Although racing had been put on pause in the UK, this time in lockdown has given me more opportunities to do things that maybe wouldn't fit in as well with my regular training schedule. Over these few months, I've done some longer (slightly slower) adventure style rides. Last month I rode my furthest distance yet, following the Pilgrims’ Way from Winchester to Canterbury for 250 km. And in March my Dad and I felt like a sea swim and so rode to Pevensey Bay and back. A distance of just over 200 km. Then more recently I rode from London to Brighton and back with some friends. These longer rides are tough in a different way than I'm used to. They aren’t very high intensity but staying switched on for that long can prove a challenge. After a few similar rides, I started to notice that I’d have ups and downs over the course of the ride. I always feel low in the hour after lunch and so now I can expect it and push on through, sitting in the wheels for a little bit until I start to feel stronger again. Keeping fuelled, hydrated and sun creamed up is a must. The key, I’ve learned, to surviving these ride is regular coffee breaks. Getting out into the lanes and going from A to B using pedal power alone feels super rewarding. And the countryside views are worth the fatigue and heavy legs that follow in the days after. It may be a little while till I do another of these adventure style rides as I get stuck into some Time Trials here in the UK and racing starts to open up in Europe.
