My Community
General Category => Club Runs => Topic started by: Andy H on January 16, 2014, 01:05:07 PM
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Forecast reasonable for Sunday (at the moment).
Suggested route:-
http://connect.garmin.com/course/5517849
See you Sunday
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I'll be there.
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I`ll be there too!
Cheers Guys.
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Great morning for a ride, cool, little wind and dry, as 7 pacers headed west for sneakily tough ride to Seven Sisters.
Tempo pretty high from the off, as we headed out on the A4061 to Aberkenfig. First minor climb up Fountain Rd saw Mark Rosser blast off the front obviously on a Stava KOM chase, or not as it turned out just a 'comfort stop'!!
Kept the pace up past Margam and the new road around Port Talbot to Briton Ferry and Neath. Crossed the river to follow the A465 to Aberdulais then the long drag up to Seven Sisters. Richard Beech peeled off at this point and 6 continued the long drag to Seven Sisters, the group staying together for much of the climb, only splitting in the last mile or so. After regathering at the top we decided the only thing the ride was missing was a coffee stop, Mark R persuading Rob that a detour to Aberdare was a good idea as it was all downhill. (forgetting of course the little matter of the 'mini Rhigos' !
Fantastic descent to Glynneath followed by the climb where things got a bit tasty as Mark again shot off the front with Rob and Chris G chasing. Mark Nott, Jayson and myself in wonder as they disappeared into the distance.
Coffee stop up to its usual excellent standard in Aberdare, coffee and biscuits re-energizing all. Quick blast down the Cynon Valley to Pontypridd and the final drags of the day up to Church Village and finally Llanharan. At this point Mark Nott got dropped but it was decided that :-
1) He knew his way home and
2) He was close enough to walk if he had a mechanical
On meeting Mark back at Brackla it seems that 1) was correct but 2) may not have been achievable. He appeared a 'broken man'!!!!!!
He kept muttering, 'what just happened'? ;D
Tough ride with the combination of pace, distance and climbing. I feel surprisingly good but not quite ready to run a marathon after it. LOL
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Good report Andy.
Enjoyed today, legs feeling it now and can't decide if I was cold or overheating today. My socks suggest we went through a river at some point but I don't recall one!
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Guys !!!
What was that all about????.
The pace was so rapid I had an "out of body experience" another time on one of the climbs, don't even ask me which one?. I thought I was in a "PlayStation Game"!!!,as I saw Mark, Rob and Chris go flying off into the distance.LOL. :)
Yes, I was "broken man"!!!.I had a right "kicking".But I learned a lot from today and really enjoyed the ride, strange???.
Thanks for all your patience guys and thanks to all who pulled me along, you know who you are!!! Cheers !!!
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And you will come back stronger for it. I can still remember being ridden to oblivion on that route two years ago.
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Yes, you`re right Chris.
I`m not putting in enough miles which is showing in my fitness,especially on the climbs and long rides.I will address that.
That was the longest ride at that tempo with such climbs that I have ever rode, so I was just pleased to "survive" !!!
Cheers,
Mark.
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Good riding guys.