Chasing club records...... and not getting them.....

Over the course of the past week I've had a go at a couple of the club records - the 50 and the 10. I was due to add the 25 to that yesterday, however, the event on the A25/11 had been respectfully cancelled just a couple of days ago.

First of the attempts was the 50 and that took place last Saturday. The club record is 1.52.42 and I felt in good enough form to seriously worry it on a fast course - the one I chose was the E2/50C near Cambridge - a course I knew well (or I thought I did ! ). It was a very hot day and the wind was a 16mph SW - which meant 25 miles of head or cross head. I wasn't worried at all about this as the course as some shelter and is fast in any conditions.

I started hard - too hard as it turns out and paid for it later on in the ride. I went through 25 miles in 52.35 and was on course - then three things happened - firstly I cocked up the top roundabout by assuming I knew the course without checking - turns out there is a section I didn't know about, secondly, I wilted in the heat and from the early pace - and then finally, the headwind did for me. 17 DNFs on the day due to it being a bit shit out there, but I battled on to a respectable 1.56.25 - good enough for 18th on the day - but outside of the record.

The second attempt came on the V718 this past Tuesday, where I would be attempting to better 20.37 on a decent night for the V. I was off at 7.53 on a lovely evening, and again, I felt good.

This time, I reigned it in quite early, learning from the weekend as again it was warm. I kept around 300W and worked on this to the turn. attacking the turn I ramped it up as much as I could on the return, but the backwind was never quite what I expected. No problem with my position or my pacing. a light night for traffic I suppose - but I just missed out this time round with a finish of 20.39 - just two seconds outside of it. So near !!

A PB of 46 seconds though - not to be sniffed at, and it means that I'll get another couple of rides on there this season. Bonus !

The E
Course E2/50C
Temp 24C
Wind 16mph SW
Pos 18/56
NP 249W
HR 175

The V
Course V718
Temp 23C
Wind 8mph SE
NP 303W
HR 176

Sportzmad 25

My second visit to the the hallowed mountain at Hirwaunjust outside of Methyr Tydfil to ride the fast R25/3H course – a course where the 2017 CTT 25 Champs are to be held, and a race I am working hard to reduce my PB to a level of being able to claim a place.

This weeks event was the Sportzmad 25 and I had been placed at no.97 which meant that I wouldn’t be starting until 12.37 so there was no need to camp over the night before like I did in April. Instead, I left Lincoln at five to seven and arrived fabulously early at the HQ at Rhigos Rugby Club leaving me plenty of time to relax before eventually going through my race day routine.  The weather was overcast, drizzly and most disappointingly – cold at 11c – although this would rise a little before the off.

A nice little warm up and then I was set on my way, aiming to beat my lifetime PB of 55.21 and better my last attempt of 55.30 on this course. All seemed well, with a backwind to the first roundabout and I worked hard, above my FTP, knowing that I’d get a breather going down the mountain – wrong !! A good block headwind of around 11mph meant that unlike last times freewheeling fun – this week see me pedalling almost all the way to the bottom – I think I reached a top speed of around 40mph and not the headstart that I would have wanted.

My power looked good and my cadence and heart rate were where I needed them to be but it didn’t seem fast at all and with the cold and the drizzle I guestimate I wasn’t even holding 25mph as I made my way to the far end of the course. Number 100 came past me like a train and this cemented my feeling. At the turn, once I had negotiated the slow climb and picked the right exit from the roundabout, I afforded myself a look at my average speed and was stunned to see it read 26.9mph.

Now I had the bit between my teeth, with a backwind and a PB to chase on the last 10-11 miles of the course and set about holding my target power. I huffed my way through two roundabouts without delays and still had a little left in the tank at McDonalds roundabout for a final throw of the dice. Empty I passed the finish and could only whimper ‘no.97’.

Job done with a new PB of 53.25 – I just hope that’s low enough to get me a ride on either Etwall or the E2 cos 7-8 hours of driving in a day is not so much fun as testing.

Time 53.25

Wind SW 11mph

Temp 13c

HR 172W

AP 285W

NP 285W