Training

That's all folks, that is my 2010 season boxed up and put on top of the wardrobe never to see the light of day again.

I am now in the process of 2 weeks off the bike (with a bit of exercise coming from light jogging) and taking the chance to rest both legs and mind.

2010 has been a bit mad. I have tried to do a lot of cycling around our wedding and honeymoon. Fit in a couple of sportives around a change of job and selling the house, and training around the family illness and the loss of a much loved pet...

...and I am completely worn out.

It feels like ages since I have blogged consistently so I am now planning to knuckle down and get back to a decent level of output before the Tour de France.

Since getting back from honeymoon (where I lost a track stand competition on the cruise ship!) I have managed 180 miles (second half of May) and have got plenty of enthusiasm for cycling back.

Its all about time at the moment and the bank holiday weekend was a case in point.

Saturday London

Natural History museum and shops in Knightsbridge (it was both our birthdays last week too !)

 I’m glad I decided against the Evans King of the Downs sportive at the weekend – I’d overcooked myself a bit over the last couple of weeks so the last thing I needed was 113 miles and 9000 feet of climbing on a hot day.

 After a brief hiatus caused by a fund-raising party and a bad back (the two are not unconnected, but that’s another story), this weekend I was back in the saddle with a vengeance: 108 glorious miles on Saturday and 64 rather harder ones on Sunday.

Saturday’s ride was the second with fellow TRAT riders – just three of us this time – and it raised the thorny issue of how to keep everyone happy when the riders involved are at different fitness levels.

Two rides this weekend: 63 miles yesterday and a whopping 116 today – the furthest I’ve ever cycled in a day I think. My system’s not quite sure what’s hit it. I’ve been floating around in a drowsy fug since I got home, talking nonsense and feeling strangely emotional, so God knows what I’m about to write in this blog...

There are times when I wish I were in this LEJOG adventure with someone else who lives nearby. I’ve realised that the biggest challenge I face is sustaining momentum; pulling on the Lycra when I’m still aching from the last ride, it’s cold, windy and looking like rain outside, and I can think of scores of other things I should be doing.

Today I completed the Burgess Hill Springtime Classic, a 71 mile sportive ride that takes in one or two hills more than it strictly needs to if you ask me – particularly as it saves most of the really nasty ones up until the last 15 miles or so.

Apart from the stunning performance of Albert Timmer getting in a break in Paris-Nice the end of last week and weekends highlight was me bagging my first big climb since Kirkstone Pass in 1994.

Els Angels is shortish at only 6 miles but it is steep and averages 8% for the final 4 miles easily.

The piles of snow at the side of the road added a surreal touch as did the Garmin pro from nearby Girona who just seemed to be going up and down the mountain all morning... considerably quicker than me.