Staying Close to Home

This weeks blog was going to be a race report from round 2 of the Gorrick spring series at Crowthorne. However, Mrs Connor is not very well, so instead I spent the morning changing nappies and playing trains! Due to the generosity of a friend who took the young man off my hands for a few hours, I was still able to get out for some quality trail time.
 

This was my first local off-road ride of the winter and it felt great to be exploring familar routes again after months of road training rides. I set out to get in some decent climbing, which I've felt has been missing from my riding recently. Not the short, sharp climbs that we get at races, but the longer 5 to 10 minute gradual hauls you find around the South Downs. 

Boy I needed the practise, as it was hard work! 950m of thigh burning climbing was made that much harder because the 9 speed road cassette I was running only had a biggest sprocket of 28 instead of the 36 I'm used too! Conditions were pretty dry so at least I didn't have mud to contend with.

It wasn't just the uphills that were challenging. I'd forgetten how unforgiving riding with rigid forks was. I was suffering badly from arm pump, made worse since I spent much of yesterday trimming the hedges at home!

I am sure I could feel some heat from the sun as I glided over Kingley Vale, which made a very welcome change after a week of snowy and icy commuting. So although I didn't race I really enjoyed my day in the sunshine, it should prove to be good training for year ahead and it was great to have my first local trail ride of 2015.