For a start I am reminded, as I finish my first 100 mile ride of 2015, how much farther 200 miles is. Apart from the obvious mathematical calculation of course.
The weather looked benign as I walked the dog prior to heading out at 9 this morning, but it was raining a steady mizzle before I walked out of the door for a second time. I welcome rain these days. Anything unpleasant to be honest. A sunny day teaches you not much other than the need to drink, but a rainy day tests your metal, especially when accompanied by a steady little headwind.
The headwind was welcome too, since it is a useful alternative to real hill training. I live in Norfolk remember, where there are almost no hills.
Lured toward Woodbridge by the surety of a good cup of sugary tea and undoubted ready food supply, I didn't take anything with me, save a tangerine and a litre of water. A useful lesson can be found under the simplest of circumstances. No matter how much food awaits you after 50 miles, you need to keep chucking a little into the furnace along the way. By the time I hit Woodbridge, my legs were severely energy low and to save chewing on my friends arm as he greeted me on my arrival, |I dived into a gas station and bought a snickers and a packet of jelly babies. The snickers lasted a second, 3/4 of the jelly babies followed in short order.
Suffolk is considerably lumpier than Norfolk, so I was pleased to complete my first 50 in 3 hours.
The rain had abated by early afternoon and after a hearty lunch and a catch-up I retraced my steps in an equally pleasing 3 hours.
The 6 hour time limit has become significant after reading Jim Verheul's piece in a 2011 copy of ultraracenews.com Well worth a read and can be found at:
http://www.ultraracenews.com/2011/11/18/training-for-ultracycling-events/
In conjunction with night shifts and the day to day, it makes complete sense to me, to make sure that you can recover from your training in time to make your next ride effective, not a drain on your limited reserves. As a bonus, it also keeps the family happy, since it means that I get to spend more time at home. Win, win.
100 miles today
804 miles in total
Average 17.5 miles a day since 31st Dec 2014
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