First signs of Spring

This was the week the sun came back from wherever it’s been hiding for the last few months. Not exactly warm, as there’s been a cold Easterly wind all week as well, but standing in the sun and out of the wind you could definitely feel some Spring warmth (through the still multiple layers of winter clothing). And it didn’t rain – hoorah!

With my commute bike still being mended, I used the mountain bike to get into work this week. Shod with nobbly tyres, it’s not great for use on the road, and I had to get used to the humiliation of slow speeds and being overtaken all the time by faster roadies on the very competitive Embankment commute home. Looking for the positive, maybe harder riding is good training time…

Had a very tough mid-week turbo session, where I used a pyramid style programme to gradually build up to a peak of effort and then slowly wind it down again. Not sure whether it’s more tortuous on the way up or way down, but it hurt like hell on both sides! My heart rate was up in the 160-180bpm range throughout versus average of around 140bpm when out on long rides. I watched the second episode of Michael Palin’s trip along the Himalayas during the session (conveniently 1 hour long), which was of particular interest to me this time as he travelled through Northern India, visiting some of the places where I’d spent 6 months in 1990 as an 18 year old, trying to lose my public school persona through the very unoriginal (and almost definitely ineffective) route of long hair and earrings. Fond memories of Simla, Dharamsala/Mcleodganj – especially when Palin had a private audience with the Dalai Lama, as I had done with my fellow teachers in 1990. Not sure I really fully appreciated then that I was meeting a World leader, a Noble Peace Prize winner and an icon of our times.

I’d intended to get 90 miles done this weekend, but in the end managed only 77 miles. But I was totally spent by the end of it, having ridden the second half into a stiff cold breeze, and I took in several hard climbs in the North Downs, so feel it was a good training session overall despite the lower than planned mileage. But I realise that I’ve got to get a lot more hill-work into my weekly rides from now on. It was also my first ride of the year on my ‘summer’ bike, which was kinda special – it is very light and incredibly stiff, so great for climbing and handles superbly (it’s the one in the photo at the top of the page). Good to be reacquainted after about 4 months apart. However, on inspection I noticed (like my commute bike last week) that the rear wheel rim is now quite well worn and probably needs replacing relatively soon – Mr Fun says the opportunity to spend more money on kit is always appealing and the perfect chance to upgrade. Mr Sensible says keep the cost down and make do or at worst replace with like. So I know that next week I’ll be checking lots of wheel deals and working hard to justify any upgrade potential to myself…(starting now) it will of course be sensible to replace them (see I’ve already convinced myself that both front and rear wheels should be replaced) before they are completely spent, as I’d then have a spare pair to take on the TdF with me incase anything breaks on the new set.


Weekly totals
Commute – 75 miles
Other rides – 77 miles
Turbo – 1 hour
Christenings – 4 brothers, all in one go!

Funds raised to date £975