SWIFT '100' - To the End

Shakespeare knew a thing or two about performance "Stiffen the sinews" said Henry V in his speech at Agincourt made famous by Lawrence Olivier in the 'Cry God for Harry, England, and Saint George!' and I felt under siege at the weekend as I tried to improve my BBAR average in the Team Swift '100' on the A168/A19 up near Dishforth . I've been feeling off colour on the bike and Fiona and I travelled in hope rather than expectation up the M1 as the wind blew, I was also anxious as I had a new bike and 100 miles a long way on an as yet un-tested position (23 minute '10' on Tues night!).
The last fast '100' of the year usually in September but brought forward to get a better field but many of the fast men stay away as they have ridden the National/Breckland 12 last week and not liking the look of the day, a long way to travel for a pasting and I was thinking how slow would I have to go in the first half to justify packing if I'm taking a good hiding out on the roads over the exposed North Yorkshire Moors? Fi has come to support my ride and while I don't like to DNF at all to do so when we have come all this way (leave at 11.30am back home for 11.00pm) a bitter pill to swallow.
A five mile ride to the start from the HQ in Ripon where the race (of the horse variety) have made for extra traffic and delays, the wind from the SW makes for an easy start so I will use the first 17 mile leg of this 3 lap course to give me an easy(ier) beginning to four hours of effort on the edge of madness. Bike feels OK I have two 20mm spacers under the stem and it still feels a bit low at the front, all that weight on your arms, could make for an uncomfortable time but for now I just try and get in 'the zone'
I have a caffeine gel early at 15m before I turn into the wind to numb the sensation as 'the zone' is a bit elusive and I am anticipating a battle, I use my 50 (inner) instead of the 56 but feels a bit on the low side and not as bad as I anticipated, saddle is a bit wrong angle and I figit to get the most comfortable position, front or back? saddle (a Flite - I use the same one off the 'Sigma' for luck) a bit on the long side now I have such an upright position and bangs on the back of my legs out the saddle (in the most back position!). My arms and back register the minute differences to the previous position I've used for 3 seasons, a twinge of recognition for the body when the legs are what get you through the race, but so far no harmony
Fi is at the far turn and then back at the Dishforth turn (34m) and offers a bottle but I've drunk 500ml before the start and carry 750ml and its not such a hot day so refuse, I have the second downwind section to the halfway point, its not been so bad
and I went through 25m in 57:15 and push onto the far Northallerton turn 1:54:45 making the 2nd 25m 57:30. A PB is out the question and improving my BBAR (3:47:55) unlikely as I always go slower in the second half but I decide not to stop as I'm not suffering and the wind is dropping and my bad patch is over, a bad patch can be mental or physical but usually a bit of both as you struggle to focus and 'the zone' is like the Bermuda triangle everybody's heard about it but can you find it when you need to? I had a second caffeine gel at 55m, some riders eat these like sweets "I had six gels before half way!" apart from being an expensive way to get around an event I try and make them do a bit more work than just a funny taste in the mouth. (have you tasted 'Powerbar' lime - Eucchh!) Fi gives me 500ml of warm coffee as I get rid of my glass's but a mix up with hands means I take the bottle from Fi (on the left) with my right hand! I only have the one bottle cage now so have to down it while negotiating two roundabouts and allot goes down my front and over the bike, a baptism of sorts for my new bike

Grrrrrr!

Beginning to pick up a bit and at the end of my second lap my average speed has gone up from just over 26mph to 26.3mph and something very strange is happening, I begin to go better on the downwind leg but almost no wind now at 6 o'clock so no great benefit, I begin to go much better and my body is well into the race as I become one with my bike, it sounds like a cliche but this is my form returning in the middle of a race, I pound the tarmac eating it up at an alarming rate, the climb up from Thirsk which I'd done at 20-22mph the previous two times I cruise up at 25mph I feel amazing as I press the pedals into orbit
I have not kept track of what the opposition are doing but at the final turn with 12m to go I find myself about level with Andy Jackson (Pedalsport) 15m in front and we are usually close in the result, triathlete Philip Graves (Clifton CC) the eventual winner has caught him for 10m but this has not been my usual type of ride so all I can do is make the finish at the best speed. I usually get cramp here as the speed and the big gears combine to play havoc with the thousands of muscle fibres twitching to do their best under the pressure of the ultimate effort as you urge the maximum out of your limbs but no cramp here and I've long forgotten about my arms and back.
The remains of the race a bit of a blur but the finish just after the Topcliffe services so visible from a long way out and I'd long since stopped looking at my computer except to see that I was travelling at well over 30mph most of the way. I stopped the clock at 3:46:20 a mere 25 seconds off a PB although I did not know that yet, I had done the second 50 miles in 1:51:34 a negative split by over 3 minutes making nearly a mile per hour difference in the two half's, as I sit here typing this it almost seems impossible as I know how my race plan pans out and this makes for very unusual reading

New Bike - Baptism of fire (& coffee)

Graves the winner 3:33:56 from Nik Bowdler (Farn & Camb CC) 3:39:29 and Barry Charlton (Lyme RC) 3:41:27 Andy Jackson pipped me for 6th by 39 seconds, it was dark by the time we set off for home.