My first sportive
Wrath Rob
Posts: 2,918
Inspired by the forum I entered the SRS Springtime Classic that took place yesterday and I'm back and all in one piece. Hopefully this will inspire anyone else out there thinking of stepping up from commuting to some slightly more competitive cycling, although I wouldn't recommend going from a 5 mile commute to something quite as long as this one in their first step!
It was certainly a challenge, with over 1700m of climbing on the 70 mile course. I got down there at about 7:45 and the sign on process was so slick that I was "processed" within 2 minutes and left wondering if I should have had another 30 mins kip after my slightly boozy night before. The guy riding with me, a fellow commuter, arrived and we set off at about 8:20, a voyage into the slightly unknown for me, him a regular sportive rider proving a useful companion.
We joined a few groups as we rolled along, normally ditching them at the various hills. I was feeling pretty good as the miles rolled beneath my wheels, Kidd Hill (aka The Wall) was a good tester that saw me hit 98% of my max heart rate but all went well.
At about 30 miles I started counting down the miles to our first feed stop (the one at 12 miles seemed a bit pointless), which is not a good sign for me as it was a sign that I was getting tired. This was despite having a decent breakfast and regular bites of a energy bar. We stopped for a banana or two, cakes, jelly babies and a water top up plus a breather before heading off. I didn't see any other Wheelers but the kit was certainly recognised by the photographers and the volunteers at the feed stations, which helped motivate me and also instilled a sense of the history of the club and reinforced the responsibility I feel when riding in the colours.
With the calories slowly being released we pressed on, the tiredness in my legs slowly receding and my pace slowly climbed. By the time we hit the next feed station for a short break, I had about 10 other riders sucking my wheel, not 1 of them took a turn at the front. Seems its not just on the commute that you get drafting fairies!
After a very short breather we pressed on, not knowing what laid in wait for us a few miles up the road. We'd enjoyed some fantastic descents, at one point I was over 30mph for just under 3 mins which caused my one and only mechanical, a bottle cage worked itself loose and caused some nasty rattling noises until I stopped to tighten the bolts.
It was during one of these descents that I suddenly noticed that we appeared to be riding towards a tree'd cliff. Not knowing the course I'd not prepared myself for the rightly infamous Cob Lane. Turning a corner I was confronted with a serpentine ribbon of asphalt laid up the cliff at an average gradient of 20%. By now, 50 miles into the course, my legs were starting to make themselves felt again and the line of riders already walking up the hill was not a good sign. Digging deep into my reserves of cogs I summoned up the lowest gear and set about slaying the serpent. It wasn't pretty, especially going around the tighter turns where the gradient felt more like 40% than 20%, so the strategically placed camera man must have got a great shot of me with my full pain mask on. How some of the guys with tighter rear cassettes got up it I don't know, but I managed to crawl to the top, pride and honour intact. Well, almost, there was a lot of swearing as I caught my breath.
We were now inside the last 20 miles and hoping for a flat to downhill ride home. Buoyed by the guys at the last feed station, "the next 1/2 mile is down hill", we set off in high spirits. Unfortunately they didn't say what was after that, which was a little leg breaker of a hill. This was almost my undoing, I got to the top but as I crested it my right thigh started cramping. It was so acute that I thought I'd pulled something but it slowly subsided on the down hill, never to resurface. Strange.
The last 10 miles was definitely outside of my comfort and fitness zone. There were a few more little stingers but the worst was behind us and it was down to mind over matter. A couple of miles of downhill helped and a spell sitting on my mates wheel got me to the end.
The end result? 70 miles in 4:52:59, netting me Silver. I was over the moon when I got the print out, and I think I'd spurred my mate on too as it was his first silver despite being a sportive veteran. Job done, food was consumed before jumping in the car for the drive home. As I sit here, legs quietly complaining, I feel proud of my performance. The next one is the Evans Woking 90 mile ride and is 2 weeks away, I'm sure I can do it as long as I pace myself. There's only one way to find out!
It was certainly a challenge, with over 1700m of climbing on the 70 mile course. I got down there at about 7:45 and the sign on process was so slick that I was "processed" within 2 minutes and left wondering if I should have had another 30 mins kip after my slightly boozy night before. The guy riding with me, a fellow commuter, arrived and we set off at about 8:20, a voyage into the slightly unknown for me, him a regular sportive rider proving a useful companion.
We joined a few groups as we rolled along, normally ditching them at the various hills. I was feeling pretty good as the miles rolled beneath my wheels, Kidd Hill (aka The Wall) was a good tester that saw me hit 98% of my max heart rate but all went well.
At about 30 miles I started counting down the miles to our first feed stop (the one at 12 miles seemed a bit pointless), which is not a good sign for me as it was a sign that I was getting tired. This was despite having a decent breakfast and regular bites of a energy bar. We stopped for a banana or two, cakes, jelly babies and a water top up plus a breather before heading off. I didn't see any other Wheelers but the kit was certainly recognised by the photographers and the volunteers at the feed stations, which helped motivate me and also instilled a sense of the history of the club and reinforced the responsibility I feel when riding in the colours.
With the calories slowly being released we pressed on, the tiredness in my legs slowly receding and my pace slowly climbed. By the time we hit the next feed station for a short break, I had about 10 other riders sucking my wheel, not 1 of them took a turn at the front. Seems its not just on the commute that you get drafting fairies!
After a very short breather we pressed on, not knowing what laid in wait for us a few miles up the road. We'd enjoyed some fantastic descents, at one point I was over 30mph for just under 3 mins which caused my one and only mechanical, a bottle cage worked itself loose and caused some nasty rattling noises until I stopped to tighten the bolts.
It was during one of these descents that I suddenly noticed that we appeared to be riding towards a tree'd cliff. Not knowing the course I'd not prepared myself for the rightly infamous Cob Lane. Turning a corner I was confronted with a serpentine ribbon of asphalt laid up the cliff at an average gradient of 20%. By now, 50 miles into the course, my legs were starting to make themselves felt again and the line of riders already walking up the hill was not a good sign. Digging deep into my reserves of cogs I summoned up the lowest gear and set about slaying the serpent. It wasn't pretty, especially going around the tighter turns where the gradient felt more like 40% than 20%, so the strategically placed camera man must have got a great shot of me with my full pain mask on. How some of the guys with tighter rear cassettes got up it I don't know, but I managed to crawl to the top, pride and honour intact. Well, almost, there was a lot of swearing as I caught my breath.
We were now inside the last 20 miles and hoping for a flat to downhill ride home. Buoyed by the guys at the last feed station, "the next 1/2 mile is down hill", we set off in high spirits. Unfortunately they didn't say what was after that, which was a little leg breaker of a hill. This was almost my undoing, I got to the top but as I crested it my right thigh started cramping. It was so acute that I thought I'd pulled something but it slowly subsided on the down hill, never to resurface. Strange.
The last 10 miles was definitely outside of my comfort and fitness zone. There were a few more little stingers but the worst was behind us and it was down to mind over matter. A couple of miles of downhill helped and a spell sitting on my mates wheel got me to the end.
The end result? 70 miles in 4:52:59, netting me Silver. I was over the moon when I got the print out, and I think I'd spurred my mate on too as it was his first silver despite being a sportive veteran. Job done, food was consumed before jumping in the car for the drive home. As I sit here, legs quietly complaining, I feel proud of my performance. The next one is the Evans Woking 90 mile ride and is 2 weeks away, I'm sure I can do it as long as I pace myself. There's only one way to find out!
FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
0
Comments
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ChapeauRule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
itboffin wrote:Chapeau
+1 Nice one Rob."Come at the king, you best not miss." - Omar, The Wire
FCN 4: Willier Izoard XP
FCN 7: GT Legato 4.0
*GAME* competitor0 -
Good write up Rob.
I did the 53mile as I wanted to compare to my effort last year when it was my first sportive. I knocked 40 mins of my previous time but sadly missed Gold by 2 mins despite a high speed ride through Burgess Hill to the finish.
Good day out but glad I left the 25mm GP 4 seasons on as the roads were cr@p.0 -
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Good job mate,FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
Litespeed L3 for Strava bits
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.0 -
Thanks all. I'm slowly forgetting the pain and suffering and starting to look forwards to more in a week and a 1/2s time. The only problem with the Woking one is that its on Mothering Sunday. Queue lots of brownie points being lost.FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.0
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I tried to get the missus to sign up to Woking as my mother is visiting so figured she could have the baby while me and Mrs Cat went out and shook off some baby fat.
Got a big "Fa-cough" in my face.0
