finding legs

TThis morning I hit the road just after six and concoct a ride or 50.48kms around the southern, eastern and northern fringes of Bendigo at an average of 25.3kph.

I have promised myself a climb on every ride, but decent climbs of any length are hard to find in or around this city. Mount Alexander is the nearest serious climb. The northern climb is shorter and tougher, being from five to seven kilometres—depends on what you take to be the start point—with long stretches above 10 per cent.

The southern ascent is not so gruelling—a grade of seven per cent is common and it only arcs up to double figures for a couple of short pinches.

Closer to town is One Tree Hill. I rode the west side two days ago: a mere 700 metres with a couple of nasty ramps, the final one touching 14 per cent. This morning I ride the southern approach, much longer and a bit dippy. It’s nasty because it’s the first thing you do: straight out of bed, no warm-up, uphill. Ouch!  

So, two rides and two climbs up One Tree Hill. I’m taking it gently. The Col du Galibier is the equivalent of 61 times up the west side of One Tree Hill. I have a way to go.

While riding I decide on these guidelines for my training.

Ride at least every second day, and at least four days a week. Commuting to work and buzzing around town on the Rocket do not constitute training rides.

Any ride should be minimum 30kms, and 200kms for the week. Each week should contain one ride of 80+kms. As the weeks pass, my weekly total should increase to 250kms, with at least one ride of 100+kms.

I go hard every ride: no pootling along, no hanging off because I don’t feel so good.

By February I should ride Mount Alexander at least once a week and by March I should ride it both ways each time I go up there.

I’ll catch the train to Gisborne some weekends and scale Mount Macedon: it’s a brute with grades up to 15 per cent. After moving back to Croydon in April I need to make it up Donna Buang each and every weekend.

I’ve got to find the climbing legs that hauled me up the Tourmalet (twice), the Aubisque, the Peyresourde and the Plateau de Beille.

I’ve never been a climber and never will be. It’s not possible at 59 years and over 90kgs. But with a will and a rhythm I can pull myself up anything.