A deflating experience

Just 24 sleeps left to departure and things appear on track. This week I have managed to keep the mileage quite high and have ended up completing a relatively tough 66 mile ride today (Sunday).

I have spent time this week going through the packing list supplied by previous tourists and with the odd exception I seem to have everything I need. All I need to do now is practice packing the bike or more importantly putting it back together afterwards, and then I’m about ready.

Sunday’s ride was quite pleasant, just the three of us this week, setting off out towards Oundle, across to Ketton and onwards to Rutland Water. Whilst the weather was warm enough there was a strong wind and we seemed to heading into it all the way to our pit stop at the Café in the North side car park.

Having has the athletes chosen meal of a bacon roll and coffee we made off toward Oakham and found ourselves dead on into the wind. It was quite tough for the next 6 or 7 miles until we finally made the turn south again near Braunston.

It was at about this point that after just over 2100 miles total riding I suffered my first puncture.  I’m quite glad I did really, as it soon became clear that mending punctures has moved on since I last did any serious cycling; I was given a lesson on modern ways and was very glad for it.

After about a 10 minute puncture stop we continued back towards home with the wind mostly in our favour. There were a number of stiff climbs but the new gears are much better and although I was puffing a bit I was fairly comfortable. There were a number of rolling descents with the wind behind which meant we could whip along the valley floor at about 20mph with little or no effort,  and I managed to get up to 39mph on one downhill  section without really trying.

Having climbed out of the Welland Valley, and after a quick pit stop at my son Matt’s house in Wilbarston to top up our water bottles, the last 15 or so miles flashed past wind assisted and I finished feeling relatively fresh.

I feel my training is showing signs of success, a number of times today I was coasting along sections of the ride where on previous rides I had found them quite difficult. There is no doubt I am fitter and certainly stronger in the climbing area, my only concern is can I do it day after day after day. The TDC organisers tell me they plan the first 2/3 weeks with this in mind, so the early days are not as testing as later in the tour, let’s hope that’s not a wind up!   

Onwards and Upwards!

Back in the saddle

Since the Shires and Spires ride I have had a busy time. As planned I was able to get out and start to build up the mileage again, completing a number of 30 mile rides and doing some gym work to build up the thigh strength.

Zoe and I then jetted off to Turkey for a week in the sun. We had a really good week, the weather was perfect with sun every day and warm evenings that allowed us to eat outside as the sun set. The hotel complex was great; we made full use of the facilities, probably over indulging in the food and drink departments but also making good use of the gym and pools every day bar one. Despite a scare concerning the ash cloud and a delay due to a bird strike on the way home, all in all it was a terrific break.

Post holiday I have hit the road hard, covering over 150 miles since May 18^th.

Whilst away I had the bike serviced; I have changed to 25mm tyres to give me a slightly softer ride, changed the rear cassette to a 11-28 which gives me much more flexibility with the climbing and moved my handlebars up a little which allows me to sit is a slightly more comfortable position.

On Sunday I went on a longer ride with a group of work colleagues. We left Kettering at about 9.15am with the temperature at 25c and not a cloud in the sky (my first day with sunscreen) and headed off into the Welland Valley. Once out of Kettering we passed through Pipewell, Wilbarston, Ashley, Weston by Welland and on through the valley over a number of short but sharp climbs to Halliton. Here we sustained our first casualty as one of the guys lost a pedal and shank which couldn’t be mended at the road side, resulting in him pulling out and getting picked up.

Having left our colleague sitting in the sun, on what would turn out to be the hottest day of the year so far, we moved off through Horninghold and then up a tough climb into Uppingham. I had been  really looking forward to the climbs as I wanted to test out the new gearing ratios, I was happy as I got to the top of the climb into Uppingham as I had eased up without too much effort with quite a high cadence. Now I’m more confident I can handle anything the Tour throws at me.

After a quick pit stop at Uppingham to fill water bottles etc, we continued on through Lyddington, Great Easton, over Bringhurst hill and then into Cottingham, up Middleton Hill , again spinning quite comfortably, and back to Kettering through Pipewell.

When I got back to the car we were just short of 50 miles and it was 30 degrees C. I was really chuffed as not only was my new set up comfortable, but my gamble to change the cassette had proved a good one and I finished knowing I could have done more miles with relative ease.

The plan this week is to keep the mileage up, with about 30 miles each evening, then next weekend put in a couple of back to back longer rides with 50 or so on Saturday and a longer ride of about 70 miles on Sunday. The group is thinking of heading out towards Rutland Water which will be a good test as there are some longer climbs in the latter part of the ride.

It’s now only 31 sleeps until I depart for Canada, I have the last few spare parts on order and over the next few weeks will be spent double checking packing lists, practice setting up the tent, and  taking the bike apart to pack it for the flight. Weekends are getting busy with family commitments but as luck would have it I can build a few longer rides in by biking to and from some of them rather than driving.

I have now cycled over 2000miles since October last year and I have achieved all of my training objectives except a 100 mile ride.  I’m relatively happy that subject to disasters I will arrive in Vancouver ready to go.

Onwards and upwards!

Shires and Spires

On Sunday I took part in the third of my planned long distance Sportives, the Shires and Spires, which is a cycle around rural Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. The 80 mile course (reduced to 72 this year due to a clash with a VW rally) is much more challenging than the Quatro with the last 20 of the 80 including a series of short but sharp climbs.

Not only was the course tougher but the weather had turned cold and windy, and as luck would have it roughly the last half was into the wind which made it even tougher. I decided to travel light and took my rack/bag and mudguards off just carrying a puncture repair kit and tools.

Having missed 3 weeks of training I was a little concerned that I might struggle but I didn’t appreciate just how much of my fitness I had lost. After a good start, with the wind behind, I made some good progress and was finding it all quite pleasant. The country side was beautiful and there were some picture postcard villages we cycled though.

At one point I managed to join onto the back of a pace line of 8 or so other riders for a few miles,  but as soon as we got to a short but sharp hill at about 30 miles I wasn’t able to keep up and they disappeared over the horizon.  This was my first experience of a pace line and although they didn’t rotate it gave me an idea of how much energy you can save by hanging onto the tail of another rider; I was able to travel 3 or 4 mph faster without any real extra effort but as soon as I dropped a little too far back the wind just slammed into me as if I’d put the brakes on. I can see this will be an essential skill on those high mileage windy days across the central plains in Canada.

After about 40 miles I began to struggle; I was comfortable enough on the bike but my legs just lacked any real power and as we turned into the wind for the last 20 miles in particular I had to dig very deep in deed, spending most of the time in my lowest gears just to keep moving and climbing the hills very slowly and getting out of the saddle much more than I would normally.

I managed to grind out the last 20 miles, eating as much as I could at a second  feed station break and taking onboard a number of energy gels etc but despite all that carbohydrate my legs just wouldn’t come to life.  I had to just keep turning the pedals until finally I got to the finish.

Having said all the above there are some positives to be taken from the ride. Most importantly I didn’t fall off!  In addition I didn’t get any pain from my elbow, shoulders or ribs and I was much more comfortable on the bike so it would appear there is no lasting damage.  The new SPD pedals seem to have solved the mysterious clicking sound so that was a cheaper option than new bearings and I managed to test out the waterproofs which I hardly knew I had on.

Overall I’m happy as I know with some effort I can get my fitness levels up relatively quickly. Monday was a Bank Holiday in the UK so an extra day off work; I managed to get 45 minutes on the turbo, just to get the legs moving again, and did some strengthening exercises, although tired I actually felt a lot better than I thought I would.   

The plan now is to complete a 2 hr ride each evening this week with gym work to build the legs and shoulders up again; then it’s off for a week in the sun whilst the TREK goes in for its pre-trip service.  Hopefully I can continue the fitness work whilst on holiday and then get a few longer rides to Nuneaton etc in to help build resilience when I get back.

Not long now only 51 sleeps to take off, onwards and upwards!

Some weeks aren't all that exciting!

Having pulled out of the Peterborough 100 last weekend I finally got back on the bike in earnest this week. Tuesday evening was the first decent ride I had been on, but didn't quite go to plan, as having picked a nice and easy hour long trip I took a wrong turn and ended up doing an extra 45 minutes and 30 miles instead of the planned 20. The last 5 miles were quite painful as my arm, shoulder and ribs were aching quite a lot but at least my legs and lungs were OK. The downside was I seem to have an annoying clicking coming from my front drive chain area which I fear may be the main barrings. The bike is due for a service after next weekend's Shires and Spires ride so hopefully I can get the barrings sorted then.

Wednesday dawned with a full on cold which has had me coughing and spluttering for most of the rest of the week, so it wasn't until Saturday that I felt like getting out again.  Saturday's ride was quite pleasant, it has warmed up a fair bit in recent weeks and the cold northerly winds are temporarily absent and a relatively warm southerly helps with comfort. I limited it to about an hour and covered about 20 miles but everything seemed much more comfortable.

On Sunday I just did a 40 minute turbo session, limiting the jolting and giving my legs a much needed workout.

This week's plan is to get some miles in and do a couple of turbo sessions to get the legs back into condition before next week's Shires and Spires. I will decide which ride to do on Sunday but I hope to be ready for the longer 80 mile route.

Onwards and upwards!! Only 59 sleeps left!!

Slow week but a good weekend.

Despite my hopes of a quick recovery I had to bite the bullet and pull out of my planned 100 mile sportif this weekend, there was just no way I had recovered enough for such a long ride. I did try the turbo on Tuesday evening but it was soon obvious that I wasn't going to be fit for the weekend as my shoulders and groin were just too stiff and painful.

I had a pleasant weekend though; on Saturday I went to see Northampton Saints V Gloucester with my Dad and my son Matt plus his mate Lewis, also a mad keen cyclist. The weather was beautiful plus it was an easy win for the Saints which is always a bonus.

On Sunday I finally got back in the saddle, I did a gentle test for 6 miles of so with Matt and despite the odd wince as I hit a bump or two things felt pretty good, I was also able to check the bike wasn't damaged. We had our first BBQ of the year and Zoe's Mum and Dad , who had been victim of the volcano, came over and tried to make the best of a semi warm Raunds as opposed to a fortnight in Florida.

This week will be a recovery week, I intend to get out as much as I can, probably concentrate on hill work, and try to get back to fitness ready for the Shires and Spires 80 mile Sportif on 2 May.

Recuperative Duties

After last Sunday’s fall I have been forced to take a week off; I still have bruises like I have never had before. I am continuing to pop pills and as soon as I sit down for any length of time I stiffen up, despite which I feel as if I am in the home straight as each day that passes it eases a little.
I have not wasted my time though taking the opportunity to engage in some retail therapy, replacing my hat, adding a frame bag for those all so important sweets etc and then a trip to Milton Keynes where I hobbled around and in the course of doing so managed to blow a few quid on a number of shirts and jumpers that I clearly could not exist any longer without.
Hopefully, I will attempt an hour or so on the turbo Monday evening to test the shoulder and elbow out. I am a little concerned that unless I am pain free by about Thursday then at next Sundays 100 mile ride I may have to take the 100km option and hope to get through it with the help of the local pharmacist.
I am fairly happy with my current fitness though and I don’t think a week or so off the road post accident will make a huge difference. I am certainly glad it happened now and not later in the year as there is no way I could have continued on the TDC in the state I was in Monday morning. I have plenty of time to make up the missed miles and even with a week off in May for a trip to the sun in Turkey there are loads of chances to get a couple of weekend back to backs sorted.

Onwards and upwards….74 sleeps to take off.

The Quatro, Crash Bang Wallop

This week has been mixed. I had a relatively lazy week with only one turbo session as I tapered for the Quatro Sportif on Sunday.
The Sportif was my longest planned ride yet at 82 miles. I was a little nervous even before I got to the start and was confronted by 200 or so seemingly serious cyclists with all the gear etc, some of the local cycle clubs had teams out so for some it was actually a training run rather than a sportif.
I set off in a group of 20 with a few colleagues from work but less than a minute in one of them had a chain come off so I slowed up to wait for him and never saw the other 17 or so again.
The route was pleasant enough, having started in Wollaston we headed across Northamptonshire and down towards Olney, Milton Keynes and then turned back toward Bedford. Initially I was OK on the flat but kept getting left behind on the hills. It was fairly clear where the fitter riders strengths were; I just had to stick to my plan and rather than getting carried away and trying to stay with the others just use the lower gears to make sure I didn’t blow out too early on the trip and let them go on ahead.
As we got towards Milton Keynes I was enjoying the ride but I was feeling a bit out of rhythm, I was cycling with another rider and I think he was just a little too slow for me so I just eased away and found my normal cadence. I found this much more comfortable and my breathing was much more stable.
After 30 miles or so we had our first food break, a nice set up with a service tent and loads of food. I had about 10 minutes and caught up with a couple of colleagues who had left me behind about 10 miles back. The restart wasn’t as bad as I feared and I was soon back into my rhythm, and the next 20 odd miles soon went by.
As we got to 55 miles or so I started to have a few shoulder issues and some pins and needles in my hands. This was the first time I had experienced this and I put it down to particularly bad roads with lots of rough tarmac and pot holes, but it does tell me I need to do some work on my shoulder strength.
The second food stop was at Kimbolton at about 60 miles; I was really comfortable and was quietly confident that with the exception of my shoulders I would have a strong last 20 miles. However as I pulled out of the station the wind was right into my face and it was a really tough pull along the valley back towards Rushden.
After about 5 miles I came a right cropper, I’m not exactly sure what happened but I think I was doing some arm stretches and at some point lost control of the front wheel which turned hard right and I went straight out the front door at about 15mph.
I hit the ground really hard and it took me about 2 minutes to get up and back to my feet, even then I had double vision, something I’ve never had before, I actually thought that my sunglasses were scratched and effecting my vision but I took them off and it made no difference! Another cyclist came to my rescue and stayed with me until I was able to remount. I have to say I was very sore and it took some time before I was able to get back in the saddle.
The last 15 miles were tough, the fall had banged me up pretty bad and my left shoulder and hip were very sore, but my friendly co-rider stayed with me, gave me pain killers and between us we managed to get home, not an easy feat when it seemed to be head on into the wind all the way.
The finish couldn’t come quickly enough but I’m really pleased I did it, not only because it’s the furthest I’ve been so far but also because I have proved I can get back on even when in pain which is what I will have to do In Canada as there is no way out.
After the ride I noticed my helmet had cracked and there were some stone sized holes in the side, I must have hit my head quite hard so it goes to show the value of wearing a helmet. I’ll need to get new one.
The trip home was interesting; by the time I arrived on the front drive I had stiffened up and was really sore. The family were all at the house and helped me unload the car, run a cold bath, get me changed whilst I just tried to keep mobile, fed up on a great roast dinner and took drugs to help with the pain.
As I write this on Monday morning I am still a tad stiff, my thigh has a large bump on it and walking is to say the least a challenge but my back and shoulder have eased a little. Overall though, despite the fall, I am really pleased with yesterdays ride, I felt strong and was comfortable and with a few shoulder exercises 100 miles shouldn’t be too much of a problem. And as Zoë reminded me this morning at least I wasn’t sleeping on a pad in a tent last night!