Today’s stage was something I did plan: a round trip called “Rothaargebirge“, but modified to start/end in Medebach instead of Winterberg and I reversed direction.
As I skipped the “Medebacher Burcht” part, it would be around 105 km and my first over 100 km stage.
It didn’t go very well, despite the weather being better: just a little bit of rain close to Winterberg, although the low temperature was about the same as yesterday.
But my biggest problem – or as stated yesterday “an increasingly worrisome issue” – are the injured ribs and my decreasing ability to handle the pain…
Not that this should come as a surprise, since I’ve already experienced similar – and worse – injuries before.
However, I didn’t have any cycling trips planned then and stayed off the bike.
(Being in the hospital probably was the main reason, though 😂)
This adds to the already annoying hernia induced problems (and pain) which I experience every cycling trip, but more so when climbing day in, day out.
Anyway, my ability to produce any serious (climbing) power, such as it is, was ever decreasing.
If I look at the average power over the last 4 days, I’m dropping 10 – 20 Watts per day.
At that rate, I may have to walk up >15% climbs soon…
As I do not give up without a fight, I finished the stage, but I will seriously have to consider short(er) stages and be happy to get up any climb at all.
It’s not like I’m ever going to be a contender for a top KOM spot anyway, so I may as well “go with that flow” too 😎
Garmin recording here.
