First BBAR test

Last Sunday was the first real test of the season, the Charlotteville CC 50, and unfortunately the weather gods didn't smile to favourably.  The sun was out but so to was the wind and on an out and back course a ferocious headwind on one leg seriously affects the times, and your sanity!  The build went well, nice campsite the night before, good warm up and equipment ticking over nicely but then the race........

Started well but after 20 miles slight hip pain, after 30 miles, severe hip pain, after 40 miles, my god i'm going to have to stop.....sod it you didn't travel all this way not to finish, last 10 miles serious 'col face' and then thankfully Vic was at the finish to help me into the back of the Berlingo and prise the bike from under me.  Couldn't entertain walking for 30 minutes, but after the ibuprofen kicked in some mobility returned and now 3 days later all's well.

Overall I felt good physiologically but need to have a positional re-think.  Managed a 1:53:21 (winner 1:50:29) which is the slowest i've done a 50 (conditions didn't merit quick times) but still got 6th which merited a whole £10.  Pretty chuffed considering there were 108 starters and that's the classiest field i've ever raced against.

Roll on the 100 in two weeks


A cold start but a good warm up, note the high quality technical hoodie.

I'd like to think it was because I was going so fast