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Twas a dark and stormy night

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UK and Europe
Published
24 June 2004
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24 June 2004
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David Martin
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  1. Twas a dark and stormy night, nay evening. The wind howled
    down from the North putting banshees everywhere to shame.
    The rain came down by the bucket load. "Och, You nae chosen
    a grand evening to make your comeback" was the old boys
    comment. It was the meeting of the Fast, the Fat and the
    Foolish in Fife.

    Yup, I was out to do my first 'ten' for fourteen years. A
    new route, abysmal weather, same bike, same [censored] legs. same
    [censored] lungs.

    And I'm off.. racing again. Feels really weird, can't
    believe I'm doing this. The weathers [censored] and I want to go
    home.. till I tell myself to get my act together and focus
    on what I'm supposed to be doing.

    Wet and windy, four miles into the wind to the first
    junction. Slightly uphill for most of it but great
    sightlines. I can see my minute man ahead and am amazed that
    I am gaining on him. Closer and closer..

    At which point the guy behind comes past like a train..

    Caught the minute man, out of the saddle to sprint the short
    rise to the roundabout, trying to not lose too much speed on
    the slow bits. Round the corner, still into the wind but at
    an angle. Rain is pouring, shoes are full of cold water,
    legs and lungs are still in my body because getting out
    would be even wetter and colder.

    Recover a bit from redlining the pulse to the last junction
    as it is now slightly downhill for a mile or so to the next
    junction, left turn, downwind. 10km/h speed increase. But
    now mostly sheltered from the tailwind by the trees that
    cover the road.

    Minor undulations, legs complaining on every rise. Start
    shouting at myself to get my act together and keep moving..

    Junction, short sting to the last junction and now it is
    just over a mile to the end. All out to the finish. Lungs
    are really going, pulse is pushing over the red line, legs
    are starting to consider an alternative career as
    blancmange. Look at the stopwatch.. time is looking
    surprising. There is an outside chance of making it just
    inside the minute if I really push..

    push..

    push..

    Ouch..

    push..

    there is the line..

    what's the time?

    tick tick tick

    cross the line just before the minute falls so am dead
    chuffed with that.

    Not as fast as my target time for the season but ridden in a
    howling gale and wind.

    First ten for a long time and it felt very good. Pacing etc
    seemed reasonable so generally very satisfied.. and I only
    ache a little today.

    ..d

  2. On Thu, 24 Jun 2004 10:34:20 +0100, David Martin
    <[email hidden]> wrote:

    [snip]

    [censored], I had sympathy pains reading that! Well done.TT
    is something I am simply not fit enough to even think about!

    --
    Young Musician of the Year 2004 was a fiddle

  3. On 24/6/04 11:36 am, in article [email hidden],

    Richard Bates said:

    On Thu, 24 Jun 2004 10:34:20 +0100, David Martin
    <[email hidden]> wrote:

    [snip]

    [censored], I had sympathy pains reading that! Well
    done.TT is something I am simply not fit enough to even
    think about!

    Thus says the man who has just done an end to end on a
    loaded touring bike..

    You'd probably surprise yourself. I only did a little TT
    specific training. Two nights in the last two weeks I went
    out on the flattish bit near me and tried some intense
    riding to see what it felt like (couple of all out push for
    5K and generally try to hold a fastish (18-20 mph) steady
    pace for the rest of the time apart from warm up and warm
    down), sort out position on the bike etc. Other than that I
    had been doing a moderate (<100 miles a week) amount of fast
    touring (14mph average on hilly[1] routes), no more than 50
    miles a day. The reason for so little training is the family
    like to see me so I can only get a few hours in the evening
    or Saturday morning to ride and the allotment needs weeding
    and watering (and fresh fruit and veg is sooo nice.)

    ..d

    [1] for my local definition of hills.

  4. David Martin said:

    Thus says the man who has just done an end to end on a
    loaded touring bike..

    My thought is that loaded end to end never really registers
    in the cardiovascular department - it was always my legs
    that gave up. Snailpace riding such as I did doesn't need
    cardiovascular fitness.

    --
    Young Musician of the Year 2004 was a fiddle

  5. David Martin:

    Quoted message said:

    cross the line just before the minute falls so am dead
    chuffed with that.

    Which minute? I want to know what sort of time I need to be
    aiming for if I decide I want to do some racing - I did ten
    miles in 38 minutes last night, not pushing particularly
    hard but with the benefit of the wind at my back for the
    second five miles. I guess I need to be closer to the half
    hour, yes?

    d.

  6. davek said:

    David Martin:

    Quoted message said:

    cross the line just before the minute falls so am dead
    chuffed with that.

    Which minute? I want to know what sort of time I need to
    be aiming for if I decide I want to do some racing - I did
    ten miles in 38 minutes last night, not pushing
    particularly hard but with the benefit of the wind at my
    back for the second five miles. I guess I need to be
    closer to the half hour, yes?

    The minute was lower than my age in years (which was my
    target for a wet and windy night).

    Fastest time on the night was 26.34 for a guy who is
    normally much closer to 20 than 30..

    My time was 30.59.

    I found I was able to go that bit faster with the buzz of
    actually racing overriding the desire to think 'what the
    heck' and sit up and take it easy.

    I'd say give it a go. You'll surprise yourself with the
    speed you do and get better as things go on. (and if you
    think you'll be really slow then make sure you sign in
    early so the timekeepers aren't left waiting for you for
    too long).

    There were four people in the field last night. Myself, a
    veteran on a tt bike who posted 27 something, the chap who
    won (on a fully tricked out lo-pro tt bike) who did 26.34
    and another chap who did 32 something. There were more
    people marshalling and timekeeping than competing!

    Generally good humour and very friendly. Big thanks to Fife
    Century for organising the event.

    I'll miss the next few races as I'm on holiday. Maybe try
    the 2up 15 mile TT on 21st July, then a ten for the next
    three weeks after that.

    See how it goes ;-)

    ..d

  7. I am also interested how fast you need to be not to look a total prat 🙂 in a time trial/road race.

    I can't get my average over 16 mph on a ten mile cousre however it is mostly steep hills (peak district)

    btw just been out today and it feels more like november than june strong wind rain in your face and not that warm don't mind this in the winter but dont expect it now.

    Tim

  8. On 24/6/04 4:15 pm, in article [email hidden],

    gemarc said:

    I am also interested how fast you need to be not to look a
    total prat 🙂 in a time trial/road race.


    If you turn up with normal kit and put in a reasonable
    effort you won't look a prat.

    If you turn up with the latest and greatest kit, aero
    everything etc. and post a 40 minute time for a ten then you
    WILL look like a prat.

    Quoted message said:

    I can't get my average over 16 mph on a ten mile cousre
    however it is mostly steep hills (peak district)

    Och, just give it a go. If the people aren't friendly and
    encouraging then find a different club.

    ..d

  9. gemarc <[email hidden]> wrote:

    : I can't get my average over 16 mph on a ten mile cousre
    : however it is mostly steep hills (peak district)

    That's plenty fast enough.

    Arthur

    --
    Arthur Clune clune.orgclune.org "Technolibertarians make a
    philosophy out of a personality defect"
    - Paulina Borsook

  10. Arthur Clune said:

    gemarc <[email hidden]> wrote:

    : I can't get my average over 16 mph on a ten mile cousre
    : however it is mostly steep hills (peak district)

    That's plenty fast enough.

    I averaged about 16mph on the flat on monday for a 30 mile
    training ride. The TT was done faster on a hillier course
    than I had achieved during my training.

    The psychological effect is considerable. Give it a go,
    you'll do well enough to not feel a prat. Half the battle is
    the confidence to get up and do it, and you'll feel really
    pleased that you did.

    ..d

  11. Quoted message said:

    [censored], I had sympathy pains reading that! Well
    done.TT is something I am simply not fit enough to even
    think about!

    Neither am I, but I do the club ones for fun :-)

    Cheers, helen s

    --This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get
    correct one remove fame & fortune
    h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

    --Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel
    is switched off--

  12. On 24/6/04 9:03 pm, in article [email hidden],

    dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:
    Quoted message said:

    [censored], I had sympathy pains reading that! Well
    done.TT is something I am simply not fit enough to even
    think about!

    Neither am I, but I do the club ones for fun :-)

    It wasn't as bad as I feared. I was expecting it to really
    drag as these things seem to take longer than you are
    expecting but this time it seemed shorter than I was
    expecting.

    I suppose the key thing was working out what my aerobic
    limit was and being able to push to that but not go over
    it. That allowed me to keep going and not blow up before
    the finish.

    And today the legs didn't hurt too much. Don't know what
    they'll be like tomorrow.

    ..d

  13. David Martin:

    Quoted message said:

    My time was 30.59.

    That sounds pretty good to me. I reckon I could maybe do
    under 35 depending on the course and the weather but not
    much better than that.

    Quoted message said:

    Generally good humour and very friendly. Big thanks to
    Fife Century for organising the event.

    And well done to you for a good performance in what sounds
    like horrible conditions.

    d.

  14. On 24/6/04 10:46 pm, in article
    [email hidden],

    dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:
    Quoted message said:

    It wasn't as bad as I feared. I was expecting it to
    really drag as these things seem to take longer than you
    are expecting but this time it seemed shorter than I was
    expecting.

    I find that whichever course I'm on affects how I feel
    about doing a TT. For example, our local Tuddenham 10,
    which is a "fast" course, I loathe - it has what Nathan
    describes as "The Dead Zone" on the way out - an uphill
    drag which just seems to go on forever, even though it
    doesn't. The Scoulton 10 is foul as it has a long exposed
    section (ooh-err Missus!) between Gt. Ellingham & Hingham
    and then the very last bit from Hingham to Scoulton has a
    deceptive incline - uphill, at the end... just when I'm
    running out of puff - BAH! The Ketteringham 10 I love -
    it's a pootle round the country lanes - ideal for me :-)

    This course starts really nicely.. downhill from the start
    for the first few hundred metres (starts at NO 285 058
    opposite the farm track and goes North).

    Then crosses the river Eden and begins to rise past Ladybank
    to the roundabout. This is a bit of a drag but the
    sightlines are good so you can chase your minute man. It's
    just been resurfaced so is silky smooth. Unfortunately it is
    exposed and the wind was just North by Northwest.

    The return is down the B937 with a right and a left to
    finish on the minor road at NO 284 072 (ish). It does seem
    to be a fairly fast course though is far from dead flat
    (it is as flat as we get round here). Not a sporting
    course either.

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    I suppose the key thing was working out what my aerobic
    limit was and being able to push to that but not go over
    it. That allowed me to keep going and not blow up before
    the finish.

    Quoted message said:

    I find if I go fast (all relative - fast for me is slow
    for most), at the start, I *loathe* it, but if I pace
    myself, I really enjoy it.

    I have a heart rate meter which really helps.. lets me know
    if I am overcooking it. About 175-178 seems to be my
    sustainable max though I hit 185 at the first roundabout and
    was holding 180 for the last mile and a half.

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    And today the legs didn't hurt too much. Don't know what
    they'll be like tomorrow.

    Quoted message said:

    They'll likely ache :-)

    Time to go and take some Scottish Leg Medicine then. In
    large quantities it will reduce all muscular pain (and
    control) from legs.. Got a new bottle of port wood finish
    for Fathers Day.

    ..d

  15. thanks for your encouraging comments will try ang give it a go.

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