A Close, Quick Climb

I’ve mentioned before Strava segments and personal records (PRs). They’re tools used by Strava riders to motivate and compete. I’ve known people who go out of their way to set records and make attempts on segments. They can sometimes become obsessed with the whole thing.

I usually find out about setting a personal best on a segment after a ride. I’ll feel quite good during the ride and it turns out I did a hill better than before, or my speed was over a certain number for the entire ride. I’ve never paid much attention to anything in particular, but it feels good to find out I’m getting better.

Recently, I was riding with Joon and he took off up a hill as we neared home (we both live in the same apartment complex). He’s told me he wanted to break 2 minutes (his personal best). I plug along behind and suddenly I catch up to him and pass. That’s kind of odd because he’s always been a better climber than me. But I guess this hill is just the right grade (only about 4%) that allows me to maintain a decent speed. I get home and I find out I’ve tied his best — 2 minutes. And so now, it’s my goal to break 2.

I found a function on Strava that allows me to set goals, and so I enter 1:59. I gave myself a couple of months to do it. Joon joined the challenge.

Then this morning we weren’t even going to take the hill, but when I realized we could get our 20 miles by doing it, it was a go. Probably not to break 2 minutes — we were still a bit tired from the 71 we did two days ago. Then at the bottom, Joon says, “I’m going for it,” and takes off. Well then, me too I guess. And as a bonus, my Garmin tells me I’ve hit the segment and starts tracking my time as I move through it.

About halfway up, I hear Joon say “I’m out.” But I’m still moving, so I push harder. It gets a bit steeper about 2/3 of the way up. I downshift one cog. Still good. I can’t see my Garmin, but I think i’m alright. I hit the top and remember to keep going — never stop at the “top.” You might be just short of the end of the segment. I push through and hear the beep. The Garmin plays music for me and says I’ve done it in 1:55. It’s not official until it’s loaded onto Strava, and the final result is listed as 1:56, but it’s still under 2.

I like the ability to set goals, and to have my GPS track them as I go is even better. My next goal is to crack the top 10. I’m at 13 now (the record is 1:41 — not gonna happen for me). To make top 10 free and clear of any ties, I only need 1:52. Just 4 more seconds. That should be manageable.

So here we go…