Fun in the hills

As I've said before Fife is not exactly flat. If you want to find some hills all you need to do is head north and you can find all sorts of short climbs over and around the ridge that runs from Wormit to Glenfarg. And some longer ones. I'm still worried about the climbing required for the lighthouse challenge so I decided to test the legs once again on this circuit.
It was a lovely morning weather-wise but the gods had the last laugh. There were easterly sea breezes around St. Andrews and south of Cupar but north-westerly ones north of Cupar. So I seemed to be pushing against headwinds for a lot of the journey. The ones in the north weren't excessive though and probably helped a little on some of the climbs so I can't complain too much.
The only incident of note today was a dog that caused me to end up on the ground. I was climbing out of Luthrie at the time and hadn't raised any speed as I started to leave the village. I saw the dog on the left, decided it was too busy in it's own wee world when it turned and came straight towards me barking. Unfortunately I didn't mange to get my feet free of my pedals and I ended up going sideways. No lasting harm done but I wasn't particularly happy. And absolutely no concern from the the dog's owner. I think I'll need to find somewhere to go and practice my cleat release.
The last major climb of the day was at Cults. I had planned to turn off the main climb and head to Chance Inn before the top but I was feeling good and decided to keep climbing until the road started to descend. After turning the bike round I rejoined my planned route and cycled home.
By this time I was facing the easterly breezes and my speeds showed it. There was no sprint for home today. I struggled all the way into St. Andrews.
From a training point of view I got round the route, but both days of the lighthouse ride will be more than double this one. That's still worrying, especially if the following issues continue.

Niggles

Worrying factors from today were some back pain for a good stretch of the way home from Chance Inn, and my right elbow showing signs of golfers elbow, which doesn't help when getting out of the saddle. They are non-compatible niggles. I suspect a visit to the physio is in order. They will be delighted.

Nutrition

I also think I need to re-think my fluid and energy intake. I've been using High5's Zero product for fluid replacement and eating homemade flapjacks and Nutrigrain bars for energy. I don't like gels and don't really rate them for endurance cycling; I can see their advantage for racing but that's not me. I think I need to try some energy drink mixture. Last week's ride to Edinburgh was definitely helped by a helping of Lucozade Sport. But I'm not sure how much I would like to rely on that. I'll let you know how the search goes.

The ride

Target reached - let's push on

Exciting news this week. My target for the amount I wanted to raise for Macmillan has been achieved. I can't quite believe it. There are so many really generous people out there. Or a lot of people who want to see me suffer! Either way, it's great and I'm totally made up.
I did think about altering the target but felt that would not be the right thing to do. Now I'd like to see just how much over the initial amount this venture can raise. Is £2000 really possible? I will have to wait and see.
Once again thanks to those who have donated; it really does spur me on. For anyone reading this who hasn't donated there's still plenty of time to do so; you can even wait until I've done it if you want.
Now off to plan the weekend miles.
Thanks yet again.

Perfect day

I had a day off work today and enjoyed it all. Having the whole day off gave me the opportunity to have a game of golf in the morning and then fit my training run in the afternoon slot. Golf is important to me. As anyone who knows me knows it has been my main sport for the last 15 years or so. It is also one of the main reasons I'm doing all this cycling. I had such a bad competitive season last year that I had to find something new to do for my sanity. I've not given up golf; I've just taken a break from competitions and I'm only playing the odd game to keep my hand in and to make sure I'm still enjoying it if and when I want to go back.
Despite playing badly I had a great time on the golf course with one of my pals enjoying the sunny weather. The banter is the thing I miss most as most of my cycle training is done on my own and even when I have been out with other people chatting is not so easy. Then after lunch (and a trip to my local bike shop) it was out for today's scheduled miles.
The cycling was great. I had a following wind for the first 8 miles and made use of it. The speed down to Crail was fantastic. As it was a training session I tried to keep the cadence high whilst maintaining a good speed. As I had a great rush on these 8 miles I guess I succeeded. Of course on all circular rides the good times have to come to an end and the section from Crail to Anstruther was more difficult. Then the turn in Anstruther put me straight back into the wind. This last section also includes the route's short climbs so that made it doubly hard. Not so hard that I didn't have fun; just hard. The last mile or two should be a blast downhill but today there was a good headwind on this bit and I really struggled to make significant speed. But I got back to St. Andrews with a great big smile on my face.
All in all the ride was better than the golf but I enjoyed both for different reasons. Hopefully when the challenge ride is done I will be able to spend a little more time on my golf and then I can enjoy both of my sports equally.

The ride

Edinburgh Again

With life requiring me to be in Edinburgh on a Saturday afternoon most weeks and this week also requiring me to be there on Saturday night and Sunday morning it was a no-brainer to decide to ride to Edinburgh for my training this week. As with my last ride to Edinburgh I needed to lengthen the more obvious routes to get the mileage I wanted. This time I was looking for 65 miles. So I decided to go to Cupar via Ceres and then head north before coming south via Glenfarg again. This time I would head out of Glenfarg by a steeper hill and go to Milnathort that way. That would give some climbing practice as well.
We suffer of the east coast of Scotland from a strange meteorological phenomenon called haar. It's caused by low cloud that rolls in from the sea as the land cools, and often occurs in the spring here. It makes for limited visibility and causes problems for drivers as well as cyclists. So it was on Saturday morning. It wasn't too bad in St. Andrews but gave patchy visibility all through Fife. On the high points I could have done with wipers for my glasses. I felt lights were a must, but I was in a minority even amongst the other cyclists I saw. Odd!
I didn't feel that good between Cupar and Abernethy. Perhaps the result of a spin class I went to on Friday morning. I'll need to keep that in mind as I continue my training. After Abernethy I improved (perhaps helped by the juice I picked up in Newburgh) and I enjoyed my climb up to Glenfarg. The hill from there that I had selected was initially very steep but this section was short and it unfolded as a route that climbed gradually never seeming to stop coming. At least I didn't have to look at it; visibility was down to around 150 yards.
In Kinross I had a rendevous with my support for the day. My Significant Other was there when I arrived and a quick sandwich was gratefully munched. I refilled a water bottle and picked up some more flapjacks. It was lovely to have a short break.
Kinross to the Forth Bridge was a delight. A couple of short climbs but mostly fast flat or downhill sections. By the time I got to the bridge I was feeling fine. This weekend the cycle route was on the east side of the bridge. I hadn't done this before and enjoyed the experience.
From the bridge I had determined to do a new route to Edinburgh, this time to Kirkliston down the old A8000 which used to be a really busy road but is now pretty quiet since the new interchange has been built. From Kirkliston it was a lovely cycle east to Edinburgh. And all of a sudden the route was complete.
My door to door route was around 70 miles in the end and I completed it in just over 5 hours including breaks. I'm very happy with that. If I can manage that kind of pace in June I'll be very, very pleased. There is more climbing to be done on hose days though.

The Ride

Observation

I can't help but notice the difference between cyclists north of the Forth and those south of it. All through Fife I exchange pleasantries with all and sundry. South of it almost no recognition at all. Very odd, and slightly sad.

Sunday Training

My training plan gave me an easier time this weekend. A nice day off yesterday doing nothing in particular but resting and enjoying a little time with friends and family. Then today the plan said 40 miles. On my agenda was a half a hill above Cults and a hill out of Lundin Links towards Peat Inn. I'd done most of it before but a long time ago (and it felt like it was going to kill me) so I wanted to try it again to see how I'm doing. So it was a question of finding a route encompassing the two. Add in one more fun hill and I had a route of just about 44 miles.
By the time I set out it was past gone mid-morning but that did mean it was slightly warmer than usual. There was also a slight westerly breeze. This seems to be the norm at the moment and it means that I end up riding out into the breeze. This usually means I end up riding down wind on the way home which is fine, but it does make the start of rides a little depressing. I'm hoping it also toughens me up.
Once I'd got to Chance Inn I was warm and in the groove. Which was good as I had decided to do the second half of the climb above Cults. Short and steep I'm not sure I fancy it as the second half of a longer climb. Once above the steep bit the road gives a lovely rolling run across to Bonnybank. At this point I'd done the majority of the riding against the wind and it was a delight to climb back up towards Craigrothie before turning down to Lundin Links. What followed was a fantastic winding descent to the seaside village. No sooner than I had arrived than it was time to leave and I turned north and up another of Fife's short sharp hills.
At the end of the hill I came to a cross-roads. I didn't remember this bit of the route and ended up taking the wrong road. Luckily I didn't go to far before realising my mistake and I wasn't too unhappy to ride back and regain my original route.
A short rolling road brought me to the bottom of the climb I wanted to check myself out on. I found it a lot easier than I had the first time I climbed it. I don't know if I was any quicker up it but I was certainly a lot fresher. From the top of this climb it was a very pleasant ride home through Ceres, Cupar and then up my favourite test hill, the one up to Strathkinness from the west. I was definitely having a good day as I took 25 seconds off my best time. I'm sure I had a little help from the breeze but I don't think that was the full story. I need to start accepting that I am getting fitter for cycling and that I can climb hills; short ones at least.
I had a great run, made even more pleasant by the weather and the fact it was relatively short.

The Ride

Idiot Road User of the Day

I'm going to give this to me today. I mis-judged, or mis-saw, a car coming along the road towards to me at Kemback bridge. I came out of the junction a little too close to him and am very grateful that the driver appeared to take no offence. So I guess the driver of the day goes to them. My apologies for behaving like a   spoilt cyclist; I don't like them either.

Big Weekend

Early last week the weather forecast for the weekend was promising dry days with light breezes. And with that in mind I hatched a plan. I've been concerned about doing two long rides back to back, so I decided that I should see where my fitness and endurance levels were. The plan evolved like this; ride to Edinburgh on Saturday morning and then attempt 100 miles around Fife on Sunday. That would give me around 160 miles of recorded cycling; I tend to stop and start the computer a little way from the house. A good test.
Plans are always good on paper; here's how the days actually went.
Saturday
Sadly, as the week went on the weather forecast changed and the winds increased. Being as stubborn as I am I refused to change my route and so I headed out. I was taking a circuitous route to Edinburgh and started by going north and west. The trip along the north coast of Fife from Wormit to Abernethy was tough. Hills I would usally ease down at 20mph plus had me struggling to reach 18mph. Still, I got there and, having done so, enjoyed the turn in the road that started to take me south.
I had a lovely run down through Glenfarg which took me right back to my childhood as it was the road we used to travel on to visit my grandparents in Perth. This road took me down to Milnathort and Kinross where I was to meet up with my support. This was (and is) being supplied by my Significant Other. I spotted the car in the appointed place and tucked into the requested sandwich. Fantastic. There were some other cyclists getting ready to go north as I looked to go south. No help there then.
Fed and watered, I headed off to Edinburgh. The wind continued to blow but mostly from the side which is easier to deal with most of the time until it threatens to blow you off the road or into the cars. The Forth Road Bridge was also a lot of fun. I felt I had the bike leant over at about 45 degrees into the wind. I'm sure it wasn't but that's the way it felt.
The first time I rode to Edinburgh I used the bike path all the way from Dalmeny to the edge of Edinburgh but found it uncomfortably narrow. So I decided to take the roads this time and it worked out a lot better. The other thing I noticed was how much fresher I felt when I arrived than I did last time. It must be all this training.
One small addendum to the day was that the Significant Other forgot to bring my shoes so I spent the rest of our time in Edinburgh wearing my bike shoes. It's a good job I decided on SPD cleats all those months ago...

The Ride

Sunday
With the 60 odd miles in the bag on Saturday I was buoyed up for the ride on Sunday although somewhat apprehensive. My longest run until this was around the 70 mile mark and I knew the step up would be a large one.
Again, disappointingly, the winds were stronger than the original forecasts had had them. This led to a slow and sapping first 25 miles or so across the middle of Fife. At least the scenery and wildlife made up for it. When deciding on the route I had decided not to make the day too hilly but I didn't want to shy away from the hills entirely either. Of course I hadn't counted on the invisible hills created by the wind. C'est la vie!
At Strathmiglo I took on the longest hill I would do in the day. A route over the hill to Abernethy, never too steep, just a little relentless. It passed easily enough. It was, at least, not directly into the wind; in fact I suspect I got some help on some sections. Then the speedy descent which had me grinning from ear to ear and some mountain bikers shaking their heads as they struggled up.
The next section to Luthrie, including a stop at the excellently stocked petrol station in Newburgh, went smoothly and I found myself at the bottom of the hill at Luthrie. This hill and the one up to Hazelton Walls were nearly my undoing. I don't know why but I felt tired and dispirited on the way up to the crossroads. I promised myself a stop there but with the top in sight I just had to stop. The excuse of a call of nature was all I needed.
Looking at my computer I realised I had done 50 miles, only half of my intended distance. I actually wondered what I was doing out there. And why I ever thought could ride 125 miles through the hilly country of the West Highlands. A seat on the wall and another flapjack set me on my way. At this point I was aiming for my lunch stop at a friend's house where, once again, the Significant Other would be waiting with some sandwiches. I had 15 miles to go before that though.
Down to the outskirts of Wormit was ok; probably because it was mostly downhill. Then out to the A92 and then the bitter challenge of a couple of miles cycling into the teeth of the breeze. I hesitate to call it a wind but it hurt me all the same. The next challenge was the steep climb out of Kilmany towards Cupar. This was to be the steepest climb of the day and at 60 miles I wasn't sure my route planning was at all sensible. A quick stop in the hamlet itself beside the statue of the racing driver Jim Clark and I was ready to face the hill.
In reality the hill caused little problem. I'm not for one minute suggesting it was easy but there was never any chance of me needing to stop and I eased my way over the first (and steepest) section of what seems like a never-ending hill. Then an ok descent into Cupar with one short climb taken very easily.
And then, at 65 miles, lunch. It is amazing what some good company and a little food does for you. It was a longish stop, probably too long really but by the end of it I was well rested and ready to go. My friend had volunteered to come out with me for some miles and I hoped to have company for the rest of the ride. This is the same friend (Giff) who came out a few weeks ago and I was looking forward to some slow miles (not that I'd been going at express pace) just to make sure I got it done. It was a day for mileage not speed!
Sadly Giff didn't feel right and decided to head home from Peat Inn. However, slow and steady had done the trick and I was almost done with climbs and wind for the day. Downhill pretty much all of the way into Kilconquhar where my chain fell off my little chainring. Very annoying and that late in the ride it took me a while to sort it all out.
Arriving in Elie meant time for another stop, more flapjack and a quick stock take of miles and fluids. 17 miles to go for the century. I felt much better about it now. I know I can ride 17 miles.

I loved the blast along to Anstruther. Wind at my back, flat roads; lovely! Close to home now. A quick turn up onto the St. Andrews road and I'm hit by some wind again. Surely not and I realise it's mostly across so i will get the odd bit every now and again as the road turns. A little up the road and I realise that the straight road home will not give me my 100 miles and I'm going to have to do a little detour. Don't get me wrong. I knew this, my planned route had all this in it; I'd just forgotten. And, of course, half the detour would be back into the wind and a little uphill. I can tell you now that it felt more than a little uphill. In sight of the main road I took one last break, ate a flapjack downed some of the last of my drinks (leaving a little just in case) and then headed, finally, on the last section. I took this picture.

My last stop

One last hill into St. Andrews from Dunino. It's more of a slope really and I entertained myself by singing on the last wee bit. It kept my legs going. I had enough strength to pick up the pace on the other side, right the way to the edge of town. There the computer was switched off and I coasted the rest of the way home.
My first century.
A day later and I'm still chuffed. But I'm realistic too. Both days from lighthouse to lighthouse are longer and have more climbing in them than this ride so it's on with the training. But at least the mileage doesn't worry me so much now.

The Ride

Silliness
Don't try this at home. I had less than 10 miles to go and I was a little bored. Then I saw my shadow, pedalling along in front of me. I couldn't resist and here's the photo to prove it. I take no responsibility for any injury caused attempting to copy this.

Big legs, tiny head!

Training is not always fun

I've enjoyed most of my training especially when I've been out riding on the roads. Yesterday's ride was an exception to the rule. I had set myself the challenge of riding a good chunk of the steep hills I know of in Fife. First in the north, then as hilly a ride down to Lower Largo on Fife's south coast before turning north-east for one last big hill to take me home.

The weather forecast wasn't great with a stiff south-east breeze on the cards and cloudy to boot. In the end those clouds also brought a fair amount of drizzle and then rain. None of this made riding a bicycle very pleasant.

I sucked it up and rode anyway. By the time I got to Chance Inn I was wet and cold. The riding had been tough and a little slower than I would have liked. The speed issue forced my hand as I was under time pressure to get home. So I was saved a little more riding in the wind and the cold breeze and I headed home. I think I'd have managed the riding but I wasn't entirely unhappy to cut it short.

It is a ride that I am proud of because I stuck to the task, climbed some tough slopes and survived the rain and the cold. I might have to put up with the same when I ride across Scotland so it was good experience. I'm hoping when I do the ride that I get a bright day with no wind, or a west wind if I have to have a breeze. No east blow, please!
If you are reading this and haven't donated to the cause yet, please do. I am suffering for it, so click on the link! Thanks.

The ride