Saturday 9 March 2013

A ride of two halves.


  Date
Route                                                        Distance,  Time,  Week Total, Total
  08/03/13
Caldy – Montgomery Hill – Mill Hill – Irby -  32          4hrs         56          170.3
Heswall – Neston – Caldy – West Kirby – Hoylake – Leasowe – Moreton – Greasby - Irby - West Kirby
Grey, overcast, slightly damp, 9’c.  Okay so after the sweaty effort of Tuesday I left the thermal and fleece layers off and was too cold which meant an 18 mile loop back home to retrieve an extra layer for my top half and an extra pair of socks for my poor toes plus a quick coffee to thaw out the inside bits too! 
 
The first loop covered a multitude of hills – from the lowest point of Heswall on the shore line to the highest point of Heswall next to a radio transmitter. The only point to this being to endure some hills.  Going up and down hills is an essential part of this training exercise but I can’t say I’m exactly enjoying it.  In one respect I’ll be glad when I’ve achieved the goal so I can go back to riding the off road muddy, bumpy stuff that is so much more enjoyable.
 
The second loop was about packing in a bit more distance rather than gratuitous hill climbing so a blast along the front to leasowe lighthouse then a ride back through various housing estates finishing with Montgomery Hill and straight up the main road from Caldy crossroads West Kirby.
 
Pleased that none of the hills provided too much of a challenge and no walking was called for.  Felt my legs for the first time after this ride and I don’t really know why.  Just hope as the weeks go on the training does become easier and less of a drag.  I think the weather is probably playing a part. I’m fed up of having cold toes. Is it too much to ask to be comfortably warm on a ride???  (I may regret this statement come August if the C2C ends up being tackled in a heatwave!!!!) 

Tuesday 5 March 2013

A sweaty 200m vertical gain day!


  Date
Route                                                      Distance,  Time,  Week Total, Total
  05/03/13
Home – Heswall – Neston – Home          24           2hrs 50       24        138.3
Clear blue sky, very little wind,  10’c.  Spring has sprung!
Storming start straight up the hill to Thurstaston along the main road – wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. Big surprise at the gradient on Heswall bends - you think you have climbed to the highest point when you reach Thurstaston but you haven’t! 
 
Interesting unadopted road route down to Lower Heswall.  Must try it going upwards!  Along to Neston and across the Chester High Road then down onto the Wirral way all the way back to Caldy.  A final climb up the millionaires road, Kings Drive, actually was OK!  Am quite pleased I was able to get to the top without stopping and it meant a glorious cruise back home.
 
So not a bad ride but really need to start picking up the pace and upping the mileage as well as trying to fit in longer rides on consecutive days.  Not much work left to do then!!!  Scary thought that the mileage grand total as it stands is only 10% of the recommended preparation mileage of 1400 miles.  Eeek!
 
Learnt some interesting stuff on this ride –
·        Its not a good idea to scream round a gravelly bend in top gear no matter how much fun you’re having zooming along – even nobbly off road tyres don’t grip well on loose gravel.
·        It is possible to have sweaty cold feet! Really must try and sort that out!
·         A thermal, a long sleeved bike top, a short sleeved bike top, a fleece and a rain jacket is waaaaaay too many layers when the temperature is 10’c and there is no wind!!