good club run today..felt a little off form as i have been off the bike for 2 weeks due to a compulsery geography trip.
only 4 people up for a training ride , paul, george, sylvain and me...set off at a good pace all sharing the front frquently...george set a blinder going up the first hill bit towards reigate,(something to do with his new bianchi), i decided to follow and we temporarly broke away from syvlain and paull, they soon caught us on the flats..
as we hit the lanes and down the first hill we were greeted with a nice lake at the bottom, think thats where george got some glass in his tyre as at the top of the hill he got a puncture (first of the day)...just as he finished fixing it the 19s came along--->strangely with the likes of simon and marek...
we tagged on and i made a break away followed by george and marek who toyed with us for a while before dropping back...we decided to try and keep away from the 19s and did a good job, but were eventually caught just before newdigate by simon, sylvain and a few others i did not recognise....and then....SPSHHHHHH, my tyre burst!! more of a blow out than a puncture!
george kindly did most of the work for me (him and sylvain waited for me)...then some mad chacing and lung busting sprinting through rusper, and some of the duel carriage way saw us catch up with the 19s/some training group people....it took its toll later....i was dead at the sprint but i think i got 5-7 or something.
on the way back decided to go back via box hill, nice pace to set off with, then paul and george took the lead and it was a nice quick one to the bottom of box hill...i new i would fail miserably as my legs allready felt dead from the chasing earlier. i kept with everyone to the first hair pin, but i could not go on any longer, I NEED MORE GEARS!.... A gap opened up and by the second hair pin there was no chance of me catching them.
absolutely shattered i fell into a trance type thing...next thing i know im riding on the bank and falling on a baby horthorn tree! feeling dazed i got back on just as the chap in t-mobile stuff came past me..i think the fall twanged my neck a bit as it is a bit painful.
on the way back i broke away and got a good lead...but then out of no where everyone appears from behind a tractor using its slip stream!! i tagged on and i have to say it was a welcome break...i could feel my fuel dissapating..past the kingswood arms pub i carried on towards the golf club bit but the rest of the lads went down the bit with the big houses...i had a nice comfy ride into chipstead, only for the chap in t-mobile gear to appear behind me, which made me speed up..dammit!
as i turned off left up sandown by the junior school i think i must have hit the wall...i could barely make it (usualy an easy 20mph job) i was doing about 8 and only just...just about got home and immidiatly stuffed my face with orange juice and similar high sugar foods ( i feel better for it).
nice longish ride 55 miles, and avs speed of 20.2, not too bad
cheers,
stu