Winter Base Training – Week 3

Well done to the hardy 15 souls who braved the cold and the delayed start last Saturday. We still managed to get 40-60 miles in depending on who did the extra loop and where people dropped off so some good base training was still achieved.

The decision to delay the start was definitely the right one and one that we’ll take again given similar conditions. For those that weren’t there we decided not to take the Test Valley route as the roads could have been more risky given the hard frost and instead Nick Tattersall expertly led us through an alternative route using roads that were largely frost free. By the time we started our second loop at 1200 the roads were totally defrosted. This has given rise to the idea of the club having a number of “frost” routes that we can fall back on when the published route is considered to be too dangerous. If you know any routes that are good for days when there’s frost around please let me know. Even if they’re shorter loops that we can do repeats on or ride for an hour before going further afield.

There is a slight change of plan for this week’s ride. The “Deadmans Ride” route published in the winter training plan will be done in reverse. There is good reason for this, the regular Saturday group has been practising a double pace line when traversing Fritham / Ocknells Plain on recent rides. The road surface when heading from North to South is infinitely more preferable than the other way. It also means that we tackle that section into the prevailing wind so get the benefit of the through and off.

The route is listed as 50 miles, I make it about 37. Therefore there will be an option of an additional 15 mile loop at the end. Plan is still to ride Long Steady Distance. Please remember that your fitness is always increasing or decreasing. Therefore, we start slow and build it up along with the endurance over the three months of base training. We don’t want to peak too early.

“Deadmans Ride” (reversed) 37 miles – Depart 0900 – estimate finish time 1130
Holmsley Tea Rooms, Burley, Crow, Ringwood, Moyles Court, Mockbeggar, South Gorley, Ogdens, Frgoham, Blissford Hill, Godshill, Fritham, Bolderwood, Ornamenal Drive, Brockenhurst, Holmsley Tea Rooms.

Lap 2 (optional) 15 miles
Holmsley Tea Rooms, Bisterne Close (White Buck), Burley Lawn, A35, Ornamenal Drive, Brockenhurst, Holmsley Tea Rooms.


Regards
Barry
barry.wootten@gmail.com