2LAP, you've made some very valid points which I have been giving quite alot of thought to. Further, we won't have the benefit of a control against which we can benchmark the difference between using creatine, and not using creatine.
I have a consistent training program so I should get a little stronger as we go along, but I am sitting in the 54 - 58 range of the Polar OwnIndex, so I doubt whether I'll have substantial changes in my overall fitness.
One of the points I want to document is my recovery after the two hills on the course. I will indicate ride tempo etc and how hard the group was pushing. (I don't think I have the motivation to do time trials over the middle of winter all on my lonesome, so that is not ideal)
The idea is to document how I felt on each ride and whether I found I was feeling stronger while trying to keep everything else as consistent as possible.
As for dietary developments, I am often slated for my healthy eating habits. (Prepare to reel).
I don't eat breakfast and I usually either have a steak & kidney pie and chips, or a chicken burger and chips for lunch. Dinner is usually a bit healthier, so either grilled skinless chicken, or pasta with Salmon or something like that. I'll document my diet during the process.