Tuesday 16 March 2010

Spring has sprung

 At least that's how it felt as I crept out of the house at 7:25 this morning to ride to work - still long pants and long fingered gloves, but without that bitter feel that clouds your breath and makes it extra hard to get your legs moving.  A brisk ride in with minimal chatting at an average of 18.5mph (not the heady days of 20mph+ average, but that's on a summer bike, in summer clothes in the...erm...summer).  Definitely respectable, and felt pretty strong considering that's 80-odd miles in 4 days.

The ride home was a solo effort as K had college to go to (needless to say as I type this I've been home for 45mins and she's not bloody left yet) and l'Herb had a late pointy-head meeting.  Came home the lumpy way, and as usual when on my own pushed it quite hard - big ring all the way (which was tougher than I remember it) but kept the average speed nicely up and never felt like I was going to bottle it and drop it into the small ring.

The lumpy way home - around 1700' of climbing in 13m - it's no wonder I'm knackered!

I hit the top of the moor above Draughton in just on 40mins, which is always my bellweather for a decent time, and after a bit of an effort on Low Lane got home in a tiny bit over 54mins.  Not my quickest (that honour goes to a ride home when I was mid-WRC build-up last year in 50:20), and a check on Rubitrack shows that I was slower by a mile or two per hour on every mile, but to be within 4mins of a time I did when I was massively bike-fit, in summer gear on my summer bike is pleasing - maybe I'm not losing too much fitness.

Had a wee debate on RW today as someone warned me against running again too soon - if I'm honest there is just the tiniest bit of tightness if I hop on my left leg for a while, which suggests there's something there - so do I leave it another week and hope cycling's going to see me ok?  In extremis, do I leave it right up to M-Day and risk trying to run 3:15 off no running for 7 weeks?

Seeing John Fizzy tomorrow and Thursday so I'm hoping he'll be able to feel the difference and give me his blessing to give it a go - I'm desperate to run but also desperate not to start too soon if another few days would mean it's fully healed.

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