Why does it always rain on me?

I wish I could have written this yesterday as I would have had closer to the forefront of my mind the bone numbing fatigue and cold I was feeling some 23 hours ago when I dragged my soggy self through the door of my house and took 20 minutes to literally peel of every item of clothing. As it is I have happily repressed that memory so this description of Sunday's training will be through rose tinted spectacles.

Setting of at 7:30 (still dark) is depressing enough but add to that rain which means you're sodden within 5 minutes and you know it's going to be one hell of a long day! Arriving at the club house with some 5 minutes to spare and after myriad wrong turns I signed up for the A time bracket, having managed to write my name correctly and not destroying the form with my dripping hair I was informed the A group had already left. I had 2 choices, find a small group and go slow or nail it on my own... I went for the latter.

Having started at a blistering pace passing some 30 riders I managed to just about follow the signs and thought I was making good time. The things started to look familiar and I realised I was back at the start! I had done a 10 mile loop having misread one of the very blurred signs which had been saturated with the over night rain. My map then proceeded to disintegrate in my hands along with any hope of breaking 3:30!

In the end I joined forces with 2 guys who had made the same error and we plodded on hoping to bodge together a course of about 100k, and bodge we did, eventually finding our way to bison hill. I don't much riding with rodies but one distinction quickly became clear... they can climb and I can't. On the flat I was pacing them and having to hold myself back (in fact 60k in I decided to go it alone) on the climbs I was destroyed, they span up seating while I struggled for breath out of the saddle, I'd love to blame the aluminium hack bike vs. their carbon efforts but I think I'd be kidding myself.

After 99k of made up route I ended up back at the club house alone, excluding stops I only just missed the 3:30 min cut off but including stops it worked out nearer 4 hrs, to be honest I was pleased to finish. The 20 mile ride back was hell: wet; cold; windy; depressing. Even my Garmin decided to call it a day, water resistant my backside.

At least next weekend is easier, only 7 hours of cycling and Watford 1/2... oh no, wait a moment...

Happy training.

P.S. Yes, that IS the rose tinted version