Training for l’Etape du Tour had been going well, we’d even made our little 15 second “selfie videos” about our objectives for the Etape as requested by the Social Rider programme.
Ullswater and Kirkstone Pass Training
Sunday saw Laetitia and I on a lovely ride around the north eastern Lakeland fells and Ullswater, and returning over the Kirkstone Pass…
High Crag Climbing
On Wednesday last week, with the continuing fantastic Lakeland weather, I headed up to High Crag in Buttermere with Steve, Nick, and Rachel. It’s a crag Steve wanted to get some photos for a forthcoming guidebook. The great weather made the trip to this high and mostly north facing crag possible even though it is still quite early in the rock climbing season.
Rachel and I started off with High Crag Buttress. Although only a HVS, I made a mistake of climbing in just a t-shirt and shorts. As soon as I left the base of the cliff, which was still in sunshine, I was cold on the shaded rock face. Then by the time I’d belayed Rachel up the final pitch, sat in a draughty niche high on the cliff, I was shivering.
After the abseil descent we immediately despatched Dry Trim, this straightforward E1 was OK, it was sunny.
Then after a lunch stop, and an opportunity to put some long trousers and a jacket on, we went back up to the cliff from our perch out on the sunlit fell side. We chose Philistine, another E1, but a bit tougher. I was keen to climb quickly despite being chilled to possibly get the all important photo we’d come to the crag for. Anyway, to cut a long story short, my foot slipped, I took a slow motion sliding fall, not far – maybe two metres, and hit a ledge. Ouch!!!
(Check out Zac’s ears in the breeze!)
The day after my ankle was still really sore and mega swollen so we trundled off in to Kendal to visit the Urgent Treatment Centre to get it looked at and maybe have it x-rayed…
So that’s put a rather big question mark over the level of fitness I can maintain in time for the end of July and the Etape! Several weeks with my foot elevated and hopefully mending is not good training for a massive cycle ride! 🙁
Update…
Optimism returns… A couple of days later we went to the Fracture Clinic in Lancaster and they took the plaster off, took another peek at the x-rays, and declared that it only requires a “walking boot” (a kind of plastic thing that one straps on and off with wide velcro straps). This means I’m a little more mobile, no crutches, able to get in the shower without the boot, and – I hope – get back on the bike in a couple of weeks. At the very least I hope to be able to get on the turbo trainer. So perhaps I can regain just enough fitness for the Etape with just six weeks of preparation?! Fingers crossed…
One thought on “A Break in the Training”
Comments are closed.