April 21st 2009 Wot, no fitness?

I did manage two one hour sessions on the bike in the gym this week

Saturday the Guilford Peloton was riding out to Windsor. I couldn’t make it as I was on family duty.

As you will have gathered from my earlier posts it was my son’s birthday last week and as a present we gave him a Specialized Hardrock. He just fitted on the smallest adult size. During the week he had ridden around the block on it with his mother running behind but he hadn’t ridden it in anger. For this reason (and because it was sunny) we decided to take him to Richmond Park where there is a seven mile long cycling and walking track around the perimeter of the park (well, just inside the perimeter actually). I cycled to Ladderstile Gate whilst my wife and son went up in the car. We then rode our bikes on the track down towards Kingston Gate and all the way around (via Ham Gate, Richmond Gate and Sheen Gate) to the café at Roehampton Gate. We arrived at 10:15 AM just after the London Dynamos who had just finished their usual Saturday morning four laps of the park. There was some 70 or 80 of them all in the Dynamo kit drinking tea (despite being a member I didn’t have my kit on, I was wearing Corridori kit). We sat down with coffees and enjoyed the sunshine with them.

There was a plan in my madness. The Guildford Peloton was meeting here at 10:30 to start the Windsor ride. We got the opportunity to say hello to them before they set off. We then returned around the park to Ladderstile. All total my son did about 10 miles on the new bike so I deem that a success. The bike worked really well for him but I must say though, it was hard work cycling up Kingston Hill using only one hand whilst pushing my son uphill on his bike with the other!

Although I had those two sessions in the gym it made no difference to the pain I encountered getting home on Sunday. Sunday was bright and sunny but there was a cold wind. I met M in Thames Ditton and we cycled the 16 miles through Cobham to Shere to meet the rest of the Pelotooners. We had a steady ride to Shere via Cobham and arrived in plenty of time to get a coffee at the Duck whilst waiting for the others. Whilst waiting we got a text to say that there had been a delay with the trains and those arriving from Central London (via Guildford) were going to delay the peloton. As M and I were on a lunchtime curfew we decided not to wait and pressed on. We went out of Shere up to Peaslake, over to Abinger, up Leith Hill, to Coldharbour, Dorking and up Box Hill (we missed out Ranmore). As we went past the National Trust Tea Shop at the top of Box Hill we were suffering a bit. We parted further on with M heading back towards Leatherhead whilst I went on towards Walton on the Hill and Tadworth.

No sooner had we parted than I bonked. We had done 45 miles at this point and I had to stop for a gel and a drink. I then struggled painfully home the last 10 miles. It only goes to prove the old cyclist myth that you should never ride past without stopping at the National Trust Tea Shop at the top of Box Hill. In fact Big G confirmed that the same happened to him on Saturday when he tried to ride past without stopping.

I managed to get back home before curfew. I showered, bolted down some pasta and meat The Wife had prepared for me then rushed my son over to Tolworth where he was due to march up and down the High Street with the Beavers, Cubs abs Scouts for St Georges Day with a church service. Whilst he was in the church service (thankfully parents were not allowed to attend) I sat in a café holding my head (I was still recovering from the 55 miles) and drinking tea preparing for the next trial, my sons birthday bowling party for 20 nine year olds. Once the parade was over (actually I pulled him out of the parade before they reached the end as they were running late and I had to get him to the party on time) we rushed over to the bowling alley to meet his mates and bowl, followed by burgers and cake.

By the time I got home after the party I was fit for nothing, and he was as bad. My son and I lay on the bed and watched the recording I had made earlier of the Grand Prix. I picked Sebastian Vettel for my fantasy F1 team last year and he came of age, this year he is my main driver so I was pleased to see him win. Now all I have to do is engineer an introduction for him to my daughter so that I can get F1 tickets all the time. He is about the same age as her and he will be rich, and he has a nice smile, what more could she want?