Ok, I just posted about how track time trials are too boring to write about, but I just had a pretty big breakthrough, and being nearly 51 I thought it might be encouraging for older riders to see this.
On Saturday I did a 11.382 200 tt, and my previous best was 11.65. That ride was nearly 10 years ago, and for the past several years I've never gone below 11.7. I was shocked and amazed! Sadly I didn't qualify as they were only taking the top 8 and this was an elite race (fastest time 10.4, slowest qualifier 11.0).
Then yesterday I did a 1:09.6 kilo. With a sub-par 500 time (36.2) and having lost my mind and driven over 4-5 sponges, I now feel a 1:08 is not out of the question. At 50 years old. This is my third 1:09, and my best is a 1:09.2, but that was at Colorado Springs, a super high altitude and fast track (Carleton was there). So this was my best ever kilo outside of the CS ride.
So take heart, old people of track cycling! You CAN get faster, even though biology says you are on the downward spiral. Get it!