Friday 23 May 2008

A Blustery Day

Ahh the little ones were out on Sunday for the kidz bikathon along Southend sea front. Not that my little one washaving anything to do with it. There was daddy having these sweet thoughts about his little four year old riding though the finish line after two miles along the sea-front to collect her medal. But when we go out for a practice ride a couple of weeks back she rides for five minutes before claiming she is tired and wants to go play on the beach. How they break your heart.

Anyway where was I? Oh yes, as part of my usual trainingng route along the sea-front was closed off for the kidz event I decided to head off in a slightly different direction and see where my nose lead me. Along the way it struck me that I think I am starting to get masochistic tendencies. No nothing like that, it's just that I am starting to enjoy the battle with hills. Not that I am going out of my way to find them mind you, simply that I don't ride an extra five miles to avoid one. Hills, in Essex I hear you say? Wellthe 240ft climb over three miles O tackled a couple of weeks back may not qualify anyone for king of the mountains, but being as unfit as I am, it felt like it was never ending and hurt!.



So I decided to tackle a similar route with the same hill. Only this time with the added fun of headwinds ranging from 25 to 40 miles an hour (check the news for freak summer winds on 22 June). But then every cloud has a silver lining and it was enormous fun cycling along the sea-front with 25-40 mile an hour tail wind blowing me along. Keeping up with the traffic, meant being able to ride in the middle of the raod and grin in the rear view mirror of the car in front. Mind you it got a bt scary at times when a freak side wind would hit and try its best to blow me over!

With only three weeks to go with my first ride of the season (we don't talk about the first two I was supposed to do) – the 58 mile Essex Countryside ride on 12 July (http://www.bike-events.com/Ride.aspx?id=174) – I feel woefully prepared and need to start getting some extra training in. I could always do the 18 or 35 mile course buut then where would be the fun in that. So if the weather holds, it will be 13 mile circuits Tuesday and Thursday evenings as well as my Sunday ride. And if the weather doesn't hold it will be time to dust off the turbo trainer.

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