Well so they say! One weeks training complete and no aches, no worries! The end of this weeks training culminated in riding on the Saturday club run. After returning to the bike after a rest I was imagining a lot of pain. It could have been painful, but I avoided being drawn into the attacks on the hills and the sprints for town signs. I just went at my own pace keeping my heart rate moderate and focusing on spinning and spending time in the drops. This relaxed pace is not my style but this is the methodology I have chosen and I must have patience and respect it.
Right now I’m focused on base training, getting time on the bike and building endurance, all low intensity stuff. For me ratcheting up intensity wont start until the New Year. This base training will help develop and build the right biological pathways without compromise of oxidation damage from lactate acid generation during higher intensity training.
This club ride was on a perfect autumn day, clear sky, bright sunshine and warm. The rich green colours of the Limousin giving way to the melange of yellow, red and browning leaves. The start was hilly, we rode out toward Pressignac and onto St Gervais before the undulations lessened. A couple of the guys in the first group were dropping off the back, I sat up with them and settled into a relaxed pace encouraging a young French lad along.
Riding at slower pace meant I got to ride with a lot of guys I don’t normally get to talk to. I’m not sure if they ride slow so they can talk more or ride slow so they can spend more time away from their wives, whatever they certainly enjoyed themselves. At one point we turned around and cycled back 5 km to rejoin a slower group. The group I normally ride with are certainly considerate but not quite that much. Anyway with all the talking It was a pretty good French workout for me too!
