Though I'd struggled to a 47miler previously, I'd then kicked myself for
not making it a 50...
So, yesterday, we sauntered out a bit earlier (about 1pm), with the
intention of meeting the local CTC group(s) at the planned tea-stop.
Earlier, because it meant I could ride slower (apparently their ride set
a blistering pace, so good job we didn't go with them!) - although I
could keep up with them initially, after a while I'd run out of legs and
couldn't manage hills or recover afterwards... we kept to about
10-12mph for the most part, though obviously hills slowed things down,
and the other side of hills speeded things up ;-) It felt very slow
compared to what I'd done with the CTC (more like 14-15mph on relatively
flat bits) but the idea was to make the distance at a speed I could
manage and not be exhausted by! I was hoping to get home not feeling
like that was it and no more cycling was possible, too.
Had a great day out cycling around cambridgeshire - though somewhat
frustrating to be braking whilst freewheeling up a hill cos the better
half doesn't get as fast as I do down the previous hill... I'm very
loathe to waste my momentum by braking when it can carry me part way up
the next hill ;-)
As was mentioned here, some of the problems do indeed seem to be
fuel-related. I stuck OJ in the water (probably about 1/3 OJ to 2/3
water) which was a good ratio, and had fairly good legs for a while.
Made it up the hill from Six Mile Bottom toward the turnoff for
Dullingham in one go (previously I've stopped on it - one through no
more legs, once for the excuse of a camera shot of 'look how far/long
this hill is I've cycled up'😉, which was a nice acheivement. Wasn't
sure I'd make it, but it's another acheivement notched up!
Then it was lunch at a pub in Dullingham at about 2.30/3pm, very nice in
the sun - and then back off at about 3.30 to head round a wiggly route
to Thurlow, where the CTC tea stop was. Few more hills, and I had
NOTHING in the legs for the first half an hour or so - which was quite
concerning!! Then the food seemed to kick in, and I was champing at the
bit again (albeit still on a slower pace than the previous rides with
the CTC). Hills were definitely harder but still manageable, I was very
concious that I didn't want to destroy the legs I had by exhausting them
on hills so tried to balance wanting to get to the top with being aware
that for the good of the legs (and getting the 50 miles in) I might have
to be defeated and stop halfway up one or two of them.. but it didn't
happen. I also found I was able to talk while cycling along, something
which previously I'd found hard/impossible - though talking while going
up hills still doesn't happen ;-)
With the tea stop coming up earlier than 5, and not quite enough miles
done yet, we took a detour and looped around to slot in a few more
miles, and arrived dead on 5pm at The [censored] in Thurlow. Very nice spread
laid on by them, consisting of sandwiches and much cake - and I was
pretty hungry again by then! Was good to meet up with the CTCers, and
also good to find out we'd made the right decision to cycle on our own
instead of with them - I just wouldn't have lasted the distance at their
pace, even if I could have kept up for a while!!
Back on the bike and again the dead legs set in - nothing in them for
another half an hour or so, which was very frustrating. The bum was
starting to make itself known by now too, as were the hands - but they
quickly faded again once the legs were battling up hills.
Interestingly, I discovered that in the post-stop no-energy-in-legs
phase, my heart rate was nowhere near as high as it would be previously
when the lactic acid started in the legs - still not quite sure what
that means, but it was interesting to compare it to when the legs had a
bit more oomph in them and the lactic acid wouldn't start till a higher
heart rate was reached.
We took a fairly direct route back to cambridge, since I was uncertain
just how much was left in my legs, but once at Six Mile Bottom again we
continued out to Quy, and then along the river to see the new cycle
bridge over the A14.
It's quite steep, but I'd say not much steeper than the one over the
railway lines by the station - though it looks it, and is certainly
longer. Slightly odd bollard placement on the south side - cyclists
avoid each other on the paths for the most part, why put a bollard in to
reduce the space, and on a slight kink in the path, too...
Then it was back to the outskirts of cambridge and home - just over 50
miles in all - and what's more, I think given another top-up of fuel, I
could have managed another 10 miles or so - I was tired, but not
exhausted to the point of losing co-ordination/concentration, as has
happened before!!!
So, eating more and regularly during the ride does seem to be the key to
keeping my legs working. Just need a few more of these and to master
the hills a bit more, and I'll be set for my big challenge - the London
to Cambridge (I seem to have said yes to doing this, erk!)
Have to say thanks to those who gave suggestions after my last ride post
here, all much appreciated and very useful! The idea of doing 100 miles
is now starting to germinate somewhere in the dark recesses of my mad
mind...
--
Velvet