Ironman mettle melts as Bigman bounces back

Fresh from the sunny Alpine mountains where there is more precipitaion comes from the brow than from the sky, Bigman was keen to benchmark his fitness levels on the Cols of Fife he has come to know and love. Ironman and him were due to go out today however rain stopped play as they say.


Bigman, having enjoyed 4 weeks of dry, warm cycling then decided he needed a doze of reality, banged on the winter gear and flew out the door in one movement thus avoiding any oportunity for re-evaluating the hasty decision. Whilst he has many miles under his belt, he also has beaucoup du kilo above le belt! .....hence the bouncing back. The investment today will remind him of teh winter months of training in this climate to come and will pay dividends on the Cape Epic.

It was serious precipitation as he left to climb up through Townhill targetting the Col du Cleish as the first test. A steady pace and limited pain in the legs he pushed harder into the strong easterly. The road easily gave way as he pounded up the hill, as if bowing before this alpine crusader, his 12 pack serving to break through the colliding wind in an aerodynamic way no peleton of 200 cyclists could compete with.

There was much debris on the road with high risk of punctures but even the mighty Lance Armstrong can get a puncture as we saw last week. Four weeks in France and not a puncture between Bigman and Mrs B however the French do sweep the cycle lanes!

Overthe top of Col du Cleish and it is decision time - opt for the shorter version and dash through the puddles back over Mont Veknockhill or take the scenic route via Powmill with the option for cake and coffee. Cake and coffe for a few extra miles seems like a good deal. He held a steady40kph along the rolling road to Crook of Devon supported by the wind from behind. It might even have been a good drying wind, if the rain had not continued to fall in torrents. The Powmill coffee shop in sight and another decision. Is he serious about the Cape Epic or is it all a bit of laff?. He is serious. No coffee, No cake, No rest. Back to the climb over Mont Veknockhill which would require him to turn into the wind. Every hill has a requirement to exert energy to move forward. The key difference in France was that there is no respite. even the corners on Mont Ventoux have a camber the height of an indoor cycling track bend. In Fife the hills have little 'shelves' where you can recover before the next push. And so it was, Bigman pushed on as if he was Lance himself ascending Alp d'Huez to claim victory. As the trees swayed in appreciation. and the thunder clapped overhead, it was good to be recognised.

The driving rain diluting the perspiration as it trickled with increasing accelaration into his eyes, the wind ensuring it reached the very recesses of the eyeball for maximum stinging effect, the muscles straining at the demand put upon them to climb faster than had been achieved before, aaaaaaaaah it is great to be cycling in Scotland. Bigman is loving this experience.

Cresting the top in the top gear provided an island of perverse pleasure in such a sea of miserable conditions.

A blast back down to Dunfermline and 45k had been bagged in a time that will need to remain secret as the internationally recognised cycling meet for the 2009 Col du Carnock Carnival is just around the corner.It would be inappropriate to divulge the fitness level. Suffice to say Bigman was not unhappy, with scope for improvement of the next few weeks.