The influence of Spanish lessons in cycling style

 Back on the bike after pretending (and failing) to be a runner for the last couple of weeks.

I shouldn’t have had that coffee in the morning. 

All I wanted for today was to sit at the back of the group and enjoy the ride. 

The morning coffee got me too excited and before I realised I was at the front, riding parallel to GC Denis. Sometimes I can’t believe how often I fail to follow a perfectly designed plan.

Somehow I still managed to get a decent first half of the ride. 

I was able to hold GC Denis’ wheel going up Effingham despite all the help I gave him in the form of very strong moral support and admiration for all the work he was doing at the front. 

I took the very important sprint at Holmbury St. Mary attacking from the front, deploying an explosion of power that no one was able to match and that allowed me to celebrate with arms in the air such a great win.

Finally I did a decent job leading the pack in the last climb before Seale. Richard L. took the Seale sprint proving that learning Spanish also gets you into Spanish riding style. 

I say finally because that was it. Got to Seale, got a coffee and scone and realised I was tired. Dead. Finito. Kaputt. 

I sat towards the back of the group the whole way back. I struggled quite a bit. On a few occasions I was tempted to drop and let the group go. The pace was nothing crazy, just too much for me. 

By the time we got to Cobham I told everyone I was not going to sprint. I was destroyed.

But I changed my mind. 

It is not that my word can’t be trusted when it comes to sprinting, it is just that the approach to Esher was slow enough for me to believe I could take the sprint. 

That’s not my fault. 

What else could I have done if I found myself at the back of the group with a clear view on who was ready to sprint.

…flesh is weak.

So, from that privileged position I made my calculations and decided Jack, Nigel and Richard L. were the ones to look out to. I also decided to wait as long as possible and attack from behind, passing everyone and taking the (second) win.

Richard L. screwed everything though.

Once again, he showed the influence of his Spanish lessons and he went a bit too early.

A bit too early for me.

That was the moment when I realised that going at the back of the group was not that great. It turns out you have to close a bigger gap. Not ideal. 

I didn’t win. That’s probably all you want to know about the sprint.

But I’ll tell you that Richard L. took it. 

I am very, very, very happy. I mean, very, very happy. That the second most Spanish rider of the group won the final sprint.

Now you know. If you want to be a sprinter, start taking Spanish lessons.

 The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/15579819367/

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

KW - Amberley

 Didn’t have coffee in the morning. Didn’t think I needed it. 

In my mind we were going to start riding easy and slowly progress into a steady ride. 

In fact I said it out loud as we were starting to ride. “Let’s start easy”.

Next thing I know The Pope is at the front smashing it. And when I say smashing it I mean that by the time we were in Cobham, 10km into the ride for those of you not into Surrey’s geography, I was thinking there was no way I was going to keep up with this pace. I believe GC Denis was thinking the same. My brain was shut down by the effort but I seem to remember that he even said out loud. 

The Pope led all the way up Effingham. A steady pace that put me in a terrible position (remember, steady is not a synonym of easy).

I could either (try to) hold on to his wheel, something that didn’t really feel very appealing (or possible). Why on earth would you want to do that to yourself?

Or, let him go, but risk GC Denis following him and both of them dropping me. 

What do you prefer to punish, your body or your ego?

I decided to punish my body. 

Wrong decision because as soon as we got to the road that typically marks the top of the climb The Pope looked left and right, shouted “Clear” (I was dying and he was able to shout!!!), crossed the road and kept riding at his steady pace (remember, steady doesn’t mean easy). 

That was enough for me. Had to let him go.

Luckily for me my ego was saved because GC Denis also let him go. 

We were 25km into the ride. It was going to be a long day (and it will probably be a long ride report).

Second story of the day happened at Horsebridge Hill. 

The Pope quickly disappeared uphill leaving me and GC Denis to decide who was going to be last in the climb.

I felt pretty confident in my chances and set my own tempo. But something felt wrong when I saw GC Denis passing me. 

What is he doing?

I knew the climb. I knew there was still a fairly long way to go. 

I found myself in a terrible position. 

Again.

What do you do? Follow GC Denis or trust your knowledge of the climb even if a few kilometers ago you didn't know where you were, the Garmin is telling you the climb is finishing in 800 meters, and GC Denis NEVER gets a climb wrong?

What do you prefer to punish, your body or your ego?

I couldn’t possibly punish my body any more so I decided to punish my ego. I was going to be last anyway…

We were still 60km into the ride and I already had punished my body and my ego more than I like to confess.

A very much needed coffee and a scone at Amberly. Sitting outside. Making plans about our training camp in Asturias and The Pope confessed he had two coffees before starting the ride.

We need to establish the rule of sharing in the WhatsApp group how much caffeine everyone is having before the ride. If only to know in advance how hard the ride is going to be.

The caffeine did its usual effect and I felt much better on the way back. 

I was able to contribute to the pace. I even took the Horton sprint. 

And then, when I finished the ride, the Garmin gave me the ultimate punishment to my ego.

My FTP had decreased to 263w.

I need to have a word with Garmin’s product manager.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14519090955 

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

Tanhouse, the weird way

 First ride of the year as “ride lead”.

Although I prefer the expression “ride captain”. Somehow being “ride captain” sounds better to my ego than being “ride lead”. It feels to me “road captain” is a title that gives you more authority and responsibility. 

Not that I’m any good at any of those two qualities. 

I have to admit I wasn’t that responsible when I chose the route. All I wanted is a route to ride 3.5 hours and with a coffee stop that I could recognise. Looked in my route library. Found this route and didn’t even check it. 

Well, that was a weird way of going to Tanhouse and even weirder way of getting home from Tanhouse. 

Not very responsible of me having to admit that I didn’t know what hills we were climbing and that I was lost most of the time. 

To that I attribute my lack of sprint victories today. I had no idea where the townsigns were!

I wasn’t able to exercise my authority either. 

I have a great excuse though. JFW was riding with the group. 

At the forum I had described the ride as “steady k2”. Al LW, before we started to ride, I reminded everyone, JFW included, that we were going to ride steady.

Next thing I know JFW is riding in the front with me pushing the pace.

I was completely out of breath and he was talking to me. 

Couldn’t hear half of what he was saying. Couldn’t understand half of what I was hearing. All I know is he was talking about running. He was clearly defying my authority. 

JFW was JFW again climbing Effingham. A climb that is perfect for keeping the group together.  That is what happened in the first half, when Peter led the group.

In the second half JFW hit the front and defied the concept of steady k2 pushing the pace. JFW being JFW that lasted a [very] few hundred meters before he moved to the right, dropped to the group and left the rest to deal with the mess he had created.

The confirmation that JFW has a problem with my authority (although I could argue he has a problem with any form of authority) was returning from Tanhouse. 

We still were at Newdigate. The traditional way back was taking a left turn. The planned route was continuing straight. 

JFW turned left. Five garmins started to bip to tell five riders we were off route. JFW doesn’t have a garmin so he carried on. 

That was the complete end of my authority on anything related to the route. 

At the top of Juniper we turned left (!!!!) and I got lost completely. The garmin was still saying we were on route so we never were actually lost but I had no idea where we were.

To make things worse everyone seemed to know where we were. They kept saying “this is the Ride London route”.

I knew the route was going through Esher. A sprint I have studied to end. A sprint I like. A sprint to redeem myself. 

So here you have me riding third or four wheel. Conserving energy. Scouting the road ahead of us waiting to recognise the approach to Esher’s sprint.

You can imagine my surprise when somehow, suddenly, we were in Esher. 

We had come to Esher on a different road. 

The ride was over and I must have been fourth or fifth in a town sign I didn’t even see. 

Terrible day for a responsible and authoritarian sprinter.

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13447736056

Take care of yourself

Javier Arias González

I am in the form of my life

Not meaning to brag here just documenting how happy I am with my form.

Last time I told myself I was in the form of my life was in the summer of 2018. That was four years ago!

At the end of August 2018 I had a bike accident that put a stop to the joy of feeling in top form. 

Starting a new job in October 2018. Traveling to Bath on a weekly basis and being very busy meant I didn’t recover my level in the summer of 2019.  

Then covid came, with it the first lockdown and I hitted a new low in August 2020. It took me a whole year to recover from that low level. Still didn’t make it to the level I had in August 2018. I was close but not quite there.

Another year of patiently training and I can now say I am now in better form than I was in the summer of 2018. I’m in the best form of my life!

How do I know? 

In the last month I managed to get significant performances (for my level) in several climbs we ride fairly often. 

2nd of July. In a LW-Brighton-LW ride 

I did 6:10 up Ditchling Beacon (https://www.strava.com/activities/7402815691/segments/2978307382282107478). That is not a great time but that was a windy day. The reason I think it was significant is because that was my second fastest time up Ditchling Beacon and I dropped Ed Saintier in that climb. My PR (5:46) for that climb is from 15th of June 2018 in a ride I specifically targeted the PR in that climb (https://www.strava.com/activities/1639823822/segments/41070478301).

7th of July. In a KW 2 Hills Thursdays evening ride 

I improved my PR up Effingham by 15 seconds (https://www.strava.com/activities/7431690394/segments/2980204487151472756) and I did 6:31 up to Juniper (https://www.strava.com/activities/7431690394/segments/2980204487152455796) 4 seconds short of my PR of 6:27. 

10th of July. In a ride to Tanhouse

I improved my PR up Combe Lane by 5 seconds (https://www.strava.com/activities/7445467200/segments/2981182806237376184) my new PR was 4:48. It took me four years to improve that PR! 

On the 3rd of June 2018 I did a PR with 5:30 (https://www.strava.com/activities/1615088596/segments/40433502950) and on the 9th of June 2018 I improved it 37 seconds, my new PR was 4:53 (https://www.strava.com/activities/1627251013/segments/40753186000). 

21st of July. In a KW 2 Hills Thursdays evening ride 

I improved again my PR up Effingham by an additional 20 seconds two weeks later (https://www.strava.com/activities/7506505675/segments/2985279780859672202)  and I did up Juniper 6:29 (https://www.strava.com/activities/7506505675/segments/2985279780858374794) 2 seconds short of my PR. 

23rd of July. In a ride to Lasham

I did 3:01 up Herriard Steep (https://www.strava.com/activities/7515382205/segments/2985924180544421086), 2:41 in the segment Pot to Brockham (https://www.strava.com/activities/7515382205/segments/2985924180543471838), 1:07 at White Hill (Official) (https://www.strava.com/activities/7515382205/segments/2985924180543593694), 1:05 at crondall Lane last Farnham climb (https://www.strava.com/activities/7515382205/segments/2985924180545660126) and 3:13 at Just the Climb (https://www.strava.com/activities/7515382205/segments/2985924180542647518). All PRs in the second half of the ride. 

And then came the glorious weekend. The confirmation that I was in the form of my life.

30th of July. In a ride to Sumners Ponds

I did 5:11 up Hound House Road https://www.strava.com/activities/7553018008/segments/2988434102689936914 new PR for me. Interestingly I wasn’t sitting on anyone’s wheel. For most of the climb I was riding parallel to Ed Francis.

31st of July. In a ride to Milk Churn

New PR, 4:40, going up Combe Lane (https://www.strava.com/activities/7558335823/segments/2988783611756956366) and I wasn’t sitting on anyone’s wheel either, I rode the climb solo. 

Juniper, Effingham, Combe Lane and Hound House Road are climbs we ride very, very often. To get good times in all of them in the space of a month can only mean that replacing August 2018, July 2022 is now the month I’ve been in the best form of my life. 

A month too late as I was supposed to be peaking at the beginning of July in preparation for the Maratona but excellent timing for LEL2022 as it starts the 7th of August.

Take care

Javier Arias González