A Tough Day in Saddle

Sunday was a 100 Mile Time trial organised by West D.C, I think a lot were from Severn R.C. It’s a good course, and well marshalled. There was also an excellent free drinks service. So you could shout your number and pick up your bottle 100 metres down the road. Thanks very much to those who marshalled and gave drinks.

My last hundred was 3.52 in the National 100 mile TT. There I blew up in last 25 miles with dehydration. This hundred I went to the other extreme, worried about dehydration, I drank a lot before and during. But, it turned out colder than forecast and I hardly sweated. To cut a long story short I had to make a few dashes into a well disguised hedge (first time in cycle race). I lost 4 minutes off the bike, but, it also disruptes your rythmn, tyring to work out which is best hedge to find. I was eyeing up a spot on the section off the dual carriageway – on the return leg I knew exactly where I would go. Because I was fixed on a certain spot. I ended up flying past another ride, and then quite soon diving into the hedge, a few minutes later I  had to overtake them again. (They probably thought it a little strange.) One other thing, I also took two energy gels with caffeine in before a race which I don’t usually do (because it was so early – 6am start). But, caffeine can also act as a diuretic.

It was a tough day, and I was a bit slower than I would have liked, but, at least I finished in 4.01.00. There were quite a few DNF, so I ended up in fifth place.

It reminded me of the National 100 mile TT with a long drag into the headwind, it wasn’t as bad as in the National, but, it still made it tough.

I was disappointed with my time, as I had in mind doing something around twelve minutes quicker. But, it was not to be. One thing I’ve learnt this year, you have to treat 100s with respect, there’s a lot of things that can go wrong. The event was won by Jeff Jones in 3.49.