Up until yesterday, I'd been off-bike for nearly four weeks: 2 weeks of illness, a week on holiday and a few days before all that of being lazy. Whilst being ill, I'd lost 7kg, most of which was muscle mass: I'd noted earlier my fears about where this was from; so it was with some trepidation that I got back on my bike this morning to head into work. The morning ride was a bit chilly, but surprisingly comfortable & I was relieved that I felt rustier rather than significantly worse than before.
After an absolutely shattering & fantastically busy day at work, I got back on my bike in gorgeous sunshine, feeling the relief that comes with knowing that you've got 10 days away from work. & I hit the roads hard: no point in holding back when recovery isn't an issue!
You know those days when things just flow? Those days when things don't phase you at all and everything just works? I had one of those!
It took my a couple of miles to find my legs, then I hit the hill on the way home & was delighted that I could climb it faster than last time I tried. I've lost about 4% of the weight of me & the bike just now (having put a chunk of what was lost back on), but appear to have lost less than this in power output. It's rare for me to do a heavily trafficked climb after a good while off & really enjoy it: I was actually disappointed when I reached the top. From there on, the road just rolls. & they've re-tarmaced the useless, side-of-the-road-full-of-potholes-&-grit cycle path, to make it incredibly smooth & pothole free & I just flew down it; riding over the lumps as if they weren't there, pushing 30mph up the 1 or 2% slopes. I lost everything that has been stressing me out over the last few weeks; forgot all the things I need to do tonight; couldn't feel my slightly sore wrist; no longer felt tired & worn out. I came alive & it was just me & the bike & nothing else.
On getting home, I had to explain to my puzzled wife why I was grinning like an idiot. 90 mins after getting home, I'm still finding that I'm smiling & the muscles in my face are getting sore. My legs feel great, I feel stunning, but my face hurts from smiling to much....
Today exemplifies what I love about cycle commuting: every now & again, you find a place that is filled with utter joy; where everything feels great; where you transcend all the limits & all the crap that drags you down & find yourself just riding fast & loving it. & what makes it even better is that you know that you've earned it; that you've got it through hard work. & you know that you'll get it again, but can't really control when, except by working hard & suffering on the less good days.
Today is why I cycle & why I feel slightly sad for folk who haven't experienced this.
I love my bike!
Wednesday 25 August 2010
Saturday 7 August 2010
Illness & Injury
Whilst I've been experiencing the normal post-TdF dip in cycling enthusiasm, I find it very hard to think about cycling, let alone write about it, when I'm unable to get on a bike.
This past two weeks haven't been a lot of fun. First up I had a tooth extracted: the operation was started before the anaesthetic had kicked in; which caused me to make some urgent gurgling sounds. This meant lots more anaesthetic, which knocked me completely sideways for about 5 days. Then there was a bit a of a family crisis for a couple of days, followed by a nausea and lack-of-appetite bug.
The last thing has been decidedly not-fun! I'm diabetic, so the vomiting after eating & having done insulin is something I'm almost phobic about, so having been violently sick after meals a few times has been the stuff of nightmares. I've also had close to zero appetite, which has been less than amusing. In the first five days of being ill, I'd managed to lose almost 6kg. This would be fine if I had a lot to lose, but, my BMI is about 22 normally, so there's not much to spare. I'd like to think that this would mean that I will be able to go up hills faster when I recover, but it's more likely that I'll be significantly slower. I think I've lost some significant muscle mass, which will prob be replaced, at least in part, by fat.
It's really quite depressing that I've probably managed to put myself back 2-3 months.
I'd planned to head through to Edinburgh this week to meet David (of Laid Back Bikes) to do some riding. I had Arthur's Seat on the agenda. Ideally, doing some repeats on it.
Arthur's Seat is a short, but vicious, climb. 1300m with 83m of climbing at an average of about 7%. This sounds fine, but, again, it's the undulating nature of it that is difficult.
The first 700m has a reasonably even profile with just 35m of climbing. It slowly twists round the hill, so it's hard to see what's coming & you get to wondering what the reputation is about. You then take a fairly sharp right turn & then you hit the ramp that makes it hard: 200m at 12%. Then there's a 5% section, then a 9% section. Short, but brutal.
The first time I attempted this climb was on the Sheldon Brown memorial ride in Edinburgh. I was riding a 15kg Nazca Fuego with 3-4kg of luggage & did fairly well until the steep bit, where my bike choice really showed me up (well, that & the fact that I'm a useless climber!). There's film of the climb on that day here (yes, that's Edinburgh in April!). The climb was quite a shock to me then, but I've since done it on my Fujin & on my first ride on a tandem. I want to keep going back. I like this climb!
There's a bunch of times up the hill here for anyone interested. I'm still in awe of anyone who can do that in the big ring!
Maybe when I'm riding again, I can get my day of hill repeats on Arthur's Seat before the summer's (completely) out.
For now, it's back to the Tour of Poland (I lie, despite being bored & miserable, there's no joy in watching this apart from the stage with the 5km climb at the finish with a cobbled section which was almost amusing) & looking forward to the ENECO Tour (this is another lie).
This past two weeks haven't been a lot of fun. First up I had a tooth extracted: the operation was started before the anaesthetic had kicked in; which caused me to make some urgent gurgling sounds. This meant lots more anaesthetic, which knocked me completely sideways for about 5 days. Then there was a bit a of a family crisis for a couple of days, followed by a nausea and lack-of-appetite bug.
The last thing has been decidedly not-fun! I'm diabetic, so the vomiting after eating & having done insulin is something I'm almost phobic about, so having been violently sick after meals a few times has been the stuff of nightmares. I've also had close to zero appetite, which has been less than amusing. In the first five days of being ill, I'd managed to lose almost 6kg. This would be fine if I had a lot to lose, but, my BMI is about 22 normally, so there's not much to spare. I'd like to think that this would mean that I will be able to go up hills faster when I recover, but it's more likely that I'll be significantly slower. I think I've lost some significant muscle mass, which will prob be replaced, at least in part, by fat.
It's really quite depressing that I've probably managed to put myself back 2-3 months.
I'd planned to head through to Edinburgh this week to meet David (of Laid Back Bikes) to do some riding. I had Arthur's Seat on the agenda. Ideally, doing some repeats on it.
Arthur's Seat is a short, but vicious, climb. 1300m with 83m of climbing at an average of about 7%. This sounds fine, but, again, it's the undulating nature of it that is difficult.
The first 700m has a reasonably even profile with just 35m of climbing. It slowly twists round the hill, so it's hard to see what's coming & you get to wondering what the reputation is about. You then take a fairly sharp right turn & then you hit the ramp that makes it hard: 200m at 12%. Then there's a 5% section, then a 9% section. Short, but brutal.
The first time I attempted this climb was on the Sheldon Brown memorial ride in Edinburgh. I was riding a 15kg Nazca Fuego with 3-4kg of luggage & did fairly well until the steep bit, where my bike choice really showed me up (well, that & the fact that I'm a useless climber!). There's film of the climb on that day here (yes, that's Edinburgh in April!). The climb was quite a shock to me then, but I've since done it on my Fujin & on my first ride on a tandem. I want to keep going back. I like this climb!
There's a bunch of times up the hill here for anyone interested. I'm still in awe of anyone who can do that in the big ring!
Maybe when I'm riding again, I can get my day of hill repeats on Arthur's Seat before the summer's (completely) out.
For now, it's back to the Tour of Poland (I lie, despite being bored & miserable, there's no joy in watching this apart from the stage with the 5km climb at the finish with a cobbled section which was almost amusing) & looking forward to the ENECO Tour (this is another lie).
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