HARD LITTLE RIDE

Tough little ride today in the Lekdijk. The wind was strong, the temperature was around 25 degrees but the air was really muggy and it was difficult to breath. That combined with the fact that I haven’t been feeling well for a couple of days with the beginning of a throat infection, made it extra hard.

Um treino duro hoje no Lekdijk. O vento estava forte, temperaturas por volta dos 25 graus e o ar estava realmente abafado, fazendo com que fosse difícil respirar. Isso combinado com eu não estar me sentindo bem e ter uma crise de garganta já por alguns dias fez com que o treino seja ainda mais dura.

Lekdijk almost in Amerongen. Turn around point in the shade.

Everybody bailed out today and I had to ride alone. And that was actually a good thing. First because I could leave a bit later, around 10 am, and have a bit longer sleep. My hope was that the extra rest would make me feel better. Second if there is a chance that you are going to burn, better be alone and not hold anybody.

So, I wake up later and left home dead on at 10 am and went straight to Nieuwegein to get to the Lekdijk. Around my house, the wind was mild and the ground was still moist. My throat was  still burning but the cold air helped. I managed to keep speed around 32 km/h.

But once I got to the dike, everything changed. No trees to protect the asphalt from the sun, and the moisture was going up quite strong, despite of the strong head wind. It was really warm and muggy and my throat really felt like burning.  I kept the heart rate around 165 bpm and speed was around 28 km/h.

I wasn’t not enjoying it at all and decided to push until around 40 km and turn back. My original plan was to do 150 kms all the way down to Amerongen and Rhenen, but decided not to risk to get even worst and overdo it. So, turned around enjoyed the tailwind back home and now it will be a rest week as preparation for Limburgs Mooiste, on Saturday. 175 kms in distance with 32 climbs.