I’ve been in Loughborough a month and half now and the joys of winter training have been getting underway. Like any cyclist would, my first port of call was finding the best climbs in the area - and coming from Essex, via Belgium – Leicestershire doesn’t disappoint. Just on my doorstep is ‘Mur de Beacon’ - a whopping 205metres gained in 6km (so it’s not exactly an Alp, but it’s not bad!). It’s difficult to go too far in any direction before the rolling terrain and constant climbs and descents appear, and when combined with the country parks like Bradgate, and numerous reservoirs to navigate around, the local terrain provides apt training options. Having joined the University cycling club (Loughborough Student Cycle Club), it’s been a far easier and quicker process learning the best training routes, and provides the opportunity to ride with large groups of like minded people. Chaingang, I’m assured, starts after Christmas!
Perhaps my most adventurous rides so far have been the 7-8 hour solo epics into the peak district, which –as the name might suggest – provides ample vertical height metres for any Belgian kermis racer. Combining this with the scenic, sheep laden country lanes provides the ideal training ground to pass away those longer wet and wintry kilometres.
Night Riding
Each Thursday, LSCC organise a night XC ride through the local forests for anyone who believes hanging around dark woods at night is a legitimate use of time. Having never ridden at night before, my first time out was some experience: the adrenaline rush, unpredictability, and impulsiveness of night riding ticks all the boxes for me, and provides a welcome challenge and change to the normalities of winter road training.
That just about sums up the past month or so of training. I’m still playing with the idea of a return to the cyclo cross arena for the national champs and a couple of warm up races, but nothing confirmed as yet. Watch this space.
