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.
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.
