I took a half day from work in an attempt to get some swimming done in the afternoon.. best laid plans and all that. 5.30pm clocked.. oh crap I need to get going.
6pm cycle over to Red Lodge for the time-trial. It's about 9 miles there so at an average pace of about 18.3mph I got there in good time for a crucial natter. Chatting is becoming a bit of a problem for me I think.. Maybe one day I will focus on the ride. Paid up, got my number 23 and Bob comes over with a shiny skinsuit, different to the one he lent me last week. This one is a club one with longsleeves and MUCH tighter, very tight on the thighs - a standard problem of mine.
Elegantly (or not), I got changed in the back of Andrew's blacked out truck. Praying no one would open the door. Number pinned on.. more nattering. Quick photo with Bob - my kit man!
I was a bit worried about pushing it as my knees had been feeling terrible all day after last nights 6.5mile run with Kerry. I was scared to over do it and then ruin myself just before Ely Triathlon next weekend.
Right, 7pm time to spin the legs a little bit again to get the blood flowing after the ride over. I'd raised my seat a little last night and it seemed to feel more comfortable in the TT position, but I still desperately need a woman specific saddle - OUCH. The problems of buying a men's bike.
Over to the start line (more nattering). 22 was off, I started my Garmin, rolled up to the start line. 30 seconds to go, Mark held my seat, I clipped in. He joked I was like a "coiled spring ready to explode". That calmed my nerves as I felt the excitement wave over me. 5 seconds. Go.
Off I push up to the roundabout, and on, and on, and on. The wind was pretty brutal, I was blowing around quite a bit. Shuffling around on my seat trying to get comfortable. My mind stressing about my legs and also the competition of trying to get my best time.
I'm out by Isleham now, it's open fen land so the wind just cuts across. I change up and down my gears to try not to stress my legs and keep the mental strength going. I feel better when my legs are going faster, even though my speed hasn't really changed from going down a gear. Mentally it helps me. Then I push a harder gear for a bit.
I spot someone in the distance and it's like a switch flipped. I was on one.. pushing harder. I want to catch them. I close in.. only to find that it's not a fellow TT racer. DAMN! Well at least I would have pushed harder over that time.
Through Chippenham and out towards La Hogue (they do the BEST CAKE!) Zipping round the S bend trying not to break, I see another rider. I see the yellow number. As I close in I see it's Bobbie, the new lady that came tonight. Number 20. That means I've closed the gap 3 minutes.
Stay focussed.. don't get over excited I was trying to tell myself. I pass her and say "well done" and get my head back in the game again. Pushing up the last hill and my quads are burning. In fact my whole legs are burning. My lungs felt like they were going to implode.
Last stretch, 1 mile to go. Pushing down hill I clock 28.6mph. I'm frustrated as I just can't push to 30mph. There was nothing left.
I see the timekeepers. Change up another gear and just grind the last few hundred meters.
FINISHED!
Cool down, back to the start. Resume nattering. Mark comes back with the timesheet. I knew I had a PB but wanted to see whether Mel had smashed me again.
I look down, I look up at Mel. I've beaten her for the first time this year. I got 24.04, Mel got 24.25 how on earth that happened I don't know. But we have a good exchange of congrats. She's a great rider and I have been trying to catch her for weeks. We joke it's because she is too relaxed from her holiday and I'm too pent up from not having been away this year (except Paris of course).
A quick catch up with Bobbie, she went the wrong way on the course. It's easily done if it's your first time so next time she will fly!
Home time. A very, very slow ride home. My legs just weren't working - which I think is a good thing. I pushed hard tonight.
And it paid off.
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