a self evaluation and therefore no doubt skewed!
With 2 hour attempts under my belt, I'm delighted and somewhat relieved to report that particular monkey is well and truly off my back.
With 2 hour attempts under my belt, I'm delighted and somewhat relieved to report that particular monkey is well and truly off my back.
After my first attempt I was keen to try again...which is not how I feel now. What I feel now is that the mark has been made in the sand...it's a soft record and there's at least one person I know who will no doubt give it a go and will smash it...and good luck to her. Records are there to be broken and if I *ever* do this again it will be as a 70 year old...but please, please stop me when I start talking about it!
So while the World record will go fairly rapidly, the Australian one will stay a bit longer, if only because there aren't too many female 65-69 year olds racing in Aus.
So while the World record will go fairly rapidly, the Australian one will stay a bit longer, if only because there aren't too many female 65-69 year olds racing in Aus.
There was quite a difference in the training and execution between my 2 attempts resulting in a more planned approach this time round. I walked away this time knowing that I had nothing left in the tank and that my physiological limiters have a lower set point than my mind! does that make me disappointed? Well I'd have to say slightly as I had set my sights on 150 laps and despite the comment above I think I am capable of that, but in the end you can only do what you can do on the night.
My memory of the ride is that I motored (perhaps too much) for the first 20 minutes then struggled then returned. While struggling and seeing Carl walking the line closer and closer to me as I got slower, I'd have to say that only determination and pride kept me going...and the fact that there were people there cheering me on.
The second 20 minutes is a bit of a blur, I had neck ache, was very thirsty and wanted to vomit...(but where!?). Then my right leg started to cramp, followed a bit later by my left leg but it was nowhere near as bad as during the previous effort. I can't recall too much about the last bit except for Alex spruiking "Go Liz!Go Liz! GO Liz! Lawrence told me later many of her "style" signals were ignored...they weren't ignored I just didn't see them..my focus was very narrow.
For the technically minded I rode a 100.8 on 170 cranks ie 52/14......last time it was 51/15 (or perhaps 52/15). I can't "spin" for any length of time and so needed a bigger gear and ("spinning " for me is anything faster than 85rpm). To maintain the speed I wanted I needed a cadence of 80-82, when struggling I dropped into ~78rpm. My bike weighed in at 6.828kg.
