Robert Marchand during his World record breaking ride
This morning I had fallen fast asleep again when Steve woke me to ask if I was going to join him for a turbo session in our little box room upstairs. It is most unusual for me to go back to sleep once the lights are on or indeed for Steve to be up and about before me since I generally sleep less than he does. On this occasion not only had I I had gone back to sleep but so deeply that I was dreaming.
When I told Steve that, he said that he had had a funny dream just before he woke. He said that we were doing a triathlon somewhere and he thought it was a low key event, but the notable thing about it was; I was wearing a yellow tee shirt and was racing with John Lunt, who is years younger than me and was an experienced Ironman long before I even started triathlon, so that is a laugh in itself.
John Lunt and I pose with Tim Don looking on
In this dream we were running side by side charging toward the finish on a grassy course but at the last turn for the finish line I slipped on the grass and Lunty was pleased the get the win arms aloft in the standard victory finish as I struggled to recover myself. There are so many ways that that is hilarious. My very first event was one of the many races that John masterminded, long before his role in the 2012 Olympic Games in London; the Damp Dash swim run in Kingston-upon-Thames was one of his early Human Race events.
As we drank our morning beverage’s, we watched a bit of the news and the last item was about a man of 105, Robert Marchand who had set a new World Record for the distance cycled in one hour. This was done in the velodrome of Saint-Quentin en Yvelines, in France. The French man cycled 22.547 kilometres which is about 14 miles. This was, so reports tell, 92 laps of the velodrome.
This amazing man born in 1911 is from Amiens and according to the BBC is reported to have said, "I am not here to be champion. I am here to prove that at 105 years old you can still ride a bike," Still, he said he could have done better.
So what's his secret? He eats fruits and vegetables, doesn't smoke, drinks wine only on occasion, goes to bed at 9 p.m. exercises every day and has cycled for many years with great success in the past.
On our turbo session this morning I was total complete and total rubbish, but hope to improve slowly and will think of the remarkable Robert Marchand as my inspiration for future sessions.
Here below is one of my dreams from several years ago when I was a mere 74 and strangely it was not a nightmare but obviously was just a bit of dream worrying.
Time Trial
We are going to do a 100 mile bike time trial.
We are going to do a 100 mile bike time trial.
The start was not that far
away
Clapham Village Hall
A popular start point
Steve left home early in the
car
He forgot to take me
I really wanted to do it
Since I needed to qualify
For the World Championships
in September
The event is also
A qualifier
For European Championships
in 2014
2013 is my seventy forth
year.
So I set off
Ride the extra 5 miles
I get to the start.
When I get arrive
They have changed the start
To another point
Dial Post
16 miles further on
I eventually get to the
start
A couple of hours late
There are not many
(Well none actually)
Lady vet riders
Of my age
They let me start anyway
As I get pushed off by the
start marshal
I realise what I am wearing
A very nice and warm
But totally impractical for
the occasion,
Mohair and wool mix winter
coat
Auntie gave me it before she
died.
It is a full length camel
coloured coat
It has a high Peter Pan
collar.
Whilst holding the flaps of
the coat
To keep them from catching
in the spokes
I notice that I have,
To make matters worse
I have put on a pair on
socks
That my daughter’s cocker
spaniel Louis
Had eaten a few days
earlier.
They are in shreds
And offer me no protection
My shoes start to give me
blisters
My husband Steve,
Who is normally
My pre-event preparation
slave,
Has not even filled my
drinks bottle.
My usual bag of Marks and
Spencer’s fruit jellies
Are not on my bike
And neither are
My normal salt supply,
In the form of saltine
crackers.
I carry on biking
But the wind gets in my eyes
I have forgotten
My sun glasses
I look for a marshal
To give my cumbersome coat
to
I don't want to just leave
it on the road side
Because it is a top quality
coat
It will last me forever
Because I only wear it for
best.
I am now hours over the cut
off time
But still have to get back
to the finish
Another fifty miles away
It is then that I start to
become
Distantly conscious
From my dream
But do not actually wake.
I know at this point
That the reason
My foot and arm ache
SO much is because
I had a fall running six
weeks ago
And have had problems
That have needed two trips
To the hospital to put
right.
The second was only
yesterday
I am still a shaky from that
But on the other hand
I have more movement
I am starting to think
That I will get better
And be able to get back to
training
As normal
This is confusing in my
dream state
Because I am struggling
Through a hundred mile time
trial
I think that I should stop
really,
It's too early after my
treatment,
They said that I should take
it easy
For at least six weeks more
Yet here I am on a long bike
ride
I hope that Steve will come
and pick me up
But he doesn't.
I keep pushing on,
Confused now
Why I am fighting the odds
When I should be having an
easy day
I am coming out of my dream
slowly
I know that I do want to get
back in shape
But do not understand
Why my foot and arm ache so
much on this ride
The alarm goes off at 5.30
am
Steve is going to a turbo
session
With friends
But I am not going because
I have just had a final (I
hope)
Examination at the hospital
In my bleary state I am not
sure
That I have not been riding my bike
All night
In Auntie Paul's coat.
It feels like I have.
In the cold light of day
I day not need this dream
analyzed
I know that at approaching
74
I am fighting against the
odds
But I still think that is a
worthwhile battle
In case anybody out there
thinks otherwise.
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