The past week.

Raced at Crystal Palace on tuesday night, had a good hard race, well was until I punctured my rear Tub going up the hill just as we had made the break with 10 laps to go, walked across grass with bike and put some sealant in tire so I could get home, did have a spare tub in my bag but it is only 2 miles to my home, wasn't interested in rejoining the race as I had been going pretty hard, so hard that the Garmin recorded my heartrate at an average of 178 bpm which feel is not quite right, considering it thinks I had a maximum of 248 bpm, feel I would need a check at the Hospital if that was the case. So besides that glitch I took the rest of the week as easy as I could while still doing some short rides about London, actually felt weak on thursday, but nothing some percy pigs from Marks & Spencers didn't put right.
Glued a new tub on during lunch break thursday, getting pretty good at this, but don't want to make it a habit. checked and cleaned bike for this sundays race. Took saturday off so took my wife to the beach, very hot and extremelly windy so headed back inland for a nice pub lunch, good day out.
Sunday I took part in the Cycle Kingdom road race starting in Liphook and taking in Milland Hill which is 25% which we went up 4 times. Missed the break, well saw it go on the first 2 miles but thought it would come back, eventually there were 13 riders up the road, at one point the gap was 3.50 minutes back to the bunch, on the 3rd ascent of Milland I got a gap, well the bunch let me get a gap, so on the dual carrage way I was joined by 4 riders and about 5 minutes later by 2 more, from this point on we were heads down going for it, started taking little chunks out of the lead group but not fast enough and as we went up each climb our chase group got smaller and smaller until we got to the finish circuit with 4 laps left it was 5, a lap later it was 3. At this point we were going even harder and faster as we still had 2 minutes to make up, starting the last lap we had the time gap at 1.15min. We had nothing to loose so rolling massive gears into head wind and over the rolling terrian, on the last straight before turning left Rob Hurd punctured from our group and we could see the lights of the lead car start the climb, gave it everything which was a little to much as I hit the climb maxed out, had my eyes on a dropped rider from the break but I had gone over the edge so was struggling to catch him and was also in danger of being re caught by my guy after leaving him at the start of the climb, not sure on the times but if it had been a lap longer we may have caught but more likly I would have gone pop, legs were close to cramping as it was.
Feel good though to have finished a road race and so strongly, so all looks good for the Etape next weekend.
Had another Ice bath, these really work when legs are knackered and a nice plate of Pasta cooked by my Lovely wife who enjoyed her day out in the country watching the racing as well. All while listening to Niel Diamond live from Glastonburry on TV. Takes me back, way back.
This week I was planning on doing nothing but am know thinking about racing on tuesday, but also need to be aware that we are driving through France on Thursday to get to the Pyrenees for the Etape start as we at Cyclefit will be setting up at the Start Expo for the Friday and be available all day Saturday talking shop etc.