Well, I've been progressing and not progressing if you know what I mean, no? hmm? In my head (and on paper somewhere) I'd set out a very logical training plan, based on the sort of thing I do for half marathons. It involved progressive long cycles, short cycles in the week consisting of hill practice and at least one spinning class a week. Sounds perfect. But we know reality isn't perfect, life has got super busy, and crazy hot (can't run in these temps!). I certainly don't have the time for spinning, I'm completely and utterly exhausted when I get home from work, and cycling to work doesn't always work cause I have to look nice for exams, and such like, and can't be bothered to coordinate that with a bike.
So basically my training has consisted of progressive long cycles, nervous loops of Richmond park, and insane worry that I'm not going to make the cut-off times or the hills.
My longest ride to date was 50 miles. I chose a route from Dirty Weekend to Windsor, where I'd meet my friend in Windsor and head back to London with her.
It went well and I was quite enjoying myself, for the first 20 miles, I could feel myself being a little swifter than normal, then I hit Virginia Water... Virgina-bloody-Water. I remember it being pretty parks and lakes, but NO, its all bloody hills.
I also learnt another valuable lesson that day. If a road has the word "Hill" in the name avoid it like the plague. They would be better labeled "mountains".
Another thing that day, it was my first cycle in the rain. It started not far before Windsor, and at that point, I was a little hangry, but managed to grin and bear it. Coming into Windsor it was pretty to cycle past the castle and long walk, but I was too tired and hungry to appreciate it. My friend was coming in from Oxford, so I had a leisurely wait for her (at a slightly disappointing cycle cafe, not one of my faves.
About 10 mins after leaving the cafe the heavens opened, not just opened, but emptied an ocean on us (guess who didn't put her rain jacket on when I left the cafe?). Ugh, utterly soaked through, and my phone holder misted up so I couldn't see directions and kept having to stop.
My friend is more experienced than me, and faster, as I was leading I was going faster than my natural pace, which she described as 'leisurely'; very leisurely, I could hear her whistling behind me. But it did me good to up the pace, I can't pootle along all the of time.
As we came into Hampton, my friend decided she would get the train (as she was meeting friends in town). I didn't take much swaying, from Hampton home there are major hills, not what I want after a day of mountains. We decided to get the train at Kingston, but just before Kingston Bridge I glanced at my watch 49 miles... nooooooooh. Luckily we got a tad lost trying to locate the station, came in dead on 50 miles. That's skills! Sadly my friend came in 99.70 KM, she was fine with that, I personally would have had to cycle around for another 5 mins to finish the KM off.
I was half dead at the end of the day, sort of pleased with my efforts, but going that distance seems to take forever I'm sure it's not supposed to and it just made me nervous all over again about cut off times. I need to get faster. I also need to work more on my fuelling.
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