Coalville Wheelers 10m TT

Yesterday I travelled over to Griffydam to take part in my very first open time trial in the form of the Coalville Wheelers 10 mile TT !

We arrived early enough to drive around the course as I knew there was 60 metres of climb and not being so hot on the old hills I wanted to know where they were and how bad the climbing was going to be and found that it didn't amount too much more than a motorway flyover and a slow rise through the village of Diseworth.

We then went to the Coalville Wheelers club house to sign on and pick up my number for the day (a clubhouse ? ooooooh get them !) before making my way a mile to the start. It was bitingly cold and I was trying to keep warm by doing some doubling back whilst the riders toddled off in order. In no time at all, it was my turn to go and I was away, screaming off far too fast, and paying no attention to pacing at all.

The first part of the course has a downhill profile and I was comfortably holding a good speed as you would expect and I found very quickly that four miles and come and gone already - in fact I could see my minute man on the road in front of me and this was just the carrot that I needed. By mile 5 I had managed to pass him and remember thinking that I was doing well - until a guy who started two minutes after me smashed past me before mile 6 had ticked by. At this point we came to that long slowish climb that hadn't looked too bad in the car and I literally ground up it very very slowly ! The last three miles were a bit lumpy and I gave it everything to cross the line in 25.53 which I was over the moon with.

On the day then, 42nd out of 76 entrants - a solid start to my time trialling career and I cant wait for my next one ! My thanks to the Coalville Wheelers for such a well run excellent event.