So, overnight I did some thinking. I'm way behind schedule, the Elswick circuit isn't working for me and the weather isn't brilliant. The Buckshaw circuit is smoother, shorter, but has busy traffic at times and there fewer amenities (no loos, for example, and when you are drinking SIS Go all day, you need to go a lot!). It occurred to me that I had dismissed the idea of using the local cycle track when they said I wouldn't be able to use it during the hours of darkness, but that didn't mean I couldn't use it during the day. So up at 4am to do a short set at Buckshaw,with the intention of spending the rest of the day at Preston Sports Arena. So, a good plan and one which put me in a more positive frame of mind. (My two mantras that I recite to myself throughout the day are 'I can always do one more' and 'I can always find a way'). But, inevitably a couple of set backs. A downpour at 7.00am left me soaked and chilled, despite wearing my winter weather gear. (I wasn't the only one and I saw quite a few riders out testing the Ironman UK route, passing me with resigned expressions on their faces. You couldn't even see the top of Rivi pike, so I can only imagine what they had experienced at the top!). So back home to get warmed up, pick up dry kit and sort the latest mechanical. My bike computer had given up. Guess what? Just as with the tyres yesterday, which were the only batteries that I hadn't got? Headtorch, yes, front light, yes, rear light, yes, bike computer, No. So, now a two hour wait for Maplins to open and re-set my bike computer. Luckily I had recorded all my previous mileage before the computer went down. But for around an hour I had to cycle with an alternative means of measuring distance travelled. So here is what I came up with. I had four batteries and a bag of Powerade Cola Shots (A total favourite of mine). Each bag contains 9 shots. One of the circuits I use at Buckshaw is 1.7 miles long - I know this from trialling the route, and had logged the distance, just in case mishaps like this one happened. So, every lap I'd take a battery from my topbox and put in in my pocket. At the end of four laps, all batteries are in my pocket, eat one Powershot. Hey presto, my own mileometer!
By 12 noon I was on the cycle track and making some good progress. The weather was almost perfect (still windy, but a bit more opportunity for shelter.) No traffic, no need to brake or accelerate and no need to change gear, just a nice steady pace. I could also start to plan much better intervals, rather like I had while doing the swim, and the ability to chart progress like this can be very motivating. So all going well, the plan being to stay on for about 6 hours and try to get to 400 miles. But at 4 pm came the next mechanical. What was annoying about this one, was it was a repeat of a fault that I had had 'repaired' in my final bike service before the Deca. What was more annoying was that my mate identified the fault in five minutes, when two bike shops and a £90 spend, had failed to do it previously. My main bike is a Cannondale Synapse, with Shimano Dura-ace group set. Cannondale use their own non-standard crank and bottom bracket set up. What is happening is that the metal socket is moving within the carbon fibre crank, and this cannot be solved simply by tightening the crank. It's probably terminal and will definitely be expensive and it means that tomorrow I'm back on my heavier winter bike, but at least I'm on a smooth cycle track. Gavin, my mechanically-minded friend has volunteered to take my bike to get repaired, so hopefully I won't be without it for too long and I shouldn't lose any more time. So at 350 miles I called stumps for the day. It's highly unlikely that I will now complete the whole Deca in the 14 days I allowed myself, but I will carry on and see how far I can get. I definitely want to get to the run section, so that I can say that at least I did all three disciplines. I realise that most of my setbacks have been problems of planning or just bad luck and so far, my fitness has been OK, although I'm not covering the mileage I had planned to make each day. No real injuries to speak of. Backside a bit sore (but Assos cream hasn't lost it's magic) and left Achilles tendon feels a bit tight, but that's about it. I feel much more positive now, and plan to increase the miles tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment