Mid-Essex Mid-Week Nocturnal Series

[токамак]

Told you, I've got an important race this weekend.

[Oscar's dad]

Told you, I've got an important race this weekend.

Dear me, I don't think you're taking this as seriously as you might.

[bobb]

Told you, I've got an important race this weekend.

It's only Wednesday!

[Wowbagger]

The plan is to meet at Chelmsford Station at 7, then do the 22 mile loop, then stop at the Wheatsheaf. Difficult to say what time, but from 8.30 should be good. I'm only going to have 1 maybe 2.

If I get there I'll go straight to the pub for about 9. I might get the train to Billericay and cycle home from the pub.

[Oscar's dad]

Sierra Sunrises. Yummy!

[Oaky]

Well -- I'm just home (before midnight!).

Summary (I may add more detail tomorrow).

токамак beasted me properly (without breaking into a sweat).

I actually bonked fully (mid-afternoon carrot cake wasn't enough) and got shakes, tunnel vision etc. about a mile form the end, and limped to the pub, where I consumed orange juice and lemonade (for the sugar) and crisps and nuts to try and stave off the shakes etc.  (Oh and an Oscar Wilde and a few Drops of Nelson's Blood to follow)

chief was already there when токамак dragged my sorry arse to the pub. bobb arrived soon after and wowbagger wasn't too far behind.

I also got the shivers rater badly, and despite donning my arm-warmers and gilet, was still suffering.  chief lent me a jacket to put on top to try and stave them off.  by about 11pm I was feeling relatively human again, and set off towards chelmsford station, shepherded for the initial part of the journey by chief (who'd also lent me a hat and full-finger gloves by this time).  In fact, once we parted company, and I'd stopped at the petrol station en-route to the station, for a bag of wine gums, I felt much better and seriously considered ridin home anyway, until common sense got the better of me.

I seriously got my fuelling wrong on this occasion. 

[chief]

Lovely evening out as usual.  Pleased you had a good run back oaky

[Wowbagger]

A very enjoyable evening in which I was most surprised to see Oaky not at all the better for wear, having been foolish enough to get involved in a bit of fast riding with Tokamak.

So Oaky was not his usual cheerful self, Tokamak will be racing on Sunday and that clearly prevented him from having a drink on Wednesday, bobb still has his right arm in a sling and we know exactly what he's been doing with the left one because he told us, and with both hands full his drinking capacity was somewhat limited, so it was left to Chief and me to inject some vivaciousness into the proceedings, which I think we did pretty well considering.

The ride home was a joy. Hardly any cars, I felt pretty good and according to the Cateye my day's total was 36.16 at 11 mph.

[Oscar's dad]

 

[Oaky]

All-in-all 27 miles at 15.6 mph, which includes the section after I bonked, where I was doing between 7-10mph maximum for long periods in an effort not to collapse.

I was a bit quieter than normal in the pub (mostly introspecting to se if the shivers were gone and if I felt like the carbs had hit my bloodstream yet, or whether I'd stopped feeling ravenously hungry at least.).

Still - I had a fun night - it was good to see bobb again, and a very handy reminder about fuelling - I will try to remember some bonk rations in the ballast next outing.   The ride with токамак was great fun until the bonk episode, and emphasised to me some of the weaker points in my cycling to work on (e.g. I'm very timid when cornering, particularly when it's even slightly wet.  I end up braking more than others on the approach, and having to sprint to get back on after the corner.)

[токамак]

The Bonk is wretched, sorry I couldn't help Oaky. I had some Marmite on toast when I got home from work, and even looked in the fridge at my last remaining energy gel, and thought to myself, Do I need to take that? and decided, No I don't.

Good to see some of the YACF folk out and about, as always. 50 miles for the day, for me.

Here's chief, Wowbagger and Oaky enjoying some fine Essex beer.


We also now do picked eggs by the round.

[Oaky]

It's a measure of how badly it hit me that

a) I didn't sneak in any extra beers over the other participants

b) I actually had a half of ale and an orange juice in one of the later rounds

I will be keeping a gel or two in the pannier for future escapades I think.  (It has to be gels.  If I put in cereal bars, wine gums or jelly beans, I'd eat them.  Gels are  so they will be safe from random munchies).

I scoffed a whole bag of wine gums on the train between Chelmsford and Witham last night.

[Oscar's dad]

You don't look particularly chipper in the photo  

EDIT: I've just realised, Marmite is clearly the food of legends!  When we did our California trip Tomsk floated through the countryside, sweat free, munching on a seemingly inexhaustible supply of Marmite sandwiches.  And now токамак rips Oaky's legs off without breaking into a sweat having had Marmite on toast.  I'm seriously thinking about taking some Marmite on our imminent French adventure!

[токамак]

I believe that the B vitamins and glutamic acid in yeast extract aid metabolism.

[Oaky]

You don't look particularly chipper in the photo  

EDIT: I've just realised, Marmite is clearly the food of legends!  When we did our California trip Tomsk floated through the countryside, sweat free, munching on a seemingly inexhaustible supply of Marmite sandwiches.  And now токамак rips Oaky's legs off without breaking into a sweat having had Marmite on toast.  I'm seriously thinking about taking some Marmite on our imminent French adventure!

You can just get it once you're in France.

They stock it in a secret cupboard (or "Armoire de Marmite") under the counter in all supermarkets and grocery shops.  They are a bit protective of it though, so to prove you are "in ze know" you have to ask for it in English, speaking very loudly and slowly.

[Oscar's dad]

Mange tout, thanks for le tip 

I have made another observation.  You can forget the yeti, Lord Lucan and other things rarely spotted; I have spotted references to vigourous cycling in this very thread!!! 

[токамак]

More miles, less pubs. Or should that be fewer. Who cares.

[bobb]

The last time I saw anyone in a pub looking as shagged as Oaky was in a bar 12,000ft up in Colorado. He was suffering altitude sickness, Oaky was suffering legs-ripped-off sickness 

[Oaky]

And our young friend wot did the ripping looked as if he'd just finished a pleasant pootle.

[Oscar's dad]

More miles, less pubs. Or should that be fewer. Who cares.

What a good idea, wish I'd thought of that!  When I return from holiday I might have to do something about this brilliant concept!

And our young friend wot did the ripping looked as if he'd just finished a pleasant pootle.

So far this morning I have laughed at your obvious distress quite a few times.  I don't think the giggles will stop anytime soon.  Sorry 

[токамак]

My thoughts were that the emphasis was on cycling not drinking!

[Oscar's dad]

My thoughts were that the emphasis was on cycling not drinking!

Exactly, me thinks we need to get back to basics 

[Oaky]

.. but ... but ... I'm so much better at the drinking than the cycling! 

[Oscar's dad]

Perhaps the introduction of the BAaSTARD Series is called for:

Back
At
a
Sensible
Time
And
Resisting
Drink*

* - save the odd pint or two

[Oaky]

Perhaps the introduction of the BAaSTARD Series is called for:

Back
At
a
Sensible
Time
And
Resisting
Drink*

* - save the odd pint or two

BAaSTARDSTOPO(U)T, if we can find a "U".