Bloody Bike - eBay !!
After doing the same hilly route since last Saturday, finally nailed a ride on Thursday after a total rest day on Wednesday. Did the Cambourne -> Elsworth -> Hilton -> Fenstanton -> Connington -> Knapworth -> Bourn -> Caxton -> Home loop in 69.39 for 18.3 mph. Really pleased with that one and starting to see progress. No puncture either !
Friday was run day. Met up with Stevie B and plodded around Somersham trails nice and easy starting at about 9/mm and finishing up with 7.30/mm which felt pretty comfy. Was all off road and really over grown and slippery for most of the route. 6.7 miles in 55 mins bang on and calf feeling tight but not too bad.
Good deep tissue massage from Stevie, really painful on hammys and IT band and quads from the biking. Also glutes really tight giving me a sore back. Felt great afterwards but bit sore Saturday morning when I woke up.
Saturday decided to get a bike in first thing while I could. Decided against taking the mobile again as I had an inner tube and 3 gas cannisters.
Peddled out of Cambourne aiming for a flatter route that I averaged 19 mph on last year. On to Caldecot and legs felt really tired probably from 100 miles of biking and 2 runs in the past week. Knew it wasn't going to be a good ride. Felt flat and was raining and windy. Road is also really bad and I've noticed I can knock out 20+ mph on the flat easy on a good surface but the bumpy roads I just can't work a good pace. Through Hardwick and onto Madingley where it's downhill and fast to Cambridge. Pushed the pace downhill and took avge speed up to 19 mph even though I was stuck in traffic for a bit.
Then heard that flappy sound and started to feel a bit of road through the seat - puncture - again! Fuck.
Stopped to change the tube and snapped my tyre tool. Double fuck. Rain, grease and seriously pissed off.
Got the tyre off eventually and the new tube in. Grief getting the tyre back on with just a spoon and then inflate the tube with a cannister. Tyre pops off the side so have to let out some air and get the spoon in and lift it back on. Bit more gas from 2nd cannister FFS. Wheel on and decide best plan now is to go directly back as it's about 9 miles back home and 15 miles to continue.
Pretty sure at this point it's either tyre / wheel or set up that's causing the punctures I cannot just be that unlucky, so it's best to nurse it home.
The only problem is that it's now pretty much uphill all the way home and the flat bits are on the bad bumpy roads.
Get back to Hardwick with some brutally slow miles including a 5.50 up the big hill outside the American cemetary! Put some more air in the tyre.
Get a good head of speed up from Caldecot to Cambourne and as I get into town the tyre is again completely flat. Fuck it, ride home on the rim and dump the bike in the garage. Pissed off with this biking lark. Happy to jump on the bike and push myself but cannot be fucking about with the bike and changing tyre every 5 minutes. Think it will end up on eBay at this rate.
This is what appeals to me about running. Lace up your trainers, touch your toes and go and run. Simple ! Don't have to change you fucking socks every 30 seconds or have a degree in trainer maintenance to make sure your legs work properly.
So, bike has served it's purpose. Hope I can get it sorted and ride at least once a week but for now it's back to running as I seem to be on the mend and I cannot even look at the bike after this morning.
Diet and rest is being addressed. Core and stretching next and then there's nothing to stop me hitting my goals. Looking forward to getting quick again, does not feel a million miles off and my bike week should have strengthened my legs somewhat. Guess we'll find out tomorrow.
Would appologise for swearing but fuck it, only DC reads it and he's used to my tourettes !!!
Friday was run day. Met up with Stevie B and plodded around Somersham trails nice and easy starting at about 9/mm and finishing up with 7.30/mm which felt pretty comfy. Was all off road and really over grown and slippery for most of the route. 6.7 miles in 55 mins bang on and calf feeling tight but not too bad.
Good deep tissue massage from Stevie, really painful on hammys and IT band and quads from the biking. Also glutes really tight giving me a sore back. Felt great afterwards but bit sore Saturday morning when I woke up.
Saturday decided to get a bike in first thing while I could. Decided against taking the mobile again as I had an inner tube and 3 gas cannisters.
Peddled out of Cambourne aiming for a flatter route that I averaged 19 mph on last year. On to Caldecot and legs felt really tired probably from 100 miles of biking and 2 runs in the past week. Knew it wasn't going to be a good ride. Felt flat and was raining and windy. Road is also really bad and I've noticed I can knock out 20+ mph on the flat easy on a good surface but the bumpy roads I just can't work a good pace. Through Hardwick and onto Madingley where it's downhill and fast to Cambridge. Pushed the pace downhill and took avge speed up to 19 mph even though I was stuck in traffic for a bit.
Then heard that flappy sound and started to feel a bit of road through the seat - puncture - again! Fuck.
Stopped to change the tube and snapped my tyre tool. Double fuck. Rain, grease and seriously pissed off.
Got the tyre off eventually and the new tube in. Grief getting the tyre back on with just a spoon and then inflate the tube with a cannister. Tyre pops off the side so have to let out some air and get the spoon in and lift it back on. Bit more gas from 2nd cannister FFS. Wheel on and decide best plan now is to go directly back as it's about 9 miles back home and 15 miles to continue.
Pretty sure at this point it's either tyre / wheel or set up that's causing the punctures I cannot just be that unlucky, so it's best to nurse it home.
The only problem is that it's now pretty much uphill all the way home and the flat bits are on the bad bumpy roads.
Get back to Hardwick with some brutally slow miles including a 5.50 up the big hill outside the American cemetary! Put some more air in the tyre.
Get a good head of speed up from Caldecot to Cambourne and as I get into town the tyre is again completely flat. Fuck it, ride home on the rim and dump the bike in the garage. Pissed off with this biking lark. Happy to jump on the bike and push myself but cannot be fucking about with the bike and changing tyre every 5 minutes. Think it will end up on eBay at this rate.
This is what appeals to me about running. Lace up your trainers, touch your toes and go and run. Simple ! Don't have to change you fucking socks every 30 seconds or have a degree in trainer maintenance to make sure your legs work properly.
So, bike has served it's purpose. Hope I can get it sorted and ride at least once a week but for now it's back to running as I seem to be on the mend and I cannot even look at the bike after this morning.
Diet and rest is being addressed. Core and stretching next and then there's nothing to stop me hitting my goals. Looking forward to getting quick again, does not feel a million miles off and my bike week should have strengthened my legs somewhat. Guess we'll find out tomorrow.
Would appologise for swearing but fuck it, only DC reads it and he's used to my tourettes !!!
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