Asian Cycling Championships 2007: Individual Time Trial

• 42-km individual time trial completed in 57 minutes 55 seconds
• Average speed - 43.8 kph
• Maximum heart rate - 203 bpm
• Average heart rate - 193 bpm
• placed 7th out of 17 participants from all over Asia
• Route - 1 round in a windy and  hi-way like the SEAG itt route in Vietnam 

Just a few days before going to ACC in Thailand, I made the decision to use Sixto, a Cannondale Six13. I decided to bring Sixto based on the results of the two performance trials the team had in Trece Martires, Cavite. On the first trial (second this year), I used an itt bike a coach asked me to use. I have been using it for only a few days before the trial. I admit I am hesitant in using the bike because I have really bad experiences with my own bike of the same brand and color. But, I gave it a chance. I challenged myself to prove that my bad experiences on that particular brand are just a big coincidence. So I rode it in the itt performance trial. My speedometer read 51′37″ after completing the 34.5 km uphill route. It was a lot slower than my previous itt using Sixto where I registered the best time of just a little over 51 minutes. So I stopped using the itt bike and started using Sixto again. After a week, I completed the same route at 51′28. My results on a standard Cannondale six 13 was a lot better than a full carbon itt bike. I decided to use Sixto in both itt and massed start event. I then asked the team mechanic to set it up as an itt bike. Saka ko na lang ituloy ang challenge ko with the itt bike. Not in this race.

September 8, Saturday. I rode 50 km E1 around 8am. Bonzo, the lone junior cyclist in the group, accompanied me. At 12:30 in the afternoon, the team was riding the bus going to the itt course. There were 17 entries in the itt. Two entries per country was allowed but I am the lone entry for the Philippines. I was 4th in the order of start with 1 minute interval- UAE, Macau, Qatar, me, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Krygyzstan - pasensya na po hindi ko na maalala ang iba pa, wala din ako copy ng result. In the first 10 kilometers I was biking with the wind and was averaging 48-50 kph. As I approached the U-turn, I passed by the three cyclists from UAE, Macau, and Qatar. On my way back after making the U-turn, I was moving against the wind that made me slowed down to 37-40 kph. I was then hit by a painful side stitch. In the last 10 km, I was almost completly drained and further slowed down 35-37 kph. In the last 3km, a cyclist from Krygyzstan passed by me. Tinuhog na ako. Hindi na ako nakakapit o nakasunod pa dahil sa sobrang bilis nya. I then struggled to finish the race. I did my best pero ubos na talaga ako.

Pang-pito ako sa 17 na kasali galing sa iba’t-ibang bansa sa Asia. Ok na sana yun PERO pangatlo lamang ako sa mga bansa mula sa timog-silangan Asia. Una ang dating gold medalist mula Vietnam, pangalawa si Tonton na taga-Indonesia. Magkalapit lang ang oras namin ni Tonton pero medyo malayo kumpara sa Vietnam. Ang kahalagahan ng karerang ito ay yung ma-evaluate ang lakas at training ko kumpara sa mahihigpit kong kalaban sa event na ito sa SEAG. Dito rin sa ruta na ito gagawin ang itt kaya’t maganda na nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataon na masubok at mapag-aralan ang ruta kahit sa sandaling panahon. Inaamin ko na malaki pa talaga ang bubunuin ko at dapat na mas lalo pang pagbutihan ang ensayo dahil kulang talaga ako. Ang side stitch, mataas na heart rate, at slow recovery ay mga senyales na talagang under trained pa ako. Hindi na yun nakakagulat dahil halos 2 linggo pa lamang ako nag-eensayo sa road. At nalaman ko din na kailangan-kailangan ko na gumamit ng itt bike dahil ako na lamang ang naiiba na naka road bike hindi tulad noong huling SEAG na sinalihan ko sa Vietnam noong 2003. Naka pang-itt na bike na talaga ang lahat ngayon maliban sa akin sa mga taga Southeast Asia at kami ng Mongolia sa mga kasali mula sa buong Asia hehehe. ( sadya na malalim para hindi nila maintindihan dahil baka nagbabasa na sila )

I was informed that the team was invited to participate in a pre-SEAG road race in Vietnam this coming November. The organizer will provide everything except air fare. The events are itt, ttt, and massed start. This race will be very crucial for the team in preparation for SEAG. Dito kasi ma-test ang level ng mga training na ginagawa namin at masukat din ang lakas ng mga makakalaban namin. Dahil may isang buwan pa ito bago mag SEAG sa December, may pagkakataon pa na mag-adjust at improve kung ano man ang kulang o sobra. Someone offered me to personally sponsor my plane ticket and a companion, in one condition, ang asawa ko dapat ang isasama ko. Syempre tumanggi agad ang Kikay. At mukhang malabo din talaga dahil baka hindi ako payagan kung personal sponsorship. September pa lang naman, mahigit isang buwan pa bago mag-November.