Taxa with the Psychopath Anonymous

Not flat endurance ride (https://www.unbiciorejon.com/2019/02/javiers-ride-classification-criteria.html)

Riding all day at what I'd describe as a slow cooking pace. 

That pace is not slow but it is not super fast either. A pace that feels sustainable for ages, still a strong pace. 

A pace that kept the three of us together in the climb to Taxa but left me with a feeling of I have spent a bit too much.

A pace at which aero counts. And that means that I wasn't the cleveres of the group putting on my rain jacket for the descent. I felt like riding with an open parachute all the way to the coffee stop.

A coffee stop that got me having a coffee because I knew the slow cooking pace was getting me. 

A coffee that gave me enough energy to attack the Escamplero full of energy. I went for a PB. 

Only to blow in pieces less than 1km from the top. Slow cooking pace took a bit less than 130km to have me done. 

And the two psychopaths I was riding with kept the pace all the way to the top. 45 seconds faster than me in less than a kilometer. 

With my pride wounded I attacked every single ramp from there. 

Just fireworks though. The psychopaths kept the pace and by the time we finished I was completely cooked. 

Mr. "Endurance is my game", less than a month of declaring himself in the form of his life (https://www.unbiciorejon.com/2022/08/i-am-in-form-of-my-life.html), ten days after finishing LEL (https://www.strava.com/activities/7633370774/) slow cooked by a couple of Asturian psychopaths.

I think I'm going to declare myself a sprinter when I'm in Asturias.

Those Asturians are up for a rude awakening :-)

The ride in Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/7680177261/

Take care

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