Back after too long an absence

Tuesday, April 20 – No ride

The plan was for a 45 minute commute to school and back. However due to the weather I didn't manage to get a ride in. This is due to the fact that I don't have a place to put a wet bike at school. Better bike infrastructure would likely get more people to consider commuting by bike.

 

Wednesday, April 21 – 20 kms in 0:53

Again, the plan didn't match reality. Cory's plan for Wednesday called for a 2 hour ride. I was hoping to stay out longer but it started pouring with rain and so I headed home. I know, on the TR I won't have this option. I've ridden my fair share of stages in the rain. But when I got home I did my core routine. Plank, and medicine ball and Swiss ball exercises. A necessary evil.

 

Thursday, April 22 – Rest day

Again, the plan did not match reality. Today Cory's plan called for me to redo the 4 km and 1km time trials. I need to redo my indoor time trials to see if I've managed to improve my time and power since the last time I did them December. I hoped to regain access to the gym next week so I can repeat the TT pain. As Thursday is my daddy day I also had lots of unstructured core work hauling my daughter around and some long stroller walks.

 

Friday, April 23 – 31 kms in 1:16

Friday is my other core routine day, but I also managed to squeeze in ride after school. I've started fitting in couple of loops of the road around Stanley Park. The route takes under 20 minutes if the road is clear and I'm pushing hard. The hill up to the Lion's Gate Bridge is short and depending on the bike I'm riding I can usually maintain a speed of about 20 km/p up the hill. This is where Cory wants me to do some hill repeats. This prospect would send most sane people would run screaming in the other direction. Lucky for me I quite like riding hills, so make your own judgement about my sanity. (6 TransRockies should confirm your decision.)

 

Saturday, April 24 – 46 kms in 1:46

Cory had a long, 3 ½ hour, road ride planned, however the realities of family life meant that I could only get ½ of the time in. I hope to get a longer ride in tomorrow.

 

Sunday, April 25 – 100 kms in 3:43

Although Cory's plan only called for a 3 hour ride I put in some extra time. I re-rode the Pacific Populaire route solo. I must say riding this route solo, despite the fact that it has almost no hills, is a real workout. You never really get a rest and the inevitable headwinds are a real energy drain. In the early 1950s my father went on a cycling trip around Europe. He told me the hardest place to ride was the Netherlands. Flat, cobblestones and always a headwind.