Well the Alps Tour has come and gone, and it is really impressive what the riders have accomplished. I haven’t posted in this thread because my own little project kinda derailed, and I didn’t want to detract from the “real” riders’ awesome deeds.
If it’s one thing I’m convinced of, it’s that their ride (and training) are simply awesome deeds.
I started a couple of months early, and yet still could not keep up with their training ramp-up. Finally, in mid-July, I was not only not at trip level, but also developed Achilles tendonitis of some sort, which I am still dealing with. I also developed some hamstring/groin muscle issues that hopefully will teach me a lot about saddles and saddle design. The tendonitis forced me to stop riding, and even a short trip on the bike would cause it to flare up again.
Looking back, my training seems feeble, but while in the middle of it, it was all-consuming, taking lots of planning, sleep, route selection, unicycle gear planning, weather-watching, clothes cleaning, and the like.
I am really glad I did try this, and I haven’t given up on continuing this approach in the future, because I really learned a lot from it. Hopefully by backing off for a while, and starting in again slowly, I will be able to ramp up once again.
Congratulations again to the Alps Tour riders, and please know that I have a huge appreciation for your accomplishment!
