cat and mouse training

Today was a real hard day in the saddle.

I've been down with a cold the last few days. After heavy rain on Saturday, Sunday was forecast sunshine, so I was determined to get a long ride in. Saturday night I did some Graeme Obree “water training”. A pint of water before bed. Wake up an hour later needing the loo. Wee, blow the nose, clear the throat, another pint of water, repeat.

Up at 5 and feeling better than I perhaps would have done otherwise, I forced down some some breakfast and was on the road by 6.

I headed out to Teradomari with Kitano san and Ohya san. We are all focussing on next month's Tokyo~Itoigawa. We rotated all the way. How easy it is to be on the back! I cleared the nose and throat back there. On the front, I rode hard, taking care to stay aerobic. Despite a tough headwind, we kept the speed in the 35~40 kmph range and made it to Teradomari in a an hour.

We met Andrew in Teradomari and headed for Yahiko. I was looking for any excuse not to climb it, the niggling cold, the mist shrouded summit... but both Andrew and Kitano seemed keen.

A few seconds into the climb and “clunk” a spoke on the rear snapped. Luckily I have sensible training wheels with plenty of spokes. Wrap the broken spoke around its neighbour. Open the break arch a little. Good to go.

We had to dismount a couple of times to get around a rock slide. Then up to the gate.

This time Andrew and I kept the chatting up well beyond the gate. Riding tempo. Neither of us wanting to go too hard, too soon. Andrew is also recovering from a cold last week so we sounded like a couple of grumpy old men climbing Yahiko today.

Eventually Andrew took the initiative and raised the pace on the front. I locked onto his wheel. In hill climbing, you don't want to be directly behind the rider pacing you. The best place to be is on his right or left. Overlapping slightly. Your shoulder in line with his bum. Shadowing. Ready for any sudden moves.

I was happy to sit here and see how things panned out. Through the steep section. Taking care to hold his wheel. Not to end up on the front.

Then the second hairpin. I have a little dig. See if Andrew can keep up. To the top of the rise. Contemplating the big ring. Glance back. He's there. Ooops, the cat becomes the mouse.

Now it's Andrew's turn to shadow me. Luckily the early morning sun is on our backs. I'm keeping an eye on his shadow back there. Counter any encroachment with a little more speed. Here comes a shaded section. He's a wise old fox Andrew. He may try to catch me by surprise here. Raise the pace again. Just to keep him in check.

It seems neither of us are keen on a long attack today.

Here comes the last right-hander. 3 rises up to the finish.

I raise the pace up the first one. Not full gas just yet. Over the lump. A little flat. In to the big ring. Try to carry some momentum into the second rise.

The second rise - up we go. Time to move back into the small ring. You need to get the right gear here. Too light and you'll spin out. Too heavy and you'll lose momentum. Russian roulette time. Shift down a couple on the back. Drop into the small ring on the front. Click, click, clunk. It's a good one! Time to lay the cards on the table. Full gas. “Oh arghh!”. Words of submission from behind?

Over the rise. One more rise to go. Keep going. Keep going. Check left. Check right. Goal.

Another Yahiko. Another game of cat and mouse.

I was lucky to get the better of Andrew today. Come summer when he has his dancing explosiveness back, I'll have to think of other ways to beat him up there than just ride him off my wheel. Looking forward to the challenge Andrew!

At the top, Kitano san did the whole climb in the big ring! Ohya san, first Yahiko – good job!

We descended back down to Teradomari. Looking forward to the tailwind home, we were a bit disheartened to find the wind had changed in to a headwind. And what a corker it was too!

We stopped at the Save On to refuel. Sagara san and 3 other guys come flying past. We see these guys every week. Track training? High pace on the flats. Support car in tow. Usually they're going the other way to us but today they are heading our way.

“A free ride home!”
“Let's get on that train!”
“Wait, where's Kitano san?”
“In the loo!”
“C'mon, let's go!”

They had a minute start on us. Three cats on the chase. Going as hard as we can. What a delight to see Kitano san going full gas in the drops on the front!

We're going fast but we can't see them up ahead. Whether or not we catch them is irrelevant really, we just need the focus. The target. The motivation.

Here comes one guy fallen off the back. Pass him. Keep pressing on. Another guy. Just two to go now.

From behind, Vroom, Vroom. It's the support van. Motor pacing the 3rd man back to the front. He's flying! Must be doing about 60!

The last climb behind the power station. In the middle of the season and with good form, I can hold 30 kmph to the top. There's our man again. The mouse. The carrot. Keep in the big ring. Keep on the aerobars. Keep 32kmph. AJ!

I can't say for certain, but I reckon the front guys were being paced intermittently, which explains why we couldn't catch them.

From here I said goodbye to Kitano san and Ohya san. 100 km and 800 m of climbing on the clock. Time for that bit extra. 50 km in the hills around Kashiwazaki.

I was worn out by now but determined to do a long ride. More importantly, I was determined to put in some of those miles that hurt. When all you can think about is getting home.

Today's ride had a bit of everything. Perhaps a little too hard considering the cold but you have to make hay when it shines....

Thanks guys!

Sunday's training: Kahiwazaki ~ coast road ~ Mt. Yahiko ~ coast road ~ Fisherman's Cape ~ Tanne ~ Kujiranami ~ Shindou ~ Nota loop

(150 km, 1150 m climbing, 30 kmph)