I have a new dilemma. I have Mendip Mackem and IT to thank for pointing me in a new direction. It's called Virtual Partner. Not something dodgy on the Internet, but a function Charlie has. I never even knew it existed until last Sunday, and now it has me all in a quandary. If you have a stored version of a bike course you have done before, you can set up VP and effectively race against yourself. Naturally, yourself of yesteryear does not know there is a race going on in the future, so you should have an advantage. Although I suppose eventually, if you use it enough you will realise that any bike ride could become a race.
I so, so wanted to have a nice relaxing ride on Sunday on the White Horse Challenge, 90 miles in the Marlborough Downs. The weather is likely to be more heavy showers, wind and general muck, not like the last couple of years when it's been cool and still. I got Gold last year in 5 hours and 8 minutes, and today rode a pace, over similar terrain, which would deliver 5 hours 12 if sustained for 90 miles. Get in a few good groups, a bit of adrenaline, and Gold (sub 5 hours 20) is very doable, and sub 5 hours is not impossible.
On the way into work it was dry until I got to the top of the airport hill, and I was about 30 seconds ahead of myself from back last October. Then the rain came, torrential, pouring deluge. And my back brake pads are so worn to be almost, not quite but almost, useless. And it was hard to see in the spray and concentrate on the urban traffic. There were also roadworks that weren't there last October on the way in. So I was about 15 seconds down by the time I arrived at work.
Blasted it on the way home though, I ended up over 90 seconds, the equivalent of just over half a mile, ahead by the time I got home. I think the VP goes at the pace you did when you set up the course, perhaps someone call fill me in.
My dilemma? I have a course from last year, on an identical route for the WHC. I suppose I'll know soon enough if the conditions are against it, but I do really need to be building things up slowly at this stage, not blasting myself too early in the year.
What do you think?
Charlie's route today
Virtual partner is a little like malt whisky. It helps and harms in roughly equal measure. Strava on the other hand is more like LSD; too many bad trips.
ReplyDeleteYou could use your HRM alarm to ensure you take it easy on the hard parts, but keep VP in mind to up the pace on the easy bits?