Well it has been a strange couple of weeks with some ups and downs. A melange of good training, hard falls and work at home. So I’m trying to catch up with the back log on blog entries, so bare with me. This may take one or two episodes.
First the work at home, since we purchased the house back in late 2003 we had wanted to make a covered terrace to give us a protected exterior seating area. For one reason or another, finances, time and a degree of apathy I just hadn’t got round to it. But getting the resources together and given a few days I have broken the back of it.
So what about the cycling?……
As I was based at home for a few days I took the opportunity of going out on the mid week club run. It was a hot day and there was only a few starters. The pace started off quite slow, well it was uphill, my average was only 12.4 km/h at the top of it, nobody really wanted to take the lead. Eventually the young lads started getting bored and gently raised the momentum, but no sooner as we started changing places and got a nice rhythm going they turned right and headed for home, apparently they only wanted to do 30k - hardly worth getting changed was it! With them gone it was left to a couple of us to set the pace first through Massignac and then up to L’Arbre, the highest point of the Charente. From there we turned left and were greeted with a 9k descent before a short climb into Montbron. Here we split again and it was now Pierre and me to make our way back toward Rochechourt. Pierre is a solid guy and enjoys pushing the pace on the flats and down hill sections. This left me the task of taking the pace on the uphills. Neither Pierre or me wanted the small talk, although the the French leasson would do me good, so we pushed on. Up and down and along empty main roads, the average speed was gradually increasing and neither of us would give and inch. As soon as the pace slowed the other one pushed on. The pace gradually increasing and we picked up another club rider just before Vayres. As we descended from Vayres on the last slog it was as much as he could do to stay on the back. Every time Pierre passed the pace increased again. So I did the same, this was fantastic! I had the feeling something was going to happen at some point. I was on the front again raising the tempo, then it happened… Pierre flew by, on the other side of the road. I was up on the pedals immediately but he was going away, I dug in and gave it all I had. I could hear the other rider behind me desperately trying to hold my wheel. Gradually the gap stopped increasing and I started to reel Pierre back. He sat up happy that he had is day, I was just happy I caught him! Soon after we split he continued up into to Rochechouart and I turned back to the starting point where I left my van.
Guess where? Answer in next post!
I checked the comp average speed 30.1km/h and just under 80km blimey! When I reviewed my training logs this was the fastest average training ride above 50km! Merci Pierre!
