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Monday 18 March 2013

Right then, let's see what's happened in the engine room!

  It's done. Two months worth of hardcore training...
  ...are in the bank.  Not many hours a week, but full-on quality stuff.  And I feel amazing!


  The load has been pretty high and I think I've been a bit close to the cliff edge a couple of times but no real harm done.  The best gauge of progress was a week or so ago when after a 4 day work-induced lay-off, I decided to smash a 50 miler I used to do before Xmas to try and compensate a bit.  Lovely 'sporting' route, Gorleston - Loddon - Seething - Bungay - Beccles - Lowestoft - Home, all on back roads.

  I set off feeling really fresh & strong.  Quite a brisk pace but I was astonished to get home in well under 3 hours, 17.8mph in fact. Oh, and that was on the MTB with big knobbly tyres btw! That's about as quick as on the road bike! The previous tits-out MTB rides before Xmas averaged around 3hrs 15mins (15mph).

  Very pleasing indeed. Hopefully, the stage is set for some quick rides this season.

  The other thing is that the lard is continuing to drop off, in fact I had to take my HRM strap in another couple of inches this morning as it kept sliding off my chest! Haven't actually weighed myself for quite a while but I stood on the warehouse scales at work a couple of days ago and I was under 12 stone even with safety boots, lots of clothes and a coat on.

  I've decided to ration my racing this season - I've come to the conclusion that I only have a few decent rides in me every year. Besides, dragging yourself out of bed at 4:30 every sunday morning for some race on a crap course somewhere is just stupid, soul-destroying and a waste of energy. So, I'm being very choosy.

  I'll admit it right here and now that I am only interested in obliterating all my 1990's PB's this season, nothing else.

 I'll do crap club courses for training but Opens will be fast DC courses only. So:


  • No early starts (unless it entails a PM start on the V718 etc!)
  • No 'sporting' courses
  • Target races just once a fortnight. This will allow me to train hard, taper & race at full potential.
  • Don't even bother if it's blowing a gale etc!
  Obviously, all the above depends on whether I end up going as well as I think I will! First TT is a club 10 on my favourite course at Horsford, just N of Norwich on Sunday. I'll probably be quite smashed from a hard training week this week but it should give me a clue. Plus it'll be a shakedown for new bits on the bike and new position.  22:30 will do nicely for starters, although that might be a tad optimistic - my 1996 best mid-season on that course was 21:52!
  First Open is the GYCC 10 on Good Friday. Should be slightly more rested for that as Me, Sue and doggies are off to Pembrokeshire for 4 days beforehand and I'm banned from taking the bike!

  Fingers crossed - everything looking good for 2013!

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