my finishing time was 5:04 and that I most likely got 2nd place, behind Chaput. I rode home content but was later called and told that I actually won it with a time of 4:56 (unoffical). Good news and $75 in my pocket to take my girl out for dinner tonight.
Kudos to the Jonathan Adler Racing Team for making this an enjoyable TT experience and especially to Kirsten for giving me the information I needed to encourage the extra effort at the end.
