It's only about 10 days until The Cheshire Cat. This will be my first 100 miler of the season, I'm looking forward to it, however my workload/social life requirements mean - yet again - I've not been out on the bike for about a week. Not good. Saying that, last ride out, the rest had done me good.
I've planned my food out. Got a profile of the ride, where the stops are, when the big hills come, to be fully sure that I've got all the right food and the right levels of energy when needed. I'm going to buy one of the topbar bags to carry all the extra gels and bits that I plan to carry on the day, might not be the lightest bike on the course, however, I'm more concerned about keeping the carbs going in over the whole distance.
Chatting with a couple of the lads at work who are also doing the ride and winding them up about Mow Cop, one of them found this short Youtube video, which says it all. I've frightened them both to death with the "stop and you fall off" concept. Thankfully, the big hills come in the first third of the ride, so providing I've had a decent breakfast, energy levels should be good.
It should be a great season, with the spring like weather over the past few days, spirits are high and I'm really up for the challenge of knocking down some big miles, so, bring on the Cat!
Phil,
ReplyDeleteInteresting post about the 'Cat. I am signed up for it and had a bit of a recce a few days ago. Figured pretty quickly that I am way overgeared for this sportive and so have quickly ordered a Shimano triple. Mow Cop is brutal for sure but the first 40 miles of the route is also very testing. This is in the true KiloToGo spirit - I am a survivor of the 2009 Wild Edric. A truly brutal ride.
My fitness for the 'Cat is almost non-existant but you have to start the season somewhere. I will look out for you when you come screaming past me. Not quite sure how it's going to work with 2500 signed up for these narrow lanes. All good fun. Cheers Tony