One last test ...

With a long winter’s training behind him, Jonathan was keen to determine his fitness level as the challenge of the Cape Epic approaches. Would all the winter hours in the saddle pay dividends? One way to find out was to enter the “Gold Rush” at Coed-y-Brenin. Three laps of the Tarw trail – the Red Bull trail for all you old timers – would offer a great test for the legs and lungs over 50km of typical Welsh trail centre riding.

Sitting in his van with driving rain pounding on the roof and windscreen, the wet and windy forests of north Wales seemed a long way from the blue skies of the Canary Islands where Jon completed his winter training just two weeks before, and indeed from the soaring heat that lies ahead in South Africa. Despite the rain, Jon had a smile on his face as today would be the first competitive outing for his new Cube race bike. Equally important, there were many familiar faces amongst the 200 riders at the start line – it’s always good to catch up with old friends, and make some new ones.

The well-marshalled course had everything you would expect from Coed-y-Brenin – rocks, rocks, and more rocks! The climbs are tough but the descents are sweet. Jon encountered considerable traffic on the first lap, but he soon found his rhythm as the field opened up. With plenty of fuel to keep him going – Strudel and Liquorice Allsorts were the chosen bars for the race – Jon recorded three consistent laps to finish 16th overall and 8th in his category. Consistency is what he’ll need in South Africa. All-in-all, a great day in and out of the saddle.

The final test of my fitness for the Cape Epic took place in the Sports Science lab at the University of Wales, Newport, under the watchful eye of our coach, George Rose. The dreaded “Kingcylce” test involves pedalling against an ever increasing resistance to determine maximum heart rate and power output. The “ramp test” starts at 175 watts and increases by 25 watts a minute. Maximum power is an average over the last minute of cycling.

This was my 8th Kingcycle test, and they don’t get any easier. The key is to stay on top of the gears and be absolutely focused on the computer screen in front of you, which has a “bow-tie” shaped marker that must be kept between an upper and lower marker on the screen. The end of the test comes when you can no longer keep the bow-tie above the lower marker. When you know you’re going to suffer, and when you really start to suffer, it can be difficult to maintain focus. I’ve found that it’s much easier to maintain your focus when you have an ultimate goal in mind – my best test result was a couple of weeks before the National Marathon Champs in 2007, which I won (vets category).

I was feeling strong throughout the test, until the moment of truth that comes to us all when the heart is at its absolute max. When tests are taken in the midst of the racing season, it is possible to “fight back” as the bow-tie descends towards the lower marker, but after a winter’s training with little or no “top end” riding the bow tie descends faster than the current British economy. Despite this, my max power was just one watt below my best ever output (487W). With my body fat down to 9% and a kilo lighter on the scales, my power-to-weight ratio was the best ever.

I think it’s safe to say we’re ready!