LRRA 25 Champs

I have had a good couple of months or so on the bike and a really good ride last Tuesday, so knew that I could go well at the LRRA 25 mile TT Champs arranged by Alford Wheelers and located at Frithville. The only worry was that I had caned it over the past couple of days, with the 10k on Friday evening, followed by a 2.4km lake swim, 25 mile bike ride with LDR (including 2.5 pints of lovely beer). I didn't know if my legs would be able to take a hammering like that and I had been eating chips all weekend too so didn't feel in the best shape.

The course is a single lap effort with extension to finish and takes place in the fens on an exposed open course. This wouldn't have made much of a difference usually but today was blowing a howler and there was wind galore ! After a cross wind warm up which frankly scared me as the bike was wobbling around in the wind, I was ready to hold on for grim death and start my race at 9.52. The course had a bid of cross backwind for the first miles which meant that although not super fast, I was able to keep up a good effort. Indeed I held an average of 25mph practically until I turned left into a headwind for the middle section of the course - this is where the day became grim to say the least. This was not fun at all, a joyless affair, and disheartening as the average speed dropped from 25mph down to a lowly 23.7mph.

I turned onto the longest straight in the country (or felt like it) and was happy just to have that horrible crosswind which made a change. Although I was going faster, I couldn't really improve things and I was getting tired. I grimaced my way through those final 9 miles or so and ended up with a 1.02.52 for the day - a PB - and trousered the Handicap so can't be too disappointed !