Random Challenges
The problem of having no goals for 2014 has resulted in my being quite a capable cyclist with no reason to ride other than for leisure. Motivationally this is a very difficult situation. Last year the Pyrenees occupied my thoughts and preparation. I came away from that experience a much better rider and came through the winter in good seaonal form. Bar my 4 week lay-off due to a chest infection in March and a recurring knee injury, which my physio seems to have fixed incidentally, I continue to display a progression in terms of speed and endurance -despite the poor weather we experienced earlier in the year (and continue to experience).
I had wanted to start racing, but a chest infection and knee injury put paid to pre-season training and preparation. Subsequently my motivation waned and I wasn't dynamic enough to change tack. I'm now riding better than ever but with no real purpose. As a result, I've thrown myself at a random assortment of challenges. First of which was to do the Wiggle new forest spring sportive. Now, I may not have mentioned this before, but British sportives have irritated me for a long while. Whilst they serve as reasonable motivation to get in shape to post a good time, the mass participation element and in particular the lack of group riding ability by some (who should know better) just gets on my wick. I came to the conclusion that I can live without UK sportives in my life unless a) They are closed road or b) It supports a local cycle club (baring the poorly run Hell of Ashdown). Despite this grumpy attitude, I agreed to do the Wiggle new forest sportive with a friend of mine who needed the experience of the distance (100Km) without the hills and to do it in a reasonably quick time - 3hrs 30mins target.
The queue of traffic to reach the car park told me everything I need to know about sportive cycling in this renaisance era. I had protested earlier in the week at the show of nimbyism from the local new forest residents about yet another sportive in their area. By 10.00am I was almost willing to campaign on their behalf. There are simply too many sportives in the new forest and there are too many ill disciplined riders on these events, not least of which are the many pinerello dogma novice(s) -you know who you are but sadly you won't be reading this.
I like riding in the new forest but will not be partaking in another sportive in the area and with the advent of Strava, I deem them uneccesary. without any frilly expletives about the scenery (described here before) or the beauty of cycling, I posted a time of 3hr.29mins. my knee was killing me and prompted the visit to the physio. My friend and I drove home, had a burger (protein) and a beer(?)and concluded that we'd had a good day out but won't be doing it again.
Random Challenge Number 2
One thing I did have on my to do list for 2014 was to cycle around the Assynt; an area of outstanding natural beauty in the far North-West of Scotland. After eyeing the roads on a visit to Sutherland last march (2013)I've been itching to get out and put wheel to (single track) tarmac for a long while. The terrain is hilly, very hilly. I climbed about 1800M over 100Km distance and whilst this could be considered normal in the Haute Savoie or the Pyrenees, bare in mind that I climbed no higher than 250M above see level at any point in the ride. The hills are short, steep (10-25% gradient) and frequent. 100Km felt like a 4Hr interval session. For somewhere so far away from anything however; a 2.5 Hrs drive North from Inverness, the single track roads were busy enough but had enough passing places to cause little frustation to either driver or rider. Ironically the main roads were quieter and provided a better cycling experience. No less scenic than the lanes around the back of Stack Pollaidh, Canisp and Suilven, past the ever so white sandy beaches near drumbeg or the road passing between the iconic mountains of Glas Bhein and Conival I must have only been passed by about 3 cars in 2hrs and maybe a few German motorcyclists but I wasn't troubled by them, despite the noise and their speed. I stopped for coffee in the delightful Kylesku, some 90Km and after the last epic up and down on the A835. It was somehow the hardest ride i've done this year and that with 3 centuries (imperial) in the bag.
The route can be found here. http://connect.garmin.com/course/5691162
