HIM bike ride simulation

I was finally able to get out for a TTC group ride this morning, but ended up by myself anyway. When I arrived at the meeting point, I was the only one heading out on the 85km route, so that's what I did. I wanted to do a continuous, solid (but not hard) effort, getting a feel for what the HIM bike will feel like.

I misjudged part of the course, adding a few kilometres, and there was a 5km section on gravel roads that wasn't marked on the map. (Here's a couple of things about gravel roads: 1) they're gravel, meaning lots of rocks, which increases the likelihood of a flat exponentially; and 2) they're not paved, because obviously they aren't used as much. Meaning, not only are you more likely to have a problem, but if you do, you'll be by yourself for quite some time.) Luckily, everything went well.

I kept a HR cap of 145 bpm on the flats and 150 bpm on any climbs. My average speed was a bit lower than I'm expecting at Muskoka, but that should be a function of the course. There are a lot of climbs up north, but they aren't as steep as what I was riding today. The Richmond Hill area has a lot of flat sections, but the climbs (which are numerous) are all short and steep. Average speed gets killed in those circumstances. I was beginning to get a little tired by the end, but I think I could have run a good half-mary at that point. I'll be taking in more calories on race day, so I'm planning on doing a nutrition test in the coming weeks. That will answer any questions.

Bike: ~ 90km, 32.4 km/h average