Rest Day on day 5 due to a combination of things. Jacques came to my house at 6am instead of calling and for some reason no one, not even the dogs, heard him. So missed the swim.
Was raining cats and dogs and small hedgehogs so did not drive to Physio. Could not really go to gym for the same reason, and after running in the rain yesterday, even though I enjoyed it, I didn't want to do it again and risk getting sick. Ambient temperature is just over 20 now.
Day 6
Cycle Race: 98.4km
Time: 2:42
Average speed: 36.4km/h
Temperature: average 17, minimum 16, maximum 19
2748 calories
Heart Rate 152 average/173 max
I'm pretty happy with the average speed, and average heart rate. The maximum heart rate (173) shows just how hard we went at times. I was very active at the front of the race, caught a lot of wind at about the 10km and after that the group surged, their last surge I think and I allowed a 2-3 metre gap to form with the last guy, finally realised there was no one behind me, and then the gap just very gradually widened. It would have been easier to close if my heart rate wasn't already in the 170's!
So we were initially a group of 3, picked up a guy from the leading pack of about 16, and a group of about 10 caught us from behind but guys kept falling off and coming back, and they weren't really working with us and never really featured at any time. They were Deadweights, just parasiting behind us and some of us did try to shake them loose with a few bursts of speed, but they came back each time after a few minutes.
Was really not impressed to behind the leading group, so initially I led a chase. At one gradual climb they seemed just around the corner, but once on top they were gone.
Made a small break with with other guys picking me up, but after getting a big gap at 65km, it just felt too far, and too much work against a strong wind with just the 3 of us, and with barely time to shelter in the slip before you had to face the work into a stiff headwind again.
This time the wind was less strong against us, and our pace also a lot higher, and in the last 15km we rode in fairly heavy rain and headwinds. Good thing because I felt sufficiently worn down not to want to make a break. At 65km I thought the 3 of us could break again at about 85 or 90km.
In the last kilometre the offramp was very rough, perfectly for gripping in the wet, and that's where I broke, and left everyone behind. Very slippy, lots of turns, and basically held them off until the last metre when I turned around and just heard this freight train going SSSSSSSHHHHH behind me. Turning cost me the first spot (after the first small bunch) as another rider just got about 5-10cm ahead of me on the line. But my strategy of getting into the straight worked, and I was quite lucky not to be reeled in my the whole group sooner who were all still drafting at high speed.
It was actually fun riding in the wet at the end, and since I don't fancy myself as a sprinter, and wasn't even going full tilt, it was a nice way to finish - right at the front. At least in the second group I feel like I am the man to beat, and I actually set a lot of the pace and do the moves, which is nice. I've really missed riding in races since being in Korea, and I am enjoying every one now. There is a big one next weekend, a 110km, and for that one I will use the Zippers.
I did feel quite tired at 85km. I have a feeling it is from the running I did this week.
I have only done 8hours training so far, and hopefully tomorrow I can do another 3 or so. 1.5 hour running, 1 hour swimming, 1 hour easy on the bike.
Felt extremely tired when I got home so want to rest up today. I actually meant to cycle again in the afternoon but am just too tired.
Next week I do my last really big cycle rides.
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