More than two weeks ago I could hear the slats dancing. The wind was strong, so it made the slats for the shutters dance. I could also see tree branches dance with the wind. I could also hear the wind load the roof and make it creak. These sights and sounds made me question the rationality of going for a group ride that Sunday, and whether I would be able to do the group run on Monday....
Posts tagged “effort”
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On High Winds, Cold Temperatures and the Need for Relaxed Group Rides — Apr 10, 2026 -
A Four Kilometre Run — Feb 8, 2023Today I ran four kilometres, after walking fifteen kilometres yesterday and my legs felt tired. They felt heavy and I thought that I wouldn’t make it to the target distance. I did, but it was a game of will.... -
The Advantage of a Sweeper/Coach — Aug 16, 2025When I ride with some groups I have to ride hard. I have to keep the wheel and stay with the group because if I get dropped then I need to work hard to get back onto their wheels. In contrast when I ride with other groups, as a result of having to ride hard sometimes, I end up faster.... -
One Weekend - Two Pinnacle Rides — Aug 13, 2025This weekend I know of two challenging rides that I could do. The first is a 140km ride with 2000m of climbing, eventually getting to the top of the Salève. The second is a 153km walk with 2500m of climbing to the Col Du Grand St Bernard.... -
That Pumped Feeling — Jul 9, 2025Today on two segments, specifically I rode fast. I rode fast because I know them well so it is easy for me to assess effort without feeling drained, or at least not too drained, and then I slowed down to the speed of the group.... -
Of Relaxed Rides and Hikes the Next Day — Jun 23, 2025Two days ago I was cycling with a group and someone commented that the relaxed rides are no longer relaxed and that got me to thinking about organising a real relaxed ride, where the aim is to cycle at 20 on the flat. If I had had this option then I could have tried group rides much sooner. In fact the group rides that I tried last year would have been more comfortable. When a group is fast, and we are not, then the ride is exhausting, even if it has a coffee break....
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A Knackered Feeling — Oct 12, 2024For two days I rode twenty five kilometres, which, by my standards, are quite small rides. Today I rode with a group and for a while I was fine but then, when I climbed from Nyon towards Duillier I began to feel that I was fatigued. I slowed down and I couldn’t keep up with the group, or more accurately, the group had better acceleration and once you’re dropped you have to make more effort....
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A Weekend of Hiking and Cycling — Jul 22, 2024This weekend has been physically demanding. On Saturday I rode with people who do nothing but ride, so they’re far fitter, on a bike than I am, so by the end of the ride I was struggling to keep up....
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Cycling from L'Isle to RomainMotier — Sep 11, 2023Although the ride from L’Isle to Romainmôtier feels easy because I’m cycling slower than my maximum it is still tiring, as is illustrated by two points. The first is that the trip burns 800 kilocalories according to the Apple Watch, which is significant, but also because by the end of the ride I feel tired.... -
Slowed by the Wind — Aug 3, 2023Yesterday I walked into the wind for two to three kilometres. The wind was so strong that the Apple watch gave me “high noise level” warnings more than once. The wind was around 30-40km/h. It was so strong that I stopped listening to an Audiobook because I couldn’t hear it. I then heard the summary for the last kilometre and was told that I was walking at 11 minutes per kilometre, compared to my 10 minutes 40 per kilometre....
