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Well, got around the distance today. In one piece. Deadly. Pity couldn't hang in with the main bunch til the end, finished with a small group, ten or so stragglers.
Handy 30km spin out to Blessington this morning from the gaf! Was wondering about the cleverness of that. Good to get the legs warmed up properly.
Two big hills today. Got over the first one in Hacketstown in reasonably good time. Started way down near the back of the pack, a gap opened over the top and was with about twenty chasing for a good while. Chasing was mad chaotic. Could see the main group up ahead. Not that far away. Not getting any closer. Everyone was desperate to make the catch, some shouting. Every time someone rolled past going faster, lads were swerving to get on wheels, thinking the guy in front of them was in trouble. All a bit dodge. We got back on. Just in time for the pack to line out for a good few minutes. Some suffering. I could see the lad in front of me shaking his head a lot. I know how he was feeling. This was about 5km from the bottom of the 2nd hill. Teams drilling it so no one could move up. Fair enough tactic. Lesson there. Before the race I was memorising the distance to the bottom of the big hills and counting back 2km for when I should start moving up. Forget that. Of course everyone has that same idea. And the savages were racing balls out a few km before that. Legs were starting to hurt big time and struggled to stay in touch over the 2nd hill. Rolled around the rest of the course with the gruppetto. Two mins before the finish line, four or five lads went crashing down right in front. Skirted around that, dunno what messing they were at, we weren't exactly racing. Just tired and lost concentration.
Overall, dunno what to make of it really. Not very interesting sitting mid pack as a tourist looking at some fellas arse for a couple of hours. Would be nice to have a bit extra pep in the legs, to be at the front and see the action. That said, when you climb off the bike, the body is shaking with the adrenaline coursing through your eyeballs. Definitely will be fit as fiddle after this. Weighed myself going to bed last night and nearly 2kg lighter now! Pasta time.
Thanks to Canto and Dermot for looking after my stuff during the race. And a bit of chat. Didn't know a sinner in the race.
Lets see how far the legs go tomorrow
Handy 30km spin out to Blessington this morning from the gaf! Was wondering about the cleverness of that. Good to get the legs warmed up properly.
Two big hills today. Got over the first one in Hacketstown in reasonably good time. Started way down near the back of the pack, a gap opened over the top and was with about twenty chasing for a good while. Chasing was mad chaotic. Could see the main group up ahead. Not that far away. Not getting any closer. Everyone was desperate to make the catch, some shouting. Every time someone rolled past going faster, lads were swerving to get on wheels, thinking the guy in front of them was in trouble. All a bit dodge. We got back on. Just in time for the pack to line out for a good few minutes. Some suffering. I could see the lad in front of me shaking his head a lot. I know how he was feeling. This was about 5km from the bottom of the 2nd hill. Teams drilling it so no one could move up. Fair enough tactic. Lesson there. Before the race I was memorising the distance to the bottom of the big hills and counting back 2km for when I should start moving up. Forget that. Of course everyone has that same idea. And the savages were racing balls out a few km before that. Legs were starting to hurt big time and struggled to stay in touch over the 2nd hill. Rolled around the rest of the course with the gruppetto. Two mins before the finish line, four or five lads went crashing down right in front. Skirted around that, dunno what messing they were at, we weren't exactly racing. Just tired and lost concentration.
Overall, dunno what to make of it really. Not very interesting sitting mid pack as a tourist looking at some fellas arse for a couple of hours. Would be nice to have a bit extra pep in the legs, to be at the front and see the action. That said, when you climb off the bike, the body is shaking with the adrenaline coursing through your eyeballs. Definitely will be fit as fiddle after this. Weighed myself going to bed last night and nearly 2kg lighter now! Pasta time.
Thanks to Canto and Dermot for looking after my stuff during the race. And a bit of chat. Didn't know a sinner in the race.
Lets see how far the legs go tomorrow
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