I’ve been cycling regularly over the winter, through the worst that the Northern Ireland climate can throw at me. It’s been unpleasant at times and I feel like I’ve been cold and wet for months, but the worth of it was proven to me a few days ago on the inaugural Team Lard training ride.
I managed, without an excessive amount of pain, to complete a 40 mile cycle route in around three hours. Considering this is two thirds of the distance of the Bangor Costal Challenge sportive I’m intending to do, but was completed in only half the time I’ve been targetting, I think my winter training miles have really paid off.
Dave, the other Team Lard member who was with me on Sunday, hadn’t been doing much cycling at all over the rainy season, and was suffering after 15 miles or thereabouts. Fortunately 20 of my 40 miles was getting to and from the loop we had planned, so Dave only had another 5 miles to go at that point and struggled on to the end!
It seems like Eddy Merckx was right. The best way to train for a cycling event is “Ride your bike, ride your bike, ride your bike.”
