I thought a quick update on progress was well overdue... So, how is all the training going?
Well, so far, I've cycled over 1,500 miles this year, with about 120 hours on the saddle.
My longest ride to date is just under 70 miles. My hilliest ride to date is just under 1,500m of climbing.
I three weeks, I need to do 80 miles, including 3,500m of climbing. There's no denying it - it's going to be tough, and will undoubtedly hurt...
To make matters worse, I've strained a ligament in my groin/hip. My physio reckons I should 'take it easy' for the next 2 weeks, but I don't think this agrees with a final 2 weeks of training prior to the Etape. I managed a pretty flat 65 miles yesterday - the flat sections were fine, but the hills hurt, so I definitely need to take it easier than I normally would to allow some healing time.
Apparently, the injury was a result of having my saddle too high - so the helpful bike fitting guys at Bike Science (Putney) tell me. I've now dropped my saddle just over an inch, which should avoid the problem in the future (hindsight is a wonderful thing...).
The pic is Semnoz. It's the final climb of the Etape. at an average gradient of over 8% - peaking at 14% - for 11km, it's not for the faint hearted. Especially as it comes after riding a tough 100km beforehand.
Wish me luck...I'm going to need it!
