So I have got a place on the Fred Whitton Challenge, and I have managed to talk my friend David into coming with me. Initially I was not successful in the ballot and (secretly) I was a little relieved, but David did have a place, which posed a bit of a problem as I'd had to try very hard to persuade him to come. Then I got a place (You're welcome - Ed) and now the fear is very real.
To set the scene a little. David is a strong cyclist, having ridden properly since he was at university in the year above me a very long time ago. I have only seen him a handful of times since, but I gather he has ridden his bike a lot. I, on the other hand, started cycling in January 2015 because I had entered the Deloitte RAB Land's End to John o' Groats ride. Having entered, I was existing in a pleasant state of bliss until it dawned on me I was going to have to buy a bike and learn to ride it.
I started riding with my local Newbury Road Club on their Sunday morning rides, learning a lot along the way - about clothes, chamois cream, brake pads and the importance of eating. We usually go to cafes for tea and cake about halfway through the ride which is always very nice. I did a lot of Wiggle sportives and began to realise that it is no good just carrying food with you, you actually have to eat it too.
LEJOG was brilliant, I loved every minute. When I got home I decided on a whim to enter the Fred Whitton Challenge, which this year takes place on Sunday 8 May. This is a classic example of entering something without really knowing what is involved.
For those unfamiliar with the Fred Whitton Challenge, it is one of the UK's most fearsome cycling challenges with well over 3,000 metres of climbing over the 180km course. And not just any old climbs: the Fred takes in some of the country's most notorious roads, including Hardknott Pass.
I've never ridden Hardknott, but I have looked at a few horror videos of the Fred Whitton - and now have decided to stop watching them, as the hills all look very steep, and the people walking up the hills all look a lot better than me. All sinew and skinny muscles.
The Fred training plan
I was asked to write a bit about my training. Hmmmm... training. Just to let you know, cycling is not my only sport; I keep horses and ride a lot. This takes quite a lot of time. I have four children, and I am doing a full-time Master's degree, and it seems I am supposed to write assignments and read stuff in the evenings and at weekends as well. This seems to take a lot of time, leaving very little spare to ride my bike.
I went out on my trusty bike with the NRC after Christmas and failed to keep up. I was with the usual 60 miles group and really struggled. I blamed the wheels, as I was using my old wheels that were deemed not good enough for LEJOG. I usually get overtaken going downhill then kill myself to catch up again for the uphills. I am not the fastest up the hills either, and often everybody has to wait. But after I came back from LEJOG at least I could keep up some of the time.
Last week, though, started well; but the promised dry day turned out to be really wet and I abandoned after 10 miles, cold and unenthusiastic. Better improve, as I gather it rains in the Lakes!
At the moment I am trying to compensate by using the turbo trainer. I find training to Radio 4 at least gives your brain something to do and sometimes I try to read lecture notes while spinning.
So this week's flat fast(ish) ride was good. Legs feel good but shoulders sore, and we did very little climbing. But it was enjoyable - and it brings my total number of rides for the year to 3 ½ with a distance covered of 190 miles. I suspect this doesn't really count as training and feel I ought to try and improve this before too long.
I have my first 200km Audax in 10 days. This is probably fairly flat too. I have no other plans at the moment except not to look at scary videos of cyclists struggling up very steep hills! Exams are taking a bit of a priority right now.
Everyone I speak to about the Fred mutters something about how difficult it is, and asks me how much training I am doing. This is not really helping my confidence!
I've had an idea though. Maybe I could ride it on a horse...
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