Nice Long Weekend

 
 
 
 

Some photos from a wonderful bank holiday in Nice with The Flying Dutchman (TFD). We arrived Friday night after a little bit of airport stress in that TFD's train was delayed and I was starting to think I would be going to Nice alone. We got to his cool apartment and had a couple of beers on the terrace. So nice to sit outside and be warm. He gave me a fantastic gift of a new cycling computer that does everything from altitude, speed, heart rate, power but also has a ski setting. Very very cool and he just keep securing his position as the best boyfriend ever :)

We did loads of cycling over the weekend, and most of it was up hill. It doesn't matter which way you go, you have to go up which is of course excellent training. Some of the pics show the roads we were riding that just keep going switchback after switchback. I spent 3 months cycling in Italy a few years back and I had forgotten that roads could be like that. It is so worth it for the views when you get to the top and then the fun part...the decent! TFD is awesome on a bike and he drops down the side of mountains faster than gravity. If you have read any previous entries you will know how competitive I am and there was no way I was going to be left behind so I tucked my fear away and just went for it hitting 70km an hour coming down. TFD taught me how to go faster around switch backs on the way down which was also handy. My aim was to always try and keep him in sight but it didn't always work out, if I braked just a tab bit too long on a corner, he was gone and I would have to work so hard to even have a chance of seeing him again before the bottom. All excellent fun. We did part of the Monacco 1/2 Ironman course and that is tough. The race is next week and I am seriously thinking about doing it next year. Having the advantage of being able to train on the course is a huge benefit. We were out for about 6 hours on Saturday and it was about 35 degrees so we came back pretty worn out. Saturday night TFD took me out for a lovely meal on the beach and then onto a cool bar for cocktails. Perfect ending to a perfect day. It was so nice just hanging out with him, I find it really difficult that we have so little time just to do stuff like that.

Sunday was a shorter ride of a couple of hours but really hard. I had my heart rate up at 174 and thought it was going to come out through my chest. I also thought I would cry when I convinced myself I was at the top after about 3km of climbing only to find out I had another 2km to go. Again, worth it for the views at the top and the rush of flying down the side of the mountain. We got back and I did an hour run up hill from the port to turn the legs over. I try and do a run off the bike as much as possible, obviously in a triathlon you want to get out on the run as quickly as possible so it's best to train for that :) We headed to Cap d'Ail for some beach time on Sunday afternoon and i got in a 45 min swim. The good news is it that it I got over my desire to swim the channel. I swam quite a long way out from the beach and it was rough once you got out of the protection of the small bay and I am guessing it is still nothing compared to the channel. Not sure I want to put myself through that. Saying that it was so nice to be in the open water. I also threw on the zoot suit, figured I have it I might as well use it seeing as the last time was Kona last year. We wanted to have an early dinner at Cap d'Ail but nowhere was serving and there was a 2 hour gap between trains which wasn't great as we wanted to get up early to ride before heading back. We went for a drink in a lovely bar I had actually been to 2 years ago when I first found Cap d'Ail. It is just stunning. Right on the water with lovely furniture and the best bit...cold beer :)

We caught the train back and had dinner down near the markets. I had probably the best piece of salmon I have ever had. Lovely. We were not out late, I was almost dead on my feet by the time we got back having done so much training throughout the day.

Monday was another long ride where we headed out and across to Menton and then up the famous col de la Madona. What a climb. It just went on and on and on. I wasn't quite going at the speed Lance Armstrong used to go up it :) I am sure I would have kept up if I wasn't stopping to take photos ;) TFD flew up that. He needed to get in some good training, he is leaving Saturday for a cycling week in the Pyrenees. He got in a pretty long rest whilst waiting for me! We got back to Nice and I took Matilda (my bike) apart, a task I am getting very good at! Flight back was uneventful, shame that TFD and I were on different flights.

Perfect perfect weekend. Lovely spending so much time with TFD, I am going to miss him when he is away next week. So, back into the training this week. I had a great session on the track this morning, I am running 6 min miles at the moment and they feel pretty good, I feel like I can go faster. I just have this small issue of a sore foot that is giving me quite a bit of pain and has been swollen for about a week now. Dr's tomorrow I think.
Enjoy the photos!
Cxx