Wrekinsport CC rider Hayley Wells tell us all about her best ride ever… and the worst!

 

Best Ride: 25-mile TT, Ross-on-Wye

After a positive start to the season with PBs being achieved on local courses, I was keen to test myself on a couple of the quicker courses in the country to see where I stood so I decided to head down to Monmouth for a weekend of racing with some friends.

We took on the double hosted by Ross-on-Wye & District CC, with the 10m TT run on the R10/17 course on the Saturday and then the 25m TT run on the R25/7 course on the Sunday.

Typical British weather on the Saturday meant it was a drizzly afternoon for racing, but we did not let this dampen our spirits. I was keen not to overcook myself as the 25 the next day was my main target of the weekend.

Being a dual carriageway meant keeping consistent pacing was manageable, and I was delighted to pick up a 10-mile PB by three seconds on the day, clocking a 22:15 for first female on the day.

The following day full focus was on the 25-mile event. Weather conditions were dry, with favourable temperatures and light winds. A cross/head wind out then a cross/tail back. My body felt raring to go and not fatigued from the previous day, plus a start time of 08:32 meant adequate time to prepare.

Having never ridden the course before I was going in blind, but had got a verbal overview of the course from fellow athletes. It's a quick start downhill then straight onto the dual carriageway where I planned to keep as aero as possible for approximately 11 miles.

It was then the 'scenic' part of the course for the next 2-3 miles, an opportunity to recover slightly and take on some fuel before getting back on the dual carriageway for the return leg.

My main aim of the day was to see if I could get under the hour for the first time across 25 miles, which meant pacing and nutrition was crucial to optimise my chances. I felt my pacing was on point, focusing on keeping my cadence around 90rpm and speed up, as well as my nutrition strategy which I had practiced a number of times this season already.

I crossed the line delighted to discover I had exceeded my expectations and clocked a 55:33, enough for second female on the day. Now I know the course, I plan to return back to Monmouth next season to see what other gains I can make.

 

Worst Ride: 25-mile TT, Battlefield

Not to jinx myself but I've been very fortunate to have not had any major hiccups or mechanicals during a race so far in my life. However, being human the one thing that doesn't always wish to cooperate is the body! We can go from being on top of the world one race weekend, to rock bottom with little motivation, energy and drive to do what we love. This was very much the case for my last TT race this season.

It had been a long and busy season of time trialling, duathlons and triathlons and I had definitely pushed my body to the max, and understandably can't always expect to perform at my best every time.

On race morning I felt good in myself, temperatures were a little chillier than I would prefer and rain clouds were looming in the distance which meant we could be in for a damp race, but remained positive.

Having ridden the Battlefield course a number of times this season I was very familiar with the rolling hills. We were faced with a block head wind out and then a tail wind to return. Within 10 minutes of starting I knew my body wasn't responding and 'in the game for racing'. Fatigue over the previous weeks had built up and I felt like I had nothing in my legs. My mental drive won't allow me to quit though, so I battled on through to the roundabout before the return leg home.

It felt like a long slog back watching the kilometres clock up slowly. Approximately 5km before the finish line the heavens opened and I was soaked within seconds, another dampener to add to the race!

Having done a few wet time trials this year my confidence has started to build in these conditions but it still knocks you about mentally and I get very apprehensive about going downhill.

On this occasion I was very happy to cross that finish line, unclip and spent the rest of the day recharging and resting!

The one thing I have learnt this season is races like these are the ones that sometimes make you stronger in the long run. Around the many highs I've had whilst racing, this is just one example where race prep hasn't gone to plan due to the body not feeling 100% and then getting that post race, 'I feel empty'.

However, taking on board the factors around me at the time, it allowed me to learn more about my body and the ‘warning signs’, and then progress to become a better athlete for many seasons to come.

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