LAE

you are just like me 5 years ago when i got into cycling again. sheesh...i did and still do ride round regeants park occasionally though not for several weeks now. i can give you loads of pointers given the terrain we have and the limited toughness of our location. you did about 12 laps or there about of the outer circle, right?

How long have you been cycling now? your average speed of 14 mph on regeants park is ok but not really relevant for evaluating how fit you are. What i like about that park is that it is like a cycle track if you loop the outer circle as long as you time the traffic lights and don't get caught too often. This means you can pretty much just keep going and build up your stamina/endurance. Forget about building up yur climbing legs and muscle mass. Do that in the hills on weekends. Use the park loop for what it is good for..i.e. non stop endurance. This will build up your cardio fitness and then when you do the hill repeats, the only thing holding you back are the leg muscles. At the park, just keep pushing round and aim for about 16 to 19 mph over 20 laps. It won't take long. Trust me. that is how I started.