Just last week I swore I would never do another cycling time trial. After my first experience of such an event, at the Bute Cycling Festival, I decided that it hurt much too much to ever contemplate such madness ever again. But just like (most) women who swear they’ll never have another child after the agony of birth, but then go on to have one, two, and several more, I am now contemplating signing up for another time trial.

I haven’t decided which one yet and my memory of the pain and discomfort of the two up time trial on Bute  is still fairy vivid but I am starting to change my mind. How could this be happening?

I think that, like the example of child birth, the brain has a cannie knack of depleting the memory of one’s utter agony. (Otherwise every mum would be using several contraceptive methods at once.)

Also, now that I know the results of the time trail I’m feeling quite chuffed with myself. I might even be feeling so chuffed that I’d like to do a time trail again but this time with more experience and focus.

It turns out that the G-Force and I completed the 21-mile (or so), hilly 2-Up time trial course in a shave under 1hr 2mins. It appears that we were second “mixed” couple. And while the winning time by the blokes was an awesome 49 mins, it doesn’t seem so awful to be just 12 or so minutes behind the fastest riders. Added to this, most of the top cyclists had uber-sleek-looking bikes with time trial handle bars and the minimum of lightweight bling. (Unlike my “heavyweight”, old-fangled aluminium Pinarello.)

Even the G-Force seems pleased with our result. Of course, he could have done better in the 2-up event cycling with another man but “for a girl” I did well. Apparently. He might even do the Bute race with me again next year. It seems that his memory of cycling with me as I groaned and complained and panicked and almost gave up on every hill has started  to wane in his mind, too!