Bruce Kingsford TA National 50

Same routine as the Stockton 50 a couple of weeks ago - up very very early, but this time it was a 2.5 hour trip over to Shrewsbury to arrive at 7.15am and my first attempt at one of the TA's National Trophies. This would be a tough ask as there were two World Champions racing and you don't become a Champ without being extremely fast ! 

My plan for the day was simple - try and be the fastest non World Champion ! 

The course was a revised version of the D50/3 which is single carriage undulating track and was a dog leg, out and back, out and back again affair with roundabouts every 5 miles or so to break up the ride and give some legs to aim for.

I would have no idea how I was doing as well, as I'd forgotten to switch the Garmin unit onto the Trike so would be riding the 50 miles blind. With the weather predicting rain all the way through, it could have shaped up to be a bit of a damp squib, but a bento box full of Jelly Babies was the silver lining as lined up for a wet start at 8.26. 

Don't go off too fast, don't go off too fast - oh FFS - I got very giddy straight from the line and I suppose that's the problem with not knowing how fast you are going. I felt like it wasn't fast enough so kept pushing. We had been sent off three minutes apart, so I couldn't see anyone in front of me and that didn't help things. Managed to catch my three minute man before the second roundabout at 13 miles and the caught up with Pete a little bit after. On the return leg from the roundabout I could get a time stamp on the rest of the riders and knew already that the World Champs were far and away faster than anyone else. I was doing well and had built up some time advantage in the battle of the non-champs though!  My round-a-bouting was better, but still painful for the watching marshalls !! The effects of starting too fast were yet to kick in and I made consistent progress in the middle twenty miles or so. 

So round Prees roundabout for the last time and a trek down to Tern Hill roundabout at c 42 miles or so. There is a climb up to Tern Hill and that is where my legs decided that they'd had quite enough and left me ! Turn right (gingerly) and then the final seven miles or so into a head wind that had whipped up somewhat - It had turned into one of those rides that I agonisingly waited for the finish flag that never came ! 

2.18.10 over the eventual finish line and third fastest of the day behind the Champs. For a guess paced 50 I am over the moon with the time and have another 50 race miles in the legs ready for next Sundays Outlaw Half relay leg - game on !