3hr ride with 2x 10mins wk2 Sunday 18th October

Last session of a two week build period and I was beginning to feel tired. No one to help me along on this occasion. No one to hide behind from the wind.
The aim was 3 hours steady at 17-18mph containing two 10minute periods at 85%HRM 40minutes apart. Followed by a 2-3 mile steady run.
I chose a route that took me from Trowse down to Hempnell on the Stoke Road, so not the flatest, then down through Hempnell Green and Aldburgh to Homersfield to do the 10minute effort from Homersfield to Flixton. The effort was hard work. My legs were protesting and just wouldn't work hard enough to get my heart rate up to 85% of Heart Rate Max (HRM). I could get to 81%. Had expected it to take 10mins to get to Flixton but it only took 5. The full 10minute effort took me all the way to Bungay. Rather than doing a loop I opted for an out and back, so did 20minutes of the 40minutes between efforts riding from Bungay to Beccles. That road isn't flat. It's the first half of the Bungay Marathon that is famous for it's undulations. Not sure how smart it was to do that road twice as part of the 40 minutes between the two efforts, but the road from Bungay to Homersfield is really good for a 10minute turn of speed. Good road surface, straight road and not much traffic.
I now had a headwind for the return effort and legs were really hurting. Again couldn't get the pulse to 85%. Only positive was that I was gaining on a scotter that was ahead of me and the most inroads I made into the gap came when I had trees protecting me from the wind.
At the end of the effort and the second hour I was averaging 17.6mph, but I was pretty much spent. By the time I'd got back to Hempnell it had dropped to 17.2mph though managed to get it back to 17.3mph by the time I got back to Trowse.
I'm pleased with that.
Then straight out for a 2.2mile loop round Whitlingham Lane, The Street and Whitlingham Hall. It was nice to be off the bike, but running wasn't what I wanted to be doing, though I'm pleased to find I was running at 8:04mpm pace even with the hill up to the Hall. Managed to overtake someone that was on a bike, though admittedly they were only 4 or 5 years old.
Feel I've earned the curry I'm now heading out for, plus the rest day tomorrow and massage tomorrow evening.