Lincolnshire TLI Road Race League 2024

 For the past two years I'd volunteered as a driver at these events and that was as close as I really got to racing. I'd injured myself at the end of 2018 and the following months of post concussion syndrome had put me off doing road races where you are not always in control of coming off. 

This year I really fancied it and put in an entry for each of the five events - this is how I got on...

Ashby Road Race #1 DNF

A really nice evening and a good working group in group one - we were tonking along nicely and keeping a gap to the groups above. On lap 3 we were just coming in to the camp, and I noticed my front tyre had gone down - my own fault, I knew there was a slow puncture in the tubeless tyre but thought it would be OK. I stopped , got some air in the tyre and then tried to join the group behind but no chance. I quit after lap 3 and went for a brick run instead.

Brattleby Road Race #1

A rotten evening and it showed with the number of DNFs seen. In my group there were only 5 and after the first climb there were 3. We worked very well together to keep away and managed to get up Brattleby Hill on the penultimate time before we got caught. We got on the back and were carried around to the last climb where I was able to get up and over the line in ..

Limber Road Race 

The group on this one was far too large and I tried to use the hill to shed a few. A smaller group would be safer and from then on we worked well as a unit on another gorgeous evening. Again, trying to get up the climb ahead of the chasing group which we managed and then just about getting on to them. A massive effort to get up the last climb which got longer the more times we rode it ! 

Ashby Road Race #2

Good working group but with some missed turns and some riders conspicuous by their absence. I did a mountain of work on this one and an attempted breakaway. We did get caught with about three laps to go and then as a huge peleton we crossed the line with me at the rear - that risk avoidance kicking in again ! 

Brattleby Road Race #2

Last in the series, group 1, really solid set of people, worked hard and got up Brattleby for the 6th time ahead of the chasing groups. Came in 9th despite PR up Brattleby, and bumped up to 12th overall for a nice £20 cash prize.

An amazing series , can't wait for next years !

Belvoir Middle Distance Duathlon

 A very hot day for this one and a stepping stone to the Long Distance Champs in 6 weeks time. I would be racing with Ian & Scrappy again, The distances were 10.5k first run, 56 mile bike, and then 10.5k second run.

The reason for the long runs we figured was that it made four laps for a Marathon and two laps for a half so could use the same course. Anyone doing four laps of that run course has my total respect ! 

1st run - 51.27 

Over 6.5 miles this one and a mix of terrain. I erred on the side of caution and opted to do the first run in a new pair of Saucony Speed 4's. It was up and down and was a one lap affair - very testing course and similar to the other Castle events. Not quick at all and I reckon at the end of it I was in 7th.

Bike - 3.00.01

I respected the course too much and opted for the Propel with clip on bars - hindsight being 20/20 I would have risked the TT but didn't want to change the chainrings. It started OK, but after about 15 miles I couldn't keep on the TT pads and did a load os swapping around - all the while losing watts and my profile just sank away. The climb wasn't to long or tough so don't know why I was so scared. Off the bike in 4th, having been 3rd for the majority.

2nd run 58.41

Poor positioning on the bike , lack of brick practice, and downhill running on the first leg conspired to hamper my second run. I didn't walk any which was a positive and I didn't cramp (I'd had a warning on the bike). Race management until the end with a chance of 3rd, but with no additional gear to achieve it. 4th in the end.

Bassingham Bash 5 mile race -  40:14

I ran from home which was just over 7 miles, then did another couple and then topped it off with the race itself. 9 minute miling and then a minute a mile quicker for the race. On a hot day and with not enough water, that was a decent performance and got my long runs going again as now only 5 weeks left !