St Neots Club TT - 14Z

St Neots cycling club run their club TT series every week throughout the summer and I've managed to get round the first 2 without getting lost. For a data geek like me it's great to compare rides and see how you are progressing. Hopefully through the summer I get a little quicker each week and can see if my training is working.

TT racing is completely different to running. You turn up at a random start spot (no club house/leisure center/pub) this shit is in the middle of nowhere. Goes back to it's olden day roots where it was comparable with cock fighting or that pony & trap racing pikeys do. You pay your £2 you get a number (should start slowest to fastest) and you start a minute behind the person in front. Also, you get someone to hold your bike up while you start which is cool BUT unlike running they want their number back at the end of the night (so no screwing it up and throwing it away in disgust after a shite race!)

So, last week. Set off pretty well into the first uphill mile and once lactic starts pumping ease off to 90%. 2nd mile downhill absolutely flatten but it's windy to the turn at 3 miles so just hold on. Turn left towards golf club and pace picks right up as wind is helping. Hold 22-23mph comfortably and when I hit roughly half way (road bares right to Gamlingay I lift it to 25mph). Hit the hill which I take well and feel really strong. Turn to Waresley and keep it as close to 24/25mph as poss and feel really strong bringing it home in 28:47.

This week. Set off very well and ease back at 90% again. Much quicker start this week as wind is in opposite direction. 25-26 mph to the turn this week where last week it was more like 21-22. BUT at the turn can't get power down as Im into the wind now. To make it worse I can get into the gear I want because my quads start screaming so I have to work a lower gear and higher cadence. I am 20-21 at this point and from the turn towards Gamlingay I am still only 21-22. Much slower down and up the hill and into Gamlingay feel much more tired than last week. Course knowledge helps here and I take some better turns through Waresley but I am way off target and I have half given up on a pb. I actually assume I'll be 29:30ish. Coming out of Waresley finally get helpful wind and crank it up to 27-28 mph. Really work hard to the finish straight when I realise I will be mighty close to a pb and cross the line in 28:45 - a mighty 2 sec pb!

Looking at times it was probably net-net a fair match to last weeks conditions. I think the issue for me was that I just struggled in it. My shitty quads let me down from getting a really good time but I am still a pussy riding into the wind.

Still OK, reckon I was 6th overall with some good riders (4th last week) an no-one who beat me last week was here this week so a strong TT this one!

Everyone tells me this is a tough TT so should at least put some hairs on my chest. Will try and get a flat 10 TT in at some stage to see what I can push out on a fast course.

So that's the TT's - in short they are the bollocks. I love them! Probably do more for making you a better rider than anything else but for that we will see if I get any faster!

Otherwise training has gone OKish. Cycling is obvs going well. Still hitting 100+ miles per week and will be on for close to 200 this week. Running is getting a grip with a couple of 10+ easy runs and hopefully start seeing pace pick up a bit soon (or I am bang in trouble). Swimming still shoit but now the lake is open that should start moving along nicely.

So that's that. Feel tired but putting in decent hours and feel like I could still knock out a decent session if push came to shove this morning.