. It's supposed to be May...temperature was in single figures and there was a nasty wind that just kept getting stronger.I was the first of us off and was suitably attired, for the weather not the month, in thermals arm and leg warmers and full finger gloves
. Once up to speed I soon warmed up but wouldn't have wanted any less on and concentrated on smoothly picking up the speed to a decent pace. On the out leg for the first time (it's a two and a half lap course) the wind was behind me and this helped pick thing up nicely, getting it up to a bit over 23mph and holding it steady for the first bit of the race. With a 50 I tend to try and start well but not too fast and then pick it up in the second half.Around the first turn and in to the head wind proper for the first time,
hmmm not liking this much but kept it rolling along smoothly and keeping the pace up. The course rolls a bit and with the wind and the drags the average dropped down to 23 dead, spotted Jon on his way out as I was on my way back. After the return it was round turn two and head back towards the start. I had a big smile on my face as I spotted a familiar yellow gimp suit up ahead, Dominic being held up on the start line. Now would he go before I got there and provide a bit of a carrot for me or would I be his carrot? Bearing in mind my hair colour it was perhaps appropriate that I assumed the role of carrot, I gave a "Morning Mr.Lowe" as I passed him (we're well mannered and civil in the Addiscombe) and carried on.Judging by the fact Dom was being held up he could have started anywhere between 10 and 40 seconds behind me, I guess nearer the later as it took about 8 miles I think for him to catch me as we were both slogging in to the headwind on the return, my second his first. I was trying to keep Dom in sight and use him as a bit of a target, albeit one that was diminishing in size, and held him reasonably well.
The wind had definitely picked up and the second return leg was noticeably harder. I'd picked thing up and increased my average speed but couldn't get it up (fnarr) as much as I'd have liked due to the wind. As I passed the finish flag I had 15 miles left so started to nail it. Approaching the fourth turn the roundabout was a bit busy, I hoped to slip through but just as I was about to stamp on it to shoot through a gap the car on my right was too close so I had to brake. Bugger that's upset the rhythm a bit. The lady in the car was very nice though and eased right up as she saw me and waved me through, very nice of her but I had to really honk it from an almost standstill in a very inappropriate gear for a starting effort.
Back with the tail wind and passed the start point, ten miles left. I held back a touch as I had on the lap before, not much just a fraction, but saving a touch more for the return legs in to the wind as I'd lose less time doing this than fly with the wind and die against it. I'd been caught by three rockets apart from Dominic but was catching quite a few people in the second half of the race, not always proper catches as some of them were at different points in their races to me due to the two and a half lap nature of the course but always good for the morale to keep having targets and catches, and only one of my catchers had been a proper one.
With about 8 miles left a car passed me with a hand waved out the window but i didn't recognise it. All was revealed a little further up the road with Stan and Joan by the roadside cheering on
. This was fantastic and gives you a real boost as you keep hurting yourself. The final lap is a short loop where you turn at the mid point roundabout and then it was bury myself for the final five miles in to the wind. Spotted Stan and Joan again as I was hitting the final drag, gave it a bit of welly up that for them and then powered on for the finish.Boy that was hard. The cold weather never helps even if you wrap up a bit but that wind was nasty. It picked up throughout the morning and I didn't envy Dominic having roughly another lap and a half out there with it.
I was pleased with my time of 2.07.42 as this is quicker than I did in the same event last year, in better conditions, and only two minutes off my pb. That was on a nice warm still September morning though so this was at least as good a ride. A new pb would have been nice but that was always going to be a distant hope in this morning's weather unless I'd found I'd packed George's legs in my kit bag
. Andrew Green 2:07:42
Jon Hemming 2:08:58
Dominic Lowe 2:05:35
What was very nice today was that there was also a trike event in the race. I love seeing a trike on the road and this morning there were 8 of them plus Ralph and Tim Dadswell out on their tandem trike...now that's a machine and a half.
