Week fourteen - Wednesday

Today I set out on a new route which I had hoped would take about 1.75 hours. It started out on a route I know well and progressed to some unknown territory. Unfortunately it was not an enjoyable experience. I struggled from the word go yet again and found the whole thing really hard. I kept having to take mini breaks and generally found my legs to be leaden which only made my mind more and more negative. The route was very hilly, the weather was extremely hot and it was fairly windy – not three of my favourite things by a long shot. I struggled up several hills before reaching the halfway point where I stopped for coffee and a flapjack. At this point I had a serious think about what the issue was. Other than the physical conditions (hills, weather etc) I have come to realise that a huge amount of my ability to cycle is actually in my head. On Friday I took Ellie to school in my bike gear which was obviously commented on by my friends. The thrill of essentially ‘showing off’ that I was about pop out and ride 50 miles encouraged me on my journey. I was excited by the challenge and in a fantastic mood. The ride went great and I loved it. Since then, however, I have been riding because I have to and it has not gone well. Even today’s ride, which should have been a good one, saw me setting off in a relatively grumpy mood and what happened? Yup, crappy ride. Don’t get me wrong. I managed all the hills and after my coffee and cake I even did quite well on some of them. In addition the time I managed (12.1mph average) wasn’t actually as bad as I had feared, also at the very end of the ride I set my best time on a segment I do very regularly. So what is my issue? Why does my frame of mind reflect so negatively in my cycling? There is a school of thought that says it’s not really worth dwelling on. I will be nervous on the big day but there will be 23,999 other cyclists to help get me through it. I can’t see how it will be possible to be in a bad mood, or not feeling like riding my bike on a day like that, but this doesn’t help my training. Having bad training sessions is a vicious circle too. Yesterday’s bad training session does not make me want to perform better next time – it makes me want to curl up in a ball, eat chocolate and never get on a bike again. Bunking off training makes me feel guilty and makes me resent having to do it, which puts me in a bad mood which means, you’ve guessed it, crappy training sessions. In a way I think I am suffering from a lack of confidence. There’s a massive part of me that doesn’t feel capable of riding 100 miles and that brings me down. I see the serious cyclists whizzing by me and I feel like I am not, and never will be that good. I don’t know what I can do about that though. I know deep inside that I am good enough and that I can do it. I’ve seen pictures online of girls that completed the sportive last year and they don’t look any more like serious cyclists than I do. I have, to a greater or lesser extent, done the training and I will continue to do so right up to the last day so why wouldn’t I be able to manage? The best way forward for me is probably to feel more in control. Consequently I am going to redraw the training plan for the last 2 weeks so that it looks like what I will be doing (yet again I cannot follow it exactly due to personal circumstances). That way I will not have the horrible ‘I’m not doing what I’m meant to’ feeling. Also, from Monday, I will be eating like an athlete. No booze, healthy meals and all planned out on paper. I believe that by regaining a feeling of control I will be able to feel better about myself and improve.

Week fourteen - Tuesday

Quick ride today as I am going for a longer on on Wednesday.

I did an old favourite route but I was rather disappointed with my time, a 13.7mph.

My legs and mind weren't in the right place. I struggled hugely because I wasn't in the mood to ride.  It's amazing how much this can affect me.  It seems like I ought to try reading my inner chimp book more as if I can't get my head straight I am really going to struggle in August.

Week thirteen - catch up

So this weekend should have been a selection of the usual with two long rides at the weekend. 

Due to family commitments I was not going to be able to do a long ride on Sunday so I decided to skip Thursday, do a long ride on Friday, skip Saturday then do a shorter ride on Sunday morning. 

On Friday I succeeded in riding the furthest I have ever ridden – a shade off 50 miles. It was a fantastic ride. My mind was totally up for it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I stopped for coffee and cake and felt pretty good throughout. I did struggle a bit between mile 35 – 40 but I took a break and regrouped then continued.

   

  Almost 50 miles!

I managed 13.5mph average which isn’t bad given it was the hottest day of the year. 

    Not a bad mph

The most encouraging thing of all is the fact that even after almost 50 miles I still set a couple of personal best times at the end of the ride. I felt wobbly at the end if I’m honest BUT I also felt like with a proper break and some food I would have been able to do more. 

I was exceptionally please with my ride and attitude towards it. I'm starting to feel like a real cyclist which is a great mindset to be in. I have been told that a lot of long distance riding is in the mind and I do think that this is true. I just hope I’m in the right frame of mind on 10th August

On Sunday I went out for a quick 40 mins ride. It was really hard work as I feel I was not suitable recovered. Something I will need to keep an eye on.

Week thirteen - Tuesday

Cycling 1.5 hrs 

Ride at steady pace, increasing your cadence when climbing hills. Stay in the saddle as long as possible and make sure you maintain your speed right over the top of the hill 

Buoyed by the Sky Ride on Sunday I was really looking forward to tonight’s ride. I was, however, keen to find some new routes. I’m getting too fast for my favourite one hour route and between now and the sportive I need to do 1.5 hour routes. 

I checked out this website and decided to alter one of the routes to suit me. I was, however, a little unsure of the route so I decided to pop out in the car with the child to check it out. Just as well we did! I could not figure out the route at all and ended up on a very busy road! Ant and I have decided to check it out on Saturday when we can ride together so fingers crossed! 

Instead I decided to tackle a slightly curtailed version of a route I did the Sunday after I got the road bike. 

I knew that this included a really horrible hill which I had actually had to walk up last time. I found the hill was very much playing on my mind as I started the ride so decided to do my planned route in reverse meaning I would actually descend this hill. This may sound like cheating but regular readers will recall the hill is actually one half of a dip, so there is a hill opposite it which is pretty much as long and steep. 

When I got to the hill and descended it I realised that, as is so often the case, I had dramatically ‘over remembered’ the difficulty of it. It is steep but it is not as scary as I had thought. As such I am pleased to report I made it up the other side relatively easily and I did, in fact, stay in the saddle throughout the whole ascent. 

As expected, this increased my confidence even more and I whizzed along happily for the rest of the ride. I felt great and really enjoyed the ride. 

By the end I had completed 21 miles, averaging 14mph with my top speed being 32mph. 

    A fantastic ride

I would still like to get this average closer to 15mph by the sportive but if I continue to feel as happy and comfortable as I did on this ride I know I will be able to achieve this.

Week twelve – Sunday

Cycling 3.5 hrs 

A steady paced group ride – try not to get out of breath. 

Pedal at 90 – 90rpm. 

Ride with friends or a group. Include a café stop but also eat and drink on the bike and remember your recovery routine at home. 

This Sunday I went on a Sky Ride organised bike ride. 

 It was listed as ‘Challenging’ and was to be 32 miles, starting at Sixfields Stadium in Northampton and riding out to Silverstone Racing Circuit, having coffee and cake, then returning to Sixfields. 

I had decided to do the ride on my hybrid as I wasn’t sure of the route and the website mentioned canal towpaths. I have not done a ride like this before and was a little nervous the night before. I didn’t know how challenging ‘Challenging’ would be and it’s obviously always a little nerve wracking to meet new people in this way. 

I needn’t have worried! Unsurprisingly everyone on the ride was really, really nice. Lianne, Vic and Dave were our leaders with Lianne taking the lead role. She made the instructions very clear at the beginning and was very clear about how the ride would work and the sort of speeds we would be doing. There were 10 other cyclists in addition to the leaders which made for a nice little group. 

 The 16 or so miles to Silverstone absolutely flew by and although there were a few hills these were not particularly onerous and I kept up with the pace easily. 

    Bit of a hill in the middle

It was fantastic to be chatting to other cyclists who were all massively reassuring and encouraging when discussing my August sportive. 

 The cake and coffee at Silverstone was fantastic quality and it was great to have the opportunity to chat to the whole group. 

 We set out for home and again, the miles flew by. 

 The whole ride was a massively positive. The organisation was fantastic, especially the way the leaders ensured everyone could cross major roads safely and that any slower rider was looked out for and not left behind. It was fantastic to ride with a group and to chat as we went. It was also great to realise at the end on 32 miles I was not exhausted. I could have continued, especially as I was having so much fun. 

 This all puts me in a positive frame of mind about August and I am keen to continue the momentum. 

 You can find details about Sky Ride here. You can search for a ride near to you and if you’d rather go with just ladies they also have details about the Breeze rides. 

I can’t praise the ride, the leaders, or the cake enough!!

Week twelve – Tuesday and Thursday

Cycling 1-1.5hrs Steady paced ride, try to enjoy being on the bike 

Just a quicky to say that I’ve had two pretty good rides this week. I’ve been trying out a new route which is enjoyable and has some small hills in it. 

 My crisis of confidence is still there but all in all a good week.

Aches, pains and a crisis of confidence

I suffered a bit last week from various aches and pains. Tuesday’s ride was tough with my thighs burning at every exertion I put them through. In addition to this I have a niggly pulled muscle and painful groin and a really sore hand. I assume the hand is due to me being unused to the new style handlebars now I have a road bike. 

The question is of course, does one push on and train through these aches and pains or is a rest in order? There is now less than 5 weeks until the London 100 and in my head I cannot afford to miss any training sessions. I already missed two this weekend as we were away at the Tour de France (yes, the irony of not cycling because I’m at the world’s most famous cycle race is not lost on me), and this is already playing on my mind. 

Of course aches and pains are your body’s way of saying ‘enough’ aren’t they? If one continues to push through will it just get worse? 

I don’t know the answer. Obviously if I was actually ill, or I had a real issue with pain I would stop training for a bit but I just have general fatigue and malaise. I personally think the way forward is to look at what I’m eating, look at how well I’m sleeping and try to make things right that way. 

I feel tired today which is understandable after a weekend camping. I could have cycled to work today but didn’t, using this as an excuse. 

Watching the Tour’s Grand Depart was unspeakably brilliant and I will review the weekend properly in a later post, but interestingly seeing all the other cyclists and fans has left me, yet again, with an uneasy feeling and a crisis of confidence.  

They say that up to 2.5 million people lined the route over the weekend and certainly where we were was packed. One of the best things for the fans was the chance to ride the Tour route on closed roads. The area we stayed at had road closures from about 5am but no Tor action until 11.25am. This meant hundreds of people were riding their bikes up and down the route. As I watched them I began to feel less and less confident in my ability to complete the London 100. 

I don’t feel like I am anywhere near fit or dedicated enough. I seem to still find it way too easy to not train or eat a cake or drink a beer (or several as was the case on Saturday!) 

I honestly feel that one of main issues is the loneliness I discussed last month. I think cycling with a group or just a friend would make me more dedicated and confident. With this in mind I am 100% going to go along to the cycle club I contacted. I am nervous about doing so but I’m more nervous of ending up weeping at the side of a road in Surrey in August! 

I need to change my whole attitude and mind set and start to see myself as a cyclist and then treat myself accordingly. 

Consequently starting today I will be drinking considerably more water, eating considerably less crap and really putting the effort in. 

It’s definitely time to make a change.

Week eleven - Tuesday

Cycling 1hr

Steadily paced ride. Pedal at 90-95rpm, try not to get out of breath.

I was pleased to see what looked like it should be an easy ride on the training schedule today.

I decided to try a new route and adapted Sunday's ride accordingly (you probably won't be surprised to hear I omitted the horror hill!).

I found the ride rather hard going.  I'm not sure it it was because of what I'd eaten for tea or whether I'm still tired from the weekend.  

   Nice spot for a rest 

I had to take a few mini breaks but I completed the ride despite struggling and managed 13.6mph as an average which isn't bad. 

I'm looking forward to a day off on Wednesday and hope to feel a bit fresher on Thursday. 

Week ten - the weekend

This weekend I was supposed to do a 2 hour cycle and a 2.5 hour one. I set off bright and early on Saturday at 8am on a route that Ant and I did on 26th August.

As you know, I’m not great at mornings or breakfast so I was not expecting great things! I started the day with a homemade smoothie (banana, peanut butter and almond milk) and set off. It was really great to be out so early. It was cool, quiet and I experienced an unbearable smugness about the fact I was up and exercising when most people were probably still asleep! 

    Sleepy village

The ride was good. I am now quite used to the bike and enjoy riding it. There are a few steep hills on the route and I did rather mess up one of them. My foot slipped off the peddle and I now have a huge bruise for my trouble. My bike is rather hard to get going if you stop before or during a hill so this was a bit of a setback. My average speed was only 12.5mph, but I am not that disappointed about this. I’m exceptionally pleased that I got up early and did the ride and I know that I need to improve on the hills so that’s not an issue. I finished the ride in 10 minutes less than when Ant and I did the same route at the end of April which I am very impressed by.

    

    Not that quick

After the ride the family set off to the Keep Festival in Northampton which is a cycling festival on the Racecourse. I had a great time helping out and was responsible for helping to power a peddle powered cinema and for making smoothies on an adapted bike. I suspect I did another 5 – 10 miles statically at the festival and by the end of Saturday my legs were understandably weary! 

That said on Sunday morning I was up and at it again. The day started at 8am again, this time with a blueberry, orange juice and yogurt smoothie. I set out on a new route. I knew it was unlikely to take the full 2.5 hours I was supposed to do but I decided that seeings as I had spent an extra hour cycling statically on Saturday it would be fine. 

Again, it was a great route. I was doing well and was particularly happy to find myself zipping along at 21mph on the flat at one point. I knew that the route I was taking had a particularly terrifying hill on it but when I reached it it was even worse than I expected. I came whizzing down the road approaching it but was so shocked / frightened / overwhelmed when I saw what I was about to go up that I did the worse possible thing I could do. I stopped. This was, of course, a huge error as I absolutely could not get the bike going again. Try as I might it was not going anywhere. At this point 4 rather professional looking chaps on posh bikes zoomed by me and straight up the horror hill. I was pleased to see however that even they appeared to struggle slightly at the top. I decided to just push the bike up. It isn’t ideal but I was tired and knew there was pretty much no chance I was getting up it on a bike. 

    Horror hills, again....

As I was pushing a very sweet man rode past me (not in lycra) coming down the hill. He chirped happily at me “I’m glad I’m coming down the hill!” What he clearly didn’t realise was that he wasn’t just descending a really steep hill. He was, in fact, entering a valley which had as steep an ascent on the other side. He noticed this quite quickly. I know this because as heard a pained “Oh God no!!” from him a few moments later. I do not know whether he made it up or not….. 

I was overall really happy with the ride again. I do not care that I didn’t get up the hill as I know what I did wrong and can rectify this. Also, I do know that there is quite a large chance I will end up walking up some of the London 100 hills anyway. I completed the ride in a 13.6mph average which I am really happy with. My legs were tired after Saturday but I still managed a reasonable time and more importantly, I got out of bed despite this and road my bike 23 miles. 

All in all I am really pleased with the weekend’s efforts. Go me!