Not wanting to cheat on my club with another I just could not turn down the opportunity to ride the Emergency Services Road Race held on the SERRL circuit in Woodchurch, Ashford on Sunday, 7 August.
So it was with mixed feelings I pulled on a Kent Police jersey and headed for the start line. I was incredibly nervous and the 2pm start didn’t really help me as I was in too much of a state to eat before hand. This coupled with a strict 1200 calorie a day diet made me anxious at the start.
That said I have been training hard on my rides with my ‘Pi Mei’ Rodney and was keen not to let him down. I figured I knew what would happen, I would get dropped by the field straight away and have to time trial it on my own. Luckily I spied there were a group of ladies riding so my plan was to stick to their wheel like glue and see what happens.
Before I knew it we were off for 10 laps of the 10km circuit, straight away the pace was too fast for me. There was no chance I would stick with the main peloton, I made a few efforts to get in, but clocked my HR at 185 bpm and realised I was out of my league.
I then saw 3 ladies and pounced on their wheel. Within a lap, one had fallen off the pace, within another one more was gone and this resulted in myself, a dropped rider from the main group and another Kent Police lady riding as a small group. We all took turns up the front, and as each lap passed the course felt increasingly ‘undulating.’
I took on a gel and drink at 1.15he in, this was a mistake, half hour earlier was needed. I tried to nibble an energy bar and couldn’t swallow it. ‘Hang in there, hang in there’ I told myself. By two hours in we dropped the fellow who was finding the hills a struggle and for a few miles I sat on my team-mates wheel. It was here I tried another gel, but no good. I was struggling, each pedal turn seemed to take an eternity, everything hurt, I was done.
I waited for the fuel to kick in but it didn’t. I sadly continued on my lonesome way, gutted to have been dropped. Seeing a crashed rider unconscious and being treated by the ambulance staff at the side of the road did nothing to lift my spirits. I struggled on, finished after being lapped by the men and was pleased to have earned 3rd place in the ladies category.
I am happy with the podium but have learned a lesson about fuel. After the race, dizziness and sickness took hold and I spent the journey home with my head between my knees and a sick bag in hand. I know if I had eaten properly I could have stuck with my teammate, but as this was my first ‘proper’ race I am happy with the result.