Increasing the miles

It is becoming more and more time consuming to work out cycle routes as they get longer and longer.  The challenge over the next few weeks is to increase mileage in the saddle to be as ready as possible for the London to Surrey 100 on 4 August.

I decided that it would be much more sensible to head for the gentle undulations of the Cheshire countryside rather than the stinging hills of the Derbyshire peaks.  Little did I know that Cheshire has a few surprises of its own!

Click here to see last Sunday's route - 55 miles

Click here to see this Sunday's amended route - 60 miles

Chris and I set off nice and early on Sunday to make the most of the day; armed with directions written on a piece of paper that fitted into my pocket, and back up OS map; we headed out along the Middlewood way - a former railway line that runs from Rose Hill Marple to Macclesfield (about 10 miles).  It is a lovely traffic-free route, very popular with walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders.

We came off at Pott Shrigley to tackle our first climb and give our legs a bit of a burn.  The views from the top are very impressive - the whole of Manchester lies at your feet.  Then comes the flying descent down the other side, which I can enjoy so much more now I have invested in glasses.  Still getting used to the sound of bugs as they ricochet off them!

We spent the next couple of hours winding our way through the country lanes of Cheshire enjoying the countryside and the cycling. These quiet roads are really popular with cyclists and we were constantly exchanging greetings with groups as they sped past at high speed.  Cyclists seem to be a very friendly bunch!

We were heading towards Tatton Park - Chris had had the brainwave to stop at the cafe in the park for a bite to eat as there are plenty of tables outside in the sheltered stable courtyard, so you can keep an eye on your bike while you re-fuel.  This has been our pit stop of choice for 2 weekends on the trot now, and I can recommend both jacket potato (with beans and cheese and a side of coleslaw), and the full English breakfast.  My mph dropped off a bit for the first few miles after the latter though!

The climb to the top at Pott Shrigley on the return was a lot tougher once we had almost 50 miles under our belts, but I am getting rather good at gritting my teeth and made it to the top with some huffing and puffing.

The plan now is to stretch this route by a few more miles next week, then will have a week of lower mileage and hit some of the hills round Marple before the next mileage increase.

A 'quick' evening cycle

After the success of our mountain biking in Spain we returned to a warm and sunny Manchester full of enthusiasm and decided we must make the most of the wonderful spring weather and get out on our bikes in the evening after work.

So at 6:30 on Wednesday evening we were to be found heading out along Strines Road towards New Mills.  I had hastily plotted out a route on mapometer.com which seemed to head over the hills and avoid too many main roads.  It went through a green area on the map - looked nice - seemed OK.

http://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_3123169.html

It wasn't long before the climbs started to get steeper and our legs started to burn!  We were rewarded for our efforts though with marvellous views over the Derbyshire hills and were accompanied by cute bleating lambs a lot of the way.

I had remembered the road names for the first few turnings and we were doing well.  I assumed that it would be easy to find the road back after that, but I didn't factor in that we would be on tiny country roads with no street names - so easy to take a wrong turn - so we had to stop twice to ask where we were and amend our route.  Next time I will be more thorough and write directions on a post it for my pocket.

The sun was setting as we finally headed back in to Marple at 10 to 9 - a glorious red sunset to distract us from our hunger.

I have discovered that - when hungry enough - a cyclist can stretch, shower and make a veggie pasta in 20 minutes!

Valencia - taking to the trail

After a few days sight-seeing in Valencia, Chris and I headed out of town to the hills just south of the city, where we had hired a villa.  I had been in touch with David Warrington from Mountain Biking Valencia - http://mountainbikingvalencia.com - and booked us a day trip, along with a bit of a lesson in off-road mountain biking.

Rather intimidating hills in the background!

After 3 days of unexpectedly cold and rainy weather in the city, we were a bit doubtful about the success of the day, given that we were prepared for warm weather cycling!  Luckily we had a bit of an improvement in the weather on the day we were going out, and even a hint of blue sky.  We met up with David in La Drova - a pretty little village about 20 minutes drive from the coast, surrounded by spectacular hills - at 9:30, where the bikes were ready and waiting for us.

We set off along rural roads and dirt tracks through fragrant orange groves and rolling farmland, always prepared for the next climb thanks to Dave's timely warnings.  The route was lovely - virtually no traffic, undulating roads, some of the climbs quite long, but all steady and achievable without having to get off, although I did have to hit some nice light gears to get up them!

Orange groves as far as the eye can see - and Chris

When we hit the first trail section of the ride, we had a lesson in technique to help us control the bike over the steeper parts of the route.  Ladies take note - correct stance when descending a trail is legs apart!  With your knees set wider and your elbows in, you have much better stability and control over the bike when you are out of the saddle.  Apparently women tend to do the opposite - knees together and elbows out.  I proved this to be true and had to concentrate to get it right.  On the steep ascents we were advised to stay in the saddle but take the body weight forward, resisting the temptation to stand up as this reduces stability.  Once I had the hang of this it did give me a lot more confidence to tackle sections of the trail that I wouldn't have done before - I felt much more in control of the bike and could start to relax and really enjoy it.

At the top of the trail - ready to go down (hoping not to end up in the river)

It was amazing to cycle through the narrow streets of the old town in Xativa

We stopped in a beautiful town called Xativa, which is overlooked from the hilltop by a fabulous castle.  After a cycle through the narrow streets of the old town we stopped in the sunny town square to eat our lunch and enjoy a spot of more typical Spanish weather.

Cycling all morning, then stopping for lunch and getting back in the saddle for another few hours of cycling was a good test of how my training had been going so far.  I was really pleased to be able to get back on the bike without any wincing - those spin classes are definitely starting to pay off!

Our route back was a mix of road and trail again but always through beautiful countryside.  The miles slipped by almost without us noticing.  We had another section of trail to negotiate in the afternoon and we were both pleased to be able to show off our new techniques on the more challenging sections of trail without any mishaps!

A pause on the picturesque trail just before tackling the final climb to La Drova

Dave had warned us that the last section of the ride was a climb for about 4km, with one tough km to start, then easing off to a steady climb.  We stopped off for a snack at the bottom - always a good idea!  As we inched up the hill I could feel the muscles in my legs and backside burning, but was determined to get to the top without getting off, and I did.  I don't think I looked too good when I got there - 60km of reasonably challenging terrain were taking their toll.  The last few km to La Drova were tough as I was tired, but Dave kindly counted down the distance for me to keep me going, and I gritted my teeth and kept pedalling!

Dave (Mountain Biking Valencia)

We all arrived back in once piece - a few scratches, scrapes and aches, but nothing serious.  We were tired but exhilarated - first all day cycle under my belt, and new skills learnt as well.

Dave had told us that he used to cycle in The Peak District before he moved over to Spain, so I had taken my map with me and he pointed out some good routes where we can take to the trail in the UK, so we are now looking forward to trying them as well.

It was a great day and I would highly recommend it if you are in the Valencia region.  It doesn't matter whether you are a beginner or more experienced, as Dave will tailor the route to be challenging or relaxing as you choose, and you can be sure that it will be an excellent route on quiet roads or beautiful trail.  You can find out more on the following websites

http://naturetrailspain.com

http://mountainbikingvalencia.com

Coffee and Cake on Route 68

We have discovered the SusTrans website http://www.sustrans.org.uk where you can see all the cycle routes in the UK, and narrow it down to your area - brilliant!

Chris and I decided to give Route 68 a try, which we can pick up at New Mills - a short cycle from Marple.  You can follow it all the way to Buxton - a round trip of 30 miles.

Click here to check out our route.

The forecast for today was fine in the morning with rain in the afternoon, so we were breakfasted and ready for the off at 8:30 to get the best of the weather, which was a pretty good effort, as those of you who know what a peach I am in the morning will appreciate!

Long Hill - aptly named - was more than a match for me!

We warmed up nicely on the rolling hills around New Mills - enjoying the crisp spring morning.  The air was cold and fresh, the sun just about warm, and the roads very quiet.  It wasn't long though before the hills started to get a bit steeper.  You had to be quick with the gear changes on some as you could turn a perfectly innocent looking corner to be faced with a hill that came from nowhere.  A couple of times I didn't make it and had to loop back to avoid horrific gear crunching as I shot through several gears at once.  My poor bike.

The effort we put in up the hills was rewarded though - the views were fantastic as we got out into the Derbyshire countryside, and for every uphill, there was the exhilarating rush downhill, with eyes streaming and face beaming!  I couldn't keep in a 'yee hah' as we descended a particularly long and steep road, drawing some odd looks from passing walkers.

View from the top before the descent in to Buxton

As we cycled across the top of the hills heading towards Buxton, we encountered virtually no traffic - in fact there were more walkers than cars.  We were glad that we had hybrid bikes rather than road bikes though, as the road was more of a trail in parts, with rocks and shale that were so slippery we had to walk a short section.  Hopefully we will pick up a few mounting biking techniques in Valencia that will help with that - stay tuned for an update in a couple of weeks.

Old Road - more trail than road.  The edge of Buxton is just visible in the background.

I couldn't help thinking as we whizzed down the hill into Buxton that we would shortly have to cycle back up that hill.  This was also the first thing Chris said when we stopped!  Luckily he had spotted a sign for coffee and cake, so we headed down to Pavilion Gardens where there was a cafe, and stopped for some refreshment.  Of course, I hadn't brought any money with me - it was a miracle that I got out of the house fully dressed, so money was a step too far.  Luckily Chris is more organised in the morning and had some cash, otherwise (he drily mentioned) this post would have been No Coffee and No Cake on Route 68!

Coffee and apple cake in the sunshine.

Fuelled with cake, we set off for the return to Marple.  To our great delight, there was much more downhill heading this way - it took us about 2 hours to get there, and 1:30 to get back.  The rain clouds were gathering as we returned, but luckily we made it back without getting wet and I am now recovering smugly in a nice warm, dry house, on a comfy chair, watching the rain come down.

This was our toughest ride yet, but also the most enjoyable.  My love for my new found sport just got a bit bigger.  Now that is worth celebrating.

Back in the saddle

Following my training low I decided that the best thing to do was to start a training log, which I can then use to give myself a regular pat on the back (as long as I have done the miles!).

It is now almost 6 months to go until we leave for Cuba - 30 weeks training to be precise; 19 weeks until the London-Surrey 100 that Gillian and I have got a place in; and 2 weeks till Chris and I embark on an 80km mountain bike ride in Valencia (I think it is supposed to be a holiday!).

Realising that I had 2 weeks to get myself fit enough to tackle 80km in the Valencian hills without having to get off and push was a very good motivator both to get to the gym, and to get out on the bike.  Last Sunday we clocked up 15.5 miles on our Lyme Park route and I actually enjoyed cycling outside for the first time since last year.

Hot and sweaty me - nice!

At the gym I have upped the spin challenge - my friend and work colleague Sarah and I have been slogging it out at spin classes this week and decided that we would round off the week with the double - 2 spin classes back to back with a 15 minute stretch break in between - total 1 hour 20 mins on the bike.  I got her to take a picture of me back in the changing room to document this effort.  Not a pretty sight.  The only thing that got me out of the hot shower was the thought of last night's cold pizza leftovers that I had got for lunch!



Today Chris and I hit the road again and headed for Timperley.  No roast dinner today though - just a quick stop off for a cuppa (2 cuppas), sandwich, kitkat and chit-chat before getting back in the saddle for the return leg.  A round trip of 32 miles.  A good effort I thought, particularly given that it was very windy.  Ever the professional, I took my recovery very seriously.....

Mileage is heading in the right direction though:

Gym miles - 43.5
Road miles - 32
Total for week - 75.5

Plan for next weekend is to try Marple to Buxton via cycle route 68 which we can pick up at New Mills.  Should be tougher in terms of hills, but looking forward to it.

Downhill isn't always easier

Over the last month I have had 2 stinking colds, the second worse than the first.

The first one meant no training for a week.  When I ventured back to the gym I was rather disappointed to find I was struggling with my usual 40 minute spin class.  It took a week and a half of hard sessions to get back to where I was before cold no 1.

I am now just recovering from cold no 2 and again have been out of the gym for a week (10 days really if you count the weekends).  I am annoyed that I am going to have to go through the same uphill struggle again to get back to square one!  I managed a 3.5 mile run today to dust off the cobwebs, but it wasn't easy.

I think I have reached a training low point.  Need to dig up some strength of character and just crack on for a couple of weeks to get back on track.

A glass of sauv blanc will help with that.......

You need hands

After a few more weekends of not getting out on the bike, I decided the weekend before last, that I was going out regardless.  It was the weekend of Mothering Sunday and my mum was cooking dinner for my grandma, so I arranged to cycle there and join them for the afternoon before cycling back in the evening.  A repeat of the Roast Dinner Challenge.

It didn't look that cold - there was no frost so I set off optimistically with new extra thick leggings that my sister had bought me for my birthday.  Unfortunately I hadn't factored in the baltic wind that was blowing.  Whilst my super-jacket and super-leggings kept my body and legs warm, the 2 pairs of gloves that I had forced on to my hands did nothing to protect them from the cold and by the time I got there I could barely move the gears.

Then came the worst part as they started to warm up.  I had to pace up and down the hallway shaking them and breathing deeply until the stabbing pains subsided!  I could barely talk.  I seriously need to get some better gloves.

The return journey was even worse as it was into the wind, in the dark and it started to snow.  My first words to Chris on arriving back were - "I am never doing that again" - at least it will be warm in Cuba!

I am resolute in this - until it warms up I will be sticking to spinning in the gym.