Performance Enhancing Drugs

I’m all for top tips and Bradley Wiggins’ are no exception.  However, I discovered today that he does miss a key one.

I sometimes wish I could just stick with the same old routes but I do like variety so I decided to try and head out towards Malham via Littondale.  

Plan A was to cycle the whole route (unlikely).
Plan B was to cycle over to Malham and catch the train home from Skipton (a pleasant sounding option before I set off).

I was quickly forming Plan C in the first hour of cycling as my legs felt disturbingly heavy: Cycle up the Littondale valley and back home a similar route.

At the Grassington junction, I had a bar and remarkably, my legs seemed to appreciate a quick stop and I started feeling like Plan B may well be an option again.  It seemed that I needed a good hour just to get my legs going again as I was feeling quite good by the time I reached the head of the valley.  Adopting zig zagging and a necessary photo stop on the first section out of Littondale, I was then plodding happily up to Malham tarn. Of course, it took a while, I don’t seem to be developing a faster pace, just a little more stamina.

And then it was down into Malham with another stop for a photo before stopping for lunch at a cafe.  I was starving!  I downed my selection of performance enhancing drugs (tip 8); cheesy baked potato, latte, glass of water and ibuprofen to keep my achy shoulders at bay - and set off for Skipton railway station.  

But I felt remarkably good!  

So I just kept on pedalling with the possibility of Plan D, the Cow and Calf home.  Now, there’s only really one reason for that - the final downhill home (I hate finishing off uphill).  Plan D it was and I have to confess to feeling quite chuffed.

So my extra tip…


Tip 11:  Form a selection of pleasing plans.