Initial Annual Target Breached

5000 miles completed in under 6 months of riding - nuff said!

Training Update Week 25

Eeek, thats almost half the year reported on! under 4 weeks to go...

The stats:
323 miles for the week, 4847 year to date, with the longest day in the saddle being 61 miles, with a re-run almost of the Norwich 50 route squeezed in early Sunday morning with Simon.
Wii Fit continues to yo yo my weight somewhere between a max of 11st 7lbs and a min of 11st 1lb - i give up!

So bike week over, and i dutifully attended the completely underwhelming launch of the Tour of Britain in Norwich - another hour of my life i cannot get back!
L2P24 rider packs delayed until next week (w/c 5th July) - boo! But looks like Team Roaring Forties will be getting 4 free water bottles missed out from their SiS order from last month - hoorah!

2 more days to squeeze in more miles / Kcals on Endomondo - hoping to maintain a top 10 finish for the June challenge.

In other news, pretty much all the tour teams have now been announced with 8 brits on various rosters - bodes well for the future of sport (i am not going to mention our national game!) Geraint Thomas leads home a Sky i-2-3 in the National Road Race Comp, and Emma Pooley continues to add to her triumphs this year taking Nicole Cooke's crown in the ladies version.

Weather is hot so cycling is hotter, but won't let stand in the way of more miles over the next week - more next time...

Training Update Week 24

Under 5 weeks to go to Paris, only 2 till the TDF kicks off - where does the time go?!

This weeks stats:
265 miles completed, over 5 days including 2 days of back to back metric centuries - in old money thats a 71 mile day (longest day in saddle for the week) followed by a 63. All in all that brings the total up to 4524 for the year to date (5000 by the end of the year - hah - 5000 by the end of June - bring it on!)
Weight after last weeks blip results, seems to be more steady, down at around 11st 2 or 3lbs dependant upon when i weigh myself.

L2P24 mailing due this week incuding the official jersey - exciting stuff!!!!

Possibility of doing a 50 next weekend, but depends on some other logistics - will report back next week.

Loving the Endomondo site - all the stats a numbers freak like me could need, and a succession of "challenges" that pit you against a load of other virtual competitors to measure your performance for a given time span. 20th out of 6178 in May, with 59,729kCals burnt currently 7th out of 4984, with 46,165 kCals burnt - hoping to better the total for May, and the placing if poss!

In other news - England have decided to drop football as the national sport and take up cycling as we are good at that! Elsewhere Cav and Haussler tangled and caused a crash at the Tour de Suisse, with Cav drpping out a few days later. Gesink still leads overall there. Anticipation builds ahead of TDF, with an interesting race on the cards as at least the favourites are spread across a number of teams - some teams being stronger than others...

Many more miles to ride, many more roads to do it on.

Training Update Week 23

38 days to go to Paris!

A mediocre week in terms of mileage - just under 202 miles complete, but felt very weary last week , plus 2 punctures (yes TWO!) did not help proceedings. So that makes 4259.77 for year to date. Now somewhere else - think it was facebook, i proudly stated that i would hit 5000 by the end of June - hmm watch this space - quite a hill to climb, pardon the pun but going for it!
Longest day in saddle a paltry 50 miles!
BMI back up to 24, thats 11st 8lbs

Back to L2P24 specific news, Coltishall Primary are doing a red and white muftie day to tie in with the England-Algeria game on Friday - proceeds to scope.

In other news, Brajkovic wins the Dauphine, from Bertie, and the Tour De Suisse is well underway. Nicole Cooke also churns out her first win of the season. Team sky invited to the Vuelta, Radioshack are not!

TDF countdown is on, (18 days) and i believe i twittered my thoughts but here goes with the predictions:
Yellow - Bertie
Green - Cav
White - Schleck A
Polka Dot - Schleck F or A!
Podium for Wiggo

Hopefully a dope free race, but Mr Landis has ensured that the rumour mill will be festering well throughout....

PB's for 2010 (Update)

Personal Bests for 2010 (Post Norwich 100 update)

One hour      19.94 miles (Was 19.75)
10 miles        26m:08s     (No Change)
20 km           35m:20s      (No Change)
50 km           1h:32m:37s (Was 1h:38m:49s)
50 miles        2h:42m:38s (Was 2h:42m:59s)
100 km         3h:22m:06s  (Was 3h:38m:06s)

Life in the old dog yet huh?

Training Update Week 22

The three musketeers ride again! Pictured above are Simon, Ivor and myself at the finish of the Norwich 100, the ride was completed in 5Hours 22mins 45secs a personal best. Blustery winds along the coast from mile 50 onwards perfectly complemented the fast first 50, and the final 25 were subject to rain and hail, before the sun came out for the finish! - A great day and the legs still feel good today, back out on the bike later...

So the stats:

With the above 309.95 miles completed this week, the most for a week this year, that's now 4057.9 for the year to date.

Longest day in the saddle 105miles.

BMI 23.38, although did peak (trough?) at 23.18 - weight 11st 4lbs.

45 days until L2P24, pledged sponsorship trickling in - looking forward to week commencing 21st when we get our final mailing and event jersey.

Bought a new front light and Trek Livestrong shorts and shirt this week as worn in the pic above - very comfortable - shorts fit like a glove, if that is possible??

On the Pro scene Tour of Luxembourg bought Lance's first podium of the season, behind Frank Schleck and Matteo Carrera. At the Dauphine Bertie won the prologue with Skys Geraint Thomas in 4th. Tour de Suisse coming up next weekend too as all the TDF favourites do their final preparation ahead of July 3rd.

Target Update

Training going swimmingly, and so i feel it is a good time to review the targets for the year:

• 5000 miles in 12 months - hmmm, currently riding at 3748, so i have extended this to 8000 - original target should be achieved before end July.
• Do 10 miles in 25 Minutes
• Buy a new bike 

 Target No.1, as stated is well on way, and Target No.3 is in progress - i have the funds just need to avail myself of the Cycle2Work scheme and make a purchase. Target No.2 is a wish list item, but hey i have done just over 26mins this year already so it is doable even for a veteran like myself!

Training Update Week 21

Today is a year since we cycled coast to coast! Picture opposite is jst outside consett on Day 2.

Speeding towards  number of goals now. - 53 days till L2P24, but only 6 days until norwich 100.

This weeks numbers:

251 miles completed, that's 3748 for the year to date, longest day in the saddle was only 55 this week, also did 36 miles in one hit taking in various hills and climbs.

Wii Fit age is 25, BMI 23.90, thats 11st 7lb.

L2P24 fundraising is now at £2075.20 - we have also banked our minimum target of £1,800 and completed preference forms and full registration ahead of the ride - insurance et al sorted! Roll on July!

No purchases this week, if you exclude a boxful of SiS goodies in order to sustain us to Paris. Bike purchase is no further forward, have looked at the Boardman Team Carbon, but am also trying to get my work to sign up to the Cycle 2 Work scheme in order to save 1/3 on the price - watch this space...

On the Pro Scene, Emma Pooley completes her victory in Tour de L'Aude, and Basso takes the Giro - quite a turn around of fortunes for the Italian. Stijn Devolder takes the Tour of Belgium and Maxime Monfort takes the Bayern Rundfahrt.

Tour of Luxembourg and Dauphine Libere kick off this week, TDF in 30 days!

Training Update Week 20

143 days worth of training done, 60 days to go to L2P24, only 13 before Norwich 100...

The stats:

258 miles completed this week, including participating in the VfC ride 2010 on Sat 22nd May. That's 3,497 ytd. Longest day in saddle 80.92

BMI changed overnight between 23.31 and 24.13 - 6lbs in 24 hours - not convinced!

L2P24 Fundraising at £2,040.20. Curry night was a great night and brought in a few quid too!

New shorts courtesy of 30 days of Wiggle sale, plus a new gilet recieved as a free gift after subscribing to Cycling Active, am now also in the market for a new bike - poss a Boardman Team Carbon after being gifted some money last week.

In other news its all go in the Giro - mid week stage caught everyone on the hop as 56 riders broke at 20km and destroyed the field and GC temporarily. Mount Zoncalan lived up to its reputation yesterday with Basso establishing his credentials, but Evans and Vino still in touch. Mountain TT tomorrow should be epic. In the ToC Cav won the initial stage, before a couple of stage wins for Sagan mid week, with yellow going to Mick Rogers, DZ and Levi making up the podium.
In the Tour de l'Aude Emma Pooley is wiping the floor with em - go girl!
F
Finally Floyd (cheat) Landis finally admitted what we all knew 4 years ago that he was and is a doper, but now wants the world to suddenly believe he is now telling the truth as he attempts to tarnish LA, Big George, Johan, most of US Postal past and present, plus BMC amongst others. Once a liar....?

Out  for a night ride tonight and some hills...

Cycling likes and dislikes

Soap box at the ready... Moral high ground not withstanding!

Dislikes:

Red Light Jumpers - I can empathise with those that go on the "B of the Bang" as it were - amber changing to green is fine, but those "cyclists" who go straight through (usually on a pedestrian crossing) at red or who go so far over the white line that they are in a different postcode to where they started are just muppets.

Cycle Lanes - Why would i want to share my cycling experience with pedestrians (and dogs) or alternatively glass and other road debris or even cars parked slap bang in my way? Give me the open road with vehicles brushing my elbows every time

Pavement riders - do you have stabilisers fitted to your bike? are you a child? no to either or both questions means that you should not be on the pavement - are those few seconds really worth the aggravation and embarrassment you cause the rest of the cycling world?

Hi-Viz particularly day-glo - Safety first plus practicality i agree to, but just because you are wearing a hi-viz clothing item, does not mean that you have any idea of how to ride a bike or have any road sense. Still i guess it is a warning to the rest of us to keep well clear.

Likes:
Bus Lanes - some day all "cycle lanes" will be made this way - nice wide route, ability to undertake motorised vehicles legally - NB beware the taxi driver...

Freedom - go where you want, when you want at whatever speed you like (obviously this should always be as fast as you possibly can given personal fitness / stamina and prevailing weather conditions on the day!)

Cycling Speak - Love talking cycling with other non game players and seeing them lose the plot as they get lost in jargon / code

Kilometres - Sounds more impressive and clock up / down faster than miles - must rememebr to use the metric system more!

Probably loads more - will no doubt formulate some more on teh wya home tonight so watch out for part 2...