tobyUK2Spain

Being ingenious around family commitments can sometimes be the only way to fit in long rides at weekends. And so it was that Toby used pedal power from Chester to Belper in Derbyshire, so that he could turn round two 80+ mile bike rides over the weekend and hang out with family and friends.

We both pondered the complexities of riding the training miles, as opposed to the daily stages facing us in France and Spain. And in our minds, there were a couple of significant differences.

Firstly, the expectant arrival (home, or at guests' houses) tended to create a pressure to reduce the breaks during a ride, and make us more inclined to refuel on the fly, rather than stop to munch on something to keep the legs turning in the latter stages. Of course, thanks to David and Karen in the support vehicle, we will have the chance to fill bottles, take on board calories, and chat all sorts of rubbish in scenic rural France or Spain. 

Toby. Hot Legs.

Secondly, (and this is my bete noir!), you tend to race the pace when doing your 'regular' training rides. I seem to have found a good one mile per hour extra pace this summer, compared with my training for a similar ride back in 2015. And while that might represent better fitness, it also makes me impatient. For instance, I've found a really great loop, which, ironically, zips through Toby's old stomping ground near Chelmsford, Essex. And inevitably, I now know where I can reach one, two, and three hours into my training ride. Each new ride has me pushing to ace my previous time.

However, the 1500 mile ride from Chester to San Javier will not be 'against the clock' as such. How long 5 miles takes us, or how far we go in an hour, will be secondary to riding economy, recovering from some predictably intense climbs, and the undoubted effects of the 30+ degree heat we expect to be riding through for much of the 14 days. 

Apparently, That's a Double-Entendre!

So while these long rides in the saddle, at opposite ends of the country are useful conditioning for the upcoming adventure, I expect the 'real' training will start on 30th July. Myself and Toby are both looking forward to it immensely. And there's two things you can do right now to help with the building excitement. Firstly, if you are based in NW England or N Wales, our 'Grand Depart' takes place on Sunday 30th July at 0900 at Vets 4 Pets, Chester (whack CH2 2EB in your SatNav or Google Maps). Pastries and coffees will be available. Would be lovely to see people there to wave us off!

And if you have any spare quids/euros and want to support the real purpose of the adventure - to raise funds for two wonderful causes, the details are in the right hand border of this blog.


AP (12/07 @ 1530).