Club Ride Saturday 11th January 2014

My enforced lay-off, mostly due to the weather, meant that this was my first ride of 2014. I recently read an article about how many days of inactivity it took before performance levels started to drop. This is the time-line:

0-5 days:  Your fitness is improved. (Phew, it’s not all bad)

1 week: Blood volume reduced by 5 to 12 per cent; muscles become less efficient and able to deal with lactate.

2 weeks: Maximal oxygen uptake down 4 to 20 per cent.

3 weeks: Muscle capillarisation back to pre-training levels and less able to burn fat as fuel.

2 months: Muscle mitochondria less efficient at using oxygen and the heart is less muscular.

6 months: Fitness declines have stabilised and your body has reached an ‘untrained’ level.

Not being a Doctor I haven’t a clue what most of this means. Anyway, I was at the 2 weeks stage with no idea about the state of my maximal oxygen.

As we mustered in our usual spot (has anyone else noticed that we seem to be edging ever closer towards the other door?) most riders confessed to feeling a little rusty and so with this in mind a shorter ride than normal was proposed and seconded.

There was an invigorating air of optimism about the morning. We welcomed Ted for his maiden ride with us and fielded an enquiry from someone who we’ll hopefully have the pleasure of seeing in the not too distant future.

A circular route around the outskirts of Malmesbury was quickly put together with the benefit of allowing riders to peel off at any time, back into town, should they wish to do so.

In glorious sunshine with hardly a flutter, we eased our way out of the car park.  Disaster soon struck when Mike suffered a mechanical problem on the Foxley Road.  Ever resourceful and determined not to fall at the first hurdle, Mike cycled back home, swapped his battery with Maureen’s and headed off to Tetbury where we were later joined him.  Anyway, as Ronnie Corbett used to say, I digress.  

Back on the road our route took us through the villages of Hullavington, Stanton St Quintin, Upper Seagry, Great Somerford, across country to Crudwell, Long Newton and into Tetbury where we met Mike for coffee at Veloton.  Tim H resisted temptation and chose not to have some cake. A sensible New Year’s resolution I wondered. No, he was planning to have eggs and bacon when he got home!

The final leg of our journey saw us returning via Shipton Moyne.  An enjoyable ride, excellent weather and great company, what more can you ask for.

Distance: 33.2 miles