Max and I did the 2 UP at Handcross. Considering the amount of wine I consumed the day before I was feeling ok at the start line. Had a leaving dinner with Dave F before he went off to Switzerland.
The Handcross circuit is about a 14 mile loop or so, my speedo was not working so could not get an exact distance. We started off on a fast downhill section where I led Max to the first hill.
This is where things started to go wrong, I could hardly breath and Max was obviously in good form as he started pounding up the hill. I had to shout at him to take it easy. Once over this hill I tried to take the front a few more times on the flat section and was feeling a bit better.
We then hit another big hill and Max was past me again with me straggling behind telling him to take it easy, or was it SLOW DOWN I AM DYING HERE. Round the back of the course it is very hilly, or as they like to put it rolling. About 3/4 of the first lap of two we overtook the pair in front of us from Redhill which was quite satisfying. On the second lap everytime we got to the hills I was twiddling up on my small ring in the smallest gear, I was pretty spent. On the downhills we were powering it trying to keep up the speed for a reasonable time. On the last big hill we managed to catch a couple of ladies who were from London Dynamo I think.
The course flattens out towards the end and so I took the front and Max tucked in behind and I powered us to the finish line. Well done to Max who could probably have done a better time without me but I think from the initial times that I saw that we came about 4th place so not too bad.
We did something like 1.08.21 the winner did a time under the hour I think it was Urquart and Enslin, so not too surprising. In the individual TT Phil Watkins did a time which was just off our 2UP time which is pretty impressive.
My average heart rate was 190, which is 95% of my maximum. I am still debating with myself whether or not I enjoy TTing, maybe I will do the 2 UP with my wife next time and then I might enjoy it.
Cheers
Marek....