A new day, a new milestone in my cycling. Yes, today was the first time I would ever consider that I have “bonked” on a ride. Fortunately, it happened on the way home, but less fortunately at the point I took a serious dip, I was still about 20km from home.
The idea today was to head out to Knott End-on-sea, which as the name suggests, is a little seaside village across the bay from the Moss family home of Fleetwood. All in, this one was a ~65km ride, mostly flat – 213m of climb spread out over the whole route, and on the way out at least, very quiet on nice country roads.
Where I probably went wrong today was in doing 5 minute effort intervals on the way out. I should have paced myself better. I guess that comes down to my own personal inexperience.
I started Vlogging the ride on the way out. However, I never finished the third and final video as I just didn’t have it in me on the way back. So, just photos from this one today. Sad times.
On the way out I managed to find what has to be the nicest country side route I’ve ever ridden. It was so smooth, next to no cars, lovely and quiet, and whilst I didn’t realise it at the time, I had a tailwind pushing me along to boot. Can’t be bad.
I haven’t been to Knott End since I was a little kid. I do know that at low tide you can get across the bay on a road that gets swallowed up when the tide comes in. Unfortunately the tide was in today, at least sufficiently to cover the road.
Well… I think you can cross, anyway. I might be wrong on that. Like I say it’s a very long time since I have been there.
For a sunny day (23c), I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of traffic / people. What I found was a fairly quiet sea front, with a nice orderly socially distanced queue for the ice cream van and chip shop. All rather British indeed.
I took a breather here. Got some photos, did the second part of my Vlog – never to be seen by human eyes – and had my banana. Can’t be bad.
Then, knowing I had ~30km or so to go, I promptly got back on it and set off back for home.
I’d opted for a different route back. This time, via A-roads. Probably should have come back the way I came. Lesson learned for next time.
I found myself on dual carriage ways, and in fairly intensive traffic. Nothing beats a lung full of fumes and cars whizzing close by at 70mph.
I figured I’d keep to around 3.1w/kg on the way home, for as long as possible. Again, maybe another mistake.
Within 10km I’d thrashed myself, and my pace kinda just seemed to fall off a cliff.
As I got closer to home, a huge rain cloud appeared over head. It felt like it was touch and go as to whether I was going to get dumped on, and my legs were just like… err, no, this is as fast as we are going today, thank you.
Fortunately I missed the storm by about 45 minutes in the end. But what a down pour. I would have been soaked.
Anyway, when I got home my wife said I looked absolutely shattered. And I felt it, too. Which is why now I’m signing off and going for a nice long hot bath.
No idea what I might do tomorrow. I still have the next Zwift run exercise to do, but honestly, that has destroyed my legs so badly I don’t feel like facing it. Adding in the cycling on to the weary legs and maybe it’s a rest day. Who knows.
Oh, and lastly, I ballsed up the ride early on, so the first 5km have registered on a different upload. Whoopsiedoodle.
