Stirling bike club chaingang... not for the faint hearted... This is without doubt the hardest session I have ever done on the bike. The plan though is to keep at it, improve from week to week and hopefully get to a point where I can make it all the way round to the finish (and at present I don't even know where that is). So this was my second attempt at doing this - I must confess I didn't have high hopes but all I wanted was to make it further than I did last week. This week there was no messin' about, no talk of a 'first group' which took care of the thought in the back of my mind that this might be an option, and before there was time to say Hi to anyone the train left.... The story was that Gav was taking some 'down time' so I hoped that the pace might be a little slower this week - 100m out from Chalmerston Road and we're hitting 31mph... Right - sit in - that was the plan - next week, who knows I might even stick to it. Guilt got the better of me and I found myself on the back of the paceline heading towards the front of the pack. WHAT WAS I DOING??? Thankfully my 'stint' didn't last long as another rider came through. There still seemed to be a lot of riders behind so before long I was heading back towards the front - this really wasn't sensible but thankfully I didn't have to go all the way to the front this time - a gap opened and I took it - that was enough of that. turn off towards Thornhill - this is where I really had to think hard and work hard - I was determined to make it to the top of the hill that had twarted me last week. Sit in and try and hang on. This was seriously hurting now. I was gradually moving backwards but I was still there - just. Then I was past last weeks drop off point - job done... kinda... Now could I make it to Thornhill? the pace wasn't letting up (surprised? not really) and then annoyingly another hill appeared - lets be honest I knew it was coming - my legs were really in need of an easy spell and this wasn't what was needed. The gap started to open but then a glimmer of hope - Chris Volley came through - Ah ha!! A wheel!! Alas it was too late - I tried to hang on but it just wasn't to be. At this point Fraser breezed past on his Ceepo - I know he's working hard but he just makes it look so easy!!! I was done - now onto Phase II - work hard until I got home (this is supposed to be a hard session afterall...) On my way through Thornhill I got passed by a group of 3 riders who had obviously missed the start - again no way I could entertain the idea of hanging on so I let them go. Down the hill I noticed on of them had been dropped and I soon caught up - he grabbed my wheel then lo and behold out of nowhere Gav appeared. so much for down time!! Clearly to make things a little tougher he decided to do the whole thing on his tod - I really hope he managed o catch the main group before the end but it would have been a big ask. On the upside I did manage to catch Chris again on Dumbarton Road - he'd been spat out at some point and greeted me with 'I knew it was going to be hard but...' I felt better. By the time I got home AVG speed was just under 21mph so that's pretty solid. I'll be back again next week and who knows, maybe I'll make it to Thornhill!! Off now to rest my legs... Over and out. |
