ESCA 50 - The Road to Hell

[Snoop Doug]

Up at 3am to go racing. Had a stinker of a cold this past week just to top off my gardening self inflicted crippling. So - having not touched the bike for a fortnight I wasn't expecting great things today, good job eh? My motivation for doing this was to put a mark down for the SCCU 50 @ the end of the month. I haven't ridden my bike that distance for a long time - would I make it round? Secretly I was hoping for a PB but not by much - want to hit form @ end of the month and who knows....

Anyhoo, folk who know call this course rolling. I'd say draggy. Actually I'd say sh1te - but that's rude.

The timekeeper was late . When I'm late I get a late start penalty, I reckon we should all get 10 mins off our time to make up for this administrative shabbyness..... I roll off in my customary casual stylee. The road surface was not up to much, lots of bumps and more than a few 'oles. As I began to push on I'm afraid I started to expel the remains of my cold - this unpleasantness continued the whole way round, eeewwwww. At the half way mark I wasn't feeling too bad, I hit that point @ 1.11 well ahead of where I was expecting. I should've bailed out here. The second lap just sapped me of everything. The final 13 miles was the most draining experience. I hit that mark at 1.45.37. I crawled back and even had to use the small ring for a short distance. The final kick up to the finish was just cruel (I survived this by thinking what must it be like to pull your finger nails out - more painful than this, surely). I came home in 1.25.52, a PB by 45 seconds. Mission accomplished in a most forgettable style.

Much better efforts from t'other fellow agreeables and ye Tri Sport news crew. Dave Palmer's shouts en route helped to keep me going (he could see how f***ed I was - we spoke after). Jim Burdett, 2.3.40 (PB), Dominic 2.8.39, Dave P 2.9.44, RRE 2.10.15

I'm off for tapas and a cerveza or three

Snoop

[Dominic]

This was truly awful. My worst 50. Couldn't get any rythmn going. Travelled down with Snoop which was very pleasant. We were on course to get there early (before the HQ opened) until, it took 20 minutes to find the village hall. Believe me Fairwarp ain't big but you would at least think they would put the village hall in the village

I don't think Snoop had time for a warm up. I did about 20 minutes and arrived at the start with 5 mins to spare, to find out that they were running 10 minutes behind, not sure how that could happen. It was cold enough for arm warmers and I set off very easy gradually building speed to the turn. Got to the turn and decided to try a bit harder but the legs wouldn't do it. This was because it was slightly up hill, rolling is the description that was used . It felt that the whole 13 miles to the next turn was up bloody hill.

By the time I got to halfway I was in half a mind to stop but kept on as it would be good training. I had seemed to run out of people to pass and was only seeing people coming the other way, Mr Coffey for instance, looking super smooth and fast. Managed to get a good lick going again but was suffering from crotch pain. Back to the turn and didn't feel as bad as I thought it would, but I was at some points on 53 x19 for some of the drags.

Grovelled to the finish and after getting changed saw that I had a time of 2.08. Not really much of surprise. I am a bit disappointed with the fact that as I was off no 40 I was a seeded rider and the time didn't justify it. I think the general consensus was it was hard. Jim B did his first 50 and clocked a good 2.03, but he did look less than impressed with the whole affair.

[George]

Oh dear chaps didums

Sounds like a sporting course to me, remind me not to ride that course next year

Well done for sticking with it and finishing chaps, so Snoop that's one pb to forget about until you fill in your next entry form.

I was gonna ride this event, but entered the BDCA fast 100 up in Derbyshire, I didn't get a ride as my previous puncture adventure 100 time wasn't quick enough so I missed both events, that'l teach me for chasing fast courses, well to be honest I was happy not to ride in this one after hearing your story from hell

[Jim B]

How the hell can people ride 100s?
That was 2 hours+ of Premier League gonad bashing. Did they corrugate the roads specially?
I thought I could take it easy, ride a steady 59.30 pace and break the 2 hour barrier never to have to do a 50 again. How wrong I was.
I wish I'd left the disc in the car as the bumpy ride really got tiring near the end. I was nearly crying as every bump in the road went straight up the wedding tackle.
Still you get good value for your entry fee I suppose. Next time I might just pay the lad over the road a fiver to repeatedly kick me in the knackers for a while.
Think I'm due a rest now after 3 races in a week. Just need to find a nice 12 hour to do.........

[Robert]

Why does Chris Rea spring to mind? Hard, when I was riding it I thought it was just me. Though I caught at least two thirds of the riders who started ahead of me, me being no 15. Only got caught by number 16. I was really disappointed as I have managed 2:03 on this course before. Had my excuses lined up , lack of race prep etc etc, to find I wasn`t the only one to have suffered. Chalk it up to a bad day, hope the Kent 100 goes better next week, and the SCCU 50 in a fortnights time.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote="Snoop Doug"]
I came home in 1.25.52, a PB by 45 seconds.

[quote="mrP(Boonen)VT"][quote="Snoop Doug"]
I came home in 1.25.52, a PB by 45 seconds.

[Robert]

Come on Mr P you know it was typo 2:25:52, after all still a pb from someone who said I`m just gonna take it easy!!

[Snoop Doug]

Oooops . Just spotted Keith Coffey won in 1.55.53. Wow!!

[Andrew G]

[quote="Jim B"]Next time I might just pay the lad over the road a fiver to repeatedly kick me in the knackers for a while.

[Snoop Doug]

[quote="Jim B"]How the hell can people ride 100s?
That was 2 hours+ of Premier League gonad bashing. Did they corrugate the roads specially?
I thought I could take it easy, ride a steady 59.30 pace and break the 2 hour barrier never to have to do a 50 again. How wrong I was.
I wish I'd left the disc in the car as the bumpy ride really got tiring near the end. I was nearly crying as every bump in the road went straight up the wedding tackle.
Still you get good value for your entry fee I suppose. Next time I might just pay the lad over the road a fiver to repeatedly kick me in the knackers for a while.
Think I'm due a rest now after 3 races in a week. Just need to find a nice 12 hour to do.........

[Jim B]

Yeah, been having saddle issues lately and swapped to my old Selle Italia on Saturday. Should have done it a while ago though and paid the price this weekend after 2 races on the rivet.
Now the pain has subsided I'm glad I did it for experience. I'm hoping to be competitive in the Triathlon Middle Distance champs in September so it was good practice TTing for 2hours +.
I still can't fathom out TTing for 100 miles or 12 hours......the pleasure and excitement must be mind blowing.

[tel]

Well done to everyone who rode-sounds like hell to me. Doesn`t seem to effect Keith Coffey though.

Always good to get a pb Doug.

Terry

[Michelle]

Well done, chaps. You are well and truly nuts.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote="Jim B"]
I still can't fathom out TTing for 100 miles or 12 hours......the pleasure and excitement must be mind blowing.