The hills, THE HILLS!

Well yesterday saw my first serious test in my preparations for London - Paris. And I'm sorry to say, I failed miserably!

On paper, it seemed easy enough. 40 miles through the rolling Kent countryside. I've done 40 miles before several times. I've done it on my heavy old hybrid with it's chunky wheels. This will be a breeze on the road bike. I thought.

How wrong could I be?!

It has to be said my preparation for the event could have been better. After getting hammered on Thursday night watching Editors, I then decided to down a good few on Friday night at a friend's leaving do, then Saturday night, I was on the beer again at a poker night at my folks place. A poker night that went on the wee hours. I of course, was tucked up in bed by 11pm, but you try sleeping when downstairs all you can hear are screams of delight about Full Houses and High Straights.

So with barely 3 hours sleep, off I drive at the crack of dawn to Hildenbrough to take on what was clearly the hardest cycle I've ever attempted.

From the outset, I quickly realised that this ride was all about the hills. One slow painful ascent after another, punctuated with all too brief descents at break neck speed to the bottom of the next hill.

After 6 miles I'd lost one of my cycling companions to a busted knee. My other by this point had sped off over the horizon. I wouldn't see him again till the finish line.

The energy literally sapped from my body. I could barely get out of the 'granny' ring even when I wasn't climbing. Many of the hills had me off the bike and walking.

Then finally, after about 22 miles, a flat section. I cruised along the A25, slowly picking up speed and regaining some kind of psychological and physical strength. I could do this!

Who was I kidding? The only reason the course had flattened out was because I'd missed a turn up the next steep, torturous hill. Admitting defeat, I pulled my iphone out to see how I could negotiate my way back to the car. I'd continued 5 miles past where I was meant to turn off and there was no way I was doubling back to re-join the course.

I then spent the next hour and a half, slowly covering the 11 miles back to the car. More unclimbable hills. Stopping constantly to check my position. Mentally, I was ruined. I was in a bad place.

The route to Paris of course is planned to be as flat as possible, not as hilly. That said, I feel pretty dejected right now. I failed to complete 40 miles. On day 3 of the Paris trip, I've got to cover 100. And that's after cycling 60 and 70 miles on the previous 2 days.

I'm planning to get out on my own this weekend and strike off a 50 mile ride.

Hopefully then I can start looking forward to Paris again.