January - Buy first bike with gears and ride it for the first time on the 23rd. Fall off. Doh!
February - Join a cycling club and get shocked by how quick proper cyclists are.
March - Buy my Etape bike and start to call myself 'a cyclist'.
April - Realise I am really very shite at climbing. No really.
May - Do the Fred Whitton and the Etape du Dales. Confirm (April's) sentiment however realise that I can actually ride 112 miles in a day. Go me.
June - Training suffers due to work. Mind in another place. Try to lose weight.
July - No point worrying now!
Eeeeek it's nearly here and I'm not 82kg, I need to get the bike serviced pdq, I haven't worked out how to get me, family + bike to the villa/cottage/gite thing we booked last year, I don't feel I have put in enough mileage and I haven't bought anything nice to wear ummmummmm you tell em girl.
But I've got enough in the tank to finish. Fall flat on face moment coming up but I know I will finish (mechanicals or serious injury to one side). Can I do a 'decent time', whatever that is? Haven't got a clue but I'm going to give it a bloody good go.
I'm with you on most of the above Andrew, need clothes, a bike service not to mention a couple more months training in my legs!
ReplyDeleteI was on holiday in Devon last week and tagged along on the Dartmoor Classic in Pyrenean heat. Took me 8 1/2 hours and my confidence that i'll finish comfortably ahead of the wagon has been dented a bit but i'm looking forward to it still. I'm just hoping my cardio fitness and endurance will get me up those mountains even though my muscles will be protesting violently!
Given some of your times i think you can have every confidence in an enjoyable day!
andrew, you'll be fine, i have full confidence! see you @ La Monge!
ReplyDelete@zugz From what you've said in your comments in the past there is no way the Etape is going to beat you. Anyway don't underestimate how tough that Dartmoor ride is and 8 1/2 sound pretty good going to me.
ReplyDelete@rich I tell you I'm getting to La Mongie if I have to crawl on my hands and knees with my bike strapped across my back. If it all goes wrong then my last few kilometres could be like that Robert de Niro scene from The Mission where he has to drag his armour around.
Hi Andrew - not much more we can do now other than taper and get some well earned rest into the legs.
ReplyDeleteRoll on July 18th!!
Can't wait Stuart and like you say if we're not ready now then it's too late to worry!
ReplyDelete