I've done it again.......

Hi everyone,

Nigel here.

Do I ever learn?. I mean blimey I am 52 years old and you'd think by now I had a bit of common sense wouldn't you? But, no - alas I can be a real idiot sometimes: and for the second time I've been exactly that. What a complete plonker.

So. In true Hollywood style let's start "5 days earlier........". Drum roll and moody music please and rewind the clock to last Friday 13th April. My plan was to do 5 days of 60 miles each day to replicate the actual event and then relax for ten days before the real thing safe in the knowledge that "I was ready."  Good plan! 

So last Friday, I set off with Rob the trainer and did 60 miles averaging 13.4 miles per hour. To be honest it was pretty easy. No pain, no tiredness. Nothing. What a wonderful feeling. I was in love with this sport. I came back home Friday night exuberant: I was ready. I really, truly honestly felt a million dollars and I was ready.

Can't wait to get going !

So, Saturday morning bright and early I went to get Ally at Luton airport en route to George's where Lisa, George, Ally and I were fitting in two 60 milers over the weekend. Full of confidence from her successful Portuguese trip Ally couldn't wait to get going as you can see above.............. Even though it was bright sunshine at Luton, in true Nigel style we managed to plan to cycle in the only part of the UK that was wet that weekend.

 Greetings out of the way, we set off from George's house at 12 noon on Saturday (George armed with his super new wheels) aiming to do 60 miles or so. And boy at the start it was sure wet. Horizontal sheet rain wet. Undeterred, we set off on our "little 60." 

George's new Zipp 404 wheels

A few miles into the ride Ally said to me: Nigel you are going too fast - remember how you felt in Portugal. "Nonsense" I said, "I'm only averaging 12.5mph that's nothing." And so we went on and did our 60 miles. The rain stopped, it warmed up a bit - George had yet another puncture but all was good. Ally and Lisa however were quite sure that we  were going too fast and I kind of didn't agree. But hey that was cool.

After yet another superb dinner cooked by Bunny Rolls on Saturday night (George and Bunny are simply the very best hosts you could ever wish for where nothing is too much trouble) we all retired to bed around 10.30pm. We were pretty tired but not "dead". Sunday morning, after a photo on the lawn we set off again in better weather.

No rain !!!!

The ride was good at first though George definitely screwed up the route taking us on a 4,000 feet elevation route and 70 miles not 60 but hey it was still good. We met the Thruxton Racing Circuit Stig (see below) and George had two further punctures (subsequently we noticed he had the wrong tires on really) but otherwise besides being a hard day it was good. 

Thruxton Stig (who didn't speak either)

That's two already....

We had to rush at the end of Sunday as we didn't factor in either George's punctures or the extra ten miles into the time frame but we still just about managed to make it back to Luton airport in time for Ally's flight. 

Personally, even though I knew Ally was right in saying that we were riding too fast for the "long haul" I still felt great. A million dollars actually. And so I got up Monday morning and cycled another 60 miles with Rob - 4 days on the bounce - and averaged 12.9mph which was great: faster than we need to go down to Monte Carlo. I still felt brilliant. No doubt then: I'd cracked it. I was ready. In fact I was smiling to myself to be honest.

And then came today: Tuesday April 17th. A day I will not forget in a hurry. In my slight defence it was wet (very wet), freezing cold and very very windy which at least tripled the effort required to move forward in many places. But regardless: today, out of nowhere, I literally died on my bike. 10 miles into today's ride,  I went from feeling great to literally devoid of any energy in about 30 minutes. I was totally and utterly shattered. Completely and absolutely nothing left to give. My bum was agony; my knees hurt like hell and swelled back up again; my thighs went from mountsins of strength to red hot pokers. To be honest I was in a complete mess and I physically had to stop more times than I care to recount. "How could this be?" I kept asking myself - but of course I knew.

Did I make it? Yes I made it back home. In a sense perhaps this was my best ever ride as I have no idea where the strength to get home came from. But I made it in a pathetic 9.7mph average and I am now pretty must laid out flat on my bed exhausted.  I'm typing this on my ipad lay on my bed flat out. Everything hurts and if this was the real thing, I would be in trouble tomorrow. Big time. 

So. From a million dollars yesterday to flat out zero today. All in the space of one day!! Why? Of course I know why. I'm not Superman. I'm pretty fit but not super fit. I'm 52 and I need to start perhaps to be a little bit more sensible. Simply and honestly, over the 5 days and 300 miles, I'd expended too much energy each day going unnecessarily fast and being a plonker. The cumulative effect had taken its toll. My 13.4 mph on Day 1 was unnecessary and I paid the price on Day 5. That's why. Lesson completely learnt.

I'm cycling right at the back, absolutely flat last in the real thing.