Age Group Celebration Cup - Mallory Park Sprint Duathlon

This was an event that necessitated sleeping on the sofa the night before as the alarm needed to go off at 4 am so that I could be in the car packed and ready to go to Mallory Park to arrive at 6.30. It would be signing on the same day and we anticipated that there would be bike stickers and helmets to sort out, and a complicated transition set up to learn.  Fear not, I could have had another half hour in bed as got there super early, signing on was a doddle and transition was as simple as it gets. We had plenty of time to get set up, and go for a warm up, looking like we knew what we were doing - of course, we don't, bit no one else knows that do they. 

At a little over 8am, 16 of us were set off at the same time a triathlon and aqua
bike were starting in their parallel universe ! 

Run 1 - 19.24

First thing to mention is that it wasn't a full 5 km - I clocked that at 2.92 miles , still, it was a fast effort for me and bank on the 6.40 average pace that I wanted to achieve. I reckon I counted that I was 8th, and then 9th, and then by the end of the leg, back to 8th. It was a good consistent effort from the off , and I settled well, always thinking that I would been to bike next and the drag to the top of the hairpin was just in the corner of my eyeline.  Down through the pits and to the track, it felt windless until the lake was circled and the wind seemed stronger coupled with a slight rise in gradient. I'd call that disciplined as first runs go.

Bike - 31.40

Woohoo ! 60T engaged and a lap of two halves for sure - a drag uphill into the headwind each lap, coupled with a back wind assisted sweeping downhill past the pits to complete each lap. On the climb, I capped my watts, keeping them above my target average of 250, but going no more than 295, which worked well albeit seemed a little slow whilst doing it. Slowly, I started to take some places, and by the end of the bike had averaged 243 watts and moved to 4th.

Run 2 - 10.11 

... which is where I stayed. No pressure and with just two laps this time to complete, I felt I had more time than I probably did. Pleasingly, my pace for the second run was exactly the same as the first. 

Overall 4th of 16, 2nd of 3 in AG. 

Learnings - Sprint Du for the first time in a few years, Whilst only an hour I could have done with a little water on the bike. 

Next up - duathlon wise - the qualifier at Cholmondeley Castle on 19th June.

2022 Time Trial season

23.10.22 Matlock CC HC (trike) 4.12

... and like that the season was over. This was a trip over to Matlock for a 4 minute hillclimb on the trike. Held again on Bank Road, it was a climb I've done a couple of times. I was horrifically under geared on the barrow with a 56/44 chainset, and there is a video of me gurning the thing up the hill.  I somehow rounded off the season with the Tricycle Incline Trophy. I need a rest !

24.09.22 Kettering CC 2up 23.22

Ha Ha - great idea - let's do a 2up on a course I don't know with the Watt monster. Rode out of my skin, but couldn't manage equal turns. Came 2nd as a team by a few seconds- gutted ! We will go back I think - there's unfinished business there !

17.09.22 Sherwood CC 25  57.03

I did this one on the Cervelo that I had used for the World Long Distance Duathlon Champs a few weeks back. As I had been 15 minutes slower than a team mate on that day, I really wanted to find out how much if any that the Cervelo was slower than the Trinity. This course is one I've ridden a good few times, so perfect for a comparison. Reasonable day, a competent ride I thought and a good time of 57.03. Looking at the competition, I would say that I should have been around 55.30 on the Trinity, so decision made to retire the Cervelo to the Turbo and race the Trinity in next years Ironmans.

Lea Valley Tandem Trike 21.52

I didn't think I'd done many trike events this year and whilst on a solo there was only one late on, there had been this tandem effort on the mighty E2/10 course.  Myself & Dave found this hard going to be fair , hard out and then on the return , not enough gearing ! 21.53 good enough to lower the club record, but not as fast as we thought we could go.

Other weekday events (Wheelers & Clarion)

I managed just one club event on my home courses this year - the Wheelers Spring 10, held in June ! Strange night , felt I rode better than the time suggested - 23.29. Then in July & August a couple of goes at the Tuxford 11.3 course - an all out attack 26.23, and a playful intervals effort of 31.51. there was also the night I turned up, found out there was no event, and did my intervals on the course - that was a slow night ! 

Various Aegir efforts

On Wednesday evenings , I ventured over to Gainsborough for their Wednesday night TT events held on courses around Laughton Woods. The first 10 was a distaster, going wrong twice when leading and eventually cutting the course short. Then there was a fast five on my Cervelo at 11.48 in early June, followed by a couple of decent 15 mile efforts at 35.35 and 35.04 respectively, and strangely a third 15 resulted in a win, even though I blew up at mile 8 and limped back with a 36.49 time. A great off grid place to go and time trial , testing out new kit, and tweaks without club pressure.

LRRA 10  - 22.18

A ride of two halves and possibly hungover from a road race on Wednesday and a tough half marathon the Sunday before. A great first half of the ride, good watts and discipline. 280W, fast start and settled well. Got to the roundabout and then almost immediately, I could not get my watts out of the 250 zone, and seemed to be fading badly. Strong down hill and finish saw me at least rescue a half decent overall time and bag the county middlemarkers cup. 

Sheffrec CC 25  - 57.52

Trike Association 25 champs, but flat out didn't fancy the course on three wheels, and fancied a 25 on a course that I'd partially ridden a couple of times as the bottom half uses the O10/1. It was a small field, and after the trikes went off, I was a further 20 minutes before I was set away. The course works well with a dog leg set up of two out and back 10's. Good power out and back on the top half of the course and then faded on the bottom by going too hard on the way down to the roundabout and paying for it on the return. Maybe I'll have to return to see if I can pace it better next time around. Good time though and ahead of my spin data predicted one.

Sleaford Wheelers Charity 10 -  22.29

This represents the best TT result I have had on the C10/10 - a local course where I was shocked to find I hadn't raced on since 2017 when I posted a 22.58 in a season I felt I was tippy toppy for the last time. This ride saw sunny conditions and a 12mph SSE wind which would see me work hard to the turn maybe pushing c.20 watts more and then relying on a push to save me on the way back. A return of c.271 watts overall for CP20 purposes, and 13th place and best placed Wheeler on the day.

Coalville Wheelers 10 -  24.29

It's here finally ! 2022 arrives after what seemed like a winter eternity. I always start my season the weekend the clocks go back. This year I chose to go with Coalville Wheelers and their honest 10 mile TT run out of their HQ in Griffydam. 

I did a version of this event as my first ever open TT in 2013 in 22.53, and then 3 years later in 2016 , on this very course 25.34. Today, a lovely sunny day with not too much wind, I was up for ity and fired up to get things going. I had a nice new white skinsuit, and a more aero position that I was trading off against watts. It is always a big unknown coming out of winter, albeit I went well enough at last weekends Duathlon so I knew I wasn't going to be too off colour. 

All was well when I went off at 2.14pm, traffic was kind and I was able to keep to my lines well. In fact other than the watts not showing what I saw last year, I was consistent & composed as I navigated the first third of the course - then I made a rookie error and kept on the bars for a speed shelf at c.25mph, that shook me and I lost balance and had to veer off the course onto a side road. I composed and rejoined but lost a stack of time. Rather than sulk, I made a promise not to chase the defecit, and all too soon I was gurning my way up Vinegar Hill in my 60 ring, and attacking the last mile or so to the finish.  24.29 and 16th in spite of my unfortunate navigation. Welcome back Andy - ding ding round 10.

Kings Lynn 25   -  59.40

2nd time riding this event, last year I remembered having a good ride on what is an honest course so was eager with a week to go before Alsdorf to get a solid hour of TTing in. It would get me used to being in a disciplined tuck position. The wind direction was in exactly the same direction as last year but this year we had a variety of weather that accompanied the North North Easterly - periods of broken sunshine interspersed with showers of hale and sleet. The actual race itself went really well, on the way out I held back a fraction of power whilst maintaining a good consistent effort and position, maybe going a little over revved on the climbs, and at the turn, felt good for the chase back. Definately slower on the return due to some additional climb and more exposed headwind, but not once did I check the time or look backward to see if I was getting caught which is always worth a few seconds.  59.40, and 19 seconds quicker than last year. 11th on the day - a well paced effort I thought.

Eyam Half Marathon

This morning was a nice early drive over to Derbyshire to run the Eyam Half Marathon in the peak district. I knew the race would be a tough one but I'm starting to look at races like these as I have my eye on qualifying for a place at Zofingen in September and that course has climbing in it, albeit likely not as much as this morning but all the same, running up hills (like Kate Bush) is going to be good practice. 

The race itself was slightly delayed from its 10.30 start as the numbers hadn't arrived, a first, but not a huge delay and we were away at 10.45 in any case. I did my usual 10 minute easy run warm up with a couple of half arsed strides and lined up dead last, understanding that it was chip timed, and the road was nice and wide so I could wind my way through and not be swamped when the climbing started at about 600 metres. 

This worked well, and initially it was fast back through Eyam until a sharp right took us up a tester of an early climb just to turn back down and this made a little loop. Early thoughts... I was OK going up, but sketchy coming down especially in the alpha flys and I needed to be careful. 

We then began the longer climb up to the Glider Club at Great Hucklow Wood - a road I knew from the work Sportives albeit in reverse. I was steady for the long slow descent as on a couple of occasions a scuff would remind me that I had to have my wits about me with these shoes and take care I did. I lost the places that I had gained on the climb, but overall my pacing was good and the scenery was fantastic.  Not a PB effort by any means and running after climbing was hard work. 

At 9 miles we were at the bottom of a descent and had arrived at Leadmill, where we were abruptly guided right and up a frankly rude climb that went on and on for a good while, flattening out and dragging on sometimes only slightly. At 12 miles though, it was mostly down hill and fast, and again I was careful until I got back into Eyam centre and really opened up through the town and through to the finish. 

Beforehand I secretly hoped of sub 1.50, but climbing was better than expected and going downhill was tempered but not overly slow, so I finished with 1.43.33.

Happy with that !