The rider pack arrived today so not long to go now until my first sportive and I feel excited and very lucky to have got a place. In at the deep end or what though! You'll have to excuse the paucity of my ambition but uppermost in my mind is to finish [injury free] and enjoy it. It's too early in my cycling career to think about setting a target finishing time but somewhere between last years astonishingly quick 5:46 and the tail end at 12:58 will do. So that's a 12:57 target then.
I haven't got a clue if I can ride all the way up Hardknott. As this film shows, it deserves its legendary status and apart from the gradient I can see 3 barriers to staying on the pedals all the way up: 1. me 2. other riders 3. cars.
Exciting stuff Andrew. Looking forward to reading about how you go. The Etape will be a piece of cake if you can get round those Lakeland passes in a decent time! Hardnott lives up to its billing, all the more so after 112 miles i imagine.
I'm saving the Fred Whitton for another year - oh alright, i entered but wasn't successful in the ballot! Its amazing how the vast proportion of people writing the cycling/triathlon blogs I'm following all got in to the Fred. Is there a "bloggers pass"? - if so i'm starting a blog so i can have a crack next year! ;-)
Perhaps there is, I hadn't thought of that! I must admit I entered, but a bit like entering the London Marathon (I did get the bright red Virgin waterproof as a consolation), I didn't think I had a hope of getting a place. Well I'm looking forward to your blog anyway :-)
shudderrrrrrrr...that brings back some memories. Andrew, I too can't wait to hear how you get on. Good on yer for entering the Fred as your first sportive. I agree with Zugz - if you can get round this, you can beast the Etape. It will give you enormous confidence when you've done it - and of course you will, magnificently!! Best of luck dear
Exciting stuff Andrew. Looking forward to reading about how you go. The Etape will be a piece of cake if you can get round those Lakeland passes in a decent time! Hardnott lives up to its billing, all the more so after 112 miles i imagine.
ReplyDeleteI'm saving the Fred Whitton for another year - oh alright, i entered but wasn't successful in the ballot! Its amazing how the vast proportion of people writing the cycling/triathlon blogs I'm following all got in to the Fred. Is there a "bloggers pass"? - if so i'm starting a blog so i can have a crack next year! ;-)
Perhaps there is, I hadn't thought of that! I must admit I entered, but a bit like entering the London Marathon (I did get the bright red Virgin waterproof as a consolation), I didn't think I had a hope of getting a place. Well I'm looking forward to your blog anyway :-)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a baptism by fire!
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty riding up Hardknott in the video - makes it look almost achievable!
There's a bloke in yellow on that video at about 14:09 who whizzes up. I want what ever he was on.
ReplyDeleteshudderrrrrrrr...that brings back some memories. Andrew, I too can't wait to hear how you get on. Good on yer for entering the Fred as your first sportive. I agree with Zugz - if you can get round this, you can beast the Etape. It will give you enormous confidence when you've done it - and of course you will, magnificently!!
ReplyDeleteBest of luck dear
V kind thanks Karen, I'll give it my best for sure. Have to admit I'm more worried about the descents than the ascents!
ReplyDelete