The Magic of Four Hours

Colin writes about his determination to get inside four hours for 100 miles. When i started my comeback a couple of years ago I decided to set myself a target to aim for that would be tough and yet achievable. Even in these technological improved times (aero wheels & bars) the four hour 100 does not re-lie on pure speed and yet the duration means that a significant amount of training and racing needs to be done to acheve the result. Only approx 30 riders in this country will attain this standard (and the vast majority will have done it before) so it is with this in mind and that at 45 years of age every year was not going to make my target any easier in the future, i decided that it would be a tough and yet realistic enough aim to motivate me. In a year when 500+ people will stand on top of Everest, once seen as the ultimate physical challenge, the four hour hundred mile time trial is still i feel a sporting achievement to be proud of. With this in mind and having gone so close in the BDCA event 3 weeks ago with a time of 4.00.26 On Sunday I rode the North Middlesex & Hertfordshire Cycling Association hundred mile event, using the A1 and roads between Bedford and Baldock, on a similar course to that used by the National Championship which i rode last year (in a time of 4.16.05.) I was the third to last man off in a field of 70 at just after 7.00am, I started well enough going through 25m in 57.30 and 50m 1.57.21 a significant improvement on the BDCA event, however a de tour (i mis-read marshal's signal) and a slow puncture in the next section forcing a wheel change (I was lucky to have help on hand in the event). Even with these delays my final time would not have put me inside four hours. A stiff Easterly breeze blew up making the 'lumpy' second half a tough challenge and the muggy conditions made me dispense with my crash helmet as the miles and effort took their toll. Everybody in the race suffered and went significantly slower in the second half, and i saw my elusive target missed on the roads just south of Biggleswade less than two miles from the finish. Even the winner Jason Gurney of Team Milton Keynes did not get inside 4 hrs getting as close as it is possible with a time of 4.00.00 (50m 1.55.25) My time of 4.03.51 was good enough for 6th place. At the result board most of the talk was of the second half and what might have been after the promise of the first, which leaves me planning another attack on this particularly elusive goal.