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