Club run 26/01/2008

[jon avery]

Well stuck to my resolution and went out with the 18's Chris (i think) took it and i must say i struggled a bit. Ta to Anthony and Dom for encouragment! The bad bit was not one but two puntures on the way home Anyway a good workout and good company. Off to a wedding now to get P**sed

[Antloony]

[quote]Well stuck to my resolution and went out with the 18's Chris (i think) took it and i must say i struggled a bit. Ta to Anthony and Dom for encouragment! The bad bit was not one but two puntures on the way home Anyway a good workout and good company. Off to a wedding now to get P**sed

[Keith]

I Don't know about anybody else, but I reckon that was the toughest Training Group ride that I've yet done.

At one point George did a 3 mile stint on the front. I was tucked up behind him millimetres from his back wheel, and my heart rate was 96% of my max . I was so tempted to pull out of 2nd spot to get more shelter from the headwind at the back, but I'd never have lived it down.

Marek caught us all napping in the lay-by before the dual carriageway going for an ultra long break for the line. He took some catching.

I expect I'll be regretting things tomorrow on Hell of Ashdown.

[Ray Pepe]

I Don't know about anybody else, but I reckon that was the toughest Training Group ride that I've yet done

That good to know Keith, I got dropped pretty early on and joined the 19's group. Simon turned up at the green with my wind proof, I hadn't noticed that I had dropped it on the way out from Coulsdon (thanks Simon). The 19's group was quick (more like a 21's group) and the sprint into Charlwood was excellent. We caught the 18's group a mile before the line and sped passed in a well organised through and off, I put in a big sprint for the line and was just pipped at the post by Simon. I then noticed that at the start of the sprint I had emptied the entire contents of my rear pockets all over the road (inner tube, puncture repair kit, pump, etc.) and had to cycle back to retrieve them. By the time I got to the cafe the queue was a bigun.

[Marek]

After a heavy duty training week under the belt I have to admit my legs were feeling very heavy this morning. Although that was the case I was still up for having a bit of a blast with the training group and it certainly was that. Everything was going well with all of us taking the odd turn on the front, until George decided to do a long very hardcore session on the front. Jeepers, he must have been up there for about 15 minutes, I could see people along the line trying to go and help him out but they literally could not get past him. I felt sorry for him hammering away up there and also decided to go and try and sit on the front, but basically I couldn't, it was quite windy and we were flying. I carried on hiding but that was still very painful.

Then we hit the climb before Rusper and George peeled off the front. Keith was next in line, he did a little stint but was suffering and soon found himself at the back behind me and George. Then Michael, Paul and Stu gradually opened a gap between me, I was struggling now after the effort to stay with George and the gap really opened up on the hill, my legs were starting to react to the hard week. Keith was struggling and understandably George was feeling a bit cooked after his earlier efforts.

I felt guilty for letting a gap go as George had done so much work, so with him on my wheel I cranked over the legs a bit harder and managed to get back onto the other 3. But then we hit the hill just after Partridge Lane and someone hit my off switch, I signalled George to go around, he got onto the back of the others and Keith and I were left struggling to the dual carriageway meeting point.

A brief chat before the dual carriageway and as the others were all clipping in I decided to give them something to chase so set off at 30mph. This soon started to come down and I was wondering what I was doing. After a few roundabouts of trying to fend the others off Stu and Keith caught me and we worked well together. But then we got caught by the traffic lights and the others caught us up. George then blasted down the other side of the lights and we were on the road towards Charlwood in no time. A bit of through and off and then it was cat and mouse time. Just after the last corner Stu went for it, unfortunately Keith reacted a little late to chase, Paul was on his wheel and I was marking Paul. Paul gave it a big effort to catch Stu, I then came around Paul but Stu had the win in the bag, have to make sure we mark him properly next week.

Rode back with Michael, Keith, Sylv and a reasonably large group, was good fun having the odd blast off the front and then waiting for the group to re-form. After all the fun and games then Keith and I cycled back towards EG. I decided to get a few more miles under the belt and went out to the Crowhurst circuit to check out the roads for the early season race there before heading for home. 120km on the clock and some good fast training.

Cheers

Marek....

[Sylv]

[quote="Antloony"]
Good run for me both out to the cafe and back. Managed to pip Sylv for the sprint (guess he was taking it easy, worried about his chain) but always nice to have a hard dig and stretch the legs.

[Antloony]

[quote]Nope, for the sprint I was at full pelt. Having not done much work earlier I was going to try to lead you out to outdo the TSN boys Chris and Grant, but then Chris attacked hard and in the heat of the action I kind of forgot

[Stu Merckx Man]

i felt 10x better this week than last week. the weeks rest has done me good.

it was fast but manageable and real good training!

i got the double this week. first to charlswood, going early and no one reacting fast enough to my smooth moves
i think everyone was tired from the ride out though. i certainly was, it was hard into the headwind especially trying to draft behind george, who is getting back to strength very fast.

i was also king of the mountains on the way home getting to the top of box hill first. george paced us up the first straight, then just before the first hairpin i took over, and took us to the next hairpin, although not going as hard as i could as i was expecting an attack at any moment from george. i pulled aside at the hairpin and george took the front. i was about to go behind paul but remembered he lets go of wheels up box hill these days , so i slotted nicely behind george.

i was expecting george to go for an attack at any minute, but half way along the top straight i was having doubts. i wondered if he was tiring so i rode out hard from behind him and on the other side of the road to see if he would respond, he didnt so i new he was to tired. paul however reacted to the move so i put my head down and hammered it hoping i would break him. as we got into the woods i looked back and he was securely in my slip stream. i was pretty tired from the effort so pulled aside to let paul past. i could see we had about 50m on george, so i urged paul to go harder to stop george getting back up to us. but paul was slumped over the bars with a grimace on his face. at first i thought he was bluffing, but soon realised he was dieing. i knew all i had to do was attack him one more time and he would be gone, but i was also dieing. i looked back and george was coming back to us, so just before the last hairpin i attacked again and managed a comfortable victory to the top.

good fast ride back to coulsdon as usual.

stu

[Andrew G]

Gentle spin (used gears this week with the 18s on my winter bike. All very uneventful, I turned off at Partridge with Brian. I wanted an easy/short ride before the Catford Reliability tomorrow, and Brian's coming back from a long layoff. Had a bit of a natter and then were joined by Kasper who'd cut off from the 19s.

Early at the cafe so was a bit seized up when I left the cafe. I thought the main group had gone and set off after them, but charging along at a fair lick I never quite got close enough to encourage me to keep going. Sat up and just spun along for the rest of it. It was only when I caught Graham on the run off of Merstham that he told me it had been Marek's group, no wonder I wasn't closing the gap .

A nice gentle ride in some sunshine though, made a pleasant change to see a bit of blue sky for a change after all the slate grey we've had of late. Fingers crossed the same tomorrow, although a couple of degrees warmer wouldn't go amiss.

[Ian A4size]

My first week of full training after a long bout of lurgy saw me opt to go with the 19's.
I did not really mean to though- up a tad late, as we had been out to a Burns night supper- i missed the first part of the ride and instead rode straight from home, unlucky for me tho- i got on the @rse end of the training group .
But as i had only been riding for 3 mins- i kindly sent them on their way ( what a ragged @rse bunch they were as well) George even whacked me right on the "harris"
as if to offer some encouragement, still they had their heavyweight quota as Marek was with them.

Warming up nicely over the 3 humps i was accosted(sp) by the few stragglers that had been shelled out of the training group. We sat up by the green in Reigate to await the next group.
Sure enough they followed only a few minutes behind, after watching the TG ride (shambles) it was a joy to see perfect formation, pleasantries were exchanged and orft we went.
The pace was fairly brisk- i was rather hoping for an 18, but it turned out to be a 19. Not a big deal i know, but when you go from riding 4 times a week to 4 times a month it hurts a bit.
Big Simon and Ray did a ton of work- i hid behind them, never went to the front once, changed lines at junctions and gaps so as never to be the next one on the front-inna a Huw Williams styleeee.
The pace hotted up a bit more and at time we were flying along, a few riders died along the way, i was still just about on, just before Partridge i glanced down at the ole HRM-188! Ooops only got about 4 left- left hand down and into partridge- mission accomplished.
Nice long stay in the cafe
I got out just as Marek and Sylv were off, fumble for the bike and a huge chase begins, there must have been 25 riders strung out in a single line, we were really shifting along, gruppo compacto- then we were off again. I dont think i have ridden home so fast- it all went belly up eventually- always does

Mr Gravity caught Grahame and myself up the hill by the church- mind you he had been doing loads of work at the front end of the group- not bad for someone who is as "weak as a kitten"

Off out on the MTB 2mo.

Howzat Mr Green?- a totally sober, early report, dont worry i'll soon be back to normal.

[Toks]

Ian, I'm supposed to be on my way out, I'm late, but who cares! - your killing me!

[Andrew G]

[quote="Ian MunneryA1size"]Howzat Mr Green?- a totally sober, early report, dont worry i'll soon be back to normal.

[ajay khandelwal]

hey guys i love reading about the tg exploits...kings of pain..,ouch...my HR goes up to 195 just reading the stuff...and thats just for the warm up...it goes off the scale when you guys sprint it out at Charlwood - Mareks on a long break...will they catch him...will his bike self - destruct in a Marek mechanical....and box hill...its keith, no its stu, no its paul..no its monster george...hey its eddy fxxxx merckx followed by the ghost of Pantani ! Its heady stuff indeed. After that I usually need a downer...so i turn to the lyrical munnery, poet and sometimes cyclist, raconteur and merstham nobility...after reading about his riding my HR comes down to about 45 ! My reading style is a bit fartlek, mix and match from the different threads...giving my HR a good mix of interval training in my arm chair training group...Keep this stuff coming ! PS Sups is back ....i bet you guys are quaking in yr cleats...yes this fat unfit wheelsucker from south london...starts his CW makeover in CW on the 22nd Feb...you have been warned. !

[Ian A4size]

Ahhh Mr Sups......

Can't wait to read about your progress- the only way for you is up!
BTW, i may have some clothes for you, they should fit as they are very stretchy.

Sups....pushing lycra to its limits.....

[Grahame]

[quote="Ray Pepe"]We caught the 18's group a mile before the line and sped passed in a well organised through and off, I put in a big sprint for the line and was just pipped at the post by Simon.