Mission Accomplished

Day 5: Thursday 17^th March

Distance: 75 miles / 120 km

Ascent: 1941m

Ride time: 4hr 58mins (within 18 minutes of expected ride time for proper cyclists)

Average speed: 14.7mph / 24kmh, Max speed: 63kmh

Weather: Sunny, 19 degrees, light winds

Coffee stops: 1

Gels: 1 

Woke up to clear blue skies and warm air – welcome relief following yesterday afternoon’s chilly, wet end to the day. My body was feeling the effects of the exertions from the week and legs felt like they were full of air – certainly much bigger than at the start of the week, but also somewhat more useless.

Today’s ride plan was to climb up the long descent we made yesterday (25km), loop round a lake and then head back from whence we came. The journey up was pleasant with great views of truly rural Spain, kindly gradients and warm sunshine. By the time we reached the top (after going up hill continuously for 68 minutes) I was beginning to flag so we attempted to find a coffee stop a little earlier than planned. However, this failed to materialise so we pushed on for Beniarres deep into rural Valencia. Refuelled by a full fat coke, coffee and the obligatory tostada we had about 35 miles to ride home. Knowing that the vast majority of this would be down hill on sweeping roads was enough to get be back in the saddle. The views of the nearby lake were lovely but were rudely interrupted by a short (1km) but nasty climb averaging 10% and topping out at 23%.

Once we reached the summit though it was pretty much plain sailing as we rode back down to sea level from about 2,000 feet. I knew my legs were tired as any tiny break in the descent was met with immediate leg pain and a sudden slowing in pace to what could only be described as snail-like. All the time, the final climb to the villa was gnawing away at me.

Determined to complete all planned rides, I took the final right hand turn into the urbanisation above Benidoleig and gritted my teeth for the next 16 minutes arriving at the villa a full 5 minutes ahead of Adam ...... however, he stopped for about 10 minutes to chat to a local builder.

Exhausted but elated at how far I’ve come since day 1 I flopped into a chair in the sunshine and took a few minutes to assess myself against the objectives I’d set.... overall not bad:-

1.       Get used to spending a long time in the saddle after the winter break ....  21 ½ hours in total covering 323 miles (517 km) -  delivered

2.       Climb some long alpine like col’s... total ascent 8,655 metres (>2800 ft) -  delivered

3.       Do at least one day of over 100 miles ... not quite – maximium of 91 miles, but then again it was raining and hilly!

4.       To get better at descending ... increased my confidence and the second set of brake blocks were looking decidedly less worn - delivered (but still room for improvement).

So overall, not bad – 75% is an A grade in anyone’s book.... if only my appraisal at work was as good!  Furthermore, it’s brought my Jan – March average weekly mileage to 98.9 miles per week, just 1% short of my initial target!

A brilliant week’s cycling and a great holiday to boot..... now just another 17 weeks to hone my new found skills and fitness levels .... watch this space.

Adam keeps his word

Day 4: Wednesday 16^th March

Distance: 91 miles / 147 km

Ascent: 2788m

Ride time: 6hr 11mins (well, it was hilly and very windy!)

Average speed: 14.7mph / 24kmh, Max speed: 63kmh

Weather: partly cloudy (with heavy rain for about an hour too), 15 degrees, strong wind

Coffee stops: 1 (tostada an extra 50 cents here, but better than Monday)

Gels: 2 (taste quite good if REALLY need them. High 5 scientists have clearly eaten more apples than bananas)

While the weather forecasters broke their promise of sunshine and 18 degree temperatures, Adam was true to his word – it was tough today. But that came with a great sense of satisfaction as I reached the top of the climb on the way home after 6 hours in the saddle, battling against 35kph winds and heavy, cold rain up in the mountains.

The day started in the sunshine and we happily left our waterproof’s back at base. Focus today was to control effort used while on long climbs through managing my speed and energy output with mu newfound technical ability to understand my heart rate monitor. The target was set at 165bpm and off I set once again up Coll de Rates. This seemed to work effectively as I took about 2 minutes off Tuesday’s time ... however my legs were fresher as this was the first climb the day rather than the third.

Following a rather rewarding, sweeping descent, the big climb of the day was next up. Climbing from 240m to 960m to the summit in the Serrella Mountain range. The toughest thing on this climb was not the 21km slog up the hill (ave gradient just 3.5%), or the continuous train of Mercedes c-class tear-arsing up the mountain on a journalist review day, but the wind that was right in our faces as we climbed. At the summit it was so strong that neither of us were really moving.

A long sweeping  descent was our reward until we hit a few more climbs to add to the tally. As we hit 80km mark the rain started falling ... heavily. At this point it was head down and grind out the miles. We summitted the final major climb (alt >600m) and then spend the next 25km cruising down hill – a welcome rest for my increasingly weary legs. As we entered the town of Pego the sun even came out but we were being chased by the storm we’d just ridden through. A quick climb up got us into the next valley were the summit was a great opportunity to guzzle my second gel of the day in preparation for the final push up the home bound hill... at this point I’d eaten and drunk everything about my person (just a super-emergency gel stashed away in my saddle bag).

By now I wasn’t sure I’d make it up the hill back to the villa, my legs hurt and I was close to exhaustion. However, I was desperate to at least try, safe in the knowledge that if I failed, Adam could call Alex and she could drive down on a rescue mission. While the journey up was slow (19 minutes vs 15 minutes on Tuesday) just getting up it was enough for me.

Having gobbled all if my recovery snacks and improvised with a couple of a cold beers and a hot bath. A top day setting a number of firsts for me:

1)      First time I’ve enjoyed the experience of energy gel consumption

2)      Highest I’ve ever been on my bike

3)      Longest ascent (at 21km)

4)      Furthest I’ve ridden (only by a couple of miles, but a first none the less)



Today's route profile

On the third day, you shall rest....

Day 3: Tuesday 15^th March – Recovery Day!

Distance: 31 miles / 50 km

Ascent: 282m (didn’t even have to ride back up to the villa as van was down in town for it’s MOT)

Ride time: 1hr 57mins

Average speed: 15.6mph / 25kmh, Max speed: 61kmh

Weather: partly cloudy, 14 degrees, strong wind gusts

Coffee stops: 0 (short recovery ride)

Gels: 0 (would have been classed as pathetic)

Following a very wet morning, the cloud lifted and the sun popped out just in time for our rescheduled 2.30pm start time. Today’s ride was a recovery ride along the coast – high cadence, low resistance controlled heart rate. Gave me a chance to understand how to use my heart rate monitor which previously had just beeped at me annoyingly. Feeling well rested which is a good thing as Adam has mentioned a number of times that “we have a tough day tomorrow”.... I expect nothing less. At least the sun is forecast to come out even if it’s expected to be accompanied by strong winds.

Things are looking up...

Day 2: Monday 14^th March

Distance: 62 miles / 98 km

Ascent: 2166m

Ride time: 4hrs 17mins

Average speed: 13.9mph / 22kmh, Max speed: 54kmh (hilly today)

Weather: Drizzle (heavy at times), low cloud, chilly 11 degrees – a bit like the weather in the UK that I’d seen on the forecast this morning

Coffee stops: 1 (including Tostada.... 4.5 euro for 2 coffees and 2 tostada – bargain!)

Gels: 0 (things are looking up)

A great day today and a little unexpected given the angry skies and heavy overnight rain. Adam amended the route somewhat to make sure we were never more than 20k away from home just in case the weather became really unpleasant. Neither of us really believed that we’d really get round the route given the weather conditions but after the first climb and descent things improved a little although we were riding in the clouds for much of the day.

Today’s route was based around 3 peaks (all of which were 550 – 600m altitude gains). My protestation that there were actually four if we included the climb home fell on deaf ears.

Peak 1: 9.5km; 5% ave gradient; 38 mins

The longest climb of the day with the shallowest gradient was the point at which Adam decided to give his first assessment of my (home grown) cycling technique. “Quick, comfortable and smooth on the flat, good pedalling style on hills but not enough power. I know Lance Armstrong rode with very high cadence but you should work on your power... you’ll go faster” he explained.  So as we neared the summit I had to hit the big ring and power to the top. My cries of pain and complaints of being on holiday were scoffed at by Adam as he disappeared into the white clouds enshrouding us shouting, “come on”. When I eventually got to the top I was greeted by his beaming smile and a “well done”.

I think that Adam felt a little guilty as both my legs cramped up at the bottom of the descent. While I took a few minutes to stretch it out we inspected my brake blocks which were fast disappearing!

Peak 2: 4.5km; 10.6% ave gradient; 24 mins

The most notable thing about this climb was not just the gradient but 2/3 of the way up Adam punctured. It was at that point that I realised why I was so much slower than him. Nothing to do with the fact that he’s a super fit ex-pro cyclist and general 2 wheeled guru, oh no... the reason was that I was carrying the pump! All that extra weight and bulky shape slowing me down and increasing the drag. Having pointed this out I was able to trade that with him cleaning the bikes when we got back... a fair deal under the circumstances.

The descent was great - into the back of beyond down a rarely used (if a little bumpy) back road. Finally we made our way to Parcent for the start of the final climb of the day (using Adam’s definition, not mine) – Coll de Rates.

Peak 3: Coll de Rates; 6km; 6% ave gradient; 27 mins

The most enjoyable of the the three climbs because (a) the sun came out and (b) was used in last year Vuelta and the names were still clearly marked on the road.. Schleck, Cavendish et al. Being a bit of a beginner to all this I really took a bit of a thrill from it. Adam said that anything under 30 minutes is a good time, therefore pretty pleased with my time of 27 minutes 30 seconds... definitely under 30 minutes and just 12 minutes outside of the record!

I felt more comfortable in the final unofficial fourth peak of the day – the climb back to the villa and despite about 700m additional ascent vs yesterday, took over a minute off the previous ascent time... that means it was slow -1. All in all, a top day out on the road!

Benidoleig, Costa Blanca – March 2011

Day 1: Sunday 13^th March

Distance: 64 miles / 102 km

Ascent: 1478m

Ride time: 3hrs 55mins

Average speed: 16.2mph / 26kmh, Max speed: 61kmh

Weather: Sunshine, light winds, 19 degrees

Coffee stops: 2 (one impromptu)

Gels: 1 (apparently banana flavour..... not sure any of the scientists at High 5 have ever eaten one)

The sky is blue and the air is warm and following a hearty breakfast, the riding starts with the steep descent from the villa down into the valley. Helpfully, brakes on European bikes are the opposite way round to those in the UK leading to some concern around a quick flip over the handlebars. Wheels lock up on first serious hairpin but that’s preferable to a plunge into the orange groves 300m below on the valley floor. Sun is shining and it’s great to feel the warm air on my face.

After a safe (if a little slow) descent a gentle ride along the flat valley floor through the orange groves is a nice start to the week. At this stage, the climb back to the villa is put firmly to the back of my mind.  After a bit of obligatory first day faffing with seat adjustments, we ride on pleasant quite roads with some nice undulation towards the town of Pego and then head towards the coast with a pleasant tail wind. The journey to Denia is relatively quick and very enjoyable as Rob and I get to know each other a bit. We follow the coast road and hit the first climb of the week. It has stunning views across the Med to Ibiza and is a kindly 5% gradient over 5k ... feeling good. The descent into town is less terrifying than the first of the day but I quickly lose sight of Adam as he overtakes a few cars and self preservation kicks in for me. A few kilometres further on I am rewarded with a coffee stop overlooking the bay.

Following a brief caffeine injection and a banana we head back in land to Benissa  - another 5km climb at a similar gradient. From here, we descend once more into the valley below at sea level Rob spots a few pals sharing a few plates of chips and beers in a bar at Jalon. I don’t complain about the impromptu stop. The journey home is uneventful until we reach the climb back to the villa. It’s only 2km back to the villa from the turn off the main road, but this has an average gradient of 10% and reaches 25% in parts. My morale wasn’t boosted any by Adam shouting “12% - Alpe d’Huez” as I pushed my way up the hill in granny gear with sweat pouring down my face.

A hard first day for me was over and washed down with 2 recovery shakes (I only brought three!) and things were only planned to get tougher from here on in. This after all, was a warm up day.

My first great sacrifice....

Such is the scale of the challenge ahead that I made the enormous personal sacrifice of foregoing the normal second ski trip of the season, deciding that a week in the sun riding my bike would help out my cause.  I booked myself into a 6 day training camp in Spain’s Costa Blanca region in mid March to kick on my training schedule and get some sun on my face, miles in my legs and a few good climbs under my belt.

As nobody was really able to join me, I decided to holiday on my own. Rather than joining one of the super camps that take over 100 people per week I opted for the more personal approach offered by Citrus Cycling based in Benidoleig near Denia, Costa Blanca. I failed to link the fact that this place had stunning views with it’s location.... on the top of a very big, rather steep hill. While the place can accommodate up to 8 guests, for some reason on this week (and this week alone) I would be the only guest of very amiable hosts Alex and Adam. I am not sure whether this will be a blessing or a curse.... on one hand I will not be chucked out of the back of a group of 9 stone 20 somethings who have been racing since they were 12, but on the other hand, there will be nowhere to hide when the going gets tough.

A couple of weeks before my arrival, Adam sent me an e-mail enquiring as to my objectives for the week so that he could do some appropriate route planning. Now for me, objectives are the thing that I fail to deliver at work, not something that take on holiday, but the novelty of the idea prompted the following response:-

1.       Get used to spending a long time in the saddle after the winter break

2.       Climb some long alpine like col’s

3.       Do at least one day of over 100 miles (I have never done more than 90 miles in a day and feel the need to overcome this psychological barrier)

4.       To get better at descending (I struggle a bit with hairpin bends accompanied by a 1000ft drop when they approach at great speed and the only thing to protect you is a couple of inches of rubber claiming to be brakes and a helmet made of polystyrene and styled to make your head look rather like a mushroom)

In the beginning....

After agreeing to ride the Etape du Tour over a couple of beers earlier in the year, the 2011 route was published in autumn and phones started ringing. Al was a bit disappointed .... this year they decided to run two stages.” I don’t fancy the Massif Central option, we need to do a classic climb but 67 miles and up Alpe d’Huez is just too easy” he claimed. It was not as if we’d ever really done anything like this before, just a handful of sportives. “However, I have a cunning plan” he continued, “ La Marmotte is the one for us, it’ll give us exactly what we we’re looking for”.

So, a few negotiations with other halves occurred (or didn’t I was later to discover!) and our group of three swelled to seven brave souls signed up to Europe’s toughest amateur road race without a second thought. 112 miles over 3 mountains with more than 5,000 metres of climbing in the heat of July.... what’s not to like?

Having been on a late autumn trip to Majorca I was determined not to put away the bike or the leg muscles gained through the summer as winter approached to get myself a bit of a head start. My only target for the mega sportif is to keep hold of my chip and pedal all the way. Sounds simple enough but the scale of the challenge for someone like me is sufficient enough to get me back in the saddle even when a session on the turbo trainer is the last thing I want to do.

So, from November 2010 my training began.... 3 weeks later the snow came and hung around forever as far as I can tell. The second  winter of heavy snow fall in the UK on the trot. While exceedingly pretty, it makes riding somewhat tricky so I popped the Alpine Classics DVD for my turbo trainer onto my letter to Father Christmas. I must have been good this year as it duly arrived and so my training plan began. After reading up on various training plans that talked about building a base, VO2 max and interval training I was rather befuddled by science I decided that simplicity was the best route. Targeting myself to ride 100 miles a week (by hook or by crook) during January, February & March and trying to climb a couple of the big ascents a week on my trusty turbo seemed like a much more straight forward training method. Having just completed an extension on the house I was lucky enough to move the trainer from the garage into one of the bedrooms. This made it so much easier to jump on the bike when I got home from work on the cold winter evenings and combine it with some weekend rides with a few pals when weather and time permitted.

In January, an unspectacular crash on a ski trip to La Plagne led to a broken rib, hampering progress somewhat. However, that was a good excuse for only reaching my 100 mile target on three occasions  and average of just over 80 miles a week felt reasonable. Encouragingly, my sessions in the sweatbox of a bedroom saw times up Gallibier, Telegraph and Alpe d’Huez improve which was very encouraging.