I’ve spent two weeks in NY. I did a little training on Dougleston Parkway – a short hill, which takes 1.30 if you really go for it. It’s a bit like Monsal Head, except instead of the beautiful Peak District, you have as a backdrop – innumerable concrete flyovers, a smelly sanitation dump and cars driving like only crazy New Yorkers like to.
Quite often you get the passing draft of a big smelly dumpster truck, though the benefit of the passing draft is negated by the nervousness about breathing in within a 20 foot radious. Refuse collection is essential for any city – it’s just that we don’t tend to do high intensity intervals next to it. Still, I got four good training sessions in during the 12 days. Just about enough to feel I didn’t fall behind in the general scheme of things.
In fact Dougleston Parkway, New York is nothing like Monsal Head, because at it’s maximum it is 8%. Monsal Head is 25%.
Still I might do Monsal Head this year, just to have a go at something different. I’m not the best at short distance hill sprints, but still there’s a certain ‘fun’ in that eyeballs out 90 seconds of pain. I’ve done so many intervals up Dougleston Parkway, I am pretty well practised for that 90 second effort.
After the first interval of 90 seconds, the remaining are done at a slower pace 100-120 secs. I could do anything between 7 and 13 depending on how I felt. It was hot in New York, 28 degrees, though I don’t mind the heat.
Before Monsal Head, the first hill climb of the hill climb season is next Sun – Long Hill @ Buxton CC. 4 miles at 3% – far removed from a Monsal Head hill climb. I will be hoping for a northerly tailwind, and getting close to a 22 mph ride.
Hill Climb training starts tomorrow….
New York was relatively unstructured, and it involved quite a few days off the bike. That’s fine for August, but tomorrow is the last day of August, and it’s time to start training for hill climbs! Can’t wait…
Cycling in New York
I’ve written before about cycling in Jamaica, Queens, New York. It’s not the most inspiring experience, and I don’t have anything worthwhile to add to previous posts. Except it’s the one place in the world, where I feel no qualms or sense of guilt for cycling on the pavement.