Hills before breakfast

Total distance this week: 176km

Time in saddle: 10hrs 17 minutes

Number of cakes eaten: 2 cream éclairs, one scone, half a small Victoria sponge and countless thousands of fig rolls. 
This weeks album of choice: Trance Anthems (Dave Pearce 2010)

After being dropped on the way up the first real hill on the chaingang run out to Ballater, I decided that from now until I don't get dropped anymore on hills  I am going to practice, practice, practice on the slopey buggers. As the majority of my week day riding is done commuting to and from work, this means facing hills before 8am. 

Now I'm not adverse to cycling early. I find even 6am commuting is lovely and relaxing. I am, to the great annoyance of those unfortunate enough to be awake with me at that time of the morning, a talkative, chirpy  'morning person'. To an extent. That extent however does not cover any hills above 5% but its become horribly obvious that Needs Must and so, with a degree of foreboding and a slice of cake, I have added 'hill work' to my training schedule.

This week has been again mostly road mileage and not much mountain biking time though did go out on Sunday when I took N and Jnr (as spectator) for their first taster.  After I demonstrated the various routes and stuff, N had a go and for about 3/4 of an hour he was grinning and having a ball which made me grin and then, twenty minutes later, crash spectacularly (I forgot I was clipped in..). I removed most of my right shin skin and am sporting a thigh sized bruise on my left where it impacted with a tree. It hurt quite a lot (I did not cry!) and seemed to put N and Jnr off of participating further. They took the truck home but as it was such a beautiful evening I, despite the blood seeping down my leg, decided to take the trail home. And I'm glad because it was a bloody fantastic ride.

N and Jnr surprised me on Monday evening by suggesting we go out again on the bikes. Jnr said he wanted to go in the childseat though and only if I pedalled. Riiight. So you want to go cycling but only if you sit there and let me do all the work? Yup..We had a hilly ride (I chose the route - even family outings can be training/revenge for making me carry heavy toddler) to one of the local villages and back with N pootling along behind me admiring the scenery (my revenge plan obviously failing) and my lungs trying to leave via my nostrils as I hauled 20kg of toddler, 62kg of tired me and 12kg of clunky old bike up hill and down dale. 

Wednesday and Thursday I did 2 x 32.5km commutes on the roadie over the hill at the back of the house to and from work. Its not a hugely high hill but it undulates continually and those ascents are steep and often. Thursday was particularly challenging as it was blowing a hoolie up high and I was being blown sideways and backwards. 
 

Today I passed up on an invite to join the chaingang again on their run out to Ballater and did a solo Sunday ride of 93.17km out to Donside - from here to Echt, Midmar, Sauchen, Monymusk, The Lords Throat, Keig, Alford, Muggartshaugh, Kintocher, Tornaveen, Echt and home again via Cullerlie and Drumoak. 575m of ascent, some killer hills [gasp] and strong headwind all the way (how does that happen? - surely if one rides into a headwind for half the distance, you'd have it behind you coming back?!?) Stopped at Alford for a coffee and scone. I felt strong except for a 3 mile stretch about three-quarters of the way round but a last scoof of SiS gel prevented a complete bonk. Am just home and shoving toast and milk down me before jumping into the shower. Am tired but not so nervous of hills anymore. Its true what they say, what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger :)

Top: The route
Above: Bennachie (thats the pointy jobbie in the far distance just right of centre) from near Midmar after the first of a few  nasty climbs - here about 1/5 of the way round. 
Below: The Lords Throat is a really gorgeous but very hilly glen which the River Don flows through this near side of Bennachie.

And a very happy birthday to my gorgeous husband who was 35 yesterday. Welcome to middle age boyo...let the fun commence ;)