The good. Interesting new course. Ride around a park rather than dual carriageways. has potential for greatness with a few tweaks.
The bad. me.
The ugly. The Hutch was riding!
that's a bit unfair actually. He's looking rather lean and trim really, compared to pictures I've seen of him before. Guess he's doing some serious training this year.So on with the report.
Firstly, what went right.
ok. now what went wrong.
Well I'll start with my start and work back to explain it! I'm off in the 53 slot (I'm number 39), I pull away and after a mile or so realise I haven't tightened my right shoe up. oh well.
and I haven't got my computer on.
or heart rate strap.
and I need to go to the loo!
argh. anyway, on with the course, I've never riden around richmond park before so it's all new and exciting. No cars initially (although there were a few when I got into the last half of the course) and compared to a normal TT it's a bit odd with awkward little mini roundabouts to go around, quite a bit of surface gravel, and speed bumps!
Apart from the aforementioned issues an unremarkable ride, clearly not going to be an amazingly quick one considering and I might need to practice taking mini-roundabouts at speed. Although I did see a rider in front take one badly and take a detour over the grass.
So given my TT experience how did this debacle occur I hear you ask.
Well it got off ok with a stupid o'clock start. It was always going to be a little tight to get up to richmond for a 06:19.30 start, with enough time to sign on and get organised. But off I went.
Now the trouble begins. Since it's still "stupid o'clock" when I get there, apparently there's only going to be one entrance open "Sheen Gate". Hmm, ok the road I saw on the map appears to actually go through the park and it's all locked up. And to make me feel worse I keep seeing bikes streaming in through the pedestrian entrances. ooookkkk.
so drive around a bit looking for the sheen gate entrance, It's at the top I know but every sign I see just points into richmond park and they seem to want all traffic to head in through the main gates.
damnit.ok so I switch into follow your nose mode and try meandering through the local roads to work out where it is.
aha! another entrance. c*ck. nope that ones not it and it's shut. but there's someone standing by it in cycle gear.
I stop and ask if he knows how to get to the open entrance. He has no idea. ok more meandering. not a single sign post to the car park and no TT signs up either.
and... aha! after driving along another residential street over speed bumps, there it is.
yay.and pull into the car park at 06:15.
Leap out of car like a marine out of a troop carrier and quickly assemble bike, pump tyres, pull on shoes and helmet and sprint to the HQ which is a bit of a ride. Numbers on in a panic, and down to the line.
Missed start by a few minutes (30 second interval starts), I think 43 just went as I got there. and see a long row of sequential numbers.
See Sean at the start (and why weren't you riding given all your park practice laps???
) and have a quick hello, although I'm a bit too flustered for a decent chat.get all excited as there's a gap at 47. but he arrives.
another gap at 50. but he arrives.
gap at 53 and I pounce into it. and off.....
Seem to be in a group of rather fast riders though and get passed pretty much continuously all the way around. The Hutch cruises past like a train. Wow. simply wow. The muscles on those legs!
Think of shouting "hello sailor" as he passes but I'm having enough trouble breathing, and my brain appears to be operating in slow motion since by the time I decide to, he's already quite some distance in front. ahem. anyway, he probably gets that all the time. 
I have no idea what my time was, I didn't have my watch going and I'll have a late start time too, so I just pack up and head homewards.
So all in all a pretty bad TT day. but never mind, I know where it is now and I know what the course looks like so I'll be trying again in a couple of weeks.
