Ow Ow Ow!
Monday, 21 May 2012
Sunday, 20 May 2012
Crash
After over 800km of training rides, with less than three weeks to the event itself, I've had the accident that I've been anxious about since the beginning.
Thankfully, it was just a fight between me and a road, rather than a car or lorry, but that was bad enough. It happened this morning, just before the halfway point of my 60km ride.
I was coming down a small hill into Wallington from Baldock and got to a right hand bend at the bottom. It was a misty, slightly drizzly morning, so the road surface was a bit damp and therefore I was taking it easy. But on this particular bend there was a fine covering of grit or gravel, plus a bit of mud (being a country road). The combination of those, particularly when damp, meant there was just no grip on the bend and my bike simply slid out from underneath me.
I slammed down on to the road, landing on my right arm and hip and sliding along the gritty tarmac until I came to a stop. I can't begin to explain how much it hurt at the time (and I think I may have yelled a bit), but after about a minute of lying in the road I thought I'd better get up! I staggered over to a bench in a bus shelter a few yards away and checked myself and the bike over. Nothing broken.
Just as I was done, a group of about six cyclists I'd passed a few miles earlier came down the same hill, but I didn't see them in time to yell a warning and the third guy in line did exactly the same as me.
Luckily, neither of us seemed seriously injured, although I've got a few choice grazes on my arm (through a fairly thick top I was wearing, which now has some holes in), a mashed up couple of knuckles (through my cycling gloves) and a pretty swollen hip where I banged down on it and slid along. I've got a feeling some pretty coloured bruises will come out over the next few days too!
Being almost halfway around, I had to choose between phoning for assistance, or pushing on with the ride. I didn't feel too bad so thought I'd give it a go and eventually managed to limp home rather slower than normal. I felt sorry for the other guy though as their group were on a charity ride from Coventry to Amsterdam (and back I think they said) so he had a lot of miles still to do today and then has to do more tomorrow, so I hope he's okay.
Once I got home though I think the adrenaline wore off and the joints started seizing up. My right arm and leg are both pretty sore now, but it could have been a lot worse so I'm counting my blessings!
We'll see how I feel tomorrow!
Update: I've just downloaded the log from my GPS unit to see what speed I was doing when I tumbled. Luckily it was only 32.5kph (20.2mph) as I knew the conditions weren't very good, so the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been. I dread to think what would have happened if I'd been going faster (such as the peak 60.8kph I reached on a dry day last week!).
Thankfully, it was just a fight between me and a road, rather than a car or lorry, but that was bad enough. It happened this morning, just before the halfway point of my 60km ride.
I was coming down a small hill into Wallington from Baldock and got to a right hand bend at the bottom. It was a misty, slightly drizzly morning, so the road surface was a bit damp and therefore I was taking it easy. But on this particular bend there was a fine covering of grit or gravel, plus a bit of mud (being a country road). The combination of those, particularly when damp, meant there was just no grip on the bend and my bike simply slid out from underneath me.
I slammed down on to the road, landing on my right arm and hip and sliding along the gritty tarmac until I came to a stop. I can't begin to explain how much it hurt at the time (and I think I may have yelled a bit), but after about a minute of lying in the road I thought I'd better get up! I staggered over to a bench in a bus shelter a few yards away and checked myself and the bike over. Nothing broken.
Just as I was done, a group of about six cyclists I'd passed a few miles earlier came down the same hill, but I didn't see them in time to yell a warning and the third guy in line did exactly the same as me.
Luckily, neither of us seemed seriously injured, although I've got a few choice grazes on my arm (through a fairly thick top I was wearing, which now has some holes in), a mashed up couple of knuckles (through my cycling gloves) and a pretty swollen hip where I banged down on it and slid along. I've got a feeling some pretty coloured bruises will come out over the next few days too!
Being almost halfway around, I had to choose between phoning for assistance, or pushing on with the ride. I didn't feel too bad so thought I'd give it a go and eventually managed to limp home rather slower than normal. I felt sorry for the other guy though as their group were on a charity ride from Coventry to Amsterdam (and back I think they said) so he had a lot of miles still to do today and then has to do more tomorrow, so I hope he's okay.
Once I got home though I think the adrenaline wore off and the joints started seizing up. My right arm and leg are both pretty sore now, but it could have been a lot worse so I'm counting my blessings!
We'll see how I feel tomorrow!
Update: I've just downloaded the log from my GPS unit to see what speed I was doing when I tumbled. Luckily it was only 32.5kph (20.2mph) as I knew the conditions weren't very good, so the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been. I dread to think what would have happened if I'd been going faster (such as the peak 60.8kph I reached on a dry day last week!).
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Hills
Anyone who thinks the area around here (south west of Cambridge) is basically flat should try the cycle ride I did on Sunday.
It was a 55km ride in total, with the following height profile (heights in metres):
I started on the left at 0km and finished on the right at 55km.
The spike at about 14km is near Barrington Quarry, which I previously thought was "a big hill" (topping out a little over 60m for a fairly steep 50m climb).
How wrong I was.
At about 30km I had another climb, which kept going and kept going. A few small downhills let me get my breath back but basically I was constantly climbing up to over 140m in total and it really felt like it!
It made the first hill look tiny.
Great training though...
This route had a total ascent of 324 metres (with the same total descent, being a circular route). Maximum elevation was 144 metres, minimum 15 metres.
The Nightrider route varies from 4 to 45 metres over most of the ride, but with peaks of 139m near Ally Pally (soon after my start point I think, so I begin with a climb!) and 100m near Crystal Palace. Total ascent is 383m, again on a circular route so with a matching total descent.
So, my 55km ride ascended 324 metres and the 100km event does 383m, so I should be prepared for it after this ride!
I've done well over 700km cumulatively now, continuing to clock up about 140 to 150km per week over the next couple of weeks before tapering down just before the event in 24 days time. Eeek.
It was a 55km ride in total, with the following height profile (heights in metres):
I started on the left at 0km and finished on the right at 55km.
The spike at about 14km is near Barrington Quarry, which I previously thought was "a big hill" (topping out a little over 60m for a fairly steep 50m climb).
How wrong I was.
At about 30km I had another climb, which kept going and kept going. A few small downhills let me get my breath back but basically I was constantly climbing up to over 140m in total and it really felt like it!
It made the first hill look tiny.
Great training though...
This route had a total ascent of 324 metres (with the same total descent, being a circular route). Maximum elevation was 144 metres, minimum 15 metres.
The Nightrider route varies from 4 to 45 metres over most of the ride, but with peaks of 139m near Ally Pally (soon after my start point I think, so I begin with a climb!) and 100m near Crystal Palace. Total ascent is 383m, again on a circular route so with a matching total descent.
So, my 55km ride ascended 324 metres and the 100km event does 383m, so I should be prepared for it after this ride!
I've done well over 700km cumulatively now, continuing to clock up about 140 to 150km per week over the next couple of weeks before tapering down just before the event in 24 days time. Eeek.
Sunday, 13 May 2012
50km
I reached a symbolic milestone last weekend with my first 50km ride, which took a bit under two and a half hours (inclduding a fairly large hill near Barrington Quarry!) on the bank holiday Monday. Windy, but reasonably dry.
It feels good to have reached the half way distance now, and I'm reasonably confident that if the rest of my training goes to plan I'll be able to manage the full distance okay. (My biggest concern is doing it overnight, staying awake and keeping the energy levels right until I start after midnight. Once I'm going I think the adrenaline will kick in, but it's the waiting that I'm nervous about).
Cumulatively, I've now done just over 600km in training and I have almost the same amount still to do.
I'm about to head out on a 55km ride, with 60km next week and 70km the week after which will be two weeks before the event. It's a gloriously sunny morning with clear blue skies at the moment, which makes a lovely change from the last couple of months!
Four weeks to go!!
It feels good to have reached the half way distance now, and I'm reasonably confident that if the rest of my training goes to plan I'll be able to manage the full distance okay. (My biggest concern is doing it overnight, staying awake and keeping the energy levels right until I start after midnight. Once I'm going I think the adrenaline will kick in, but it's the waiting that I'm nervous about).
Cumulatively, I've now done just over 600km in training and I have almost the same amount still to do.
I'm about to head out on a 55km ride, with 60km next week and 70km the week after which will be two weeks before the event. It's a gloriously sunny morning with clear blue skies at the moment, which makes a lovely change from the last couple of months!
Four weeks to go!!
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