audio-talk

Ray P wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 9:02 pm

Dave the bass wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:44 pm If you pedaled with only one of your speedy legs I'd have half a chance of keeping up with you!

Nah! I'd be gentle...

We should sort out a meet up, I'm even partial to a bit of piccallili!

There's a lot of neat/nice rides in Kent. Very few as flat as that one!

jack wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 9:04 pm

Ray P wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 9:02 pm

Dave the bass wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:44 pm If you pedaled with only one of your speedy legs I'd have half a chance of keeping up with you!

Nah! I'd be gentle...

We should sort out a meet up, I'm even partial to a bit of piccallili!

There's a lot of neat/nice rides in Kent. Very few as flat as that one!

Yeah but (in a whisper), we need to help out the fat boy at the back....

Another good week, >100miles, >4500ft climbing plus a couple of gym sessions. I seem to get PRs on every ride, even when I don't feel as though I'm pushing so the strength is accruing.

Now the days are getting shorter I'll cut down on the road miles and do more in the gym - warmer and drier!

I've never ridden a bike in Londinium so it might be nice to do a sightseeing tour when time allows Mr. B.

No cycling at present but did a 15km loop from Alfriston over the South downs - lots of climbing.

Next weekend, weather permitting, we're doing the beachy head marathon - 42km cross country over the South downs/Seven Sisters etc. 2600ft of climbing...

The Alfriston loop is part of that route.

Well, here's the thing...

Just got home! Finished ok - bit slow but weather was atrocious - wind so strong people were being blown over together with driving rain!

My first marathon, it's all cross-country, 26 miles of it, 3,500 ft of climbing (not the 2,600 I mentioned before) and just shitty weather.

I came home in the top third of my age group!

Good effort (we are not worthy) - but how many wheels did you use ?

IslandPink wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 10:49 pm Good effort (we are not worthy) - but how many wheels did you use ?

Good point. No wheels.

I did, however, do 54,473 steps today!

jack wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 10:33 pmMy first marathon, it's all cross-country, 26 miles of it, 3,500 ft of climbing (not the 2,600 I mentioned before) and just shitty weather.

I came home in the top third of my age group!

Excellent Nick, especially given yesterday's weather.

Ray

So what was your time, Nick ?

Another good week on the bike again, 86miles at an average of 17mph and about 4,500ft of climbing.

I managed to stay dry for 30 or so for miles yesterday afternoon; it was still very windy but it doesn't matter as much going up hills, though I literally had my head in the clouds up on the top of the Quantock Hills.

Distance: 30.2 mi
Elevation: 2271 ft
Max Grade: 14.3 %
Moving Time: 01:58:45
Avg. Watts: 172
Max Speed: 36.8 mph
Avg. Speed: 15.2 mph
Avg. Heartrate: 108.8 bpm

I took advantage of the clocks going back last night and headed out at 06:45hrs for a loop up onto the Blackdown Hills. It was a nice clear morning but bloomin' cold, just a couple of degrees above zero with some frost evident - numb fingers are horrible.

Distance: 23.0 mi
Elevation: 1510 ft
Max Grade: 11.3 %
Moving Time: 01:30:16
Avg. Watts: 167
Max Speed: 31.1 mph
Avg. Speed: 15.3 mph
Avg. Heartrate: 106.9 bpm

On Thursday I hooked up with the fast guys at work for another lunchtime blast;

Distance: 22.8 mi
Elevation: 1071 ft
Max Grade:6.9 %
Moving Time: 01:04:09
Avg. Watts: 217
Max Speed: 36.7 mph
Avg. Speed: 21.4 mph
Avg. Heartrate: 126.9 bpm

Despite them putting me right on my limit I really enjoy these lunchtime blasts even though it's all I can do to hang onto the back at times. I learned a lesson this week - stay focussed - I fiddled with my bike computer at the turn roundabout before an uphill drag and in so doing let a gap of about 5metres open up but once out of the back, and in spite of setting a personal best on the sector, it was impossible to close the gap until a downhill stretch and, of course, I paid for the effort, taking a couple of miles to feel reasonably 'comfortable' again. Weather permitting we'll be doing it again this week.

IslandPink wrote: ↑Sun Oct 27, 2019 3:52 pm So what was your time, Nick ?

Very slow! Our good friend who suggested we did this one "because it's fun", has done 116 marathons and the Beachy head one 17 times.

He said it was the worst he'd seen and it took him 5:30...

I was two hours slower!!

The really awful stuff started just as he was finishing so my last 9 miles were simply foul. At times the wind was so strong (up on the cliffs - Seven Sisters and Birling Gap) that not only were people being blown over, but folk were having trouble just walking into it! That, together with the driving rain made for an interesting second half...

Thats a new use of the word 'fun'!

Well done though, I couldn't do that.

Just for fun, here is a Saturday afternoon photo of the chaplaincy car at beachy head (there are always councillors there).

One of the women in blue to the left was knocked off her feet by the wind a few seconds later...

82 years old and he's "only" done 8,000 miles this year.

https://www.cyclinguk.org/news/82-year- ... lion-miles

Back in the saddle. Freezing cold and lots of hard work...