Re-energising and goals

I will be restarting this blog for the new training season which starts right at the end of December. I intend to make most posts YouTube video blog posts, if I can get all that gizmo stuff to work.

2008 Goals so far

La Scott 1000 Bosses (Cyclosportif)
La Marmotte (Cyclosportif)

The Kitchen Scales

“Why are the kitchen scales on top of the radiator?” asks my wife.

“I was using them to weigh my 12-25 cassette.”

“Oh, really.” She looks either disinterested, disgusted or both.

“Yes, it weighs 212g, the 11-23 only weighs 182g.”

She has already left.

La Scott 1000 Bosses

Everything should have been perfect, I had a nice pasta in Lyon the night before, I wasn’t too late to bed, although sharing a room with Neil C. in the hotel, but he’s fine to share with. I was very nervous in the morning and did more or less skip breakfast having just a banana and a Grany bar, I know that’s not really advisable but I get like that before a race.

The cycle to the start is only 8km but involves a little climb, but we took it steady and we got there very early, around 8am for the 9am start. Gabriel was there too, already lining up in the first row behind the 200 riders with a priority start. I should have gone back a bit, but I was a bit too proud and lined up alongside Gabriel and stood around for the next hour.

The start was fast and as dangerous as I can remember, despite being uphill, at one point I hit a kerb on a roundabout and nearly lost control, it was a scary moment. I followed the lead group of a good 150 riders and soon my heart rate was way up, too high at around 187! I kept on as I could, but I soon realised it was beyond me, after 20 minutes at this pace I was going, and the lead group was away, and by 30 minutes I was shot to pieces. I had really overestimated my ability at the start and suddenly all these riders were passing me. I realised I had been stupid and had to get myself together, it probably took the next 30-40 minutes, I didn’t really recover till the early climbing was over at around the 38km. I did feel alright for a while and didn’t feel the need to stop at the ravataillement and I got myself in a good group for the second hour of the race. I followed the wheels and climbed with everyone and started to believe I could have a good ride.

Into the third hour and I was riding pretty well, my average speed was up over 30km/h and I thought maybe I could even pull off a gold! I was getting some bad stomach ache by now, probably as a result of skipping the breakfast, but I was coping. The second too last climb is the steepest but not too short and I rode that well, though my average speed did slip back under 30. I stopped for a drink at the ravataillement at the top and to swap my water bottles round. I was tired, my stomach was in bad shape but I was hoping to keep going. Into the last climb, which started with a very steep section at the bottom and suddenly I was gone. The climb is very gentle but I couldn’t take it, at first I could only just keep up with the others, and then they were passing me now and then. I felt really tired, and hungry, but I just couldn’t eat with the stomach ache. The ascent clicked by as my average speed dropped and dropped, I was losing way too much time here, it was disappointing but I just didn’t have the form in my legs. I the top and heaved a sigh of relief, only to find 2km further down the road a further 3km climb. I managed it ok, and set myself for the descent.

The last descent is long and fast, of course I am the worlds worst descender but I hung in there on the back of the group for a long, long time. We got to the flatter descent at the finish and the speed was still high, but only 5km to go. I had been hoping still to make 4h45 but that slipped by and with 1km to go I ran out of energy completely. It just went and quite a few riders passed me, I just couldn’t turn the legs and I cruised into the finish in a slightly disappointing time of 4h5017s.

I was pretty glad to finish, it had been a struggle at times, but I got through alright, slower than I wanted, but sometimes you ride a stupid race, and/or you just don’t have the form in your legs when you need it, and that was today. I was still second to finish of our expat crew, so not too bad.

Result: 373rd out of around 800 starters. Not sure of my position in my class. Another Brevet d’argent to add to the collection I am sure.