Well, I have been umm-ing andf ahh-ing about whether or not to post about these.
The East Coast North Island Championships are an interclub competition between the Gisborne Cycling Club, and Ramblers Cycling Club (Napier/Hastings).
This year I aimed to do them - a goal being to ride all four stages.
Round 1
The first two stages were held this last weekend in Ramblers territory...
A crit on Saturday afternoon and an individual time trial on Sunday morning.
Criterium:
I was really worried about the crit... I have never ridden one. However, due to a crit course being unavailable, we rode a circuitt race - 6km per lap and three laps.
My first disappointment was that only four masters women turned up, and only one of those was in my class.
(At club level, the Masters are grouped into Masters 1 - 35-44 and Masters 2 - 45+. At National level, its in 5 year groupings up to Masters 7)
Two women who ride a grade above me in club racing (our club racing is ability graded, not age graded) didn't show and I had been really looking forward to racing against them when they didn't have men to draft off! :mad:
So, just 2 Masters 1, and just 2 Masters 2. We startedwith the 2 senior women... just the 6 of us and charged off, quickly hitting about 35kph and dropping my only competitor withing 500metres. So I stayed and worked with these women, and it was exilerating. We stayed somewhere between 32-45kph most of the time, only slowing for corners... and this was my "downfall". I am not confident on corners anyway, and was in a bad position near the end of the second lap.
Once dropped, I decided just to cruise in. I only had to finish to win as the other M1 woman was nearly a lap behind us. I thought smartly and decided instead of chasing them down, I would conserve my legs for the TT in the morning.
So I finished safely, my average was still over 33kph, my legs felt like I had used them but didn't feel wasted, and I had max points :)
Individual Time Trial:
Well, my fave discipline... this is one event I had been looking forward to since last years ECNI champs which I didn't enter.
And it was on one of my favourite courses - very flat, two corners, out and back, 20km in total.
I was aiming for an average speed of 32.5kph if the wind was up -thats 36.55minutes
If it was calm I wanted at least 33kph average - thats around 36 minutes. Based on an earlier performance this year, I knew 35 minutes was a possibility. (thats 34kph)
I have a new seat on my bike - the concord nosed Selle Strike I have been discussing in saddles. I thought I had positioned it right... I thought...
I felt good, legs ok from Saturday, but due to a series of things, I only got a ten minute warm-up. And at the start line I realise I am the ONLY Masters 1 woman there. That was gutting. Although I know the TT is about individual performance, I was expecting to have "competition".
About 8kms in, my right leg starts aching. The seat nose is pushing into my thigh and as I continue the discomfort increases and my speed drops. A Masters 2 woman passes me so I refocus and lift my speed. By the 10km turn around I was in extreme discomfort and all the way back the pain would slow me to about 25kph, and I would have to refocus, tell myself their was no pain and lift the speed again. I was sobbing when I crossed the finish line, and feeling silly for doing so. I hope that my usual gasping masked the fact I was actually crying.
I felt so disappointed on Sunday, but on Monday I was feeling a bit more pragmatic. You see, despite the pain (and I have a high pain threshold) I still managed to achieve an average of 32.22kph/time of 37.24minutes.
I also managed to race two days in a row with reasonable performances - this is something new to me.
Round 2: 24/25 May
The next round was supposed to held in Gisborne, however the Gisborne club has asked us to host it.
It is in two weeks time, and will also consist of two stages - this time a road race and a hill climb.
