So after an eight year hiatus I rode the Team Salesengine.co.uk open 10 last Saturday (07/04/2012).
The last open 10 I seem to have ridden in was the Hemel Hempstead CC 10 in August of 2004. So it was with a bit of trepidation I entered and began to prepare for a return to the fray. The beauty of the 10 mile distance is that if you can put out the power from the word go and hang in there mentally for 20 or so minutes you can't really fault yourself.
There is possibly more to riding the 25 and 50 mile distances in terms of pacing your effort but even so, anything less than 100% isn't going to deliver a PB and that's what it's all about, i.e. focus and self-improvment. Well that's what I want to get out of this. The added bonus of losing two inches from around my waist since October 2011 (when I first re-pinned a number on for the HNCC Hillclimb) is nice. Although none of my civvies now fit properly.
Having managed to get in to the event (luckily it was under-subscribed) and being allocated an "8" it was time to think about what was a realistic target for the event. The course was an unknow to me as was riding on a drag strip. I'd done the old F1/ F1B courses over a decade ago and these really were distant memories.
The F15/10 course has most of the attributes testers like, a good quick start (downhill), good road surface and importantly a risk assessment which is generally low on all aspects. Someone observed that there wasn't enough traffic to get a tow from. Darwin had a point. Go to the A1 if you want to battle the lorries. There is a roundabout at 2.8 miles and another at the 5.5 mile turn but with good marshalling and surprsingly accommodating traffic on the day, these obstacles proved to be marginal in terms of slowing the field.
The strong northerly headwind caused more of an adverse impact. It may have dropped a bit later in the day but what it gives and takes in one direction seems to have netted off for all riders. Getting a push for 4.4 miles is great, but doesn't balance the effort needed to keep to a good average speed on the longer outbound run.
This kind of proves there is no such thing as a fast course. Just fast riders.
So has anything changed in eight years?
- Everyone else's bikes are better and lighter than mine
- Support from club members and friends is abundant
- Despite the organiser's best efforts the HQ will always retain a feel of the 1950s about it
- Going flat out downhill at 40 mph is fun
- Going flat out at in to a headwind even on the flat is painful to the point of inducing nausea
- The ride was "tough" and everyone said so
- Glancing at my watch 10 seconds after shouting my number at the Finish Timekeeper provided a moment of quiet satisfaction and disappointment in equal measure
Ergo absolutely nothing has changed.
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| An old dog. |
Except that this time around I have trained and focused over the winter and with a 23.31 in the bag (complementing a fast 25.37 around Briercliffe on the preceding Tuesday). I never got under 27 mins in April around Southill back in the day.
Being a couple of minutes off the winner in an open 10 is no disgrace. Nor was being a shade under a minute off Andy Herbert. So I was generally shattered and pleased in equal proportions.
I am still aiming for a sub-hour 25 this year and also to try and get near to my 21.52 for 10. My open 10 time would put me near to 58 pace so it's certainly on the cards.
Thanks particularly to Andy Herbert, Mike Webb, Clive Collins and Steve Robinson (amongst many others) for giving me specific encouragement over the last few months.Cheers guys, it's good to be back. There may well be life in the old dog yet.
