HEUVELRUG

 

95 kms | 3 h 18 m | Avg Speed 28.9 km/h | avg hr 158 bpm | 2.356 kcal

How to keep motivation to train hard if the big objective of the year is completed? Especially if there isn’t anything else in the next months? Difficult. Luckily a change of plans for this year vacations and I have a new challenge in sight: Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirolo, the big mountains in Italy. So, back to training today against a good wind.

Como manter a motivação para treinar duro se o maior objetivo do ano já passou? Especialmente se não há mais nenhuma corrida para os próximos meses? Difícil. Felizmente a mudança de planos para as férias desse ano me deu um novo desafio: Stelvio, Gavia e Mortirolo, três montanhas gigantses na Italia. Então de volta ao treino hoje contra um vento forte.

STELVIO: ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RIDES AND I WILL BE THERE IN SEPTEMBER

The idea today was to do something around 100 kms and keep pushing he whole time. Preferably staying just below zone 4 most of the time (below the lactate threshold). One thing that I’m not really happy with my performance is that I’m saving too much. I’m getting to used to ride on zone 2 and beginning of zone 3.

I looked the weather forecast yesterday and the direction from where the wind would come to decide the most demanding route. I also wanted to go back to the Utrecht Heuvelrug. Because I’ve been doing a lot of my rides in the dike, I haven’t gone to the hills around Maarn and Doorn for a long time. And as I was riding alone, a great opportunity to test the Garmin course I’ve planned the night before. So, lots of objectives for the day.

I left home around 10:00 and started immediately with a strong cross wind. I wanted to keep the speed constant and above 32 kms/h or the heart rate just around 170 bpm. So, cross winds were perfect. From home until Bilthoven and Huis ter Heide, the garmin course worked perfectly. It doesn’t give an indication of when to turn but show the line you need to follow and alert if you are out of the route.

In Huis ter Heide the thing got totally lost. It send me in several wrong directions and every 5 to 10 minutes the alarm went off telling that exactly that. Very annoying. At some point it even send me towards the highway (which is forbidden in Holland) and I decided to switch it off. I know the are very well anyway and I will only use it if I’m totally lost in the future. Maybe next weekend go to Limburg and ride the Mergelland Route.

From their I pushed towards Maarn, did the climb twice there and went back towards Zeist. I manage to keep the heart rate most of the time on zone 4 and a good speed. Going back home was headwind most of the time and a good training. Happy and good preparation for the trip to Italy. Felt strong and managed to keep most of the time on the big gears, feeling the pressure constant on the pedals and feeling strong.

MOST OF THE RIDE ON ZONE 4.