Taking a page from my recent ultra training, we are embarking on a series of b2b long rides to build up endurance for the upcoming mersing rides (160k x2) and tour de bintan. The past weekend comprised a 80k and 100k.
Must admit that we're in uncharted territory, and me legs were working OT big time.
Saturday's ride: started from Namly, up Lornie, Braddell and Bartley viaduct. We took turns pulling in twos, and we're getting better at this. Hit 33 - 34 kph in the first 7 km. Got distracted with chatting with IN and good thing Jodan was with us - he showed us a new way to old Tampines road.
As usual, we stomped up Punggol point and that was when IN overtook me to show how much he'd improved! That wasn't all. As we turned into Mandai road, Sean picked up the pace and I was just content to draft him at close to 40 kph for several km. That was the fastest time I took to cover the mandai stretch!
Met AY and the BnB riders at Mandai Shell. Seemed like somehow we always linked up on the weekends.
It was along Upper Bt Timah Road that JN got a puncture. His second puncture in as many years. Took all of us quite a while and two tubes to fix the puncture. Sorry to keep Jodan waiting as he had gone ahead. The delay meant that we had to skip RRR.
I was somewhat apprehensive for Sunday's ride, but the good news was that we had fresh legs - CS, CT, CL and the everlasting AY to lead us. Along the way, we picked up CL's cousin. Went up Admiralty way, and there were some interesting slopes. Definitely tougher than the Mandai way.
We wanted to ride to Tuas, but AY pointed us to the side road parallel to AYE, before heading off. None of us had gone that way before, and it took a few more km of sightseeing and exploration before we headed the same way back. Realizing that we were getting late, we decided to skip SBV and go up Clementi Road and Ulu Pandan instead. Second time up Ulu Pandan felt much much tougher than the first time earlier in the morning.
Breakfast at the 6th avenue coffee shop - a mee pok and coffee affair with light drizzle seemed quite a good way to end the 100km ride.
The usual routine that accompanied long runs ensued - recovery drink, compression tights and a recovery swim that afternoon - to flush out the lactic acid. MBH gave me a good massage on Monday.
Note to myself: Should pace myself for the next two B2B long rides.
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