Day 119 - Feel the Burn

With the exclusion of Tuesday and Thursday mornings, which due to work commitments, rain and a desire to have at least one rest day a week, I've kept this week to the 6.5 mile circuit I found myself completing on Monday. I've discovered it to be a very decent all round workout, with hills to build up my stamina for the Thursday evening AVP (Axe Valley Pedallers) meetings, stretches of some good level ground to work on my high speed straights and down hill runs to catch my breath and increase my confidence travelling at speed!

What has been interesting about this week's circuits is that in each one I have improved. Initially, very gradually. Day 115 was similar to 116, 118 was a little quicker and then on today's circuit I not only took 3 minutes of my previous quickest time, I added over 1 mph to my all time average speed, another new PB, and topped my earlier down hill speed for the route, I'm certainly beginning to feel the burn though! However, for some reason, Endo thinks my calories burned has been less each time - I think not! .. I love stats! This was also the week in which I completed another milestone, 400 miles in the saddle since starting out on this tour de fitness back in March.

I was disappointed, however, not to have made it out on Thursday evening with the AVP but again work kept me otherwise occupied. That said, there was an evening of rain, so I may very well have given it a miss and also, I had been a little concerned over my decline in fitness following my very lethargic two weeks holiday - not the way to approach an evening ride out with the AVP! 

When not precipitating, the weather this week has been outstanding. Shorts were de rigueur at the start of the week and this morning I could have even done with a short sleeved top, the first for a morning ride out when previously the air temperature even in the sun has bee a little cool to say the least. The challenge with cycling, is that although I have any number of short sleeved sports tops, they lack any really useful pockets and in particular, those three pouches that you find in the back of all good cycling jerseys. I have been waiting on receiving my AVP membership pack so that I could then head off to Soanes, the local sponsoring cycle shop to procure my club jersey - yellow with short sleeves - which if I'd had it by now, would have been in perfect time for the start of the Tour de France! Alas, while AVP may be keen cyclists, administration is obviously not one of their fortés.

Talking of the Tour, what a first day it has been. How do you get a coach stuck under the finishing banner with 15 minutes of the race to go and who would have guessed that the top 3 sprinters would all be taken out of the race with just 4km to go! So sad for Cavendish. What also surprised me was how after 180km the majority of the pelliton was still so closely packed together, whilst after only 10 miles our AVP pelliton is quite spread out with some out front even having to stop to wait for back markers to catch up .. it has a creed of never leaving anyone behind - much like the US Marine Corps! 

Back to my Tour and this week's stats:

Mon: 6.66 mi, 32m 02s, Avg 12.5 mph, Max 28.4, 355 kcal
Wed: 6.77 mi, 32m 14s, Avg 12.6 mph, Max 30.2, 357 kcal

 Fri: 6.79 mi, 32m 04s, Avg 12.7 mph, Max 30.4, 355 kcal
Sat: 6.78 mi, 29m 18s, Avg 13.2 mph, Max 31.2, 325 kcal

Day 114 - Breathless

Having had 2 weeks without a pedal it felt good to be back in the saddle this morning for my ritual power circuit of Seaton. My legs had certainly welcomed the break as the familiar aching of two plus weeks ago was no where to be felt and I made good progress up and over my three hills. As such, I was able to set a fast pace and what then started to surprise me was how breathless I was getting. Where previously a lack of stamina in the legs had probably held me back, I was now reaching a lung capacity issue ... progress! Not only that, my final stats showed that in spite of the hills, which only a month or so ago had ground me to a halt, I achieved a new average speed PB of 12.5 Mph over the 6.6 mile circuit .. impressive!

As with most mornings, I don't necessarily have my circuit totally pre-planned. I normally have in mind the hills I want to take and the rest is open to a last minute decision depending on how much more I feel I can take and how much time I have left. So after making such good progress on the three hills I dropped down to the sea front where I move my steed into top gear for probably the fastest flat ride I've had, surprised even to find myself looking for another gear! We now, I thought, had time to head out along the estuary through Axmouth and Colyford, to complete a very pleasant sub 7 mile circuit in a shade over 30 minutes. It would have been interesting to see what I could have done with more time.

Stats: 6.66 mi, 32m 02s, Avg 12.5 mph, Max 28.4, 355 kcal

Day 113 - Cycling and Holidays

Oh my, it has been two full weeks without a ride and it was great to be back on the bike this afternoon completing a short circuit between the showers.

I've just returned from France, a week or so before the start of the greatest cycling race in the world, the Tour de France. While out there, I did not have to go far before evidence of the upcoming race was seen. First, while in Fontenay-le-Compte, I spied on a bridge over the river La Vendée the sign stating 'Course Cycliste' ..

and then in Ducey, a poster which I would have loved to have been able to have taken with me!

France is definitely a country where it is great to cycle. The roads are more often than not smooth and pothole free and the number of cars per square mile a fraction of what we have to contend with on our crowded isle. While out one morning, we waited for a peloton of a mile long if not more of school children to pass before continuing on our way .. amazing!

I read recently that my local cycling club, the Axe Valley Pedellers, had returned from a trip to Brittany and also saw on the ferry, to and from France, a group of cyclists with just their bikes and what they could carry and thought .. what fun! May be next year?

As for my ride today ...

Stats: 3.45 mi, 18m, Avg 11.5 mph, Max 30.3, 200 kcal

Day 100 - My Time

I am taking time out from cycling while on what has become my annual pilgrimage to France for some 'my time'. Unfortunately, I've yet to source a bike carrier for my car and so am having to supplement my new cycling interests following the week-long Criterium du Dauphine stage race, sans Wiggo and reading about how to win the Tour de France via Bradley's autobiography My Time.

The great news I've read this morning is that Chris Froome has won the Dauphine, emulating Bradley's triumph in 2011 and 2012. This bodes so well for the Tour De France in a few weeks. Meanwhile here in France I'm agreeing with the Sky cycling team's comment on Face Book that "Some parts of Europe still haven't got the memo about the good weather" as they reference the rains that are deluging the Tour de Suisse .. ditto here.

The rain here is providing more time for reading and while I'm only a few chapters into Bradley's book, I'm already thinking about where I'm going to install my turbo trainer for the winter season and that taking these two weeks of 'My Time' off from cycling will not stand in the way of me winning the Tour next year! I'm not big on autobiographies, but this one has caught my imagination.

Day 96 - On with the Shorts

It's been 4 days since my last blog, I've just been so busy preparing for a 2 week trip that I've had no time for much else ... but I have been out on my steed!

We've completed 3 circuits this week, I took Monday as a rest day. In spite of the glorious weather we're having right now, I can't say it has been that easy and I've tried, where possible, to give the hills a rest, having no real climbing energy left after last week's hilly circuits.

You'll recall the improvement I made to performance and safety last week, by adding air to my tyres? Well I made another before the start of this week, I oiled my chain! I'd been thinking that my gears were out of alignment and that this was the cause of the noisy clicking of chain on cogs that I could now hear over my tunes. Alas no, a spray of WD40 and we're back to the silky smooth rides I remember. Gear changing is now fluid and I've stopped dreading switching down to gear 1 - the small one - which increasingly resulted in a chain off incident. I'm thinking, like all the great riders, that I need a service team!

Blue sky over the gateway to Seaton

Back to the circuits and with the weather so beautiful it was on with the shorts. Not so beautiful, however, are my winter white legs framed between black lycra and training shoes, but at 7:00 am there are luckily few out and about to upset.

Day 94 was my running gnome route (refer back for route art explanation of this) and I've not much more to say on this, apart from it's a sub 7 mile circuit with a plus 30 mph drop down into Colyford and and average 12 mph return along the estuary .. a circuit with a little of everything.

Stats: 6.75 mi, 32m 29s, Avg 12.5 mph, Max 31.4 mph, 360 kcal

Day 95 was a longer ride, 8 miles plus, out into Colyton, returning via the tram station and back along the estuary. I was so tempted to stop at the cafe and take on fuel but thought I'd save that 'till Friday .. Michael, are you reading this?

For the route art today .. a bunny sniffing the air! Book Munchin, I thought you'd like that.

Stats: 8.28 mi, 40m 26s, Avg 12.3 mph, Max 25.8 mph, 448 kcal

Day 96, today. Although my legs were feeing like lead, I headed out early with the good intention of heading out to Colyton and across the hills into Beer. Alas, riding into quite a strong wind, out of energy and at the point of no return, where the road forks either up our of Colyton and into the hills or back down into Seaton, I decided on a 'stall turn' into a down hill run, exiting onto the newly gritted (the new excuse for resurfacing) Harepath Road. Back in Seaton, I headed out for a loop of the seafront and then, just to prove I could, took the steep climb up Castle Hill to complete the circuit. Another 6 mile ride, but I was hoping for more, particularly as I won't have time this evening to join the Axe Valley Pedallers on another epic ride. Probably a good thing, considering my current performance.

As for the route art, I think I've just won an Oscar!

Stats: 6.23 mi, 32m 44s, Avg 11.6 mph, Max 25.2 mph, 363 kcal

Just one more day before I get a .. and I think well deserved .. two week break!

Day 92 - Has Summer Arrived?

I looked out of the window at 6:30 this morning an thought, at last, could summer now have arrived. Beautiful blue sky as far as the eye could see was what greeted me and I pondered where to ride out to this morning. With such weather, there could be only one destination, Beer and this meant that I would be having to make the long climb up Seaton Down Hill, but I knew it would be worth it!

Suited and booted I started my climb, wearing for the first time a new pair of Oakley sunglasses that were performing an absolute treat, such an improvement on my narrower everyday glasses. At the top of the hill the view down the valley and across the sea was, as always, spectacular.

Suited and booted over looking Seaton

From here, it is a gentle ride along the main road to Stafford Cross and then cross country past a stranded boat in a field and Beer Quarry from where the stone I referenced yesterday was sourced.

Stranded boat in a field!

Beer Quarry & my Specialized Crosstrail Sport

From the Quarry, it was a steep drop then down into Beer, where a visit to the beach was a must. Beer beach is very different to any other in the area. It is covered with boats, fishing gear, walkways, deck chairs and cafes - although, disappointingly, none were open at this hour. I passed around ten fishermen preparing for a day out in the bay, but otherwise, the beach was deserted and the sea was as calm as a millpond, almost like glass.

The sea as calm as a millpond 

Beer beach, with boats, fishing gear, deck chairs and a bike?

I returned to Seaton along the coast path, calling in at Janice's Cliffside Cabin for refreshments only to find that also closed, no one catering today for the early cyclist, although the view from the terrace was in itself worth the detour.

Janice's Cliffside Cabin

View from Janice's terrace 

I had then planned to make my way over to the Harbour cafe but time was now against me and I'd still not done the distance I'd wanted. It was a tough decision, another circuit out to Colyford or a bacon butty under the warm morning sun. Unbelievably, I headed out to Colyford, the butty would have to wait another day!

Stats: 11.9 mi, 1h 14m, Avg 9.6 mph, Max 29.8 mph, 823 kcal

Day 91 - Oasis Found

After the epic Thursday cycle day, I returned to the road this morning for an early ride in the sun. I headed out down hill, I was in no mood to do more climbing so soon after the Lyme circuit! One change since Thursday's ride was that I'd blown more air into my tyres. It is amazing what you learn talking to those with years of cycling experience. One of my major dreads, when out on my bike, is getting a puncture and while I kept within the Seaton parish boundaries, I always knew I could walk the bike home if needed but now that I'm venturing beyond these, any occurrence will have serious consequences .. a long long walk home! On Thursday night, over an après cycle beer, I was discussing this concern with my fellow cyclists. They'd explained that although I may have kevlar lined puncture proof tyres, many flats occur when tyres are not correctly inflated. A deflated tyre hitting a pothole can result in a snake bite puncture .. so they said. The crushing of the inner tube commonly causes two holes, just like a snake bite, thus a puncture caused without the tyre wall having to be breached. On Friday, therefore, on finding my tyre pressures at 50% of norm, I was quick to grab the pump to raise the PSI from 45 to 90. I now feel every dent in the road and I'm sure we're moving a little quicker too!

Colyton villa gates

So, along Harepath Road I headed, through Colyford and into Colyton for a leisurely ride around empty lanes, taking in the picturesque views that are always improved by being bathed in sun. Colyton is a historic town and during the Monmouth rebellion of 1664, became known as "the most rebellious town in Devon". . and 100 years before, Henry Courtney, a local landowner, was beheaded by Henry VIII and his lands confiscated. It did not seem too rebellious this morning. By the end of the 19th Century, however, like so many market and mill towns, its wealth had started to decline. Today, in evidence to its importance and in addition to the large Norman church, there is a very spectacular gateway which I often pause to admire. Today, I stopped to snap a picture, the sun illuminating the vast golden Beer stone walls. What is beyond, I could not see, the gates being firmly closed.. a grand villa I hope.

Leaving Colyton, I headed out towards Axmouth and stopped again to take in the view of the Estuary. I said it was going to be a leisurely ride.

Taking in the view of the Axe Estuary

Moving into Seaton I turned off at the harbour. I thought I'd check in at the cafe, Mike and I had looked up on Thursday morning. This is a real oasis in a town which does not even start coming to life until 10am, even on a Saturday. Being able to get a coffee and food at 7:30 am is not something to be turned down, so I ordered a strong black coffee and sat under the rising sun overlooking the harbour and marina, bliss!

Overlooking Lyme Bay, Seaton Beach and Beer beyond

Stats: 9.61 mi, 53m 57s, Avg 10.7 mph, Max 25.1 mph, 598 kcal