Once I'd signed on, and therefore given ACC the Rawson Shield point, it was very tempting to just get back in the car and go to sleep.
9 Agreeables out for this (most of any club) so plenty of friendly faces at the start as we collected numbers etc.
This was my first normal 25 so didn't know what to expect, but was basing it around the Sporting Course one I'd done last month as a guide. I'd managed to pace myself quite well on that at a more or less consistent 85% max HR so was going to try the same.
Things started off okay and felt like I was getting in to the groove a bit better than normal and not letting my mind drift off.
After 8 miles things went downhill. I was using clip-on tri-bars, which had only previously been out on the sporting course, and should get a good test on this as I should have been on them all the time. just after 8 miles I got quite a bad pain in my left hip and a couple of niggles in my knee. I tried adjusting my position, but ended up shuffling about all the time switching from tri-bars, drops, hoods, end of saddle, back of saddle. The pain was eased for a while but then came back so I had to keep switching between just about every position possible.
I was struggling to put power down and my HR was staying at a steady 70%. When I finished I wasn't really out of breath which is not a good sign in a TT. I could have gone much harder on my race bike on the drops. I know I can't compete with the club testers, and don't expect to, just found it frustrating to not be able to go all out.
Conclusions:
- I've decided that I'm not really suited to tri-bars, maybe due to by size/build, or maybe riding style. Whatever it is, it's no good being more aero if you can't ride as hard, so end up slower.
- Not really a fan of a 25, I found it a touch souless on the A roads for that long. I'll do the SCCU one's for Rawson Shield points, but otherwise stick to 10s. I quite like the purity of them in a "how fast can I go" way.
Final footnote - my doppelganger was out today, we met before the start and had a quick chat. Last month I beat him by 3 minutes, today he beat me by 3 minutes. In the handicap comp he was 1st, I was 2nd. (Which I think gives me a tenner so not a wasted day, lessons learnt and money in the bank).
ACC Riders:
58:45 Rich V - Great time
59:50 Rob R-E - 2 riders under the hour
1:00:17 Paul Tunnell - After 136 miles yesterday! Didn't ride out to the event this time.
1:00:37 Jon Hemming - Sporting a fine Majorca tan.
1:02:29 Andrew Carter
1:03:27 Tamar - 1st Lady, and 1st Lady on handicap.
1:03:45 Mike Ingram
1:09:39 Me
1:15:41 Snoop - 2 minutes quicker than last year in this event and after only 2 CRs all year, chapeau.
so should be able to go a bit quicker next week in ACC 25
