I Just Couldn't Wait.....

The Tifosi's Cockpit.....my view for the ride...

In my last blog post just a few days ago I said that what I needed to do now was to slowly start building my ride mileage up in preparation for the 10in10 ride in June.... 
Well if the truth be told I just couldn't wait...having only ridden about four loops of 30 miles, plus a ride with the 10in10 lads of 51 miles I seemed to be a long way behind in my training......

Now in no way would I recommend to any one to go about their training the way that I've done things this year...and I certainly wouldn't recommend what I did on Saturday to everyone....but here it is...

Saturdays weather was bright and dry but just a bit chilly and I woke up with the burning desire to get out and ride....a call from Peter Calcutt (backpackers club)  the previous night letting me know that he would be out camping at The 'Tom's Field Campsite' in Langton Matravers helped set my plan. 
I would ride out to just beyond Studland and pick up the course of the Jurassic Beast Sportive...and then on the way round stop off at Tom's Field and have breakfast with Peter before carrying on with the rest of the 'beast' before the return home... 

So that is what I did...
The Jurassic Beast Sportive standard distance is 62 miles, plus when you add on the distance to and from the course my total mileage for the day was 76 miles... 
I completed the first 40 miles at an average speed of 14.6mph....however I only completed the last 36 miles at an average speed of just 13.2 mph.... It was certainly reassuring to know that with so little proper road miles this year I could go out and lay down 76 miles and still feel fine at the end of it. 
Obviously the mileage in the bank from last year really has had an ongoing effect for me......

Peter Calcutt at the entrance to 'Tom's Field Campsite'

I arrived at the campsite in good time for breakfast...I found Peter's tent and he was only just getting up....
We had a really nice breakfast--Coffee & Sausage sandwich--sitting out in the sun and talking over old times... 

A few years ago we used to have regular weekend camps at this site and at only £5 a night and with a shop and small cafe plus a designated area for backpackers and cycle tourists it offers really good value....Also a great pub in the village as well. 
As I said, a few years ago we had quite a few well attended 'backpackers club' weekend camps here and as Peter and I munched our way through breakfast we were able to reminisce over some of those enjoyable weekends....

The Little on-site Shop at Tom's Field Campsite

Just over an hour later it was time for me to continue on my 'Jurrasic Beast' journey and Peter had to make up his mind how he was going to do his return trip to home. 
He had been complaining of a blister which was caused by his previous day's walk. 
Spending most of his time cycling  his feet were not really match fit for the walking....mind you neither would mine be these days. 
Amazing to think that it was only about seven years ago that we walked the length of the Pennine Way together....but that's a whole different story...

I am glad that I did the ride on Saturday....after all last year almost every ride I did was the length of the beast and I just needed to confirm to myself that after everything that's gone on this year I still had the distance in my legs....Job done! Proof collected!...

One thing that I will mention is that I found out the other day that on the Wiggle Sportives of which the Jurassic Beast is one in their series, there is no age/gender adjustment for gold/silver timings..
If I  was in my twenties or thirties I wouldn't care less...at my age of 65 I do care.. 

No matter how fit you are at 65 it is going to be a tougher call to reach those gold/silver timings. I've never ridden a Wiggle event before and all my previous sportive events have had age/gender adjustments built in....
Strikes me it is weighted for only fit younger males to achieve those levels....What's your opinion? After all if a 65+ year old does manage to get to a gold/silver time it has to be a far bigger achievement than a fit young male in his 20s/30s anyway.