Never, ever did I imagine I
would ever take part in an event that would include Dani King, Laura Trott and
Joanna Rowsell. Our very own Team GB
Olympians! And me!! But on Saturday evening we were all part of the IG Smithfield
Nocturne - a series of six very different cycle races around Smithfield Market
in London.
Clearly Dani, Laura and Joanna
were in a very different race to mine - the speed at which they shot around the
course was unbelievable! My camera could only capture their blurry outlines and
nothing can describe the power of the force of air as they flew by to the
finish line. It was like being overtaken
by a fast moving truck - it caused an amazing shudder that left us in absolute
awe. We all took in an incredible, spontaneous gasp, completely mesmerised.
Thanks to Velovixen I had been
accepted as a quarter of Team Velovixen in one of the six races making up the IG
Nocturne. The race I was in was the IG
City Crit Female race. 12 laps of Smithfield Market! I am pretty sure I was not only the heaviest but
also the oldest and the weakest - by
quite some way. I knew from the beginning I would be the
slowest but that didn't deter my fellow team mates or indeed our sponsors one
jot. They were all so kind and
enthusiastic.
 |
Two of my team mates, Rose and
Cags are part of Tribesports Tribesports
which is a great on-line arena where you can sign up
for all sorts of amazing challenges in a whole range of sports. A website that allows you to set and take
part in your sports goals and by its very nature gives you encouragement to
meet your commitments. Tribesports had
kindly sponsored our Team Shirts too. I
should also add that Cags is a UK Rollapulliza champion and Rose is just very
fast!
My third team mate , Monica has
just come back from a 6,000km solo cycle ride from Athens to Lisbon in nine
weeks, raising enough money to fund education for approximately 250 girls in
Africa. What an achievement. Truly humbling.
Bizarrely Monica was on her way
home from the trip, literally at Terminal 3 at Heathrow, about to be met by her
family when The Man in Charge at Velovixen sent out the request for Team volunteers. Monica's
family, however, were busy holding up
Welcome Home banners in Terminal 1 so whilst the welcome party were making
their way to Terminal 3, Monica replied and signed up for the IG Nocturne!
My preparation under the circumstances was
farcical! 2,600 miles since January is one thing, but pootling about at 18mph
max doesn't really cut it! Our team
meeting on Monday had been more of a hello and this is going to be such fun
rather than strategy and tactics. On Wednesday I met Monica in Regents Park and
we did a couple of laps - thank goodness I had bagsied team Velovixen's 4th
place for myself - these peeps are strong ,strong, strong cyclists!
On Saturday I did do 40 minutes
on the spin bike as a sort of warm up on the basis that I have seen them do
that on the telly! I then removed my
mudguards (and quite a lot of mud) from my bike, cleaned it, removed everything
I didn't need (light fittings, garmin mounts) and arrived at Smithfields at 4.30pm
in time to sign in and change into our very special Team Shirt! Wowser!
Heats 1 and 2 of the Folding Bike Race were already happening, good grief they are speedy! We made our way to the VIP area and enjoyed a
view of the Folding Bike Final followed by Penny Farthing races. Amazing!
Then it was our turn. One minute I was on the 'phone to a friend
and the next The Man In Charge was saying "they're off" and we
were! Onto the course to do a couple of
warm up laps. I gawped in amazement at
the size and volume of the enthusiastic, supporting crowds, the sunshine, the
amazing opposition - Team Rouler, Team Mule Girl Sigma Sport, Team Rapha, Team Ana
Nichola - and here I was with Team Velovixen!!
As I looked around at the other peeps cycling with me I felt I was in
the Tour de France.
To be honest I wasn't just
completely a zillion times out of my league, I was also a bit (a lot) star
struck! I mean these are all serious
cyclists!
It didn't help that I got the
giggles, that I didn't change gear once (d'oh) that I couldn't believe I was
here, that the Commentator was talking about Team Velovixen but despite all
that I did try to give it my best shot.
I could have done better as I didn't push myself totally out of my
comfort zone. Potholes, cambers, blobs
of tarmac and the prospect of cycling within millimetres of other serious cyclists
meant I was at the back not to mention
the obvious facts that I was the slowest and the least fit.
But the crowd were simply fantastic. I told myself that I was at front and every
lap I did I was cheered the entire way - even by the crowd marshalls! What a thing to do!
A thousand things went through
my mind - not least "What am I doing here?" But sometimes in life
opportunities present themselves and if you don't give it a go then you miss
out. You never know how it would have been and how you could have done. I hadn't said I was fast, I hadn't misled
anyone and Velovixen had seemed and remain genuinely chuffed to bits that we
were all there, regardless.
I think I must have looked a complete idiot as
I was grinning from ear to ear the whole way round, every round (sorry, lap)! At one point I started worrying how
disappointed Chris Boardman would be that his bike was at the back. Last. Not a
good ad for what really is a great bicycle. I lost count of laps. I had a tag! A tag! I was a bit deterred when a van pulled up in
front of me for the next race!
But nothing has diminished my
enthusiasm and pure joy of having been in the race - and I was only the slowest
by 30 seconds! To top the lot Team Velovixen came fourth. Fourth! 4th! How fantastic is that!!
Once it was all over, we
regrouped in the VIP area. Rose
mentioned the race line - I realised a lot more homework was required!! We were joined by Lucie from Velovixen and we
all had beers, tea and food.
The
Brompton Race went by, then the Mens Crit - followed by the Women's Elite Race -
won fantastically by Laura Trott.
The men's race was even faster,
if that's possible. Like a train. The noise, the whoosh, the motorbike at the
front it was just fantastic.
I am still star struck, still slightly stunned
that I was actually there and enormously grateful to Velovixen and to Monica,
Rose and Cags for being such fabulous team mates.
Stats for the week
Monday 17.51 miles, in 1hr 40
with a top speed of 18.9 on the Brommie - Lunch with a friend followed by
a hello to another in Regents Park! On
the way home I popped round Smithfields to have a look at the route for the
Smithfield Nocturne.
Tuesday to the City for another lunch, a trip around
Spitalfields then to Angel to have look and listen to Andrew Gilligan. The Embankment is a scary place - I was doing
26.9 on the Brommie, mainly by fear with the help of a tailwind! 23 miles in
total.
Wednesday on the Boardman First
day of training with fellow team mate Monica in Regents Park. No stats but it was great fun and I am
definitely going to be last. 15 miles
Thursday on the Brommie To the
west end and on to Maida Vale 15 miles, top speed 16.4 in 2hrs 10.
Friday on the Brommie to
Islington and back via a trip to Smithfields. 20.2 top speed, in 1hr 9 cycling
14.5 miles
Saturday The IG Smithfield
Nocturne 19.07 miles in 1 hr 2. 13.2 ave, 22.6 max! (Clearly not fast enough)
Fanastic week. Grin staying on
face for quite some time!
