Ride like the wind

Vindication!  My plan to monitor my pacing at last night's time-trial worked a treat.  I posted a season's best time, some 32 seconds quicker than last week, and in much less promising conditions.  The bit of advice that did it for me was from British tt legend Matt Botterill.  He said you need to go out gingerly, so that "you'll be surprised at how easy it is initially".  That quantified the effort required for me, and gave me licence from the top to take it easy.  Previously, I'd be beset by doubts - "I'm taking it too easy" etc., and find myself upping the pace and going into oxygen debt by lap three.  Once you overcook it, your race is run.

Another added bonus was that despite riding considerably quicker than I had before, I felt better afterwards.  I only entered the red zone in the final half mile.  This was enough to ensure that "left it all out there", i.e., I couldn't have gone any quicker.  But it also meant I didn't hang around in the danger zone long enough to do any real damage.  Result!  I rode better and felt better.  Can't wait for next week now.

I must resist the temptation to reward myself by buying loads of extraneous cycling shit as a reward for my efforts, however.  I must.  I must.  No, no, I really must.  Ahem.