As mentioned in the two previous posts the Hernia threatened to derail the training and the the first test was the Hell of Ashdown Sportive. But it went ok.
The ride was bloody awful, and as much as I dislike the names of some of these Sportives, Like "Hell" and "Killer" etc. This was hell. The ride was ok, hilly and only 60 odd miles, but the weather was really cold. It was bitterly cold. Despite that though I did pretty well to keep concentrated and went round in a time that was in the top 8% so I mustn't grumble too much but I should be better. But what about th hernia. Exactly. I am thinking about mites, and focus, and speed and not really thinking about the hernia. And that is it really. The hernia was fine. It was there, gently, faintly pressing at times but post ride it was better than the previous week.
This last week I have ridden 3 days to work and back. A dull, repetitive 30 minutes of tempo riding and it seems to drain me. Today, one week after I feel the hernia, slightly more pressure than in last week's Sportive. I've a 70 mile training ride today so how will that perform?
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Hernia situation is improving
So it's now Wednesday and the sportive is Sunday. The last log, Monday, said the abdomen was sore and therefore worrying.
Last week was good on the turbo, 1 hour each, twice a day. The weekend, the first day on the road - 3 hours . Monday was ride to work for first time. That was ok on the bike but felt touch and go off it. Today, Wednesday pm and the gut is good, or least much better. It's as if the strain in the abdomen was similar to over use. Hopefully I can handle 4 to 5 hours next Sunday.
It was a fast time to work as well. 30 mins. So I'm happy. Maybe a turbo tonight as well.
Last week was good on the turbo, 1 hour each, twice a day. The weekend, the first day on the road - 3 hours . Monday was ride to work for first time. That was ok on the bike but felt touch and go off it. Today, Wednesday pm and the gut is good, or least much better. It's as if the strain in the abdomen was similar to over use. Hopefully I can handle 4 to 5 hours next Sunday.
It was a fast time to work as well. 30 mins. So I'm happy. Maybe a turbo tonight as well.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Hernia and cycling
The pain was sharp and crippling. It dug straight in the guts and doubled me over. Fortunately not many were in the office at the time but one joker still had me laughing at the pain and causing more. The indignity of it all. The next day the doctor was quite pleased when he was sure he found it. A job well done for him though he was a bit apologetic when he explained that the NHS wouldn't look at it for 6 months. Hernias ain't urgent apparently. Felt like it at the time.
It seems that evolution has made this a problem. Something like 300,000 ops per year for hernias in the UK which is a lot. My first thought was how can I do my training now. Will I have to bail out of the Tour of Wessex?
I was gutted. A few hours had me positive though. If I couldn't do the ToW maybe I can keep fit-ish on the turbo.
I read all sorts on the web about this iguinal hernia and found a few options to get it fixed and a few techniques. The NHS was out, no insurance, so I would have to stump up the Benjamin's myself. The options ranged from £1600 to £2500 and I almost booked one - get it over and done with, pay the cash, a few weeks of the bike then back to full swing in time for the ToW. Then saw another technique. A Canadian one. It seemed better but I was clearly at the mercy of advertising.
Probably the best plan would be to see if the pain could subside. Maybe the doctor had got it wrong. If I could get through the spring and summer then maybe a quick op in the winter.
Originally my training plan was to be have done a couple of consecutive 90 mile training rides in time for a Hell of Ashdown sportive. This sportive was simply an early season training session, at speed, for Wessex. I had 4 weeks left till Ashdown and now I was immobile.
Since then I have taken about 8 days completely off the bike, laying down on my back at night and waiting as the pain did subside a lot. At that point the area was tender, a bit worrying, but no sharp pains. I think I was concerned that it might come back at any moment. But I tried sitting on the turbo. I did 20 minutes of low power and felt pretty much the same when I got off as when I got on. So that was good. For a couple of days I did the same. The pain was not getting worse. Then after nearly 2 weeks I decided to do a proper training session. No too hard, tempo and steady state. No problem. Maybe a bit less pain. The next day I did the same. Good. Then a climbing repeat session. After a few days I was doing 2 hard session per day, with no pain, and I did that for three days on the trot. Excellent. The pain had gone. It was now friday and just over a week till the SportiveStrength and fitness was coming back and the pain was gone.
Saturday. I did a hard 60 miles. The calves struggled, and unfortunately, so did the tummy, but not till later. The tenderness has returned and standing up pulls a bit - so I sit down.
I'm going to keep riding this week, maybe 1 hour per day, most days and see if the pain goes a bit. I can ride through this pain as it isn't that bad. I just don't know if I'm doing more harm. Ok I know I am but ...
Today hasn't been great. It's Monday and I ride next Sunday in the freezing cold wind. It should be dry though. If theres a lot of ice i might bail out as my tummy wont like a crash or two.
So much to look forward to. Why bother? I'm not a pro and I'm not that good.
It seems that evolution has made this a problem. Something like 300,000 ops per year for hernias in the UK which is a lot. My first thought was how can I do my training now. Will I have to bail out of the Tour of Wessex?
I was gutted. A few hours had me positive though. If I couldn't do the ToW maybe I can keep fit-ish on the turbo.
I read all sorts on the web about this iguinal hernia and found a few options to get it fixed and a few techniques. The NHS was out, no insurance, so I would have to stump up the Benjamin's myself. The options ranged from £1600 to £2500 and I almost booked one - get it over and done with, pay the cash, a few weeks of the bike then back to full swing in time for the ToW. Then saw another technique. A Canadian one. It seemed better but I was clearly at the mercy of advertising.
Probably the best plan would be to see if the pain could subside. Maybe the doctor had got it wrong. If I could get through the spring and summer then maybe a quick op in the winter.
Originally my training plan was to be have done a couple of consecutive 90 mile training rides in time for a Hell of Ashdown sportive. This sportive was simply an early season training session, at speed, for Wessex. I had 4 weeks left till Ashdown and now I was immobile.
Since then I have taken about 8 days completely off the bike, laying down on my back at night and waiting as the pain did subside a lot. At that point the area was tender, a bit worrying, but no sharp pains. I think I was concerned that it might come back at any moment. But I tried sitting on the turbo. I did 20 minutes of low power and felt pretty much the same when I got off as when I got on. So that was good. For a couple of days I did the same. The pain was not getting worse. Then after nearly 2 weeks I decided to do a proper training session. No too hard, tempo and steady state. No problem. Maybe a bit less pain. The next day I did the same. Good. Then a climbing repeat session. After a few days I was doing 2 hard session per day, with no pain, and I did that for three days on the trot. Excellent. The pain had gone. It was now friday and just over a week till the SportiveStrength and fitness was coming back and the pain was gone.
Saturday. I did a hard 60 miles. The calves struggled, and unfortunately, so did the tummy, but not till later. The tenderness has returned and standing up pulls a bit - so I sit down.
I'm going to keep riding this week, maybe 1 hour per day, most days and see if the pain goes a bit. I can ride through this pain as it isn't that bad. I just don't know if I'm doing more harm. Ok I know I am but ...
Today hasn't been great. It's Monday and I ride next Sunday in the freezing cold wind. It should be dry though. If theres a lot of ice i might bail out as my tummy wont like a crash or two.
So much to look forward to. Why bother? I'm not a pro and I'm not that good.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
"I'm a feather for each wind that blows,"
"I'm a feather for each wind that blows," he said on the radio, quoting Shakespeare, "and the wind is blowing me this way now … This position I'm in is strange. I do feel fit and yet I know that death is upon me. I've had a fantastic life, when I think of the things that have happened to me. Anybody that asks for more would just be being greedy. Don't want to be greedy."
Britain is realising it has another national treasure: Wilko Johnson, the goggle-eyed guitar hero of Dr Feelgood. Earlier this month, 65-year-old Johnson announced his diagnosis with terminal pancreatic cancer and, with impish logic, his farewell tour in February and March. Then, on Radio 4 on Friday, he shrugged off his prognosis in his unmistakable Essex twang with the statement that he felt "vividly alive … it probably takes [imminent death] to knock a bit of sense into our heads."
A few years ago, Johnson was in danger of being consigned to a chapter of British rock history – a chapter which detailed the surprise success 40 years ago of Dr Feelgood's sparse R&B, and noted how John Lydon and Paul Weller lapped up Johnson's mesmerisingly choppy, on-the-move live guitar and lead singer Lee Brilleaux's white-suited yowl (watch the YouTube live clips from the 1970s of "Roxette" and "She Does It Right"). In the years that followed Johnson's departure from the band in 1977, he gigged on, but only a hard core of loyal fans were enjoying the awesome sight of Wilko Johnson in full rock-out.
Then came Julien Temple's Oil City Confidential. This 2009 film examined the cult of Dr Feelgood, suggesting they were quintessentially English bluesmen from the Thames Delta, mounting raids on the metropolis from their Canvey Island redoubt. The star was Johnson – part axe god, part philosopher-poet, part Essex suburbanite. The moptop was gone, but Johnson's unmistakable energy fizzed out of the screen. Last year, an autobiography and an EMI box set of Dr Feelgood were released. And now this. Johnson is acquainted with cancer – it killed both his wife and Brilleaux.
So let's leave the last word here to the man himself: "I'm a feather for each wind that blows," he said on the radio, quoting Shakespeare, "and the wind is blowing me this way now … This position I'm in is strange. I do feel fit and yet I know that death is upon me. I've had a fantastic life, when I think of the things that have happened to me. Anybody that asks for more would just be being greedy. Don't want to be greedy."
Mike Higgins - Independent 27 Jan 2013
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Asthma and cycling
Sometime around the early to middle of last year I had a chest infection which hung around and my breathing was awful. Eventually, after weeks of wheezing I took myself off to the doctor's and mentioned that many years previously I had used inhalers for Asthma. I had stopped because I thought it better to struggle through some bad breathing rather than pump chemicals into my lungs, and in any case it wasn't that bad. But nonetheless, would it be possible for an inhaler please doctor?
My motive, if I'm completely honest, was to become a drugs cheat.
A number of rides had been wheezy over the years but more noticeable was my ride to work. Near the end it involves a good long hill where I am near anaerobic for 5 mins. What I noticed is that quite often I would arrive at work fine. Then park up, enter the building and walk up three flights of stairs and that would kill me. No idea why the breathing suffered so much on the stairs. Could be the change in air temp, dust, air-con, ... Anyway this was clearly asthma but I knew that I could easily live without a puffer as it would subside after a few mins maybe. But wouldn't a puffer help me on the bike. A drugs cheat :)
The doctor actually agreed to the puffer and explained that the thinking nowadays is that struggling through these episodes is thought to be more harmful to the lung's airways than the chemicals. As the airways contract and stay contracted they will eventually loose their elasticity and this is thought not to be good in the longer term. So using the blue inhaler is preferable. Anyway, I was given a prescription for the blue puffer and told to make an appointment with the Asthma nurse.
It was about ten weeks ago when I finally made the appointment and I was wheezing quite badly after my walk there. I think that I'm probably a bit lactose intollerant and I had some milk on cereals before I left home.
Anyway, in the clinic I puffed on an airflow meter and scored a paltry 400 things per thing. Nurse Amanda gave me four puffs on a blue inhaler and 15 minutes later it was up to 565. It was not actually a whopping 565, as people do have more puff than that, but maybe my weight and general pathetic stature mean thats relatively a whopping for me.
After chatting and explaining stuff I went away with a brown puffer and told to use it day and night, one puff, every day. Clentil Modulite 100. It is a low dose and I should see an improvement after 5-10 days I think she said. I was advised that I could up it to two puffs per day if I felt I needed to as that was still a low dose. If my breathing was bad then I should use the blue puffer.
My thoughts.
The airflow measuring is a really good thing. There is technique involved and you think you can cheat it, or perhaps get a better reading or perhaps worse one by technique alone. But I think it is honest. I think does truthfully say you are a 500 and not a 530. You can actually feel the state of the breathing and begin to know where you will be on the cuff machine and confirm it. It is excellent. Christmas meesed me up a bit with chocolates and cakes and I'm sure the diet, what ever it was in there, did affect my breathing. By keeing a chart like this I am finding patterns to food. I am sure that milk on cereals is bad for me. Within 30 mins my breathing can be worse. Not always but can be. I am not sure of this one though, but if I have a lot of chocolate at night, then the next morning my breathing is bad. I have not proved that one because I'm now losing weight for the Tour of Wessex.
I the above chart, the yellow line is the Brown inhaler - Clenil Modulite 100.
The Blue line is the Ventolin inhaler used when breathing is bad. The Y-axis is 100 units per puff. So 100 is one puff and 200 is two puffs.
Drugs cheat?
Yes. I abstain from Caffeine till race day or the occasional training day, and I have puff or two on the Ventolin for big days only. I take the Clentil two puffs twice a day.
By the way, please don't be dumb and think that this is advice. Go see the doctor or asthma nurse and get it looked at by a professional.
My motive, if I'm completely honest, was to become a drugs cheat.
A number of rides had been wheezy over the years but more noticeable was my ride to work. Near the end it involves a good long hill where I am near anaerobic for 5 mins. What I noticed is that quite often I would arrive at work fine. Then park up, enter the building and walk up three flights of stairs and that would kill me. No idea why the breathing suffered so much on the stairs. Could be the change in air temp, dust, air-con, ... Anyway this was clearly asthma but I knew that I could easily live without a puffer as it would subside after a few mins maybe. But wouldn't a puffer help me on the bike. A drugs cheat :)
The doctor actually agreed to the puffer and explained that the thinking nowadays is that struggling through these episodes is thought to be more harmful to the lung's airways than the chemicals. As the airways contract and stay contracted they will eventually loose their elasticity and this is thought not to be good in the longer term. So using the blue inhaler is preferable. Anyway, I was given a prescription for the blue puffer and told to make an appointment with the Asthma nurse.
It was about ten weeks ago when I finally made the appointment and I was wheezing quite badly after my walk there. I think that I'm probably a bit lactose intollerant and I had some milk on cereals before I left home.
Anyway, in the clinic I puffed on an airflow meter and scored a paltry 400 things per thing. Nurse Amanda gave me four puffs on a blue inhaler and 15 minutes later it was up to 565. It was not actually a whopping 565, as people do have more puff than that, but maybe my weight and general pathetic stature mean thats relatively a whopping for me.
After chatting and explaining stuff I went away with a brown puffer and told to use it day and night, one puff, every day. Clentil Modulite 100. It is a low dose and I should see an improvement after 5-10 days I think she said. I was advised that I could up it to two puffs per day if I felt I needed to as that was still a low dose. If my breathing was bad then I should use the blue puffer.
 |
| Airflow - Click to enlarge |
My thoughts.
The airflow measuring is a really good thing. There is technique involved and you think you can cheat it, or perhaps get a better reading or perhaps worse one by technique alone. But I think it is honest. I think does truthfully say you are a 500 and not a 530. You can actually feel the state of the breathing and begin to know where you will be on the cuff machine and confirm it. It is excellent. Christmas meesed me up a bit with chocolates and cakes and I'm sure the diet, what ever it was in there, did affect my breathing. By keeing a chart like this I am finding patterns to food. I am sure that milk on cereals is bad for me. Within 30 mins my breathing can be worse. Not always but can be. I am not sure of this one though, but if I have a lot of chocolate at night, then the next morning my breathing is bad. I have not proved that one because I'm now losing weight for the Tour of Wessex.
 |
| Inhaler use - click to enlarge |
The Blue line is the Ventolin inhaler used when breathing is bad. The Y-axis is 100 units per puff. So 100 is one puff and 200 is two puffs.
Drugs cheat?
Yes. I abstain from Caffeine till race day or the occasional training day, and I have puff or two on the Ventolin for big days only. I take the Clentil two puffs twice a day.
By the way, please don't be dumb and think that this is advice. Go see the doctor or asthma nurse and get it looked at by a professional.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Training for the season's rides - #2 Weekend lost?
That weekend wasn't good.
The trouble with planning to get fit is that it'll start tomorrow. Without having a plan as such I felt that the lull in the weather would be idea for me to do 60-80 miles on both Saturday and Sunday. That was ridiculous when I thought about it for a second. Why? That's too many hours on the bike over the weekend and to what end? Well of course it would do me good but it would probably be a bit of an over reaction.
So I had a curry on Friday night, stayed up late, felt knackered on Saturday and did nothing. So a load of grams of fat went in on Friday and no exercise on Saturday.
Sunday was a ride to my son's rugby match. Watch the rugby. Cycle home. I thought I would do a turbo ride in the evening but that never materialised.
Ate too many chocolate biscuits.
I started to schedule my year on a spreadsheet and book too Sportives. I then thought a bit about my training plan at a high level.
Anyway, back to the riding. I actually didn't do much on Sunday. Maybe 14miles each way. But, I did them really nicely. A good tempo pace, good gearing up the lumpy hills and a good pedal stroke. It felt great.
The trouble with planning to get fit is that it'll start tomorrow. Without having a plan as such I felt that the lull in the weather would be idea for me to do 60-80 miles on both Saturday and Sunday. That was ridiculous when I thought about it for a second. Why? That's too many hours on the bike over the weekend and to what end? Well of course it would do me good but it would probably be a bit of an over reaction.
So I had a curry on Friday night, stayed up late, felt knackered on Saturday and did nothing. So a load of grams of fat went in on Friday and no exercise on Saturday.
Sunday was a ride to my son's rugby match. Watch the rugby. Cycle home. I thought I would do a turbo ride in the evening but that never materialised.
Ate too many chocolate biscuits.
I started to schedule my year on a spreadsheet and book too Sportives. I then thought a bit about my training plan at a high level.
w/c
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7 Jan 2013
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Base (tempo & Steady state)
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14 Jan 2013
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Rest (temp and endurance)
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21 Jan 2013
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Base
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28 Jan 2013
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Base + distance
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4 Feb 2013
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Rest + 1 distance ride
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11 Feb 2013
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Base + dist
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18 Feb 2013
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Sun 24th Hell of Ashdown 68miles
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25 Feb 2013
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Base + distance
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4 Mar 2013
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Sun 10 Puncheur 64 miles
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11 Mar 2013
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18 Mar 2013
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25 Mar 2013
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1 Apr 2013
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8 Apr 2013
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15 Apr 2013
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22 Apr 2013
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29 Apr 2013
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6 May 2013
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13 May 2013
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Sun 19 Castle ride - 106miles
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20 May 2013
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Sun 25 Wessex 330miles
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27 May 2013
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I am thinking of putting something big between the Puncheur and the castle ride. Maybe in April. What I'd love to do is the Leige Bastogne Leige but I've probably missed that opportunity. I emailed Red Lantern to see if they're running trips but haven't any feedback yet.
What the sportive rider needs to do is ride constantly, with some up hill speed and good downhill speed. For me, I'm fortunate to be ok at going up hill - relatively, compared to your average sportive ride, but I'm a coward going down especially in the damp or wet or windy. Where I am trying to gain is in the ability to go a long distance at a steady speed. So my training will be about that. In the tour of wessex you don't really need to bridge gaps that much and sudden high amounts of power, because the TOW isn't a race. It's how fast can you get around. How constant can you go for 5-6 hours or so.
Group riding is a must, slipstreaming is essential, doing your fair share is essential, climbing is essential, downhill is technical and fast, nutrition and hydation is critical, tempo riding is essential.
Anyway, back to the riding. I actually didn't do much on Sunday. Maybe 14miles each way. But, I did them really nicely. A good tempo pace, good gearing up the lumpy hills and a good pedal stroke. It felt great.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Training for the season's rides - #1 Back on the road
I've decided that I'm going to keep a diary of my thoughts in preparing for the year ahead. My last post or so was about the turbo over xmas. This week was my first back to work, so the first back on the road. Only Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so a short week.
The weather - Wed was dry, 3C, 8mph wind going to work, coming home was torrential. Thursday and Friday were around 9C and dry.
So how did it feel?
Well it was interesting because I felt ok on the bike, I did't seem too heavy or laboured, and I seemed to be going at a reasonable speed so I guess I wasn't damaged by the Christmas scoffing - but did the turbo sessions make a difference? I wondered this a few time on Wednesday's ride to work and when I arrived, and all things considered, I think I'm in a better place. The subsequent days were fine too, I didn't tire or ache and probably had the benefit of some freshness because I hadn't been on the road for a couple of weeks. That must have made a bit of a difference, but really the benefit was from the turbo.
I suppose first I should briefly describe the ride. It's a simple ride, with a few junctions at the start, then an 18 minute stretch of straight, gentle up hill ( highest 5%, lowest 1% typically about 2.5%) so it's a great road to get into an interrupted session. It's a bit rolling but that's good. After this section is a 5 minute uphill, of about 7 or 8%, there's one bit at 12%. After this, is a fast down hill, not too technical but often wet. So all in all I'm fortunate to have this ride every day. I can use the steep hill to gauge how the ride so far has taken from me and gauge my general fitness.
I can measure power and heart rate and I have in fact recorded all my ride data for many years, but for maybe a year I've gone all retro and prefer to rely on how I feel and just compare the time it took. So I wont have many metrics in these diary entries, instead I think I'll comment on my perception and how I work with that. Of course, if anyone is reading this, then please don't think that I think that I'm an expert. I'm not. I'm just trying to figure things out with the benefit of quite a few years of pondering about this stuff. In fact, I think its this big puzzle, the challenge of getting better and interpreting signs and ideas, that make s cycling such an interesting and challenging hobby. That and the expensive toys of course.
Anyway, how did I get on. Well the first thing I noticed was the improved peddling technique. I have worked on this before over the years but I'm sure that getting back on the turbo with the Carmichael DVDs has re-focussed my attention on this. It is pretty much second nature now and I wasn't thinking about it, but my usual big mashing press on the down-stroke seemed to have crept back into my stroke before Christmas. I was really pleased when I noticed my smooth stroke. So using this, a a steady heart rate in the Tempo region I did ok. The hill was a bit of a struggle. No where near as sprightly as last summer but then I am carrying a bit more kit. The ride him was bloody awful on Wednesday. So wet and hideous in the dark. Thursday and Friday were great and I think my fitness and energy levels didn't diminish.
Next >>
The weather - Wed was dry, 3C, 8mph wind going to work, coming home was torrential. Thursday and Friday were around 9C and dry.
So how did it feel?
Well it was interesting because I felt ok on the bike, I did't seem too heavy or laboured, and I seemed to be going at a reasonable speed so I guess I wasn't damaged by the Christmas scoffing - but did the turbo sessions make a difference? I wondered this a few time on Wednesday's ride to work and when I arrived, and all things considered, I think I'm in a better place. The subsequent days were fine too, I didn't tire or ache and probably had the benefit of some freshness because I hadn't been on the road for a couple of weeks. That must have made a bit of a difference, but really the benefit was from the turbo.
I suppose first I should briefly describe the ride. It's a simple ride, with a few junctions at the start, then an 18 minute stretch of straight, gentle up hill ( highest 5%, lowest 1% typically about 2.5%) so it's a great road to get into an interrupted session. It's a bit rolling but that's good. After this section is a 5 minute uphill, of about 7 or 8%, there's one bit at 12%. After this, is a fast down hill, not too technical but often wet. So all in all I'm fortunate to have this ride every day. I can use the steep hill to gauge how the ride so far has taken from me and gauge my general fitness.
I can measure power and heart rate and I have in fact recorded all my ride data for many years, but for maybe a year I've gone all retro and prefer to rely on how I feel and just compare the time it took. So I wont have many metrics in these diary entries, instead I think I'll comment on my perception and how I work with that. Of course, if anyone is reading this, then please don't think that I think that I'm an expert. I'm not. I'm just trying to figure things out with the benefit of quite a few years of pondering about this stuff. In fact, I think its this big puzzle, the challenge of getting better and interpreting signs and ideas, that make s cycling such an interesting and challenging hobby. That and the expensive toys of course.
Anyway, how did I get on. Well the first thing I noticed was the improved peddling technique. I have worked on this before over the years but I'm sure that getting back on the turbo with the Carmichael DVDs has re-focussed my attention on this. It is pretty much second nature now and I wasn't thinking about it, but my usual big mashing press on the down-stroke seemed to have crept back into my stroke before Christmas. I was really pleased when I noticed my smooth stroke. So using this, a a steady heart rate in the Tempo region I did ok. The hill was a bit of a struggle. No where near as sprightly as last summer but then I am carrying a bit more kit. The ride him was bloody awful on Wednesday. So wet and hideous in the dark. Thursday and Friday were great and I think my fitness and energy levels didn't diminish.
Next >>
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
A couple of months to prepare for the Tour of Wessex
I have a tough event for me this year - the Tour of Wessex.
For many this three day event is hard, but for me it is really hard.
I managed it last year, three days of about 110 miles per day and I was a bit of a mess at the end.
Day one was good and I achieved a silver placing.
Day two was ok - and when averaged with day one my time was still silver - just.
Day three was real pain. Going up over Exmoor my vision was blurred but I was not in a good state, but I persevered and got around ok.
The highlight was whizzing down some endless hill with a car behind me. I was tucked in and flying. At the bottom I got some applause form the people in the car which was nice. Just what I needed as I was alone and struggling with probably quite a few miles yet to go.
SO. I thought I diary my training for this years event.
The date today is 1st Jan 2013 and the Tour of Wessex is 25th May.
All I need to do is:
For many this three day event is hard, but for me it is really hard.
I managed it last year, three days of about 110 miles per day and I was a bit of a mess at the end.
Day one was good and I achieved a silver placing.
Day two was ok - and when averaged with day one my time was still silver - just.
Day three was real pain. Going up over Exmoor my vision was blurred but I was not in a good state, but I persevered and got around ok.
The highlight was whizzing down some endless hill with a car behind me. I was tucked in and flying. At the bottom I got some applause form the people in the car which was nice. Just what I needed as I was alone and struggling with probably quite a few miles yet to go.
SO. I thought I diary my training for this years event.
The date today is 1st Jan 2013 and the Tour of Wessex is 25th May.
All I need to do is:
- Improve my fitness
- Improve my on the bike nutrition
- Book the ride
- Sort out accommodation
- and turn up.
I hope I can continue this log and I hope it is of use to either me in the future, or to someone else.
Really good roller for muscles - TriggerPoint
This is amazing.
The Triggerpoint roller. A friend told me about this when we were doing a multi-day cycle event and he was using it for recovery after rides. I had a go and the PAIN!
It must be doing good.
I've since bought one and use it regularly after long rides or when I feel I'm getting worn down. Some immediate fixes have been on achilles pain. For some reason I went through a phase of getting pain in the tendons. I simply rolled my calves on the roller and fixed it. Below (this isnt me)
A great exercise also is on the bands - see below. (this isn't me either)
I do the usual quads and hamstrings and I just know this thing is doing me good.
The Triggerpoint roller. A friend told me about this when we were doing a multi-day cycle event and he was using it for recovery after rides. I had a go and the PAIN!
It must be doing good.
I've since bought one and use it regularly after long rides or when I feel I'm getting worn down. Some immediate fixes have been on achilles pain. For some reason I went through a phase of getting pain in the tendons. I simply rolled my calves on the roller and fixed it. Below (this isnt me)
A great exercise also is on the bands - see below. (this isn't me either)
I do the usual quads and hamstrings and I just know this thing is doing me good.
Not cheap but it saves in the long run. Priceless for me.
http://www.tptherapy.com/shop/smrt-core-products/the-grid.html
I have used the fom rollers perviously and for me, this is miles better. It's main difference being the stiffness and the firm bumps that hit the spot.
I have used the fom rollers perviously and for me, this is miles better. It's main difference being the stiffness and the firm bumps that hit the spot.
Turbo training at Christmas - Carmichael training DVDs
Well it's been wet and windy and quite honestly I fancied a rest from the bike. Plus, I have a family so not disappearing for a few hours eve day might be a good thing. So it was the turbo again.
For the past 5 winters I've been using the turbo to keep me ticking over and each year has been similar. I seem to go through phases of interest and to be honest, the winter turbo period does seem to go by quite quickly and I'm back on the road.
For a few years I have been using the Carmichael DVDs for my turbo sessions and I really do think they are great. So far this year, well this xmas holiday period, I have completely left the road behind and worked my way through the sessions up to session 7. This seems a really good place to stop and spend time. The sessions 5, 6 and 7 concentrate on the aerobic engine, with session 6 supposedly being the easier of the three. If you're looking to get a better base, then work through to these three and then keep doing them over and over for a few weeks. Last year I did similar but not as much. This year I have done them every day, sometimes two a day for a couple of days taking care not to over train. Concentrate on pedal form and the power range an in a week of one session per day you'll see the difference.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cts-progressive-power-workout-training-5-dvd-disc-set/
The great thing this Christmas has been the awful wet and windy weather. I have been off of the road completely and as I ride every day of the week to work come rain or shine I have really enjoyed the break. On the turbo I have driven my aerobic engine so that I can now actually feel the difference and I have still had plenty of time with the family because each hour on the bike has been valuable and well utilised.
A few years back when I got the DVDs, I was doing one session every few days. I drifted off the script occasionally and restarted the course a few times never actually finishing the course by the time the spring came and I then went totally back to the road.
Last year I was doing a training session every day for three days then taking a rest. At weekends I was on the road unless weather was rubbish and I noticed that the power really did improve. With protein powers in the equation I seemed to get something resembling cycling legs. Last year was ok for me, the tour of Wessex, a few 100's with decent times for an old-un.
This Christmas period I have changed things slightly. For the winter so far I have been riding to work and I'm sure my fitness has been dropping off. With the arrival of the Christmas period and extended holiday I took to the trainer with the DVDs again. I've been doing a training session everyday, with a couple of double sessions - one in the morning and one in the evening. I haven't got onto the power sessions yet, instead I'm concentrating on developing the engine that will give a decent amount of power for hours on end. It should sustain me over the rolling hills and the 100's. Thus I'm working on sessions 5, 6 and 7. The Tempo range and Steady State ranges. I think this is really good for the muscles, the tendons and all that connective stuff that could break down under power training. I'm pretty pleased.
I can feel the difference very quickly. I get on the bike at the beginning of the turbo session and know I can do it, and indeed the session passes with less distress than before the training began. I think I'll write my thoughts on the mental side of these turbo session in another post because I find the topic quite interesting. So all-in-all. The DVD's are a great asset for me. Without them I simply couldn't do these sessions. I don't think I could even follow a script without the trainers shouting and that strangely monotonous yet appropriate music.
For the past 5 winters I've been using the turbo to keep me ticking over and each year has been similar. I seem to go through phases of interest and to be honest, the winter turbo period does seem to go by quite quickly and I'm back on the road.
For a few years I have been using the Carmichael DVDs for my turbo sessions and I really do think they are great. So far this year, well this xmas holiday period, I have completely left the road behind and worked my way through the sessions up to session 7. This seems a really good place to stop and spend time. The sessions 5, 6 and 7 concentrate on the aerobic engine, with session 6 supposedly being the easier of the three. If you're looking to get a better base, then work through to these three and then keep doing them over and over for a few weeks. Last year I did similar but not as much. This year I have done them every day, sometimes two a day for a couple of days taking care not to over train. Concentrate on pedal form and the power range an in a week of one session per day you'll see the difference.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cts-progressive-power-workout-training-5-dvd-disc-set/
The great thing this Christmas has been the awful wet and windy weather. I have been off of the road completely and as I ride every day of the week to work come rain or shine I have really enjoyed the break. On the turbo I have driven my aerobic engine so that I can now actually feel the difference and I have still had plenty of time with the family because each hour on the bike has been valuable and well utilised.
A few years back when I got the DVDs, I was doing one session every few days. I drifted off the script occasionally and restarted the course a few times never actually finishing the course by the time the spring came and I then went totally back to the road.
Last year I was doing a training session every day for three days then taking a rest. At weekends I was on the road unless weather was rubbish and I noticed that the power really did improve. With protein powers in the equation I seemed to get something resembling cycling legs. Last year was ok for me, the tour of Wessex, a few 100's with decent times for an old-un.
This Christmas period I have changed things slightly. For the winter so far I have been riding to work and I'm sure my fitness has been dropping off. With the arrival of the Christmas period and extended holiday I took to the trainer with the DVDs again. I've been doing a training session everyday, with a couple of double sessions - one in the morning and one in the evening. I haven't got onto the power sessions yet, instead I'm concentrating on developing the engine that will give a decent amount of power for hours on end. It should sustain me over the rolling hills and the 100's. Thus I'm working on sessions 5, 6 and 7. The Tempo range and Steady State ranges. I think this is really good for the muscles, the tendons and all that connective stuff that could break down under power training. I'm pretty pleased.
I can feel the difference very quickly. I get on the bike at the beginning of the turbo session and know I can do it, and indeed the session passes with less distress than before the training began. I think I'll write my thoughts on the mental side of these turbo session in another post because I find the topic quite interesting. So all-in-all. The DVD's are a great asset for me. Without them I simply couldn't do these sessions. I don't think I could even follow a script without the trainers shouting and that strangely monotonous yet appropriate music.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
How to prepare for a 40 mile ride in one week
Well that was the challenge for my wife. She was not in a good way and felt very concerned about her ride. She and her friend had been riding once a week, missing the occasional fortnight, but enjoying it and doing about 20 miles into the bargain. Nice and slow, nice and flat, nice an pleasant. Today they did their Sportive and they were very pleased. It went really well.
The route was hilly in Sussex and last Saturday they practiced the first part of the ride and really struggled. My wife was really demoralised and wondered if they'd ever be able to do it. It was their first Sportive and they weren't big into cycling. My wife, not to give too much away, is the on profound side of 50 and no spring chicken. Does that make a difference? Probably.
So starting on Monday my wife started work on getting prepared for the ride and this is how we did it.
I wanted to improve the other factors like bike, nutrition and hydration.
The result: to relax, don't stress, realise that anyone can cycle 40 miles, go steady, and have some training that will enable her to be more comfortable.
The first thing to do was to make sure the efforts were easy. There was no point in building muscles or stamina and risking strains or injury. So it was easy pedals for 5 mins, 30 seconds of high cadence and low power, 1 minute rest, another high cadence, then a gentle ride at 80-85 rpm, low power. It was stuff like that twice a day and the session lasted no more than 20 mins. What I did do was fit the cleats rather than normal pedals and got her to notice pedal efficiency but getting her to "scrape the poo of her shoe" at the bottom of the stroke. This was fine for low power at reasonable cadence and would cause no strain though it is a risk of straining the calf or unused muscles. Breathing was not heavy at any time and the heart rate low, probably like walking fast.
We did this for a few days and then on Thursday, that was when we could do the only day of effort. Here we did slow pedal warmup then I did:
In the hour before the ride she had 500ml energy drink. On the ride, she knew to drink regular and often. If energy drink was too sickly, then water will do or dilute it. It was up to her and over 40 miles, 3.5 hours, you can't really get it wrong. It's not critical because you will always make it round.
The result was good.
The route was hilly in Sussex and last Saturday they practiced the first part of the ride and really struggled. My wife was really demoralised and wondered if they'd ever be able to do it. It was their first Sportive and they weren't big into cycling. My wife, not to give too much away, is the on profound side of 50 and no spring chicken. Does that make a difference? Probably.
So starting on Monday my wife started work on getting prepared for the ride and this is how we did it.
Motivation
Motivation wasn't a problem because she didn't want to fail.Objective
I knew that we should expect a 3.5 hour time on the terrain but I was happy to say that 4 hours was ideal. In the event, they did it in 3.5 hours. The objective of he training was to get the neuro-muscular and mechanics loosened up and happy to pedal. I wanted to concentrate on peddling mechanics, the awareness of higher cadence work and taking the strain off of the down stroke of the pedal action. By default she was bound to press hard with low cadence. This will tire the muscles quickly so lets get rid of that.I wanted to improve the other factors like bike, nutrition and hydration.
The result: to relax, don't stress, realise that anyone can cycle 40 miles, go steady, and have some training that will enable her to be more comfortable.
Turbo
The saviour was the turbo trainer. She'd never been on one before and we had no idea of threshold for power or heart rate but I put the power meter on and used that to see some rough idea of how much her effort would fluctuate.The first thing to do was to make sure the efforts were easy. There was no point in building muscles or stamina and risking strains or injury. So it was easy pedals for 5 mins, 30 seconds of high cadence and low power, 1 minute rest, another high cadence, then a gentle ride at 80-85 rpm, low power. It was stuff like that twice a day and the session lasted no more than 20 mins. What I did do was fit the cleats rather than normal pedals and got her to notice pedal efficiency but getting her to "scrape the poo of her shoe" at the bottom of the stroke. This was fine for low power at reasonable cadence and would cause no strain though it is a risk of straining the calf or unused muscles. Breathing was not heavy at any time and the heart rate low, probably like walking fast.
We did this for a few days and then on Thursday, that was when we could do the only day of effort. Here we did slow pedal warmup then I did:
- 5 min warm up
- 30 sec fast pedal - 110 rpm with smooth pedal stroke no bouncing in the saddle
- 2 min recovery (slow pedal low power)
- 30 sec fast pedal - 110 rpm with smooth pedal stroke no bouncing in the saddle
- 2 min recovery
- 4 min muscle tension. 50 rpm legs pressing all the time, 100% of the stroke, but NOT hard. Gentle pressure. This is hard to describe, but this must not be hard work. It should be able to be done for 20 mins.
- 3 min recover
- 5 min muscle tension
- 3 min recovery
- 2 min fast pedal
- 2 min recover
- 2 min fast pedal
- Cool down
The fast pedals make the heart and lungs work, they also smooth out the pedal mechanics. These should be on low power.
Friday and Saturday is gentle on the road but NO hard efforts.
The Bike
She has a nice road bike so all I could do was inflate the tyres. That was a big difference. I can't remember the original figure but I inflated them to 100psi. Slick road tyres.Hydration
I ensured that on the Saturday she drank well. Nothing special, just enough.In the hour before the ride she had 500ml energy drink. On the ride, she knew to drink regular and often. If energy drink was too sickly, then water will do or dilute it. It was up to her and over 40 miles, 3.5 hours, you can't really get it wrong. It's not critical because you will always make it round.
Nutrition
Pasta the night before. Not too much. Breakfast 2 hours before the ride, gel 15 mins befre the ride. Then gels, banana, mars bar, sweets or whatever, in any combination during the ride. Maybe a gel or banana every hour or so, or small GU gel every 30 mins if things are getting bad. But just eat something regular. Again, it's not Le Tour so we don't need to be strict.The result was good.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Guilt from missing my Sportive
So, following on from the last post, where I had three weeks of training left for my first goal of the year, I can proudly announce that my Gold classification at the Puncheur Sportive never happened.
My physical state was not where it should have been because of my frequent falling off of the wagon into the fields of gluttony and sloth, but I wasn't too bad. I could have done the ride and got near or maybe achieve my target time of 4 hours.
It's been a dry winter and I think we actually have a drought, or something official. Something has been announced by some body or other and there water restrictions in place. So with weeks of dry weather, when did it start raining (6am on the day of the ride) and when did it stop raining (2pm on the day of the ride). And it hasn't rained since.
Why didn't I do the ride? Well yes it's the rain. But I have ridden in heavy rain for 100 miles many times. In fact I did the Puncheur in sub-zero temperatures a few years back when the roads had sheets of ice over them and riders were falling like pins. So why this not time.
I think I'm getting soft.
I don't know why I do this riding thing anyway.
Yesterday I rode into London, to Crystal Palace. It was about 30 miles and I shot along and felt great afterwards. I still do. But it doesn't end there does it. I kind of wish that I have done my hard exercise now but this morning I have to think about where can I fit today's exercise/ride in. How hard should it be? (the answer is 'hard'). Should I skip today and do tomorrow.
My physical state was not where it should have been because of my frequent falling off of the wagon into the fields of gluttony and sloth, but I wasn't too bad. I could have done the ride and got near or maybe achieve my target time of 4 hours.
It's been a dry winter and I think we actually have a drought, or something official. Something has been announced by some body or other and there water restrictions in place. So with weeks of dry weather, when did it start raining (6am on the day of the ride) and when did it stop raining (2pm on the day of the ride). And it hasn't rained since.
Why didn't I do the ride? Well yes it's the rain. But I have ridden in heavy rain for 100 miles many times. In fact I did the Puncheur in sub-zero temperatures a few years back when the roads had sheets of ice over them and riders were falling like pins. So why this not time.
I think I'm getting soft.
I don't know why I do this riding thing anyway.
Yesterday I rode into London, to Crystal Palace. It was about 30 miles and I shot along and felt great afterwards. I still do. But it doesn't end there does it. I kind of wish that I have done my hard exercise now but this morning I have to think about where can I fit today's exercise/ride in. How hard should it be? (the answer is 'hard'). Should I skip today and do tomorrow.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
3 weeks to get fit
I've a big ride coming up fast and I'm not in the best of shape. After Christmas I was doing well. I had moved onto doing turbo sessions on consecutive days. Quite hard ones. Previously I has rarely done two consecutive days as I had always given myself recovery or lazy time. Its February 11th now and three weeks to go. I'm sure the fat was disappearing. I don't have too much- but its there. Belly, small man-boobs. Small but perfectly formed.
I was doing well. Even if I would do 5 days then nothing for a few. Something in me just said "No, I'm going to give up and eat chocolate".
Last week I gave up again. For an entire week. And there was nothing I could do about it. I ate cakes, biscuits, sweets- the lot. And there was, I think, no guilt.
I tried once or twice to tell myself that I only had 4 weeks left until my first goal of the year. (and I don't have many). But I was happy not to hear myself.
It's Saturday morning - around 5 am I think - and this week began on Monday. It was the week where I got back on track. Monday was so pathetic it was untrue and worrying. No energy, no interest. I probably did 15 minutes if I take out the time dedicated to faffing and farting about. Tuesday was the same. Wednesday was when it started properly. I drank a bottle of Zip fit energy before and a couple during the hour's session and at least I worked. But I was poor.
Well poor was a bit harsh and subjective. I haven't checked the results but my heart rate seemed high, my breathing poor and my power was, at a guess, 5-10% worse. I did lesson 2 of the CTS course.
Thursday wasn't great but it was better.
Yesterday was better too. The legs are fine from the three consecutive sessions but my breathing isn't as good as it was. I'm please about the legs though. So glad I did that work previously. It has made a difference and I'm sure my heart and lungs will recover. I'll probably lose a bit of this excess fat too but. Not if I still eat junk though. Where has my will power gone?
So, three weeks to go and the question is: can I sustain the training. I see two more weeks of full training then a taper in the last week.
I'm going to try to write this log of my efforts in a hope that it might shame me into action.
The things concerning me, or at the very least need addressing are: will I over-train? I need to get in at least one 70-80 mile ride.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I was doing well. Even if I would do 5 days then nothing for a few. Something in me just said "No, I'm going to give up and eat chocolate".
Last week I gave up again. For an entire week. And there was nothing I could do about it. I ate cakes, biscuits, sweets- the lot. And there was, I think, no guilt.
I tried once or twice to tell myself that I only had 4 weeks left until my first goal of the year. (and I don't have many). But I was happy not to hear myself.
It's Saturday morning - around 5 am I think - and this week began on Monday. It was the week where I got back on track. Monday was so pathetic it was untrue and worrying. No energy, no interest. I probably did 15 minutes if I take out the time dedicated to faffing and farting about. Tuesday was the same. Wednesday was when it started properly. I drank a bottle of Zip fit energy before and a couple during the hour's session and at least I worked. But I was poor.
Well poor was a bit harsh and subjective. I haven't checked the results but my heart rate seemed high, my breathing poor and my power was, at a guess, 5-10% worse. I did lesson 2 of the CTS course.
Thursday wasn't great but it was better.
Yesterday was better too. The legs are fine from the three consecutive sessions but my breathing isn't as good as it was. I'm please about the legs though. So glad I did that work previously. It has made a difference and I'm sure my heart and lungs will recover. I'll probably lose a bit of this excess fat too but. Not if I still eat junk though. Where has my will power gone?
So, three weeks to go and the question is: can I sustain the training. I see two more weeks of full training then a taper in the last week.
I'm going to try to write this log of my efforts in a hope that it might shame me into action.
The things concerning me, or at the very least need addressing are: will I over-train? I need to get in at least one 70-80 mile ride.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Cheap and happy
Ooo. I've just tasted my first cup of...
Maybe a cash saving alternative to my Illy.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Maybe a cash saving alternative to my Illy.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, January 13, 2012
How to turbo train - step one
... get on it and pedal.
This is a brief observation about my turbo training. Some benefits and some of my difficulties with getting on the road.
Strange, but I'm a bit surprised that it's January and I've only just started on the turbo. Previously I had been quite quick onto it. Maybe because I wasn't unemployed then though.
I've been a while out of work and although busy at home I have been trying to get out on the bike most days. But I just couldn't do it consitently. I've wrapped up warm against the gloom and cold of winter and usually, really enjoyed it. I found it hard to get started but once going I loved it. Another problem was that I would do a max of 2 hours and I would go flat out. I couldn't ride at an endurance pace, or at a tempo pace.
Quite soon though I found that I fell into a pattern of going for a ride and loving it. Next day, buoyed with the satisfaction of the previous charge, I would go out again. And then again the next. Then it might rain, or I'd convince myself that I should have an easy day, or perhaps I'd leave it too late to get out. Then I wouldn't ride. And the same the next day too. I seemed to be riding, riding, riding, then a week or 5 days off.
After 5 days off my legs begin to feel a bit achy. They need some action. But with my history of pathetic knees I didn't want to rush out and blast away with a hard ride. So I'd take it easy for a bit, and before I knew it I was pushing it hard again. Recently though I had another idea. The faithful turbo.
The beauty of it seems to be the speed with which I can get riding. From idea, to on the bike is 15 mins. If I want to get out on the road, it seems that from idea to on the bike is an hour or more. Why is that? Is it just me? Bottles, food, clothes, loo, pump, mixing drink, change the shirt, additional layer, which gloves, how cold is it, what's the wind like, different layer...
What has been good with the turbo trainer this time is that I have have been doing it daily. In previous winters I have used it every other day because it wrecked my legs so much. This time though I have drunk plenty of energy drink, eaten well after the session and during the day, and ensured I have had reasonable protein input. I've been doing the CTS sessions every day, plus some of my own now for over a week. It's been excellent.
I am convinced I am improving. I think in another post I'll write about the CTS DVDs, but suffice to say that they are a very good motivational tool and practical aid. Get the power ranges sorted out, then they go through a bit of leg strengthening and muscular endurance sessions. Id did these a few times and the legs soon felt stronger. Then it's onto the sessions that seem to work on the Tempo range and Steady State range. That's the top end of the aerobic range. Training the body to work, still using fats as energy, for longer periods. Usually the pedal cadence is low-ish at around 70rpm. This helps ensure that the load is taken by the muscles rather than the heart and lungs. That's where I am at the moment. I might go back to some leg strengthening and pedal efficiency sessions and work more on the aerobic threshold more.
One very interesting observation. If I look at the charts of my 1 hour or 2 hour on the road there is never a period where my riding has power or heart rate at a constant Tempo or Steady State for 10 or 20 mins. On the turbo I can do this. This is where the big gains will come.
This is a brief observation about my turbo training. Some benefits and some of my difficulties with getting on the road.
Strange, but I'm a bit surprised that it's January and I've only just started on the turbo. Previously I had been quite quick onto it. Maybe because I wasn't unemployed then though.
I've been a while out of work and although busy at home I have been trying to get out on the bike most days. But I just couldn't do it consitently. I've wrapped up warm against the gloom and cold of winter and usually, really enjoyed it. I found it hard to get started but once going I loved it. Another problem was that I would do a max of 2 hours and I would go flat out. I couldn't ride at an endurance pace, or at a tempo pace.
Quite soon though I found that I fell into a pattern of going for a ride and loving it. Next day, buoyed with the satisfaction of the previous charge, I would go out again. And then again the next. Then it might rain, or I'd convince myself that I should have an easy day, or perhaps I'd leave it too late to get out. Then I wouldn't ride. And the same the next day too. I seemed to be riding, riding, riding, then a week or 5 days off.
After 5 days off my legs begin to feel a bit achy. They need some action. But with my history of pathetic knees I didn't want to rush out and blast away with a hard ride. So I'd take it easy for a bit, and before I knew it I was pushing it hard again. Recently though I had another idea. The faithful turbo.
The beauty of it seems to be the speed with which I can get riding. From idea, to on the bike is 15 mins. If I want to get out on the road, it seems that from idea to on the bike is an hour or more. Why is that? Is it just me? Bottles, food, clothes, loo, pump, mixing drink, change the shirt, additional layer, which gloves, how cold is it, what's the wind like, different layer...
What has been good with the turbo trainer this time is that I have have been doing it daily. In previous winters I have used it every other day because it wrecked my legs so much. This time though I have drunk plenty of energy drink, eaten well after the session and during the day, and ensured I have had reasonable protein input. I've been doing the CTS sessions every day, plus some of my own now for over a week. It's been excellent.
I am convinced I am improving. I think in another post I'll write about the CTS DVDs, but suffice to say that they are a very good motivational tool and practical aid. Get the power ranges sorted out, then they go through a bit of leg strengthening and muscular endurance sessions. Id did these a few times and the legs soon felt stronger. Then it's onto the sessions that seem to work on the Tempo range and Steady State range. That's the top end of the aerobic range. Training the body to work, still using fats as energy, for longer periods. Usually the pedal cadence is low-ish at around 70rpm. This helps ensure that the load is taken by the muscles rather than the heart and lungs. That's where I am at the moment. I might go back to some leg strengthening and pedal efficiency sessions and work more on the aerobic threshold more.
One very interesting observation. If I look at the charts of my 1 hour or 2 hour on the road there is never a period where my riding has power or heart rate at a constant Tempo or Steady State for 10 or 20 mins. On the turbo I can do this. This is where the big gains will come.
Bought an Isla 700
In the end I didn't buy a second hand bike for my son. We went for new.
It arrived quickly in a big cardboard box and seems good. Screw the pedals in, straighten the handlebars and away.
It's a bit of an extravagance really because my son (aged 11) has only just started Cyclocross at a very fun level.
It was a success on the first competition as the course was longer than the first course he competed on. His little Trek mountain bike wouldn't have got up to speed I don't think and he was reluctant to change gear on the Trek as it was a bit clunky.
It's not the lightest of bikes but it's ok. I feel a bit guilty that he has to have a bike that is twice as heavy as mine, but it'll do him good I'm sure.
The cantilever brakes are good and strong with lot's of clearance for the muck. I put on a pair of magic pro wheels that I had made with Shimano 105 hubs. They're a bit lighter and better than the wheels that came with the bike, but not too much lighter. I did splash out on some nice cross tyres though from Chain Reaction.
It arrived quickly in a big cardboard box and seems good. Screw the pedals in, straighten the handlebars and away.
It's a bit of an extravagance really because my son (aged 11) has only just started Cyclocross at a very fun level.
It was a success on the first competition as the course was longer than the first course he competed on. His little Trek mountain bike wouldn't have got up to speed I don't think and he was reluctant to change gear on the Trek as it was a bit clunky.
It's not the lightest of bikes but it's ok. I feel a bit guilty that he has to have a bike that is twice as heavy as mine, but it'll do him good I'm sure.
The cantilever brakes are good and strong with lot's of clearance for the muck. I put on a pair of magic pro wheels that I had made with Shimano 105 hubs. They're a bit lighter and better than the wheels that came with the bike, but not too much lighter. I did splash out on some nice cross tyres though from Chain Reaction.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Islabike Luath 700 small - hold their price well
Ebay doesn't seem to be the place for a margin when it comes to Islabike, 700 small. I'm new to Ebay, so maybe it's hard to get bargain anyway. But I bid for one, with my limit at around £300. It was a 5 year old bike, a bit scruffy.
It sold for nearly £400.
A new bike today will cost £499.
3 years ago the bike would have cost around £399!
5 years ago probably cost even less.
It sold for nearly £400.
A new bike today will cost £499.
3 years ago the bike would have cost around £399!
5 years ago probably cost even less.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Gears suddenly not changing correctly any more.
The rear derailleur started to be sluggish in changing. It would click, click click then eventually go to the cog. I had checked the chain condition a few weeks back and it was ok but I checked it again and sure enough it was stretched a bit too much so I changed it. As I have had three chains on the cassette I changed the cassette too.
But with the new chain and cassette, gear changing was way out. I adjusted it with the screw adjuster on the cable but that was no good.
When this happens, or when the gear changes are good in the outside cogs but not in the middle cogs, check the cable.
Undo the cable on the derailleur and slacken it all the way up to the brake shifter. Click the shifters into the position that would bring it into the small cog on the cassette and push the cable inner wire through the shifter. You may well see that the abrasion on the wire has caused it to fray breaking some of the strands. This will result in the remaining strands to stretch, thus giving the inaccurate and intermittent gear shifting.
This was a bit of a pain really.
I had taken a couple of days off of the bike for one reason or another, and so now I couldn't use it. It would be quite painful getting stuck in the hard gear and getting home. So I improvised a turbo session in only the manly gear.
You've got to be careful using this gearing for a turbo session if you have suspect knees. It puts a lot of stress on them. So I warmed up easily for 5 to 10 mins, and then did a moderate session. If you push at a slow cadence with moderate pressure, the muscles will soon get a good workout even if the heart rate stays lower than usual.
Dancing out of the saddle was good too, for 5 or 10 mins. Again the HR seemed lower than a full out session but the muscles were enjoying it.
The cable should come tomorrow so I'll be on the road. Thank goodness.
But with the new chain and cassette, gear changing was way out. I adjusted it with the screw adjuster on the cable but that was no good.
When this happens, or when the gear changes are good in the outside cogs but not in the middle cogs, check the cable.
Undo the cable on the derailleur and slacken it all the way up to the brake shifter. Click the shifters into the position that would bring it into the small cog on the cassette and push the cable inner wire through the shifter. You may well see that the abrasion on the wire has caused it to fray breaking some of the strands. This will result in the remaining strands to stretch, thus giving the inaccurate and intermittent gear shifting.
This was a bit of a pain really.
I had taken a couple of days off of the bike for one reason or another, and so now I couldn't use it. It would be quite painful getting stuck in the hard gear and getting home. So I improvised a turbo session in only the manly gear.
You've got to be careful using this gearing for a turbo session if you have suspect knees. It puts a lot of stress on them. So I warmed up easily for 5 to 10 mins, and then did a moderate session. If you push at a slow cadence with moderate pressure, the muscles will soon get a good workout even if the heart rate stays lower than usual.
Dancing out of the saddle was good too, for 5 or 10 mins. Again the HR seemed lower than a full out session but the muscles were enjoying it.
The cable should come tomorrow so I'll be on the road. Thank goodness.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
How to change the rear indicator on a Peugeot 308 SW
This is not as explained in the manual.
You can visit and read the link below but its explanation might not be clear. If the assembly is stiff to come off you may doubt your advice.
So, read the link first http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_change_the_rear_indicator_bulb_on_a_Peugeot_308_SW
and then read this.
You DON'T TWIST THE ASSEMBLY. Pull it out straight from the rear of the car. Wiggle it about and pull it backwards in the direction of the screws that were extracted.
You can use a screwdriver, though I didn't.
Pull from the large black area of the assembly. Don't fiddle with the red portion that is shown in this photograph.
This photo shows how the thin part of the assembly it secured to the car. It is not in tight. It comes out very easily when you pull the assemble away from the car.
You can visit and read the link below but its explanation might not be clear. If the assembly is stiff to come off you may doubt your advice.
So, read the link first http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_change_the_rear_indicator_bulb_on_a_Peugeot_308_SW
and then read this.
You DON'T TWIST THE ASSEMBLY. Pull it out straight from the rear of the car. Wiggle it about and pull it backwards in the direction of the screws that were extracted.
You can use a screwdriver, though I didn't.
Pull from the large black area of the assembly. Don't fiddle with the red portion that is shown in this photograph.
This photo shows how the thin part of the assembly it secured to the car. It is not in tight. It comes out very easily when you pull the assemble away from the car.
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