Day three and more blue skies and sunshine, although more cloudy than the days before and as I blog it has clouded over and I can hear thunder rumbling around; we are due a thunder storm, fortunately we arrived here in the dry - here being the base HQ of the touring company - Pyrenees Multisport - a husband and wife team (with not a little tension between them) which is making for something of an uncomfortable time especially as we have had navigation problems (no fault of our own which has caused 'issues' and left us feeling frustrated with the system in general but c'est la vie I guess - I have been trying to implement my Taoist thoughts but finding it harder the shorter on sleep I become - I guess I'm only human LOL!).
After the elation of the Tourmalet I'm tired today, yesterday really was an epic ... this morning it was straight up the Col D'Aspin followed not long after by the Col de Peyresourde, both relatively straightforward climbs (by Pyrenean standards anyway - climbing for 10 miles at 7% is pretty standard around these parts - I can't think of anywhere in the UK with anything that approaches this!). I consciously kept my heart rate down today (138 average and 156 max) and Dave has been doing the same in the hope of avoiding a repetition of his cramping episodes of yesterday - he seems to be OK so I daresay he'll be riding the Cols harder tomorrow!
I included some pomme frites with my omelette atop the Peyresourde at lunchtime as this kind of riding needs more carbs than I would normally include - there's no way to get up Tourmalet or Marie-Blanque without sitting in the carb-burning zone for hours alas! Not ideal really being very sensitive now to carb levels but needs must I guess and potatoes aren't particularly unPrimal. Yesterday's Haribo rush has certainly made me feel a big dip today.
I certainly won't put my body through this kind of event again, humans are most definitely not evolved for relentless battering - I have no idea how the Tour De France and the pro riders do it - well actually I do - many resort to using drugs - and now I can see why it should be so prevalent; the courses they ride day after day are inhuman.
Anyway some more pictures and today's course profile. Hopefully I sleep tonight and feel more positive in the morning!
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The first Col of the day bagged ... and with Tourmalet in the background |
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Another one bagged! |
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Descent from the Aspin |
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Lunch at Col de Peyresourdes |
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Descending from Peyresourdes |
Day 4 holds Cols des Ares, Buret, Portet d'Aspet and Port another 2,000 plus m of climbing and 126 km before arriving in Tarascon-sur-Ariege.
Kelda
ReplyDeleteYou should be proud of yourselves, it looks like such an amazing achievment so far, just goes to show what the human body can do when pushed. Enjoy your well earned fries xxxx
Ruby