It’s official(ish).. I have joined a new cycling club. Willesden Cycling Club willingly accepted my ?20.. even if it wasn’t one of the new notes.

The details are sketchy: On-site with a client at Reading, no lunch, but scoffed a portion of the ?13 of “sweeties” that Sarah bought, whilst sitting for an hour on the train. Thought session started at 18:30 and arrived home at 18:15 so was just going to rock up and pay the membership. Discovered later the session starts at 20:00. Had time to drink a glass of water and chew the end off a block of cheese (Sheila would be proud) in a half-witted attempt to stave off the sugar-crash I was likely to be suffering soon. Changed, remembering to fit the vital Knee-Warmers of Everlasting Vital Signs, and road off into the sunset.. to Wembley and the clubrooms where the punishment is dished out.

A picture speaks 1000 words so here’s my heart rate graph for the session – translation? 1000 x “pain”:

For comparison, here’s a HR graph of a Glenvale Criterium from 2005

The first time my HR has gone over 200bpm for a long time methinks and over 26 minutes (almost hald the session) in the red! Now I know I was pushing hard, to impress on that first magtrainer date and all, but damn! I must be unfit. Of course I’ll put it down to having a body built like a Honda S2000 – “revs out to 9 grand mate!”. By the time I’d joined and chatted about titanium Colnagos and custom TT frames it was 22:30. No dinner, no breakfast and a late lunch.. I’d say I’m feeling it but surprisingly I’m amped, if staggeringly dehydrated, still.

It’s good to be back!