Duty calls re bike.

Have crawled to the computer for a report after the first proper road ride of the year. This is not my favourite part of Triathlon training, not because I don’t like to cycle but it does horrible things to my neck which is a bit trying. Anyone who knows me knows that the annual local triathlon renders me bug eyed and fearful with nerves but still I persist. I keep hinting to my osteopath that maybe he should say that my cycling days are over but he steadfastly refuses to throw me this honourable discharge from the dreaded saddle (don’t get me started on the saddle…thank goodness for padded saddles, and I don’t give a fig for the “extra weight handicap” etc, lets face it I carry enough of my own weight handicap to be able to laugh in the face of hysteria re extra ounces).
This year I have decided (well, I decided this today several minutes into the ride) not to try to ride the statutory 20k each time I go out fretting and, to be honest crying with frustration at my consistently poor times. This time I have decided to go for 20 minutes, see where I get to and try to beat it the next time…this is a great plan for the first ride but not so great from there on in as I am sure we will discover. Today I managed 7 km out ( and surprisingly 7km back) but a positive split on the way back of 57s. This means it took me longer to get back…well, the hills are steeper on the way back (always the one with the excuses) so the plan faltered slightly on the 40 minute deadline but hey, until I get a better plan I am sticking with it. The more exciting highlights of the ride were almost catapulting over the handlebars as with leg and shoulder muscles bulging giving it their all and trying to be clever with the gears (which after 4 years and lots of miles I still don’t really get) I slipped the chain and came to a very, very sudden halt. Disaster was similarly narrowly avoided on the return trip as my right shoe lace…unaccountably longer than the left (will get the spotlight out and interrogate Ginny later re this), caught on the chain and I almost had an unplanned landing on the verge of a very nice part of the road with a small stream gurgling away in the main trajectory pathway.

Training update from yesterday:- 2.5 miles with jogscotland…anytime from 24 minutes to 27 depending on how long we waited for those who knew the way to catch up where the road diverges.