An
interesting week in the life a cycling ‘Old Git’
It’s
been a very interesting week this week, it all started in the usual way for a
seventy six year old, aches, pains and an outlook of more pain to come, ah,
welcome to advancing years.
Not
all the elderly are in the same boat, like their younger members of the human
league, some are fitter and some are better disposed but as painfully pointed
out to me by a very wise person, ‘you may look younger than your years but you
are still the age you are’. Stop and think about it.
Anyway
back to this past week.
My
week began on Sunday, not the traditional start to the week but as the
Southport road club’s ten mile time trials start this week so does my feeble
attempt to gain enough fitness to extend my ageing body into being able to
actually ride the ten miles.
True
I can ride ten miles and considerably more, but, a time trial requires effort
beyond the pottering I am inclined to do most of the time. ‘Training’, the very
word seems to put up barriers to what I can achieve. After years of gazing at a
variety of heart rate monitors I can vouch for the fact that it’s not only old
age that brings about aches and pains. How can I possibly be looking forward to
Thursday and the first time trial of the year.
Sunday
was to be a day of testing just how far I can push myself by a turbo session
that includes a non stop ten mile effort, no short painful intervals, just a
long painful one at a heart rate and the same resistance throughout.
This
week also I, along with Steve Garthwright, booked the campsite at Harewood
House, Leeds for the weekend of the fabulous Tour de France Grande Depart.
The
peloton and cavalcade pass through the grounds not once but twice, I don’t even
have to get out of my pyjamas to witness this great spectacle.
Prior
to my booking I had already submitted a photo to the organisers of the ‘Yorkshire festival of Cycling’,
photographed appropriately in Yorkshire at a Clarion Easter Meet near Whitby
I
received an email from the organisers to say my photo entry for that week, (a
weekly competition) had been nominated the winner and a few goodies would be
winging my way, fantastic.
Thursday
arrived and in the morning a trip into town on my low fixed gear shopper served
as a warm up for the dread of the evening ten mile time trial.
The
afternoon was spent in preparation, bike, wheels, clothing etc, all ready and
packed ready to go, have I forgotten anything, with a sigh of relief, no!
I
arrived at the time trial HQ thinking I would be one of the first, not so, already
a long queue of eager cyclists had formed to pay their entry.
I
was pleased to see William Cocker parked up, good Bolton clarion had a least two
riding.
An
apologetic and embarrassed William approached, like me he had prepared and
forgot nothing, except his wallet. Fortunately I had mine with just enough in
it for the two of us to enter on the line.
Numbers
sorted and pinned I began my warm up on the turbo trainer, a long one I might
add, the older you are the longer you need. By the time I was ready to go I had
warmed to the point of a heavy sweat then found at the off just how cold the
evening breeze had become.
On
the line I realized I had made a mistake signing on, I was number 24, William
25, I was about to be caught by a fellow club member, or so it seemed.
54321
go!! Within five hundred metres my heart rate was way above my good intentions
and the ten miles was a case of tight control, I needed to reign in, at least
until the last couple of miles. At the almost half way island I caught a
glimpse of William, he was gaining and I was expecting a cheery comment as he
passed. However passing me did not happen and I crossed the finish line with a
feeling of satisfaction, one I had finished without dying, two, William did not
pass me, even though he was a mere ten seconds or so off doing so.
I
was happy warming down in a low gear riding the couple of miles back to HQ, I
was inside thirty minutes, a full five minutes or more quicker than I expected
and what’s more I beat my standard on the new tables that are much harder to
reach the older you are.
An
interesting week indeed, it’s good to be a cyclist of any age but at my age so
much more appreciated.
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