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Today was the first day of my winter training camp, (otherwise known as Christmas and New Year at my folks in Scotland). On yesterday's train journey from Euston to Glasgow I was filled with anticipation at the thought of the week's riding ahead, further heightened by reading the biography of Robert Millar. Millar, as it turns out, did much of his training as an amateur in the region where my parents live. On Christmas Day 1979 his training ride was "the three lochs", a 70 mile loop starting from Anniesland Cross in Glasgow and taking in the Gare Loch, Loch Long and Loch Fyne, with some punchy climbing in between.
Today's ride partially overlapped with his route, comprising a modest 55 miles from Kilcreggan to Dunoon by way of Loch Long, Loch Fyne and Loch Eck. The only real climb is the pass to "Rest and Be Thankful" in Glen Groe from sea level to 800 feet, but the new road is a steady pull and by no means as challenging as the old gravel road that winds along before jagging up in a series of switchbacks at the head of the glen.
Starting the ride at 8.40, I promptly punctured less than a mile from home. After a quick change and patch I faced a climb of a few hundred metres up the Peaton hill with a 17% pitch. That got the heart pumping and I was zipping along the edge of Loch Long towards Arrochar when the inevitable rain showers commenced. My gloves were soon soaked so I stopped in the village shop in Arrochar to buy some more fresh ones for when the sun came out. The proprietor asked me where I was riding to, then replied 'you must be mad' seeming to add 'I've never been that far in my life' with her eyes.
Out of Arrochar, I started the steady climb over Rest and Be Thankful and was pleased to find a steady rythm that kept my heart rate well below lactate threshold. The work done since October seems to be bearing some fruit, as I was able to switch to the big ring and sprint (sort of) through the last hundred metres before stopping for a snap looking back down the pass (see below). There followed a rapid descent to Loch Fyne with dry gloves but sodden feet.
The remainder of the ride (some 25 miles) snaked along Loch Fyne then Loch Eck, with only slightly rolling terrain. The only challenge was the stiffness in my back, which stems from not being able to get the set-up of the winter bike exactly the same as the summer one. Upon arrival in Dunoon, after a ride of 3:20, I dropped into my dad's office and spent the next 40 minutes trying to regain circulation in my toes.
Back home and after a nap and some food, I now need to plan a route for tomorrow.