8th July 2009

Part 1...

Opted to go out for a short 12 mile ride at lunch time, just enough so I don't vedge before tonight's TT but not to much to wear myself out.

I did however go for a hilly 12, intention is to keep doing the local steep hills a couple of times a week to limber up for 'The Beast'

The cycle computer had the ride as 12.14 miles in 44 minutes with an average speed of 16.1 mph.

The GPS track can be found here...

Intention is to eat a little at 5pm then head off for the TT at 6pm for a 6:45 start, then eat some more when I get back home :-) .....Let's see how the plan goes!

Part 2...
Got changed and set of for my first ever cycle event! at 5:49.... People had already started arriving at the check in when I cycled in, a nice warm up 8 mile ride :-)

I signed in and payed my £1.50 and chatted to some people I recocnised from the sunday rides, I was also shown the route on a map, I shouldnt get lost as it was straight on from the start untill a T junction where it was a left turn, up a hill to another T another left turn, down a main road up another hill then down to roundabout and turn Left, a mile down the road the left turn and straight on to the finish :-)

I was given my number '8' and then waited for the start...

I opted to start myself of instead of having a helper hold me upright whilst clipped into the pedals, I accelerated away from the start quite nicely and held a good speed all the way round the course, even overtaking a tractor along one stretch :-)

At about 7.5 miles I was overtaken by number '10' who flew past me as if I was standing still, he did have all the proper gear, and knew what he was doing....

At 8 and 9 miles I flew past number 1 and 0 :-)

I crossed the finish line at 27 min 28 seconds for the 10.1 miles (Details taken from the Garmin...will be confirmed by the actual time recording)

That gives me a rather respectable 22 mph for what was considered a tough course :-)

The GPS track of the TT (Including the cool down at the end) can be found here...

Then it was a 7 mile ride back home.....(Took the short way back through town)

I really enjoyed the TT and look forward to doing another one next week :-) ...If wifey will let me...