Well this updates a bit late, but better late than never. Last week and indeed the next few weeks objective is getting the constant hours in. Not so much riding massive hours at a time but riding constant hours day after day boosting the endurance but at the same time keeping the cadence high. Having a disciplined amount of time in saddle each day has made me really think about where i'm going on the days ride, making my training really fun and interesting.
Now to be honest now been Tuesday evening and me been a busy chap ive forgotten where i went last monday so i'll move swiftly on to Tuesday where a great day was to be had and a great opportunity seized. It was the day I was to show Chris Sidwells "cycling Weekly" round my favorite training ride, a 3 hour ride through small twisty hilly lanes in the Yorkshire Dales. The day went as follows, Chris arrived at my house at 10 am where we talked about how i came into cycling, what made me want to race and the pivotal point when i decided to pack my bags and go to Belgium, and to be honest i couldn't remember when i decided to make this amazing decision, but i can safely say i'm glad i did. Through the experience i learnt so much and made some of if the the best friends i will ever have.
I wasn't to do this ride alone though I had the company of Ian Wilkinson "enduraracing" a great friend of mine and someone who also does this ride quite often. "great minds think alike". This morning was absolutely perishing and i can take the cold but jesus, Ian looked like jack frost when he turned up. With the perishing weather came ice and we had our fair share of it on the ride, but fortunately I'd done this route the Saturday before and had a good idea where tricky patches were and therefore we got by with no issues. I've got to admit when we did get to some ice i ran along the grass while Ian rode across 1 handed on the phone, you know as you do!!!. When all the photo's had been taken Chris treat us to a coffee and cake in the lovely market town of Settle. After the cafe/chat stop Chris had all the info and pictures he needed and left us to our ride, when we got home we had about 3 hours in the legs and with the sun shining and the ice gone it turned out to be a great day.
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Wednesday was another great day with a cold start but when the sun came out it was fantastic to be riding over Barden Moor and up lower Wharfedale to Burnsall and through to Airedale round the Malham area. Again a great 3 hour ride with no boring roads just all full on interest.
Most of my recent training has been in the Yorkshire Dales and the previous two days had been and so today i decided to venture into Lancashire and explore the Ribble valley, round Waddington and Bashall Eaves. A ride made up of B roads, single track wooded lanes and 3 local road race circuits each of which i do a lap, this ride tops out at 3 hours and is pretty nippy covering about 60 miles which for round here is a pretty high average speed. These rolling lanes with nippy little climbs and descents sure ramp up the average. FUN!!!!!!
Friday I did the same ride as Thursday but unlike Yesterday where i was bathed in wintery sunshine and had frost and lovely colours surrounding me in the Ribble Valley I had 3 solid hours of heavy rain, drizzle, mist ect!! but I loved it, that's the thing with these rides they're so interesting you don't notice how bad the weather is, when i got home i was like a drowned rat but it didn't matter i could chill the rest of the day and know some good work had been done.
Saturday some money had to be earned and it was my first day Pheasant beating of 2012, a day of rain rain rain but the "mud" walking did me good and with a good coat on I was nice and dry.
Sunday me and my friend Sam went out round Ingleton and Ribblehead, a good 3 3/4- 4 hours ride on exposed roads snaking between the 3 peaks in the Dales, which I can honestly say looked amazing with the mid day sun on them. It was a tough ride, following my 6km walking the day before coupled with a very weird wind, i.e.- every direction seamed to be a head wind. And predictably this wind blow some rain our way, but luckily we were nearly home and didn't get too wet once caped up.
Hope You've enjoyed the read... Hamish
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