Grrrr!

I give up! Cold and wet!

Ruuuubish! It pasted the un-edited one full of stupid sentences 😡😡

Awesome!!!! Fingers crossed for you mate- that would be fantastic  🤞🏻🤞🏻

Lol! It’s all irrelevant when I coast in behind the bunch 🤦🏻‍♂️

I want another long year of racing mind you so discretion is still the best policy and I felt very freaked out after that guy leant on me!!

Nah- there’s loads of stuff I edited to fix that really bug me like saying ‘in the bunch’ twice in one sentence 😡🤣

Crosshair you have a real gift for writing, I feel like I was there with you. Awesome.

Anyone doing Thruxton in a couple of weeks? My first ever attempt at a Cat 4 so wouldn’t mind a few friendly places to help me through…

It had felt like a long week! With hindsight, last race was a catalogue of errors and the thought of it was frustrating me. Still, this is a journey after all and these things are only a waste of time if I don’t learn from them.

The first thing to cure was my gear. Whilst my skinsuit is super comfy and makes me feel fast just by looking down at the Castelli badges- it was not ideal for the torrential and freezing conditions at Abingdon!

Heading to Decathalon, I filled my basket with some things to make life a little more bearable should I face such weather again. I needed options, so I grabbed an aero base layer. This would fit nicely under my skinsuit and help stop me freezing quite so much- even if it wouldn’t keep me any drier.

For training and real wet races, I also picked up a thick fluorescent jersey too. With an integral snood, it was really comfy if a little bulky perhaps.

Combined with the stuff I already had, this gave me a load of options from Skinsuit best case scenario through to base layer + jersey + thick winter jersey for proper arctic stuff. I also grabbed a fresh pair of overshoes and a cracking set of BTwin 4 lens glasses. My existing clear glasses were several years old and covered in scratches as well as being prone to misting up resulting in the librarian look as I peered over the top of them.

Fingers crossed it would all sit in the box unused though as the forecast was quite good all week.

My appraisal of last weeks ride was that I was like a bull in a china shop. Aware that points are now mine for the losing, I wasted energy left right and centre, followed silly suicide moves and then bugged out the second things looked hairy. Along with my poor gear choices, rubbish position and supressed HR, it was a bad show all round and I felt I had wasted another entry fee.

Another problem was the way I ride. As I’m sure you have twigged by now, I can’t switch my brain off. I overthink everything to the extreme. Thus the 1.5mile course (as opposed to the 0.9 one of last year) meant any reference I had to lap times was blown. I also had a subtle mistake on my home screen on the Garmin- instead of Time I had Lap Time left over from some intervals. With Autolap being triggered by position, I never knew how far into the race I was- so felt totally blind with regards to pacing.

I hoped that just by rectifying this list of errors this week, I could execute my plan with precision. I won’t lie- I wanted to win. Since I found out I couldn’t race in January, this was the one I had set my sights on. With Hillingdon feeling like my second home and so many laps under my belt, strategizing was so much easier.

As the week wore on, the forecast gradually deteriorated and I made sure every eventuality was present in the race box when I loaded up.

Warming up, I settled on wearing the thick jersey alone. It was just about the right choice I think as the weather was awful again mid-race- as wet as last week if a touch milder. It wasn’t until the water came in through the soles of my shoes that my feet got wet which was a vast improvement on the sock balloons of last week!

It was really windy. The wind speed is always a couple of MPH faster than the forecast there and today was no exception. It was a tailwind down the start finish straight and coming down the hill on the reverse side, 18mph was taking 270w!!! I know MrBlobby laughs at my lack of aero’s but trying to ram 90kg through the air is an oft-forgotten downside to the power that comes with it.

My plan all week was to replicate the last lap flier that earned me 5th place in December. I have literally been channelling every spare moment’s thought into perfectly executing that final blast. My HR was going up just thinking about it last night and I had visualised it to the point that I almost knew every pedal stroke required.

Arriving on the line in my BTwin garb, I felt like I was in disguise a little! Some familiar faces were there including a London Dynamo guy from the no-points race in early December who was in one of the pics with me. He’d unwittingly helped me through an interval session or two in the meantime (I have a slideshow of inspiring race pics on my iPad for the real killers!) and it was reassuring having a known wheel or two to tag onto.

I had a chat with a nice South African guy during warm up who was there for the first time. If only I’d known how prophetic my description of a typical Hillingdon race would be, I’d have told him something different!!

Rolling up to the line, conditions were worsening and I felt snug in my snood. Everything was in place, Caffeine gel popped, Garmin reset and started and a plan to follow. Let’s go!

In for the long haul, I was right at the back in the little chainring. Flying Zwift-esque starts seem to be more of a US Crit thing and other than Nath messing around and one other occasion where two guys TT’d from the line to victory, I had never seen anything other than nice relaxed beginnings to a Hillingdon race. Uh, that’ll learn me then!! A couple of juniors and everyone else in the vicinity drilled it from the off!! Straight away three of them had a gap and they even got a bit of through and off going.

Last week, I’d have been sprinting across and trying to play but this was doomed right? Stick to the plan. The brutal headwind meant a bunch sprint-out was the most likely outcome and everyone knew it. This meant my surprise attack could work well.

Two laps or so later (I often realise I was a lap or two out on my guesses when I check the Fly-by but close enough for the gist of the story hopefully) and I was wondering whether this was more serious! Worthy of a bridge perhaps? Someone shouted the gap to us as being 9 seconds. But every time I tried to move up, I found I had very little advantage today. A quick pre-race Strava stalk had revealed some stiff competition. Almost all of the 18 pre-entries had a 2018 point and many had finished well at Hillingdon. Perhaps Pete had the right idea with his 9 December/January races to score the required points after all and I became further annoyed at my lack of racing in January!

The laps would pan out in the same fashion, it would bunch up into the tough headwind down the hill and then be strung out going crazy on the long straight! There was little chance of moving up here today and in fact, it would often take me 350w to just hold the wheel!

A brave junior tried to bridge across but his little legs couldn’t outrun the bunch and we all ended up back together- including the original break.

For the next few laps it was pretty surgey and I felt worked but in control. I never really moved up though. The front few seemed to be going hard all the time and being in the wider part of the bunch gave such a noticeable advantage in the wind today that it seemed crazy to try and fight for it. So, I cruised and surged and chilled and coasted and kept swigging from my bottle.

A few attacks were attempted but they were all very naïve it seemed. The field was way too strong to let someone just roll off the front and once or twice guys were just hanging there at probably twice the watts but not making any progress.

With 38minutes gone, the pace had levelled off a touch and most people were beginning to consider their sprint position I’m sure. At which point, some total superstar put his head down, scrunched himself into a ball and launched himself off into the distance.

Way back in the bunch, soggy with spray and focussing on my plan, I could only watch. I usually have a small break in the plan as a viable option but I hadn’t even considered it today. It was a little early for me anyhow and I could just watch and wonder at his fate. If I’m right, he held it to the line which is great going in the conditions!

The longer he stayed away, the more certain it seemed my chance of a win was gone and so the goal shifted. Now, I just wanted good solid points. I re-focussed once more on the plan and decided not to even consider following anyone else- just get well positioned with three then two to go and launch before the line.

As the three to go sign came out, I was unsure how many were off the front. I reckon it was at least one more- meaning the sprint would be for third to tenth and the pace began to lift. Still focussing on my all-out two minute effort, I tried to be patient and hold my ground. The bunch was strung out and the customary two-to-go pause never happened. These guys were well rested and meant business.

A Thames Velo guy of around my build tried to go. Attacking into the wind down the hill with about three laps left, he swept past us and was soon ten yards clear. My move being played early? He never went any further! Despite the obvious strain going into the pedals, he was coming back to us and the bunch soon engulfed him once more! Hmmm- was that a sign?

As we rounded the last corner on the penultimate lap, things once again strung out down the wind. I was powering hard but not really gaining. No cruising down the slipstream into a natural launch today! I did a quick appreciation and realised that by the time I had reached the front and got clear, I’d be unable to sustain the pace to keep me away and I decided to postpone. I had considered this of course and in fact I mentioned to the lads on Wattsapp that if I couldn’t get clear, I’d sit back in for a last minute effort or even a proper go at a Sprint.

No panic! I felt good, was not half way to hyperthermia, had yet to burn a proper match and was feeling safer than usual in the bunch. We crossed the line at serious pace! 32mph and were nicely spaced out. Into the lee side of the rough ground through the Bus Stops though and the bunch reformed. London Dynamo were right in front of me and looked like they had a lead-out strategy. I tucked in tight behind them in a really good spot. Totally sheltered in the middle of the bunch about two rows back, I was confident I could get a better run through Brian’s than most, crest the hill in the top ten and then launch a full gas one minute effort from there. If I could reach the start finish straight remotely in the clear, the tail wind would negate much of the draft and I could hopefully have a free if intense push to the line! Game on!

And then London Dynamo wiped each other out right in front of me! Time stood still and I was glad I had finally fitted the Swisstop pads and bedded them in. With my back wheel in the air and my arms locked solid, I tried not to stare at the wheel spinning madly on its side in front of me. It was all about the bounce now and luckily the riderless bike went the other way. Coming off the brakes, I tried to get back on but the gap was too big. I kept a bit of power on right to the finish, just in case there was another crash on the main straight but thankfully they made it over in one piece.

And just like that, another week’s dreaming had come to nothing.

Oddly though, apart from the few minutes after the race when I was fuming, I enjoyed it! I love the suspense, love the planning, love the strategy, love visualising the hard efforts and then love dealing with the unfolding action that slowly unravels all of your preparation! I also love the way the intensity ramps up as time and options gradually disappear and you know it’s now or never! So despite wanting to leave Cat 4 behind more than ever- I still enjoy racing for racing’s sake- which means more heartache next week I’m sure!

As for the South African guy at the start, I said to him- “It’s usually pretty safe. Everyone generally looks out for each other until the last lap- which is 3 mph faster and causes a massive pile up!” sadly that part came true even if nothing else did!

London Dynamos were probably confused being out of Richmond Park 😉

Trying to work out the best plan for the coming weekend.

Even though i’ve been 99% indoors this month, i’ve still racked up 1250kms for 2018 up to now. The legs are tried though that’s for sure. I’ve had 2 rest days in Feb, last Fri and the Thurs before.

I’m thinking that realistically i can’t lower my chances of completing more than 1 lap by training, but i can certainly decrease them by over-training. So planning on resting Mon-Tue, then ride on Wed, then rest Thurs/Fri/Sat….. Does that seem excessive ? Are there any potential downsides to it ?

Its often a good idea to get an activation ride in the day before a race. Something like a 45 minute session with a few short intervals that aren’t enough to fatigue the body, but just get it ready for the effort ahead. Everyone has their own format but I’ve often just gone through the watt range in 5 minute 20 watt increases up to about 90% threshold and then warm down.

I went, I was rubbish.

Shorter than theirs, but then again so was my race.

Disappointed lots

Andy,
You too were a pretty frequent face on or very near the front as I recall..!
Thanks mate, I don’t think there was any points for me this time though…!
Nice to meet Weeksy, and see Joe again, I managed to miss all of you at the end of the race though!
Still going to be working on you tripping to Cardiff CH, and hopefully will make it to odd down soon also..

Need a bit of perspective

Had a look back in the old thread for CH’s first race last year…

“Ouch! that was tough. I got lapped 4 times and pulled off when they had 2 to go.”

Taken him a season of racing but now he’s bossing the pack and competing for points. He’s fitter but there’s a lot more to it than that. Takes time to learn how to ride efficiently in a race, to learn the flow of racing, to learn some race craft. If you enjoy it and want to get better at it then stick with it.

Totally understand that buddy…. 100% i get it. Simple answer is also above… It was OK… but nothing that made me think “Yeah i want to do this more”.

If i race again this year, it will be at Southern XC, not Roadie stuff.

A bit of experience and you’d have done a lot better

It would have been hard to do much worse 🙂

Lol! Thanks! I’m hoping Saturday will inject some much needed fresh material 😂

Eek, that’s going to be sore. I popped a lung about 6 years ago. Ended up having to have surgery to stick it to my chest wall and stop it deflating again. Chest drains are painful, even without broken ribs! I hope his lung heals up without needing too much intervention.

(I realise I must sound really accident-prone. Up until 6 years ago, I’d never even had a stitch! Since then…bah.)

Yowch! I stand by what I said about 3/4 races being bad news!!

Crazy how many times the sprint lap causes a crash- and hopefully proves I’m not just being a pussy!

I’m not sure why people don’t try different tactics more- it’s not like they are going to get any further without learning some. Is it as simple as they all want to win?

Note to self- NO MORE SPRINT LAP ATTEMPTS 😂

Yep 👍🏻Parking either inside the barrier or in the Goals carpark. Never even had to wait for a space.

It will be my first time at Hillingdon on Saturday. Is parking free? Any course tactics to help me?

I’ve seen so many people taking big risks for 34th, there’s no point. I don’t play if the top 10/15 isn’t on.

🙁