So after the Monster I basically had time to drive back to Llandovery, bound like a gazelle* up to the second floor and our new room, have a shower, head back downstairs with electronic devices to do that "You haven't done it until it's logged on Fetch, Strava, GarminConnect, TrainingPeaks etc etc thing while ordering food
"Can I have the steak please - and a portion size that'll make a dent in a 6,000 calorie deficit please"
"So...... lots of chips then," smiled Sally
"That'll be great"
The WiFi connection was a little temperamental for a bit, but Lorna and I both managed to get our rides logged in the various places we put them whilst 'disappearing' our food with the efficiency of an industrial vacuum cleaner.
And we headed up to our room to horizontalise ourselves and top up on snash and cans of pop.
A quick bit of doing most of the packing.... and I lasted about half an hour before I was reportedly making like a dead thing!
I'd planned to be away in the morning at a bit after 8:30 to give me time to park again, register and have time for about 15 minutes riding to loosen my legs up.
So woke at about 7:30 and headed down to breakfast.
8 weetabix in 4 sittings of 2 at a time and a couple of cups of tea before throwing everything bar Lorna and her bike into the car and heading down to get signed on while V made her way in her own time to the top of Mynydd Ddu to cheer everyone in
I got the same parking spot!
And as I was wandering around to collect my number I bumped into an old friend. I've known Emma for a few years having first 'met' her on Twitter, then done some training with her and her partner and having ridden a few of the same events.
She's a REALLY strong climber so it made sense that as she was 2 miles up the road attending a wedding on Saturday that she'd signed up for the Grimpée
I got my number and put my not sparkling bike (I saw about 6 others, but there were in fact 13 people who'd also ridden the Monster the day before) together and cleaned and oiled the chain.
I headed out up the road to see if my legs would work and for the first 5 minutes or so I was a little worried!! They wouldn't turn quickly and any pressure on the pedals elicited squeals* of displeasure from my quads!
But by the time I'd done 15 minutes they were showing signs of life again and I was warming up nicely
Despite knowing I had a heavy day of riding in my legs and was likely to be mostly last, I was secretly hoping that, as a Monster Finisher I'd manage to have enough legs to make the as yet unspecified time for a free entry to next years event!!
At the briefing Matt told us that the current Strava KOM (yes it gets everywhere, and yes I'd already looked it up) was 17:49 by a local lad who rides for Madison Genesis!! and that he'd set the cut off at 25 minutes for those of us with tired legs
"It should be doable" he said.
The same bloke who'd also said that the fastest riders in the Monster would be around 6:30 for the Monster - First rider back was 7:08!!
I'll give it my best shot, I thought.
I was looking forward to the neutralised start as a peloton - Matt had the necessary permissions and Police presence to run this as a race with the small numbers involved - 31 riders - and the "steady pace" turned out to be almost 19mph on a slight incline for 5 miles.
THAT got the legs warmed up!!
I positioned myself in the front third for the roll out and the group was nicely disciplined
The hooter went, I pressed the lap button (I wanted to know what my time was without waiting for the results!) and all hell broke loose. The body of the group I was in surged and then eased a bit, two riders hammered off the front and a group from behind me set off in hot pursuit.
I had a little chuckle because in another context I'd have had a go at chasing them down, but 119 miles ridden quite hard the previous day had lopped the top off my available power AND one of the riders was the Current Welsh Hill Climb Champion - and HE came second!
By the time we came over the cattle grid at what my head told me was the bottom of the main body of the climb, but was actually already half way up I was pretty sure that I was almost last!!
But my legs were starting to work and I was starting to reel a few people in
A bit like with running, I would target the next back that was ahead of me and aim to catch them, and from that point on no-one went past me - so I was dragging myself up from Nearly Last.
But the *main* goal was that 25 minutes!!!
What is it with photographers and corners? The final switchback was where they were standing with about a mile to the finish. I put on a 'I'm working really hard' show for their benefit (as you do!) and from there to the finish there were loads of people out to support, cyclists, families and assorted others. I glanced up to see two things: firstly a small female rider with a long plait who I didn't recognise but was closing on - as I went past I realised that she could only have been about 12 and was riding with her Dad. Tell you what - she was going great guns!
Chapeau, cariad
And Emma, about 50 metres ahead, and I was gaining! That can't be right! On the longer climbs she is consistently about a minute faster than me.
But I was spurred on.
I put out as much effort as I could for the line and hit the lap button as I crossed the little line.
Unfortunately the finish came too soon to actually catch her, but a deficit of just 9 seconds was most pleasing
I pedalled on beyond the finish just to spin the legs out and so as not to create a Bee shaped obstruction on the (still) open public road.
I turned back to the layby where the finishers were congregating and thought - there's about 20 of them
I found somewhere to stop and check my Garmin
Lap 1 - the neutralised start - 3.76 miles - 12:07mins - 18.6mph
Lap 2 - The Grimpée - 4.92 miles - 23:22mins - 12.6mph
GET IN!!!
At some point Lorna had appeared and was chatting to Emma, and after a short while we headed down to HQ
Lorna said, "I'll be really pissed off if the Strava segment starts 10m back from here."
I decided to get down as quickly as I could and start sorting out the car, and realise half way down that I'd stopped my garmin at the top
Bugger - I was descending well and would have loved to have had the geeky stats for it.
Photographers were still at the switchback taking descending pic - so put on a show for them again - Wide in Tight to the Apex, wide out :D
And put in a decent effort down to the Hall.
I got changed and readied the car for Lorna's bike and headed into the hall for
and Oh and, randomly Tortilla chips and peanuts!We chatted with one of the ladies who'd done both days but who was certain she hadn't made the 25 minute cut off for a free place on the next event, and had a chance to have a bit of a chinwag with Emma, which was great too.
Chris - the young chap from The Level Crossing had also done both days and was looking pretty knackered, but had also had a good weekend
Come the prize giving ( there was only a cash prize for the overall winner) the ladies were up first, Emma was first, and the 2nd and third ladies had both ridden the Monster as well
The first three riders had fabulous times
3rd was 19:22
2nd was 18:19
1st was 18:08
They all *looked* like rider who were climbers!
They make me look like a lump, and it's no wonder I can't climb anything like that** (as well as being old
)Matt the organiser also announced that all 13 riders who'd done both days would be offered free places next year as the number who'd done both was so small.
Chapeau sir! A fantastic gesture and a top weekend
*I may have been imagining these
**I was 16th - it doesn't get more mid pack than that
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