Etape Cymru - first published on www.etape-cymru.co.uk
People who know me well, will know that it only takes me to have a sleep and I will have forgotten what happened the day before. However, there is one event en grained into my memory from last October which is hard to forget. The 2011 Etape Cymru.
I was sort of goaded into riding last year by a former colleague of mine, but sneakily he only challenged me with 7 weeks notice of the event. I went into a panicked training frenzy to ensure I could at least get round. The event itself was eventful. This is why I can still remember the experience so vividly. After a good start, I went off course, crashed and punctured, all before the famous Horse Shoe Pass. Despite all that, the feeling of accomplishment was worth it. There is no denying, the course is brutal, but the scenery is fantastic and to ride that far on closed roads is such a rare experience.
Even though I have hardly looked at my bike since that day last October, I feel drawn to attempt the ride again this year. Under new management and a month earlier in the year, it promises to be a great day's riding. The course itself is a big attraction to me. The roads it covers are much of the same ones I trained over for 15 years as a racing cyclist in the 80's and 90's. This year though, I will prepare better and for longer. I have given myself 6 months to get fit, and I am still lighter than when I rode it last year.
My preparation is sort of two fold. Currently I am running regularly to lose some more weight and also get my legs in shape for the family ski trip at Easter. Once that is out of the way, I will get back on the bike and start the process of finding the strength and stamina needed to get round the 90 miles of roads and 3000ft of climbing. Hopefully I will ride the Liverpool - Chester - Liverpool event in July as a warm up.
I intend to do the bulk of my training at the weekends early in the mornings. Having a family, means that weekends and spare time are usually already accounted for, so fitting in the extra time to train for a 5 to 6 hour ride is not always easy. Last year, I did all my training on my own which, although less enjoyable than riding in a group, brought my fitness on quicker as I pushed myself constantly and was always very aware of my average speed for each ride. This time though, I hope to get the odd ride in with a group, it's a good measure on how your fitness is and I always enjoyed the more social aspect of a "club run". I will probably throw in a good few turbo sessions and maybe even some spinning at my local gym (it all helps when you are as unfit as me).
A lot of miles ahead of me, but I am looking forward to enjoying a summer of getting fit and trying to find my climbing physique which, I have kept carefully preserved in thick coating of fat for many years now.
So if anyone fancies giving an old hasbeen a back wheel once in a while get in touch, I will need all the help I can get.
To enter the Etape Cymru go to their website for details www.etape-cymru.co.uk
I was sort of goaded into riding last year by a former colleague of mine, but sneakily he only challenged me with 7 weeks notice of the event. I went into a panicked training frenzy to ensure I could at least get round. The event itself was eventful. This is why I can still remember the experience so vividly. After a good start, I went off course, crashed and punctured, all before the famous Horse Shoe Pass. Despite all that, the feeling of accomplishment was worth it. There is no denying, the course is brutal, but the scenery is fantastic and to ride that far on closed roads is such a rare experience.
Even though I have hardly looked at my bike since that day last October, I feel drawn to attempt the ride again this year. Under new management and a month earlier in the year, it promises to be a great day's riding. The course itself is a big attraction to me. The roads it covers are much of the same ones I trained over for 15 years as a racing cyclist in the 80's and 90's. This year though, I will prepare better and for longer. I have given myself 6 months to get fit, and I am still lighter than when I rode it last year.
My preparation is sort of two fold. Currently I am running regularly to lose some more weight and also get my legs in shape for the family ski trip at Easter. Once that is out of the way, I will get back on the bike and start the process of finding the strength and stamina needed to get round the 90 miles of roads and 3000ft of climbing. Hopefully I will ride the Liverpool - Chester - Liverpool event in July as a warm up.
I intend to do the bulk of my training at the weekends early in the mornings. Having a family, means that weekends and spare time are usually already accounted for, so fitting in the extra time to train for a 5 to 6 hour ride is not always easy. Last year, I did all my training on my own which, although less enjoyable than riding in a group, brought my fitness on quicker as I pushed myself constantly and was always very aware of my average speed for each ride. This time though, I hope to get the odd ride in with a group, it's a good measure on how your fitness is and I always enjoyed the more social aspect of a "club run". I will probably throw in a good few turbo sessions and maybe even some spinning at my local gym (it all helps when you are as unfit as me).
A lot of miles ahead of me, but I am looking forward to enjoying a summer of getting fit and trying to find my climbing physique which, I have kept carefully preserved in thick coating of fat for many years now.
So if anyone fancies giving an old hasbeen a back wheel once in a while get in touch, I will need all the help I can get.
To enter the Etape Cymru go to their website for details www.etape-cymru.co.uk
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