So today's session was a short on that I've done before
Race attack efforts!
Basically it's a Not-Full-On-Sprint for a minute followed by 3 minutes of Zone 4 effort and a minute of Zone 5 effort, with 5 minutes recovery between efforts.
Pretty pleased with how it went today. I felt that the 'attacks' were probably and predictably low on power but I was pleased with the transition to Z4 riding and pleased also with the pick up to Zone 5 for the last minute each time.
Kept the rest of the ride mostly in Zone 2
My coach fed back that he was pleased with how they went - so at this point I have to be happy with that.
Obviously it is really early days in Project "Find Those Go Faster Legs"
Sunday, 14 September 2014
Saturday, 13 September 2014
And so the initial first couple of weeks starts...
Today's training session sounded like a lot of fun.
2½ hours riding with 20 minutes warm up at Zone 2, Followed by 10 minutes of Sweet Spot which is a narrow band of power at the top of Zone 3/bottom of Zone 4, then 10 minutes (or so) of easy effort.
I chose a route that was on undulating larger roads for this - one I've used quite a lot so I had a pretty good idea where I'd be on the road for the first part of the session.
20 minutes of Zone 2 was pleasant and the 10 minutes of Sweet Spot felt strong and not overly tiring, and the 10(ish) minutes of easy pedaling brought me just shy of the section of road I'd identified for the hard efforts that were to come next.
The schedule said:
6 x 2min efforts (105s upper zone 5, then 15s sprint)
use a small descent to bring you up to speed then start your effort at the bottom of the descent.
7 mins between efforts.
I underestimated by just 2 minutes how long it would take me to get to the small descent I'd chosen which led on to a perfect flat section of road for the efforts, and pulling up once it was done and returning to just beyond the top of the start descent at an easy effort, took the requisite 7 minutes!
The best efforts were the 1st, 4th and last.
I was pleased with the Zone 5 bits, but I feel that although I sprinted as hard as I could, that the numbers and the speed differential I generated were a bit disappointing.
I said as much in the notes I sent to James my coach, but we already know that Top End Power is a weakness, and much of what we will be doing will be aiming to address that!
I'll be interested in his feedback about it.
The ride back home was lovely. I chose some of the roads I've not ridden much this year. It kept me off the roads with traffic and made for a very pleasant (mostly) Zone 1 finish.
There's a good chance I'm still a wee bit fatigued from the two long hard endurance weekends that I've just done, but mostly I think that this session illustrated very nicely what I need to work on!!
2½ hours riding with 20 minutes warm up at Zone 2, Followed by 10 minutes of Sweet Spot which is a narrow band of power at the top of Zone 3/bottom of Zone 4, then 10 minutes (or so) of easy effort.
I chose a route that was on undulating larger roads for this - one I've used quite a lot so I had a pretty good idea where I'd be on the road for the first part of the session.
20 minutes of Zone 2 was pleasant and the 10 minutes of Sweet Spot felt strong and not overly tiring, and the 10(ish) minutes of easy pedaling brought me just shy of the section of road I'd identified for the hard efforts that were to come next.
The schedule said:
6 x 2min efforts (105s upper zone 5, then 15s sprint)
use a small descent to bring you up to speed then start your effort at the bottom of the descent.
7 mins between efforts.
I underestimated by just 2 minutes how long it would take me to get to the small descent I'd chosen which led on to a perfect flat section of road for the efforts, and pulling up once it was done and returning to just beyond the top of the start descent at an easy effort, took the requisite 7 minutes!
The best efforts were the 1st, 4th and last.
I was pleased with the Zone 5 bits, but I feel that although I sprinted as hard as I could, that the numbers and the speed differential I generated were a bit disappointing.
I said as much in the notes I sent to James my coach, but we already know that Top End Power is a weakness, and much of what we will be doing will be aiming to address that!
I'll be interested in his feedback about it.
The ride back home was lovely. I chose some of the roads I've not ridden much this year. It kept me off the roads with traffic and made for a very pleasant (mostly) Zone 1 finish.
There's a good chance I'm still a wee bit fatigued from the two long hard endurance weekends that I've just done, but mostly I think that this session illustrated very nicely what I need to work on!!
Friday, 12 September 2014
Preparing for the onslaught...
I can say with some confidence that I worked pretty hard riding the Bimble* on Sunday. An very easy effort few hours out in the sun with Lorna - easy as in and Average HR of >100bpm and an average power of 116W - illustrated that I can still 'feel' my legs.
No soreness or anything silly like that, just the remnants of that 'worked hard' feeling in my Quads and Glutes.
I did also have a sore right SI joint - from hitting an unexpected bump in the road at speed, slightly twisted and not absorbing it like I normally do - but that has, as expected eased up nicely.
I have spent the last few years (from the end of 2010) since cycling became my primary hobby/sport doing lots of miles and riding a few sportives. And I still consider myself a relative novice at this game.
But I'm also nearly 48.
So when Lorna started talking about goals for next year I wasn't really sure what to do.
You see, running and long distance events was something that we did together - that was the point.
When I couldn't run anymore and started cycling, Lorna did too. A little more reluctantly because at heart she's a runner and has the opportunity to race as a runner whereas there genuinely isn't that option for (her words) "a little old lady who can do endurance, but whose ablity to generate power is literally off the bottom of the charts"
She's right - there's hardly any facility for racing for women, let alone those in her demographic!
Shame on you cycling!!
But she suggested that it might be worth *me* having a season racing and seeing how I got on with it and if I enjoyed it.
At the same time she'll target some challenging running things.
For the last year I have been getting input from a coach at Dig Deep Coaching, and have seen some quantifiable improvements, and the focus had been on some selective spotives, endurance events and riding with Lorna, when I put it to him that I'd like to have a punt at racing next year, he didn't laugh me off Skype!
Obviously he already knows where my strengths and weaknesses lie - and in our discussion about how to approach next season, we agreed that it would make sense to hit the season running - "good legs will paper over the cracks in your lack of racecraft, and give you more opportunities in the early season to gain some decent racecraft without being blown out the back every race"
Makes sense to me.
So my winter is mostly going to be spent developing some top end strength.
A slightly unorthodox approach, but for good reason.
We will plan a mid season break too once I start to inevitably drop off, and then have a pop at the back end of the season.
This week has ALL been rest days and recovery rides.
The hard work starts tomorrow, and the next 2 weeks look quite..... err...... interesting.
Looking forward to it!!
*I have a tendency to understatement I'm told!
No soreness or anything silly like that, just the remnants of that 'worked hard' feeling in my Quads and Glutes.
I did also have a sore right SI joint - from hitting an unexpected bump in the road at speed, slightly twisted and not absorbing it like I normally do - but that has, as expected eased up nicely.
I have spent the last few years (from the end of 2010) since cycling became my primary hobby/sport doing lots of miles and riding a few sportives. And I still consider myself a relative novice at this game.
But I'm also nearly 48.
So when Lorna started talking about goals for next year I wasn't really sure what to do.
You see, running and long distance events was something that we did together - that was the point.
When I couldn't run anymore and started cycling, Lorna did too. A little more reluctantly because at heart she's a runner and has the opportunity to race as a runner whereas there genuinely isn't that option for (her words) "a little old lady who can do endurance, but whose ablity to generate power is literally off the bottom of the charts"
She's right - there's hardly any facility for racing for women, let alone those in her demographic!
Shame on you cycling!!
But she suggested that it might be worth *me* having a season racing and seeing how I got on with it and if I enjoyed it.
At the same time she'll target some challenging running things.
For the last year I have been getting input from a coach at Dig Deep Coaching, and have seen some quantifiable improvements, and the focus had been on some selective spotives, endurance events and riding with Lorna, when I put it to him that I'd like to have a punt at racing next year, he didn't laugh me off Skype!
Obviously he already knows where my strengths and weaknesses lie - and in our discussion about how to approach next season, we agreed that it would make sense to hit the season running - "good legs will paper over the cracks in your lack of racecraft, and give you more opportunities in the early season to gain some decent racecraft without being blown out the back every race"
Makes sense to me.
So my winter is mostly going to be spent developing some top end strength.
A slightly unorthodox approach, but for good reason.
We will plan a mid season break too once I start to inevitably drop off, and then have a pop at the back end of the season.
This week has ALL been rest days and recovery rides.
The hard work starts tomorrow, and the next 2 weeks look quite..... err...... interesting.
Looking forward to it!!
*I have a tendency to understatement I'm told!
Monday, 8 September 2014
Last 'target' ride of the year (probably)
The Bimble - a Lake District ride
It took me quite a while and many alterations to put this route together, and I rode it for the first time in June last year to get a feel for how it flowed and to assess its feasibility as a potential organised Challenge ride.
It had exceeded expectation, and with another year of cycling in my legs I was keen to have another go at it, but this time without the faffage of last year.
But we were running out of potential days and daylight - because however you look at it, it's a long way and takes quite a while.
The opportunity came yesterday. Lorna had positively encouraged me to have a go - and that was really important, because it would be a completely different logistical beast without her amazing mobile support.
Rosthwaite to Grizebeck - ~60 miles - 1900m ascent
When I planned this, I didn't hold back in this first third - 6 of the iconic climbs that are known to most cyclists who ride in these parts that come one after another in quick succession!
I left Rosthwaite at 06:01
The drive over had shown us that there were plenty of temperature inversions under a clear sky, and in those inversions the air temp was a bracing 5.5°C
So I set off with enough clothing to keep me just about warm enough until the sun got up, knowing that I'd be riding reasonably hard.
The first few miles along the Borrowdale road were really chilly, but turning left at Grange to head up the West side of Derwentwater, meant a gentle climb and coming out of the mistyness.
The views from here shortly before dawn with the sky between Blencathra and Clough Head becoming brighter and redder with the approaching sunrise, and seeing all the areas of lingering inversion was well worth the early start - and slightly chilly fingers
Riding through Portinscale and over the footbridge into Keswick early on a Sunday morning was an eerily quiet experience, and it was very nice to have everything to myself.
The climb to the Castlerigg Stone Circle is the first decent gradient and a chance to wake up the climbing legs - which were happy to come out and play, and the short section through St John's in the Vale was also completely lacking in people or traffic.
The last time I rode the cycle path that joins this road to the road around the back of Thirlmere was with Lorna, and it had been recently relaid with with a hardcore surface. It was a few weeks ago and was a bit rough, but today in the half-light a couple of weeks of cycle, farm and other traffic had smoothed it out nicely.
I love the back-of-Thirmere road. It's mostly a decent surface, always quiet, and it's completely flat meaning it can be ridden nice and quickly. The reservoir is pretty low at the moment, but again was fantastically atmospheric on this chilly late summer morning!
A quick dash down from Dunmail Raise to Grasmere and onto the first tough climb of the day.
Red Bank is a really narrow road that has a "Don't follow your SatNav" warning associated with it. For good reason - the steepest bit is in the trees meaning the surface is usually a bit slick, and the combination of the winter and vehicles using it as a 'short cut' to Elterwater and Langdale means that it is often very rough and potholed.
Not today..
A lovely thick new layer of smooth robust tarmac greeted me - the best I've ever know that section of road to be.
Climbing it was a delight
In fact it made the descent into Elterwater almost feel like a farm track - but mostly I think that was the low sun showing up every lump and bump fooling my brain into thinking it was rougher than normal!.
By now the sun was high enough to be shining up the Valley and Bowfell and the Crinkles were bathed in an fantastic red morning light.
I smiled at the sight! Well you *do*, don't you.
Next up was the (Max) 25% climb up to Blea Tarn - Langdale Marathoners/Half Marathoners - this is one of yours
- felt good to climb today.
I found myself taking the shorter steeper lines through the corners rather than going long and around the outside, and it was done more quickly than I'd expected.
The descent was a lot more bumpy than normal and needed some care but still I had the road almost to myself.
Right turn to Fell Foot Farm and Wrynose rose up to the sky.
Wrynose Pass from the East is a much more challenging climb than from the other side!
It's a few pennies under 2 miles long, starts off after an initial steep kick at 7-8% and gets progressively steeper to a maximum of 25% just before the top.
It was lovely to be climbing it with the sun on my back, although it wasn't yet warm enough to dispense with the gilet (the lovely blue Montane one that I got for doing the Lakeland 50 a century or so ago )
This climb is one of the few I have misjudged in the past, so I was careful not to go too hard at it early on.
There was a chap with a Very Southern Accent (more Lahnd'n than Home Counties) stood in a gateway a little way before the 25% sign 'admiring the view' as I rode past and gave him a friendly "Fabulous morning for it"
He remounted his bike and started pedaling upwards, but by the time I got to the stone bridge where the road bears left and affords a glance back down the road and the valley - I couldn't see him.
As always the last steep section needed a bit of work, but I was feeling good, and I was soon enjoying the flattening out of the last couple of hundred metres to the top.
The view down the Valley to Cockley Beck and Hardknott was breathtaking.
I was starting to regret not making enough space in my jersey pockets for my camera!!
A nice whizzy descent and Hardknott was next.
Now *this* is much easier from this side - and initial steep kick which is actually steeper than anything on the 'hard' side, but is short enough to accelerate hard at and get mostly up on momentum.
If you don't there's a good chance of failure though
Just above this is a bridge, and the surface on it is usually, well, not a road surface!
But the Road Boys have been busy and it is ALSO the best I've ever known it
I'm sure that in a car *this* side is a bit challenging with the series of tight switchbacks, but on a bike it's really nice.
Again I was feeling good and taking the shorter steeper line, and this side of the climb is a LOT shorter than the other side
The view from the top down into the Eskdale Valley and beyond was amazing.
The descent down the 'hard' side of Hardknott is less intimidating than you might think, but still needs LOTS of respect.
There was quite a lot of water runnel damage in the centre of the surface in places - not something to get a wheel caught in when descending at speed!!
In this direction, the Red Telephone Box Of Doom at the bottom is a good thing to see and with it still being before 9am, the ride to the King George IV was car free and reasonably whizzy
In context, Birker Fell isn't a difficult climb. Not overly steep with the steepest bit early on.
It did become a bit of an obstacle course though, with many Herdys plonking themselves on the sun-warmed tarmac and refusing to move for anything
I like the section high on Birker - there are magnificent views back to where you've just come from and, as you get to the end of the plateau, the fells on the other side of the Duddon Valley.
Bit of a rush hour up here! 3 cars!
And a Camper Van complete with fat labrador and guitar strumming blokey facing the ever rising sun.
Those Road Boys had been at the descent into Ulpha too.
Silky smooth, quality surface all the way down. Superb
The little narrow road and climb over Kiln Bank I really like. It's steep and a bit long to be 'punchy' and the warm tarmac Kiln Bank Herdys had obviously been following their Birker compatriots' Twitter feed. More so, because it's a quieter road and they were braver with their positioning
There was a slightly bemused looking couple at the top.
What? *You're* up here at this time of the morning!! I thought to myself
The descent to Broughton Mills is narrow, wooded and has one always closed gate and it was actually quite difficult to see the road surface with the dappled light.
But it was deserted apart from a couple of hounds taking their humans for a walk
A short climb to Hawthwaite brought me to the unfeasibly narrow, occasionally singletrack A593 for a short section before I picked up the small road to ( a different) Rosthwaite whereupon I happened upon a 'proper' Cumbrian traffic jam.
Farmer and two hounds herding two needing milked Bovine ladies
Yup - just the two!
I didn't try and squeeze past.
"Lots of bikes out today, lad"
"Aye - sun's out"
"That'll be reet"
They turned into the farm which was only about 100m from where I first met them, and I headed South towards Grizebeck.
Along the next section of undulating road I passed the chap who was the 'lots of bikes' and headed down the last descent with a bit of hedge and gravel detritus on it to Grizebeck where Lorna was already parked with my box of bits 'n' pieces open and a full fat coke, and a veritable feast of anything I could possible want all ready for me
Half of the coke and a few boiled spuds (how good do THEY taste when you are after something savoury!) stripped off my gilet, armwarmers and buff, swapped my empty water bottles for full ones, kissed Lorna and enquired how much running she'd managed to do, and then headed off.
Elapsed time 4:10
Ride time 4:05 (23 minutes faster than last year)
Distance 59.5 miles
Ascent 1,900m
Grizebeck to Staveley - 30 miles - 1140m ascent
Lorna asked how long I thought the next section would take and I said I'd be at Staveley at about 12:15, all things being well.
I turned out of the car park with thoughts of making sure that I didn't miss the turn on to the bottom of the next significant climb, and how that I was riding again earlier than I'd arrived last time I rode this route
And then - 200m down the road I thought.... Hmmm, back wheel feels a bit squirly. What's going on?
A little bunny hop of the rear of the bike confirmed unwanted and unexpected squishiness in the rear tyre.
So - pulled over and quickly whipped said wheel out and tyre and inner tube off the rim.
It was a slow puncture, so definitely not a pinch flat, which meant a game of find the hole and the sharp thing.
Top Tip: When you put your tyre on the rim, line up a word or mark with the valve, then when you find the hole in the tube, finding the sharp thing is MUCH easier and quicker if you know how far it is from the valve
Tiniest of holes was found but the corresponding sharp thing was nowhere to be seen.
Remember the hedge and gravel detritus I mentioned? I suspect I collected an in-and-out stabbing there and the tyre simply hadn't deflated enough for me to notice earlier.
SO a quick tube change and re-inflation with a whizzy CO2 canister (Love these things - turns 10 minutes of physical activity with a mini pump into 3-5seconds of gentle twist and go and 110-120 psi in an instant ) and a quick plea to the puncture gods that the sharp thing was, in fact, not still in the tyre.
I can change a pinch flat and be under way again in about 6 minutes.
Faffing trying to find sharp things makes it a couple of minutes longer.
As the route avoids the main roads as much as possible, I turned down the minor road to Kirkby-in-Furness, remembering to turn up the hill at the Railway station to pick up the climb through Beck Side.
At Beck Side I made a navigational error there is a slightly odd line painted on the road suggesting that the road bears right, but I carried straight on at this point up the Lady Moyra Incline.
I was just starting to enjoy the ascent and was about 0.2 miles from the aforementioned slightly odd line, when the nagging voice in my head said "This doesn't look right - stop and check!!!"
So I did...
And it wasn't...
Damn - back down to the turn up start the climbing thing again up the correct hill this time!!
This whole section is the part of the route I know least well, but it is in a less popular area of the Lakes. Don't know why - it's STUNNING!!
So I was going to have to pay slightly closer attention to the route on my Garmin as the difference between my ride time and total time had gone from being 8 minutes when I left Lorna to nearly 20 minutes AND I'd wasted more time taking the wrong turn.
In the greater scheme of things it wasn't that important, but being late at Staveley for avoidable reasons and causing unnecessary angst to my lovely wife who was, after all, driving all around the County to support me, was simply NOT on!
I think the adrenaline kick and my irritation with myself booted me up the climb a bit quicker than I had intended, but once it evened out at the top and I could see across the Leven estuary and in the far distance to Morcambe, I stopped berating myself and got on with enjoying being out
I remembered that this section had been reasonably quick to ride last year. After that first climb there is a long section of about 15 miles to Newby bridge that has a couple of short sharp inclines but is mostly 'Cumbrian Undulations' on quiet minor roads
My Remembery was right
A fabulous sweepy, fast descent to Broughton Beck and a short sharp incline back out and a slightly quicker descent to Spark Bridge. Pick the correct road out (yes the narrow steep one, obviously
) heading towards Grizedale and then turning South again around the Rusland Moss Nature Reserve, at which point the navigation became easy again as I *do* know this bit well, and there are signs to Newby Bridge
This section is a delight to ride. Lots of gently undulating roads, with nothing that is particularly difficult, and the scenery, whether up high and able to see everything around, or down in the Valley with all of the variety and greenery, is spectacular.
It's an area that Lorna and I must explore more!!
A left turn at Grubbin wood and another short climb brought me to the Steam Railway and Newby Bridge.
It often surprises me at just how quickly you seem to go from being in the middle of nowhere to being in A Place around here
After Newby Bridge I made use of the cycle path along the short section of A590 which was rather busy, and hopped off it on the A592 for just under a mile before turning away from the Windermere Marathon route to climb what is actually called Fell Foot Brow, but I know it as The Gummers How climb.
Only about 10 miles to Staveley now, I though. But I knew I was a little behind schedule too
Anyway - I could only ride as fast as I could ride - and Gummers How is a reasonable climb!
Around 200m of ascent in about 0.9 of a mile. A small group of motorcyclists made eye contact and did that pitying look thing, until I greeted them with a cheery "Fabulous day for it, isn't it"
You know how when you are working hard but you make out like you aren't until you can't be seen any more....... that
I had one of those Sense Of The Ridiculous moments shortly afterwards as I rode past a bloke who was pushing his bike up the hill.
"You are riding up this hill, and you've done 80 miles, but you're not even at half way yet"
Now I guess that could have been disheartening, but it wasn't.
I was feeling great, I was REALLY enjoying the route and the riding, the weather was perfect, and I'd be seeing Lorna in about 40 minutes.....
OOH! OOH! OOH! A Vulcan Bomber bimbling lazily across the sky* Wow!!
I then went past the Masons Arms (good food there last time we went) and through Bowland Bridge, left just before Crosthwaite up the small road that follows the River Gilpin, all gently climbing before bearing right and picking up the B5284 and a lovely descent into Crook and the Staveley 2 mles sign.
I was happy that I'd made up enough lost time to be fashionably rather than worryingly late, and as I swung around into Mill Yard at 12:25, I saw Lorna who'd managed to get an Easy-To-Spot parking space 
I apologised for my lateness and explained why, to which she replied "I guessed it must have been something like that.."
Boiled spuds tasted even better here!
Proper Coke was finished and I picked up my 'Staveley' gels.
"Ah! This bit is longer," I said based on the number of gels.
Water bottles swapped again, and Lorna asked whether I wanted her to go to Greystoke (I didn't) and what time I thought I'd get to Uldale
"I was a little over 3½ hours last time," I said, "So about 4?"
"You'll be quicker than that," she said "I'll be there for 3:30"
No pressure then
Grizbeck to Staveley:
Elapsed time 2:18
Ride time 2:02 (15 minutes quicker than last year)
Distance 30.7 miles
Ascent 1,140m
Overall to Staveley
Elapsed time: 6:24
Ride time: 6:07 (38 minutes quicker than last year)
Distance 90.6 miles
Ascent 3330m
*Might not have been exactly *here* but it was on this part of the ride
Staveley to Uldale - 47 miles - 1430m ascent
When I first planned this route I didn't come to Staveley, but when I decided to increase the distance from 184 miles to 300km* (186 miles), it was a tweak that I made and it improved the route immeasurably.
Instead of having to play with the traffic to Ings, there is a cycle path on the Staveley side of the road, and it goes all the way to the turn off up Mislet Brow - perfect
I also scouted out all 4 possible junctions with the A592 Patterdale Road and found the safest to be the Southernmost one a quarter of a mile up from the junction with the A591. It meets the main road on the outside of a bend with excellent visibility in both directions. An important consideration IMO!
A couple of miles up this road which goes up to Kirkstone - but this isn't the way I chose for the route......
I turn off at Troutbeck and head down Holbeck Lane back to the A591 and into Ambleside.
The junction at the bottom of the hill is the only sticking point really. It's a busy road to get on to, and so it proved today.
Except that just after the Low Wood Hotel, there was a queue of traffic into Ambleside.
Nice being on a bike when that happens
Gently filter all the way to the lights - job done!
I take the little road that Windermere marathoners will know well but then carry on into Ambleside and then to the mini roundabout to the start of The Struggle.
I LIKE The Struggle. It's a shorter steeper route up to the Kirkstone Inn. 3 miles long and with 385m of climbing with most of it in two long sections to half way before a section that gives you a little respite and a final little sting to finish.
Superb And I felt really good on it.
The road at Kirkstone was clear, warm and dry, and I was looking forward to a rapid descent into Patterdale..... but there was a slight headwind which is REALLY unusual, so there was to be no new top speed for me today - in fact it was a rather disappointing 46.4mph
In normal circumstances, as in EVERY time I've ridden along the section from the base of the Kirkstone descent to the start of the Matterdale End climb, this has been quick and effortless.
For the first time I experienced a bit of a Bad Patch, and felt like I was riding through treacle. Most odd.
Took a gel a bit early and washed it down with a decent slug of water, and as I came through Patterdale into Glenridding I saw some of the Helvellyn Tri runners being cheered in to the finish.
I don't know if the distraction made a difference, but I started to feel less treacley, and by the time I reached the start of the Matterdale climb (the A5091 to Dockray and Matterdale End) I was feeling back to normal.
This climb, Park Brow to Dockray then Means Brow to Matterdale end is more significant than it looks, but it doesn't came as much of a surprise to me these days
Way back in another life I used to go to a rather excellent Sports massage bloke (bear with me - there IS a point to this ) He seemed to enjoy working on my legs as they are a great study in surface anatomy, and apart from causing me the kind of pain that most of you will have experienced (makes you sweat and giggle - you KNOW what I mean) he also liked to separate the individual muscles - a strangely pleasant experience once they were all loose and fluid.
In between the agonising things he did to me he would intersperse some gentler stuff.
We tended to chat, when I could, about the treatments and techniques he was using because I found it really interesting, and at one point I asked him what the reasoning for and benefits of these short periods of much softer work was.
"Oh - it doesn't *do* anything. It's just a "bit of sugar" before I hurt you again"
Brilliant - When you are in the hurtbox, a bit of sugar is what you need to carry on hurtboxing.
This section from Matterdale End through Greystoke to Hesket Newmarket is *this* routes Bit Of Sugar
It really is lovely. Undulating in a somewhere less hilly than Cumbria kind of way. in 24 miles there is just a cumulative ascent of 210m. 8.75m per mile - that's practically flat.
Better than that is is also nett downhill Only 135m - but still......
I could have stayed on the main road from Hesket Newmarket through Caldbeck to Uldale, but the minor roads over Fellside are much more enjoyable - and quieter, and prettier - and the climbing is steeper
Last year, my Garmin died fatally to death that the junction of the Fellside road with the Caldbeck road at 135 miles.
I made the turn and it was still alive
A short climb and whizzy descent in to Uldale just before a herd of migrating cows blocked my way to Mae's [phew] There was a bit of a HerdOfCowsGate last year when I *left* Mae's, and I was keen to avoid the experience this time!!
I trundled into the car park, saw that Lorna's car was there, and so was Lorna
I fancied a short sit down here and a coffee
and a Ginsters pie..
and some boiled spuds..
and another coffee..
and I sat out in the sun, had a chat with Mark and Lorna
Awesome!
Staveley to Uldale:
Elapsed time 3:20
Ride time 3:12 (3 minutes quicker than last year)
Distance 47 miles
Ascent 1,430m
Overall to Staveley
Elapsed time: 9:44
Ride time: 9:23 (38 minutes quicker than last year)
Distance 137.6 miles
Ascent 4760m
*Initially I planned for the ride to be 184 miles.
Our Club is Honister 92 and on the 10th anniversary there had been a 92 mile ride.
And 184 is twice 92...
But then I thought, most cycling type stuff is done in km and 296.1km is just wrong.
So I made it 300 km and a few pennies at 186.6miles
Uldale to Rosthwaite - 49 miles - 1615m ascent.
I actively chose to have a slightly longer break at Uldale.
I was craving a bit of savoury food, The Ginsters Slice thingy; I have NO idea which flavour it was just that it tasted fabulous and disappeared without touching the sides, and few more boiled spuds - heavenly.
Plus a couple of cups of Mark's coffee really hit the spot.
So I sat and relaxed and troughed for around 15 minutes in the glorious sunshine.
Decision time too - 50 miles to go and the temperature was going to start to drop.
Warm enough to stay as I was, or grab something from the car as a just-in-case.
Decided to stay as I was.
I'd already grabbed the last pre-prepared bunch of on the bike insta-energy and Lorna asked if I had the filled bottles on my bike.
I was SURE that I had and said so.
And I turned right down the road known affectionately as "That b*stard that's always knee deep in cow shit" by the Club. It wasn't - but when it's damp this short descent can be a bit..... errr.... fragrant and was the point at which I was held up last year!!
As I started to climb up the other side towards Overwater I reached down for a little swig of water, and thought, "Hmm *that's* a bit light"
Epic fail on the grab the full bottles, front. D'oh.
OK - what to do?
After Overwater I'd be taking the back way in to Bassenthwaite - I could ask for water at the Sun Inn - or at the Castle Inn (but both would mean leaving my bike unattended. Oh! there are toilets in Cockermouth - that'll do!
Decision made I drained the last few drops from both bottles and headed on. The temperature had already dropped and I was pretty sure that I would be fine to get to Cockermouth as there were only two relatively short climbs (well, 3 with the little one out of Overwater) to negotiate.
The little road from Overwater to Bassenthwaite is a very narrow one and quite bendy. Again it was pretty clear of traffic today which was a bonus. There is a right turn half way which always has gravel on it, and I had one of those brief "Oh, my front wheel appears to have no traction" moments around it, but it was *very* brief and I stayed upright which was most pleasing
The road surface along this single track road had clearly taken a bit of hammer this year from the logging work that had been done. So on the one hand there were sections which were now really bright and the road was dry, but there were also a LOT more wheel killing holes to avoid.
I got to Bassenthwaite and briefly reconsidered popping in to the Sun, but the road to the start of The Rake (or the Robin Hood climb) was clear and it's one that benefits from a rolling start.
This is another climb I really like, and although you *could* go straight on at this point to the Castle Inn, I REALLY wanted this climb in the ride.
It's not overly steep - about 12% - but the view it opens up across Bassenthwaite and the Derwent Valley are breathtaking. And part of my own strict criteria for where this ride went were that it was was to include as many of the nice climbs as I could fit in without the route being or feeling contrived, AND to show off the area as much as feasibly possible.
And although including *this* climb could be considered a slightly contrived piece of route planning - I wanted it in!!
The outlook today looking towards the sun getting lower in the sky didn't disappoint
A lovely little descent to the Castle Inn and on the the bridge over the Derwent and I was at the Higham Hall/Setmurthy climb - again, not a particularly steep one, but with 3 distinct 'kicks' before you reach the top flat section which is about 3 miles long before dropping into Cockermouth.
I'd hedged by bets with choosing the toilets as a water stop - had they been closed there were a number of shops close by that I could have used. No need though
The next little bit through Papacastle to Great Broughton is an exercise in Big Road avoidance, but is a much more pleasant ride.
The crossing of the A66 even has a bike lane option that I've been known to use when it's really busy.
Not busy today, so the cross over to Brigham was simple and quick.
And then....
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Garmin died fatally to death. AGAIN
I'd just looked at it as my elapsed time ticked to 11 hours (and ride time was 10:17) and distance to a few pennies over 154 miles and had thought "Well, that makes the overall speed very easy to work out" and about 5 seconds later - blank screen
And it wouldn't turn back on.
I really wanted those geeky numbers, too
Oh well! Have to crack on - still got 33 miles and 4 significant climbs to negotiate
The small roads through Greysouthen, Dean and Ullock are lovely to ride, and the view of the Central/Western Fells with the ever lowering sun mostly behind me was incredible.
I climbed well up the Mockerkin climb and actually "Wow'd" at the view of Mellbreak on the one side of Crummock Water and Whiteside, Grasmoor and Whiteless Pike on the other.
Normally the descent of Fangs Brow is a reasonably speedy affair, but today there was a prime example of driving idiocy going on.
In the Highway Code we a are told that one should give way to traffic coming UP a hill.
This makes sense because it's MUCH easier to get going again when you are doing so, DOWN a hill.
What it DOESN'T mean is - on a narrow road where there isn't a passing place, you don't insist on making a caravanette reverse back up a hill because you arrogantly, aggressively and wrongly think you have right of way - especially when there are 10 other cars behind it.
The smell of dying clutch plates was oppressive.
Stupid stupid stupid!!!!
I rode by
And once the air cleared was able to breathe again
Just 25 miles left, and what fantastic miles to finish with. A toddle through Thackthwaite on the C2C route just because it irritates the NIMBYs who live there - no, actually it's because it's a lovely small road that drivers like Mr It's My RoW Even Though It Isn't tend not to drive on - and then WhiNewLatter passes
[deep breath]
I chose the Boon Beck/Scales/Route 71 road for the first part of the climb up Whinlatter. It is the steepest and shortest of the 3 available options, and it's always really quiet
I was really pleased with how well I was climbing it too - still feeling pretty strong, although it *did* occur to me that I was feeling similar last year at this point!!
The road rejoins the main road to the top at the flatter bit near the top and the rest of the climb can just be enjoyed.
The descent was fantastic. No traffic, dry still warm road even though the air temperature was now starting to drop, and I whizzed down there with a proper smile on
Through Braithwaite and the long gradual (mostly) ascent up to Newlands. Most of this 5½ miles is a lovely gradual climb with magnificent views of the Fells of the Newlands round and surrounding bumpage
There is one steeper bit past Birkrigg Farm and Gilbrow Farm, and the short sharp switchbacks at Keskdale Farm - and this year I was slightly more circumspect with my approach to them...
The top section of Newlands in this direction is brutally steep. As steep as anything on Hardknott for a short section of about 30m or so, and last year when I got here I suddenly discovered that I no longer had Climbing Legs.
Not so this year
Bottom gear, stand once the gradient starts to kick up and get into that 'climb anything' rhythm. Lovely
It was still quite hard though, and my legs had started to get to that point of feeling really *solid* And my upper arms and shoulders were also feeling a bit overused and threatening a bit a gentle cramping.
I *had* stood for far more climbing than I normally do, so this wasn't really a surprise, and it's it's quite a long time to be riding your bike on this terrain
Descent of Newlands was quite bumpy and there were a few feral sheep being, well, sheep. So parts of it were taken slower than I might normally have done - and I was aware that I was quite tired, and whereas failing to negotiate ascents is just irritating, failing to negotiate descents can hurt!!
I enjoyed the next bit from Buttermere Youth Hostel to the start of the Honister climb at the carpark/icecream van spot at Gatesgarth Farm, and actually the lower part of the climb was really pleasant.
I had the setting sun on my back and the steep upper section looked glorious. All good
At Don't Target it Or You'll Hit It bridge where the gradient kicks up I stayed seated. Don't know why. Maybe it was because I knew this was the last few minutes of hard effort and I was confident that the legs had it in them today, and I pushed up the increasing gradient to the part known affectionately by some around here as The Wall
There IS a wall on the left, but it's mostly that it is the 25% kick about half way up this section.
Still seated - blimey!
As you pop over the crest of The Wall the gradient eases to around 17 or 18% - but it feels SO much less, before it increases again around the bend by the Slate Mine car park - at which point a little alarm went off in my legs-brain interface, and I finished off climbing it standing
Over the top - whizz down the first bit and be a bit careful down the steep bit at the bottom and I had a gentle downhill trundle to Rosthwaite
As I pulled into the car park I saw Lorna's car but not her.
There was an Asda delivery guy - random, I know - and I asked him for the time as I had no functioning device to tell me what it was
"7:22, pal!"
Excellent - he even knew I wanted the minutes
While I was waiting for Lorna to get back. I guessed she was doing some of that running stuff, a couple returned to their car and asked if I'd ridden Honister (my Club jersey has Honister92 on it - so it was reasonable question I guess) and we got chatting until Lorna returned.
IT's probably not for me to say, as I planned it, but I LOVE this route. It's long, it flows, it makes you smile and grimace in equal measure, it's testing, and it goes through many of the most spectacular and some of the less visited spots in the Lakes all in one ride.
Lorna was an absolute again. That kind of support is priceless
Uldale to Rosthwaite:
Elapsed time 3:22
Ride time 3:19 (16 minutes quicker than last year)
Distance 49.4 miles
Ascent 1,615m
Overall to Rosthwaite
Elapsed time: 13:21 (14 minutes faster than my RIDE time last year and about 1:40 to 2 hours faster than my total time)
Ride time: 12:38 (57 minutes quicker than last year)
Distance 187 miles
Ascent 6375m
It took me quite a while and many alterations to put this route together, and I rode it for the first time in June last year to get a feel for how it flowed and to assess its feasibility as a potential organised Challenge ride.
It had exceeded expectation, and with another year of cycling in my legs I was keen to have another go at it, but this time without the faffage of last year.
But we were running out of potential days and daylight - because however you look at it, it's a long way and takes quite a while.
The opportunity came yesterday. Lorna had positively encouraged me to have a go - and that was really important, because it would be a completely different logistical beast without her amazing mobile support.
Rosthwaite to Grizebeck - ~60 miles - 1900m ascent
When I planned this, I didn't hold back in this first third - 6 of the iconic climbs that are known to most cyclists who ride in these parts that come one after another in quick succession!
I left Rosthwaite at 06:01
The drive over had shown us that there were plenty of temperature inversions under a clear sky, and in those inversions the air temp was a bracing 5.5°C
So I set off with enough clothing to keep me just about warm enough until the sun got up, knowing that I'd be riding reasonably hard.
The first few miles along the Borrowdale road were really chilly, but turning left at Grange to head up the West side of Derwentwater, meant a gentle climb and coming out of the mistyness.
The views from here shortly before dawn with the sky between Blencathra and Clough Head becoming brighter and redder with the approaching sunrise, and seeing all the areas of lingering inversion was well worth the early start - and slightly chilly fingers
Riding through Portinscale and over the footbridge into Keswick early on a Sunday morning was an eerily quiet experience, and it was very nice to have everything to myself.
The climb to the Castlerigg Stone Circle is the first decent gradient and a chance to wake up the climbing legs - which were happy to come out and play, and the short section through St John's in the Vale was also completely lacking in people or traffic.
The last time I rode the cycle path that joins this road to the road around the back of Thirlmere was with Lorna, and it had been recently relaid with with a hardcore surface. It was a few weeks ago and was a bit rough, but today in the half-light a couple of weeks of cycle, farm and other traffic had smoothed it out nicely.
I love the back-of-Thirmere road. It's mostly a decent surface, always quiet, and it's completely flat meaning it can be ridden nice and quickly. The reservoir is pretty low at the moment, but again was fantastically atmospheric on this chilly late summer morning!
A quick dash down from Dunmail Raise to Grasmere and onto the first tough climb of the day.
Red Bank is a really narrow road that has a "Don't follow your SatNav" warning associated with it. For good reason - the steepest bit is in the trees meaning the surface is usually a bit slick, and the combination of the winter and vehicles using it as a 'short cut' to Elterwater and Langdale means that it is often very rough and potholed.
Not today..
A lovely thick new layer of smooth robust tarmac greeted me - the best I've ever know that section of road to be.
Climbing it was a delight
In fact it made the descent into Elterwater almost feel like a farm track - but mostly I think that was the low sun showing up every lump and bump fooling my brain into thinking it was rougher than normal!.
By now the sun was high enough to be shining up the Valley and Bowfell and the Crinkles were bathed in an fantastic red morning light.
I smiled at the sight! Well you *do*, don't you.
Next up was the (Max) 25% climb up to Blea Tarn - Langdale Marathoners/Half Marathoners - this is one of yours
- felt good to climb today.I found myself taking the shorter steeper lines through the corners rather than going long and around the outside, and it was done more quickly than I'd expected.
The descent was a lot more bumpy than normal and needed some care but still I had the road almost to myself.
Right turn to Fell Foot Farm and Wrynose rose up to the sky.
Wrynose Pass from the East is a much more challenging climb than from the other side!
It's a few pennies under 2 miles long, starts off after an initial steep kick at 7-8% and gets progressively steeper to a maximum of 25% just before the top.
It was lovely to be climbing it with the sun on my back, although it wasn't yet warm enough to dispense with the gilet (the lovely blue Montane one that I got for doing the Lakeland 50 a century or so ago
)This climb is one of the few I have misjudged in the past, so I was careful not to go too hard at it early on.
There was a chap with a Very Southern Accent (more Lahnd'n than Home Counties) stood in a gateway a little way before the 25% sign 'admiring the view' as I rode past and gave him a friendly "Fabulous morning for it
"He remounted his bike and started pedaling upwards, but by the time I got to the stone bridge where the road bears left and affords a glance back down the road and the valley - I couldn't see him.
As always the last steep section needed a bit of work, but I was feeling good, and I was soon enjoying the flattening out of the last couple of hundred metres to the top.
The view down the Valley to Cockley Beck and Hardknott was breathtaking.
I was starting to regret not making enough space in my jersey pockets for my camera!!
A nice whizzy descent and Hardknott was next.
Now *this* is much easier from this side - and initial steep kick which is actually steeper than anything on the 'hard' side, but is short enough to accelerate hard at and get mostly up on momentum.
If you don't there's a good chance of failure though
Just above this is a bridge, and the surface on it is usually, well, not a road surface!
But the Road Boys have been busy and it is ALSO the best I've ever known it
I'm sure that in a car *this* side is a bit challenging with the series of tight switchbacks, but on a bike it's really nice.
Again I was feeling good and taking the shorter steeper line, and this side of the climb is a LOT shorter than the other side
The view from the top down into the Eskdale Valley and beyond was amazing.
The descent down the 'hard' side of Hardknott is less intimidating than you might think, but still needs LOTS of respect.
There was quite a lot of water runnel damage in the centre of the surface in places - not something to get a wheel caught in when descending at speed!!
In this direction, the Red Telephone Box Of Doom at the bottom is a good thing to see
and with it still being before 9am, the ride to the King George IV was car free and reasonably whizzy In context, Birker Fell isn't a difficult climb. Not overly steep with the steepest bit early on.
It did become a bit of an obstacle course though, with many Herdys plonking themselves on the sun-warmed tarmac and refusing to move for anything
I like the section high on Birker - there are magnificent views back to where you've just come from and, as you get to the end of the plateau, the fells on the other side of the Duddon Valley.
Bit of a rush hour up here! 3 cars!
And a Camper Van complete with fat labrador and guitar strumming blokey facing the ever rising sun.
Those Road Boys had been at the descent into Ulpha too.
Silky smooth, quality surface all the way down. Superb
The little narrow road and climb over Kiln Bank I really like. It's steep and a bit long to be 'punchy' and the warm tarmac Kiln Bank Herdys had obviously been following their Birker compatriots' Twitter feed. More so, because it's a quieter road and they were braver with their positioning
There was a slightly bemused looking couple at the top.
What? *You're* up here at this time of the morning!! I thought to myself
The descent to Broughton Mills is narrow, wooded and has one always closed gate and it was actually quite difficult to see the road surface with the dappled light.
But it was deserted apart from a couple of hounds taking their humans for a walk
A short climb to Hawthwaite brought me to the unfeasibly narrow, occasionally singletrack A593 for a short section before I picked up the small road to ( a different) Rosthwaite whereupon I happened upon a 'proper' Cumbrian traffic jam.
Farmer and two hounds herding two needing milked Bovine ladies
Yup - just the two!
I didn't try and squeeze past.
"Lots of bikes out today, lad"
"Aye - sun's out"
"That'll be reet"
They turned into the farm which was only about 100m from where I first met them, and I headed South towards Grizebeck.
Along the next section of undulating road I passed the chap who was the 'lots of bikes' and headed down the last descent with a bit of hedge and gravel detritus on it to Grizebeck where Lorna was already parked with my box of bits 'n' pieces open and a full fat coke, and a veritable feast of anything I could possible want all ready for me
Half of the coke and a few boiled spuds (how good do THEY taste when you are after something savoury!) stripped off my gilet, armwarmers and buff, swapped my empty water bottles for full ones, kissed Lorna and enquired how much running she'd managed to do, and then headed off.
Elapsed time 4:10
Ride time 4:05 (23 minutes faster than last year)
Distance 59.5 miles
Ascent 1,900m
Grizebeck to Staveley - 30 miles - 1140m ascent
Lorna asked how long I thought the next section would take and I said I'd be at Staveley at about 12:15, all things being well.
I turned out of the car park with thoughts of making sure that I didn't miss the turn on to the bottom of the next significant climb, and how that I was riding again earlier than I'd arrived last time I rode this route
And then - 200m down the road I thought.... Hmmm, back wheel feels a bit squirly. What's going on?
A little bunny hop of the rear of the bike confirmed unwanted and unexpected squishiness in the rear tyre.
So - pulled over and quickly whipped said wheel out and tyre and inner tube off the rim.
It was a slow puncture, so definitely not a pinch flat, which meant a game of find the hole and the sharp thing.
Top Tip: When you put your tyre on the rim, line up a word or mark with the valve, then when you find the hole in the tube, finding the sharp thing is MUCH easier and quicker if you know how far it is from the valve
Tiniest of holes was found but the corresponding sharp thing was nowhere to be seen.
Remember the hedge and gravel detritus I mentioned? I suspect I collected an in-and-out stabbing there and the tyre simply hadn't deflated enough for me to notice earlier.
SO a quick tube change and re-inflation with a whizzy CO2 canister (Love these things - turns 10 minutes of physical activity with a mini pump into 3-5seconds of gentle twist and go and 110-120 psi in an instant
) and a quick plea to the puncture gods that the sharp thing was, in fact, not still in the tyre.I can change a pinch flat and be under way again in about 6 minutes.
Faffing trying to find sharp things makes it a couple of minutes longer.
As the route avoids the main roads as much as possible, I turned down the minor road to Kirkby-in-Furness, remembering to turn up the hill at the Railway station to pick up the climb through Beck Side.
At Beck Side I made a navigational error there is a slightly odd line painted on the road suggesting that the road bears right, but I carried straight on at this point up the Lady Moyra Incline.
I was just starting to enjoy the ascent and was about 0.2 miles from the aforementioned slightly odd line, when the nagging voice in my head said "This doesn't look right - stop and check!!!"
So I did...
And it wasn't...
Damn - back down to the turn up start the climbing thing again up the correct hill this time!!
This whole section is the part of the route I know least well, but it is in a less popular area of the Lakes. Don't know why - it's STUNNING!!
So I was going to have to pay slightly closer attention to the route on my Garmin as the difference between my ride time and total time had gone from being 8 minutes when I left Lorna to nearly 20 minutes AND I'd wasted more time taking the wrong turn.
In the greater scheme of things it wasn't that important, but being late at Staveley for avoidable reasons and causing unnecessary angst to my lovely wife who was, after all, driving all around the County to support me, was simply NOT on!
I think the adrenaline kick and my irritation with myself booted me up the climb a bit quicker than I had intended, but once it evened out at the top and I could see across the Leven estuary and in the far distance to Morcambe, I stopped berating myself and got on with enjoying being out
I remembered that this section had been reasonably quick to ride last year. After that first climb there is a long section of about 15 miles to Newby bridge that has a couple of short sharp inclines but is mostly 'Cumbrian Undulations' on quiet minor roads
My Remembery was right
A fabulous sweepy, fast descent to Broughton Beck and a short sharp incline back out and a slightly quicker descent to Spark Bridge. Pick the correct road out (yes the narrow steep one, obviously
) heading towards Grizedale and then turning South again around the Rusland Moss Nature Reserve, at which point the navigation became easy again as I *do* know this bit well, and there are signs to Newby Bridge This section is a delight to ride. Lots of gently undulating roads, with nothing that is particularly difficult, and the scenery, whether up high and able to see everything around, or down in the Valley with all of the variety and greenery, is spectacular.
It's an area that Lorna and I must explore more!!
A left turn at Grubbin wood and another short climb brought me to the Steam Railway and Newby Bridge.
It often surprises me at just how quickly you seem to go from being in the middle of nowhere to being in A Place around here
After Newby Bridge I made use of the cycle path along the short section of A590 which was rather busy, and hopped off it on the A592 for just under a mile before turning away from the Windermere Marathon route to climb what is actually called Fell Foot Brow, but I know it as The Gummers How climb.
Only about 10 miles to Staveley now, I though. But I knew I was a little behind schedule too
Anyway - I could only ride as fast as I could ride - and Gummers How is a reasonable climb!
Around 200m of ascent in about 0.9 of a mile. A small group of motorcyclists made eye contact and did that pitying look thing, until I greeted them with a cheery "Fabulous day for it, isn't it"
You know how when you are working hard but you make out like you aren't until you can't be seen any more....... that
I had one of those Sense Of The Ridiculous moments shortly afterwards as I rode past a bloke who was pushing his bike up the hill.
"You are riding up this hill, and you've done 80 miles, but you're not even at half way yet"
Now I guess that could have been disheartening, but it wasn't.
I was feeling great, I was REALLY enjoying the route and the riding, the weather was perfect, and I'd be seeing Lorna in about 40 minutes.....
OOH! OOH! OOH! A Vulcan Bomber bimbling lazily across the sky* Wow!!
I then went past the Masons Arms (good food there last time we went) and through Bowland Bridge, left just before Crosthwaite up the small road that follows the River Gilpin, all gently climbing before bearing right and picking up the B5284 and a lovely descent into Crook and the Staveley 2 mles sign.
I was happy that I'd made up enough lost time to be fashionably rather than worryingly late, and as I swung around into Mill Yard at 12:25, I saw Lorna who'd managed to get an Easy-To-Spot parking space
I apologised for my lateness and explained why, to which she replied "I guessed it must have been something like that.."
Boiled spuds tasted even better here!
Proper Coke was finished and I picked up my 'Staveley' gels.
"Ah! This bit is longer," I said based on the number of gels.
Water bottles swapped again, and Lorna asked whether I wanted her to go to Greystoke (I didn't) and what time I thought I'd get to Uldale
"I was a little over 3½ hours last time," I said, "So about 4?"
"You'll be quicker than that," she said "I'll be there for 3:30"
No pressure then
Grizbeck to Staveley:
Elapsed time 2:18
Ride time 2:02 (15 minutes quicker than last year)
Distance 30.7 miles
Ascent 1,140m
Overall to Staveley
Elapsed time: 6:24
Ride time: 6:07 (38 minutes quicker than last year)
Distance 90.6 miles
Ascent 3330m
*Might not have been exactly *here* but it was on this part of the ride
Staveley to Uldale - 47 miles - 1430m ascent
When I first planned this route I didn't come to Staveley, but when I decided to increase the distance from 184 miles to 300km* (186 miles), it was a tweak that I made and it improved the route immeasurably.
Instead of having to play with the traffic to Ings, there is a cycle path on the Staveley side of the road, and it goes all the way to the turn off up Mislet Brow - perfect
I also scouted out all 4 possible junctions with the A592 Patterdale Road and found the safest to be the Southernmost one a quarter of a mile up from the junction with the A591. It meets the main road on the outside of a bend with excellent visibility in both directions. An important consideration IMO!
A couple of miles up this road which goes up to Kirkstone - but this isn't the way I chose for the route......
I turn off at Troutbeck and head down Holbeck Lane back to the A591 and into Ambleside.
The junction at the bottom of the hill is the only sticking point really. It's a busy road to get on to, and so it proved today.
Except that just after the Low Wood Hotel, there was a queue of traffic into Ambleside.
Nice being on a bike when that happens
Gently filter all the way to the lights - job done!
I take the little road that Windermere marathoners will know well but then carry on into Ambleside and then to the mini roundabout to the start of The Struggle.
I LIKE The Struggle. It's a shorter steeper route up to the Kirkstone Inn. 3 miles long and with 385m of climbing with most of it in two long sections to half way before a section that gives you a little respite and a final little sting to finish.
Superb
And I felt really good on it.The road at Kirkstone was clear, warm and dry, and I was looking forward to a rapid descent into Patterdale..... but there was a slight headwind which is REALLY unusual, so there was to be no new top speed for me today - in fact it was a rather disappointing 46.4mph
In normal circumstances, as in EVERY time I've ridden along the section from the base of the Kirkstone descent to the start of the Matterdale End climb, this has been quick and effortless.
For the first time I experienced a bit of a Bad Patch, and felt like I was riding through treacle. Most odd.
Took a gel a bit early and washed it down with a decent slug of water, and as I came through Patterdale into Glenridding I saw some of the Helvellyn Tri runners being cheered in to the finish.
I don't know if the distraction made a difference, but I started to feel less treacley, and by the time I reached the start of the Matterdale climb (the A5091 to Dockray and Matterdale End) I was feeling back to normal.
This climb, Park Brow to Dockray then Means Brow to Matterdale end is more significant than it looks, but it doesn't came as much of a surprise to me these days
Way back in another life I used to go to a rather excellent Sports massage bloke (bear with me - there IS a point to this
) He seemed to enjoy working on my legs as they are a great study in surface anatomy, and apart from causing me the kind of pain that most of you will have experienced (makes you sweat and giggle - you KNOW what I mean) he also liked to separate the individual muscles - a strangely pleasant experience once they were all loose and fluid.In between the agonising things he did to me he would intersperse some gentler stuff.
We tended to chat, when I could, about the treatments and techniques he was using because I found it really interesting, and at one point I asked him what the reasoning for and benefits of these short periods of much softer work was.
"Oh - it doesn't *do* anything. It's just a "bit of sugar" before I hurt you again"
Brilliant
- When you are in the hurtbox, a bit of sugar is what you need to carry on hurtboxing.This section from Matterdale End through Greystoke to Hesket Newmarket is *this* routes Bit Of Sugar
It really is lovely. Undulating in a somewhere less hilly than Cumbria kind of way. in 24 miles there is just a cumulative ascent of 210m. 8.75m per mile - that's practically flat.
Better than that is is also nett downhill
Only 135m - but still...... I could have stayed on the main road from Hesket Newmarket through Caldbeck to Uldale, but the minor roads over Fellside are much more enjoyable - and quieter, and prettier - and the climbing is steeper
Last year, my Garmin died fatally to death that the junction of the Fellside road with the Caldbeck road at 135 miles.
I made the turn and it was still alive
A short climb and whizzy descent in to Uldale just before a herd of migrating cows blocked my way to Mae's [phew] There was a bit of a HerdOfCowsGate last year when I *left* Mae's, and I was keen to avoid the experience this time!!
I trundled into the car park, saw that Lorna's car was there, and so was Lorna
I fancied a short sit down here and a coffee
and a Ginsters pie..
and some boiled spuds..
and another coffee..
and I sat out in the sun, had a chat with Mark and Lorna
Awesome!
Staveley to Uldale:
Elapsed time 3:20
Ride time 3:12 (3 minutes quicker than last year)
Distance 47 miles
Ascent 1,430m
Overall to Staveley
Elapsed time: 9:44
Ride time: 9:23 (38 minutes quicker than last year)
Distance 137.6 miles
Ascent 4760m
*Initially I planned for the ride to be 184 miles.
Our Club is Honister 92 and on the 10th anniversary there had been a 92 mile ride.
And 184 is twice 92...
But then I thought, most cycling type stuff is done in km and 296.1km is just wrong.
So I made it 300 km and a few pennies at 186.6miles
Uldale to Rosthwaite - 49 miles - 1615m ascent.
I actively chose to have a slightly longer break at Uldale.
I was craving a bit of savoury food, The Ginsters Slice thingy; I have NO idea which flavour it was just that it tasted fabulous and disappeared without touching the sides, and few more boiled spuds - heavenly.
Plus a couple of cups of Mark's coffee really hit the spot.
So I sat and relaxed and troughed for around 15 minutes in the glorious sunshine.
Decision time too - 50 miles to go and the temperature was going to start to drop.
Warm enough to stay as I was, or grab something from the car as a just-in-case.
Decided to stay as I was.
I'd already grabbed the last pre-prepared bunch of on the bike insta-energy and Lorna asked if I had the filled bottles on my bike.
I was SURE that I had and said so.
And I turned right down the road known affectionately as "That b*stard that's always knee deep in cow shit" by the Club. It wasn't - but when it's damp this short descent can be a bit..... errr.... fragrant
and was the point at which I was held up last year!!As I started to climb up the other side towards Overwater I reached down for a little swig of water, and thought, "Hmm *that's* a bit light"
Epic fail on the grab the full bottles, front. D'oh.
OK - what to do?
After Overwater I'd be taking the back way in to Bassenthwaite - I could ask for water at the Sun Inn - or at the Castle Inn (but both would mean leaving my bike unattended. Oh! there are toilets in Cockermouth - that'll do!
Decision made I drained the last few drops from both bottles and headed on. The temperature had already dropped and I was pretty sure that I would be fine to get to Cockermouth as there were only two relatively short climbs (well, 3 with the little one out of Overwater) to negotiate.
The little road from Overwater to Bassenthwaite is a very narrow one and quite bendy. Again it was pretty clear of traffic today which was a bonus. There is a right turn half way which always has gravel on it, and I had one of those brief "Oh, my front wheel appears to have no traction" moments around it, but it was *very* brief and I stayed upright which was most pleasing
The road surface along this single track road had clearly taken a bit of hammer this year from the logging work that had been done. So on the one hand there were sections which were now really bright and the road was dry, but there were also a LOT more wheel killing holes to avoid.
I got to Bassenthwaite and briefly reconsidered popping in to the Sun, but the road to the start of The Rake (or the Robin Hood climb) was clear and it's one that benefits from a rolling start.
This is another climb I really like, and although you *could* go straight on at this point to the Castle Inn, I REALLY wanted this climb in the ride.
It's not overly steep - about 12% - but the view it opens up across Bassenthwaite and the Derwent Valley are breathtaking. And part of my own strict criteria for where this ride went were that it was was to include as many of the nice climbs as I could fit in without the route being or feeling contrived, AND to show off the area as much as feasibly possible.
And although including *this* climb could be considered a slightly contrived piece of route planning - I wanted it in!!
The outlook today looking towards the sun getting lower in the sky didn't disappoint
A lovely little descent to the Castle Inn and on the the bridge over the Derwent and I was at the Higham Hall/Setmurthy climb - again, not a particularly steep one, but with 3 distinct 'kicks' before you reach the top flat section which is about 3 miles long before dropping into Cockermouth.
I'd hedged by bets with choosing the toilets as a water stop - had they been closed there were a number of shops close by that I could have used. No need though
The next little bit through Papacastle to Great Broughton is an exercise in Big Road avoidance, but is a much more pleasant ride.
The crossing of the A66 even has a bike lane option that I've been known to use when it's really busy.
Not busy today, so the cross over to Brigham was simple and quick.
And then....
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Garmin died fatally to death. AGAIN
I'd just looked at it as my elapsed time ticked to 11 hours (and ride time was 10:17) and distance to a few pennies over 154 miles and had thought "Well, that makes the overall speed very easy to work out" and about 5 seconds later - blank screen
And it wouldn't turn back on.
I really wanted those geeky numbers, too
Oh well! Have to crack on - still got 33 miles and 4 significant climbs to negotiate
The small roads through Greysouthen, Dean and Ullock are lovely to ride, and the view of the Central/Western Fells with the ever lowering sun mostly behind me was incredible.
I climbed well up the Mockerkin climb and actually "Wow'd" at the view of Mellbreak on the one side of Crummock Water and Whiteside, Grasmoor and Whiteless Pike on the other.
Normally the descent of Fangs Brow is a reasonably speedy affair, but today there was a prime example of driving idiocy going on.
In the Highway Code we a are told that one should give way to traffic coming UP a hill.
This makes sense because it's MUCH easier to get going again when you are doing so, DOWN a hill.
What it DOESN'T mean is - on a narrow road where there isn't a passing place, you don't insist on making a caravanette reverse back up a hill because you arrogantly, aggressively and wrongly think you have right of way - especially when there are 10 other cars behind it.
The smell of dying clutch plates was oppressive.
Stupid stupid stupid!!!!
I rode by
And once the air cleared was able to breathe again
Just 25 miles left, and what fantastic miles to finish with. A toddle through Thackthwaite on the C2C route just because it irritates the NIMBYs who live there - no, actually it's because it's a lovely small road that drivers like Mr It's My RoW Even Though It Isn't tend not to drive on - and then WhiNewLatter passes
[deep breath]
I chose the Boon Beck/Scales/Route 71 road for the first part of the climb up Whinlatter. It is the steepest and shortest of the 3 available options, and it's always really quiet
I was really pleased with how well I was climbing it too - still feeling pretty strong, although it *did* occur to me that I was feeling similar last year at this point!!
The road rejoins the main road to the top at the flatter bit near the top and the rest of the climb can just be enjoyed.
The descent was fantastic. No traffic, dry still warm road even though the air temperature was now starting to drop, and I whizzed down there with a proper smile on
Through Braithwaite and the long gradual (mostly) ascent up to Newlands. Most of this 5½ miles is a lovely gradual climb with magnificent views of the Fells of the Newlands round and surrounding bumpage
There is one steeper bit past Birkrigg Farm and Gilbrow Farm, and the short sharp switchbacks at Keskdale Farm - and this year I was slightly more circumspect with my approach to them...
The top section of Newlands in this direction is brutally steep. As steep as anything on Hardknott for a short section of about 30m or so, and last year when I got here I suddenly discovered that I no longer had Climbing Legs.
Not so this year
Bottom gear, stand once the gradient starts to kick up and get into that 'climb anything' rhythm. Lovely
It was still quite hard though, and my legs had started to get to that point of feeling really *solid* And my upper arms and shoulders were also feeling a bit overused and threatening a bit a gentle cramping.
I *had* stood for far more climbing than I normally do, so this wasn't really a surprise, and it's it's quite a long time to be riding your bike on this terrain
Descent of Newlands was quite bumpy and there were a few feral sheep being, well, sheep. So parts of it were taken slower than I might normally have done - and I was aware that I was quite tired, and whereas failing to negotiate ascents is just irritating, failing to negotiate descents can hurt!!
I enjoyed the next bit from Buttermere Youth Hostel to the start of the Honister climb at the carpark/icecream van spot at Gatesgarth Farm, and actually the lower part of the climb was really pleasant.
I had the setting sun on my back and the steep upper section looked glorious. All good
At Don't Target it Or You'll Hit It bridge where the gradient kicks up I stayed seated. Don't know why. Maybe it was because I knew this was the last few minutes of hard effort and I was confident that the legs had it in them today, and I pushed up the increasing gradient to the part known affectionately by some around here as The Wall
There IS a wall on the left, but it's mostly that it is the 25% kick about half way up this section.
Still seated - blimey!
As you pop over the crest of The Wall the gradient eases to around 17 or 18% - but it feels SO much less, before it increases again around the bend by the Slate Mine car park - at which point a little alarm went off in my legs-brain interface, and I finished off climbing it standing
Over the top - whizz down the first bit and be a bit careful down the steep bit at the bottom and I had a gentle downhill trundle to Rosthwaite
As I pulled into the car park I saw Lorna's car but not her.
There was an Asda delivery guy - random, I know - and I asked him for the time as I had no functioning device to tell me what it was
"7:22, pal!"
Excellent - he even knew I wanted the minutes
While I was waiting for Lorna to get back. I guessed she was doing some of that running stuff, a couple returned to their car and asked if I'd ridden Honister (my Club jersey has Honister92 on it - so it was reasonable question I guess) and we got chatting until Lorna returned.
IT's probably not for me to say, as I planned it, but I LOVE this route. It's long, it flows, it makes you smile and grimace in equal measure, it's testing, and it goes through many of the most spectacular and some of the less visited spots in the Lakes all in one ride.
Lorna was an absolute
again. That kind of support is priceless Uldale to Rosthwaite:
Elapsed time 3:22
Ride time 3:19 (16 minutes quicker than last year)
Distance 49.4 miles
Ascent 1,615m
Overall to Rosthwaite
Elapsed time: 13:21 (14 minutes faster than my RIDE time last year and about 1:40 to 2 hours faster than my total time)
Ride time: 12:38 (57 minutes quicker than last year)
Distance 187 miles
Ascent 6375m
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