A
belting day for a day out on the bike
The
Mersey Roads 24hr National Championship race 2016
“Pain killers, I
need pain killers…. Arghhh my back I’m seizing up quick pain
killers…oh wait they’re in my back pocket…. Get me back on my
bike I need to go”
That was about 18
hours in around 8am and probably the lowest point I had been at. I
came to a stop where my crew where stationed in agony with a muscle
spasm in my back. Obviously my legs are also jiggered by this point
but I was really starting to worry about the back pain.
One of the great
things about this event is coming around each lap and seeing your
crew – the lift you get from their support is incredible – these
guys have given up their weekend to support and encourage me to keep
going. This time was no exception, I got back on started to pedal and
within ½ hour was flying again on my way to covering 477 miles and
finishing an incredible 7th in the national championship
24 hr.
18 hours earlier
just before facing the time keeper I bumped into Martin Wiggan from
Seamons CC who was just about to embark on his first 24. I’m not
sure who looked more nervous – Martin for not knowing what lay in
store or me for knowing exactly what we were letting ourselves in
for!
Saturday afternoon
was very warm with little wind – perfect for fast rides by the
strong men – the main contenders were off within 10 minutes after
me so I was ready for taking up the lantern rouge on the road. I was
off at 1419 – no 79. No 78 – Rimas Grigenas took to the line with
about 15 seconds to go in his first ever time trial – hell of an
event to start his career off.
I faced the time
keeper with Maria watching me off. My game plan was to settle into an
early rhythm averaging 22 mph. I had even done a warm up so I was
racing from the off and very soon my garmin was displaying 23 plus
average. Too fast I thought but It wasn’t long before my 3 minute
man – Victor Chetta from Mid Shropshire Wheelers went past me like
he was riding a 10… he would also go past me on the finishing
circuit the following day at exactly the same speed on his way to 3rd
place with over 507 miles – a fantastic ride.
The first section
was the transfer from Farndon to Broxton Roundabout and then south
down the A41 to Prees. This section was covered in about 44 minutes
– didn’t really get a chance to settle in to the ride as the
traffic was very busy and it was hot. After this we had a leg down to
Espley via Tern Hill back to Prees and then to Battlefield and back –
twice!! Double the fun. At the second turn at Battlefield we had
covered 100 miles. I was lying 8th at this point having
covered the distance in 4 hrs 28 minutes averaging 22.3mph all was
going well.
We were then sent on
to the Quinna Brook circuit for 6 laps by the end of which it was
after 11pm and dark and I’d covered 190 miles. Average speed had
dropped slightly to 21.5mph. At some point on this circuit I was
riding alongside Gary Drew of the Royal Navy & Marines CA – a
good 24hr man. Our pace was still in the high 22’s and we were both
riding hard into the night – probably too hard hence why I stepped
off the gas.
At between 7 and 8pm
my wonderful crew passed me a musette bag full of pizza slices which
went down a treat. They also packed some chips in tin foil (miss
communication on my part) but I dropped all but 1 of them and by the
time I came around for the next lap birds had eaten the lot. As the
time ticks by it does become increasingly harder to eat. At first I
was using gels and energy bars with energy drinks but after a while
you get really sick of them, so good old fashioned pizza and the odd
ham sandwich were welcome. Never got fed up of mars bars though!
The only mechanical
to speak of in the whole event was that my spare rear light had
bounced off somewhere around Quinna Brook.
By now my day
support crew – Maria and my brother and sister Will and Vicky had
been relieved by David Wright for the night time although Will stayed
up into the early hours. It is so important to have a support team as
Ive said earlier the lift you get from them is incredible.
Its now pitch black
and we are on the Tern hill / Espley and back leg for hour upon hour
– my favourite time. The traffic is nil and the sight of night time
riders lit up like beacons mile after mile is to behold. My night
time pace was dropping but still pretty good at 20 MPH. At 12hr mark
I’d bagged 251 miles with an average 21.2mph. This is 31 miles more
than I’d covered at the same event 2 years ago and other than
coming in for lights and the odd nature stop I hadn’t had any time
off the bike.
At around 3:00am we
had a convoy of about 20 wagons pass us travelling south on the A41.
A surreal experience.
Some time after 5am
I started to feel really drowsy and speed started to slow alarmingly.
Same thing happened to me 2 years ago so I was expecting it. I think
that because it becomes daylight you think you are going to fly again
but of course you don’t and then you start getting dis heartened
and head straight for a bad patch. Just got to feed and ride through
it which is exactly what I did – came in and stopped for just over
5 minutes for some breakfast and a quick leg rub.
Replenished off I
went again around the Quinna Brook circuit back up to speed. A couple
of hours later was when my back started to spasm and I came in for
the painkillers I already had in my pocket! This was David Wright’s
last job to get me going again before he went off home for a well
earned rest – having raced himself on the Saturday and stayed up
all night supporting me. Top bloke!
He was relieved by
Maria along with my daughter Tasha and our good friends Alan and
Louise. Unfortunately their first sight of me on the Sunday was on
the floor in agony!
By now I had covered
360 miles and still had 6 hours left on the clock. I was clinging on
to hope that I would ride through the back pain and bar any
mechanical I started to seriously think that not only a PB was
possible but that the club record would be in reach – just. I put
in 2 or 3 really strong laps of Quinna Brook and after an hour the
back pain had eased considerably but I was feeling really tired
again. Then I got directed to transfer to the finishing circuit which
gives you an enormous lift. The transfer back to Broxton is really
fast and it gets you racing again.
I arrived at the
first time keeper on the finishing circuit at around 20 ½ hours in
having covered about 414 miles. 3 ½ hours left on the clock and the
first lap was covered in 42 minutes – an average of 20mph so well
on course for the club record. Even though I’ve done 2 of these
events I am still astonished that you can ride at or above a Sunday
club run pace after riding for so long.
Toward the first lap
I clicked over 426 miles so surpassing my PB from 2 years ago and
felt awesome. The support around the finishing circuit was brilliant.
I had Maria and Tasha at HQ with Alan and Louise stationed ½ way
around the course with Will and Vicky in the support car. Margaret
Millington and Liz Ellam were marshalling on the course so it was
good to see them on the day.
The next couple of
laps where about a minute slower and the hill at Barton was beginning
to feel like an alpine climb. I think it may have been my 3rd
time up it when some of the club riders went past me the other way –
exactly like 2 years ago. Again it was great to see them.
At the end of the
3rd lap I shouted to Margaret and Liz that the club record
was going to go on the next lap. 4 miles later and I’d got it. I
was flying at this point and going through all sorts of emotions. But
I was still racing and still had over an hour on the clock. The next
lap was done in about 43 ½ minutes so still reasonably quick but I
was slowing and finding it really hard to keep going. My legs were
completely done. I was hoping to finish at the time keeper were
Margaret and Liz where but I just didn’t have the speed to get
there. One last time up Barton hill nearly ended it for me. On the
descent I slumped over the bike knackered. Thanks to Louise and Alan
screaming at me I managed to perk up enough to get me to the next
time keeper.
“No 79 time’s
up. STOP” Best thing you hear at the end of 24 hours riding. I just
about managed to get off my bike with some help but that was it,
couldn’t stand let alone walk! How can that be? You can still pedal
a bike around and then fall in a heap when you try and walk!!
Anyway that was it.
All over. 477.17 miles confirmed on what was by far the ride of my
life.
Massive thanks to my
crew – Maria, Tasha, Will & Vicky. Alan & Louise Nicholson
and of course the mighty David Wright. All of these guys contributed
massively to every mile. I may be the one turning the pedals but
theres no way I could’ve done this without them.
A few statistics:
Distance 477.17
miles
12hr Distance 251
miles
Av moving
speed 20.3mph
Time stopped overall
28 minutes
Average power 178
watts
Average heart rate
123 bpm
Max HR 170 bpm
Cadence 70 rpm
Calories
burned 11048
Training load
score 785
Climbing 9432 ft
