On Thursday night I went up to the Tameside Closed circuit track for a good 1 ½ training session.
Plus as I am going to be racing there this month I thought it best to turn up and at least get a feel for the track before going to race on it.
I got there to find that 15 other riders had the same sort of plan. Some seasoned racers and others having their first experience of the track as I was too.
It was indeed a very friendly atmosphere with a really good coach to greet us, then stretch our very souls as he nicely had us thrash ourselves at an ever increasing pace and intensity around the circuit.
I started by just having a nice relaxed run around to get a feel of the corners and figure out where I could get the power in to get up to racing speed. This was not that easy as I have been cycling to work all week and my legs were not as fresh as they could be!
Setting off around the track I was finding my way through the sweeping right and left bends. At one end a nice long sweeping left hander is the top spot for racers to “stack it in” as one of the riders explained to me, whilst at the other end a fast 180 degree hairpin bend proved to be really tight. Going into that two or three abreast would be great fun!
So as we all trundled around at a nice easy pace it was starting to get busy. We all finally gathered into a big group and then the fun would begin!
To start we made our way around two abreast, winding out way through the bends. Thankfully nobody was really pushing it at this point and even though we were very close to each other no one made contact. Amazing really considering the speed was starting to ramp up as we all started to get warmed up.
Then we all stopped for a quick briefing for the session to really begin.
We split into 2 groups and started to make our way around again. The idea being the we drafted behind the riders on the left then once you reached the front you peel off to the right and rest for a brief couple of seconds before joining the fast line back on the left. All this was to be at about 60% effort so not to completely kill ourselves over the 20 (or so) minutes this exercise would be carried out over.
I joined a group of 5 riders, all looking very capable and off we went.
It had started raining at this point and the wind was picking up. The track started to get slippery especially where the grass cutters had left grass on the track (thankfully this was only at 2 points)
Straight away I was in the fast line keeping the pace into each of the bends. As the rider in front peeled to the right I accelerated up to get ahead, really working my legs and getting my heart rate going. I could feel the sweat start to gather on my back as I was wearing my shower proof jacket.
I peeled to the right and relaxed.
Dropping back I came to the back of the line very quickly. As the last rider to my left passed me and called “Last Man!” when he got to me. He accelerated past and I moved onto his wheel getting the benefit of being behind him. I called “Last Man!” to the rider to my right and before I knew it I was at the front again.
Faster and faster we went as the effort we were putting in was ramping up. So much for staying at 60% !!!
We headed down the starting straight, into wind as we went. I could feel my legs starting to burn and complain at me. If they could talk at this point they would be screaming “This hurts please stop!”. Harder still we pushed on. The rain started to ease off a bit but the track was now quite wet.
On one of the left hand bends I was at the front again. I was pulling away upping the pace to get to the front then as I pulled top my right, I over cooked it a little and with a slight moment of panic I was on the grass! The rider to my left in a piss taking manner shouted “You getting some cycle cross in too mate!”. I was cursing by this point and after my gardening exploits I managed to hop back onto the track before I was ejected out the back of the group.
Still working hard and starting to really feel the strain we lost one man off the back. This really didn’t help as it meant that instead of us all sharing the effort 5 ways it would now be four ways.
We streamed on lap after lap. The 1km track was starting to feel long even though our lap times were dropping and the pace increasing. I was on the drops by now getting right down to decrease my wind resistance.
Each time we turned into wind it was hurting me to put more effort and power in. I had Sergeant Major Matt laughing with hysterics in my head screaming “KEEP MOVING YOU IDLE MAN!!”. Keeping the pace high we passed the coach to hear the shout of “2 more laps”. The group began to ease off as we got around the first of the two laps. I could see the other three were suffering too, but we were all smiling and just kept it going as best we could.
Steadily slowing to a halt by the coach the entire group on the track gathered. All stinking with sweat, with steam rising off hot bodies but all still in high spirits. We were all smiling and ready for the next phase in the endurance pyramid we were working through.
“Split into groups of 3 and keep on changing, this will be the hardest exercise and should last about 10 minutes” were the instructions from the coach. I stayed with 2 of the 3 chaps I ended the last exercise with and with a great deal of enthusiasm we set off again. Straight into a 85-90% effort as we accelerated away. The changes were very fast, The rest spite even shorter. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears by this point as we were really working hard. Legs screaming we powered through the bends and down the straights. I was really working at my maximum endurance by now. The miles I had done this week already were starting to tell on my legs. I was finding it harder and harder to get up to the front each time.
As we powered our way down the starting straight into wind, I was on the front again. The pace was high, the man next to me not dropping back as I thought he would. My legs were on strike by now and I was starting to get shooting cramps in my left leg too. Not good as this is my still weaker leg after breaking my ankle last year. We rounded the right bend and I dropped to the right to relax a little then as I went to put the power in I found I had nothing left! The pair of riders carried on ahead of me and I was just dropping further and further back. Regardless of how angry I was getting I just couldn’t get my legs to respond with the poser output I so desperately needed.
Soon enough I was so far behind my group that I was starting to get passed by others on the track. I was not going to pull up as I would be embarrassed beyond belief if I did. Just to make the best of the worst situation I carried on around to reap the benefit of doing some training rather than bombing out and passing on the chance to get as much track time as I could.
Soon enough we were all back at the half way point with the coach happy with everyone’s performance. Cool down time now and we all headed out as a group just spinning our legs to work off the muscle fatigue. It was a nice easy pace with everyone chatting and again we were changing over as we went.
Now finished we all pulled up back to the main gate and left happy and smiling, plus a bit damp and very sweaty!
In all I recorded just over 30 miles (50 laps). That is twice the race distance I will be doing on the 15th. I have promised myself to return to the track next week. I imagine that the race will be a proper eye balls out affair! Hard turning and defending your line will be the key. Use of energy and applying the pressure will be the tactics. I can’t wait for thrill of an all-out sprint and just hope to hell that I am in a position to get in and not be dropped.
More work to do in the next 10 days to make sure I am in the best way I could possibly be to compete in the race.
Lessons learnt from the session:
1. I am not at peak fitness yet, I know lots of racers use early season races to get this as the stresses of racing are far higher than those of training.
2. I can corner a lot fast and steeper than I thought I could. I was surprised I managed to stick sometimes even if things did get a bit twitchy at times.
3. I can push my limits harder than I thought. The more I do this the better I will be by the end of it.
I am happy with my bike now and with all the trial and error I have had over the past 2-3 years as I have been working on what was essentially a project has really given me a superb entry level bike that I am more than happy with. It isn’t too light at just under 10kg and the engine could do with some tuning but by god it is fun to ride!
So looking forward to the 15th now (and the training session on the 8th).
Bring on the pain!!!
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