Just keep pedalling

'It never gets easier, you only get faster' - Greg Lemond

The last couple of weeks can only be described as hell. Issues in personal life, relentless placement and then at the inopportune moment, a fun cold.

In reality I haven't cycled properly over the last 2 weeks. I was meant to ride the Holly Lane HC but neither my mind not body was in any condition to do so.

This weekend was the Matlock Double. Two tough hill climbs up Bank Road and Riber Hill, the day I'd been looking forward to for a while.

Bank Road - 700m avg 12% max 23%

Riber - 1.2km avg 10% max 25%

The day before I had to cut short a ride due to feeling ill, not ideal prep. Still, I woke up at 7am and cycled from Notts to Matlock (40km).

The first HC was Riber. Overnight rain had made the surface extra greasy near the top (the steepest section). The short story is I PB'd by a minute and a half. The long story was a ride that started out too hard, being blocked by cars and losing momentum, feeling so ill I almost called it a day and walked the rest, tyre spin on the final hairpin and a time that could have been so much better. Oh well, it was time for lunch and prepare for the next one.

After a nice lunch in the park, I started to look forward to Bank Road. The issue with Bank is that the climb is not only steep but also dead straight. The finish was just about visible from the start.

I set off well and got into my rhythm early. Climbed out the saddle and pushed. Unfortunately I felt good at the bottom so felt I could push out of the saddle even more than normal. That's when the lactate hit. I struggled up through the crowd and dragged my now dead (for the second time that day) body over the line.

3:07 was the final time but could not have given anymore that day.

There's not much left of the season with only Nationals in Devon this weekend before I can relax and enjoy riding again.