I'm back and I've half a good excuse for having been away from this for so long. The first couple of weeks was because I didn't have much cycling to talk about just a bit of running and a lot of night outs and not enough sleep!
However, the past couple of weeks has seen me spending a lot of time in the saddle. The first trip out with the Saturday morning team was very hard, not only was I not in the right sort of shape for 45 miles through the Staffs moorlands, but I hadn't had enough food so I felt pretty awful on the way back home. Having said that I've kept the cycling up since then, doing a total of 80 miles last week, and 65 this week. In addition I've been using the turbo trainer a bit.
The turbo trainer! What an excellent way to tire yourself out in 30 to 45 minutes. I have been getting a seriously good workout and my heart monitor is telling me that I'm working far harder than I normally do when I'm out and about. It is excruciatingly boring though, you can only look around the inside of your own garage for so long before the novelty begins to wear off. Thank goodness for iPods!
I even managed to get up early this morning and have a ride over to Carsington Water on a spectacularly sunny morning. I was back home and in the shower for 8 a.m. feeling very good about the day ahead.
My target now is 55 miles this week which will make it 300 in total since the end of January which isn't bad for me. It's going to be tough as I am away with work for three days but I'm sure we'll find a way.
I have now started a fund raising page for the ride I am training for. If you fancy sponsoring me it's at www.justgiving.com/londontoderby
Friday, 16 March 2007
Sunday, 11 February 2007
You've got to Roll with it
Well, it has been a mixed week on the fitness front. I managed to get myself out of bed for a run one morning before work and I managed a really good session in the gym on Thursday evening. That aside, the weather put paid to any hopes I had of actually getting out on my bike. I did, though really want to get out which is an encouraging sign!
However I did stray with a couple of nights away working and I succumbed to the temptation of curry and beer. Not good for the fitness levels, but I don't think I could ever resist curry and beer, pathetic, isn't it?
I have borrowed a set of bike rollers off a friend for the next few weeks. The garage has been cleared out this afternoon so I am hoping to get my old bike up and running tomorrow evening to see how it works. he reckons it's pretty tiring and you can do a good workout in about half an hour. We'll see, but if that's the case it'll be a real help.
Oh, and Villa lost which isn't good, but England beat the Aussies at cricket which is as brilliant as it is amazing! Perhaps 140 miles in a day is doable!!
However I did stray with a couple of nights away working and I succumbed to the temptation of curry and beer. Not good for the fitness levels, but I don't think I could ever resist curry and beer, pathetic, isn't it?
I have borrowed a set of bike rollers off a friend for the next few weeks. The garage has been cleared out this afternoon so I am hoping to get my old bike up and running tomorrow evening to see how it works. he reckons it's pretty tiring and you can do a good workout in about half an hour. We'll see, but if that's the case it'll be a real help.
Oh, and Villa lost which isn't good, but England beat the Aussies at cricket which is as brilliant as it is amazing! Perhaps 140 miles in a day is doable!!
Sunday, 4 February 2007
Underway
Well, I did it, 60 miles on Saturday morning. It must have been the coldest morning for quite a while so my fellow cyclists didn't see me until we were 90 minutes in as I was hidden under a balaclava, under my helmet of course.
I was with some dismay that I heard the discussion on the course for the morning mention "The Cat and Fiddle", if you don't know it, it's a pub close to Buxton. It isn't quite at the top of the world but you can se the top of the world from it. Plenty of climbing!
We soon warmed up, apart from the ends of my fingers and toes, I can't see how to get over that on a bike, your toes and fingers don't do anything! Even the "Burton Racers" can't keep toes warm.
We managed a very welcome tea and a fairy cake in the Cat and Fiddle, and I even found myself itching to get going again. The final sting in the tail was a very short but steep climb up to Thorpe and home. I could feel my thighs beginning to cramp but couldn't possibly stop this close to home. I made it back only to find my milometer on 59.45 miles, not a good place to stop so I rode up and down the lane to get on to 60 miles, the furthest I've ever done in a day.
Do you know what, I loved it. The weather was magnificent, the views breathtaking and the company excellent. I think I might be hooked. I even managed to stay upright on the icy roads, obviously the benefit of having turned my rear tyre around the night before. I celebrated with a great curry out with some friends last night, believe me getting to sleep didn't take long. My legs don't feel even feel too bad today.
Oh and the Villa won as well, so the world is good.
I was with some dismay that I heard the discussion on the course for the morning mention "The Cat and Fiddle", if you don't know it, it's a pub close to Buxton. It isn't quite at the top of the world but you can se the top of the world from it. Plenty of climbing!
We soon warmed up, apart from the ends of my fingers and toes, I can't see how to get over that on a bike, your toes and fingers don't do anything! Even the "Burton Racers" can't keep toes warm.
We managed a very welcome tea and a fairy cake in the Cat and Fiddle, and I even found myself itching to get going again. The final sting in the tail was a very short but steep climb up to Thorpe and home. I could feel my thighs beginning to cramp but couldn't possibly stop this close to home. I made it back only to find my milometer on 59.45 miles, not a good place to stop so I rode up and down the lane to get on to 60 miles, the furthest I've ever done in a day.
Do you know what, I loved it. The weather was magnificent, the views breathtaking and the company excellent. I think I might be hooked. I even managed to stay upright on the icy roads, obviously the benefit of having turned my rear tyre around the night before. I celebrated with a great curry out with some friends last night, believe me getting to sleep didn't take long. My legs don't feel even feel too bad today.
Oh and the Villa won as well, so the world is good.
Friday, 2 February 2007
Why am I doing this?
OK, what am I doing? Somehow I have been persuaded to cycle from London to Derby on 26th May to raise funds for my children's primary school. One hundred and forty miles in a day. It doesn't look so bad if you don't use the figures.
I'd feel happier if the ride was towards the end of the summer as I would have longer to train, and it would be in decent weather. As it is I got my bike out of winter hibernation last Sunday and did 25, yes 25, miles in and around Alton Towers in a howling January gale. because there is no time to waste. It wasn't too bad, but then I was expecting the absolute worst. The wind is the hardest thing to overcome, I thought the speedo had failed at one point it was registering such a low speed. Still, I managed to average over 14 miles an hour, which I need to do for ten hours.......blimey!
Since then, I've been running twice and to the gym for 45 minutes of cycling. Somehow it doesn't feel like it's enough, but tomorrow should really find me out.
I'm meeting up with half a dozen guys who cycle 55 to 60 miles every Saturday morning. I have a Saturday off from coaching an under 9s football team so I'm joining them. Again, I'm not expecting too much from myself and am already looking forward to getting home into a hot shower. There are three or four of these guys doing the ride with me in May, they might be needing to lay a trail of flour behind them for me to follow.
Part of the logic for undertaking this is that I reckon it can't be too hilly between London and Derby so doing most of my training in the Peak District should stand me in good stead. I don't know, we'll see. Oh and I need to sort my back tyre out as well, I bought a super grippy rear tyre for cycling in the winter and I have put it on back to front. Easily done, bike upside down, wheel off bike, could happen to anyone and always does to me. the upshot is that the super grippy tyre is super slippy.
I'd feel happier if the ride was towards the end of the summer as I would have longer to train, and it would be in decent weather. As it is I got my bike out of winter hibernation last Sunday and did 25, yes 25, miles in and around Alton Towers in a howling January gale. because there is no time to waste. It wasn't too bad, but then I was expecting the absolute worst. The wind is the hardest thing to overcome, I thought the speedo had failed at one point it was registering such a low speed. Still, I managed to average over 14 miles an hour, which I need to do for ten hours.......blimey!
Since then, I've been running twice and to the gym for 45 minutes of cycling. Somehow it doesn't feel like it's enough, but tomorrow should really find me out.
I'm meeting up with half a dozen guys who cycle 55 to 60 miles every Saturday morning. I have a Saturday off from coaching an under 9s football team so I'm joining them. Again, I'm not expecting too much from myself and am already looking forward to getting home into a hot shower. There are three or four of these guys doing the ride with me in May, they might be needing to lay a trail of flour behind them for me to follow.
Part of the logic for undertaking this is that I reckon it can't be too hilly between London and Derby so doing most of my training in the Peak District should stand me in good stead. I don't know, we'll see. Oh and I need to sort my back tyre out as well, I bought a super grippy rear tyre for cycling in the winter and I have put it on back to front. Easily done, bike upside down, wheel off bike, could happen to anyone and always does to me. the upshot is that the super grippy tyre is super slippy.
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