Sportive Training 101 - Lesson 3: How to callus your @rse... Or training rides.

In writing this I have to be honest.  Of this year (2016) I have done 2 training rides all year before both my main sportives.  I am finding myself in a Jeckl and Hyde mood when I think about this half because 2 training rides really isn't enough, and the other half is it's all I really could have properly managed this year.  As I've mentioned before I was ill this year, and with the advent of a massive new road (AWPR) tearing up my usual cycling routes I have been rightly reluctant to go out out my end of Aberdeen.  (it's pretty horrific at the moment - the usual roads I roll have either been cut off, the ones I can roll on no one would in their right mind.)  But hey, sometimes that is how the cookie crumbles and 2 is better than none.

The purpose of training rides are mostly to make sure you can sit in the saddle. Come 60mph wind, rain, crashes, go slows, and snow.  All of which happened to me in last year's Etape Caledonia.   If you can sit in the saddle with your legs always going one more pedal turn you can finish any distance barring mechanical faults or acts of God. And he knows he can be a funny bugger sometimes.  They also teach you how to read a road in terms of surface conditions and terrain, how to get to the top of a climb efficiently and your limits on cornering.  Whilst some of this can be gained on a cycle commute every day, knowing you can do three hours plus then a big climb does wonders for the nerves on your first sportive. So... what things should you consider when planing a training ride.  Well...

1.  How you are going to build up Miles and Time.   In the first year me and the girls built on distance by adding 5 or so miles to each training ride every weekend.  The longest mileage we did in that first year was 65 miles which was a perfect distance for me - about 7 hours including stops - as it was more than half the distance of the sportive  ('Every endurance event is done in halfs, get half way then start counting the second half backwards' - Thomas Willis my da'.) and meant that I knew that come act of god or serious mechanical failure, I could always get back on the bike and push the pedals one more time.  Now, there is a general consensus that you should train for how long you think your sportive is going to take, with the intensity of how much hard work you plan to hit it with.  So for example if I planned to do a 65 mile sportive in 4 hours in Zone 3 (about 170bpm* for me) then I would carve out time to train for a single four hour session once a week (or more) and building up the duration upon which I could spend time in zone three to four hours.  In saying this, in my first year there was no way I'd have finished the 81 mile sportive (given a mixture of fitness and bike skills) in about 4 hours averaging 170bpm.

2.  How to structure your training sessions in between your longer training rides.  To borrow from our Muscle bound brethren 'It's on your recovery that you make your gains.'    I find I work best on every second day regardless of what training I do so it's Monday off for me if I've been out on a training ride on Sunday anyway.  But be aware that DOMS  (delayed onset muscle soreness) is relieved by moving so you may want to keep up with your commute, or the habit of hitting the turbo trainer for 10 mins while your bath runs the next day.  And also, it does help a lot in getting used to that saddle just remember to take it easy or you'll get sick.

3.  Where are you going to go.  Hill training.   HILL TRAINING.  HILLLL TRAINNING!!!!!  Again it does wonders for the soul knowing that after 40 or so miles that you can hit a big hill and get up it. If your sportive has hilly terrain it's worth doing a search on google, checking your local cycling reddit thread and asking if there are any hills worth climbing.  Sportives are pretty popular now so there will be someone who will know your area well enough to say 'head out here there's a cracking hill there...'.

4.  What to eat.  There is so many things specifically for athletes, amateur or otherwise, and a lot of them are foul.  In the first couple of training rides, it's best just to stick to sweets and perhaps something starchy (crisps or biscuits) to help the digestion.  The body has, at any given time, about an hours worth of energy within the muscles, specifically for use in the muscles.  The body needs this in order to burn any extra body fat one is carrying as well as to move.  Once this runs out, or a rider fails to top this up, it's miseryvile so even if you are dieting, if you are going out for more than an hour take about 100 or so cals worth of food and drink for every hour that you are out.  Take what you fancy, perhaps consider decanting it to make it easy to open and adjust next time for what you found hard or easy.   One of my mates on her first year ate mostly chocolate bars and bananas and I drank cans of coke, as well as stopping for soup and cake at some point.   We probably over munched but it was tasty and no-one really bonked.  We did eventually get onto some of the specific gels and energy drinks but chances are as soon as you find something you like the taste of, they'll stop producing it.

5. Equipment and Clothing.  What to take? I would insist on your mobile,  a cheap bike computer and a puncture kit** but everything else is up to you.  Testing how to eat on the bike - little carry on's to store eats and drinks - it's best to get used to these now.   Weather apps are great, and knowing that below 10 degrees you'll need your thermal long sleeve and a tank top under the cycling soft jacket, or that at 15 degrees all you need is a tank top and the cycling jersey will help a lot in choosing what to wear on the day.  Same as knowing that the waterproof you have can be worn as a wind break but would be too uncomfortable if it's going to be over 20 degrees.   It's all about personal comfort.  For example my blokie insists on wearing board shorts on top of compression tights and a lumberjack shirt, but then that's what he's tried and tested and happy with.  I on the other hand like long sleeves, running leggings and have yet to find a pair of gloves I'm happy with.

There is a lot more I could go into on this.  Where to find routes for your area, what maps to use, what to take, what not to take, where not to go but that would lead to a behemoth of a blog post and the best thing to do is to keep it simple on the first couple of training rides.  Especially if you're keen to go it's best not to get fogged down in detail as that can take a lot of joy out of what is supposed to be a leisure activity.  Also, the better you get at training, the more efficient you become.  The first year we stopped every training ride for some lunch and a sit down, the second year we continued on regardless, now 2016, I go out about 4 hours max, concentrating on my bike handling skills - which as a dyspraxic - are pretty shocking.

The first two ridewithgps.com windows you see are a couple of training rides, the first in 2012, the second in 2014 (I think) and this last one is the time for my first sportive in 2012.

For the first in the series click here, for the second click here.

Jx

*For the interests of full disclosure my heart rate ranges from 60bpm resting, to 201bpm max - that's this year and I've been ill. Have I mentioned that?  I feel like I've mentioned that.  Last year max was 209 and before that max was 211 so getting old and all.

** You will never need this puncture kit until the day you leave it at home.

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Sportive Training 101 - Lesson 1 - Just WHY?

Having within a matter of weeks entered into both Etape Caledonia 2016 and just the other day Etape Loch Ness 2016 I am putting myself forward to discuss the ins and outs of sportive training as I understand it.  Having done this for ooooh since 2011 (REALLY?!?!?!? Christ!) I flatter myself in thinking I know a thing or two about cycling, training and a few other aspects of saddle wanking the New Kids on the Block may have missed or anyone else for that matter.  And often I have found myself getting it wrong -  but consider that I have got it wrong so's youse don't have too.

I don't pretend to understand the psychology of deciding to undertake an extreme physical challenge. It is an extreme physical challenge - don't kid yourself it's anything less.  Sixty odd miles on the bike might be on the lower end of the Sportive/Public participant cycle event, but you can't do it comfortably straight off the bat.  Most regular cyclists - those 5/10 mile a day commuters - would struggle to get to the end of it without sustaining some sort of bum damage at the very least, so to go from a swing round the park with the kids a couple of times in the summer to a training sportive participant is a big thing. It's the cycling equivalent of running a marathon.  But I often find that the decision to do so involves hiding your ego behind a virtuous aim.  For example there are easier, cheaper and far less extreme ways to increase your mental or physical health, more civilised ways of getting to know your peers, and easier less time consuming ways of raising money for charity.  But I do know none of these are accompanied by a vague sense of eternal glory standing at the finish line, holding your medal aloft, back lit and in soft focus, with your fellow participants weeping softly into their merino base layers* because they just can't manage your supreme level of cycling majesty.

...we all wish tho' don't we... admit it.

Be aware though, the decision to partake in your first sportive might not be the same answer to the question 'Why?'  In the first year you will ask yourself 'Why?' Allot. In many forms. 'Why am I going out for three hours training after a full days work?' Or the 'Why am I up this early on a Sunday?' and of course my particular favourites, 'Why does it feel like I have horns growing out of the underside of my groin.',  the befuddled  'Why won't this hill end?' and the angry 'WHY DOES THIS WIND HATE ME'.

Your seat will feel like this..

Sometimes the answer to these questions will be that vision of you standing at the end on the podium holding your medal aloft, other times sudocreme (but more likely lack there of).  But be aware there are times when that vision will allude you, when it won't seem worth it and you're just too damn tired  or gritty to feel the health benefits, so sod the knickerless donkeys, kids without wigs, teapotless old folk and eternal glory.  Just Why?  I'm not going to tell you why.  What I am going to do is ask you to keep going.  I'm going to say that if you can complain about it you can still push your foot down.  You can still pedal. Hell, if you need to - and since this is your first year - get off that bike and walk**. Because at the end of your first sportive when you cross that finish line, when you feel like you've welded yourself to that bike, where your hands are cramped and your feet are ice, and the rest of you is just plain cold and crusty, a fresh faced army cadet will tentatively approach with a medal in their hands and you will snatch that medal and you will feel like that vision on the podium, back lit, in soft focus, only  perhaps weeping softly to yourself over your own cycling majesty.

Behold! My Own Cycling Majesty!!!

Jx

* Ahh merino - you will come to understand

** Only in your first year mind.

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My Leggies are SORE!

I really don't think I'm suited to late-in-the-day cycling.  My legs feel heavy and nervy.  I've had my milk shake and some soup and some Skittles (the 'taste the rainbow kind', no bowling kind.) I'm still struggling, but I'm faster.  A whole half mile per hour faster up Warren Wood. So I've kind of earned these sore legs.




In other news, the Etape is looming... ish.  I've to be fair taking it easy, with the odd folly out on the brompton but I haven't hit the Turbo in some time.  This week was mostly taken up painting the living room with a whole day devoted to shelves that thought they were a prop in Kripton Factor.  I'll remedy that tomorrow with a session - a short half hour.  We're doing a large route at the weekend, so we can put in a few routes the week after should we need to.  Perhaps a drive out to Warren Wood and hill repeats.  There's also the fairly big hill just out our road so, plenty of options available

There's ghosts in the Machine....

...and realising it can't break Asimov's three laws* it's decided to be slightly annoying.  Like deciding to change it's own password, so after two days of faffing the Giddy Blonde, man that does, went and phoned the Wify people to get it fixed.

Never-the-less we were actually out on Saturday!  And we kicked arse!  Nearly.  Going out was very hard, there was a head wind all the way.  And a massive hill, you can see it:


I didn't know it was there, and had I known we may never have gone out that way.  Which is why the way is surprisingly flat on the way back. 13.2mph! Which isn't bad.  When we got into Ballater I was convinced that the Gids was going to say (having left Banchory at 12.45) that it was 5pm and we'd have to start straight back but we'd actually done the first 30 miles in 2hrs 30, which ment time for soup and tea and a mooch about Ballater's Bike Festival - a lot of mountain bikes - and a chat with Everyone's favourite Geordie, Trevor.

Going back we got to Aboyne and decided to go back along the B road instead of through the back road again, which instead of being two and a half hours long took us an hour and 45.

It was disconcertingly sore sitting on the bike that long - particuarly on the arms. So I'm going to start some arm and shoulder exercises.


We've got a day at the races this Friday, but we'll either be out on Saturday or Sunday - I'm thinking another 50 miles to Stonehaven or something similar. The weekend after is Balloch - where our intention is to do another 65.  And then it's the race.

Whilst I think we are faster I'm a bit disconcerned about the soreness on the bike - I haven't felt it that bad in a very long time - any tips would be good...

Tomorrow I have my mate Pam coming and we're going to go up and down the big hill at mine.  I might put on some soup or something, for a quick snack after.

Jx

1. Thou Shalt not harm a human, or through inaction allow a human being to be harmed
2. Thou Shalt Obey a human being, except when it conflicts with the first law
3. Thou Shalt not show consistency in log ins, search engines, and will ask if an item is to be saved, even if the user has not made any changes!

Guess who can't sleep?

Guess who's Giddy Blonde is snoring so loudly she can hear him all the way from the front bedroom to the living room... Guess who did some hill training on Sunday?
Guess who's wondering if she should have another glass of strawberry nesquik (I'm not ashamed send me some nestlé) or mibbies try and get more shut eye?

Mx

Aren't I feeling a little smug...

...though more smug than I should really... Only a spot of hill training - first this week (had friends up Monday-Wednesday). Crazy-on-the-inside was nagging me today to start cycling into work. It is an idea, cos then I could take this hill every day? Mx

Guess Which Fat Arse needs Hauled up some hills...

Me! That's who!

That first big climb is more or less right in front of our door step so I'll be doing that about twice a week.  It's a fairly busy road but it's straight and well lit so it's fairly safe to hall myself up it.  I ended up with a stitch and thought I was going to throw up (hence the four minute flat section after it, if you switch from distance to time), and there was one point near the end I coughed so hard I actually gagged but I've been feeling better in stages this week so we'll be getting out for a couple of hours every weekend from now until the Etape.

In further sportive news they've cancelled the Scottish Bike Show Sportive which is a bit of a poopoo as I really enjoyed it last year...'Due to methods outwith their control' apparently.  I only noticed when I saw they'd refunded my money via an e-mail reciept and phoned them up in a panic.  An e-mail had gone out with the official explination (not a proper explination, an official explination) but that ended up in my junk folder so I - and according to the forums a few others - missed that.  One of the organisers phoned me up (which was rather good of him) and gave their explination.  We're half tempted to go round anyway so we'll see.

Spoke to one of my mates last night and she was saying she's not done any training for it.  She's a swimmer so she's fairly sure she's got the aerobic ability - it's just the sitting on the bike for that length of time's going to be a struggle for her, she thinks.  I'll have to start calling people out for rides now.  Deeside Diva's start this week so I'll need to start making my way for that - I want to get better riding in a group.

Mx

I've been remiss in writing...

...these past couple of weeks because I wanted something to write.  And after the crappy crappy route of last week, I kind of didn't look at the bike for an entire week.  You know I've struggled with getting back in the saddle this year. I just can't seem to get into it, especially now since it's about 12 weeks away (or less!)  But I've pulled my socks up and managed 3 turbo training sessions, as well as made proper plans for going out tomorrow.

|The thing is though... and this occurred to me this week,        I have no short term goals.  Besides from getting the training 'done', and that's a bit hit or miss, I have no 'will make x amount of miles in x amount of time.  I really don't want a 'will do x miles by x time' because that will be fruitless, and I have a lot of data but none of it generally means anything to me.  I should do a test turbo session - pick a gear, pick a zone and see how far I go.   And then once a fortnight see if I'm improving.  I'm not good at the gears but so it will either need to be the very top one or the bottom one, but the new turbo trainer does have levels so if I need to make it harder I'll use that.

Mx

p.s. Have linked google+, feel free to 'join me'.

We've gone cycling by mistake...

(extra points if you can tell me where I've nicked that from).  It wasn't ace.  Bits of it was abject hell.  We spent the first four miles running up and down cobbled streets cos we got lost.  Then, just as the arm burn was beginning to wear off, we hit a 3 mile road which was at least 6 inches thick with churned mud.  Now, you know I hate cycling in mud.  The Gidds knows I hate cycling in mud.  Even the bike knows I hate cycling in mud. And it agrees with me.  It's horrible stuff, sticks to your tires, splats it's way up the bike and then sucks all the energy from your thighs.  And you have to actually  look at it in order to get through it; it changes, hides sh!t that could brain you, and you spend your time watching it get stickier and uglier than you ever thought possible.  Now I'm not a girly girl.  I don't mind getting dirty.  But ffs I hate that sh!t.  Now I had a long time to think about this, because that 3 miles took us another 50 minutes.  After that there was another couple of miles of fire track road - not really a road at all, just a dirt track covered by a thick layer of really loose tiny little stones.  It was here there was a casualty...

We couldn't remember how to put the route in Garry Garmin so the Giddy Blonde had decided to use  his three-day-old-brand-spanking-all-shiny-and-everything-new phone, thinking that since we were really in his neck of the woods we'd be able easily find our way back should the battery die.  It was on the little pebble sh!t he fell, riding one handed fingering this thing (I'm not jealous) trying to see when the next turn was happening (not soon enough I can tell you!).  He's taken a nasty chunk of skin off his hand (having took his glove off to use the phone) dunted his elbow and grit rashed a 4 inch section on his thigh where he landed, and finally put a hole in his snowboarding jacket (he was wearing a pair of corduroys, snow gloves, and his bright green snowboarding jacket, for an intended 40 mile cycle; sometimes there are no words).

We had a short spit of road and then it was along the Dyce railway line in 20mph head wind, that blew my sunny disposition home, leaving me on that sodding railway line.

When we got back on the road, got to the first major hill, his front gear pranged and that was all she wrote really. On actual proper road it wasn't that bad going, just oh-my-god not our day at all.


The flat gap in the middle is where we went and hid in the Giddy Blonde's mum's house.  The flat bit at the end is where I needed a sit down and a shower before me and the bike could look at each other.

So lessons learned:
Remember how to use big G - I think I've written a post actually...
Don't let the Gids pick the route - he's terrified of the big bad roads and had chosen the smaller ones specifically.  Never let him choose the route at all - the google car hadn't even been down the one we went down.  It even looks dark and forboding - though it didn't have all those trees yesterday but that's how they get you!

Anyhoo.  I'm consoling myself that there's a certain steeliness in plugging away at something - next weekend!

Mx

Lets Ride, or lie in, or Ride!... Or lie in....

So… First 30 miles of the year!  Really didn’t think I’d make it when I stepped out.  And whilst I was trying to think, having not been on the bike for the past 2 months really – except for that 1 tt session, and the odd glide to work I really have done nothing – I didn’t want to put any pressure on myself but, you know what it’s like when you’re away for while, the brain gets to thinking, ‘wouldn’t it be fab if my average milage went up 3 miles… wouldn’t it be fab if this was stupidly easy…’ which of course it never is.

I set off from our new digs just after 11 but then foolishly went up the back of old town and through Aberdeen Uni (one of the oldest Uni’s in the world – with the cobbled streets that go with it).  The shake on my arms was soo bad I ended up getting off the bike and walking for more than half of it, and then p!ssing off the Students trying to use the tiny pavements as I salmoned up them.   After some reflection (and been sworn at by a posh man in a scarf) I decided trying to find a better route through town would be much better and ended up picking my way through the Sunday traffic on the more usual route, along King Street and through Union Street.  

It was at that point I noticed my Bike Computer wasn’t working so I stopped at Alpine Bikes (this bit's worth it, trust me!).  Normally I don’t go to these guys – they have a really good selection of ‘quality’ bike clothes (Endura etc, expensive stuff generally) but their folk aren’t brilliant at customer service – I ordered gloves once and never got the promised call back to go and get them, - and because they have a workshop they really don’t have encourage buying bits for yourself.  Never the less, I went in for one of those little magnets that make your bike computer work.  They don’t sell them so the guy suggested I check through in the workshop.  the guy behind the counter was all like ‘No we found this one the other day… just take it!’ They GAVE ME ONE FOR FREE!  I was expecting about £2 possibly. And then coming out of the bikeshop I saw someone going in and I was like ‘OOooo, I feel guilty… what if this was from his bike…’.  But that soon worn off. 

Eventually I hit the Deeside Railway Line.  Perfect day for it – the cloud cover was enough to project shadows across farm land and hills caressed by a gentle mist that took enough shine off the road for perfect visuals.   The Railway line did look like it’d taken a bit of a hit from the flooding though.  A couple of the banks where they’d built new buildings had collapsed and I ended up walking over a couple of rubble mounds.  A few of the areas where the tarmac ends and starts – where they’d put a sort of cement asphalt that get compacted – that had all been kicked up and was like cycling on chuckies (does every one know what I’m talking about there?).  I had noticed a couple of better established trails leading off down into the country side, where instead of broken fencing they’d put proper breaks and gateways with signs so that’s really good. Just hope they don’t stop there. 

The first 3^rd of the journey up the railway – with the 3% rise for about 3 miles,  I’m sure I’ve complained about it before, so I’m going to again – was pretty horrendous. And I did have a crisis of confidence, and considered just turning back more than once or twice, or three times, especially at the end of the railway line.  When coming off the railway line you go down a really steep road into a hair pin bend, which is under a bridge, so you can’t see round it.  Then it’s a mile or two of slow increasingly upward rolling hills which are just murder.  I knew they were waiting for me and I really wasn’t arsed, but I stuck with it and kept my head down and I’m very glad I did.  After the food of athletes (Cullen Skink), I zoomed back hitting the beach at dusk.  

I really don’t know why going out’s so miserable.  Is it that I’m not warmed up? Haven’t eaten enough? The lack of company seems to suit me but I wonder I’d be more intune to it if someone else was there today… hrmmm…

The route:

The Stats:

Distance:	29.4 mi
Elevation:	+ 1482 / - 1226 ft
Max Grade	15.0 %
Avg. Grade	0.6 %
Ascent time	01:34:48
Descent time	00:59:45
Moving Time:	02:34:33
Max Speed:	27.3 mph
Avg. Speed:	11.4 mph
Pace:	00:08:51
Moving Pace:	00:05:15
Max Heartrate:	195 bpm
Min Heartrate:	105 bpm
Avg. Heartrate:	170.4 bpm
Heartrate zones:
Zone 1:	43 min
Zone 2:	59 min
Zone 3:	32 min
Zone 4:	1 hour 2 min
Zone 5:	53 min

As to my performance – I think I’ve gotten a smidgen faster.  Not much, but considering I spent 20 odd minutes faffing over cobble stones in Old Town, then another 5 picking my way across the rubble on the Deeside line, I recon I’m on the wrong side of two hours and back.  Which considering that it’s 30 miles – not bad.   Much better than the 10 miles per hour I usually do.  But, yes, there is work to do!

On that note – I went out on Luella yesterday, having taken the back carrier and basket off.  Now I didn’t feel any difference at all yesterday, but this morning I absolutely flew up a hill I normally struggle on.  Me and the Gids commuted this morning and he usually drops me at this low bowl like hill before we even warmed up and I was in his slipstream all the way up!  I was really chuffed with that.  It may be I’m still warm from yesterday (is that possible?) but taking the extra bits off and just carrying a back pack made a heck of a difference.

Have a pretty picture from my ride:

Mx

Playing nice with others...

...is something I'm not known for.  At best I'm shy at my worst I come across as superior and any attempt at banter comes out down right hurtful, and the frustrating thing is I'm lovely.  So knowing this  I took me and myself down to Deeside Divas last Wednesday, which is run for free by these lovely people here.

On arrival I was 'inspected' then 'dismissed' as non-threatening, and then was I spoken too.  Which I kind of expected, the first thing I do when I see someone on a bike, is check the bike - I've not got the 'leave your competitors in the dust' gene so seeing how fit they are isn't a consideration for me per se, but I understand others have that.

I was then spoken to by a man called Tim who was soo tall and lanky he looked like he'd been wrung through a Victorian wringer.   He of course was OUR LEADER or COACH.  Kind of.  I wonder what he gets out of running a group of about 20 women in Lycra?  He wasn't very shouty and didn't have any weird demands as OUR LEADER slash COACH and I was most disapointed when he didn't make me do endless sit ups whilst shouting 'NO PAIIINN!!!!!'.

We then headed up Causey Mounth, I intentionally hung back as I didn't want to awe everyone with my mountain climbing prowess, given that Causey Mounth isn't really a mountain and prowess is a term I'm using loosely to mean 'get out of breath a bit sweaty'.   We had a little pootle for about a mile to put us in a group as we were doing an AMT (Australian Man Tango - I may have heard that wrong) Session, which is when the 'handicapped' get a two minute start before they unleash the dogs let the other cyclists try to catch up with them.

I of course was in the handicapped group, however I much prefer the term cyclistickly challenged.  And I'm very cyclistickly challenged. I managed to keep up on the first lap, was dropped round on the second and ended up going round by myself on the last.  With a lot of folk going 'Well done!' for managing a 4 mile route.   And me wanting to go 'No!!! Honestly!!! Fuck Off!!! I'm just slow!!! I can do this all day!!! I've done this for 80 miles!!! Six weeks ago!!! According to Garry Garmin I have at least another 60 odd miles in me!!! '  But we weren't doing it all day.  We'd only been up there for an hour, and were only going to be there for another 5 minutes at most.  Or at least until I caught up with everyone who passed me on my last lap. So I kept my trap shut, and instead consoled myself with 'Well, it would have been disappointing to find myself the fastest.  Where's the challenge in that really?'

Starts in:	Aberdeen, Scotland, GB
Distance:	23.9 mi
Elevation:	+ 1355 / - 1450 ft
Max Grade	8.5 %
Avg. Grade	0.9 %
VAM	367 Vm/h
Ascent time	01:07:33
Descent time	00:44:40
Total Duration:	02:19:28
Moving Time:	01:52:13
Stopped Time:	00:27:15
Calories:	609
Avg. Watts:	90 ( with 0s)
Max Speed:	33.4 mph
Avg. Speed:	12.8 mph
Pace:	00:05:50
Moving Pace:	00:04:42
Max Cadence:	117 rpm
Min Cadence:	17 rpm
Avg. Cadence:	63.6 rpm
Max Heartrate:	179 bpm
Min Heartrate:	44 bpm
Avg. Heartrate:	109.2 bpm
Heartrate zones:
Zone 1:	18 min
Zone 2:	10 min
Zone 3:	10 min
Zone 4:	5 min

At least I have somewhere to go.  I think I'll go next week as well.  I did enjoy myself and I haven't been out much though a bit more prep before hand might be an idea.  Defo a snack or something before I leave, I only had a gel snot at the top of CM when he was explaining Alien Mouth Tent.

The metrics are quite interesting. My heart rate seems (in my opinion) to be a bit all over the place, moving time was just under two hours but my zones were just under an hour?  Does that mean I wasn't working that hard consistently or that my hr monitor is not working - and as we know I do have misgivings about my heart rate monitor.

I do have other activities to post about but I'm running a bit behind due to other constraints.  Myself and the Giddy Blonde have just come back from a weekend in Inverness (where there was some cycling) and where Not So Giddy Blonde may have to have his name changed to 'Mibbies not as Giddy but sure as hell cut from the same cloth Blonde'.  Here's a 'Choice' excerpt from my Weekend -

Giddy: Do you know what a Gilet is?

Mibbies: Yes, no, is that a thing you carry babies in?

Giddy:  No! That's a BAIN MARIE

Please don't put your baby in a bain marie.

Mx

You spin me right round baby...

Should have posted this on Tuesday so appols!

If you go to the proper site and press play you'll get a migrane watching the map dance. Bottled a few of the turns, so am thinking I might head out tomorrow again to practice my form.  I also need to take some time back from work so I might shoot off about 4ish tomorrow and do some hill practice as well.  I am actually feeling restless.  I've gone from doing 80 miles a week, to doing nothing and my legs are doing some weird restless thing, feeling tense and awful.  So a little won't hurt I figure.

Mx

3 Weeks to Go...

...and I'm running up that hill - well cycling up that hill.

Have changed the strategy for training so instead of long rides and sitting in the saddle for hours on end it's all shorter rides and trying to get the average up, along with pushing up hills in the most horrible of gears.  I've done a little route on Saturday which is only 15 mins from town and 9 miles long so I'll be able to do a couple of laps of that of an evening I'm not at the gym - it's not dark until about 8.45pm now).  In saying that it's pretty much been fowl uncyclible weather since Saturday so I've still been hitting the gym.

Here's the lap:
 

In similar news I have mutant thighs.  I noticed it on Monday in the work's elevator - something tends to happen to my 'look' on leaving my flat and getting to work so I usually check out myself in the elevator mirror to make sure I haven't aquired a mohican or sprouted horns - and now have absurdly muscly knees and thigh muscles that you can actually now see the definition of through 90 denier tights. 

All this basically means is now I have remarkibly chunky thights to go with my extremely chunky calves.  Before I only had chunky calves (my legs were akin to Popeyes arms pre-spinich where his forearms are always wider than the rest of his arms) my legs now have an appealing overall chunkiness I quite like.  I am currently resisting the urge to kick things with them to show how strong and excellently chunky they are.  Lots of the Guys (we grow them spindley here) are jelous. 

Mx