This weekend myself and Dave are heading down to Wanlockhead for the 2nd edition of the Souther Uplands Sportive, now know as the Radar Ride.

I've been getting some decent training in for this event, at over 100 miles long I needed it! I've been mixing it up between high speed blasts round a short loop and then this weekend put in a nice 65 mile ride, tracing the large majority of the Etape Caledonia route.

The key to this race I think will be to take it easy at the start, this isn't something that we can go out from the start guns blazing and expect to still finish strong, if at all! Apparently last year quite a few people did exactly that and went out hard and fast only to blow up on the later climbs. It would be very easy to go out incredibly quick as the first 7-15 or so miles are pretty much all downhill!

In a strange way I'm quite looking forwards to the final climb up Lowther Hill to the radar station, in recent weeks my I seem to have improved my climbing skills further still so hopefully I'll have enough in the tank to make a good effort of it. There's even a time split at the bottom of the climb to see who is King of the Mountain. I don't quite think I'd be up there with the leaders but it's nice to give it a try!

Radar 105 '09 Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com