Garland Group 1 Saturday Ride :: 3rd March, 2012

Having over-reached while completing this week's training, I wanted to ensure I continued Friday's recovery with only a ride to the top of Welshpool Rd before returning home again. Time restrictions were also a factor that would probably only allow me to ride for about 1.5 hours. The easterly wind was well and truly still with us so the ride out to the hills was still be enough to make us work a little bit before the climb. It was going to be a good test to see how the rest day worked out.

I met the crew down at the shop at 6:30 but the combination of hills and wind seemed to have kept some riders away as numbers were down a bit. I was itching to see how the legs would hold up and what the HR would show as I completed the climb so when Group 1 was called to go I realised I had forgotten to ask Nick if the new bike had arrived (I found out later that it hadn't and would probably arrive Tuesday or Wednesday).

The wind was consistent but gusty at times which would throw the bike around a bit. We began rolling as we reached Orrong Rd to help balance the workload on the front and we kept a reasonable pace to the base of the hills on Welshpool Rd.

The wind was certainly slowing the pace down as we began the climb up the first rise to the BP service station. I had started the climb at first wheel with everyone inline behind me. The group always climbed Welshpool Rd as individuals at their own pace which would allow me to "test the guns" and to keep an eye on my cadence and heart rate without having to be concerned for other riders (unless there was a mechanical).

About half way up the first rise I was happy with how the legs were responding and a quick look around showed I had dropped the group and was out on my own. The HR was also up and I was happy to be able to push it into the high 150's to low 160's and still feel comfortable. The rest day had certainly helped. I recall seeing the pace being around the 15-16 km/h mark which was slower than previous climbs but this would definitely be a result of the wind coming head on down the hill.

At about 300m to go to the BP service station, I looked under the shoulder again and noted Kieren had managed to get onto my wheel which seemed to spur me on a little to see how well he could hold it if I picked up the pace a fraction. There was also a small unknown group of riders ahead of me that I was beginning to catch so this helped to keep the pace up a little.

As I passed by Crystal Brook Rd intersection, Kieren had dropped off my wheel and must have fallen well back as I could no longer see him from my quick glances back. I passed the BP service station and picked up the pace as the gradient leveled out a bit and began to pass the riders that had dropped off the back of the group ahead of us.

The last part of the climb was more difficult than usual with the wind coming straight down the road and I had to get up out of the saddle on more than one occasion in order to keep pushing the 19t gear I was in by this time. I had passed all but one of the riders ahead of me by the time I reach Pomeroy Rd and I continued to apply the pace in 15t as I headed up to the two peaks of the climb.

The legs were still feeling very strong by the time I reach the first of the two peaks and I was able to push the larger gears into the valley between this first peak and the last to complete the effort. I U-turned at the top of the second peak and noted that Emma and Dale had made some good ground on the last stretch of the effort and rolled in together as they passed me. I later learned that Emma had lead the chase up the majority of the second half of the climb and finished it very strongly.

My descent of Welshpool Rd was a little hair-raising with the wind gusts pushing the bike around a bit but it didn't stop me from going all out for a fast descent. In fact, I even got out of the saddle on two occasions to try and get the pace up over 80 km/h before the steeper parts of the descent. Strava had my maximum speed down the hill at 93.9 km/h while Garmin Connect clocked me at 82.5 km/h. 

I had previously researched why Stava displays differences in averages and speeds and they claim that they use different calculations using GPS readings that are supposedly more accurate. It's hard to say what speed I was doing but it certainly felt faster than usual so 93.9 km/h might have only been a slight exaggeration so I'd be happy to split the difference but I will go with the Garmin reading unless someone can tell me that the Strava reading of 93.9 km/h is indeed more accurate.

The short ride was just what was needed to "stretch the legs" after being off the bike on Friday. I am now certain that it was fatigue from over-reaching that I was feeling on Thursday and that the body was demanding a rest day. Sometimes you have to ignore Jens Voigt's advice to stop listening to the body because if it yells at you loud enough it really is time to heed its warnings and take a break - just not in the middle of a race.

The race tomorrow will be the final test to see whether or not the climb was too much but initial feelings tell me that it was perfect and needed to ensure the body is ready for the demands to come.