Not enough training

Found a great route on GPSies.com last weekend, downloaded it to the Garmin. 32miles starting a few miles up the road ideal. Had all Sunday free so off I went. I used to do 30miles downs rides quite often. I also decided to use the hardtail for the day, as I’m considering using it in July so ought to see how it is for a longer ride. I love the direct power transfer the feeling of all your effort going into turning the wheels. Little bit of a surprise when you forget you haven’t got the usual 5 inches of shock absorption under your behind. Its an interesting route, going mainly over trails I’ve done before but put together differently to how I would plan a route, seeming to go into and back out again of every available valley. Great training but I was all in by the time I crawled home, 36miles and 4000ft of ascending and 5 hours. That pace in July will barely fit into the available daylight hours, so I’ve not only got to triple the distance but I’ve somehow got to up the pace too. As for the hardtail, really pleased with it most of the time; although I did get a puncture on the rear and the forks are too long really so it’s difficult to keep the front end down on steep climbs. I also missed the forgiving nature of full suss later in the ride when tired and line choice becomes a bit lazy.

Jimdub and raa are coming out for some training miles in a couple of weeks, so I guess it is time to MTFU.

I started a pilates class on Tuesday too, I found this really helpful in my training before the C2C some I’m hoping that again it will help this time, but with working away from home a couple of days most weeks it is going to be difficult to get the miles in.

The new bike should be arriving in the next few weeks, hopefully I’ll have it by May bank holiday weekend, but that depends on Orange’s schedule not mine L.

Got out on the road bike, 28miles today, nice weather at the time, pub lunch managed to stay off the beer too. Roped in some logistical support for July today, so its starting to take shape.

Driving to Peterborough tonight, hopefully it wont rain all the way, although it's looking like there's an even chance.

Interesting couple of weeks

I've been getting out and about a bit the last couple of weeks. Trying to get my weekly milage up by degrees, managed 30-40 for the last 2 weeks, including turbo sessions. A couple of weekends ago managed to get a South Downs ride in, covered a quarter of the target distance in just under 3 hours, unfortunately I dont think that pace is sustainable for 100 miles, I'd love to do it in 12 hours, but I think a little realism needs to come into it.
Last weekend we were visiting family and I managed to sneak in a 10 miler up at Lee and Cragg quarries, blimey proper full on trails the climb from the car park started higher than Ditchling Beacon what we call a high point round here. Some great trails though, and friendly northerners at every turn. I was talking to a guy about his new white Orange 5 just like the one I've ordered (more of that later) who challenged me as to why I needed a new one, I think he eventually accepted the 'fancied one' argument, my more technical justifications didn't seem to cut it. They got me back on the right track after my slight detour through a wind farm (pictured).

Further on I was chatting to another couple of riders who were having a breather and offered they offered me some of their hot Oxo! I then caught up with a local called Dave who was recovering from the flu (!) and he led me back down off the moors and through the quarry on one the best singletrack I've done in ages. This youtube clip covers some of it although not me but as damp. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq78FhBC8Fk great stuff (a lot faster than me too). I was finished when I got to the car, he headed on back up for a bit more, he was the one getting over flu!

Dave has offered to take me out and show me some more next time I'm up there, which is very generous, lets hope these miles I'm trying to get in will pay off!

This week I've been over in Bristol for work and managed to get over to Ashton Court and tried out the Red and Blue trails there, again good fun, but by then my legs seem to have run out of steam. Everytime pedalling was required I found the tank was empty. Not where I wanted to be with my training. So decided to take it easy for a couple of days, eat well and plan to hit the downs again this weekend.

So I've ordered a new bike, hope to be getting it by the end of the month, very excited. Started by bidding on an ebay bargain, ended up with a great deal from SunsetMTB in Cardiff, wont tell the full story here but I'm quite excited, but have to wait for Orange to build the frame and paint it for me! I've gone a bit mad with the upgrade options too. Not actually sure if its the right bike for the SDW, but it'll be great for fun trails and trail centres. Just need to get my skills up to scratch.

I think thats enough rambling for now.

Official Launch Time

OK this is it time to commit.

A few years ago a friend was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease last year after a long decline he died. This cruel disease took so much quality of life away from him and his family. They dealt with it brilliantly, they were lucky to have the support of friends, family and 3 great charities; MNDA, Martletts Hospice and Dignitas.
Ever since Mike was first diagnosed I have wondered what can I do to help, I have no relevant skills. What I do is work in IT and ride bicycles for fun, and sometimes organise cycling trips/challenges.

So that's it I'll get some cycling people together and take on a proper challenge, a blood, sweat and tears challenge, you know the kind that hurts, requires commitment, something people can understand and get behind. Lets see if we can raise some money to help other people in similar or worse situations.

So I emailed some people, who generally said "you're mad" and some of them said "you're mad and I'm up for it". So the Gang of 4 is formed. All of us have ridden on the South Downs before, 3 of us have ridden its entire length. None of us has done all 100miles and 12,600 feet of climbing in one day. So that is the challenge the South Downs Way in a day. The date is set Sunday 22nd of July 2012 to suffer and enjoy chalky/flinty hillage to raise some money for 3 excellent causes.

I'm hoping that friends and family will get involved, either to support us on the day, or maybe walk or ride a bit of the route themselves, or just give us their money. All good, all welcome.

There will be a just giving page setup soon. This blog will be updated from time to time with the highs and lows of training, links to relevant pages.

thought the blog needed a new look.

So the title gives a hint at what the next caper will be, still waiting for final confirmation of who will be on the roster and when it will happen, but as jimdub says time for procrastination is over, time to start getting the miles in. Currently I'm confined to roadbike/turbo duties only, while I try to get a niggling shoulder injury sorted out. Each time i ride the mtb it takes the recovery back a few weeks. Doing the 55k ride with jimdub 4 days after the crash probably wasnt the best start to the recovery! ah well we live and occassionally we learn.

hope you like the look, and I'll be back with more news soon...

Blob

So what sits on its chair all day, and weighs about a stone heavier than it should......me of course.

Pre mid October, ride to work & back was a nice round 10 miles.

Post house move, doubles the distance. Apart from getting me more fit & more fresh air, it had the opposite effect of now I drive, save for when the car was in the garage being fixed again. Using the excuse of dropping daughter off at School, rotten cycling roads, dark, weather and all else I can find not to ride.

I have been promising, that once the mornings are a bit lighter, eldest can use the bus occasionally, enabling me to get moving, assuming that its a mere couple 'o' weeks away.

That all changed yesterday, when an email from PNik arrived, reminding me of this years' plan. Now I am not going to spill the beans yet, as for various reasons, its not my shout. BUT, its made me realise, that I have not got very long to sort myself out. So, this weekend, I am reserving some time to hosing down the Killer Bee of whatever mud is still coating it & get on the thing & get some miles done. Tempting to get the slicks on for a bit & discover the local area.

Whadyathink?

J

Edit: 19 road miles round the lanes. Did me in, hopeless 1 hour 45 minutes. Hmph

Where havent I been?

Well its been a fun couple of months not much biking though. Chest infection managed to reduce my bikiness for a while, started riding the road bike a bit at lunchtime from the office.

At the start of August OB and myself went up to see the Jedi at http://www.ukbikeskills.co.uk/ and do the Jumps and Drops course.

This was great fun, Jedi started us by rearranging our bike controls and suspension settings for the session ahead. The we started by rolling over a stick on the ground to establish the 'push' technique which is the foundation skill for all jumps and drops. We then moved onto the hill, where we did drops that got progressively higher, then onto a bit of cornering and then the jumping began, wow, I didnt beleive it at the start of the day but by the end I was confidently clearing a 6 foot double, awesome. Unfortunately I was so surprised I managed to crash on the run off, as I went down my kneepad slid aside to reveal my knee to the ground, to which I generously donated some flesh, but hey; chicks dig scars huh?

This is Jedi's blog of the day http://ukbikeskills.blogspot.com/2011/08/augusts-public-jumps-and-drops-course.html

Since then the family holiday beckoned so no riding but we did manage our first mountain, with a stroll up Snowdon (and back down again).

Hoping to hit up my first sportive this weekend will start with something gentle, theres a Burgess Hill based one with some options below 50miles, which seems like a good way to start.

What have I learned...

Forgive me reader it is over a month since my last post.

Well I probably should have learned something recently.

First I went out for a ride on the downs with raa82, now he's been getting serious of late, riding road bikes almost exclusively. and as it turns out is much fitter than me, but patient, so we had a lovely ride on the south downs and I went home feeling pleasantly exhausted, with slightly achy thighs, put down to a slipping seatpost.

Then went out in Bristol for a quick mid-week hack around Leigh Woods with a colleague, nothing too strenous fitness coped, feeling good again. Except for a rational fear of steep, slimy, rooty slopes, that go on too long.

Then I lead the friday afternoon social ride; easy climbs, fun descents, introduction to off-roading, nothing to scare anyone. That was on Leith Hill on the North Downs. By which point I'm feeling much better about my riding than I have in months, I've been getting out more, and not seriously letting myself down.

So when the email came about the Tuesday Night Mile Munchers from http://brightonmtb.org/ i though what the hell, how hard can it be, I'll take it easy they're probably a bit fitter/faster but it will do me good. Cycling over Mark caught me up, and so suddenly I'm riding uphill at his pace, chatting and we havent started yet. So over the top and into the woods, OK, this is quick too, very quick, and we've not started yet. Still chatting to MArk he says "Oh there's only usually 3 or 4 of us on a Tuesday, dont worry it'll be fine"

He has a rigid 29er with only one chainring at the front, hmm. We arrive at the start and the 3 or 4 grows to 8. 7 thin blokes with hardtails, some rigid forks, many with less than a full complement of gears, i think the pinnacle was retrobike man on a mid-90s Pace hardtail with rigid aluminium forks and singlespeed and me, over weight, over sprung and over geared, it seemed. Still how hard could it be, only a couple of hours. After the usual faffing the torment began, as the kids would say "OMG!". So cut a long story short, smoked me up,down and sideways, I felt like a total beginner. To be fair they waited for me, then set off when I caught up, meaning I had very little recovery time.

I could barely walk upstairs when I got home. not been so wiped out since, I cant remember probably the C2C i suppose but possibly not even then.

Just for fun I had some time on easter weekend, and went out on the downs for a ride on my own and I thought I;d take the hardtail, the one that cost a fraction of the full suss'er, that normally has road tyres, but has knobblies at the moment. Wow, so quick, couldnt beleive it I did the training loop ive been using just to see if it made a difference, now this is not super scientific, it was dry, and stuff, but I averaged 10 mph, compared with about 7.5 mph on the previous outings. what a difference.

Anyway where does that get us. Well it seems logical at this point to buy a road bike and start using my hardtail more, especially when out with the beginners group, it occurs to me when oout with the mile munchers, i need to make sure I'm considering all abilities. I also now have a clearer view of the spectrum of abilities and fitness levels, and my place on it, I'm definitely nearer the left than the right.

I think I need to book some events for the summer/autumn to give my training some focus, maybe even a sportive to try out the new road bike. whats the worst that could happen, I might start to enjoy the pain. probably not.