The Long good weekend

I took a five day weekend (Thursday to Monday) with the intention of testing my endurance, seeing some of the country and unburdening myself of some of my worries. I’m always happier when I’m thoroughly exhausted and fully occupied. Fortunately both Julia and Chris were about to share the experience of feeding my ADHD.

The first goal was to compete the David Ryan Circuit of the Cotswolds route (a very good cause). At 100miles and added to Woodcote this would give almost 200miles for the week. This was intended as preparation for L’Eroica but I shied away from using the Holdsworth and from battering round the whole lot in a day. It is greatly more pleasurable to do over two days than one and I got to lift my head and look at the lovely scenery. I also got to stop for tea and to eat something other than pure sugar.

The scenery was definitely worth looking at and the wildlife was abundant. I saw at least three species of raptor and a 'Brock' hole at Brockhampton. We stopped at Whichford Pottery more in the hope that it would have café than anything else but it had the most wonderful courtyard garden I’ve ever seen. What is more the pottery is a real manufacturing concern producing really high grade ceramics for home and garden. I was amazed to see commercial throwing in the UK. I would certainly have bought a rhubarb forcer had I not been on the bike.

We did 56miles on day one before holing up at Wesley House in Winchcombe. The rooms were excellent as were the kippers but we ate dinner at the pub just up the road which did quite a line in sausages. Day two was fairly faithful to the spirit of the route with the exception of one climb which I accidentally circumvented (ahem). By the time we dragged ourselves back to Witney we were about three miles short of the hundred and in no mood to do an extra loop just to make up the difference. The Cotswolds are hilly and, pretty as they are, I've seen enough of them for one year.

On Saturday Chris and I went for a tour (my third) of Bletchley Park. This is always fun and I’m getting to the point where I’m starting to know what the guides have missed out. Afterwards I cleaned and adjusted the bikes and we did a 16 mile loop out through Stewkley (stopping for a pint) and back via Newton Longville. Four hours later (after a tactical kip and a two mile walk) we were back in Newton Longville for dinner at the Crooked Billet. It was generally excellent though I wouldn’t have the pigeon again. The lamb was much superior.

Maj and I were somewhat weakened on Sunday (maybe a dodgy Pringle) but we dragged ourselves off for a six mile run before lunch. It was fairly fast out and fairly measured coming back but when he eventually left for some glamorous London party (by rail-replacement bus service) I was thoroughly pooped and retreated to the sofa with some Jeeves.

On Monday I successfully avoided any exercise for most of the day by pottering about the house, cooking and gardening; and by buying frames for various artworks. By mid afternoon there was no avoiding it however and Julia and I set off on our weekend ‘long run’. I can’t say that I had weak legs, pain or even CV problems but it was certainly hard work generating the inner oomph to go faster the eight minute miles. In the end we did a total of 16miles; ten of these were at sub 3:30 marathon pace. That leaves six miles which will have a veil drawn over them

I’m now officially pooped.

Woodcote cyclosportif

While our athletes were bringing home the bacon from Beijing yours truly was ploughing a furrow at the less glamorous end of British sport. The Woodcote Sportif was Matthew’s idea and, as is often the case when other folks are in charge, I turned up unprepared. Last minute snacks from the garage and air from a borrowed track pump saw me through scrutineering (or is it scrutinising) in a somewhat muddy field and before I had time to say “I’ve just cleaned this bloomin’ bike” we were off.

Actually I did have time to say just that but we were off in any case. The route seemed largely unmarshalled but it was very well marked with lots of orange signs and little bits of orange streamer tied to bushes to confirm that one had taken the correct route. The hilly course is more or less cupped in a meander of the Thames between Benson and Shiplake and passes through Sonning (although some way from the river). This proximity to my old boating ground gave it a lovely, homely English feel. By contrast the arable uplands were very Tour de France in feel with bright yellow fields of corn and the odd wizened field of nasty CAP alien rapeseed.

The very brightness of the open spaces made the narrow tree covered lanes seem dark and introduced a genuine element of danger. The recent heavy rain had washed lots of gravel onto the road arranged it in unpredictable rivulets. In some cases you had to just point the bike and hope that nothing was coming the other way. The flint component of the local geology was playing havoc with tyres. One chap we met had had four punctures and the roadsides looked like something from the retreat to Dunkirk – scattered as they were with partly dismantled machinery.

Performancewise it was something of a curate’s egg. El Punisher was somewhat faster than me on the flat and Matthew D was perhaps a slower on the descents. I was generally pathetic on climbs. My biggest humiliation came when I was tipped into a thorny thicket by the draft of a passing white van and the prize for ‘most like the set-up scenes from Casualty’ goes to our encounter with a huge piece of farm machinery and a highly volatile tanker.

On the whole I think we did relatively well to knock off the 75miles in five hours something (which included a lot of cake eating).

Amsterdam marathon preparation: part two

We have a little over two months to go to Amsterdam Marathon. My personal training has been fairly solid but not very dynamic. I have neither the flat speed nor the endurance I would like. I'm currently outside my half marathon, 10k and 5 mile PBs by a small but important margin.

With a reasonable base of fitness 'now' is the time to get serious. I have begun to address my dietary regime - reducing fats and increasing carbohydrate, protein and quality micro nutrients.

In training terms I intent to include one quality speed session (MMKAC interval session), one strength session (one minute hill intervals) and one long run (now over 13miles). I'm also trying to maintain my core strength and wellness by cross training (biking and tennis).

Rest is also important so typically I'd like to do:
Monday: Rest or Volleyball
Tuesday: MMKAC intervals
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Hill or interval session
Friday: Tennis
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Long run

The Holdsworth, the guerrilla and the loo

A few things are coming to glorious fruition. The Holdsworth project is looking good. The bike came back from Phil Corley Cycles with trued wheels, a set of fully operational mechs and some nicely re-routed cables - using the retro Campagnolo cable guide I provided. On getting it home I replaced the original toe clips with some more comfortable Christophe ones. The clips themselves are new/old stock but are historically compatable with the bike and the straps (which are now properly routed) work better with the retro bike shoes than the shabby originals. I've also ordered some wingnuts for the back wheel. They are nowhere near as pretty as the huret ones on the front but they'll do - if they fit.

With the exception of the paintwork (which I am still uncertain about) the bike now looks great and runs a treat. I've now started to do some short 'efforts' on the bike on the way back from work and I hope to give it real run out into the country soon. I made my payment to L'Eroica at the bank this weekend and I’m starting to think that Dave and I may just make it round L’Eroica in the autumn.

The 'guerrilla' garden I have been creating between my house and Bletchley Sainsbury looks a treat at the moment. Both the crocosmia and the hollyhocks are in full bloom and various other low-growing flowering shrubs are expanding to fill the space previously filled with trash. What is more, Mum was down last weekend so even my own garden is looking good with the addition of aherb collection and a fig tree and the removal of lots of weeds.

The bog painting is also nearing completion. Mum’s critical analysis was that it “looks like it is full of concrete” so I spend an hour or so contouring the shading and adding some highlights. I’m hoping to finish this off next week and hang it in my newly heated bathroom.