After feeling wrecked at end of Santa special two weeks ago I was concerned not to have a repeat. I’d started fast, than faded away after the first control.
I don’t normally ride with HR on audaxes but decided to try it this time for better pacing. My etrex doesn’t do HR but my old Edge 500 does. The latter is useless for long distance nav but good if just showing data fields. So I mounted my Edge 500 and set it just to show HR. I set alarms to trigger at 120 bpm and 140 bpm. At 120 bpm I’d up my effort and 140bpm I’d back off. It was illuminating as it showed how hard I set off with 153bpm seen on some of the early gentle rises.
Settled in with a group of three woman and the pacing and conversation was excellent. This took me most of the way to Malmesbury. At Malmesbury I felt fine, not too hungry, and keen to keep the momentum, so stopped at the Garage to top up water and get some snacks to eat. They also had a convenient toilet.
I remember slowing to a crawl up the hill out of Cirencester on my first recumbent in 2018. I was pleasantly surprised to find the hill very gentle on my new recumbent and kept a decent pace up it.
Further on I noticed I’d started to breath harder but my HR was stuck around 122 bpm. I took this to mean I was heading towards a bonk. So I stopped and had some further snacks. This did the trick and energy levels were back up, breathing down, and HR more dynamic again.
Twinging my left leg slowed me down and I had to nurse the uphills through the Cotswolds putting most of the power through my right leg. But with mtn bike gearing this wasn’t a problem. The sun had come out, and all was well with the world. I took my gloves off as it felt quite warm.
Chipping Campden I stopped with many others at Emma’s coffee shop. There was a bit of a queue and I wondered if I’d made a mistake. But service was fast. I ordered a sausage roll and hot chocolate. Then when finished ordered a second sausage roll. I also massaged my left leg a little to see if it helped. Another toilet visit and it was freezing stood out in the corridor.
I knew there was a 15% hill out of Draycott then the steep hills were out the way. I caught Peter just before Draycott and we set off up the hill together. But I left him behind and think he may have even stopped on the hill.
My left leg was feeling better and I got a second wind which meant I was now bundling along on the flat at a goodly speed and tackling the rises in the big ring. I overlapped again with the trike rider on this section. I got to the finish first but he wasn’t far behind. Diesel was there and we had a chat before he set off on his remaining 50km ECE.
Chatted some more with the Trike rider, and also Peter when he turned up, then it was time to head home. Quick chat with the three woman, from the morning group riding, who had now turned up. Then home.
My second 200 on the new recumbent went well. Pacing was much better using the HR, and I managed my drinking and eating much better. Felt great at finish. An hour faster than Santa Special and 1.5 times the climbing. Very pleased with second outing. Legs still need more adaption and strength work but that’ll come. After all, it’s only five weeks since I built my new recumbent.
Oh and got the new recumbent up every Cotswold hill quite comfortably with no danger of walking. Two years ago on old recumbent I walked a few of the uphills.
An excellent day out.