Today I thought I'd have a bash at a 150k Audax. I figured I'd managed an Imperial 100 last month so I ought to be able manage this.
It turned into a bit of a mental and physical battle with me wondering why the hell I do this?
I think I made three elementary errors:
- Hadn't ridden much since the 100, with only a thirty and a few tens. Turns out I loose fitness very quickly.
- I didn't eat enough - toast for breakfast, a couple of Mr Kipling cakes early in the ride, and a scone at the first stop. Probably not enough for an all day ride.
- And I over-heated badly at one point. There was a bit of a hill that (according to RideWithGPS) reaches 25%. That I fought my way up, but (it being October) I had a long sleeved jersey and a jacket and a long-legged bib tights on and I just felt myself boiling. I stopped and took my jacket off but for the next 30 minutes I was good for nothing. Had to walk up hills that were nothing like that one. I felt sick. Couldn't concentrate or even read the Audax Route Details. Even dry heaved at the roadside. At the next stop I couldn't face food (another error?) but a cool Coke helped.
The final 50k was very hard but at least I was feeling better, and the final numbers more or less match equivalent ride earlier this year. But I can't say I enjoyed this and by the end my legs were really hurting. Not aching, but hurting. It was a tough day.
Anyway, the ride was beautiful - started from Tewkesbury and rode over the Malverns and up into Worcestershire, across to Hereford and then looped back via Newent. 150k and 6400 feet of climbing. Met some lovely people. Also rode with a fellow for a wile who had a very nice Specialized Sequoa, which is kind of the current version of mine, so it was good to get the lowdown on that.
Derek
