Easter weekend cycle rides and routes. Battle.

My next century ride will be a round trip from Oxted to Battle and back, I have tired of the fifty mile loop and I will have to do that on the following day anyway, I don't fancy doing it three times in two days.
Setting out the route is very important to me, it seems to build up my motivation once I have a plan and drawn the map. I would have liked to have done another section of the Truro to Guildford run, but it's very time consuming, the last one took ten hours from the time I left home to the time I arrived back.

I did have nine more training rides left after Easter building up to a 150 mile ride. However, Ben my trainer is pleased with my form, so he is kindly thinking of rewriting my May training schedule with a view to building the distances, possibly up to a 200 mile ride in late May. Thanks Ben!
I do really owe Ben a huge thank you, his training schedule has really hit the spot, when I started out doing 50 mile rides at the beginning of March, 240 miles seemed impossible.
The gradual build up of distance, increase in intencity of Gym and Turbo sessions coupled with reduced rest and recovery days, has transformed my capacity beyond my wildest expectations.

Some people have asked my if I think I am taking it to seriously and over doing the training.
The way I see it is that the ride is possible for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness and a bit of training, but, what state would they be in at the end and how long will it take to recover. The other way I look at it is, on June the 10th I will be spending the whole day cycling, that is up to 15 hours peddling. If I can reduce that by even one hour it will be a huge bonus. Added to this, it's a one off and when it is over I need ('cos I'm twisted like that) to be able to look back and know that I did it in the best time I could.
One of my motivating factors is that some people (not sure if their my friends or not!) have sponsored me with added time bonus, so if get back in under certain times I raise more money for the Samson Centre. Effectiveley I will kill two birds (not ducks) with one stone, greater personal satisfaction and more sponsorship.

The importance of a proper recovery technique

Set off early Saturday morning, to catch the train from Guildford. Not a good start, it was raining so turned on the radio to cheer myself up, only to hear the sounds of Travis bemoaning "Why does it always rain on me". It was a good train journey, met a guy on his way back to Yeovil after 4 months Snowboarding in Austria, lucky sod.
By the time I left Yeovil the weather was great, sunshine with a light tail wind. Meant to stop in Salisbury, but like I said before it's hard, so my first stop was just before Winchester, hence the photo. It really was uneventful, other than I was going well, my average speed was up and increasing. It's a long haul out of Winchester and up to Four Marks.
There is a debate about the benefit of cycling helments, I do wear one and any doubts as to whether it's worth the discomfort or not were dispelled on this trip, a car went past me at some speed and a stone pinged of my hat, I'm glad it was not my forehead it hit!
This second photo is of what was a very welcome sight, only 17 miles to go. The run home was good from here mostly flat and no incidents. I was very pleased with my time, well under six hours for 107 miles, making my target of less than 15 hours for 240 miles seem attainable. Felt very elated when I got back and through the evening, but on Sunday I was really washed out and on Monday I noticed I had lost four or five pounds. Should have done a Turbo session on Monday, but for the first time felt I just couldn't do it. The problem seems to have been that I did not take in enough fluid and easy carbs after the ride.
Back to normal today, well as normal as I ever get!