Finishing one year, starting another

Tale of the tape for 2012:

Total distance: 10713.27miles / 17241.33km
Average Speed: 17.17mph
Total Calories: 594020 calories
Total Duration: 624hours
Total No.of Rides: 425
Total no of Strava KOM's: 3

Best cycling experience: Breaking 5hrs for the Norwich 100 or doing the Fred Whitton Route in August.

Bucket List item's getting ticked off in 2013:

Tour de Norfolk (cycling around Norfolk in a day)
Dunwich Dynamo (Subject to holiday Dates...)

Having done over 30,000 miles in 3 years, would love to break 10,000 again but want to see some lift in the performance alongside the distance under the wheels.

Winter bike should be up and running by the middle of January too so at least I can mothball the posh bike, now as for that fixed wheel project...

In for a penny, in for £230!

Cycling... a leisure pastime, gets you out and about, able to appreciate nature and the great outdoors - I could go on.

Performing a quick Cost/Benefit analysis, the resultant savings are immense - NO fuel costs, a fitter, more healthier rider, a chance to unwind however when a specific bill arrives it is still a shock!

So the posh bike, 2 years old, excluding tyres, tubes, cleaning and lubricants has probably cost me less than £150 for the best part of 10-12,000 miles (i have more than one bike) and evaluating what I have just written would logically suggest that a bigger bill was coming and last week it arrived.

Issues presented - iffy gear changing, tendency for gears to slip (getting worse) and some play with front chain rings.

Diagnosis from LBS - New Cassette, chain, chainrings and BB = £230 - OUCH! Had reckoned on half that amount but having said that it is now a dream to ride again, and considering there are not many other moving parts as such, I almost have a new bike?!

Sadly only been out on it properly twice since, as am on training this week (the head knowledge kind not the fitness kind) roll on the weekend!

10,000 Reasons...

DONE!

10,000 miles completed, a tad earlier than last year - not as early as one would have liked but considering other mitigating circumstances this year, as expected really!

The 12k is now an unreachable pipe dream, but 11K (and a bit more) is now the focus - we'll see...?

Fitted new brake blocks last night - amazing how my bike now stops when i want / need it to rather than eventually coming to a halt in amongst a symphony of screeching on my rims!

The Wiggle Rut - A participant's tale

The end of British Summertime, and what better way to celebrate than with a 72 mile lap of Rutland?

Got picked up by Scott at 5am feeling distinctly wintry temperature wise, feeling glad that all manner of winter clothing options were stowed in the kitbag.

We made good time to Rutland (Oakham) and proceeded to unload bikes and get all extremities sufficiently covered, aiming to commence as close to 8am as possible.

Foolishly I thought that all the hills in the UK were a bit further north so the constant up and down of the first 20 miles or so was a bit of a shock to the system - however at least I was warm now!

The feed stop loomed at 31 miles and a quick pause for ablutions plus cramming some food in and a gel before getting going again. As we reached the halfway point, 18mph average was still being sustained, but as the headwind started to blow and the hills became longer and more drawn out than the earlier shorter sharper affairs, I knew that any hopes of a sub-4hr were going if not gone.

Scott had way more pace than me, particularly going uphill and so disgression being the better part of valour, I let him go and decided that me and the wind would fight our own personal battle for the remaining 30miles. Got passed by 4-5 riders, but as per the Hare and Tortoise, I kept plugging away and had overhauled them all again before the end. A welcome turn to the left at around 60 miles gone meant that the wind would be generally behind again,and so ticking off the miles, the return into Oakham was pretty uneventful except for a stop at a level crossing.

Finish time was 4hrs 22, just 8 minutes outside Gold standard so more than happy with Silver considering the conditions, all in all a well organised, enjoyable ride in beautiful surroundings, who knows I may be back...?

Upon arrival home being a statto, I checked the finish times and looks like I managed the 18th best time out of 324 - chuffed to say the least!

My Bucket List

Otherwise known as the XX (insert number here) things to do before you die.

So today's (cycling) bucket list consists of [In no particular order]

• LEJOG
• Etape du Tour
• Col du Tourmalet
• l'Alpe d'Huez
• Mont Ventoux
• Fred Whitton (again)
• An organised sportive every year
• A self organised trip every year
• Coast to Coast GB (The Fat one!) 
• Tour de Norfolk

The great thing about a list like this that you get to tick things off. but as preferences and aims / targets change items can be dropped and/or added.

Being still very much alive, having a challenge / target is very important to me even if as at now some of them seem remote.

Realsitically probably need at least 10 years to achieve the above - bring it on!

Recovery riding?

Ok so nothing to write home about - circa 120 miles last week, but for me the important thing was to be out - 8 seperate commuting rides over 4 days of around 17 miles on the way in and 12 miles on the way home -as I say nothing overly impressive, but I did it, and also on the majority of the rides managed a decent 18mph + average, and also for you Strave fans got a few personal records on some segments too.

3rd of 3 days off again today but looking forward to upping the mileage this week - maybe 200 this week - 4 days commuting again and a 2 up ride with Simon on Saturday.

Hopefully going to do the Wiggle Rut at end of October - provides me with a target to "end the season" with and also a chance to ride in an organised sportive.

Saw the end of Stage 1 of the Tour of Britain at the Norfolk Showground - great atmosphere! Unfortunately Cav took a tumble with 1k to go, but Team Sky still mopped up the win with Luke Rowe.

Just read Obsessive Cycling Disorder by Dave Barter on my Kindle - A mountain biker at heart but a semi converted roadie - could empathise a lot with his musings and experiences - a great read!

Re-ignited the determination to get a sinlespeed / fixie sorted so my eBay watch list is groaning at the seams at the moment - wheels, forks. frames, bits, kit etc - being strict with max bids though so it's a waiting (and watching) game/

Looking forward to more ToB this week, and hopefully more of a return to normaility.

REST - that's surely Ride, Eat Sleep, repeaT isn't it???

I rode my bike today...

16 days ago, I completed a ride of just under 50 miles, that day was my wedding anniversary. within 24 hours I was diagnosed with quite severe Shingles, and latterly Bell's Palsy. The upshot being my bike has been largely ignored (except for a clean and polish) for that period.

I still have a near constant headache, and my face is almost divided straight down the middle as to what moves and what doesn't, I have also managed to injure my right wrist which caps it all off nicely - don't you think?

Anyhow, returning to work today, the only option (for me) was to ride, but the questions pounded my already aching brain: How far to go? Will it aggravate my various conditions? Will it be pleasure or pain? Will I make it even? and so on...

The answers were: 17miles, nope, pleasure (although the legs did complain slightly) and Yes I made it!

In an nutshell, It's good to be back, and I hope to improve in both health and fitness over the coming weeks - I have at least 6lbs to lose that have piled on in just over a fortnight!

Frustration knows no bounds!

Aargh!

So planned ride is off... despite the slightly damp start to the day would have gone out except for the fact that I appear to have injured my right wrist! Not aware of jarring it or pulling it in any way BUT it is swollen and aches somewhat to boot.

Finding excuses to go into the garage at the moment just to look at my bike(s) - when will I ride again...?

Recovering so back on it..?

Quick update:
Managed to get away for 5 days or so to Ashbourne, Derbyshire for a camping break - sadly sans bike, but did do a bit of walking, weather was mixed, and in the end beat us as we decided to come home after waking to a river threatening to run through our tent!

Pain to right side of head / neck etc has almost gone, but face is still much the same - although I am planning a sneaky ride tomorrow - just to see how I am - don't know till you try do you?

Eying up lots of bargains on eBay too - gotta get the dirty bike sorted as well as the Single speed pre-winter!

Will feedback on tomorrow's ride...

Enforced Time Out - an update

So Shingles diagnosed on Saturday night / Sunday morning (4.30am) at out of hours surgery.

Lots of drugs and 2 further visits to the doctors and it would appear that I have also developed Bell's Palsy, which means the right hand side of my face is pretty much non-responsive which makes those little things like talking, eating and drinking a bit of a challenge.

Nerve pain, from Shingles is much less than at the weekend, but is still there, spots/marks on skin do not bother me but the temporary paralysis to face is (understandably) annoying and frustrating particularly as I have no idea how long it will last?

However on the upside - I am building a repertoire of party tricks such as winking my left eye with ease, sleeping with one eye open, raising my left eyebrow as per Roger Moore's spitting image puppet and the "Elvis" uh huh sneer is coming on a treat!

I have been recommended to not do too much exercise at the moment, so will probably not cycle for another week - watch out world when September comes...

Just to keep the OCD in check, I have cleaned the posh bike in lieu of not riding - yearly mileage sits around 8200ish, so just got to pedal harder in the Autumn to get the 12k then.

Enforced Time Out

Have developed shingles it would appear ergo sum, anti virals, painkillers and no riding for a few days.

Rats!

Windermere to Windermere - A Cyclist's Tale.

So at long last the main 2012 cycling challenge has been completed. - Riding the Fred Whitton route.

Here's the report:

Firstly I can confidently say that the pleasure and pain principle is alive and well, and it would appear resides in Lakeland!

Pleasure - The weather, the views, the sense of achievement

Pain - Some of the hills, the legs for the last few miles, the sense of achievement





Unlike the official route, we started in Windermere, leaving there at 8.30ish, with clear blue skies and barely a breath of wind - conditions that were to remain for the whole day!

Within about 2 miles we were going up, and a few miles further on we were on to the first climb of the day proper - Kirkstone Pass, which also was the highpoint of the day (in terms of height above sea level!). A fairly long climb, but nothing to taxing, the road ramped up on occasion but then levelled before going up again.
Reaching Kirkstone Inn atop the pass, felt great especially looking down at the descent to come, although well aware that there were many climbs yet to come. If the hills are impressive then the descents are something else, twisty, rock lined, and fast - my nice white wheels were black come the close of the day with brake residue!
Riding down into Patterdale and around Ullswater was simply beautiful - how amazing is the world we live in - not a soul around, except 2 madmen on bikes hurtling around country lanes. A turn to the left and the road dutifully rose ahead of us up to Matterdale End, again another climb that was not too bad, coming over the top was great - wider less twisty roads, followed by a rolling route along the A66 into Keswick hitting 40mph + on the run in!
Keswick = Coffee and Cake Stop (this is a tradition as 3 years ago, whilst doing the C2C we stopped here
too). A definate calm before the storm moment, though knowing that 6 major climbs remained. As is the way on such rides, we departed for Braithwaite ( a little over 2 miles away), but went via 2 mountain passes, which actually meant we went the long way round, taking in Honister and Newlands Hause en route.
Honister - OUCH! the guide said that it ramped up immediately upon reaching Seatoller and boy was it right - straight into 15-20% gradients, there is some respite further up, but a steep climb non the less - a hairy descent, and then turning right up again to Newlands - not so severe but still asked questions.
Down from Newlands, and then it was left and up to Whinlatter with the promise of some lunch at the Visitor Centre. Nice leafy tree-lined climb, and probably the easiest climb of the day - never has a BLT tasted so good at the top!
A minor skirmish on the way down to Lorton as my partner in crime took a tumble, but with no more than a small cut, a few nettle stings and as it would appear later a slightly twisted saddle, we were off again albeit, maybe not so swiftly...
Cold Fell was a bit of a beast - don't be fooled by the fact that it's height is not as large it was one of those climbs where you never quite know where the top is. - I zipped up my jersey three times in readiness for the descent, only to find that yet again there was a bit more to climb!
The piece de resistance, potentially the whole reason of doing this route was looming - Hardknott + Wrynose. I started Hardknott with determination and confidence, and got through the first steep section, as the road levelled off, even gained some encouragement from a family parked up on the left. As the road kicked up again, so did my heart rate, and ragged breathing - I did spy my Garmin click to 27% and my body finally told me to do the sensible thing and stop - which I did, a few breaths later I went gain but could not clip back in so disgression over-ruled valour and I walked for a bit.
The car driver who was coming the other way and who upon passing me yelled at me to "Pedal" whilst I was walking in the verge was met with a suitable uncharitable response from me, as the road lessened, I jumped back on and crested the hill, a very steep twisty descent with massive potholes followed and Wrynose loomed - again I went for it in the bottom section ,but sheer fatigue had got me and again had to walk a little bit before surmounting the final pass of the day.
In the end we decided to cut the corner on the route back to Windermere and not go via Coniston, which means we shaved off around 5 miles off our final mileage.

In all, at times a brutal day in the saddle - but I loved it!

The stats:
103 miles
 7hrs 51mins 44 secs
Average 13.01mph
Max 40.2mph
Climbed 11309ft

Oh and by the way, I have tipped over 8000 miles for the year too!!!

One more sleep...

Must be excited as couldn't sleep last night, so hopefully this blog post title is prophetic and i may actually get a bit of shut-eye tonight?

Yesterday we called today, tomorrow. Tomorrow, today will be yesterday. Got your head around that? Good!

The big day looms large, long train journey today, with bike and kit in tow, and then a long day in the saddle tomorrow.

Impatient now - just want to ride...

2 days (that's just 48hrs!)

2 more days, and last cycling day today (unless you include the short spin to the station tomorrow morning) as will be cooped up on a train for 7 hours tomorrow as we head oop north for "The Fred"

After feeling toasted last Friday, I have had 2 days of setting PR's on lots of Strava segments so maybe I am peaking or something?

Suspect that PR's will not figure in the ride on Friday, but Carpe Diem and Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man will be my watch words.

Initial aim is just to get round, secondary aim is to not get off the bike on the hills, timing-wise it would be nice to be under 9 hrs riding time (ToTP last year was 7hrs 11 for 96miles in not so hilly terrain) but camaraderie and the craic is what it's all about.

Check tyres, final cleaning & lubing of bike tonight, plus check, pack & re-pack bags, with every conceivable option clothing-wise plus nutrition / spares.

Suddenly it's all very real - bring on the Lakes!!!-

3 more days...

What about the 4 days to go post I hear you cry? - Fail!

Anyway no riding in the end yesterday, just a midday BBQ following my clean, spit and polish of the posh bike, as well as a brake block change.

Great ride to work today - fairly quick but not stupid, aiming to do 40 today in all and then same tomorrow, then that's it

Think I'm ready now, and have either got everything or know where it is to get it pre-departure. Weather forecast has improved - Light winds, no rain and partly cloudy - all looking good.

Roll on Friday!

And one less makes 5

5 more days, good ride today with Simon, James and Peter. Very wet, but warm - out to the coast and back in a bit of a loop. - Very satisfying drilling it back along A140 (not quite team pursuit standard but still good fun!)

Weekly stats are: 277 miles in 15hrs 24mins 10secs and 7520ft of climbing.

Realistically 3 more days of riding to go.

6 days to go...

Tense, nervous, but almost ready and that's just my leg muscles!

159lbs according to Wii Fit this morning - aiming to lose a couple of lbs by Friday (might come in handy on Honister or Hardknott?!)

Rest / recovery day today, No riding, lots of water and fruit for me!

Looking forward to last big ride tomorrow pre-Fred  with the "liVELOve" boys - approx 50 miles out to the coast and back, taking in a few hills but keeping speed gentle (17mph-ish) and lots of spinning - should be good fun?!

7 days and counting...

Ouch! - Sore legs today, but kill or cure went out for an early morning commute with Scott. 29miles in just under an hour and a half - gonna take a day out tomorrow and chill, keeping hydrated etc.

7 days till the Fred though now. Nerves have kicked in, but in a good way I think! Sneaked a look at the long range forecast - damp but little wind so ok-ish but not perfect (anything can happen in a week though...?!)

Day off the bike tomorrow, last long ride (40-50miles) on Sunday then Mon-Weds will be low mileage easy pedalling (well that's what I am telling myself anyway!)

Thursday is travel day (7 hours + on a train across England) Riding on Friday and then travelling back on Saturday.

On the plus side, Carb loading begins tonight - It's Fish and Chip night!!!! (Well it is Friday!)

Golden Boy Brad

Wig-GOLD!

TDF Champion + Gold medal in the Olympic ITT - Awesome performance by Brad.

What price a Rainbow Jersey in September too?

Just over a week to the Fred, last week's stats:
249 miles in 13hrs 53mins 2secs, and 6535ft climbed. on target for 8000miles ytd pre-the ride. Nervous yet excited - just want to do it now!

Sunny weather has disappeared and damp if not downright wet weather has replaced it. Hopefully the storm before the lull...?

Yellow

Look at the stars, look how they shine for you and everything that you do, and they are all YELLOW!!!!

He's only gone and blinkin done it!

Arise Sir Bradley Wiggins - 2012 Tour de France champion!

Rewind to my pre-race predictions, I picked both Yellow (Brad) and Green (Sagan) ,and had Van Garderen on my shortlist for White.

BUT, quite apart from the awesome display by Brad (not forgetting Froome's faithful lieutenant duties), what about Cav - what a team player, and then when the reins were relaxed, Team Sky unleashed a monster - 3 stage wins in this edition of the tour for him, 6 for the team, 4th in a row on the Champs makes Cav still undefeated there.

In other news I managed 305miles last week, in 17hrs 18mins and 41 secs, climbing 8386ft in the process.

Weight is dropping off too, last weekend I was down to 11st 6lbs, today I have lost another 2lbs and based on recent rides no speed / power loss either - Good to have the posh bike firmly installed and loving this weather - Hot Hot Hot!

FW Training Update Week 3

Another week gone by and a further 300 miles under the wheels and in the legs, time on the bike 17hrs 31mins & 48secs, with 7428ft of climbing. FW is just 3 and a bit weeks away, and the nervous excitement (tension) is building!

The 7000 mile barrier has now been broken and if possible I would like to be on 8000 by the time the Fred is done. (or even before?)

2 uncharacteristically sunny days have seen the posh bike emerge from a premature hibernation, rain is now forecast for a couple of days but a promise of more sun to come, towards the weekend so I guess short term pain, long term gain?

TDF still bodes well for a Brit winner and even a Brit 1-2, just need to get the two Pyranean days over with and Team Sky have to manage the attacks that are sure to come.

Imagine Brad in yellow and then Cav winning on the Champs? - perfect!!!!

FW Training Update Week 2

In a word - WET!

Felt sure the tide had come in today as I cycled near the coast!

Anyway 299 miles covered, in 17hrs, 18mins and 6 secs, with 6880 ft of climbing.

Memo to self - Need to book B & B for Lake District though as don't fancy camping or indeed roughing it in a doorway somewhere!

Meanwhile - looking at the map above, trying to work out what the outline reminds me of?
Answers on a postcard (Normal Competition rules apply!)

FW Training Update Week 1

Countdown to "The Fred" is on, so how am I doing?
Well last week I completed 316miles, in 18 1/4ish hours with 8800ft of climbing.
Strangely my weight has increased by a pound to 11st 9lb? - Room to lose some?


Looking ahead, it is likely to be a wet week but aiming for another 300miles - we'll see?

Le Tour 2012 - Predictions

The eagerly awaited Grand Depart is in 3 days time, and starts with a prologue Time Trial.
Despite form, I still believe that the overall is not a foregone conclusion, although Wiggo is on fire this season so far and looking at the route etc, it will be a great travesty if he does not at least make the podium

Beyond the competition predictions below, there are those who deserve mentions for just being darned good bike riders.
Voeckler & Hoogerland will still be ones to watch, but I suspect that anything other than short term glory will not be theirs? Publish and be damned so they say so here goes:

Yellow
Wiggo
Evans
Nibali
Outside bet - Froome / Valverde?

Green
(Assuming that Cav is playing for the team)
Sagan
Renshaw
Farrar?
KOM
Dan Martin
S Sanchez
Vanendert
White
Sagan
EBH
Van Garderen
Team
Got to be Team Sky hasn't it?

Looking forward to 23 days of unadulterated pleasurable TV!

Fred

After much procrastination, the summer cycling excursion has been decided!

Fred Whitton it is. 112 miles around the Lake District.

Starting and finishing in Coniston, the route covers 6 of the major passes in the Lakes, plus other (minor?!) hills in between.

Leg breaking, sinew snapping, lung bursting, and generally tough - 10th August is the day for it, here's hoping for good weather?! Under 7 weeks to go and training has begun - now where did Norfolk put those hills I wonder...?

Halfway...?

Another week, and another milestone. 6000 miles ytd.

Plenty more to come, hopefully will double this figure by 31/12/2012 - there I've said it I now have a target!

And here's the proof!

People's Grand Tour

So the 2nd People's Grand Tour of the year has ended, and ...I only went and won it!

For the uninitiated amongst you, the People's Grand Tour is the brainchild of Lionel Birnie, Journalist & Author (Cycle Sport, Cycling Weekly et al) and is a virtual competition, where cyclists are encouraged to ride their bikes for at least 10 and up to all 23 of the designated days for that particular tour. Results are then submitted and winners are awarded prestigious certificates for placing in overall distance, King / Queen of the Mountains, Young rider, Team  etc.

I managed 1,758Km, and the full results can be viewed here. Encouragingly I spent almost as much time on my bike as one Mr Marco Pinotti of BMC Racing, however he did squeeze out 500km more!!!

The next People's Grand Tour will be from August 11th to September 2nd - A jersey to be defended...maybe, or even a tilt at the KOM (a challenge indeed in Norfolk!)

Wiggins / Team Sky Mania

Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Wiggins extend his more than proven, week long stage race wins (Paris-Nice, 2 x Dauphine) into a grand tour win this July, but I don't want to do that British thing of building my hopes up too much either!

I truly believe Team Sky have a great chance through Wiggins of a podium, with all the TT miles this year, plus assuming they can walk the balance of providing a team equal to the challenge of Green + Yellow (GC) then the dream could well be reality.

With the Olympics looming the following week after the finish in Paris it could be a great Summer after all?
(Not holding out much hope for our footballers though...!)

Action Photo

Further to the post below, Bike Events had an official photographer on hand this year the photo shows Scott and I approaching Melton Constable - circa 25miles in. We managed to elude the photographer at Coltishall - maybe went through before he arrived?

4.55

Coincidentally, 4.55 was also around the time I got up yesterday but the real intention of this post's title is my time for 100 miles cycled in the Norwich 100.

A beautifully sunny day, I left Norwich with no pretensions over times, but soon had settled into a fairly quick rhythm, and it became apparent that circa 5 hours was on. We were on 20mph pace a the 2hour point, but then slipped marginally below it by "lunch" (9.30 stop - just before half way). Coming around the coast from Sheringham to Horsey we were absolutely flying, all that remained was to finish well, and finish well we did.

Not only did I smash my 100 mile record but other records tumbled as below:
One Hour:     22.1miles
10 miles:        26.32 (best this year, but not best ever)
20km:            32.56
20 miles:        53.48
50km:            1hr 26.10
50 miles:        2hrs 21.42
100km          3hrs 0.10
100miles        4hrs 55.14

Recovery ride later this afternoon...

A tale of 2 wheels...

A frustrating week to say the least!

Rear wheel of posh bike developed a slight wobble, which along with the already iffy rear wheel on the Scott rendered me cycle-less... aargh!

So plans were effected to resolve as below:
Rear wheel fiddled and fettled by LBS, and returned - better but not perfect, spoke nipples rusting which affected spoke adjustment - New wheel in the not too distant future...?
Borrowed temp replacement rear wheel and also new like for like Alex 28 Race rimmed wheelset ordered from eBay for Scott
Front brake ordered and researching replacement forks for the ex-Trek 1200 singlespeed project

The above shenanigans cost me 3-4 days riding but all is almost well and i put in a concerted effort to rectify the mileage over the weekend!

Norwich 100 is now 6 days away - not going for "a time" this year (famous last words?!) but do want to dip under 6 hours [Standard!]

In other news the #PeoplesGrandTour II has commenced (19th May - 10th June) aiming for 1500km in 3 weeks!

Giro d'Italia, @TeamSky are performing well, with Cav getting a few stage wins and Hanao currently in the White Jersey.

Another barrier broken...

Another month has gone by, and I am now reflecting not only on my achievements but also on my distinct lack of postings - sorry [Must do better?]

So 4000 miles (6400km) cycled then through mostly rain this last month it has to be said, both bikes have been in for various tweaks. Scott (of the antarctic) still has some rear wheel issues, so may just switch wheels over the weekend, but posh bike is lovely after cassette and chain change (other than tubes/tyres and a saddle the ONLY cash I have spent on it in 20months!)

Norwich 100 is only 3 weeks away, and yes I'm ready but cannot decide if I will go for "a time" or not - Probably am just in denial and once I cross the line, hell yeah I will be going for a time!

In other news, Tour of Britain stage 1 is back in East anglia - uniting the great cities (towns) of Ipswich and Norwich on 9th  Sept.
Brad won Tour of Romandie (2 out of 2 stage races so far for 2012) and the Giro d'Italia starts tomorrow in Denmark (Of Course?!) with a quick 9km spin round the block, otherwise known as the prologue.

3000 miles... and counting!

Another day, another milestone!

3000 miles for 2012 so far - approaching 12k pace! that's about 700 up on 2011 at this point too!

GB just done the Aussie's in the trackworlds too - it may be lashing it down outside, but it's gonna be a good day!

Eating more, weighing less!

So there I was away from home in Sheffield, for three days and then further study for 2 more days as mentioned in post below. 3 days off the bike, and food being provided (and taken) at every opportunity - not the ideal recipe for non-weight gain, let alone loss?

However! I have manged to lose 2lbs it would appear according to this morning's weigh-in, therefore I can only deduce that eating more (and the wrong thing) actually helps your weight loss!!!
(NB- what i have neglected to mention is that since the "binge days of last week" I have done 190 miles in 4 days, so guess that may have helped too?!)

Day off today, and sunny at the moment, so planning a 50 or so this afternoon, and then tomorrow assuming conditions still remain favourable would like to have a crack at a century...

Mad dogs and Englishmen...

All work and no riding makes Darren a dull boy!

So off the back of 5 days of training in 2 locations - Sheffield & Norwich. Trouble is it was the conference / classroom form of training not the 2-wheeled kind! Ergo Sum diet has gone to pot and flab returned?!

That said, the training / input and networking were very good, but I didn't half miss the open road. Still managed to shoehorn in 145 miles at the beginning/end of the last 7 days though!
Up to 839miles for the month, and (a massive?) 2621miles for the year to date - all good and as I am planning a crack at my first century of 2012 next weekend, should be around 1100miles all being well for March and around 2900miles for the first quarter of 2012 come this time next week!

In other news Brad eventually won Paris Nice, Cav was off colour at MSR, but is competing at Gent Wevelgem this afternoon so here's hoping? Criterium International is also on and final stage of Volta Catalunya - "just can't get enough" it would seem?

LIVELOVE

Hope to be getting an informal ad-hoc community of cyclists going soon, have canvassed a few mates and associates and there would appear to be a positive vibe so the loose plan is to meet up once or twice a month on a Sunday Afternoon for a 2/3hr ride with the ubiquitous Coffee/Cake stop halfway. - More info soon...
Just a few blokes, getting together, building relationships, doing life and riding bikes or "Live, Love, Velo" - it's a winner!!!

I read the news today - Oh Boy!

Don't hold out for being a lucky man - but certainly I am a blessed man!

Got my biopsy results back - all clear!

Big Smiley Face!!!!

2000 Miles

In the words of Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders):
He's gone 2000 Miles, It's very far
The snow is falling down, gets colder day by day
I miss you
The children will sing He'll be back at Christmas time.

Hopefully my family will see me before Christmas, but nevertheless 2000 miles have now gone under the wheels for 2012! That's probably still about 5-600 miles up on the same point last year too.

The rains (and wind) have come to Norfolk 25mph+ winds on Monday plus driving rain saw me compete in a simultaneous swim/cycle combo - managing 25 miles before feeling was lost in all extremities, a lull yesterday, but wind and rain again today - ho hum!

In other news Wiggo is going well in Paris Nice, sat in Yellow, with Team Sky doing a brilliant job thus far, Tirreno Adratico kicks off today too, with Cav participating ahead of a tilt at Milan San Remo.

Spring has sprung!

It's 1st March, St David's Day and technically the 1st day of Spring?!

So keen was I to get out this morning, I was cleaning the posh bike at 6am! Then under white clouded skies I set off, only to be enveloped in fog 2 miles further up the road, which stayed with me until I hit the city centre on the last few miles of my "commute"

Having said that, temperature wise it is warm, and indeed as I write the sun has most definately got his hat on, to the point that I feel I may even be sans-legwarmers on the way home later today too!

Mileage for the first 2 months of the year is 1782, which is around 500 up on 2011, so progress so far is good and the outlook looks favourable too!

In other news, Cav won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne as the classics season kicked off last weekend, could he repeat his Milan San Remo win from 2 years ago too? Paris-Nice commences on Sunday, with Brad Wiggins hopefully going to flex his muscles in the peleton for the first time this year.
John Bishop, the Liverpudlian comedian is 3 days into his 5 days of #BishopsHell - a 185mile cycle from Paris to Calais, rowing the channel and the 1st of 3 marathons over successive days done - all for Sport Relief. 2 more marathons to do, today and tomorrow - legend!

Put me back on my bike!

Back on it - not quite as swift a turnaround at the quacks saw my resumption of cycling delayed until 5.25pm last night but all good!

A fairly swift 15miles completed last night, followed by 31mile "commute" this morning and I am about to embark on a 20mile-ish homeward trip to complete my 24 hour return!

Cycling will be a bit sporadic over the next few days, as i will be sandwiching it around attending a course Friday / Saturday but still hopeful of achieving 200 miles all in this week.

You can't keep a good cyclist down! - I'm a bike rider - I ride bikes!

Today's the Day!

No I am not talking about Pancake Day, although I have experienced that proverbial "flat as a..." feeling but it's the day I get to climb back on my bike after a weeks absence!

Stitch removal is booked for 5.10pm at my GP's Surgery, and bike / kit are all primed to be ridden / worn / utilised at circa 5.15pm!

Just the 10-12 miles are planned but need to feel the road beneath my wheels, and the wind blowing against my body. I will have clocked up around 36 miles walking this last week but there is NO comparison!

Stir Crazy

Due to a small suspicious mole on the rear of my right thigh, I have been sidelined from the bike for a week, following a biopsy (and stitch to repair skin) on Tuesday.

I am currently counting down the days to next Tuesday evening when the stitch will be removed and I will be free to cycle again?!

In the meantime my cycling related life involves some or all of the following:

• Winter bike has been serviced/repaired and is ready for collection later today
• Just started reading "We were young and carefree" by Laurent "The Professor" Fignon
• Latest issue of Cycle Sport, recieved and read
• Keeping tabs on Tour of Oman, and #FantasyCycling scores
• Preparing to watch the Track World Cup from the Olympic Velodrome this weekend
• Cleaned, degreased and re-lubed Posh Bike as well as fitted crud catcher rear mudguard
• Surfing (and drooling) over potential new kit...

Need to get back on bike though as walking for all it's merits is just not the same!

Triathlons R Us?

Whether it was inspiration from Lance's Ironman 70.3 2nd place in Panama at the weekend, or my current reading material Can't Swim, Can't Ride, Can't Run, From Common Man to Ironman I'm not sure but I completed my first unofficial and completely non-regulation triathlon today.

I begun the day with a 34 mile cycle ride, before returning to the house to change and collect the rest of the family for a swim at Norwich Riverside Pool, once car was parked, and I was changed etc, I duly completed 500 metres of swimming or 20 lengths of the pool (plus a sauna for 10-15mins). The day then proceeded with lunch at Zak's (a local Restuarant) and a brief city-centre shopping trip, before a trolley dash around Tescos (the "run" stage). Hey Presto one "Triathlon" completed!!!

As you can see I need to get the disciplines in the correct order (Swim-Cycle-Run) and my transitions need some serious work as I guess I technically spent more time between disciplines then actually taking part in them, but still 3 "events" in one day is not to be sniffed at, and as essentially I am/was only competing against myself - does it really matter?

On a serious note, I really enjoyed the swim and may well do more swimming on a regular basis, as for running, I enjoyed it once but can't really get excited about it anymore so my future may well be more biathlon than triathlon...!

A Mid-Feb muse from the saddle

Glancing back at a previous post - Marmite Days i feel the need to add the comment that although cold and bright is good, extreme cold and cloud is NOT! Minus 8 degrees C my Garmin descended to yesterday morning - the feeling in my fingers (not that there was much feeling left) can only be described as Pain, and yes pain was written with a capital 'P' on purpose!
But hey every cloud as they say has a silver lining and today it was 15 degrees warmer today (the correct side of zero!) and 3mph quicker for a similar distance - Marmite indeed!

Tale of the tape reads as 1335miles covered year to date, that's already more than last year for Jan/Feb so all good there. Posh bike has had a few outings too as the Scott (of the Antarctic?!) has developed a slipping chain and rear wheel wobble so hi ho hi ho it's off to the LBS it goes!

In other news, unless you have been in outer space, you will probably know that Steak-Gate, has been resolved and with it the "winner" of the TDF2010. Bertie has been banned for 2 years from summer 2010, meaning that his results are wiped from the records - TDF2010 & Giro2011 to name a few, so congrats Andy Schleck and Michele Scarponi! - So disappointed at what a waste of time, money and effort all round it was, and worse Cycling is dragged through the mire again - the "truth" may never be known but WADA, CAS & the UCI need to get it sorted, perhaps a guilty till proven innocent charge would work better???
In more doping or not related news Jan Ullrich finally admits his doping and apologises for the same - so that's all OK then? And the case against Lance has been dropped with no charges - personally I'm glad but I appear to be in the minority amongst tweeps and other bloggers/commentators.

Back to the sport I love and real race action - Cav gets off to a winning start for Sky doing the World Champs jersey proud in Qatar with 2 stage wins before a tumble on the last stage. Tour of Oman this week, and so more #FantasyCycling action too!

Spring is coming isn't it?

M (that's 1000 for you non-Romans!)

1000 miles on the 2012 clock - that's about 3 weeks ahead of last year in terms of mileage already!

It has turned very cold though, and I do need to get my bike sorted out as the big ring is inaccessible at the moment - although on the up side I am perfecting my cadence!


May chance it on the posh bike at the weekend - if it's dry...?

Rediscovering My Fighting Weight!

I know that to look at, I do not appear to be overweight or fat or anything other than proportionately size for my height and age but, the pounds did creep on towards the end of 2011, so with the dawn of a new year, a challenge was born - If I was to eat more healthily, and still continued to exercise regularly as I do, would I lose weight?

Thus far I have lost 9lbs in around a month, and all that has changed is I am eating more salad, no bread or related products and very little margarine / butter, and also attempting not to snack (too much!). Weight is now a svelte(?) 11St 7lbs, and the body shape is improving all the time. 

According to Wii Fit a BMI of 22 is "ideal" personally I feel that for me that may well be a bridge too far but somewhere closer to 11St would suit me! - can't wait to take on some decent hills in the summer!

Marmite Days?!

Love 'em or Hate 'em, Wintry days are part and parcel of a cyclist's life.

I am a firm believer in the rule of three, the three being cold, wind and rain.
Any one of these elements in isolation is fine, in fact for me a cold, bright, cloudless day, all wrapped up in the countryside is almost as good as a 20 degree plus day in the summer, in short sleeves and shorts!
Two of the above together, in any permutation is do-able, but the adjectives surrounding the ride will be synonyms of grim and miserable.
All three together is definately character building territory, it is more a case of survival and sheer bloody mindedness than it is enjoyment sometimes - but then I am sure my definition of enjoyment in relation to cycling is skewed compared to the world's at large?!

Fact is that temperatures will rise and fall, winds will come and go,and rain and other precipitation will fall at will throughout the British Winter, so being prepared as Baden Powell said is the key to success:-
Dress well in layers, but dress for the 2nd/3rd mile temperature (allowing or your body temp to rise) not the feel of the air as you step out of your door.
Fit Mudguards - elementary my dear Watson
Make sure your lights work - you can never have too many lights

The other unspoken element is the dark - it looms in late October and remains until February/March - personally I love it to start with, but about this time of year, start to get bored with it - particularly travelling into work.

On balance, I think I would err on the side of loving it, but not as much as dry, warm summer cycling!!!

To be honest this winter has been incredibly mild and that is reflected in my 821 miles year to date (already 300 up on 2011).

My mate - Marmite!

Situation Report Numero Uno 2012

Been very lax for a while, but need to get back in the groove of sharing idle thoughts with the occasional pearl of wisdom thrown in for good measure.

It's just over a year since I was sideswiped by a lorry, and to be quite honest I don't dwell on the past or have nightmares, but I do send up a quick prayer as I leave the house each day, to stay upright and safe (and at the moment - warm too!)
I have now reached 20,000miles since Jan 2010, and for this year so far, mileage is 577, that's already more than I achieved in the whole month of January last year - bodes well for 2012!
Not enjoying the murky, wet and cold of winter, but the more you bleed in preparation the less you bleed in battle as they say!

Cycling season has kicked off with the TDU and Road.cc have started their fantasy cycling league again so thats good, a necessary distraction?!

Have ordered Comedian Mastermind by Elden (The Fat Cyclist) Nelson, so looking forward to reading that being excerpts from his blog 2005-2007.

More next time (and maybe more regular too?)

Glancing back, moving forward

Happy New Year!!!

First of all tale of the tape for 2011:
Total Distance: 10,481 miles
Ave Speed: 17.09 mph
Total Calories: 620219kcal
Total Duration: 613hrs 19mins
Total no of rides: 408
Best cycling experience: Tracking the ToB on the East Anglian stage (135 miles) and seeing Cav lead the bunch home or alternatively the Tour of the Peak.

As is traditional it's time to set a few targets, mileage wise I am not going to aim for anything in particular although based on what I know I have no reason to expect any less than 8-9000miles covered again this year.
Fred Whitton All Seasons Challenge
Norwich 100 (usual suspects!)
Norwich to Cambridge
Cycle around Norfolk in a day
plus anythng else that crosses my path