Little brick

The same 90km route as before, but the other way around (left turns, much better). Actually, not quite the same as this time I took the planned route via Great Ellingham and not the backroads detour around Rocklands. This one was set out to be non-stop, properly fuelled, with a half decent run afterwards. Thanks to a puncture at 70km it wasn't non-stop, but the other two worked.

There was some strangeness going on with my cycle computer. I'd look down to check my speed, and see it periodically drop down to a lower speed, e.g. 28kph to 20. I think the sensor was not consistently sensing the magnet on the wheel, translating that to lower speeds. That would also explain why I was barely over 90km when I got home, yet last time on that route it was around 92-93. Bikemap says 93.7km. The computer gave me an average of 26.1kph, but using the extra 3km in the same time it would be about 26.9kph (16.9 and 16.2mph). I was at (approx, from bikemap) 26.5km at 1h, 54.5km at 2h (so had done 28km in the hour), and 80.5km (done 25.5km) at 3h.

I felt great for the first 2h-2:15, then started getting pretty tired - I had to push it much harder to keep up the speed, even on the flat. Yet all the time I was thinking that I had to go for a run when I got in, and not to completely kill my legs! I took on two Aptonia energy bars and one gel, then another gel in "transition". The bars I ate a bite at a time, every 15 mins or so after 40 mins - the pineapple one was very chewy, to the extent that I wouldn't have it again, but the apricot/apple one was very good, and melted in the mouth a bit more. I'd unwrap them first, they were fiddly to do on the go. Gels were fine. I pretty much finished 2 bottles of fluid, one water and one orange/water half and half. It was a hot day and I'd probably have drunk more if it had been available.

The total time was 3:27. According to Bikemap, the 90km mark was just outside Intwood Hall entrance lodge, but of course I have no idea what that is in time terms. Maybe it is about 3:20, 3:21 or so. The last time I did the route it was 27.4kph average, so today wasn't as good, but I don't think the conditions were quite as favourable, especially the heat. I did also swim and run yesterday!

A very quick change of shoes and some water, and I went off on a run. Initial intention was the bridlepath loop from the other night, over the field by Keswick church, but as I got to the end of the flat bit of Marston Lane, nature called and I decided to keep it short this week. I just did a lap of the marshes. The rough ground was hard going, but the run itself was not actually too bad. Overall it was quite a reassuring run.

So, feeling reasonably good about the big event, but obviously 21km of half marathon is a bit different to 2.6km plodding on the marshes! More, bigger bricks to come I think.