Finding a new Bike (Training day 7)

So far I've been training on my old mountain bike - a beautiful Specialized, but more designed for off-road ruts and tracks than road-work. I've noticed that people on road-bikes seem to fly past me, especially up the steep hills on the Surrey Downs. The front suspension on the mountain bike absorbs so much power, I've decided I really need a new bike for the journey.

Nyk, one of my colleagues, pointed out that Evans Cycles have a special offer on this week - an extra 20% off already reduced sale bikes. Of course this means the shop is completely jammed with people searching for a bargain. After a fruitless attempt to get recognised as a potential customer, I give up and head out for some more training to keep up the muscle building.

Struggled with the first few miles (to Ranmore hill), then got in the flow and finally cracked Ranmore Common – home through Wotton and Westcott. Just 13 miles, but I felt great at the end, and could have cycled another 5 miles easily. I know I couldn’t have done this last weekend, so I’m seeing and feeling the benefits of training already, and managed more than 100 miles in the first week. Plan 25 miles tomorrow, then I’m still ahead of schedule.

Training summary: 13 miles today, 109 miles total (total for first week)