Missing Out

Sunday saw the 1st round of the Southern XC series. It isn’t the first race I have sat out this year, but this time it really felt like I was missing out! It was dry and there was the great news that a friend got his first solo podium finish. As I checked the results online I really regretted that I hadn’t been there racing against him. The truth of course is that given where my fittest currently stands he’d have collected his trophy and been half way home before I crossed the line. My fitness is as good a reason as any to save the entry fee, but I didn’t have a bike to ride anyway. I still need a pair of forks to complete the build of my race bike for 2016. Hopefully more on that in my next blog.

So maybe I wasn’t racing, but I was still out riding my old fully rigid Stumpjumper. There are so many aspects of my fitness which are lacking at the moment. I’m overweight and my heart rate quickly peaks, but it was the scary lack of stamina demonstrated during recent rides that worried me most. Endurance is usually my strongest asset, even when top end speed is lacking. The truth is before Sunday I hadn’t completed a 4 hour ride since a road ride way back in November. With this in mind I joined a friend who is training for the 7 day Trans Pyrenees race. This meant a steady (for him) 4 hours hunting for elevation gain in the hills around Duncton. 

It was disappointing to hit the wall before the 4 hour mark and today the ride is still heavy in my legs. However, no pain – no gain! There are two races in April which I might use as tuning events, but my first dead cert diary commitment is the Kawasaki 100 on the 1^st May. The 100km race distance probably means 6 to 7 hours in the saddle. As it stands forget about racing, I’d be happy just to finish!