Shifting up a gear... taking on the 'Mighty V' for a lifetime best

"Focus all your effort on what is in your power to control" John Wooden

After the highs (and a couple of lows) in June, the start of July brought about the much anticipated trip to Hull to ride the famous V718 course. I'd purposely not ridden this course last year as I'd felt there was a lot more work to be done on the fundamental aspects to improve my riding and racing. Fast forward a year and I think it's fair to say I'm a much better rider (there's still lots to learn but I'm perhaps not quite the relative novice that I was twelve months ago).


Thankfully I'd allowed myself plenty of time to get there as given the  unpredictability of the motorway, or should that be predictability that there *will* be a delay, I was duly held up for 45 minutes on the M1. No panic, I'd allowed an extra two hours! Well, when you are as directionally challenged as me and often think that you know better than the satnav (when clearly you don't!) contingency time comes in handy.




Time trialling can play havoc with your mind if you're not careful!

I was feeling really positive about the task in hand, I knew it was a fast course, I didn't know anyone on the start sheet and I already had a good vibe as Mike from Team Swift, who was organising, had called me a few days previous telling me that I had been a reserve but was replacing #21. I was probably as excited as I was nervous but totally focussed on the task ahead. In my mind this was my one chance this season to ride my best time (no pressure?!!)


If I had a £5 for the amount of people that directly associate V718 with a fast time then I could probably afford to ride full time! Yes it is a 'fast course' however fast is relative, it is very wind dependent, traffic dependent and unfortunately you still have to pedal hard! It was a very warm evening and I was mindful of drinking plenty, especially having had a long drive up.




Pedal hard and then pedal some more

Eventually it was my turn on the start line, here goes... Shortly after the start you are headed straight down the slip road to join the dual carriageway, one of the fastest starts I've experienced. I was greeted by the sound of a lorry blasting his horn at me, incredulous at the idea that a cyclist would dream of coming on to the carriageway. Looking over my shoulder it was perhaps clear that he'd not noticed the 'race in progress' signs or was just feeling cantankerous, either way I certainly wasn't going to argue, a few seconds here could be made up later and I'd like to go home in one piece!


I got to the turn quicker than perhaps I had expected and was ready for the incline to the first of the roundabouts and no traffic - what a bonus! There was traffic on the second so back on to the base bars in case I needed a braking manoeuvre! I had my minute man in sights at the second of the roundabouts but he made a hastier exit than me and it took me another half a mile before I caught him. We'd had a little chat at the start as I'd noticed that he had travelled from Gloucestershire (where my family are now based) and he gave me an encouraging shout as I overtook.


Once I had passed him was the point at which I really had to dig deep, my legs were hurting, my lungs felt like they might burst at any second and that figure in the distance to chase was now chasing me! I started to tell myself that 'I would ride a fast time', this mantra got me to the finish. I'm sure I must have wasted valuable energy which should have translated into pedalling by the number of times that I repeated this to myself! I was so glad to see the finish! I was so relieved to have made the finish without blowing up that I had forgotten to stop my Garmin. I looked down and saw 22 minutes something... It was a while since I'd crossed the line and started to ride back nice and easy to HQ... looks like a definite PB...

1st female guaranteed...

A super fast time lurking down there!

After a long cool down by the time I got to HQ it was pretty full. There was still a few riders out on the course but the majority were already tucking into the impressive spread that Team Swift had been busy preparing. Savoury rolls, flapjack, cake, tea and coffee... A ham salad roll was just what I fancied along with a massive glass of squash - that's how tired I was, food and drink before results!! As I was originally a reserve rider I was tucked down in the bottom right hand corner on the results board. A lifetime best of 21:13 and also fast enough to place me firmly on the 'all time fastest female' list, WOW! With only a couple of riders yet to come in I was not only 1st female but also 1st overall at this point. All of a sudden the tiredness disappeared and I turned into the proverbial Cheshire cat!


People watching at this point was rather interesting. Nobody's gaze had reached the bottom corner where the reserves had come in and had attributed the win to someone on the main results. This is perhaps one of the attractions of time trialling for me - it's just you against the clock, you ride your socks off and then discuss it and any other random subject in a village hall over a cup of tea after. There's no fuss, no big crowds, rarely a prize presentation and in this case I went home feeling very happy but with most people in that room none the wiser than I'd just ridden myself onto the all time fastest female list or ridden one of the fastest times in the country this year and finished 3rd overall to boot! If that had been a road race... perhaps a different story!

It's official, new PB on CTT :-)

It didn't take long before I started to analyse my race and wonder... If that lorry had moved over, if I'd not dropped onto the base bars for those cars on the roundabout, if I'd squeezed out a few more watts... Could I have gone sub 21?!! Now, there's a challenge, although it might have to wait until next season now.