I have noticed that with the reduction in cycling that my fitness on the bike is slowly starting to wear thin and although the short duration TT's don't seem to be affected I wasn't so sure when it came to a 32 mile event. In previous years with a massive amount of cycling behind me I always felt better over the longer duration, this year I haven't felt as good and longer duration power has seemed to suffer. Coupled with this I have had a little niggle on my achilles which hasn't helped with how I am feeling, though to be honest I don't feel it when riding, I just had to put it out of my mind.
This round was on a great little circuit between Newbury and Reading, it was also great for me as my mum and dad live just down the road so I was able to spend the weekend with them and try and be totally relaxed. As it happened my nephew was playing in a football tournament in Thatcham just a few miles away so I was able to combine a day out chilling whilst watching him play and then do a course recce. Although the course is a great circuit, some of the roads are abysmal and if I am honest not really safe for travelling at 30 mph + on tribars, combine it with shadows etc under the trees and if you are not careful the potholes and sub standard patching could easily cause you some issues.
As Sarah Storey tweeted " Checked out the course for Sunday's race. Fair to say no road surface would be better than what's currently there in some places!
On Sunday I got to the HQ nice and early and when for a recce on my bike, travelling around it at a most leisurely pace it was fairly easy to avoid most of the real bad stuff (generally by going on the other side of the road), now whether this would be possible at racing speeds with other traffic I would just have to see.
I ummed and erred at the HQ, did I go for the fast but more fragile front wheel, or the slower and potentially safer option. My heart said fast and fragile, my head said be safe, in all honesty I needed to finish first and foremost so the slower and safer option was chosen.
The race started well in nice warm and slightly breezy conditions, and I aimed to do the first lap at a steady effort and then ramp it up for the second lap, as mentioned above I wasn't sure of my endurance coming into this race. The first part of the circuit seemed fast and I settled down quite nicely and was feeling good. As it was a multi lap affair for everyone, it wasn't long before I started overtaking riders, again no issues at first. I got through the real bad patch of roads without much hassle, and few smaller holes hit but as they were shallow it didn't cause me any issues. As we started to hit the lumpier stuff the speeds dropped and I tried to make sure I didn't go overboard power wise up the hills. Half way around the circuit you come out of a village and down a windy descent, not steep or anything but a section where you could really ramp the speed up. With some shadows across the road I didn't see one hole and CRACK the front wheel hit it hard, and the bars moved slightly. I was slightly unseated but nothing too bad, I was more concerned about any damage, do I still continue to hammer around the bends at 30mph + or do I stop and check the bike. I did a quick check whilst riding, and everything seemed OK, though I was convinced my bars were loose.
Once happy that everything seemed OK I pushed on, I didn't really have time to mess around, and just took my chances, the bike seemed to slow when braking and steer OK so I was sure it was fine. I just made a mental note to take a different line next lap. First lap completed in around the target time I had set myself and now time to try and up the effort, I had a few slight holdups on the first lap so hopefully the second lap without the pothole incident and the holdups I could get it done faster.
2nd lap started well and I was feeling good still, I started to push on and even felt I was hitting the hills harder, though I think my powermeter told a different story. Again I avoid the worse section without too many issues. Getting to the section that caught me out last time, and I took a different line, but CRACK, I bloody hit it again, this time my bars moved quite a bit and the arm rest was now flapping around. Again it meant a few seconds making sure everything was OK, I couldn't move the bars so they would have to stay as they were, I just hoped I could avoid anymore potholes so they didn't get any worse.
Now was the time to really concentrate and get my head together, how much did I want this win, I didn't have the option of trying again in round 6, this was all or nothing in my mind. I pushed on, the bars were uncomfortable, but I was half way around the last lap, I would just have to make do. Coming out of the last village and I get held up again by cars just faffing around, sod it I have had too many lost seconds so I overtake and just get on with trying to put some distance between me and the car. I did eventually overtake me again a few miles down the road, and then promptly slowed again to turn into another road, sometimes I hate other road users. I tried to not get overly upset about it, it is what it is and it is one of the joys of racing around country lanes I suppose. As I get nearer the finish and the last leg killer of a hill I see my 4 min man (and the winner of the Bath Road CC event a few weeks earlier) ahead, this gave me a little incentive to push that extra bit to catch him. I caught him just after the hill and then powered as hard as I could for the last half mile or so to the finish. I just missed the 1:15 I thought I needed with a 1:16:03 but I was happy with that, I had gone as hard as I could and without the issues it would have been a good solid 1:15.
The only thing now was to wait and see what the other riders, Geoff Platts in particular, had done. I knew the Bath Road CC event had been won in a 1:19 so I was happy to be 3 mins quicker than that, I was even happier when I spoke to Geoff and he said he had done around the 1:17 mark. Back at the HQ I saw my time was missing and all sorts of things were going through my head, did I actually pass the finish, had they missed me entirely. When the timekeeper arrived his times were checked, he had got my time correct and it was because my 4 min man had crossed not long after me that he had got wrong and wasn't quite sure. When my time was confirmed I had won the vets by 1 min, so I had achieved what I set out to do.
It does now mean that with 2 x 1st and 2 x 2nd I can't be beaten, Julian Ramsbottom who can only equal my points if he wins round 6 hasn't got a 5th counting event, so I have retained my TT Series title by the skin of my teeth. Ruth said it wouldn't be easy to win when trying to mix swimming and running into the mix, and I made it even tougher my changing my triathlon events with a half iron and 2 ironman triathlons. If I am honest Julian is the better rider and I would ideally need to be at my very best to beat him in a straight fight, it was great battling him this year and makes the title that little bit more special. Big thanks to the CTT for running the TT Series and the promoting clubs for putting on the races, I really enjoy the courses the series takes in and makes a real nice change to racing on the out and back courses.
Now onto pure triathlon training, and upping the hours and fitness, it is very very scary to think that in less than 3 weeks I am suppose to be doing a half ironman distance tri at the Grafman, and in less than 8 weeks a full ironman distance tri with the Hever Castle Bastion. Preparation for these is no where near ideal and although I am happy I can complete the Grafham with no issues, the Bastion is a lot more worrying and at the moment I am totally cacking myself and wondering what I have let myself in for. I guess the experience alone will be a massive help and I hope to build on the Bastion in my proper preparations for Challenge Weymouth.
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