Ed’s blinding season continues… Here’s his excellent report from this weekend.
In a fit of madness, I’d set out to ride two 25s this weekend – first, the University Championships, held on the notoriously slow E2/25b out near Cambridge (I’d done an embarrassing 1:07:54 on this back in 2005) and second, the notoriously fast Marlow skislope course.
In the end, the roles were slightly reversed. Conditions suited me on the Saturday, and I’d been meticulous in my preparation (i.e. remembered to eat before the race). I got into a good rhythm and put my experience of longer rides to good use, and clocked a 1:01:48 – a new personal best, and a faster average speed than I’d done on the BUSA 10 at Oxford last week!
I reckon I am going to have to remodel myself as a ‘sporting course’ specialist. After six hours sleep, owing to further railway related chaos getting back from Cambridge and the need to wake at 05:30 on Sunday morning to ride out to HQ at Marlow (itself a 30 mile trek), I was less-than-ready to tackle the ski slope. The timekeeper at the start tried to psych me out by commenting on how the Willesden seems to change its kit ‘every three months’, but I was unshakable in my resolve. Conditions were overcast and a bit blowy, and my legs were like lead for a lot of it, but still managed a 1:00:41 – thus, my previous day’s personal best was blown away by over a minute. Slightly disappointed, given all the good I’d heard about the course, but not *too* upset – going under the hour can wait for now…
Might ride out and do the Thicket 10 on Thursday evening, I have no time trialling planned next weekend, but a 2up with Richard Jerome beckons shortly!
Ed Packard
In a fit of madness, I’d set out to ride two 25s this weekend – first, the University Championships, held on the notoriously slow E2/25b out near Cambridge (I’d done an embarrassing 1:07:54 on this back in 2005) and second, the notoriously fast Marlow skislope course.
In the end, the roles were slightly reversed. Conditions suited me on the Saturday, and I’d been meticulous in my preparation (i.e. remembered to eat before the race). I got into a good rhythm and put my experience of longer rides to good use, and clocked a 1:01:48 – a new personal best, and a faster average speed than I’d done on the BUSA 10 at Oxford last week!
I reckon I am going to have to remodel myself as a ‘sporting course’ specialist. After six hours sleep, owing to further railway related chaos getting back from Cambridge and the need to wake at 05:30 on Sunday morning to ride out to HQ at Marlow (itself a 30 mile trek), I was less-than-ready to tackle the ski slope. The timekeeper at the start tried to psych me out by commenting on how the Willesden seems to change its kit ‘every three months’, but I was unshakable in my resolve. Conditions were overcast and a bit blowy, and my legs were like lead for a lot of it, but still managed a 1:00:41 – thus, my previous day’s personal best was blown away by over a minute. Slightly disappointed, given all the good I’d heard about the course, but not *too* upset – going under the hour can wait for now…
Might ride out and do the Thicket 10 on Thursday evening, I have no time trialling planned next weekend, but a 2up with Richard Jerome beckons shortly!
Ed Packard
