>Hard rides

>This is turning into a difficult part of the season…

Training has started going well again – I had some speed AND endurance for Thursday night’s group work. I had high hopes for this weekend…

Saturday was an open 10m TT near Theale (a new course for me). It was a blustery day, but I hoped I could beat my rather poor second best time for the season (26:56). The day did not go well: I couldn’t find the HQ for ages and I mistimed my warm-up, arriving at the start too early. Starting cold into the headwind was hard work and, just as I’d got going, I was halted by a red light at a pedestrian crossing. Still, as I powered back from the turn, still a chance of beating that 26:56 I thought. At 9 miles I punctured. DNF. B*gg*r.

Later it transpired that the front tubular had a slow puncture as well. That’s me out of tubs. No tubs, no disc wheel. B*gg*r.

Sunday was the West London Combine 50m TT. I hoped to beat 2:20:00 for this (that’s slow, but it’s a lumpy course and I was on my spare wheels). It was windy again though. I struggled out to the 25m point in an depressingly slow 1:18:30 – not good. The return, tailwind leg was faster though and I recorded a 2:25:23 (actually 2:23:47, but they adjusted the times for a short course).

That’s three poor rides on the bounce after a enforced lay off. I need to find my stride again. My training is a bit ‘stale’ – I’ve tried to make it progressive, but it’s difficult to do that in isolation.