I remembered today just what it is about early morning Time Trialling that I don't enjoy. I do find it difficult getting up early for any reason, and then it is dificult to stay awake for the afternoon when you have all this time to get on with the things that need doing!
However, at least it wasn't a bad morning, a rising southerly, warm and dry. The muscles work so much better on warm days. It's the first time that I have ridden this course and the climb up Tollgate hill is O.K., but it does rather make for a fight against the average figure on the mileometer all the way round.
I knew the night before that all I had to do was finish to claim the club prize for first lady, as Jake didn't have a baby sitter and was anyway tired from yesterday's 10 and Ann has hurt her hip and was wisely letting it heal before the 100, both asked us to convey their apologies to the organiser, which we did.
I managed a near two and a half minute improvement on this year's 25 time - despite unshipping my chain going up tollgate hill - and was pleased to win the handicap for the club event. Pete was happy enough with his 1:8, but it was misheard down the phone-link from the finish timekeeper and went up on the result board as a 1:18 for a long time, causing some confusion to anyone who new him. Ray was disappointed with his 1:5 as he had hoped to beat arch-rival Harry Featherstone on standard, but he was a little consoled to learn that he had beaten Ken Craven on standard instead! Brian was hoping for a faster ride, but seemed happy enough with his 1:3. Mark was disappointed with his 1:17 as he thought he'd done a couple of minutes faster than that.
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