For a number of reasons I'm not as fit as I was at this time last year, and have next to no racing miles in my legs. I'm one of these folk who need races to try and sharpen up so the weekend was going to be a simple way of stacking in some racing miles.
Saturday evening - 15.5 miles
Up and down the Military Rd with a half mile 10% climb to the turn. Raining and chilly
and windy - it's always windy in the IOW! The wind was a strong cross wind which made it hard work as with the meander of the road it meant that you got block headwind in both directions at times.It felt harder than last year and I was a minute and a half slower, Rob a minute and a half behind me.
Sunday morning - 22.5 miles
Today a big loop ( down the Military Rd then inland over very rolling weaving lanes) followed by a small loop (bit of Military Rd then cut inland again in time for the longest climb and final couple of lumps of the big loop).
Cold and wet, stayed in HQ until start time and then set off with the rain drumming on my pointy hat
.Head wind up the Military Rd as is customary and I found it a bit of a slog, partly due to not being comfy on my new aero bars - they're coming off and the old ones going back on - but found some rhythm once in the lanes. Felt okay and the wetness wasn't bothering me too much although with some of the tight bends and changing road surfaces you had to take it easy in places.
A minute and a half slower than last year same as the day before, but quite happy as the conditons were much worse - particularly the cold.
Rob DNS'd after getting his bike ready, changing, pinning his number on...and then realising he'd left his shoes in the B&B. Doh! Unfortunately no-one else had a spare pair in his size and pedal type.
With the afternoon free I headed off to Osbourne House for a bit of culture. A very nice old pile stuffed to bursting with V&A history. Very much a stately home of the look but don't touch and stay behind the rope type though. Stunning gardens too but I didn't wander them as it was bloody cold and although not raining anymore it was a constant threat.
Monday morning - 39.5 miles
Woke up and it was dry! Still damn cold mind you. Arrived at HQ and just about to start unpacking and oh joy the rain starts. Agggghhhhh. Course is 2 big laps and 1 small.
Another sheltering and trying to stay dry warm up and set off with a real CBA attitude. Off on to the Military Rd and wind is beyond belief, the final drag to Chale before turning inland was misery. Up to here I'd just sort of been rolling along, was not in a good mood...cold and wet for the 3rd day running and wondering why I was doing it.
Shortly after I just thought sod it at least try and get the hard training race miles in the legs. I picked up and went okay from here on. The rain stopped half way round the first lap which made it more pleasant, unfortunately it returned with avengence half way round the second lap and got heavier through to the finish.
Thanks in part to the dawdle at the start and part to the manky weather I was a massive 8 minutes slower than last year. Most of that will be due to poncing about for the first 8-9 miles though. New roads to Rob and he was a minute and a half to 2 minutes behind me and probably wondering why he'd come to this wet windy lumpy little island.
Weather was terrible but the organstaion was very good again. Thanks to Rob for joining me, and to Lucy...you definately made the right choice.
FOOTNOTE:
Just checked last year's results to see how the times compared. Saturday's were similar, Sunday's Dave Dent and Bill Girvan who are at the top were a minute slower this year, and for Monday's they were just over 4 minutes slower. So taking that as a measure for conditions then I'm happy with Sunday's race as I was at the time and on today's I didn't lose as much time in the early CBA section as I thought as I expected to be a couple of minutes slower anyway due to less fitness and races in the legs. CBA seems to have cost me a couple of minutes.
