The Hard Ride

Saturday's have always been a day for my long and usually hard ride .Just 4 years ago , I remember my first ride on my eBay purchased Raceline . I rode from home down the swan river cycle path and back , a huge 30 km .I then began solo rides round the river a huge adventure for me. I even had the embarrassment of stopping at traffic lights and not being able to unclip in time and just keeling over much to the amusement of passing motorist.

My early experiences are a distant memory .I have progressed. .On Saturday it was the start of harder rides with a 4hr session at sub threshold..I was on my own and I drove down to the Narrows Bridge for a 6am ride down the freeway.It was pretty cold or at least I felt it despite two layers with my Ironman Japan T shirt under my cycling long sleeve top.I felt the cold for most of the ride.

It was slow going and hard to stay focused.I did not have any gels but lots of jelly beans and dates and ate all of on the ride with 1.5l of water and electrolyte. I managed to getup to 32kph average on the way down .I turned round before the end at the 2 hr mark and then had a short break before riding back and straight into a headwind .That was hard going for 45 minutes and then it eased up and would come back every short while.It was a hard ride and I was hoping to be able to have got my average up but generally it was a good start. Mentally I just got my head down and did the miles (or kms ) .

It was good to be back at the narrows after that ride.Saw poor Bob Thomas changing a flat tyre by the cycle path to his racing wheelchair/bike.Poor start for him as he headed out on the freeway but what an attitude and determination.I didn't feel too bad about my ride then.thought about stopping but I would be no use to him as I have difficulty changing a normal road wheel let alone his wheelchair bike.

As I got to the car it was a quick change and a 20 minute run along the South Perth Foreshore .It was a nice Perth Day and the wind was up and howling.I got through a 18minute run and did over 3km at a pretty reasonable pace.The legs felt fine. I even managed a sub 5 min km along the way. I am feeling pretty good with the running although my shoes are getting worn down with the running I am doing and I am feeling it in the joints.

I survived the week but I knew I would . I now weigh in under 75 kgs although with a new weighing scale I have a fat composition of 30% .Not sure how accurate it is .

Total training:
Swimming ; 3 hrs 7.35kms
Bike: 8.45 hrs or 250km
Run : 3 hrs or 33kms
Total: 14.45 ( I missed one easy run session)