I thought that I had grown out of this kind of thing. It has been a decade since I last took part in a time trial, but tonight in the worst possible conditions I did another. Not only was the weather appalling but he race was up hill, all the way. I had done a practice run a few days ago in brilliant warm sunshine with a pleasant tail wind; riding up hill at pace is never easy, but my rehearsal seemed to bode well. Yet tonight winter returned with vengeance. It was bitterly cold, with a sharp head wind to battle with. Waiting for the results at the top I lost feeling in my hands and feet. Time trialling is a tough discipline in any weather and it is only in reflecting upon the event that one gets any sense of pleasure. My time was 9 minutes 22 seconds; I have never ridden up there faster, but it did not feel like that. Perhaps I should consign time trialling to my personal history file, but not quite yet as I thoroughly intend to ride again next week on a somewhat flatter course.
As a post script, I was meant to insert a photograph here, but Nic Wright claimed that his fingers were too cold to work the camera! I do believe him.
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