Training Highs and Lows So Far
I spent a while looking online at century bike ride training schedules and found one that was 16 weeks long, which is ideal because the Tour of Acoma is 16 weeks away. I printed it off and took it home in preparation.
The first week I just wanted to see what it was
like being out on the bike. I cycled two miles, instead of the thirty that the
schedule demanded. I think it was assuming I was fitter than I am. Truth is,
though, that this isn't just about physical fitness but also about mental
preparation, and I found it difficult to get up especially early in the
morning, particularly on mornings following when I've been out trying to scare
coyotes away from our property!
Week 2's schedule asked for two 5-mile
rides, a 10-mile ride and a 20-mile ride. I did my first five miles in 29
minutes. I was totally wiped out. I actually sat in a bath for half an hour
afterwards. It's really different cycling at altitude. I know I've lived here
for two years so walking around is fine, but exercising at altitude is
different. And I came to realise exactly how unfit I am. The next day I went
out again and shaved three minutes off my time. Although the schedule asked for
ten miles on Wednesday, I just did five, in 27 minutes and then the following
day I did another five in 27 minutes again. So the schedule asked for 40 miles
and I did 20, which is at least progress.
I'm very lucky in terms of route. From my house
to Desert Academy is exactly 2.5 miles, so there and back is 5, and it's a nice
ride in the morning. I'm behind schedule at this point, but I'm making
progress.
Week 3 asked for 5 miles on Tuesday, 10 on
Wednesday, 10 on Friday and 25 on Sunday. I'm finding the Sunday rides
difficult to fit in because of work. Because I didn't do a Sunday ride last
week, I go out on Monday and decide to try 10 miles. I'm flying after 5 miles
and shave my PB (personal best) down to 25 minutes. I'm starting to notice that
I'm getting fitter. I start my second lap and after about two miles my back
tyre gets a massive puncture. Really frustrating. It's fixed by
the end of the day so on Tuesday, I decide to attempt 10 miles, and smash
my 5-mile PB with 21:33, and set my first 10-mile PB at 43:44. That's the
longest I've cycled in four years. Thursday I try again and get 22:14 and
45:12. It's not a brilliant ride but it's another ten miles on the schedule. 25
miles cycled this week - slow progress because the schedule asked for 50, but
at least it's progress. Every time I go out for a ride now, Asher says he's
happy that I don't get a puncture.
Week 4 asked for less - 30 miles - but work,
allergies and fatigue meant it was a very lean week - two five mile rides
(23:06 and 22:40). The first one my head was in totally the wrong place. I
finished the first five and really pushed myself to go onto the second. Less
than half a mile in, I changed gears on a hill and the chain came off. I took
it as a sign, fixed the chain, and walked back home.
Now I'm onto week 5 of training. By now the
schedule suggests 65 miles this week. That's a lot of miles considering that my
maximum so far has been 25. This week, I pull out the cycling gear that I wore for my bike ride 34 years ago. It helps mentally to look the part!
On Monday I once again smashed my 5-mile PB with
21:21, and this morning I cut it down again to 21:00 exactly, and matched my
10-mile 43:44 PB.
|
5 mile times
|
10 mile times
|
|
29
|
|
|
26
|
|
|
27
|
|
|
27
|
|
|
25
|
|
|
21:33
|
43:44
|
|
22:14
|
45:12
|
|
23:06
|
|
|
21:21
|
|
|
21:00
|
43:44
|
I take some comfort from this chart. In four weeks, I've been able to take 8 minutes off my 5-mile time, that's 28% off the original time. If I can do that for the 10-mile and then the 15-mile rides, I'll be in good shape in ten weeks' time.
|
Week
|
Total Miles on Schedule
|
Total Miles Cycled
|
|
1
|
30
|
2
|
|
2
|
40
|
20
|
|
3
|
50
|
25
|
|
4
|
30
|
10
|
|
5
|
55
|
15 so far…
|
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