Sleaford Wheelers Charity 10

 I competed in this Charity 10 mile time trial yesterday. Well, when I say competed, I mean that I was there and I rode my bicycle around the course for 10 miles - in no way could I say that I was competitive.

I think its time to delve deep into the tombola of excuses !

- I didn't feel fully OK
- The brake was rubbing
- There was a side wind and I got battered
- My wheels were too deep for that course
- There was some inclines which I don't like
- I didn't have any mojo !

Pick any combination of these excuses and then apply them to my very poor time of 27.22 which gave me 55th place out of 85 on the day. I should and have been a couple of minutes quicker than that to be fair and must get my house in order ready for Tuesdays Lincoln Wheelers 5.

I should have competed in the East Leake Sprint tri today, but have binned that due to not fancying getting out of the pool in zero degrees and instead went on a club run where I feel much better - roll on Tuesday now cos I've a point to prove !

Lincolnshire RRA 25m TT

This won't be a massively long read I'm afraid....

Today I took part in my first 25 mile time trial which was being run by the Lincolnshire Road Riding Association (LRRA) - and there was a massive Lincoln Wheelers involvement - either riding, or giving up their time marshalling.

The course was the C25/3 which is rolling in places and sporting. I chose to stay with the same set up as last time out, keeping the disc covers on the back reasoning that there would be plenty of straight flat sections where the covers would be a real benefit.

I was hoping to keep an average of 23mph which would mean a finish of 1.05 and for the first couple of miles of the course with fresh legs I managed this comfortably, however I soon turned onto the B1133 and into a fresh headwind and watched the average speed dwindle to a low point of 22.5mph, as I turned left at the Bestwick turn. From this point it was a real battle against the wind and the elements (it had started to rain too) , which meant a had a continuous eye on the clock, using alternating my gears to keep my legs moving, whilst trying to edge up the average speed to 23mph as planned.

I nearly got there too, as it registered 22.9mph in the end, which took me across the finish line in 1.05.27 and 33rd place out of 77 finishers on the day.

Cambridge Half Marathon

There were two objectives that I had set going into todays half marathon :

1 - Don't pick up any injuries

2 - Try and get round under 2 hours !

This was to be my first standalone half since October 2011 when I managed a 1.48 in Worksop. A succession of niggling injuries following last years calf buster at the Relays meant that my preparation hadn't been great for today, but it could have been worse - so I was treating this as a bit of a long slow run in truth as it fitted in with week 20 of my Ironman training plan.

The weather in Cambridge today was very cold with sleet in the air. For the first time ever I even elected to wear a bin bag to the start in an attempt to keep warm ! Boy, it was freeeeezing !!!!!!!

I chose the 1.30 to 2.00 pen which was rammed, which was not such a bad thing as there was a lot of body heat in the crammed conditions to keep everyone warm whilst we waited the ten minutes for the start. Start we did at a smidge past 9.30 and it was away from the warmth of the mass hug, and out into the wind and the sleet of the race ! 

The first mile was a mish-mash of weaving around people and walking pace bottlenecks which was a little frustrating to say the least - indeed, because of the congestion I found myself on the path a lot of the time ! A 9.07 first mile then, and I thought that this had maybe set the tone for the rest of the race. but a second mile at 8.25 coupled with a trot through Cambridge city centre brightened me up no end and I settled into a race that I was enjoying despite the conditions. It didn't matter what the course threw up - be it bridges, cobbles or even the boring bit that zig zags through Jesus Green - I just enjoyed it. The first lap came to an end and my Garmin said an average of 8.36 m/m which was quicker than expected - mind you, I still had the 2nd lap to negotiate and a further 6 miles - so I just kept calm and took each mile as it came.

The course was a lot better second time around as there were less people around and the field had strung out ! The sleet had stopped and it felt a little warmer - I was also still ticking off miles at a steady 8.30 something average - with each passing mile I was postponing the decision to take the last few miles a little easier and by the time I took the water from the very last aid station at 11 miles I had decided to just go for it the whole way. After one last diversion through the boring part of Jesus Green we were heading across the main road to the finish on Midsummer Common. Mile 13 passed, and then mile 13.1 passed - by this point it was obvious that the course was long as I turned down the finishing chute and whilst all around me were tear arseing in a sprint finish - I was content to amble down safely making sure I didn't get too giddy and tear something.

1.53.58 for my first half marathon in 18 months and the furthest run I've managed in 9 months - not a bad mornings jogging all in all.

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.

The Rauceby Ripper

I entered the Rauceby Ripper in early January as the 8.5-9 mile course fitted in well with my Ironman training plan and on top of this it was a good chance to run my first trail race. A few weeks back though I started having problems with my lower hamstring/top of calf which led me to make the decision not to take part in todays race.

After a week and a half away from running entirely, I went out with the Club on Thursday evening and managed 6 miles, so I changed my mind and decided to give the Rauceby Ripper a try - and I'm glad that I did !

The race is put on by Sleaford Striders, and has been run for the past two years. The route is described as a multi-terrain course,over trail, edges of fields and some road sections - starting and finishing in South Rauceby. Registration was at the Village Hall along with a bag drop which made the whole thing easy as pie logistically. It was a then a case of a warm up trot to the start a third of a mile from the Village Hall at the back of the competitors car park. At 10.30 we were set off and we made our way up a path which took us out through the Estate.

The organisers had stressed that you would need trail shoes ideally because of the course, but for the first mile especially when most had been run on concrete I thought I had made the right decision to shy away from their advice. However, I regretted my blase attitude the moment we turned into agricultural land and tried to run down the muddy edges of fields where I was having major trouble keeping my footing and at one point nearly lost my shoe twice to the mud ! I had to tighten up the elastic laces to keep them on my foot and had no further problems from this point in.

The miles ticked away between 8.31 & as slow as 9.25 on occasion depending upon how muddy the track was. It was incredibly hard work but rewarding in equal measure - it was also as close as you can get to the Wimbleball run in feel.
At around seven odd miles we ran through a wood and into the squishiest part of the course which would have been easier to walk ! The last half a mile is a fast run straight across a field to the finish.

So, a slower than reasonably expected 1.19.21 for my first trail race, and a surprise medal in the goody bag for a self confessed medal tart.

Lincoln Wheelers New Years Day TT

There was very little beer for me on New Years Eve - no Sir !

Instead, I was designated driver as I was taking this New Years Day TT very seriously having ridden well in the preceding fixture on Boxing Day.

The course was the same and the wind was similar to 6 days ago so it was a case of turning up and giving it all I could and see what happened.

I was no 9 and therefore set off at 11.09. I rode has hard as I could for the first section of road which felt slower than last weeks TT. In fact, I was blowing within the first mile and had to keep switching the gearing around.

As I rode into Laughterton on the second leg of the course I had a squeeky bum moment when a car was overtaking in the opposite direction and I was away from the kerb where we had been warned about big pot holes. Once that magical ahem moment had passed, I turned onto the home straight and unlike last week could feel the benefit of some backwind !

A spurt to cross the finish in 19.59 and the first event of 2013 done and dusted !

Next up either a cross country 8 mile run or some more time trialling - I've not decided which ;-)

Lincoln Wheelers Boxing Day TT

This Xmas has been excellent and as part of the celebrations I've not exactly been backwards in coming forwards with the old food which meant that I felt bloated but also rather glad to be able to get out of the house and do some exercise today - the exercise coming in the shape of the annual Wheelers Boxing Day TT.

Last year I did this event as my very first time trial and managed a time of 21.41 - this year I wanted to go faster than that so I was taking this event seriously - so seriously in fact that I was taking my bottle holder off the bike at 8am this morning to make the bike like 'all aero' !!

Met up with mates from Wheelers and from the Tri Club, then we rode out to the start which was a layby in the middle of nowhere. I was competitor no.10 which meant that I had to wait ten minutes as riders were set off at minute intervals by the starter. My time came around and before I knew it I was thundering up the road.

I rode the first third of the course steadily trying not to peak to soon ! By the time I turned the first left towards Laughterton (and into the wind) I felt reasonably OK but still fancied keeping a little back for a monster push on a wind assisted back straight where I was sure that I would be topping speeds of 27mph.

Bugger ! I turned onto the last section expected a back wind and got a cross wind again which was neither use nor ornament. I buried myself though and picked the average speed up to cross the line in 20.13 and good enough for a fortuitous 3rd place on the day ! I'll be back on New Years Day for a second go and on todays evidence should be looking at sneaking under 20 minutes !