Photo of the day - 6: Hill climb (no turning back now)!

 

Full start list of riders for the hill climb is on Cycling Time Trials website

Well I'm in it now! I signed myself up to do a day of hill climb races, and I received confirmation that my entry has been accepted. So Steyning Bostal and Mill Hill here I come!

It's been ages since I did one of these races. The last time was on Swains Lane, Highgate, at the Urban Hill Climb about 10 years ago. They are quite a fun - well more for the spectators than the riders who, at the time, grimace and strain their way up the steep incline while spectators shout into their faces, egging them on. With a bit of distance, I have good memories of these races even if they were painful at the time. There is something quite exciting about these quirky types of races over 800m-1500m with steep gradients. It's not that I am particularly good at them, but I guess living in hilly Crystal Palace has taught me to "like" hills, thus why not test myself out with a race number on and an official timer. So when I heard that the double header of the Catford and the Bec Hill climbs would be taking place in Kent and Surrey I planned on entering them. However, as with a lot of events this year, these races were cancelled. But I found an alternative, in the shape of two hill climbs being organised by Brighton Mitre Cycling Club, along the South Downs. In the morning I will "race" up Steyning Bostal. The fact that I am the second rider off means that I am hardly going to trouble the competition! If I manage to stay ahead of the young local girl, Cathy Wallace, without vomiting at the finish line, that'll be an achievement! Then I just need to save a bit of energy to do it all again on Mill Hill a few hours later. Wish me luck!

All trained up but nowhere to go !

I woke up on Sunday morning feeling even rougher than I'd felt during the previous days - banging headache, dizziness, tight chest, sore throat. No hill climbing for me then.
Even the short walk out to see off Stanley and to pick up some Lemsip left me feeling completely wiped out.

It was a real shame to not be able to take part in the hill climbs. With the numbers of people lined up along the road - around 700, it was a real festival of cycling - not just a painfest for the masochistic riders !
A former cyclist colleague of mine that I hadn't seen for a long time had happened to turn up to watch, and excitedly left a message on my phone : "Great to see your name on the start sheet. I'll give you a big cheer when you go by !" Oh, bummer ! There were lots of people - many I would have loved to hook up with - once I'd undergone my excruciating couple of minutes. But there I was, lying at home, a feverish wreck !

The Catford Hill climb, on Yorks Hill drew record crowds and had a record entry. The Bec Hill Climb, with it's very encticing £1,000 for the winner and £900 for the winning team, attracted a record number elite riders. So it wasn't a big surprise to see the 12 year old record time broken.

Daniel Fleeman (Blue Sky Cycles) made a very tidy earning that day - on top of his £200 for breaking the record, he got the grand for winning, the £900 for being in the winning team, £300 for winning the Catford hill climb in the morning, and more money for being in the winning team there too. Not bad for 3.5 minutes' work !

The lady's winning time was quite impressive too - Kim Hurst (Agiskoviner) recorded 2mins 41 on Yorks Hill (700 yards/12.5%), and an impressive 2mins 36 on White Lane (600yards/15%) - 10 to 15 seconds faster than previous winning times.

Maybe I should be glad I didn't go as I might have finished embarrassingly slowly.
But in the eyes of the spectators anyone who turns up and has a go is a winner - including the Lanterne Rouge.

The riders describe it as an amazing experience. The climb is excruciatingly painful. Your lungs are bursting, your head is hurting, you feel sick - but the shouts from the crowd really spur you to keep going. When you look ahead all you see is a wall of people, and you wonder how you're going to get through. Thankfully they do clear a path for you as you approach them. It's better to focus on the tarmac, avoid the anxiety of not seeing the road ahead, and feed off the the up-close-and-personal spectators shouting in your ears. It's real Tour de France stuff. When you finish you feel dizzy and you just want to keel over - but you're glad you've done it !
These are the words of different riders who had a go.

I felt really disappointed to have not been able to make it, and kept pestering Stanley to know every blow by blow detail of how the day went. He was sweet enough to oblige, even though I was trying his patience !

Anyway, I'm definitely going to do both climbs next year - touch wood that I won't be ill two years on the trot.



Photos By:
Stanley
Paul Churchill (www.paulchurchill.co.uk/info@paulchurchilll.co.uk)
John Mullineaux (londoncyclesport.com)

Hill Climbs ? Oh, something's bugging me !

I've got the hill climbs tomorrow. It sounded a great idea at the time when I sent my entry off for the Bec and the Catford CC Hill climbs.

The chance to take part in a challenge with all the South London bike afionados out cheering and shouting you on, like in a Tour de France mountain stage. All the atmosphere and the camaraderie that develops among kindred suffering souls who brave the slopes.
It was also a chance to measure myself up and see how the hill reps, the road racing and the cyclosportives and cyclo cross have helped this year.

I had planned to trained up for this - but now the dreaded bug has hit me and I've been unable to do anything much for the last few days.

Stan and I did a mini ride up Yorks Hill (Catford Hill Climb) and White Lane/Titsey Hill (Bec Hill climb) yesterday. I was convinced that my symptoms were above the neck so no risk to my lungs. I just wrapped myself up with double the amount of layers and had a go at each climb. The lungs were ok but I had nothing in my legs, and I was very out of breath even though I hadn't allow myself to go into the red. But if you're ill there's no point.

After 2 ascents of Yorks Hill and 1 and a half of White Lane at snail-sprint pace we called it day. There was no point in wrecking myself any further. The damage may have already been done, as my chest was hurting during yesterday evening and I was in a real panic thinking I have contracted chronic fatigue syndrome.


Today I don't feel too bad, but then I've only been walking - between living room, kitchen, dining room. I've no idea how my body will bear up tomorrow going over the 25% ramps and the 12.5% average gradients over 600metres. The distances don't sound that long - but you are meant to sprint up them ! The fast boys take around 1min 50. At this rate I am likely to take well over 4 minutes - which will put me in pole position for the Lanterne Rouge! Well at least I'll get £10 for my trouble !

We'll see how it goes.

London by Bicycle - Part 2

It's funny how whenever I meet people who aren't from London - be it the North of England, or from outside the UK they always make the assumption that the terrain here must be pan flat.

"How are you going to cope with the Peak District climbs of the Polka Dot challenge ?" "It must be really tough for you guys trying to get up Alpe d'Huez when you're from a flat region."
Well the answer is, we don't cope any worse than people from other regions and Londoners scale the European cols just as well as the rest of them.

You see, London and its 'burbs has alot to offer when it comes to exercising the old quads. Those who say it's flat only hang out in the central area. From Regent's Park head north, and you soon hit Primrose Hill. A little further on, you've got Hampstead, Highgate Hill, and the transmitter at Alexandra Palace - right at the top of a steep hill.

Moving South to my neck of the woods it's hills galore. Just stepping out of my house and I have a choice of Anerley Hill, Fox Hill, Sylvan Hill before I can get anywhere. There's a 10%, a 13% or a 20%. Take your pick ! Ok so none of them can be described as the Tourmalet, but try doing 10 reps on those beasts at threshold insensity ! Of course once out on the road I would have to negotiate more climbs to get back home again.

Being near the Kent borders means my training rides take in a number of hills too. A favourite route of mine goes like this :
Down Anerley Hill, through Beckenham, West Wickham, Keston, Biggin Hill, Westerham, Edenbridge, Hever Castle, Cowden, Penshurst, Chiddingstone, Four Elms, Brasted, Pilgrims Way, Titsey, Beddlestead, West Wickam, and back home.

It's a 60mile loop that takes in a number of hills : Saltbox, Hosey, Yorks, Toys, Titsey, Hesiers, Corkscrew, Anerley.
The mileage is ok, but with the hills thrown in this makes for a real work-out. Riding it a few weeks ago on the one hot summer's day we've had this year, with Stanley was pretty hard work. Especially as he was a real mountain goat dancing up the hills on his lightest road bike while I struggled along on my heavy training bike. Riding up the brutal 20% on White Lane (the course for the Bec Hill climb) I almost passed out !
By the time I got back to Anerley Hill I was wasted.

So really, we have nothing to worry about when it comes to finding hills. Our biggest worry is in knowing which one to choose and summoning the courage to climb it !