A Week on the Mend

Last week I was still feeling the effects of a bad rest week from a couple of weeks prior. This week brought a bit of extra rest thanks to the weather. We needed rain here, and got a months worth in a day.

To keep it simple, I got a good but not huge ride in on Monday with Myra (3.5hrs), did some sprint intervals on the trainer on Wednesday morning (1hr), and headed into the hills with the boys on Friday morning (50km, maybe 1000m elevation).

The trainer is an under-utilized tool for me. It really does make a big difference to one's fitness on the bike, but I get so increadibly bored on it. I'm ok for about half an hour, but it's a struggle to make it to the 1 hour mark, and forget about anything longer. We do a spin class through the shop (Euride, the website is a work in progress - lots to add), which is fantastic, but at home it's a struggle. It does pay off, however, so I'll aim to get one session in per week.

Friday was the first day I felt good in a few weeks. I was climbing well and felt strong, so I put it in the big boy ring at the front for the remaining 10-14% climbs. I have gotten far stronger than I have ever been, and my chicken legs finally have some meat on them!

Saturday was the usual shop ride. I float between the 40, 45, and 50km/h (very rarely) groups depending on how tired/good I am feeling that morning, and this week was a conservative 40km/h day. That usually means participating in the sprints that happen towards the end of the ride. It's hard to resist. The main problem with the Saturday ride is that I have a hard time being disciplined with rehydrating and refueling througout the day, as it's busy (I always work after the ride). There is nothing worse than smashing yourself for two hours and then not eating or drinking enough for the next seven hours.

Sunday it was pouring, which was just as well. A bit of a lay-in, and the remainder of the day sat on the couch made for a good day today. There are a large number of notable hills within 20-30km from our place, and today I hit a few of them. The morning was actually quite cold, but after about two hours on the bike it turned into a perfect day for riding. For once the wind wasn't directly in my face, I was feeling fresh, and there were Koalas everywhere. 

Approach to Corkscrew. Already 8%

Middle of Corkscrew

That far down is only about 150 meters of road away

In addition, there is the excitement of seeing pro teams riding all over the place doing training rides in preperation for the Tour Down Under. Some chaps from Garmin Sharp, Sky, and Blanco (formerly Rabobank) had passed me today. The Blanco team had actually suddenly appeared behind me on a climb and surprised me a bit, and when I upped the tempo a bit I dropped them (they were on full gas, obviously). I didn't eat or drink as well as I could have on the bike today, but all in all it was a good solid 166km, 125 of those in the hills, and around 2500m climbing.

Doing what they do best

So far I've done near enough the elevation of the 3 Peaks Challenge, but not a ride further than 180km, so I'm not sure what my body will do yet with the extra 50km of distance. Perhaps this Sunday, which is my last big day before my second rest week, will crack 200km. That's the plan, anyway.

Hunters Road. 13% at it's worst.