Back to Base(ics)

One thing I've learned about road cycling is how quickly your fitness can leave you when you've had a break from the bike.  Looking at my July numbers (which were at least half of what I'd normally manage), plus a prolonged period out of the saddle due to holiday/illness, today's ride was about taking it easy.

Any coach will tell you that it's about building back up again slowly, when recovering from illness.  Not aiming for your personal best, but holding right back and keeping your heart rate in the lower zones, whilst your body recovers.

I opted for a flat fifty miles today, taking it very easy indeed.  In fact, I did almost the whole ride on the small ring (34T), just flicking up and down the rear cassette, with a cadence of around 80-85.  It meant, that I arrived home with an average speed of around 14mph (around  20-25% less than I would normally do).

Everyone zoomed past me.  It was an "all the gear, no idea" moment.  I rode the Unicorn2 with my new Brother bioracer 141 kit that we've just had delivered (which looks the business), as rider after rider whizzed past, I wanted to just whirr up the pedals and get going - but not today.

Arriving home I gulped down a recovery shake, stretched and rested up.  It will be the same spec tomorrow, nice and slow, building, building, building.