Smack my bitch up
Not having enough of my moaning on yesterdays tempo, Turner decided he'd like another 4 1/2 hours of it today. He must be a glutton for punnishment!
We met up at his house for 10am after we had done our fartherly bit (school run) and all the work we was going to do for the day (otherwise known as 'working from home'). Usually meeting at chez Turner involves a few hours of poncing about drinking expresso and shooting the breeze but today Turner was a man on a mission. We we bang into the ride before I'd even made it to the end of his street.
The plan was a 60 mile route that he called the 'Hilly Billy'. With him being from the sticks I didn't know if I was about to be bummed or it was going to involve making my quads even more fucked off with me. In all honesty when it comes to Mr T and hills, I probably would have rather bend over and thought of England!
So we're off, usual route down to Chapel Hill and for once were pretty steady. Off through Barrington and then things get sketchy as I discover Mr T has not ridden this route before, not studdied it properly and decided to cock about with his Garmin that morning to turn off all usefull features. We make the first of many U-Turns due to missing turnings (which generally come on fast downhill bits) and head into Royston.
From there I know the route up to Barkway. It is an absolute cnut of a climb. 5 miles of pain, even Mr T is almost very nearly sweating. We head down to Barley and then spend the next 45 mins or so looking for Saffron Walden like a couple of school trip kids wandering around Dieppe looking for le supermarche.
Nice TT into Walden, hit Starbucks for a coffee and pannini (greedy guts goes for a big cake as well) - 40 miles in the bag #happydays. We are now getting a bt pushed for time so I have to speed Mr t up a bit as he's back in mincing about mode (one too many track sessions with DC I am afraid). I have a school run to do. So does Mr T but he's not as scared of missing it as I am !!!
Bit of uphill back to 'the route' and Mr T knows the way home from here. 5/6 miles of slow and steady that we have already been doing and then we hit a nice 12 mile or so section of fast flat riding. Mr T takes the front and we push a good 20-22 mph for a long split. Jump over the intersection of the A505 - must have looked fucking funny - and into Cambridge.
If you know Cambridge (I don't know why I ask, all 4 people reading this obviously do) - and you know how time pressed I am to get home as quickly and directly as possible then you will be pissing yourself. Cambriidge is a beautiful city but when you are in a rush there are traffic lights every 8 meters. They stay green for about 2000ths of a millisecond and there are literallly millions of shitty student bikes ridden by idiots who have no spacial awareness. So we can say it was slow through Cambridge.
Then you hit Maddingley hill. Ouch is all I can say about that but to be fair Mr T pushed us on at 20+ past the american cemetary and pretty much all the way home.
So... long story short. 68 miles (fucked up Garmin at a traffic light and missed around 2 miles). 3:48 ride time for 17.8 mph avge.
Now, average time means nothing on a day like this. There were some serious hills in there and it was far from idea time trialling conditions for a fast time. I'd say that was one of my best rides considering everything as I did feel pretty strong by the end of it (couple of wobble ups last 5 miles but we were pushing on 22 - 23 mph in sections!)
Looking at Ironman splits, I need - really need - to be strong on the bike if I am to take this seriously. I can't leave it all to the run, I'd have to do a 2.35 to be respectable !!! It's going to be a winter of big gear work and forgetting speed but purely being strong by the time spring comes around and I can start doing more volume outdoors. This ride wa sperfect for that, pick the hilliest routes and go and crush them.
I have a couple of 35 mile routes that I can dolly round at 20mph and that's not what I need. Gotta work that strength.
Made it home for the school run (phew) !! To be fair would have been a crawl home if it wasn't for mad dog Turner that last 20 or so miles!
St Neots half on Sunday but not feeling 100% at all. Will see how tomorrow goes but tonight feeling rough as. Ride was well needed but not best thing for my health !!!
We met up at his house for 10am after we had done our fartherly bit (school run) and all the work we was going to do for the day (otherwise known as 'working from home'). Usually meeting at chez Turner involves a few hours of poncing about drinking expresso and shooting the breeze but today Turner was a man on a mission. We we bang into the ride before I'd even made it to the end of his street.
The plan was a 60 mile route that he called the 'Hilly Billy'. With him being from the sticks I didn't know if I was about to be bummed or it was going to involve making my quads even more fucked off with me. In all honesty when it comes to Mr T and hills, I probably would have rather bend over and thought of England!
So we're off, usual route down to Chapel Hill and for once were pretty steady. Off through Barrington and then things get sketchy as I discover Mr T has not ridden this route before, not studdied it properly and decided to cock about with his Garmin that morning to turn off all usefull features. We make the first of many U-Turns due to missing turnings (which generally come on fast downhill bits) and head into Royston.
From there I know the route up to Barkway. It is an absolute cnut of a climb. 5 miles of pain, even Mr T is almost very nearly sweating. We head down to Barley and then spend the next 45 mins or so looking for Saffron Walden like a couple of school trip kids wandering around Dieppe looking for le supermarche.
Nice TT into Walden, hit Starbucks for a coffee and pannini (greedy guts goes for a big cake as well) - 40 miles in the bag #happydays. We are now getting a bt pushed for time so I have to speed Mr t up a bit as he's back in mincing about mode (one too many track sessions with DC I am afraid). I have a school run to do. So does Mr T but he's not as scared of missing it as I am !!!
Bit of uphill back to 'the route' and Mr T knows the way home from here. 5/6 miles of slow and steady that we have already been doing and then we hit a nice 12 mile or so section of fast flat riding. Mr T takes the front and we push a good 20-22 mph for a long split. Jump over the intersection of the A505 - must have looked fucking funny - and into Cambridge.
If you know Cambridge (I don't know why I ask, all 4 people reading this obviously do) - and you know how time pressed I am to get home as quickly and directly as possible then you will be pissing yourself. Cambriidge is a beautiful city but when you are in a rush there are traffic lights every 8 meters. They stay green for about 2000ths of a millisecond and there are literallly millions of shitty student bikes ridden by idiots who have no spacial awareness. So we can say it was slow through Cambridge.
Then you hit Maddingley hill. Ouch is all I can say about that but to be fair Mr T pushed us on at 20+ past the american cemetary and pretty much all the way home.
So... long story short. 68 miles (fucked up Garmin at a traffic light and missed around 2 miles). 3:48 ride time for 17.8 mph avge.
Now, average time means nothing on a day like this. There were some serious hills in there and it was far from idea time trialling conditions for a fast time. I'd say that was one of my best rides considering everything as I did feel pretty strong by the end of it (couple of wobble ups last 5 miles but we were pushing on 22 - 23 mph in sections!)
Looking at Ironman splits, I need - really need - to be strong on the bike if I am to take this seriously. I can't leave it all to the run, I'd have to do a 2.35 to be respectable !!! It's going to be a winter of big gear work and forgetting speed but purely being strong by the time spring comes around and I can start doing more volume outdoors. This ride wa sperfect for that, pick the hilliest routes and go and crush them.
I have a couple of 35 mile routes that I can dolly round at 20mph and that's not what I need. Gotta work that strength.
Made it home for the school run (phew) !! To be fair would have been a crawl home if it wasn't for mad dog Turner that last 20 or so miles!
St Neots half on Sunday but not feeling 100% at all. Will see how tomorrow goes but tonight feeling rough as. Ride was well needed but not best thing for my health !!!
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