Evans Ride-It Nottingham

Seems like an eternity since I last sat down and blogged a race/event report - but following holidays and the injury, this morning I finally got my ass into gear and took part in my first event since August - the Evans Ride-It Nottingham 70 mile Sportive.....

Boy, I've missed those mega early alarm calls on an eventing Sunday morning, so it was with great joy that I was rudely awaken by a 5am alarm this morning !! One bowl of race day porridge later and I was ready to make the one hour trip over to Church Warsop nr Mansfield for the event. I arrived far too early, but not too early as to bag a lot of free High 5 zero, which cancelled out my £12.50 entry fee - bargain !!

When the time came for the event to start, I somehow found myself right toward the very front and was one of the first away. Immediately, I felt the cold air temperature, and suffered from face freeze for the first couple of miles before acclimatising. something very strange happened at mile 3 - I found myself right at the very front of the field and leader of the Sportive on the road ! This, however didn't seem to last for long as there was a rider who blew straight through the field and out of the front. from that point on I settled into a group of four riders riding in second place on the road - quicker than my usual riding pace and hard work but manageable just !  Up and down we went through the rolling countryside, and whilst there were no long climbs as such, there were frequent inclines which started to take its toll on my legs.

After about 55 miles of this, I was really on the edge of being frazzled, and was pleased to see a feed station so I stopped for some cake and to have the pee that I had needed since about mile 10 !

The last 14 miles or so were really hard work and I dropped off the group that I had been riding with and rode most of the last part through Clumber Park on my own. I had a target of beating four hours in mind and that kept me motivated even though I was completely knackered !
I missed that four hour target by about a minute or two, but was just happy to be finished and back at the HQ for a bowl of warm chilli and a coffee.

Whilst finishing my meal, I was joined by the lads that I had been riding with and they told me that the earlier chap had in fact ridden the medium route, so therefore our group had been leading the Sportive ! (Not that it is a race of course - even though you are timed and there is a winner),

Would I do another Ride It event ? You betcha - 100 miler in Milton Keynes next year !