It's weird how things happen for a reason. Rewind to that cold and icy January morning when I hit the deck twice on my ElliptiGO and I certainly wasn't smiling then. However this immediately prompted me to join my local 24hr gym to get in some safer winter training and its the best decision I could have made. The family/work/training balance is always tough to get right but the gym has added some much needed added flexibility to where and when I train. I can get up at 5am and get in a good hard hour on the cross trainer plus weights and still be home for breakfast with the kids before setting off for work. And once the kids are down in bed in the evening I have the option to double up. I've only been going for 2 weeks and already noticed a difference in my fitness on my last ElliptiGO ride home from work. So it's exciting to imagine how it can benefit me over the next 6 months in the long build up to Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) in August.
So training is going well. The 200k on 3 January was a real test and showed me just how far I need to come to regain what fitness I had. I will test this again in March with another 200k fitness test (The Horsepower 200) to see and hopefully feel the difference. To qualify for PBP you have to complete a 200,300,400 and 600k ride within the cut offs. So I'm been busy looking at my options for what Audax rides I'll enter. My ride schedule so far is as follows. I'll be sure to offer a ride report or two!
Sat 07 Mar The Horsepower 200 from Dunmow
Sat 28 Mar 307km The Dean from Oxford
Sat 11 Apr 305km Yr Elenydd from Upton Magna, Shrewsbury
Sat 09 May 414km Asparagus & Strawberries from Manningtree, Colchester
Sat 30 May 600km Windsor Chester Windsor
Sat 13 June 614k Pendle600 from Pendleton, Lancashire
16-20 Aug 1200k Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP