VTTA 50 - Team record attempt

Or otherwise known as the day that Me, and Tricky, and Sean went up North to try and bag the clubs 50 team record which had stood at a modest 5.58.30 since 1981. We all had to finish and then hope we'd done enough for each of us get a time good enough to add up to less that the 1981 standard.

I'd ridden the Stockton T502/2 course back in May on the first trike and had notched up 2.15, and that was with a southerly 9mph which had been a bugger to ride into, but not as fast on the return stretch - compared to Etwall with similar conditions it is a slower course in my opinion. Our weather was a stronger wind at 12mph, with a SSW wind - so stronger than the day of my trike effort !

Tricky had an early start as he had to be away, something about it being his birthday ! So, I buddied up with Sean and used the two hour trip to Crathorne to pick up some useful tips from our Club Champ. A few wrong turns and we made the car park with some 40 minutes to Seans ride, and tricky must have already been on the road. I seemed to have all the time in the world to get myself prepped and then eventually warmed up. My start time would be eight minutes past three, which meant I would be time trialling all the way through City's game with Watford.

The first mile was largely single carriageway and slow as we made our way up and over the A19, so that we could wind our way down to the dual carriageway and start the business or settling into our record attempt. Ave speed 20.something, so concentrate, get into a good position and then get a good tap going - which I felt I managed to do quite early on. The course undulated as I remembered it, which meant a few long drags, and a climb of sorts, and a headwind that seemed to come in and out of focus randomly. It was hard work for sure, but if I'm something at all, then it's a decent wind-worker, so I tried to counsel myself that I would be making good progress and any shortfall would surely be made up as I enjoyed a taily on the way back.

I saw tricky at 31.5 minutes on the other side of the road, absolutely burying himself on a drag, and then Sean a little bit later on at 45.5 minutes - both had been kind enough to pass me at easily remembered points and both had looked to be going extremely well. Thoughts of not making two hours kept creeping in and then thinking about having to come in last and fessing up to a bad ride. Time trialling can play tricks on you like that and it's best not to dwell on those thoughts.

Meanwhile, I circling Thirsk, and the course was feeling easier and I was making up time again. the average speed crept to 24.4 I think, before falling back up the slog that is Dishforth Mountain. On the crawl up the Garmin showed 1.02.10 and by the time I had circled the roudabouts it was 1.03 as I felt the first backwind of the day. Whoosh, instantly 30 mph, and holding comfortably. BETTER !!

It was a very nice feeling seeing the average speed creep up by 0.1mph increments and at that point I knew, just knew, I would be done within the two hour target. I passed Sean's marker over two minutes down on him, managed my way through a slower, draggier section of the home leg,and then enjoyed a battle with my minute man which made things easier to pace.

With the to-ing, and fro-ing with no.67, I almost missed the point I passed Tricky, but remembered in time, and saw that I was c.25 seconds up. This meant that as long as we all finished, then surely we had done it.

Those last miles were a hard chase of no.67, who himself was trying to beat the two hour mark, and although I passed him again, he would eventually go past me again and finish five seconds ahead of me.

The record was ours - we had done it ! A 1.55 from Sean, a 1.59 from Tricky and my 1.58, saw the record lowered to a new level of 5.54.06.  Mission accomplished !