The Recovery

This post is late, sorry. I thought I had published it...

What a week and weekend I have just had.

Recovering from my snot monster impersonations, I waited until Thursday and Friday to do my efforts. Recovery and endurance rides were the order of the day so that I didn't stress my lungs and cause another bronchospasm attack-- They ain't nice.

So I did my efforts, and didn't feel too shabby. The work done was quality, and I realised that my core work has paid off. (Functional movement training- I hate the term "Core" as it's sooo last year now). It's now easy to maintain a motionless upper body even at 100% effort on a hill climb with your legs, glutes and stomach muscles screaming at you to stop.

I love it.

Friday night, and I drove up to Morpeth to provide transport and last minute mental diversion for Julio. He was doing his English Coast to Coast attempt on the Saturday.

Like mine, this was unsupported and Alpine.

The poor little entertainer only weighs about 2stone wet through, and he had to carry all his kit on his back and in the crevices of his bike.

So, Charlotte (his suffering wife) and I dropped him off in St. Bees head.

The wind was Howling, and it was in his face.

I would have thrown the teddies then, but he didn't.

Off he sets at 12pm, with his back tyre on back to front: I didn't tell him, because that would have messed with his head.

Into the headwind, and gathering cloud.

We then started my computer to allow us to navigate using my mapping software...

...Broken computer, wouldn't start.

Uh Oh!

Charlotte and I swore at it for a while and then I realised that she was quite a devious Lady.

She knew Rich's log in for his hotmail account.

So we downloaded the attachment he had sent to me: his coast to coast file. We then scouted around the net for a program to allow us to view the file on a mappy thing.

It sounds simple, but it took ages to figure it out, but before doing this we had to pop to Rich's Dad's house to borrow his laptop.

Sheesh.

So we were now able to see where he was going to ride. This would enable us to take gnarly photo's of him for posterity. Well, it would have done, if we could keep up with him.

We saw him once in Shap, and again in the Dales. That was it.

The weather was horrible. He had to push his bike for miles, and carry it up and down some of the Lakeland hills because they are so gnarly.

And wet.

Nutter.

He did it!

With the 10-15mph head wind which was gusty, and the almost permanent rain- he did it in 28 and a half hours.

He still had his teddies when he finished too.

Idiot.

So I dropped them off at home (2hrs away from Robin Hoods Bay) then ate some food and shut my eyes for about 30 min.

6hr drive home.

5hrs sleep all weekend, I think.

Jo had to come and rescue me at Leeds. I couldn't make it home, so she jumped on a train and came to get me.

It was at this point that I was actually losing my faculties, so she saved my life and my sanity.

Monday and Tuesday were a waste of time. But at least coach Chris understood. He's a top coach and affable fella.

Back to full time training now: back into endurance mode after an extensive period of breathing out of my ears on the bike.

I think my mental endurance had a good bit of acclimation this weekend mind you!

I told you I was ill.

I've had a nice week of snot and coughing.

Like all wanabees, I rode my bike a bit too much and suffered for it, so I gave up. There's no point in stressing about it when you get ill, you just have to deal with it and keep yourself motivate to do other things...

...except mow the lawns.

Jo MADE me mow the lawns this weekend. Grass and I don't get on well. I was coughing and spluttering even more after that.

Anyway. Sunday dawned bright and sunny and I felt able to go out on an easy 4.5hr ride. It was done around the rooty techfest of Rudry Woods after I finally managed to get out with the Miggly Moos for the first time in about a year. Great guys.



They didn't laugh when I cocked up a simple 3ft rock drop...

...much.

I blew my front tyre off of the rim, which is a new one on me. Unfortunately it happened because I fell off and didn't cause the off.

After I finished with them, I met Jo and we rode for another 2hrs whilst we praticed our roots, and sorted out a loop through the bluebells and wild garlic for 24hr practice. She did some steep stuff that she hadn't done for a long time, so we both felt great after that.

Next we rode over to visit Matt Cope and photograper friends. They wanted to practice shooting riders in woods, so we headed up to Gwaelod-y-Garth and spent a few hours being luvvies with a few other friends.

It was turning out to be a good day!

Jo did some more really steep and techy stuff, so we felt even better, compounded by my spending 6hrs 45min on the bike, and my feeling ok.

The lady done good

The shots that the guys took were awesome so I'll have to see if I can get a hold of a couple.

Right then.

It's back to full on training again after a recovery ride tonight.

Rich is doing his England Coast To Coast and I'm going along to provide support and driver duties for before and after the event. He's going unsupported like I did on mine.

Go on Son!!

Not my best.

I was supposed to be doing a ride down the Taff Trail this weekend for my friends and colleagues from a local forum on Sunday. But, as all hamheads can do, I mixed up my dates.

Sunday was actually a day of racing at the Dragon XC in The Rhondda Heritage Park.

I should have gone on he ride from Merthyr to Cardiff. :)

Last week was my rest period, but I had felt "low" all week and hadn't actually done any riding a all until Thursday night. I couldn't get out of bed in the morning and was in bed before 9 every night. I didn't feel ill, just off.

Thursday night and I got my first ride in and felt "OK" so I felt that I could give it a good bash on Sunday.

We rode the course on Saturday, I did my openers, and all the usual carb loading thing. The course was great, with lots of climbing and loads of steep descents. People were calling it technical, and I believe that there were some issues with some raising concerns over the technicality of the the downhills. It was just a bit steep, that's all. The routes all ran the right way and the mud was sticky enough to stick to the steepest parts of the hill, so it wasn't technical, really. That is just my opinion though, and it only counts- for me.

Then on Sunday I had a really good warm up and felt ready for anything. The whistle went and I got a good start into and around the first bend. Near the top of the long climb I still had the lead groups in my sights and my pulse rate was just at my lactate threshold. I can keep going like that for about 3 hrs on a good day.

Then something strange happened. My breathing got really erratic and I came over all dizzy and bilious. I felt like death, warmed up.

I carried on and did another lap, but it took me 9 minutes longer than my target pace (on a 20minute lap!).

I knew something was up last week.

Steve Corbyn bought me a burger to jam in my dejected looking cakehole, after I stopped. I hate DNF's, but there was nothing I could do about it, really.

Today, my chest is full of loose phlegm, and it's scaring the dogs when I cough (or hack).

I think I'll be sleeping on my own again tonight.