Training

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.

Another month another cold…this week’s is my third of 2010 and although it’s no monster it’s been enough to stop me doing any kind of meaningful training since Monday. So it feels like another week’s been lost in the drive to build up that all-important base fitness.

Brief update today... tyre purchased so just have to do the maintenance on the Bianchi tonight before squeezing three bikes into the car.

Straight from work tomorrow will be picking up the other riders and to Portsmouth for the night ferry.

From Le Harve on Friday morning it will be a 12 hour drive to the appartment on the coast near Girona.

How we will fare getting through 40cms of snow near the border and Perpignan is not yet established ...

The roadkill bodycount on this morning’s training ride was as follows (one of each): seagull, rat, badger and rabbit. Looks like the rabbits got off relatively lightly last night.

I usually figure I’ve chosen a good route if I see more live animals than dead ones, but the only noteworthy live one today was a pheasant that jumped out of the hedgerow as I passed, making such a racket that I nearly fell off. For a few seconds I would have cheerfully added it to the roadkill list – but only for a few seconds.

I finally got together with some of the other racers against time yesterday, for a training ride around Guildford (this one, in fact). Only five of us could make it – there will be something like 15 on the ride itself – but it was still very good to meet up and compare notes on training, fund-raising and the logistics surrounding the big event. And of course, to secretly assess relative fitness levels*…

The original post on this subject was originally back in September (click here). So much wedding planning and other stuff has happened that I didnt get round to posting an update on the site as to where we are and what is happening.

I was so flushed with joy about putting that pesky cold behind me last week that I skipped to the gym on Monday and heaved and hoed (?) with a little too much gay abandon. I think it was the asymmetrical deep squats with a kettle ball that did for me because I felt a slight twinge in my lower back mid-squat and sure enough the following morning I woke up with some very dodgy lumbar pain.

Tomorrow (13 February) was a big day in the build-up to this year’s Race Against Time. The 15 riders were going to meet for the first time and cycle together around a 65-mile loop near Guildford.

I was really looking forward to meeting my fellow LEJOGers, comparing notes on the training and fund-raising challenges we all face and learning something about riding in a group – something I’ve got very little experience of.