PETTS 10m 7th May 2013

So, I've found the £4 to enter my first official Time Trial. 

Rushed home from work.  Gobbled down some beans on toast and set off to Myerscough College to see what this Time Trialling is really all about.

Having never been to the college before I got a bit lost in their car park system and the myriad of buildings so had to ask for help on how to find out where I should be.  I'd seen another Cleveleys club member who was helpful in pointing me in the right direction.

So, once I'd found the right building and the right room, I entered in my first event parting with my entry fee and scribbling down my details on the entry sheet.  I have to say it was a little un-nerving.  Plenty of very flash bikes parked up outside with aero wheel and tri-bars.  Plenty of riders sat in the room in silence.  The feeling was a little eery and I did feel a little out of my depth.  One of the organisers handed me my number.  42.  This was made out of vinyl and I had to pin it on my back.

I felt a little nervous. I didn't know what the normal procedure was so sat in my car wondering what to do next.  I knew that my start time would therefore be 19:42 as the riders are set off at 1min intervals.  At around 7pm I got on my bike and rode to the start slowly but spinning my legs in an attempt to warm up easily as I didn't want to tire myself out before I had even properly started.  A few `proper` riders wizzed past me on their TT bikes. 

It seems that most riders warm up by riding up and down the A6 from the start position opposite the Brewers Fayre pub near the old Barton Grange garden centre down to the traffic lights at Broughton.   You aren't allowed past the start line when the event is in progress - you're disqualified if you do!  I followed the more experienced riders to pass on the time.  Needless to say I needed a wee stop as well!!

Arriving back at the start line I was told the event was running 7mins behind so I would be starting at 19:49.  Whilst waiting Mick Black from Cleveleys turned up and we started a conversation.  Mick is a very experienced rider I found out and very very quick...very quick.  Me in comparrison is a complete novice.  He asked me what I'd done in the past ( 27:43 ) and he said I should be able to improve on that with a number on my back.  Advice he gave was TT-ing is more about power than spinning.  Oh dear I thought.  I'm a spinner.  Oh well.
The other comment he made which made me laugh was to shout out your number when you cross the finish line.  If you can remember your number and shout it out then you haven't tried hard enough!

Mick was the one on front of me at the start so I watched what he did.  Basically the starter counts you down to your start time using his watch/mobile ( which I guess must be synched with the man at the finish line ) whilst another holds you upright ready to start pedalling.  Its a bit strange but I guess you get used to it.

"10 seconds, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 good luck" came the shout and I was off.  Pedalling for all I was worth more trying to not look daft and slow I set off.  I had to tell myself to ease off a bit as I didn't want to put too much in and have nothing left at the end.  Now that would be embarassing! 

I found myself settling in to a reasonably quick speed of around 25-26mph and was doing OK for a number of miles.  Around half way the rider behind me came past.  Crikey he was shifting I thought.  I didn't try to keep up with him.  For one, you aren't allowed to `draft` and for another I couldn't!  As we turned off the main road at the roundabout to head back up to the College, a second rider came past me.  The wind had also slightly picked up and this final 3 mile stretch was a bit of a struggle for me.  I think in the excitement of it all maybe I had gone too fast at the start.  I had to keep dropping gears to keep my legs spinning - if I left it in a higher gear I seem to go slower. 25mph became 21, 20 then 19.  Come on I thought, keep going. I managed to speed up a bit and tried desparately to keep it over 20mph.  That might sound daft and maybe slow but its not easy.  I just didn't want another rider to come past me.  And none did - but that's was because I was the last one home!

44 entries.  Where did I come?  37th!!!  I have to say the position doesn't really bother me, it was more about my time. 

26:07 - 22.97mph

A number on my back had worked.  Worked better than expected as I took almost 1 and a half minutes off my previous time.

Chuffed, I handed my number in and went home.