Team Swift 10

One of the quests for a TT rider is to try and get below the 20 min barrier for a 10 mile TT, I don't often do 10 mile TT's however, being more of a long distance TT rider. The V718 in Yorkshire is probably the fastest 10 mile course and it is a long way to go to do just 10 miles.

I wouldn't normally travel that far for a 10 mile race, but I had purchased a wheel from a rider in Scunthorpe and we had arranged for me to collect it, and as Team Swift were putting on a race, I thought I could kill a few birds with one stone, collect wheel, do a fast 10, meet some of the team whilst I was up in Yorkshire.

I hadn't treated it as a special race however, this last couple of weeks have been like a mini training  camp, so I knew I would be going into the race on tired legs, and with no training carried out for 10 mile TT's. Added to this was a week off work, trying to balance the heavy training load with family commitments and the joys of spending 2 days traipsing around theme parks keeping an 8 year old occupied, meant my legs on Saturday morning were as painful as I have felt them in recent times. I did an early morning training session which seemed to at least help ease them off a bit.

Driving to Hull, it was good to see smoke coming from the chimneys going up vertically, considering the weather we have had of late, that was a nice pleasant surprise, added to that was the bright sunshine, and the warming temperatures, 11 degrees of thereabouts was positively tropical compared to a few days previously.

Legs felt better during my warm up, though to be honest I wasn't really putting much effort in, the ride to the start was at a harder pace (I was actually cutting it very close to getting to the start before my start time), and although they still weren't as good as they could have been they didn't feel too bad.

Even though I had a powermeter on the bike, I decided it was pointless trying to pace effort with it, I had no real idea of what sort of power I could sustain with the fatigue and the lack of any real 20 min all out efforts in training. I tried to pace it on perceived exertion, though as my legs were hurting from the off, that was proving fairly pointless as well, I just kept thinking I should really be doing other things LOL. Once up to speed, I just tried to keep a decent speed going, and with a slight headwind out I took pleasure in the fact that at least coming back should be faster, though no less painful.

I got to the turn in a decent time, the average speed being around 29.7 mph, I thought this was fairly good, and if the return leg was faster I should get below 20 mins. Losing nearly 1 mph around the turn was a bit depressing though, and I started the return leg with an average of 28.9 mph, it was going to be a real tough return, especially as I felt pretty cooked by this time.

 

Negotiating the Turn
(Picture courtesy of Richard Dixon)

At least coming back was faster and slowly the average speed rose, though is seemed an age before it hit the 30 mph mark, at least when it did it continued to climb as I got nearer the line. The finish on the V718 is ever so slightly uphill, so it always seems to take ages from seeing the finish to actually getting there, with the clock ticking away it seemed as though a sub 20 min ride was only just on the cards, but I was very pleased that I was only 19 secs off my PB which was done in better conditions on the same course.

My legs had held out, and the final drag to the line had seem me putting out very good power, proving that although tired I was still able to produce pretty good figures, and with one of the very few 10's I will do get another sub 20 min ride.

Back at the HQ and looking at the result board, it was no surprise to see Andy Tennant win the event, but 2nd to 6th were separated by 8 secs, it was that close at the top. Pleased to have slotted in in 5th place, and very encouraged that in a fresher state I could have done a better time, as mentioned earlier I hadn't really targeted the race, it was just a see how it is type of race. Power was pretty good as well, certainly not the best I have done, but pretty close and a good sign for the target races later in the year.

Next race will be round 2 of the CTT TT Series on the 21st April, no doubt another solid week of training before a slight taper for that, and hoping that the training load I have attained will be put to some really good use when fresher.

Team Swift 10 Result

1st Andy Tennant - 18:59
2nd Adam Gascoigne - 19:31
3rd David Crawley - 19:34
4th Michael Ellerton - 19:35
5th Steve Berry - 19:36
6th Lee Tunnicliffe - 19:37
7th Jonathan Shubert - 19:43
8th Scott Burns - 19:44
9th Simon Beldon - 19:46
10th Steve Irwin 19:51
11th Andy Jackson 19:52

Winning team was Team Swift :-)