Mc'd again!

Today was the first Galileo race of the year at work - and with my form improving at the moment I knew I'd be in for a win.

When I saw Ian McDougal I knew my win would be quite a bit difficult. If you remember, it was Ian who broke my winning streak by giving me a drubbing in the last GATA, so I had a bone to pick.

It was a perfect day for running, cool and not raining. Sure, the 29mph wind was a little arduous, but that aside it was spot on. From the start the course climbs gently up a long hill. Up the hill I found a nice pace that was quick but would let me warm through properly. I surprised myself (and, I later discovered, Ian) when I found I was easily shadowing him up the hill, hardly straining my breathing.

About 3/4the way up the hill Ian was now warmed through and also getting annoyed with the upstart on his tail, so he upped the pace. It was cruel but effective; I just didn't have anything to answer his acceleration with. But that was fine, mindful of Cirencester on Sunday I was running my own race at a pace as fast as I could muster without compromising the weekend.

Soon we turned into the wind, and I found myself enjoying the strange torture of running into the wind. I made a point of not looking back but did have a niggling feeling that if I lost concentration I might get caught and lose 2nd. And keeping concentration was difficult; after my hard London riding yesterday my legs felt like lead and my joints like treacle.

As I drew into the finish I gradually ratcheted up the pace - not quite to "grunting like a hunted boar" levels, but definitely in the zone of “gulping air like a maniac”. It felt great!

Ssoon after I came in a young graduate came in – apparently he was trying to catch me but got lost in the last few hundred metres through the houses. I look forward to the rematch.

But my concerns right now are far simpler - I'm as hungry as a horse and dinner awaits.

Goodnight!

:-)