Today was a SERRL race on the Lamberhurst/Frant circuit, I’d been told it was a tough circuit that had a couple of fairly taxing uphills, and a finish at the top of a 3-4 minute hill. I will be honest, initially I thought it would suit me quite well given there was nothing all that steep.
I’d had a fairly hard week on the bike, and though I brought my TSB (power geeks will know what I mean) slightly positive as I always do, there was no denying that my legs ached on the day of the race, quite annoying, and obviously highlights the flaws of training with power, not all TSS is equal.
Anyway, we got started and I felt fine, it was a super quick pace for the first couple of laps with the 9 Pedalheaven boys trying to force a selection, at first I felt good and was moving with the right wheels etc, but I think in that first hour I might have put myself about more than I should have, don’t get me wrong I wasn’t doing a Jen Voight or anything, but in the company of plenty of elite riders on a tough circuit I would have been better ‘keeping my powder dry’ for a little longer.
A few moves went off, and at the 40 mile point I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be doing anything of note, a few more times up the hill and I was struggling, aches were deep, like I’d been riding intervals the same day before the race. I kept going for training purposes, and with a couple of laps to go we were in a fairly whittled down group with 8-10 away and the heavens opened, a few things went, I tried to get away with Connall Yates and a couple of others, but it wasn’t to be, I saw a few more moves go which is always what happens in these races, they’re very much about attrition and eventually everyone who has remotely anything left gets up the road and everyone else either rolls in at snails pace or pulls out. And in fact a huge number had already climbed off. As we approached the final lap in the heavy rain I started wonder why my bike suddenly felt so Spongy, I looked down and sure enough, I had a puncture. The cars whizzed by, I did put my hand up, but I don’t think there was service, and to be honest, I doubt I’d have got back on if there was. Ever since being lumbered with a long walk a year or so ago, I carry a co2 and super light tube just to get me back to the car, so I whipped wheel off and did just that and rolled back to the HQ and watched the last lap unfold.
Turns out that of the initial break Jake and Rhys Howells had got away, and Jake beat Rhys in the sprint to claim another road win for this year.
This is a great circuit and I really want to give it a good ride at some point, but think I need to work on fitness and perhaps be a bit fresher beforehand! Only 30 odd finished of 80…
http://www.strava.com/activities/73846245
First Season Racing 
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