Weighing in
This week 100.0 kg
Effectively no weight loss since the start of the year, but no gain either. The first time in 10 years my weight has not been going up over time.
Miles last week 225
Longest ride 102 miles
With the Etape now being just 13 days away, I'll not be concentrating on how lardy I am any more. There are more important things to sort out now.
Yesterday saw a very windy Circuit of the Cotswolds with trees at the side of the road bent almost double in places.
At least over the course of the day, the sun mostly shone, and the wind shifted to be with us for about 50% of the ride. I'm still learning a few things, but yesterday carried some really good lessons.
After the Lark Stoke climb (about 60km in) I caught up with an older gentleman in Reading CC kit (greying hair, legs that looked as if they'd seen more miles than a London Taxi) and whilst talking he pointed to a guy about 30 metres in front and said "that's the wheel to be on". How did he know? 30 metres up the road is usually considered by me as "past and gone", but on this occasion I dug in and got on. At this point his 3 team mates in MidOxon gear arrived, and I struggled to hold the last wheel for about a mile whilst oxygen returned to my bloodstream. Once it did, however, the group kindly dragged me all the way to Snowshill a full 10kmh faster than would have otherwise been possible. Thanks guys, whoever you were.
Later, on Cleeve Hill, I learned that riding all the way up a 1-in-4 is not always the best policy if it's going to kill your legs for the rest of the ride. So, for the first time this year, I chose to get off. Usually, I get off at the point of surrender or collapse. Many others were pushing too. On the next two climbs, I passed those who had been riding Cleeve, as they were walking. Net gain.
Feeling unusually strong, I left the last control with the wind behind, and leathered it as hard as my slipping chain would allow (must get that fixed before the Etape) only for my "fastest target time" to be cruelly snatched away by 5 (count 'em, 5) red traffic lights in the last 3 miles.
The obligatory stats:
Distance 164km/102 miles
Average speed 24.1kmh/15mph
Max Speed 71.6kmh/44.5mph
Ride Time 6:49:30
Elapsed time 7:01:52
And then today the results were published. I had a suspicion yesterday that the organisers might have been generous with the time standards, but apparently:
22% got Gold
20% got Silver
23% got Bronze
35% got finishers medals, so it's not 'too' generous.
I was gobsmacked! I finished 120th fastest of 345 finishers, and got my first ever Silver Medal. I'm so chuffed I could burst! (perhaps after the Etape)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
What? You stop for red lights? Obviously not a Wirral cyclist then. Next you will be saying you don't squeeze down the inside of a queue of cars then get annoyed that they want to overtake you again 20 yds later!
So, only 12 days left. Best of luck and try not to emulate that cyclist in the tour of Switzerland.
Well done. I was also infuriated by those traffic lights. I had a good tempo going only to have to stop for what seemed like an age!
There won't be any for lights in the Etape will there? Good luck and I hope the wind is behind you when you need it most.
Hey Clive
What can I say? It's difficult to put into words how I feel about all you brave etapists. My heart is just willing you all on to glory. I can't wait to read the write up of your ride - your blog is brilliant and you should keep it up post etape. I hope to see you in Pau while we're over there. I'm watching from foot of Hautacam so I'll be cheering you on (or sozzled on local vin?) If I don't see you, have a great ride.
Good luck!
Karenx
Clive, from what I read the first 50 miles of the Etape is pretty much flat so getting in with a good group using as less energy as you can is a must.
You have definitely got the miles and the endurance in you legs for the Col du Tourmalet and Hautacam climbs, indeed try and stay with your pace group when it hits the climbs but don’t blow yourself up if you get dropped, nice and easy at your own pace Tourmalet is a long climb.
That’s the way I see it for myself just about.
Good luck, thanks for the pointers on my blog, hope to catch you at the weekend.
Our little group of Etape Virgins will be wearing the Foska Cross of St George shirt, I guess you will be in the white with black stripe shirt from the picture in the Polka Dot Challenge blog entry. What number are you, I am 4976.
4537. See you in the same start pen, bright and early
Post a Comment