Today was Sunday and therefore a club training session. It had been a while since i had been out on a Sunday what with races and fathers day so it was good to get back to it. The familiar 7:30 start at the club car-park (which luckily is at my house so i get an additional 10minutes in bed). Today's session was a bit unbalanced in that it was to be a short ride with a longer run.
The ride was a 20.50km ride with a lot of uphill. There were KoM points up for grabs on the first climb to the Royal William Pub. Today it was Le Fassett, Nigel and myself. Darren out of action for a while since having his eyes lasered and Mark doing a 100mile ride somewhere in the Chilterns.
Normally on a hill i am left wanting, the points were 2.5miles up the hill and so as we set off i put down some power to at least give Nigel and Martin something to think about. Nigel stayed with my but Le Fassett was dropped. We contined up and Le Fassett did get back on the wheel. I felt pretty good and so went again, Nigel stayed with me. Le Fassett was dropped.
Nigel then pulled in front of me, i managed to keep on his back wheel and then the finish was in sight. I pulled out from behind him and tried to accelerate, he kept pace and more importantly a half wheel advantage. Sprinting up hill i needed a gear change but could not - i was pipped at the post by less than half a wheel.
The exertion in the short space of time was pretty exhausting and we both had that nice metallic taste in the mouth from getting traces of blood in the lungs! Nice!
We had agreed that the rest of the ride would be as a group so it was an easy ride up to Birdlip before coming down scary hill. I don't know what it's called for real but it is scarily steep. I used it as a training hill for the Mayhill Massacre and it is tough. Coming down is hairy as there's a couple of bends and some nice loose gravel! We are all cowardly and so it was controlled and measured!
There was a final sprint back up Shurdington Road which Nigel won with Le Fassett second and me third.
Next up the run. We were to do a longer run today that comes in around 7miles. Basically down Badgeworth Lane to the Golden Valley then up the ring road and back to Shurdington. We did the first half together and as we were in the final 4km i pulled away. I managed to gap Nigel by around 2.5minutes who in turn gapped Le Fassett by a minute or so. A great run in nice warm weather.
All in all it has been a good week for me. I have managed 50km of running and 50km of cycling. Not enough but better than nothing and my condition feels like it is improving. Psychologically my decision next year to do a mrathon and possibly an ultra marathon has already registered with me feeling much more motivated to run. I honestly think that the running mileage this week made a difference on the hill this morning.
I need to get back to some longer rides though in preparation for London and so i think that this approaching Sunday will see a return to the 55km ride over Cleeve Hill followed by a run - distance TBA!
I am going to have a day off training tomorrow (kind of regreting that decision already!) and will hit the road again on Tuesday lunchtime. Then will see what the week brings, Friday is a swim session with the Cheltenham Tri Team to determine our avg. swim time so that will be a good. The weather is great at the moment and so going to the Lido not a hardship at all.
Happy Training - Marcus
