Personal best - nearly!

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barq

Senior Member
Location
Birmingham, UK
Any one else come close to doing a personal best on the bike, only to be thwarted by something stupid?

For ages I've been trying to get a particular weekday evening ride done in under 35 minutes. As it is mostly off-road this so called 'summer' hasn't exactly been on my side as the mud has been inches deep. A good time on this ride also requires me to not meet (too m)any horses, walkers, dogs and so on.

Last night everything was perfect. The ground was dry and not too loose. The dogs/children were under control. All along the way the signs were good. At certain key points I noted I was ahead of my personal best by a few seconds and gaining - 35 minutes was within my grasp! The heart rate monitor was encouraging too - I was working hard but not utterly maxed out. After four years of cycling this circuit, this was going to be the day that I finally cracked the 35 minute mark.

Then, in the final off road section, I skidded to a halt in front of a mahoosive fallen tree blocking the entire bridleway. I had to stop, get off my bike, and climb through the fallen tree. At this point I looked at my cycle computer which was still happily counting away - it always seems to take about six seconds to realise I've stopped.

So I got back home with 35.13 on the clock. Dammit! ;)
 

Melvil

Guest
Bad luck, man, but at least you can comfort yourself with a virtual PB if not an actual one!
 

longers

Legendary Member
I did a triathlon in June on a course I've done a few times and therefore have a PB. I would have smashed it as my cycle leg was over 2 minutes quicker, my swim the same as usual and my run 30 seconds better then my PB.

If I hadn't spent about a minute and a half faffing around with my number belt after the swim (back to front numbers, clasps upside down) I'd have been in the top 50 for the first time, beaten a friend and destroyed my PB.;)
For such an easy to use, time saving device I gave myself real difficulty.:biggrin:
I still beat it but it seemed like a disapointment.

I used to swim a lot when younger and every year they had the county age group races for a very coveted black badge. If you were a wee bit too slow to qualify they did the B races. I got disqualified for being 16 hundredths too fast after winning a great race in the B's. Bugger! I think I'd have come 7th in the A race.

You can't legislate for fallen trees though barq, you'll have it next time. (Do you own a chainsaw?)
 
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barq

barq

Senior Member
Location
Birmingham, UK
longers said:
If I hadn't spent about a minute and a half faffing around with my number belt after the swim (back to front numbers, clasps upside down)

Oh no! That's almost worse because its more annoying. At least a fallen tree seems more like an act of god.

(Do you own a chainsaw?)

Erm yes, attach to forks perhaps? It'd certainly keep the walkers/dogs/horses out the way too. ;)
 
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barq

barq

Senior Member
Location
Birmingham, UK
Aperitif said:
...foiled by the bark barq... next time.

Groan! ;)

Actually I tried again tonight. I knew I wouldn't quite make it because I was tired from yesterday's effort, but you know still good fun to get close. The tree was still there, but they have now cordoned off the whole area which makes the diversion really significant. Given that it's on a bridleway, I don't know what a horse rider would do. It's not like you can pick them up!
 

yenrod

Guest
No way ! You can put it down to or under 35mins..because if the tree hadnt been there then...!

SO IT WAS UNDER !!! ;)

barq said:
Any one else come close to doing a personal best on the bike, only to be thwarted by something stupid?

For ages I've been trying to get a particular weekday evening ride done in under 35 minutes. As it is mostly off-road this so called 'summer' hasn't exactly been on my side as the mud has been inches deep. A good time on this ride also requires me to not meet (too m)any horses, walkers, dogs and so on.

Last night everything was perfect. The ground was dry and not too loose. The dogs/children were under control. All along the way the signs were good. At certain key points I noted I was ahead of my personal best by a few seconds and gaining - 35 minutes was within my grasp! The heart rate monitor was encouraging too - I was working hard but not utterly maxed out. After four years of cycling this circuit, this was going to be the day that I finally cracked the 35 minute mark.

Then, in the final off road section, I skidded to a halt in front of a mahoosive fallen tree blocking the entire bridleway. I had to stop, get off my bike, and climb through the fallen tree. At this point I looked at my cycle computer which was still happily counting away - it always seems to take about six seconds to realise I've stopped.

So I got back home with 35.13 on the clock. Dammit! :biggrin:
 

NickM

Veteran
It ain't under unless it's under... Don't worry, it took me several years, two bikes, and more money than I care to think about to get my ten mile PB down from the shelf and dust it off, but when I finally did it all the effort and expense seemed well worth while ;)
 
Ha Barq thats really bad luck - keep trying though, it'll make it more worth it ;)

I nearly beat my commute PB tonight, but was foiled by my own forgetfullness. Events conspired against me during the day and I didn't eat any lunch, all I had was a small bowl of porridge before I left home at 5.30am this morn.

Hammering to the station I got about 20mins in and my HR skyrocketed to 98% on a section I usually expect it to be 87% for the same percieved effort, then my legs filled up with lead and I ended up 7 mins down on my PB!

lol! that'll learn me! :biggrin: :sad:
 
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barq

barq

Senior Member
Location
Birmingham, UK
yenrod said:
No way ! You can put it down to or under 35mins..because if the tree hadnt been there then...!

SO IT WAS UNDER !!! ;)

I appreciate your line of thinking :biggrin:, but it has to be by the clock. Otherwise I'll start deducting time for extra mud, traffic, the horses I had to stop for...

In all honesty I probably need a new training loop because I've optimised every aspect of the ride and would benefit from a fresh challenge... but not until I've cracked 35mins!

Can't try again until next week - the area gets very busy at weekends and although it's nice to see the look on people's faces when you rocket past them, you can't take risks with other people's safety so the ride is for the most part painfully slow.

Jacomus - that's hard luck. At least you know what to do next time.
 
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barq

barq

Senior Member
Location
Birmingham, UK
Jacomus-rides-Gen said:
What trails do you ride Barq? I am guessing (hoping) they are around Guildford.

I have a friend who is into MTB and the two of us keep saying we should go and explore some local trails.

The particular route in question is straight out of town, up onto the downs, along past Newlands Corner and along the ridgeway to a turn point somewhere above Shere. My other training ride is a mostly road-based spin from Guildford up Pitch Hill. I often meet roadies going up that hill, although I struggle to keep up on my full suspension MTB, but I'm sure it makes me push harder. ;)

Oh you should head off into the Surrey Hills. Pitch, Holmbury and Leith are all criss-crossed with trails. They vary in how steep/technical they are, but with a few exceptions there's nothing too nasty!
 
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