Obviously riding in the Lakes is generally tough, but in the spirit for the ever-increasingly popular sportive ride, this was intentionally hilly.
The sting in the tale were climbs over Hardknotts and Wrynose passes, were each rise to a stupidly steep 30% incline.
It was a glorious day – a beautiful spring morning. Five early-birds were travelling together and it was good fun in El Cid’s van. Sad cyclists’ talk of energy-bars, shaving our legs and gear ratios!
I felt good on the few early climbs but then did a fairly long stint on my own – I chose to take it quite easy as it was truly beautiful whizzing along the lakeside road.
The EBs caught me up and we rode together for a fair while, working well and getting a good pace going.
However, once I got to Hardknotts, the sheer sight of it did me. I chose to let the others go on and take a few minutes to enjoy the view (well, actually have a rest). I thought that this would then fortify me for what was going to be a tough climb. But my training had been going well, I was on my new lightweight bike and I was wearing my new white bling shoes. It should have been easy!
But for reasons I still don’t quite understand – I was defeated. I had to stop two further times going up Hardknotts, and again near the top of Wrynose. I just didn’t seem to have the leg strength to be able to push the pedals on the very steepest sections. My heart and lungs seemed fine, I was not full of lactic acid and I had eaten well - it just felt like I didn't (or ever could) have the leg strength to get myself up there.
So it was a great ride and wonderful experience, but I was disappointed with my overall performance.
I had hoped to do all climbs without having to stop on them, and I was expecting to get round quicker than my early-bird buddies (in fact I came 4th out of the 5 of us).
Cacophony did a great ride, getting up the climbs and finishing 5 minutes or so ahead of me. He of course is a great rider with a lot of experience, but he is 7 years older than me and 3 stone heavier! On any sprint or flat section he could leave me for dead, but on climbs I should be ahead of him.
Well done Cacophony! Chapeau!
Also riding well is a new cycling buddy called Roentgen who, beat us all with a fair bit to spare.
Two other friends had interesting rides - Stefan's bike broke on the first climb and I think he retired, Bob stopped to fix a friend's puncture, later managed to fall off at high speed but of course still breezed up the climbs.
More analysis tomorrow.
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