Ripping me bloody legs off!

So - I've been trying very hard with my training lately, and have gone very technical, very scientific, and even more "number-driven" than usual. I am, as they say in the top cycling circles, "Training with Power". What this means is that you establish the amount of watts you can sustain at your threshold (the point before you start building up lactate). and then you train at various levels associated with that. Yes, I know this is boring, stick with it. The effort level you put in is determined by your power threshold. Mine is 225W, so working at that level is bloody hard. But 2 months ago it was only 200W, so that's a measurable 25W improvement, or 10%. Yes, I know you don't care, and I know you're bored, but stick with it.

All my cycle training since July has been on a stationary trainer hooked up to a computer. Jason would die laughing if he knew that; Rich would look at me with sympathy; Chris would simply snort in derision: the only "real world" stuff has been when I've raced. but in my virtual world, the one I'm relying on for some tangible benefits, I (along with half a dozen others) keep one eye on a video of people racing or something real, and one eye on the power zone you're achieving. Actually, I mostly just watch the power zone. Yes, I know its boring. But that's how I've managed to improve by 10%. Yes, I know you don't care.

All this has been with the High Performance Centre at my gym, where I'm paying to be treated like a pro. I haven't been out cycling with my gym team and coach. Until today. I set off at 7AM and was at the meeting point by 7:20AM. Golden Gate Bridge cafe. Now there's a meeting point! 7:30 sharp we were off, over the bridge with a trip to Stinson Beach planned. By the time we were halfway across the bridge I was burying myself just to stay with the rest. I was dropping off the wheels and only catching up with a few suicidal maneouvres passing other, slower riding groups. When we got onto California Highway 1 down to Sausalito I was off the back. "Fucking brilliant" I thought. Less than a mile in and everyone's gone; not even in sight. I started planning a different day. They waited for me in Suasalito but I said: "Listen I can't handle this pace; there's no point in me killing myself and you lot waiting for me every few miles." "No, its OK. We just got a bit excited that's all. You'll be fine." Hmm, well we'll see.

We cruised into Mill Valley for a meet up with some others who lived over that way, and then went up into Muir Woods. I was soon off the back again, hanging onto Beto's wheel as best as I could and keeping up with some ludicrous descending. We took a right turn and slogged up a hill together for a couple of miles before getting a call. We'd taken the wrong route and had to double back down the hill we had just slogged up. Halfway down I got a call from Dave. "Be careful on the descent" "Thanks," I said, "I will be once I've dealt with this phone call" I'm not sure if there are laws against riding while on a mobile, but there should be. Anyway, I managed both the call and the descent. I can remember when you just went for a ride. How quaint. Now I have to hook up my power meter, make sure my HR monitor is working. Check the cadence and speed sensors obviously, and deal with phone calls and texts. I wonder, how long will it be before voice-activated bike controls and hands-free mobile connections?

After that it was incident-free to Stinson Beach, and a lovely run along the coast with some swooping roads but sadly a mist spoiling the view. We met up and regrouped at stinson and then there was a choice: "straight" back via Mount Tamalpai (known as mount Tam) or on to Point Reyes. I'd scoffed my cheese and marmalade sandwiches so was feeling a bit more buoyant, but there was no way I was up to doing even more, so I settled for Mount Tam. Everyone else went to do do the extra 30 mile loop, but Ro said she would go with me, for the company. As we set off she put her head down and pedalled away. And away. And away. That was the last I saw of her. I turned up the Mount Tam road (it's referred to as Tam by every cyclist I've met here) not aware of what was ahead of me. I'd heard something vague involving "6 miles" or something but hadn't really been listening. I passed a guy who was going pretty slowly and fiddling with water bottles, but took no clues from it as I attacked the hill. Some time later, I was still attacking the hill, frequently getting up out of the saddle to keep the pace going and generally maintaining good momentum. I was pretty pleased with myself for keeping the work rate up like this. I caught sight of something out of the corner of my eye, but carried on, working hard and doing, I thought, fairly well. Then I became aware of hard breathing behind me. It couldn't be the slow guy I'd passed surely? I hadn't had a drink since setting off up the hill and I remembered him chugging away at his water bottle down at the bottom. I wished I had done that. It's not easy to drink when you're slogging up a hill, and I was regretting not hydrating well enough to this point. Sure enough, it was slow guy and he cheerfully pulled alongside. "Little stinger, this one!" I said, as brightly as I could manage. "Yes" he said, "only another 3 miles" " Thanks!" But we chatted away and before I knew it we had reached the top, and I told him I wanted to keep as good a pace as possible so, thanks for the company and see you later! I pushed hard to clear a gap, which I did, but then had to slow up and rehydrate. It was really hot and I was beginning to suffer. The cheese and marmalade sandwiches were also fully used up with the effort. I pushed on, and managed to gap him reasonably well, and forgot about him. Then I saw a view that I just couldn't resist,

and I had to stop to take a photo, as I got back on the bike, I saw slow guy but I was away. Then I had to take another photo, looking down at the clouds,

and he swooped past me on a downhill section. "Pretty good, hey?" He shouted, and I remounted and shot off in pursuit. I gained a little but not much, but the ride down was fantastic. A car in front went faster and faster as I chased it, until his wheels were squealing. I was a little bit concerned about popping a tyre,as the rims heated up with the braking, but it was great fun, and I arrived down in Mill Valley breathless and excited. The rest of the day was spent trundling back to San Francisco, feeling very tired but quite pleased with myself. I hadn't held onto the team but maybe, in a few weeks....