August Race Reports - National 25 & others

Its been about 4 weeks since my lat update, I have in some ways been reflecting on the season, after the national 25 I suddenly felt the length of the season, this has been the longest racing season I have undertaken, starting at the end of Feb and not finishing until the start of October, over time that starts to take its toll and I think the focus of the national had been quite tiring so the last few weeks I have been trying to assess the season and take it a bit easier.

I will start with the main race of the year, the national 25, while not my preferred 10 mile distance it was the only one that I could make it to this year, and even then it was not ideally placed, coming the day after my daughters birthday, that was a great day we had the family round a BBQ and lots of cake... which is not really the diet of a man about to embark on the biggest race of the year, but I am not about to forsake these days with my family over a race, I am not a pro.

National 25 - B25/8

I also decided to drive down the morning of the race, or at least most of the way, I stopped over at my mum and dads on the Saturday night leaving only 2 hours of driving for the Sunday morning, I would have to be up at 0500 all the same, meaning I would also likely be tired.

I got to the event in good time and started getting the bike ready, I was still riding a borrowed bike and had not really had time to resolve the setup properly but while not ideal I was at least there.

Warming up was a pain, the roads around the course in Norfolk were rolling, which means getting a decent warmup is hard work, but I did what i could and rolled to the start line ready for a fast but hard 25miles.

It should be noted that there was a tough wind as well, a tailwind out and a headwind back, also not ideal....  I set off and was flying riding a 56x11 I was ticking along at over 40mph in places and I was feeling good, then the road surface changed from smooth tarmac to horrible concrete with lots of lovely pot holes, I spent most of the time looking for the next one that I could go down... it takes its toll on the rhythm and it turns out the bike.

I got to the turn around and realised that either my left arm hard grown or the extension had come loose, as I rounded the turn point it was clear that the left extension had been rattled loose, not matter as long as the right one was loose.... ah, nuts....

Photo By Craig Zadoroznyz

So there I was trying to manage a bike that was slowly falling apart as well as avoiding potholes and now battling a brutal headwind... it was just one of those days.  I didnt feel great either (probably the cake come down) and was longing for the finish... It finally came, in a new PB of 52:09, not bad, you cant ask for more than a PB.... well you can, but thats not always possible!

I came 50th overall, a bit disappointed but the field was tightly packed around me so small margins would have got me into the top 40... Looking the field I was happy with that, I will be back next year and aiming to do better!

I have also raced twice on the fast V718 course, the first time I was on target for a new PB (I think about a 19:30) but got held up my a combine harvester, I mean really, do farmers have to move such things on race day... how very inconsiderate... this still left me a bit away from the target of an '18' this year, but I was pleased with a 9th overall.

V718

The 2nd time was just a couple of days ago at the Swift Charity event, often a good day for fast times, it was an average day weather wise and I was aiming for a new PB nothing more, although if that PB could be under 19mins all the better...  I felt good and made it the turnaround in record time, coming up the slip road I got caught behind a truck making slow progress around the roundabouts, I reckon this cost me some time, on the way back I was able to maintain a good pace, unusually I didn't suffer like have in the past, in fact I felt pretty good, the average speed had dropped but I was still on for a PB, I crossed the line with an average speed of 31.3Mph for a 26second PB of 19:14... Honestly I think the truck cost me an '18' but thats racing.

Photo By Craig Zadoroznyz

The other race was the YCF 30mile TT, I am trying to win the league, and needed a good result here some tough competition on another windy day, but with the support of the guys at York Cycleworks with marshaling (part of the requirements to being affiliated) I set off like it was a 10, no idea why I just did, soon realised that was not going to end well and settled into a more even pace.

V241

The aim was 2nd, with Phil Graves riding a win was always a long shot, I would have needed some sort of bear attack to befall him and even then there would be no guarantees... Needless to say I saw no bears... pfft typical.

I crossed the line feeling a bit disappointed, I honestly didnt feel like i had emptied the tanks, "that could have cost me the YCF league" I thought as I rolled back to HQ.

Waiting for the times to come in I saw I was leading, and by a fair margin, knowing that Phil would beat me the only name left of Steve Ayres, a quick rider and not someone I have beaten before... until now... 2nd overall. Phew!  Also managed to win the handicap event but the points from the 2nd is what I came for and that was a job well done.

Those points lift me to 7th in the YCF league with only one race to go, I need another good result to win, so I am hoping I can hold my form.

I was planning on an easy few weeks of training and not racing too much in the build up to the last YCF race on the 2nd October, but instead I have entered a load of races... in fact I only have one weekend off between now and then, ah well might as well make it hard, racing is good training right?!

Race Reports - V718 & Team Swift 50m

Its been a hectic few weeks since my last update, there has been broken bikes, saving mates and complaints with a company in Italy.

So this tale starts a couple of weeks ago on what should have been a pretty normal and not that interesting 10mile Time Trial in the fast V718 near Hull.  Actually it starts the day before... 

One of my friends is getting married in a few weeks, in fact he is marrying one of my team mates at York Cycleworks, Jess, and as with all good weddings there is a preceding stag do, this was to be Karting followed by a couple of drinks and an Indian, which all sounds great.  There are a couple of things here that need to be pointed out,

1. Karting is bloody hard work - I used to do it a lot and it was hard work then, and its still hard work now.

2. Staying up late is bloody hard work - I used to do it once upon a time, before I had a child, but not a late night is 2130

So off we went to Tockwith Karting good little track and twin engine karts capable of 50mph, although some of them are looking a little 2nd hand these days, our group got joined by a smaller group and the qualifying began, I hadn't sat in a kart since I lost weight and was pleasantly surprised to be able to slot in with relatively little effort, after 20 Min's of qualifying I was to start the 40min race 2nd. 

The race started and I was able to get into the lead off the line and start eeking out an advantage over the chasing pack, there were inevitably some crashed as people speared off into tyre barriers and tried ambitious overtakes, I had started the race in a kart with a very ling brake pedal, but I took some solice from the fact it did work, just!

After a few laps the lad from the other group who had landed on pole caught me up in traffic and then under waved yellow flags made his move to pass, this was an outrage, but sadly no amount of arm waving seemed to make a difference, so I set out trying to catch him and retake the lead... that didn't happen, the brake pedal got longer and longer and for the last 10 minutes or so I had no brakes of any merit  and had to settle for 2nd.

Still it was good fun although I knew I would be sore in the morning, in fact I was sore then, my arms felt like I had spent the morning lifting pig iron down the gym, I was worried if I would be able to pick up a pint in the evening let alone race the next day.

But that wasn't the point, I would sooner sacrifice a race to be out with my mates, quick dash home to get changed and off into town.  I'm not a big drinker these days and I have an odd intolerance to some beers so I played it safe and opted to drive, this also saved me a £40 taxi home mind!  After a lovely meal we all parted ways at something past midnight.

Sunday morning came round all too quickly, the race was in the afternoon but the alarm clock that is my daughter went off at 0600ish and up we got, I didn't exactly spring out of bed more clawed my way to the bathroom muttering something about it being too bright.... I knew this was going to be a hard day for racing!!

Luckily the course is a local one for us and off we trotted, Fiona was racing as well and had an early start time, the plan being she would ride while I looked after Erin and then I would ride and then pedal home after the race, sounded great if I wasn't day dreaming about by warm and cosy bed where I could sleep.... certainly at that moment it had more appeal that a dull dual carriageway that leads into Hull.

Fiona got back and was suggesting it was a fast day, not the fastest but a good one, she had just smashed 25sesconds off her PB, I was hopeful for a PB but not expecting anything as I was hanging, it was like a hangover but just through lack of sleep and karting.

The race was largely uneventful, I was making good time and I was on for a solid PB, then at about 7miles I had a pant filling moment, the right elbow cradle snapped off, basically all my upper body weight is resting on these pads and it just came off, needless to say i weaved about which on a dual carriageway is not what you need, it also meant that riding in the aero tuck was almost impossible as the top of the bar is very slippy so getting my arm to stick on it was, lets say, challenging, not helped by the fact my upper body had the strength of a small child after karting the previous, it was going to be a hard last few miles.

Despite all of this I limped over the line in 19mins 41sec for an 11 second PB, which given the condition I was in and the issues with the bike I was pretty pleased with.

As I pedalled home I was considering my options, but figured I would just order the parts and fix the TT bike, after all its 2 weeks until the 50 miler and that should be plenty of time in this day and age to get a couple of parts, oh how naive of me!

Wandered into York Cycleworks and while the cradles were available the actual bracket was only available in 16-30 days...  How?  This is not an issue with York Cycleworks but one with the UK distributor of 3T parts, I can get them quicker direct I thought! So with the cradle coming from YCW I set about getting the bracket direct, I tweeted them initially as I was a little frustrated that the bolts just snapped off, they said to email and they would arrange for new bolts to be issued, but I needed more than the bolts so I sent then an email explained what I needed and waited for the response.... not a sausage, I tweeted them again but just went ahead and ordered the parts, hoping they would be with me in time, but they wouldn't, while getting my road bike ready for TTing I got 3 offers from friends to borrow bikes, this was amazing and certainly unexpected but I was very grateful and thankful, Tom Winn from Selby Cycling Club had a spare bike, a Blue Triad, which he kindly offered and Steve Gelder built it up for me, Di2 and everything.

So with a couple of familiarisation rides it was in at the deep end with a 50 mile TT.  

I don't do many races of this length, not sure why but this one is very close to where I live with the HQ being in Melbourne, its flat but not fast course, there are lots of junctions and turns which make it a bit stop start but I had a time in mind, sun 1hr 50min, that would be 27.3mph for the 50miles and a new course record.

I had a good meal the night before and dragged myself out of bed early to get my number and a coffee, back at home I get my bike ready with a speed fill bottle from my triathlon days, which allows me to drink without coming out of the aero tuck and shove 2 gels up my legs.

The plan was simple, 40mins of riding, take a gel, 40mins of riding take another gel, with a hydration drink that would get me to the end.  

Setting off I felt really good, Rob had tapered me into this race as part of my taper for the national 25 the following weekend, so my legs were fresh, I was flying ticking off the miles and sitting comfortably above the 27mph mark, I had confidence that I could maintain the speed and break the 1hr50min barrier.

I was also ticking off the other riders, in the field, this was a little worrying as I did think I may have gone out a little hot but no matter, I had a plan and that was all I needed!! Soon I had passed all the other 50mile riders and started passing the 100mile riders (there are 3 races held at this event, a 50mile, 100mile and 12hr), my speed was good and I took on my gels as expected.

It quite a pleasant course taking in the flat lands, but luckily I know the roads well as on more than one occasion I came across riders that seemed unsure of the way, so I was able to help them out and tell them which way to go.

Through 40miles I had a lead of 1min, then things started to fall a part... although not the bike... Suddenly my legs were heavy, turning the gear became increasingly difficult, i found myself changing down, again, again, again... speeds from 27-28 became speeds of 25mph, then 23 mph then 20 mph, I was in deep trouble. 

I watched as the average speed just ebbed away, 27.5mph become 27mph which then dropped below 27mph, I was in pieces, struggling to see I nearly rode head first into my wife who was driving the other way, I was dizzy and then started to feel sick.  Its been a very long time since I have felt this bad on a bike.  

I had to sit up and stop pedalling on more than one occasion, shake the legs and try to focus on the the task in hand, that 1 minute lead that felt so comfortable was being swept away in the space of a few miles, as I went over the canal I was tempted to get off and jump in, just for some relief, the humpback bridge felt like an alpine col, each rotation of the pedals was a painful disjointed affair, pedalling squares has never seemed more appropriate.

I struggled on, and after what seemed like a week I crossed the finish line, immediately I dropped of the 56tooth front ring to give some relief to the legs and I turned for the HQ, as I was pedalling back in I say Robbie from team swift, I knew at the point I had lost the 1st place by about 2 minutes, that was 3 minutes lost in the last 10miles, that was some blowup!!

Back at HQ I am first back and, they initially put me down as a DNF!!  I was quick to point out that i hadn't just endured the 7 levels of hell to clock a DNF!  Its all good banter and I look for somewhere to sit down!

So there is was I had missed the 1hr50min mark by 3 mins, although it was a new 50mile PB for me.  It was a fuelling issue that cost me in the end, I just hadn't put enough in to sustain the effort, a lesson learned.

I doth my cap to those doing the 12hr, the thought of doing a 100 is bad enough but speding 12hours on a bike.. I think I would need therapy after that, oh and a cushion to sit on for a week...

Now we look ahead to the national 25mile Time Trial, big field, big names, I will be happy to get a top 20... anything better make me very happy indeed.

Race Report - Witham Wheelers CC 25 (Windy with a chance of rain!)

Managing to improve my tardiness its only been 5 days since my last race and here I am writing an update!!  Can I take that as another win?!

This week saw my return to 25mile Time Trials, it was a course that was close to my parents which allows both my wife and I to race while we make use of free childcare our daughter gets to spend quality time with the grandparents!

The course is an interesting blend, of some light rolling bits and narrowish roads and then a flat section to the turnaround and then a retracing of your steps.  Its quite a nice course all things told and being an “L” shape there is a reasonable chance that at some point you will get an advantageous wind.

The lead up was not ideal, and in fact I was expecting to not race, Erin (my daughter) was really ill on the Wednesday before and it was the first time she has been properly sick, its not nice to see as they don’t really know what’s going on but as she seems to with most things she just got on with it, in fact I think she quite enjoyed mum and dad running about with bowls and towels certainly in between the sickness she was full of beans!

With the little one being ill it seems inevitable that mum and dad will soon succumb to said illness and another day hugging the toilet would be in order, although there is little worse that your 10month old daughter taking a sickness bug like more of a man than me!!  I need to toughen up!

I was conscious of every little odd feeling but nothing came of it and we headed off to Lincolnshire on Saturday morning with the “dad bus” (Volvo V70) loaded to the roof. 

I had said to Coach Rob ahead of the race that I would be disappointed if I didn’t win, that is not me being arrogant (well maybe a bit), but I knew that I should be quicker than those on the start sheet, but this does add an element of pressure!  

On the way down Fiona and I were discussing the weather, it was forecast to be a strong westerly with a good chance of heavy and possibly thundery showers, which led to a lot of discussion around whether to wear the KASK visor or not, they are horrendous for steaming up in rainy conditions and we were thinking we would need to find a suitable location to throw them half way round, the weather is always a factor but generally it’s the same for everyone so we just hoped the rain stayed away.

With a short chat in HQ and a steady warm up I made it to the start with 5 mins to spare, which was probably a bit too much but rather be there on time than get a penalty for a late start.  I was running my normal set up 50mm front wheel and disc, I would run these in mot conditions, they are pretty controllable, but with an expectation of a strong cross wind at the start and then tailwind to the turn point I was prepared for a little bit of a rough ride.

In the end the weather was not so bad on the way out, the cross wond was more of a head cross and the nature of the road gave a degree of protection, I made good time to first turn but was conscious about managing my effort, its easy to go out too hard with a tailwind and leave nothing for the fight back.

Riding quite an aggresive position can give some problems, and the longer the race the bigger the chnace of problems, for me it was my hip flexors, they just didnt want to play ball, first the right one started to cramp up, concious there is little I could do I just peddaled through it, it hurt all the way to the finish (about 12miles) but it was manageable, the left one was less kind, whem it went the pain was a lot higher than the right and each time I tried to puish through it just got worse, I had to sit up and try and stretch it the best I could but didnt want to lose any time, in the end I was able to get back into my aero position and manage both of them to the finish, but I think more mainteance of my legs is required!

Getting the wind on my back I was clicking down through the gears, soon I was running out meaning I was over 40mph, which on the flat is some going and feels pretty damn good.  I was watching the average speed creep up, I hit the turn point at just under 32mph, which is a bit ludicrous really, but I knew I had a hard slog back to keep that up.

I had targeted 27mph average speed for the return which would have seen be come home around the 29mph mark, and at first it seemed like it was on, the wind didn’t seem as bad as expected and I was making good speed…. Then it hit me, coming into a false flat in an exposed part of the road I was struggling to maintain 20mph, I was fighting just to keep going forward but I composed myself and really focussed on my aero position, knowing that can make the difference, the last turn and relief from the wind seemed like an eternity away, but it slowly came into view and as I turned I got the wind on my back and felt the relief as the speed picked up.

In the end I averaged 28mph for the day which gave me the win by 1min 44secs, which made for a good day out, I cooled down and waited for Fiona, she too had a good ride and placed 1^st lady by pretty much the same margin 1min 43secs.  So a good day out got even better and good day for York Cycleworks colours.

I have 2 weeks off before hitting the V718, although it’s the day after a mates stag do so its hard to say how that will go, and only 4 weeks until the national 25, fingers crossed I get a ride and then I just need to find my good legs to take. 

The race report from the Witham Wheelers race can be found here: https://www.ctt.org.uk/race-report/12112

Race Reports, testing updates and other such drivel...

Its been a while since my last report, I must admit to being very busy in work and at home, and at times that is all I can get through in a day.

But I have still be training and still racing, and while I have 2 more races in the next two weeks I have 3 updates on races that I have completed.

I started this blog about 2 weeks ago, its been a hectic time both at work and at home, and I have struggled to find the time to catch up, which is a poor show I know. 

At home the little one has been the sharing / caring kind and making sure that my Wife and I get all the bug and sicknesses as possible while she is at nursery, as such we have been coughing and spluttering from one cold and bug to the next, I am seriously considering a hazmat suit for either her at nursery or me at home!!

She continues to amaze me though and despite deciding that crawling is not for her you can see her learning everyday, my parents always remind me what a terror I was, and tag on the end.. "oh and you didn't crawl either", so I am guessing she will just decide one day that its time to walk, which is fine with me.

Training has been a bit up and down due to the illnesses but I was pleased that my last test at York Cycleworks with Rob showed that I had not lost anything while I was ill, so if I can get some consistency we can look to build again.

Testing is always something I have mixed feelings about, I am never sure I go as well in testing as I feel on the road, for some reason I just cant seem to get myself up for it, but this time it was okay, I did it on my TT bike as well as that is what I am doing most of my racing on so it makes sense, that didn't show any difference which is positive but it did suggest that there was about a 35-40Watt difference between by power metre and the one Rob uses, which is good to know as I can adjust my training zones accordingly.

For the next test I am wondering if anyone that reads this might be interested to come along?  Its not for everyone but it will give you a feel for what its all about and how long it might lat and what you can get out of it, or just to have a laugh at my expense.

In terms of racing I have lost track a bit of where we are up to in terms of race reports, I think I have raced 4 times since my last update, 

Those races were,

Yorkshire Cycling Federation 15, this was a 15 mile race using a similar course to the fast V718, there is only one race a year on the course and its the fastest in the country, I wasn't really interested in the time more the position for the YCF points series.  It was a good day for it and I went okay, it was first race back after illness and I was still feeling the effects with a good cough and slightly tight lungs.  With an Average speed of 30.6mph I was surprised that I had actually beaten my 10mile TT PB as well as setting a 15mile PB, so the legs were still there.  I picked up 4th place and beat all of my closest rivals in the YCF league so it was job done.

Next up was the local club time trial on the Drax 10mile course, this is a series of races put on by Selby CC, they are a great little series of races and if you are looking for a welcoming series to make your debut then this is the one for you, there is always a good mix of abilities and everyone is very welcoming, plus they are very well organised.  This course has been a little bit of a bogey course for me, I never seem to go as well as I think I should and this proved to be the case, I managed to pick up the win averaging 28.2mph but I would have liked a new course PB and feel I should be able to get closer to 29mph... one day I will figure it out and put in a fast time.

The 3rd race saw the first race where my wife and I would both be taking part, I asked for an early start time and for Fee to get a late start time so that I could get back to the car and take over childcare duties.  It was a return to the O10/1 near Hatfield Woodhouse, the scene of my greatest win this year, a course I do enjoy and I was hopeful of another good result.  It was forecast to be a tailwind out and a headwind back so I took the decision to hold something back for the return leg, on the way out I hit a bump just after the start and nearly crashed, not a great start.... After that it all went smoothly, I was riding within myself but averaging close to 31mph, on this course there is a single turn point at just over half way, its a roundabout that you need to go all the way round, its shaped like a rugby ball so it is a bit awkward but I knew what to expect, when i got there I had bargained on traffic.... I have never had traffic on this roundabout... and when you have to stop you know your chances of winning are slipping away, there were 2 cars in front of me and a stream coming from the right, it felt like an eternity with much head shaking and cursing.

 Once the roundabout was clear I could get back on it, but in my frustration I sprinted too hard from the roundabout and had to take a short time to recover, I lost 1 mph in average speed at the roundabout and I suspected the race was lost, but you never know, I gave everything on the way back and averaged 28.6mph, which could have been 29.6mph without the roundabout.

Crossing the line I was spent, but I had to get back to the car so I kept my head down and worked hard so that Fee could get going, a quick swap of the front wheels and off she went.

Erin had a great time in the book of the new car, we sat there playing and watching the world go by while mum was off racing its moments like this that linger in my memory, I'm not sure exactly why but it was just really nice.

Fee got back and we headed to HQ, looking at the results I was 3rd around 30secs down on Simon Beldon from SSLL RT, respectable but still a little disappointing, some solice was taken from the fact I was 1st Senior.  Fee also picked up 3rd female which is fantastic as she returns to racing.  

Looking back at the data I lost around 20-25secs just being stationary at the roundabout, then a little bit more when i was hammering off the roundabout and taking time to recover, so it would have been close, I think Simon might have just had the legs but we will never know.  I just chalk it up to racing, when you are on open roads traffic is all part of the game.

Finally the most recent race was on V415, this was a hilly Sporting Course "SPOCO", which I was using for training, I had a reasonably big week of training so was not expecting too much, Ali Wareham another from SSLL was the favourite having won the year before and that proved to be a good bet.  I struggled to get into it, the first 3 miles were up hill and I felt tired I almost turned around and went back to the HQ, but dug in and crested the top going on to a fast descent where speeds were over 40mph and time could be made up.  

Things were going okay, I had picked up my average speed and felt like I would be on for a decent time, just as you approach the end there are 2 climbs, first is a steady drag and I just blew, my legs empty I slowed to a virtual crawl, looking down I could see my average speed just dropping away, again I dug in and managed to find a little bit more, some respite was I head back downhill and into the final climb, a short but sharp hill I power into the bottom of it and just drag myself over and another steady downhill over the line, I picked up another 3rd (there is a theme forming) with an average speed of 26.7mph, Fee had another great ride and picked up the win.

That pretty much brings us up to date, I have another race this weekend, a "25" in Lincolnshire and then a couple of weeks of good training.

Race Report - City Road Club Hull V718 10 Mile TT

This was supposed to be an update on 2 races, with at least 1 PB and possibly a very fast time, as it was it all went a bit wrong....

On the 14th May I lined up for the first of 2 races in succession on the fast V718 course, this is a dual carriageway affair on the way into Hull, it is widely acknowledged as one, if not the, fastest 10 course in the country, although a big part of that is dependent on the weather.

The course is an out and back with return leg being slightly longer than the outward one, also its is generally "downhill" on the way out so "uphill" on the way back, the ideal wind direction is from the east and ideally only light, I have yet to have a fast weather day on that course but I enjoy it nonetheless, its very much one of my local courses just 20mins down the road from my house. 

In the lead up to the race I had been suffering with a cold, it was nothing bad, but it was niggling away, I could feel it on my lungs and that is never a good sign and as such I debated whether to even start, but my competitive instinct took over and I just thought "sod it"and off I went to get racing.

Sign on and get changed, I was due to go off towards the end (1630), and I was hoping for a new PB with my current one standing at 19:48, given my recent form I remained hopeful despite the debilitating cold I had been nurturing..... 

To get to the start from the HQ you have to go along the A63 which is good to acclimatise to the traffic, which comes past at some rate on these roads, but generally it does not feel as bad as it seems from the outside, overall traffic conditions were light which pleases me but will not make for a fast ride.

I had planned a longer warm up for this one, mainly as my lungs needed it, so i aimed for a good steady 30-35 mins to get things ticking over, after the warm up I felt okay, nothing really to report, lungs had responded well and nothing had fallen off.  

I rolled to the start with 2mins before my start time, went through the now familiar pleasantries and routine and before I knew it I was sling shotting down the slip road and on to the A63.  This seems as good a time as any to explain that the weather was not ideal, it was a tailwind out and a fairly brisk one at that so I knew that it would be quick to the turn point, and I think combined with my hideous lung infection, that thought spelled the end of a fast ride.

Photo By Craig Zadoroznyj

I got the turn point at some ridiculous speed, I didn't lap the Garmin so I am not sure exactly what it was but it was something around 34mph, feeling pleased and confident that I could sustain a good pace on the way back a PB was on....

Then the "hills" came, i say hills, they are more small rolls in the road that in the car barely notice but I was flagging, my legs were spent, i had broken my own rules and not saved something for the headwind / uphill section - This was going to be horrendous.

I had some targets ahead of me and I was picking them off one at a time, this was good for the mind but I was dying a thousand deaths, speed was dropping and I could not maintain my effort, the average speed was also dropping... like a stone....

With the worst of the ride over you crest the last "mountain" (small roller) and its a mild downhill and what felt like a tailwind, it was the only point on the return leg I think I broke 30mph, and I needed to I ended with an average speed just over 30mph and a time of 19:52, which was good enough for 4th.

I have to admit I was disappointed, I know I could have gone faster and a mid 19 was within my ability on this day but I had made an error in pacing, and I need to make sure that does not happen again, I had a good look at the data, I was 30watts under on the way back, which is a lot, thats where I lost it, if I could have ridden a balanced ride I would have been faster.

With that in my back pocket I was looking forward the the 21st May where I could keep up the points scoring in the YCF league and it was another bash at a fast time, but it was not to be.

On the Sunday all hell broke loose at home, a rather delightful sickness bug decided to begin a merciless rampage though the Sharp household, there was nowhere to hide, I manfully held out until Wednesday (which was also a holiday from work) before I was struck down and served my time hugging the toilet and sleeping in the en-suite.

By Friday everyone was better... but my legs and energy levels were not where they needed to be so i sent my first DNS email of the year, it was disappointing as it seemed to be a faster day than the previous week but I would have not gone well, instead I went out for a short zone 2 ride and then I attacked Dalby red route on Sunday.

Now I have 3 weeks until the next race, a 15 mile TT on the A63 which is another one of the YCF point league, hoping to be well and back to form so that I can have a good ride and get the points ticking over again.

Photo By Craig Zadoroznyj

Race Report - YCF 25 Mile Time Time (V236/1)

So today I found myself pondering the race as I meandered around East Yorkshire on my bike, and realising that despite the fact it was now Wednesday I had not written an update, this time I am 75% full of Leffe... So don't expect too much in terms of spelling and grammer....

This race was a 25mile TT one of the fastest 25mile courses in the country (on a good day), the V236/1 is a dual carriageway course up on the A19 starting just outside Topcliffe.

The goal for me was a fast 25, with Andy Jackson off of SSLL I knew a win was unlikely, so I wanted to get a PB and ideally it be quick enough to get to the national 25 later in the year.  I knew that I stood a reasonable chance of a good time thanks to my early season form over 10's, my big worry was the lack of 25 race craft, I lacked experience and that can be a big part in racing, over a 10 I like to think I am pretty proficient but over 25 not so much....

About an hours drive from home the normal process was undertaken, leave home well in advance be able to drive the course get ready and get a decent warm up.

That all went well, apart from the last bit, my warm-up was lets go with shambolic.  I couldn't decide what to do, for a 10 I like to get to the start raring to go, sweating, heavy breathing - like a s*x pest - the works, but I didn't want to overdo it (I had decided not to take anything on the bike which was a first for the distance), so in between peeing like a dog marking its territory (its a nerves and hydration thing and has got me arrested in the past, public indecency apparently) I basically did nothing other than faff, something Fiona thinks I could make into an art form.

So as it was I arrived at the start line, shivering, cold and shaking like a sh***ing dog, I had already decided that I may not go as well as I had hoped, for the record I was targeting 29mph for the race, that would give me a sub 52min time, which would have been amazing.

Under starters orders, ahead of me lies a slip road onto the dual carriageway and 25 miles of pain and suffering, headwind all the way out, tailwind all the way back.

Less than 10mins in I am already passing people and shouting obscenities at them, its a 2 lap course so there are some riders on their 2nd lap, I pass a Team Swift rider, not thinking anything of it, then after a couple of minutes I look down to see his wheel. Now in TT's that is cheating, it is a non drafting event and if you get overtaken you should drop back, he wasn't doing this, it put me off my stride a bit, I tried applying more pressure to the pedals, but he was able to stick with me, i even tried letting rip an almighty fart but it was to no avail, the twat was still there, the only thing left was to perform a full on sprint, like you would see at the end of a road race, the challenge is that by doing this I would use energy that I needed for my race, but I had no choice, I put in a 200m full power sprint and was able to break the tow.

Then it was back to the the race.... re-compose myself and try to put my lungs back in and get control of my heart rate. Into a headwind this is never easy, the key is to do more into the headwind as you never make it up with a tailwind so I aimed to leave nothing on the road...apart from some vomit at the finish.

By the end of the first lap I had averaged 29mph, I was on target, just.  

Just needed to repeat it on the 2nd lap I would be laughing! Now either the legs or the weather... Im going with weather... just weren't playing ball. Looking at the speed at some points it was worryingly low, but I hoped that I could make it back on the return leg, stronger headwind out, stronger tailwind home.

I turned for the run to home, I gave it all I had, at time holding speeds around 40mph and running out of gears on the 54x11 I run on the TT bike.   

I rolled over line, a bit disappointed, 28.7mph.  Not wanting to sound too much like a kebab but when you have a speed in mind you hope to hit it.  I didn't, so I was a bit miffed.

Still, it was a big PB, some 2min 8secs off my previous best and 4mins off my course PB, that should be enough to get me to the nationals, now I just need some more practice over the distance and if I can a bit more speed and I would be set for a reasonable assault on the race.  

Back at HQ I grab a coffee and a cake and a chat with some of the other competitors, I catch up with Mark Thaxter, one of the blokes i beat over 10, turns out he put 1min15secs into me over 25, although he admits it is his preferred distance, this again is a little frustrating but hardens my resolve, I will get better. 

As it turns out I should have been happier, I pulled a 4th (3rd loser) out of the bag, again I was surprised with the result over 25 I would have been happy with a top 10, as it was a 4th place I was pretty happy.

For now I have a couple of weeks before my next race, another 10, this time on the fast V718 near Hull. Hoping to improve my PB and again be quick enough to get into the nationals.

*My wife may have edited this after a bottle of plonk, I accept no responsibility for the words.

Race Report - YCF 10 Mile TT (O10/1)

Sometimes things happen that you are not expecting, there are days when you just don't feel right, your race doesn't seem to go as you want, you can't put your finger on why but it just doesn't feel great.

For me this was one of those days. The O10/1 is a North / South drag, pretty much flat but with some little rises that when you are on the limit hurt more than you would think, but its my sort of course.  

On this day the weather was not a "float" day (or the best conditions for the course) it was pretty breezy, blowing 16/17mph winds with gusts to c30mph.   It was always going to be a tough day.

In addition I knew that there was 2 guys who I beat last week that would be wanting to right that, and another Simon Beldon of SSLL Racing Team, who for a number of years has been a rider I wanted to be as quick as, he is always at the sharp end, somewhere I wanted to get, with him here I have to be honest I was targeting 2nd place.

The night before I did my "leg activation" session, as per normal my legs felt rubbish and my HR was suppressed, more so than normal.  I try not to read into it too much but it does niggle in the mind.

Saturday morning ritual was the same as always up early and big poopy nappy to deal with, its odd how such things become normal.  Erin is amazing, watching her develop and learn every day is something that I struggle to get my head around development is sooo quick, but there is nothing better than seeing her smile.

While she was napping I got all my things together, sorted the bike out and was pretty much ready to go.

In other news I also have a new skinsuit, its still the same York Cycleworks kit but with a NoPinz aero pocket, this saves the pin holes on the back and is said to give an extra 5 watts (although how much you believe that is open to debate).

Getting to the course I decided to drive it, hoping to see the best lines and look for any pot holes etc that might cause me to end up in a ditch.

While its good to drive the course it did make me a shade later than I would have liked, this meant a bit of a rush to get changed and in particular my Velotoze overshoes on, this stressed me out a bit so when I did get on the bike I was not in the best frame of mind.

I headed out and did my normal warmup routine, again not feeling great, but given this was how I felt the week before I was not too worried, I was just looking for a solid ride.

To the start with about 3 mins to go, take off the long sleeve top and get ready, it was so cold I had leg, base layer and arm warmers. 

Normal countdown routine as well... then away, with a whoping tail wind it was going to be a fast ride out and a painful horrible slog back.

Also, there are things that you notice on a bike that you don't in a car apparently, they had not used a steamroller when laying the tarmac, but instead compacted it like it was a mogul hill, then there was the bits that were like the Somme battlefield the road was horrendous. 

At the turnaround point I had averaged something over 30mph, I needed to maintain as much of this as possible on the slog back, it wasn't as bad as I thought my legs were in tatters no doubt, but I was pleased to be picking off the riders in front and using them as motivation and targets.

Over the line and Garmin stopped, I went to look at my result, 21:02, bummer, its always frustrating to see a time so close to a minute point, but I consoled myself that it might be under given you never stop your stopwatch at the same time that you cross the line, always pedal though the finish, I rolled about cooling down, feeling a little disappointed.

Back at HQ I threw the bike in the car and get changed, heading into HQ I check out the times, I have gone 21:59 (you read that right), which is disappointing, I also note that I have been beaten by at least 2 others that I would normally expect to beat, accepting that I have had a bad ride and there would be no reason for me to stay, I chat to some friends and head off in a grump.

On the way home I am pondering my effort and trying to figure out where it went wrong, then in a moment of, lets say, clarity, I figure out that my average speed was faster than last week, how can I have a slower time?  Thats not possible, have they made a mistake?

Once I pull off the motorway I stop and dig out my Garmin, I am right, I was faster they must have my time wrong.  I panic message a friend who I am hoping will still be there asking her to check my time, Kirsty sends me a message back saying that it had been corrected, and that the final results were just coming in... a few moments later I get this...

It doesn't get any closer than this

Needless to say I was amazed, I was on my way to Tesco to buy nappies and wine... wine is a key part of both training and baby raising as I am sure most parents will attest to, I then got a call from Kirsty, I stopped in the car and we had a brief chat, I had won and by the very smallest of margins, in fact in this game it doesn't get any closer.

It doesn't get any closer than this

To beat Simon was a big surprise, a rider I respect a lot and hoped to get closer to, I never expected to beat him, there may have been some luck in the weather, and no doubt we will race again, in fact we do next weekend.

So what now, I am on holiday next week, in the words of Peppa Pig "we're going on holiday in a camper van"... a steady week in terms of training but when we get back I have my first 25 mile TT of the season, should be interesting!