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Five Go Mad at Dial Post Part 2 - 12
Hours
By Agreeable Steve
This is just one biased, jaundiced view of
the Sussex CA 12 Hr Time Trial…Nice Mr Chris Colford will supply the
sunny, positive side.
Everyone thought we were mad to enter a 12.
We all thought 'Hey it's there lets do it. It'll be fun'. 'We' were
myself, Nick Mann, Richard Claridge, Chris Colford and Rob Wilson.
'Everyone' is everyone else we ever spoke to about the event. With the
advice of the Addiscombe endurance greats of the '60s ringing in our heads
and very little training in our legs, we all went to bed (separately) not
quite early enough.
3am Alarm call. Alarm clock. Pager ALARM…NIGHTMARE..I'm
awake. Breakfast is cereal, toast, rice pudding and bananas, alas no time
for coffee.
4am Chris and Rob arrive and we manage to
squeeze 3 x bikes, food for 12hrs, kit, clothes, water into Chris' beloved
team car. Conversation was just a way of persuading ourselves it would be
fun….but didn't we all have tired legs already.
5am The HQ isn't open. It doesn't open for
another 11.5 hours. We drive to the start, get changed behind the car and
then there is an incident involving Chris, Rob, a hedge and a roll of pink
toilet paper.
6:08 30 secs to go. The guy behind me has
done it before and wishes me luck. He reckons we'll all need it.
30min I'm up on Rob at the first dogleg.
Stay calm. Go steady. Seagulls. Salty air and a sea breeze, a lovely
Sunday morning. I see myself marshalling and say "Hi" to me as I
go past. I am surprised to see myself riding a 12 even though I was
incorrectly down on the start sheet.!!(? think about it..!)
1.5hrs A 12 hr TT and we have to go over
hills. Arundel is very pretty though. 1st feed and I've just tt'd for
longer than ever before. I grab the bag from an Agreeable hand and crush
half of my food. It also felt rather rude of me. Should have practiced
getting food out of a freezer bag whilst riding, very messy.
2hrs Chris slows to cheerily chat as he
passes me. "All is well" As he moves off ahead I feel as though
I am being dropped on the club run.
3hrs My saddle…no my bike is so
uncomfortable. I can only sit to the left side. Scared to look at the
distance on my computer. I stop at the feed and empty pockets and pull up
my shorts. You can't believe how good that feels.
4hrs Heading to the turn on the '25. Rob
was right my tri-bars are set wrong. Can't stay down in them for long.
Should have checked.
5hrs Every time I see Rob he looks so
fantastic and at ease. Chris is always smiling, Richard sits up to wave
and Nick shakes an energetic fist. I'm losing the will to reply similarly.
Time to be honest at the feed. My left knee and ankle are killing me, feel
swollen and stiff. I'm not chasing 200, I'm just going to finish. It's
actually a lie. My leg feels worse each rev and I've decided to quit…..waiting
for the right moment…gotta get off.
6hrs 115 miles on the computer …I'm
impressed. I can quit happily.
7hrs Back to the 25 turn. Don't want to
ride the full dogleg. Guys are passing coming the other way, already 25
miles atleast ahead of me. This is so lonely. I don't like this. I stop…...I
have to sit and eat heavenly cheese sandwiches. Nick passes looking
concerned. The next 15mins are great. Distance is unimportant I am just
finishing. I am barely cycling anyway. 20 secs pedal, freewheel, stand up,
lean to the left, stretch, pedal, sit to the right, stretch my neck,
pedal, stand up…. Don't want to hold the bars anymore. Don't want to
hold my head up..damn helmet.(By the way I'm a being helmet fan and kept
it on).
8hrs Can't believe I've done 8 hrs at 18.5
mph and without Paul Tunnel towing me along!!!!!! Doesn't help me change
my mind though. Can't describe how miserable I am. Traffic on the A24 is
now scaring me. This is dangerous. I will stop at a Marshall near
Addiscombe support. I am almost in tears at times.
9hrs If it wasn't for the amazing Agreeable
helpers, supporters and other riders who yell support as I pass I would
not be finding it so hard to stop. I'm freewheeling down hills and
climbing at 6mph. Back to Shoreham again! I have to get comfy. I stop for
my first toilet break, its taken 170 miles. One of the older guys passes
later with words of encouragement. So Sean Kelly is my cycling hero, but
these older guys kicking my 28 year old ass they are my role models.
Stunning.
9.5hrs I will quit when I reach the
finishing circuit. Then I will at least be given a finish. This isn't
cycling. Cycling is fun, even getting dropped in 4th cat races or in the
depths of winter on the club run. This is not fun. Not why I cycle. I'm not
interested in this. Now I've punctured, ride up the hill on the rubber
then change it. I could tear the tyre apart with my teeth or just crawl
under a bush and hide. As it happens it's the quickest I've ever changed a
tube. Chris Colford asks if he can help but I send him packing because
he's on for the 200. The Addiscombe team car is there in seconds to help
me back on. There are 2 marshalls still waiting at Washington Roundabout…for
me! I give them a hearty thanks and doff my helm before sprinting up the
A24 again.
10 hrs Might as well see what the finishing
circuit is like. Addiscombe groups around the circuit spur me on again.
The end is near. The first circuit took me 50 mins, my last one only 40!!!
12hrs Roll into steadying Agreeable hands
at the HQ. ….Stretched out on the floor watching the vultures circle
above.
Don't really know what to make of it even
now. We all looked suitably sore and tired except for Rob (obviously
didn't really try hard enough) Wilson. We can't express how grateful we
are to the fantastic team of helpers and supporters, believe me it makes
all the difference. I am infact planning on hiring groupies for all my
future events. At times I hated the ride. I couldn't justify why I was
doing it. Very little to enjoy. But of course right now I am just so proud
of doing it. Really does feel like quite an achievement. It's quite an
event. Its amazing to see other riders going so strongly and to be part of
this communal struggle, quite inspiring.
Of course I'd do it again…..infact I
reckon two next year at either end of the season. Bit more training and
the knowledge of what to expect. So I expect to see more of you riding in
them too. It looks as though I'm still technically chasing a 200 mile
ride!! (I worked out that at 80 pedal revs per minute, 12 hours equates to
57600 revs, of course your knees will hurt).
So check out Chris' write up and I'm sure
you'll have seen the results by now. Basically it hurts, its not easy and
that's what its all about. Come join us at the next one, as an Addiscombe
team half of the event is already won. See you all on Audax soon, I'm the
one on Rob Wilson's back wheel.
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