Stone Wheelers 25 - J5/8

Use this to post your race reports, posts must contain references to your obligatory mid pee fart...

Stone Wheelers 25 - J5/8

Postby IanM » 19 May 2014 08:49

I don't usually write race reports for TTs. I think the one and only one I've done previously was for last year's 2up with Will, which was also my first TT. But there's some merit in a report for this race :)

Some background: for those that don't know, I've pretty much put my tri career on hold. I don't have time for SBR, and it was becoming apparent that I had more aptitude and enjoyment for cycling than the other two, so my focus since mid last year has been CX and TTs. At the start of this year, I wrote out my goals for the season. They include: short 23 for a 10TT, 65 for a 25TT, and a FTP of 330W or more. I never really thought sub hour was on the cards for this year, so it just wasn't on my radar. One of my other goals was to get a better position - last years races were all done with a bike position set up for HIM. I went and saw MtB earlier this year and got set up for a more aggressive position, as well as getting a few training tips from him and Lynne. Not bad people to be getting advice from, as it goes ;)

I'd been looking for some 25s to enter and attempting to generally avoid sporting courses, but as is the way in the world of TTs you usually have to be fast to get on a fast course, so without a single solo 25 time my odds of getting into a fast course were pretty much zero. Until I spotted a post on TTF which said that a the Stone Wheelers 25 was undersubscribed, despite it being a very fast course, most likely because of the special conditions of preferential entry to riders from Manchester district clubs. It was only whilst filling out the entry form that I realised that the BCTTT is a Manchester district club (and for this reason I could quite happily kiss Conehead's shiny bonce) which massively increased my chance of getting in. It was still a very nervous wait for the start sheet, with lots of F5ing going on on the CTT website, until the email arrived confirming my start a week before the race.

I started seriously planning for it. Weather forecast was checked about 5 times a day in the week running up to it. Mid week it settled into sunny, warm and 10mph SW wind, which mean that there'd be a cross/tail out, and a cross or cross/head back. I broke the course down into segments (split by roundabouts) and memorised the profile and length of each segment so I was prepared for what was coming. It probably helped that I've driven the A50 probably a hundred times in the last decade or so as it's the way to the inlaws. Although I can confirm that it looks very different at 30 than it does at 70+ ;)

With the conditions expected to be favourable, I started to have an inkling that sub hour might be on the cards, but at best it would be tight. But surely a 59 was feasible? The turn's at around 13.5 miles, and by the time you're back on the dual carriageway there's only about 9 miles left to go. However, much of that 9 miles is up a long and painful drag (over 6 miles), and there was potential for there to be some headwind. So I knew I'd need to have been on a decent pace by the turn, and get there around the 32/33 minute mark to give me a chance of going under.

One area of concern was my health. Amelie's had a snotty nose for a couple of weeks, so I've been obsessively cleaning my hands and trying to avoid catching it. But I began to think I was fighting a losing battle - I had a bit of a runny nose from the start of the week, then on Tuesday woke up with a bit of a tickle at the back of my throat which is usually the precursor to a cold. From that point I contained so many echinacea, vit c and zinc pills that I basically rattled. Thankfully that seemed to keep it at bay.

Race day arrived. Wife, baby and dogs packed off to inlaws where I'd meet them later. I was simultaneously very excited, but also crapping myself. It properly dawned on me a few days earlier that this was my chance to set a decent time to get me onto other fast courses, and I really didn't want to blow it. I badly wanted that 59. I sorted my kit out, piled it all into the car, and headed over to Blythe Bridge. Arrived and managed to grab the very last parking space on the entry road at the HQ, perfect timing.

Went into HQ, signed on, and picked up my number. Back out, pinned the number to my skin suit (getting its first competitive outing - big thanks to S11 for getting it to me in time for the weekend). Then got my bike out. Pumped the rear tire up. Went to pump the front tire up. The valve extender's always been a bit temperamental. I was fiddling with it, and all of a sudden all the air p*ssed out of it, and I pulled the extender out and the valve core came with it. I couldn't believe it. I thought this was terminal, and I was staring in the face of a DNS. I was furious. But once I'd calmed down a little, I managed to get the core screwed back in, pumped it up, then removed the extender. I had no idea if the air was going to hold, but I couldn't hear anything. It looked like it might be ok. I continued to get ready. I put my skin suit on, and at this point I realised my other mistake. If you're over 6 foot, and 13ish stone, and putting yourself into a Medium size skin suit, expect the material to stretch. The act of putting it on ripped the number off. Pretty sure I could feel a big hole in the material of the skin suit where one of the pins had been seconds before did not help my mood one bit. I didn't take it off to check, I just carried on putting the kit on, then asked another racer parked up nearby if he minded putting it on.

So I was pissed off, not knowing if the tire would keep me going until the end of the race, and expecting to have a hole in my new skin suit. And all this faffing about had left me less than 20 minutes for a warm up, when I'd planned for half an hour.

Anyway, off I went. It was a token warm up really, nothing more than a couple of efforts to wake the legs up. I kept stopping to check the tire pressure. I really did not know if it would hold for the race. I started worrying about whether I'd be potentially looking at a long walk back up the dual carriage way, or if I could ride it flat (as I've read mentioned before) to limp home.

In hindsight, I wonder if this was the best thing that could have happened to me. It removed any pressure I'd put on myself as I was worried about getting back rather than race performance.

Off to the start, quick chat with the guy behind me, both of us doing our first solo 25s. We looked up at the nearby trees and how much they were swaying in the wind. It was definitely stronger than 10mph! Then onto the start line, quick chat with the starters, counted down and off.

It's less than a mile to the roundabout which puts you onto the A50. With MtBs words of "don't go out too hard in the first mile" ringing in my ears, I set off at a swift but not hard pace, intending to up it from the roundabout. Onto the A50, and it's a bit draggy for the first mile or 2 of that, but still holding an average of 25 mph. I know I had to be above that, but I also know the fast downhill's coming, which should help. And by god it does. To the next roundabout (9.8 miles in) I'm holding over 30 mph, cadence of 95 in top gear. The tarmac is amazing, so smooth. The traffic that's passing never feels like it's putting me at risk, but I think that there's definitely a micro pull forwards each time a car or lorry goes past. The aero covers feel like they're helping too (although that may be in my head). I'm averaging around 250-270w on this section. Power's down on what I hoped to average overall, but I know I'm saving myself for the return leg, and making the most of the free speed available at this point. It feels fantastic. I see my minute woman from quite a way back, and slowly reel her in.

Hit the roundabout at 9.8 miles. Held up for a couple of seconds (only time I was held up on the day), then off again. Hit 10 miles in 20m30s. Astonishing. Average speed at this point is 29mph. Next roundabout is half a mile further on, and I'm through that. 3 miles to the turn. Draggy bit now. Power up, holding about 26 mph. Avg drops below 29 mph, but I pick that back up once over the draggy bit. Back up to 30+ mph. Taken by my 2 minute man. Hit the turn at about 28:30 - 4 minutes ahead of target. I start to believe. F*ck, this is on. Big gulp of drink as I go under the A50, then accelerate up the slip road and back onto the DC.

9 miles to go. 6.5 miles of that is up "concrete mountain". I start doing the maths in my head. "If I average 20 mph for the last 6 miles, at what point do I hit that 6 miles and still come under the hour?" and various questions like that. Helps to detract from the pain in my legs. Then I think I'm going to vomit. Just about hold it back, but lesson learned - don't take that big a gulp next time!

I hit the two roundabouts. It's getting harder now. I can feel the wind, and my legs aren't too chuffed about it. The 2nd roundabout signifies 6.5 miles to go, and the start of "hard". I've got just under 20 minutes to stay under the hour. Thankfully, much of the concrete mountain is sheltered from the cross winds, which helps. I watch the miles and time tick by, constantly re-evaluating. I know it's on, pending a catastrophic mechanical. I wonder how late into the course I could survive a mechanical, get off and run bare foot with it to get under the hour still. For the last couple of miles I'm right on the edge, but struggling. It hurts. Upping the power but the legs are complaining. Take my 5 then 4 minute men. Then I can see the line. Pass it, shout my number, followed by "WOOHOO!". Garmin says 56:49. I know it did a couple of auto pauses (one cruelly, on the concrete mountain, but that was because of tree coverage rather than lack of speed!).

I roll back to HQ, utterly elated. I said to Gemma in the morning that if I went sub hour we'd have a bottle of sparkly, so I text her "Champagne :)". I text Will, and add a quick comment to the Google+ thread about it, and tweet. Pack away my gear and get changed. Into HQ where they've got a projector running with the times. Confirmation. 56:53. Over. The. Moon. I'm in such a daze that I don't even think to see what other times look like, other than noticing a lot of >1hr times, so guess I've placed relatively well.

Have a cuppa and a fairy cake. Then back to the car. It's not sunk in yet. By far my greatest ever sporting achievement.

Results are up later that day. I expected the winner to do around or below CR - so 48 minutes, potentially. I don't care about that. This was a personal battle against the clock and nothing else. But it turns out that it was actually won on a 50. I'm less than 7 minutes slower than the fastest man on the day. I did not expect that. 62/133. Of those, 96 went sub hour. If this is run again next year (and it is an annual event, I believe), then any BCTTTers wanting to go fast should enter, assuming it's preferential entry for Manchester district clubs. Worth pointing out that marshalling was excellent - lots of marshals and very visible. Plenty of signage too, and I never felt in danger on the road.

So what next? Not sure. Need to have a look at upcoming fast races and see if I can get on some more 25s. I want a 22 or 23 on a 10 now too, and think I should be more than capable of that this year in the right conditions and on the right course. I did also wonder if I could do a sub 2hr 50, but maybe that's just being greedy ;)

Photos here: http://www.kimroy-photography.co.uk/gal ... mId=250684 (warning, pasty white legs alert!)
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Re: Stone Wheelers 25 - J5/8

Postby CCS » 19 May 2014 09:31

IanM wrote: I could quite happily kiss Conehead's shiny bonce

Steady on there... :lol:

Some familiar themes there... nervous fingers letting all the air out of a tyre... numbers pinging off skinsuit (not sure that is sizing related, as mine is a bit big... sure it's part of TT tradition to provide spectacularly useless safety pins!)

What can I say though - that is a truly spectacular ride - really well done!!!!
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Re: Stone Wheelers 25 - J5/8

Postby kfjatek » 19 May 2014 09:35

Utterly brilliant. Absolutely delighted for you - well done Ian.

:ugeek:
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Re: Stone Wheelers 25 - J5/8

Postby ris » 19 May 2014 09:51

superb ian - absolutely fantastic. hope the sparkly tasted good. :D
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Re: Stone Wheelers 25 - J5/8

Postby Bendy Ben » 19 May 2014 10:36

Stunning Ian. I'm genuinely really pleased for you.
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Re: Stone Wheelers 25 - J5/8

Postby IanM » 19 May 2014 10:59

Thanks all :) Ris - yep, the sparkly was bloody lovely. Although the beer and wine the father in law also fed me probably contributed to me feeling a little rough around the edges yesterday ;)
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Re: Stone Wheelers 25 - J5/8

Postby Jack Hughes » 19 May 2014 16:01

What's next?
Omnia Vanitas

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Re: Stone Wheelers 25 - J5/8

Postby Ewan » 19 May 2014 16:17

Just super!!
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Re: Stone Wheelers 25 - J5/8

Postby Jack Hughes » 19 May 2014 16:20

I've just spotted the negative.

You've completely stuffed your chances of winning the handicap competition in the next event you do :)
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Re: Stone Wheelers 25 - J5/8

Postby IanM » 19 May 2014 16:21

Jack Hughes wrote:What's next?


Local 10 tomorrow. Fast 10 next Wednesday. Week after that there's 2 club 25s on the local course (same as the 2up I did with Will), one mid week, one on the Sunday.

15th June there's an open 25 on the A38, but I think it clashes with a family thing. 17th, there's an evening club 10 on the "fastest K course". Then on the 21st there's an open 25 on Etwall. Not sure if I'm quick enough to get a ride (probably not) but may be worth a try. Alternatively, the day after, the club that run my local 10 have their open 25, so I'd probably do that.

Week after that is Queen Vic CX, on the same day as the 50 (on the A50) I entered at the start of the year. Most likely to do the CX race as it was so much fun last year.

That takes me to the end of June. Not sure what will be after that, depends how much I can bring my 10 times down and try and get on some quick courses for that.

Ewan wrote:Just super!!


Cheers :)

Jack Hughes wrote:I've just spotted the negative.

You've completely stuffed your chances of winning the handicap competition in the next event you do :)


Oh well ;)
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