The first day of 2011 and a whole season ahead. Serious training starts tomorrow if the weather is better that today with a month of long rides to get in those all important base miles then next month the interval training starts to get a bit of speed into my riding for the first event on the 12th of March.
The Results of last seasons work
2nd of January and the training for the 2011 season started today with a 66 mile ride calling at the Selby Garden Centre cafe for a scone and a cup of coffee. I tried to keep the pressure on myself and held an average speed of 17.5 mph. in the final few miles I was joined by John Martin of S.E.S.C.C. and we discussed me joining there Saturday group training rides.
My winter bike outside the Osgodby cafe
We have started on a much needed upgrade to our kitchen, and as expected it has had an effect on my training, also a sevice to the Ribble during the week showed a severely worn chain. So I did not get out on a bike again until Sunday the ninth, when I covered 52 miles on the best road bike. The day itself was rather windy which gave me the inpression that I was going well until I turned around, then I realized that it was not my fitness but the wind that was driving me on, after about 10 miles of fighting the wind I started to struggle a bit showing that the week off had effected my form a little.
A brief rest above Badsworth
Third Sunday of the year and third ride, once a week is not enough but I must get this kitchen finished. It was the16th of January and I met up with Andy Whitehead at 9:30 am at the Warrenvale T.I. I set off a bit too early which was a good job as I punctured on Wombwell by-pass, ten minutes later and I was back on my way, getting there with 15 minutes to spare. We did a circuit around Worksop and called in at Oldcotes for a drink. The cafe was busy with Wakefield CC there when we arrived and another large team arrived as we were leaving. When I got home I had 65 miles on the clock, the pace had been easy but we both enjoyed the natter.
Thursday following I got out for my first midweek ride of the year, the weather being good meant I could take out the Q.Roo and make a real training ride of it. 30 miles in all were covered doing intervals of 175 bpm heartrate and hill sprints.
30th of January and the Seacroft reliability trial, Irode up there and back, plus the trial giving me 76 miles in total. More details of the ride can be found on my blog.
The end of Febuary and not much training done over the last month due to all the work involved with fitting a new kitchen. Now with that job nearly done life should get more or less back to normal. Last week I managed 22 miles only and the two previous weeks nothing at all. This week I got thirty miles done on Tuesday and on Thursday I trained for 34 miles on the local ten course riding my old fixed gear Lo-pro which I am using on Sunday in the first event of the year, the YCF 10 at Brotherton.
27th February and rain in the 10 mile TT at Brotherton that on top of my lack of fitnesss made fo a poor result, but I did enjoy being back in competition again. Three days later and the weather was beautiful though a bit cool and Jackie and I went to test the new Planet-X bike. I took the tool box and Jackie took her camera. The bike went well and looked well but a little problem with the headset ended the fun early. New headset now ordered from Planet-X.
The headset arrived on the 3rd, while I was out getting the miles in, and was fitted first thing the next morning, now all I need is the weather to get summer like.
Photograph taken by my wife Jackie as I test the new Planet-X
I was up at 5:30am Sunday the sixth of March to ride the 30 miles up to Tadcaster for the Yorkshire RC reliability trial. I joined in on the long ride of 60 miles and the early pace was very agressive and I must admit I was struggling a bit to hang on with my recent lack of training but it gave me another 98 miles. including a punture, which caused me to ride alone, so I got lost and cut the ride short. Therefore I didn't get a certificate this time.
Out on the Planet-X again this time with a new headset. 25 miles up and down the local ten course at an average speed of 20.7 mph covering the distance in 1:11:00.
that's about the speed Tony Oakley and I used to do, working together about eight years ago when I was going well and got all my present all time bests, so I should really be satisfied with that.
24th of March and a repeat of thr above trial on the ten couse. A stiff cross wind made the going tough in both directions but I still managed an improvement of about 3.5 minutes with a time of 1:7:35.
April's gone and a few 10's have been ridden with no remarkable results to report here, but they can be found on the results page HERE. But on the last day of the month I had a surprizingly good ride in the YRC 25 on the Borough. Because of the stong wind my time was not impressive but in comparison with my rivals I went back a lot less, beating some that have bettered me all season and getting very close to others.
1st of May and 80 miles in glorious sunshine inthe company of a few friends from Birdwell Wheelers. I felt really good and feel that at last my training is comming together.
4th of May. Last night I rode the third of the Birdwell wheelers 5 milers on the hilly Thurgoland course and finished just four seconds down on the first ride a fortnight ago so all is going well there and today I took a training ride over the climbs of Holme Moss, Woodhead, and back via Dunford Bridge, Carlecotes and Hoylandswaine. Here are a few shots I too from the viwing point at the top of Holme Moss looking across the valley over Holmfirth and Emley Moor TV mast can just be seen on the distant horizon.
Emley Moor TV mast from Holme Moss ar Park.
11th June and the annual mileage so far has reached 2,929.48 and it feels liks they were all done battling against the wind. Five 10's and three 25's all spoilt by windy conditions and no reasonable times to enter in for the B.A.R at the end of the year yet. Hope for goodness sake things get better soon. I have now started my long training rides around the Trent in preperation for the National championship 100 the YCF 100 and the Elmet 12 hour. These rides are presently taking 5.3 to 5.5 hours must get it down to the 5 hour mark.
24TH June I am still getting in the century rides every Tuesday and surprisingly the weather each week on Tuesday has been good enough to allow this. Another change to keep training is joining an old friend from my days of motorcycling, who has now taken up cycling along the Transpennine Trail to keep himself fit, this gives me a more sensible workout prior to the weekend when I am racing instead of hammering myself and leaving my energy on the road as I am inclined to do. Below is a video of Ron Clive and Ron's son Dave leading me along the trail on our return from Stanley near Wakefield today.
18th July and over 4,000 miles now covered this year and one of the 100 mile time trials now done and most of my times are so far down on last year, the 30 and the 100 being the only exceptions, 3 minutes and 10 seconds faster for the 100 and an all time Personal Best for the 30 miles. The slower times are down mainly to the excessive amount of windy days we have experienced this year. Two weeks to go now to the Elmet 12 hour and hopefully a good day will give me chance to do better than I have in the last two years, at least I have a promise of assistance this year.
2nd August and the 12 hour behind me with a disappointing 215.92 miles, but on the brighter side it was enough to win the 1st prize of £25.00 as fastest North Midlands VTTA member, which also gave me the maximum Prestige Points available. Two days later and I was back out on the bike for a quick 42 miles and the same evening I rode the Birdwell Wheelers club ten. The rest of the week I mainly rested and the weather was miserable until friday when I had a short training ride on the road and Saturdays Drighlington 25 was cancelled due to the heavy rain. Jackies birthday on Sunday so we all went out for a meal after giving her a shopping spree at George, Asda. Back in action the following Tuesday with a century ride around the Trent in 5 hours 22 minutes.
14th September and the season is almost over just a 50, 25, 10 and a couple of hill climbs left to ride, already the weather which has been poor all summer is turning a little more autumnal. I am not really satisfied with my times this year but with the poor summer I feel I should be satisfied as everyone in the sport as suffered the same. I have missed my CTT certificate by about 0.5 of a mph with just the 50 left to try to make amends in but it will have to be a very fast ride to do it. The prestige points contest is hotting up with only 7 points between the top five riders, myself in fourth place equal with Alan West. There are points on offer in the 50 and the 10 that I have left to ride.
3rd October That's it the timetrialling season is now over for me and I have failed in my quest to keep the Prestige Trophy. FULL RESULTS HERE. I have only managed 4th place this year and second in the North Midlands VTTA B.A.R. I have struggled a lot with the very windy conditions we have had this year but all in all I have enjoyed the season and I ham satified with the result.
21st October, It feels a bit empty now with no challenges ahead for me, I did add a couple of hill climbs this year which I found to be a pleasant, though exhausting experience, will do a few more next year. I have also done a couple of rides down the trans-pennine trail with Ron, Clive and Dave but even though I enjoy these rides I miss pushing my heartrate to it's limmit and the feeling of euphoria that follows.
The VTTA Luncheon is next month, that is usually a good do to look forward to. I am also presently preparing my fixed gear bike to do some winter training on.
Clive Ron and Dave at Ryhill
