Ed’s excellent racing form continues as achieves another personal best this weekend. Here’ is Ed’s round up of his racing, plus his adventures with the great british railway system.
Two brave Willesden lieutenants headed out into military country today (Saturday) to contest the Andover Wheelers middlemarkers 10 mile TT, on the notoriously fast P613 course.
Owing to lack of direct rail connections owing to track maintenance, I ended up having my careful mental preparations shattered by a 4 hour slog, involving a brief visit to Southampton and 3 different trains. Nonetheless, upon arrival at HQ the sun was shining, the tea was flowing, and some kids were playing cricket on the adjacent field. Railway engineering works and the sound of leather on willow? Truly the English summer has begun.
Ed Packard (me) ended up with a 23:04, a new personal best by some 45 seconds, although I wish I’d put in 5 seconds more effort! I’d never done the course before, and next time I’ll know what to do, and perhaps next time the conditions will be more ‘still’ (there was an irritating breeze blowing all afternoon, though I didn’t really notice it while racing).
I was all the more pleased as on Wednesday, at the Hillingdon Circuit 10, I’d only managed a 25:32 (a couple of other Willesden riders were in attendance, but I failed to note their times). Meanwhile, last Saturday, I did the 50km Antelope 3-up TTT as a team of two (the third member had flu) in 1:18:21 – I was racing for my university (albeit in Willesden colours) and my teammate had never raced before, so I was pleased with our performance. No placing, owing to our lack of third person, but we’d have finished in a respectable position even with our 2-up time!
Brian Moon recorded 27:09, and, when I caught up with him in the cake queue, he did not seem very happy. However, his sadistic agenda of 300km Audaxes one week, 10 mile time trials the next is surely to be admired.
Ed Packard
