Oh Dear - Did I overdo it?

After doing 39 miles Saturday with Big G in the Surrey Hills, Sunday I was on my own. Big G was rowing, M was skiing and Turbo P was on his way hime from his Ski holiday, see his comments below. I wasn't feeling very sprightly, but The Wife gave me the line "haven't you got some cycling you could be getting on with" and threw me out of the house at 9:30 AM.

As I didn't have my Specialized Roubaix (back at the shop having the front mech changed) I was on my old Peugeot (Steel Reynolds 501 with shifter levers on the downbar).

I struggled against the wind down the A217 and headed via Tadworth to Mont Box. It was cold and windy so I didn't stop. It was my intention to do a Col Ranmore and return home but some lunacy got the better of me and I headed along the ridge, down the 18% and up through Abinger to the top of Leith Hill. From there I did the usual circuit round Coldharbour down into Dorking.

By Dorking I was struggling and seriously considered leaving out Ranmore but lunacy got the better of me again and I struggled up to the top of the ridge.

Back down the other side up Mont Box, straight past the National Trust tea shop without stopping and home.

Fifty miles and four hours after leaving home and without refueling at the top of Mont Box (I only had 3/4 bottle of SIS and no gels) I struggled in the front door, whacked out! Where has my fitness gone????

The afternoon was a struggle not helped by a family trip to IKEA, followed by a flat pack assembly session (miracle of miracles, all the bits were present and the bookcase and swivel chair went together exactly as described in the plans!).

Early to bed last night and sore and headachey this morning. No training today I think.


News from S, he was out with Team MK on Saturday for the first time and came off on ice hurting his wrist and tearing up a tyre. To compound this, after gettting the bike moving again he suffered a valve failure. He is probably sore this morning as well.

Response from S in Milton Keynes to my posting:

"Absolutely right - I went to the gym yesterday [Sunday] to see how bad my injuries were, and came through that OK. On Saturday it was my ego that suffered the most! Out for the first time with a new bunch of folks and I succeeded in doing only about 12 miles before I had to bail out. Just makes me all the more determined to be back again next Saturday and complete a ride with them; unless I've been barred for taking a couple of them out when I went down..."

Also a response from Tubo P of the Guilford Peloton

"Yes, I feel that I can contribute to this tale of woe as I just got back from skiing in Zermatt. The nightmarish sun and perfect snow was just terrible and the grind of having to come back to the chalet for freshly baked cake at 4.30pm EVERY DAY was truly hellish. Shortbread fresh from the oven was also pure torture. What I found was even MORE of a hardship was the constant champagne and canapes served at 7.30pm sharp followed by a five course meal. The Wife and I really put ourselves through it.

Sometimes, I feel that people just don't understand the squalid conditions that we experience on ski holidays ;0 )

So back to the cycling grindstone from this weekend onwards! Yipee! BTW, I did a VO2 max test thing a couple of weeks ago and results were v interesting. I shall be working on this and will hopefully be spearheading the peloton as we get closer to the Etape!!!"