Ordnance Survey Cobbler Classic, Sunday 22nd Mar
Discussion
It was quite chilly, even when the sun came out. My feet were cold even with a thick pair of socks and overshoes on.
Here's my effort:
https://www.strava.com/activities/272265193
I enjoyed it, despite a couple of the climbs making me question my legs!
Here's my effort:
https://www.strava.com/activities/272265193
I enjoyed it, despite a couple of the climbs making me question my legs!
Reassuring to hear I wasn't the only one who found it cold! Not the feet or legs in my case but my core and my face. Still, the sun was out and no sign of rain, so we did pretty well with the weather.
I was on the registration desk so didn't get away until everyone had signed in, and by the time I'd schelpped back to the car, put the wheels and numbers on and got back to the start it was a good 20 minutes after the last group had been released. Not relishing the prospect of going round the whole thing without seeing another rider, I went harder at the start than was probably wise. All the same it wasn't until Km 17 that I handed over the mantle of Lanterne Rouge and Km 22 before I passed the tail-end gruppeto. For some reason I thought maybe If I kept pushing on maybe I could catch some people going about the same pace and work with them but, of course, if they were going about the same pace and started at least 20 minutes earlier they'd always be at least 20 minutes up the road. D'oh.
So, to cut the rest of the story short, I ran out of breakfast with around 20-30 Km to go. My target was to average 25 Km/h. I thought that would be achievable as the other week I averaged 24.2 without trying hard on a run up to Cambridge. This time I tried much harder and only averaged 23.1. Lesson learnt: Never try harder!
https://www.strava.com/activities/272426698 Not happy with that performance.
I was on the registration desk so didn't get away until everyone had signed in, and by the time I'd schelpped back to the car, put the wheels and numbers on and got back to the start it was a good 20 minutes after the last group had been released. Not relishing the prospect of going round the whole thing without seeing another rider, I went harder at the start than was probably wise. All the same it wasn't until Km 17 that I handed over the mantle of Lanterne Rouge and Km 22 before I passed the tail-end gruppeto. For some reason I thought maybe If I kept pushing on maybe I could catch some people going about the same pace and work with them but, of course, if they were going about the same pace and started at least 20 minutes earlier they'd always be at least 20 minutes up the road. D'oh.
So, to cut the rest of the story short, I ran out of breakfast with around 20-30 Km to go. My target was to average 25 Km/h. I thought that would be achievable as the other week I averaged 24.2 without trying hard on a run up to Cambridge. This time I tried much harder and only averaged 23.1. Lesson learnt: Never try harder!
https://www.strava.com/activities/272426698 Not happy with that performance.
Accelebrate said:
I wouldn't be too upset with that performance, must have been a bit off-putting starting later than everyone else.
How did you end up working the registration desk? Did Wiggle ask for volunteers?
Thanks. They released the official times half-an-hour ago, and whilst their gold/silver/bronze awards shouldn't matter I was actually quite cheered to see I got a "Silver" How did you end up working the registration desk? Did Wiggle ask for volunteers?
. Your 26.5 seems a loooong way away though. Kudos for that!I actually volunteered to help out through the sub-contracted organisers, UK Cycling Events. It actually came about because I'd called them trying to sneak in to their sold-out No Excuses. No dice there but they were very nice about it and whilst I was on I offered to lend a hand at this one. When I do the Spring Saddle though I'll be going as a regular punter, will be interesting to see how the experience compares.
Edited by SixPotBelly on Sunday 22 March 20:02
...though having looked at the full results, 90 seconds longer at a food stop or junction would have relegated me to Bronze. #skinofmyteeth
I've also been back on Strava and broken the ride down into 10 segments of roughly 10k length, each with zero net elevation change (though that ignores how much climbing and descending was contained in each). I wanted to expolre my theory that I went too hard at the start. Yup. First 10km was at an average of 26.9 km/h and an average heart rate of 153bpm (85% of my max). Second 10km was similar, but then I progressively slowed, both in speed and heart rate. By the final sector heart rate was down to 129 bpm (71%) and speed 21.4 km/h. I was done, and just counting down the km to go on my Bryton.
In future, I might monitor my heart rate on the Bryton as I go, adjusting my effort to keep my bpm within pre-determined bounds. Does anyone else do this? I certainly found it effective when I started running 5Ks last year.
I've also been back on Strava and broken the ride down into 10 segments of roughly 10k length, each with zero net elevation change (though that ignores how much climbing and descending was contained in each). I wanted to expolre my theory that I went too hard at the start. Yup. First 10km was at an average of 26.9 km/h and an average heart rate of 153bpm (85% of my max). Second 10km was similar, but then I progressively slowed, both in speed and heart rate. By the final sector heart rate was down to 129 bpm (71%) and speed 21.4 km/h. I was done, and just counting down the km to go on my Bryton.
In future, I might monitor my heart rate on the Bryton as I go, adjusting my effort to keep my bpm within pre-determined bounds. Does anyone else do this? I certainly found it effective when I started running 5Ks last year.
I keep an eye on my heart rate, it's probably the thing I look at the most after speed, good way of pacing yourself on long rides. The UKCE feed stops are great, but you're always slightly conscious that the clock is ticking for your official time. There was quite a queue for the loos at the first stop when I arrived.
I was just pulling some other footage off my dashcam when I spotted my exit from the event was still on there. I was parked at the very far end of the rally school, I think I lost 30 minutes at the start just walking back and fourth between car, registration, car and the start line!
https://youtu.be/p7-jcv7BKWI
I was just pulling some other footage off my dashcam when I spotted my exit from the event was still on there. I was parked at the very far end of the rally school, I think I lost 30 minutes at the start just walking back and fourth between car, registration, car and the start line!
https://youtu.be/p7-jcv7BKWI
Thanks. In that case I'll definitely monitor heart rate instead of distance on my next one ("Tring in Spring" on Good Friday). I need to determine what % of MHR I can sustain for 4-5 hours, but with a bit trial and error I'll get there. I think I'll start by targeting 81-82%, and see how that goes.
I was parked up in the rally playground too (the SixPotMobile makes a cameo appearance at 0:08 in your video, covered in several kilos of dust that weren't on it when I parked it!). I wasn't nearly as far back as you though, but it was still the walk there and back after we closed down registration that made me so late away at the start.
It must be a challenge for the organisers to find somewhere to host their event HQ, with parking for 1,000-odd cars, but I didn't think Turweston was a great venue. Not just because of the remote car parking but also because of those wheel-breaking craters we had to negotiate on that unmaintained access road forming the start and finish stretches of the course. I believe they used Towcester race course last year, and they use Silverstone for their Circuit Breaker that's held over much of the same roads in October, but I guess neither were available for that day.
I imagine those things will be a bit better at Newmarket. All the same, I probably won't wash the car the day before this time, just in case.
I was parked up in the rally playground too (the SixPotMobile makes a cameo appearance at 0:08 in your video
, covered in several kilos of dust that weren't on it when I parked it!). I wasn't nearly as far back as you though, but it was still the walk there and back after we closed down registration that made me so late away at the start.It must be a challenge for the organisers to find somewhere to host their event HQ, with parking for 1,000-odd cars, but I didn't think Turweston was a great venue. Not just because of the remote car parking but also because of those wheel-breaking craters we had to negotiate on that unmaintained access road forming the start and finish stretches of the course. I believe they used Towcester race course last year, and they use Silverstone for their Circuit Breaker that's held over much of the same roads in October, but I guess neither were available for that day.
I imagine those things will be a bit better at Newmarket. All the same, I probably won't wash the car the day before this time, just in case.
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