novice to professional cyclists in 3 days
This blog is all about how quickly the mind and body adapts to any challenge when needs must....
Personal Trainer Glenn Hill joined a team of novices, most of which had only been on a racing bike once or twice and aimed to cycle over 300 miles in 2.5 days.
Our team which comprised of reserve and regular soldiers, a couple of which done some cycling and the other 4 had been on a racing bike 1 or 2 times. For the Newcastle RVI childrens ward charity the collective cycled over 320 miles from Friday to Sunday.
The route was following small roads from the RVI taking in all the Engineer Para reserve centres Gateshead to Hull to Wakefield and the back to Gateshead.
Day 1
All of the lads were all over the place racing the pace and then going slow, terrible techniques and strung out over about 10 miles going over the Cleveland hills which almost killed the team. 142 miles later and some 12 hours later after so many issues and dramas the first couple of us dribbled into the reserve centre in Hull, then about an hour later the remainder came in with at least one of them looking like a zombie.
After some food, rest and a massage we were ready for day 2.
Day 2
The morning was a bit different the team were sticking together with wheels much closer draughting after each other something similar to the tour de france. This leg was shorter and much flatter and even though we were putting less effort in we were going faster as a group. After lunch and dropping off one of the slower team members we blasted past Wakefield and super swiftly almost raced to Borough Bridge which was the end of day 2.
Weirdly less tired and after a great day of smashing along using some group management.
Final Day
We set of riding slowly but much closer together almost as one unit and this meant actually again we were riding much faster than the previous two days. No one was talking, however everyone had more power, instinctively knowing when to change gear to get the optimum speed when climbing and descending. The lead riders changed often and dragged along the group it was all much slicker and much much faster and we had only been riding for three days.
Over three torturous days for novice riders our brains and bodies had developed so quickly to ensure everything was easier for us. We had more time to take in hazards, more time to select the correct gear, our bodies knew when to push and when to coast.
Cheesy as it may seem of the 6 riders that left an entirely different 6 riders finished the route at a much improved speed. Out of pure necessity our brains and bodies had developed to ensure all movements and actions where happening autonomously(without thinking) which made everything easier.
A very interesting, demanding and thought provoking journey collecting a couple of thousand for the children's ward.
Glenn(charity) Hill
Done loads for charity this last two years and i love doing it, some people do get fed up of me asking for their cash though lol...
