I had a dream: Time Trial

Time Trial

We’re going to do a 100 mile bike time trial.

The start was not that far away

Clapham Village Hall

a popular start point.

Steve left home early in the car………

He forgot to take me!

I really wanted to do it too;

I needed to qualify

for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in November.

The event is also

a qualifier

for European Championships in 2021

I will be eighty two by then.

So I set off

riding the extra 5 miles

to get to the start late.

When I get arrive

they have changed the start

to another point;

Dial Post

16 miles further on

I eventually get to the start there

a couple of hours late.

There are not many,

(Well none actually)

Lady Vet riders

Of my age.

They let me start anyway.

As I get pushed off by the start marshal

I realise what I am wearing

a very nice and warm

but totally impractical for the occasion,

mohair and wool mix winter coat

Auntie Paul gave me it before she died.

It is a full length camel coloured coat

with a high Peter Pan collar.

Whilst holding the flaps of the coat

to keep them from catching in the spokes

I notice that I have,

to make matters worse

put on a pair on socks

that my daughter’s cocker spaniel Jeffrey

had eaten a few days earlier.

They are in shreds

and offer me no protection

my shoes start to give me blisters.

My husband Steve,

who is normally

my pre-event preparation slave,

has not even filled my drinks bottle.

My usual bag of M &S fruit jellies

are not on my bike

and neither,

is my normal salt supply,

In the form of Marmite Crackers.

I carry on biking

but the wind gets in my eyes…..

I have forgotten

my sun glasses.

I look for a marshal

to give my cumbersome coat to

I don't want to just leave it on the road side

because it is a top quality coat

and it will last me forever

because I only wear it for best.

I am now hours over the cut off time

but still have to get back to the finish

which is,

another fifty miles away.

It is then that I start to become

distantly conscious

from my dream

but do not actually wake.

I know at this point

that the reason

my foot and arm ache

SO much is because

I have been training really hard

every single day at this time,

trying to stay focused.

But on the other hand

I have more movement

I am starting to think

that I things will

eventually get better.

This is confusing in my dream state

because I am struggling

through a hundred mile time trial

I think that I should stop really.

Yet here I am on a long bike ride

I hope that Steve will come and pick me up

but he doesn't.

I keep pushing on,

confused now as to

why I am fighting the odds

when I should be having an easy day.

I am coming out of my dream slowly

I know that I do want to stay in shape

but cannot remember what for

my legs ache so much on this ride.

The alarm goes off at 5.00 am.

In my bleary state I am not sure

that I have not been riding my bike

all night

in Auntie Paul's coat.

It feels like I have.

In the cold light of day

I do not need this dream analyzed

I know that am old,

fighting against the odds.

It is still a worthwhile battle

In case anybody out there thinks otherwise.