The jump into January is done. Key objective for me was to start as strongly as I could, with the primary aim of doing more miles than the same period the year before.
It's been quite a tough month in terms of weather conditions, with a lot of wind and some cold/icy mornings. It was topped by the ride yesterday in 25mph general wind conditions and 40mph gusts here in the NW - it made for a really hard 50 mile ride and some very heavy legs today.
Nevertheless it's job done with a monthly mileage of 254 which is 14% vs. the previous year and a faster average speed (16.4mph/26km/h). The heart rate tells the story of just how much wind there has been, a lot of energy needed just to keep momentum!
Here comes the Tour
Between now and into the Spring, I'll be training hard for June where I've got two big rides to aim for. First is the two Yorkshire routes of the Tour de France over two days in aid of the Steve Prescott Foundation, then followed by London to Paris again (third time).
The Tour de France route is something I've been wanting to do but hadn't pinpointed the right event, this one came out of the blue, so I jumped at the chance (further blogpost to come). London to Paris 2014 will see me target to go up another group in terms of speed, so something to keep me focused on the tough days. I'll be slotting a couple of sportives in for added motivation and milestones too.
January has just been about maintaining fitness on pretty flat routes. As the weather improves I'll look to head for the hills more and also work on strength and conditioning training at the gym using weights. It really worked for me last year, building ride intensity on Saturday rides, then going flat on a Sunday. Most importantly is to shift some weight, one of the best ways to ride and climb quicker.
Month to Date
Mileage- 254 miles (+14% vs PY)
Ride Time - 15hrs 28mins
Ascent - 7,547ft
Avg. Speed - 16.4mph (+12% vs PY)
Avg. HR - 147bpm
Calories (estimate) -9,356
Ride Ascent Ratio (Ascent/Miles) - 29.9 (Flat) (+45% vs. PY)
No comments:
Post a Comment