Wednesday was planned to be a four hour ride with three six minute intervals. The gods had other ideas and the weather was horrendous. The roads were flooded the rain torrential and the gales harsh. After three near misses I cut the ride short at just over two hours and one six minute session and after warming up and drying out I was going to do an hour on the turbo to make up for the shortfall. Luckily I convinced myself it was better to go and pick up the time trial bike from Cheshire Oak cycles. Right choice the bike is magnificent. And if I may sing my own praises it wasn't a day to ride anyway.
What a difference a day makes, although it was windy it was warmer and dry. Stupidly I dressed similar to the day before and overheated a bit but instead of my planned two hour ride I did an extra 30 minutes and had a great spin around the Wirral. I also managed to wear out the brakes on my Scott. SO it now needs new brakes and wheels.
So to Friday and a three hour zone one and two session with three six minute zone three sessions. With the scott in disgrace it was back onto the orbea and SRAM groupset. Although I love the Ui2 on the scott it was great to go out on this machine again for a while. After ten miles in Willaston Village I punctured and rapidly lost all the air in the rear tyre. A quick repair, a check of the tyre, rapid Co2 inflation and bang off it went again. I had missed whatever caused the puncture and only had one inner tube. So it was back to a patch and a hand pump to inflate the tyre.
A big shout out to one of the residents of Willaston who offered me coffee and the use of a phone. Always good to meet nice people even if I didn't need the phone i enjoyed a coffee. So having inflated the tyre I could hear air escaping again and decided to dart the five miles home and accept that someone didn't want me to ride that day. Sometimes it just happens.
Saturday was planned to be just thirty minutes easy turbo to fit with my child care arrangements. However after spending most of night looking after my daughter with a high temperature I was shattered and just binned the session. Some things are more important.
That afternoon though it was off to Polocini cycling cafe and over coffee and cake agreeing to ride from Paris to Monte Carlo via Mont Ventoux in September, before zooming into Manchester for the third revolution of the series. More on that later.
Sunday was my day to reconnect with the bike. After a good nights sleep and a late start/ puncture repair it was back out for a four hour spin in zones one and two with three six minute spins in zone three., It was a windy day but still one of those great days. My heart rate stayed at the top of each zone and I was loving it. Instead of zone three for the six minutes I was in 4 or 5 and during the ten minute zone 2 session between each sprint kept it in three. I know this isn't the plan but I couldn't help it. I enjoyed the orbea again and as I headed home was planning on raising it to a five hour non-stop ride. My problem was the lights were on the scott in the workshop and the light was failing. I value my life so it was back home after 4 hours 15 minutes of pure pleasure. With a rest day tomorrow I can't wait for Tuesday.
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