Training Log Archive: GD44

RTW

Rear mech in spokes incident again!

Not been to the gym for a while and my glutes felt a bit tight from the weekend's activities.

Lower body stretches
Pull ups - a feeble 1 x 5!

RHFW

Recce of Craig yr Allt Summer Fell Race route with Dawn. Placed some signs out too.

Tongwynlais loop

Event: (Cancelled) NGOC League 5
 

Event: Highlander Mountain Marathon
 

Audax: Peacocks and Kites (inc Llyn Brianne)

I did this 2 years ago and loved it. So in my preparation for Maratona I thought I'd do it again to get time in the saddle and get some ascent in.

Start: 0500
Finish: 1756
Total time: 12hr 56m (inc all stops)

My moving time according to Strava is 11hr 37m but this did include walking around in the West End Cafe (Llandovery) where I forgot to stop the watch. I stopped the watch on the other stops.

I was faster this year because I was riding on my own less and with strong riders too.

I finished first with Toby Hooper (AJAX rider who specialises in long TT and done Paris Brest Paris twice) and David Emms.

I also managed to cycle up Torpantau and smashed my PB on that segment according to Strava.

Food: Carried less than 2 years ago. Only gels and shot bloks this time as I planned to pick up heavier foods at the stops.
Llandovery - bought 2 fruit cakes from West End Cafe
Tregaron - Chicken & Mushroom Slice and 2 kit kat chunkies
Elan Valley VC - baked potato with cheese and beans, choc milk and orange juice
Talybont - Snickers (bought flapjack but didn't eat it)
Consumed approx 1-2 gels/bloks between stops
Water: drank up to 2 x 450ml bottles between stops (with electrolyte)

Company:
Start to Llandovery - various. Started out with Steve Smith's steady group, went it alone from Abercynon to Aberdare, rejoined them at Aberdare (after a piss), then went ahead with David Breese and David Emms.
Llandovery - Tregaron (via Llyn Brianne) - started out with David Breese, joined by David Emms
Tregaron to Elan - with David Emms
Elan to Talybont - with David Emms, Toby Hooper (Hopper?), Paul Glover and Tom (Severn) but we dropped Paul and Tom before Boughrood
Talybont to Cardiff - with Toby and David

Attire:
No backpack - stuff stashed in back of MDC cycle top and Apidura large top tube bag
AJAX cycle shorts
Montane gilet
EL arm warmers (to start but soon came off)
Carried but not worn (Buff and Montane minimus w/p jacket)

Phone, ID, card and cash in sandwich bag
Map of route (from Anquet) - 8 No. A4 @ 1:100,000 (1:50k map)

Should try and upload route to Garmin next time

Also used the electrode gel on the HR belt and it did work. No spikes in the HR log!.

We took the new A470 road from Newbridge on Wye to Builth Wells and not the old one (unlike 2 years ago).

C • Food 2

RTW

RHFW

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Exceeded 1000km on 2016 commuting today!
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RTW

Cardiff Bay>Whitchurch>Taffs Well

I went up a steepish mud track and managed to rip the rear hanger of the bike! Looks like the two bolts holding it in place sheared. POWER! ;-)

And the rear mech ended up in the spokes :-( I managed to bend the rear skewer too.

I bodged it back to enable me to get back to my destination.

Recce of Craig yr Allt Race section

Route from side of Craig yr Allt to stile onto Taff Trail along Taff Trail and to next first stile (which is not obvious and not signposted).

Recce of Craig yr Allt Race section

From unsignposted stile on Taff Trail into field and along (inside field) to next stile. (Option A)

Recce of Craig yr Allt Race section

From unsignposted stile on Taff Trail, along Taff Trail to next stile (Option B - favoured)

Recce of Craig yr Allt Race section

From preferred stile on Taff Trail to Ty Rhiw 4x4 land - across lower stream culverted crossing & beside Ty Rhiw cottage.

I spoke to the owner of Ty Rhiw (Steve) who said that we could use the private dirt road from the preferred stile to Ty Rhiw Farm 4x4 land if we wanted to.

Recce of Craig yr Allt Race section

From padlocked gate in Ty Rhiw cottage field up to top stile in Ty Rhiw farm 4x4 field (not most direct route)

Recce of Craig yr Allt Race section

From top stile in Ty Rhiw farm 4x4 field to padlocked gate in Ty Rhiw cottage field (nearly most direct route)

Recce of Craig yr Allt Race section

Taffs Well>Tongwynlais>Cardiff Bay

Rear mech came off again and ended up in rear spokes. Grrrrr!

Stopped in Lewis Arms to see if they can fit us in for the Tuesday night. Yes they can!

Event: Summer Park Series 2
 

Ride to work on a cloudy (but dry) and very humid/muggy day. Took me a while to stop sweating in work!

Ride from work to Victoria Park.

Rear gear cable snapped as I approached the Park!

Warm up

SWOC Park O

Victoria Park

I really enjoyed this with a good field of speedy competition including Marcus P, Martyn Driscoll, Richard Cronin, Mark Ponsford and Matt Stott.

I lost over a minute near the start as I went to CP 17 and not CP5. Otherwise I could have placed about 2 places higher I think.

Ride from Victoria Park to Whitchurch with broken rear gear cable so was riding singlespeed. Rode with Marcus to Whitchurch.

Got home and changed the cable. Dawn let me do it in the house too!

Bimble to work

RHFW

MDC Run - Coety (Blaenavon)

A new member joined us tonight who was "steady." So I volunteered to accompany her with Pete R and Norman J. The others (a large group) did a longer route.

Grub at The Whistle Stop. The owners are looking to sell up. Basic grub but always worth a visit.