Training Update Week 7

Hoorah!

Managed 5 days on the bike, despite being very busy faciliating a music / drama activity week over half term, plus still fighting cold / flu symptoms.

The stats:
127 miles covered, that's 693 year to date - not earth-shattering (yet) but a steady and consistent week.
Longest ride just over 27 miles - this was with Simon and was a beautiful sunny, cool but dry day (first for ages!)

Obviously the chain got fixed, and i have registered for the Norwich 100, this is early June so should be a good marker for fitness pre-L2P24. Still on the lookout for other sportives / centuries to take part in. Getting used to my aero bars - may have to shift saddle slightly, but am quite happy rolling along in the prone position.

Fundraising has not moved and a summit meeting is planned for a couple of events to boost awareness and funding - watch this space.

In other news, EBH, Team Sky, comes 2nd in tour of Oman, and he beats Spartacus in a TT! Bertie gets first win in portugal, and Cav has announced his first ride to be in Andalucia.

Here's to more miles and more speed!

pedal pedal pedal...

L2P24 Route announced

Momentum gathers. The route is announced subject to changes / roadworks / french port strikes et al.

It starts in... London and finishes in...Paris going via Dover and Calais! More seriously though, graphical representation below:




On the english side, looks like Hollingbourne Hill in Kent is not en route, but Capel Le Ferne is in. As for the french side we start in the north and travel south and that is about the utmost of my knowledge!

Cycling this week has been non-existant partly due to the aforementioned broken chain, plus shaking off cold and busy at work. Normal service to resume soon...

Training Update Week 5

165 days to go. Fundraising up to £365

Mileage overshadowed by further suffering with a cold, plus to crown the week a broken chain half way to work on Friday.

Total mileage this week: 76 - thats 566 year to date - still keeping nose in front of the last L2P regime.
but still sad to say that longest ride only 20 miles this week.

Things to do - Get bike fixed and serviced. Maybe it is time for either an old bike 2nd hand from somewhere to do up as a fixie or winter bike? Or the best plan would be a brand new bike and relegate old faithful to the winter bike category!

In other news Team Sky took the prologue TTT at ToQ today - brill. EBH takes leaders jersey into stage 1.

Fed up to still have cold so will write more next time...

Milestone, millstone or just another day?

Happy birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday dear Darren
Happy Birthday to me!

So 40 huh? Sad to say a lot has happened in the past 40 years:
I can remember getting a landline fitted at home,
I remember the Queens Silver Jubilee,
I remember the advent of the personal computer,
I remember the great music of the 80's / 90's
and I remember when Liverpool truly were the greatest football team!!!

Just for fun, please find below 40 facts and random thoughts associated with the number 40:


1. Life begins at


2. If I were an Israelite I would now be about to enter the promised land

3. Lubricant – WD__

4. A song by U2

5. Best selling singles / albums

6. weeks = length of a pregnancy

7. f-o-r-t-y :- the only number that is spelt in letters in alphabetical order

8. negative = The point on temperature scales where Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same

9. Length of Noah’s flood experience in days and nights

10. Length of days in Lent

11. No of winks in a quick nap

12. Motorway from London to Birmingham

13. Ali Baba’s Thieves

14. Reggae Band UB__

15. XL in Roman Numerals

16. Score in Tennis

17. Ruby Wedding

18. Hours in a working week

19. % upper tax bracket

20. My chest size

21. equivalent to size 7 in shoes

22. £34.86 equivalent in euros

23. 25miles equivalent to km

24. atomic number of zirconium (periodic table)

25. speed that a human could theoretically run?

26. stopping distance = 36metres at 40mph

27. Ford GT__

28. Roaring Forties – boisterous and prevailing westerly winds

29. Forties Field = North Sea Oil field

30. A symphony by Mozart in G Minor

31. A song by Dave Matthews Band

32. A song by Franz Ferdinand

33. Ronald Reagan 40th President (he also shares my birthday!)

34. Queen Elizabeth II 40th Monarch since William the Conqueror

35. Edison Lighthouse – Love grows (where my Rosemary goes) was no.1, 40 years ago

36. 18 plus 22 years of experience!

37. Fabulous forty

38. 40 – The old age of youth

39. Forty isn’t old – if you’re a tree

40. Days including today till St Patricks Day

Training Update Week 4

172 days to go until L2P24...

Progress so far:
Mileage this week - 159
Mileage year to date - 490 (thats over 100 up on previous L2P attempt)
Most mileage in one ride - 35
Most mileage in one day 48 (not the same day)
most seperate rides in a day - 3

Wii Fit Age - ranged from 28 - 44!
Weight - no change still 6lbs to lose!?
Fundraising is up to £315 - over 1/6th of the way there - Brilliant!

Weather this week has been the full gambit of rain, wind and even snow. As a consequence or maybe thats coincidence i have had a rubbish cold - wonder if Lemsip constitutes a banned substance?

I saw an interesting discussion on a forum this week - Which foot do you put down when stopping whilst cycling?

I always unclip my right foot and place that on the ground, thereby leaving my left securely clipped in ready to go. Does that mean my left foot gets more of a workout? On further thought i also realise that i approach and mount my bike from the left too - I am left footed so does that have a bearing or is it all just nonsense?

In other cycling news, TDF 2011 grand depart announced as Noirmoitier, with the infamous Passage du Gois needing to be crossed, lets hope the tide is kind? Also the TTT is back but no Prologue! Looking forward to the ToQ starting on Sunday - oh to be cycling somewhere warm... ho hum.