Getting ready to give it a go... 'Hello Nello'

[jazzkat]

The hill I've been whining about is 17% at the steepest point. That doesn't sound much, but I have no idea, really... .

I ride a fixed gear bike (no gears) and I know that while I can get up 15% hills if they are short, any long spells of 15% or much steeper I have to get off and walk. My house is at the top of a hill that is about 15% and if I've been out for a long ride sometimes I have to walk up it because it's too steep for my tired legs. I'm ok on a geared bike, but it is tough and I've even had friends who are strong riders get off and walk up it.
17% is steep as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Mandragora]

I've said it before, I'll say it again. You're kind, Jazzcat, really. Thanks for your support and tactful encouragement - I appreciate it.

 

[Mandragora]

Sun 7th June
Total distance: 24.24 miles.
Route : Into town, back up all three of the biggest hills on the route
Time: 2:09:16
Av speed: 11.25
Weather: Perfect
Traffic: yes, there was some (more than yesterday, surprisingly) but I was less freaked out than earlier this week

Total climb showed at 3000+ ft, with 2000+ being in the return route, over about 10 miles - as suspected, them's the beggars that will be the challenge. In my mind, my routes have things I call either a BH (B'stard Hill) or a BBH (Big B'stard Hill) - this little section has three BBH's, and I'd been keen to try out what it was like doing them on slightly tired legs , hence the ten-miler into town on the way out. On the day itself, I'll have to do 20 miles before I get to this point, which shows I have a way to go yet, but three weeks to go, so enough time, I hope.

I made a classic schoolboy error - keen to get out before too much traffic hit the roads, and breakfast options were limited (ie the milk was still frozen so couldn't have my usual cereal) I set out with an apple in my pocket and called in for a cuppa and a slice of toast at my son's house at the ten mile point. I think if I'd eaten sensibly and then refueled at 10m, I'd have been fine to do a bit more. By gum my legs were tired though, and I was hungry, so at L'boro Cross I jumped ship and came home.

As Scarlett O'Hara said 'Tomorrow is another day'

 

[Mandragora]

Mon 8th June
Total distance: 17.68 miles.
Route :Morchard Bishop, Lapford, Thelbridge, Black Dog
Time: 1:29:10
Av speed: 11.89
Weather: Fine
Traffic: Nightmare. Yummy mummies taking Tarquin to piano practice and not paying attention to anything as irrelevant as me and nearly killing me; rural rush hour for fully loaded tractors going at 14 mph blocking the road on the only straight flat stretch. Grrrrrrrrr. I blame that & the one truly BBH for the slow time. :-)

Tues 9th June
Total distance: 5.58 miles
Route: Round the block (one BBH)
Time: 27.44
Av speed: 12.07
Weather: Chilly but fine
Traffic: Light - stopped twice for oncoming traffic, slowed time a little.
That's better! Much more pleasant than yesterday

 

[Mandragora]

Thurs 10th June
Total distance: 5.58 miles
Route: Round the block
Time: 27.40
Av speed: 12.29 mph
Weather: Fine.
Traffic: Yep. And a fly in my lughole at one point - ulp!

 

[Mandragora]

Sun 14th June

'Best' bike in getting a service, so out on the old bike today, and didn't have a computer on. Time was limited, so it was a case of pick a route with a BBH or two on it, and get back in time to put dinner on.
Distance: About 10.5 miles
Route: Valley bottom, BBH1; Poughill; BBH 2; Littleborough Cross, Home
Time: About an hour
Av Speed - about 10.5 mph, presumably!

No traffic to speak of. No flies either. Just a heavy bike and Big B-d Hills. It was nice to get out though.
Hoping to get at least one long ride in this week, as The Day is getting ever closer!

 

[Mandragora]

Tues 16th June
Total distance: 67.34 miles
Route: - Braunton Burrows - Meeth - Braunton Burrows (Tarka trail out and back)
Time: 5:03:55
Av speed: 13.29 mph
Weather: Perfect
Off road - no traffic

Day off today and no other commitments meant I could get out for a good long ride. It's further than the Nello, but no comparison at all, as it's all off road, pretty flat, and, the treat of my new part time job meant I could get out on a non-weekend day, so much lighter usage by others than I'm used to. I was pleased with the overall average speed, and was fine until about 45 miles, when my legs began to tire. At that point I put my MP3 on and as soon as I was distracted, I found I was able to keep up the pace/cadence and finished in pretty good form.

As I approached the car I thought 'I think I could do another ten miles like that, maybe I should' - then I got off the bike as I'd reached the car at that point. Turns out my body had another view as to whether I was going to do another ten miles, so I gave up at that point!

 

[Mandragora]

Thurs 18th June
Total distance: 8.5 miles
Route: - Postbox and round the block
Time: 37.43
Av speed: 13.84 mph
Weather: Fine

Yaay - bike is back from being serviced, so just a quick one round the block to check it's ok - not as fatigued as I thought I'd be after yesterday's long ride, but need to get stuff done, so will try to get up to a bit longer ride tomorrow as I'm away for the weekend (seeing not seeing The Foo Fighters )

 

[Mandragora]

Fri 19th June
Total distance: 35.59 miles
Route: Tiverton, Hone Hill, Long Drag, Cruwys Woods, Nomansland, Morchard Bishop,home
Time: 2:57:06
Av speed: 12.06
Weather:Fine
Traffic:Too much! Miscalculated timing and ended up overlapping school run and office chuck out time. Never mind - not as fazed by it as I was a couple of weeks ago.

Legs tired, but I wanted to do a couple of monster hills, as well as be confident with some of the worst hills on the route. Maybe one long-ish ride at the beginning of next week (we're away this weekend - did I mention? Seeing Not seeing Dave Grohl....)

 

[hatler]

Nice work. Sounds like you're ready for next weekend. Good luck !!!

 

[2clepto]

you will love strava if you get round to joining lol.

 

[Mandragora]

you will love strava if you get round to joining lol.

I did get round to joining Strava - but I learned the hard way that it cost a fortune to have my PAYG phone accessing satellites on the move (Nokia Lumia - don't even ask!), so it's on the back burner for now. Next weekend I'm going to have a go at borrowing my husband's Samsung mp3 thingy he has as it's Strava enabled, and see if that works. Part of me thinks it's just more gubbins to be faffing round with, though!

 

[2clepto]

I did get round to joining Strava - but I learned the hard way that it cost a fortune to have my PAYG phone accessing satellites on the move (Nokia Lumia - don't even ask!), so it's on the back burner for now. Next weekend I'm going to have a go at borrowing my husband's Samsung mp3 thingy he has as it's Strava enabled, and see if that works. Part of me thinks it's just more gubbins to be faffing round with, though!

no worries. its easy with an android with unlimited data ). i just thought you would appreciate the stat aspect.

 

[Mandragora]

Tues 23rd June
Total distance: 25.71 miles
Route: Cruwys Woods, Morchard Road, home
Time: 2:14:43
Av speed: 11.45mph
Weather:Beautiful afternoon
Traffic: Some, but all very considerate. A very pleasant afternoon's pootle

Speed a bit slower because of BBH's, stopping to let cars pass me on narrow lanes; daydreaming.

Those are all the worst hills done to death now, and the fact that I am not finding them anything more than a bit of an effort means I'm about as ready as I'll ever be. Going to have a rest and take it light over the next couple of days, with maybe one more 10/15 miler or so between now and the weekend, to take advantage of this glorious weather! Thanks to anyone who's read the thread or made a comment in passing - I have appreciated those remarks and poitners. Just having the chance to come on here and witter has kept me focused and committed, which is what I was hoping to achieve with it. Sorry for anyone who's been bored witless or stupefied at the slow speeds/short distances, though - try to think of me as an online version of your aged aunt muttering on, nod politely and pass by rapidly. You won't ever offend me

 

[Mandragora]

Sun 28th June

Total distance: 59.23 miles
Route: Nello - (according to them, 55 miles - or 100k - it can't be both, and I don't think it was either!! I'm going to go with the number on my 'puter, and allow a bit of variation)
Time: 4.49.30
Av speed: 12.27
Weather: Damp. Windy. However, it could have been worse - though I was soaked to the skin before I even began!
Traffic: Fine - what a difference cycling in a group as part of a big, organised 'event'

I was fine; all the slogging up those monster hills round here in the past few months certainly paid off - I wasn't fast, but I did make good ground going up Long Drag, Cruwys Woods etc, when others were sobbing in despair behind me.

So that's it - all done. Many thanks to all who've cheered and encouraged from the sidelines @jazzkat @coffeejo @hatler @2clepto @Saluki @Racing roadkill among others. You made it a lot easier to keep digging in with the preparations, when at times I might have thrown the towel in.