Ouchy

I am not sure how 70km can hurt so much, but this morning it certainly did.

The ride this morning was my first proper 'long' Saturday ride in a few weeks. I say 'long', because it really wasn't. It all seemed so benign on paper, some hill repeats and some medium length intervals. Be back in time for brunch. It really didn't pan out that way.

Once on the bike I felt a little flat. Nothing critical, but lacking a certain sparkle. Given that then, the hill repeats went surprisingly well. They hurt, but my turn around time for each repeat was good and so I was happy.

After the hills I went into some medium intervals and it was around here that the real pain set in. I just struggled to get the intensity up. I got through in the end, but it hurt doing it. A lot. I was toasted by the end, so the last few kms of the ride just seemed like they were going on forever.

Still I got through, and at this stage that is the main thing.

I am taking to much away from this morning's ride being a sufferfest. I think it really just boils down to the fact that this is my first week back training for a while, and when you are in that situation, training tends to hurt just a little bit more. Pretty confident that things will improve.

Other than being my first proper Saturday ride in a while, it was significant for a couple of other reasons. Firstly, I finally put the P5 together last night and used it this morning. Finally. On top of that, this felt like the first proper ride of Summer for me. It was very definitely Summer conditions, warm and windy. I suspect that the beautiful cycling mornings we have had over the last month or so, with lovely temperatures and light winds, are behind us. Oh well, Summer cycling brings with it its own little joys.

Now it is very nearly time for the afternoon session, which today will be a Saturday session with the Swim Smooth guys down at Claremont pool. I am kind of hoping that today's session isn't the standard Saturday smashfest, since I am already fairly stuffed. Even if it is though, I suspect I probably don't have that in me. We shall see though.