The Etape

Position: 3900
Distance: 167.52km
Time: 8:22:41
Avg Speed: 20.0km/h
Max Speed: 66.3km/h
Calories: 8236kcal
Avg HR: 148bpm
Max HR: 174bpm
Ascent: 3806m

It took two days to drive to Lourdes. Almost all of the way was straight, flat and boring, brightened only by the occasional sign to a place I half recognise as a cheese or wine. South of Toulouse I finally see the Pyrenees stretch out before me an start to bite my nails. The next hour is spent contemplating failure.

After registration at Pau racecourse, I ride back to Lourdes with the group from Bikestyle on a recce of the first part of the course. The weather is pretty damp, but it proves a great chance to chew the fat with the guys in the group. The hills, though twice the size of the South Downs were familiar to ride. I'm feeling pretty confident.

4AM alarm call and down for breakfast of bread, honey, cheese and ham. It's still dark outside but the conversation is of the rain & cold outside. I haven't got a jacket with me and factor in the fact that the party is mostly from Australia, so it's all relative. An hour later our bus passes a sign displaying the temparature. 13 degrees. That's not too bad but it will be colder at 2100 meters.

I regret not having being able to go to the loo. When the bus stops, I find an oily rag in the back of the van to use a paper and make do behind a hedge. I'm ready to start.

There are pens at the racecourse numbered to each hold a thousand cyclists. I line up with the 6000-7000 riders, which means most people start in front of me. Still there's still the poor souls in the 9000's. They're quite literally in front of the broom wagon. It starts to rain and I get cold almost straight away. The lady on the tannoy excitedly announces the start. 25 minutes pass before I roll forward.



From the start, it's about 100km to St. Marie de Campan and the start of the Col du Tourmalet. There's a climb about every 25km between now and then and to beat the elimination time I have to get to each at about half-past the hour. I'm pretty disappointed by the late start, but the organisers send us on our way on some wide, fast roads. So good is the early going that I make up 10 minutes every hour. By the time I get to St. Marie de Campan I have enough time to stop at a water fountain to refresh my bottles and find a place to take a pee. The last hour has been 22km at a steady 2 or 3%, just a softener before the mountain proper. I feel pretty good.



It's about 16km from the village to the summit at 7%. The weather quickly deteriorates as we climb. The gradient is unchanging, the visibility poor. It is long and boring. All there is to do is count down the km. Further up, concrete tunnels punctuate the fog. People start to walk already. It's over for them. What were they thinking?



A concrete monstrosity, the sometime Ski Resort of La Mongie is beaten into the mountain about 4km from the top. The going has been pretty stiff and very boring. Denied the relief of beautiful mountain vistas the food scrum of the refreshment stop provides some relief. Any mutual respect these people have as riders is gone over priority for the next cheese and ham sandwich. There's some wrestling over there by the banana stall. Where did that guy get cake from?



It's too cold up here to hang around so I ride on for the summit remembering the calm, friendly queues for food at the Tour of Flanders. It was probably the same bunch of riders, so I put it down to the stress of elimination wagons, which were absent at the Ronde.

The last 4km is on a narrow, wet road covered in cow dung. My eyes would be sore for a day. I finally recognise someone at the summit - Mark from GPM10. I give him a wave, the training weekend gave me a heap of confidence in the mountains.



Hey! I'm on top of the Col du Tourmalet! I'm given a newspaper to stuff down my shirt and protect me from the wind on the descent - just like on TV.



The descent is pretty epic. After about a couple of miles we drop under the cloud and we get to look around. Almost every 100meters it seems like someone has a puncture. I pull over and feel my rims. The front is red hot. I let some air out the tyre and to reduce pressure head on down. It's way too cold to be fiddling with tubes. Apart from the cold, everything is wonderful.



After a run along a valley, the temperature moderates and I reach the foot of Hautacam. The climb is about 15km. Every km a sign gives the average gradient for the next km, typically 8%. The reality is very different, with the road flattening and rising as it switches back and forth up the mountain. Some sections are 14-15%, but it still feels easier than Tourmalet, because the flat sections let you sit-up and catch breath.

Coming down the other side of the road are the finishers and they are soaked through. It's raining up there. As we ride into the cloud, we are again cheated out of the high mountain views we hoped for. I count down the kilometers to go. It's getting cold and I'm passing a lot of walkers. I can't understand why they don't ride. Pushing the bike must surely be harder. They look cold and broken. With 2km to go I think I can make out where the finish must be.

The last couple of switchbacks are followed by a hopeless attempt to look composed for the official photograper. It's been a tough slog in the heavy weather. I can feel the cold, the heaviness of my limbs and perhaps least expected - anticlimax. I look up at the finish marker. The Road to Hautacam Ends Here.



The Etape at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Weather Watch

I've been able to train for distance, for time, in the mountains, in groups, the wind and pouring rain. The one unknown remained. How would I fare in baking heat? Hopefully it will stay unknown. The weather looks decidedly temperate, which is fantastic news.

June Weigh-In

Weight: 75.8kg
Fat: 15.7%

My weight has levelled-off somewhat. I've lost a stone and am happy with that.

Pre-Etape Metric

Distance: 100.3km
Time: 3:59:08
Avg Speed: 25.2km/h
Max Speed: 64.2km/h
Calories: 3667cal
Avg HR:136bpm
Max HR: 173bpm
Ascent: 1187m

I've had no time for blogging and little time for training. My weekends have been taken up with relatives and my weeks with the builders who are seeming destroying our home.

A couple of weeks ago I had a pleasant social around Stockbridge with DP. Neither of us had spare tubes, but we got around without incident. I went out on the same loop a few days later to do a fast couple of hours but had an unmitigated disaster. I punctured, cheerfully waived away assistance from a passing club ride, failed to clear the flinty spike that caused the puncture and immediately blew out the first spare. Feeling quite pleased with myself for being well prepared, I dug out a second spare which totally refused to inflate. I was stuffed. My wife would never find me out in the sticks, so I decided to call NH to recover me. No signal. I started to walk.

Thanks to the two cyclist who later passed an bailed me out with another spare. I rode home gingerly. All my lightweight Continental Supersonic tubes are consigned to the bin. I will never be seduced by low-weight again.

The metric was an attempt to get my training back on track. Most of the way I took it easy and just chilled as I rode. It's not too long ago this kind of thing wold have seemed like an event and I would have taken energy drinks, bars, bananas, anything to get me through. This time I just took some electrolyte and stopped for a coffee and toast. Maybe less is more.

June Metric at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Highclere Sportive

Distance: 204.54km
Time: 7:59:34
Avg Speed: 25.6km/h
Max Speed: 65.4km/h
Calories: 8009kcal
Avg HR: 157bpm
Max HR:187bpm
Ascent: 2590m

One of my training goals in preparation for The Etape was to spend a long day in the saddle. The stupendous distance offered by Highclere fit the bill nicely. It also takes in some of my training run, so I would be on home ground.

There were 500 registred entrants for the 200km loop and we were started in batches of maybe twenty-or-so. After a couple of freak-show steep back-to-back climbs we soon settled into a decent group and hammered along for the first 50km. Speed was high, effort was low and life was good. Then came the crash.

We were two-a-breadth and nose-to-tail in a group of about a dozen when we all sped straight past a turn. Bikes skidded and slid about. The guy in front had a blow-out and came off. Somebody hit me hard from behind and went down. A chain snapped, some bars dropped. We got off the road and waited for the group to fix themselves back up when the following group went skidding past too. It was a poorly signed turn, but somehow I was unscathed. I was never in a decent sized group again.

By the time I got to Winchester Hill at 100km I was feeling sickly. From 100-120km I was heaving and thinking over-and-over that I should just bail at Petersfield and call Long Suffering Wife to come get me. Even on the flat sections I couldn't maintain any speed and was getting passed over-and-over. I was convinced that my cold bug had trashed my day and I'd never be able to do the Etape. At 125km I actually overtook someone and thought I'd just get to the 130km feed and see how I felt. Once there, I could see in the eyes of others that I was not alone. I decided to swap the energy drink for water, forget about energy bars and ate loads of salty peanuts and a cheese sarnie.

Feeling less pukey I set off again. The more I rode and the more water I drank, the more my stomach settled. By 150km my main concern was a wheel sucker who'd been on my tail for half-an-hour without so much as a hello. When he finally came alongside he apologised and said he'd never ridden more than 70miles before and was suffering bad in the heat. From then on we had a nice chat and shared the load for about 30km until we split up.

The last hour went very well. I'd completely recovered and was passing quite a few people. With hindsight I was putting the dodgy stomach down way too much sugary stuff. Crossing the line in 8:29 was slower than I'd hoped, but given the miserable middle section felt like a complete triumph. I'm now feeling very positive.

highclere sportive at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:GPS Geotagging

Rapha Rides The Etape

Rapha maker of the world's finest cycling jersey have put together an excellent preview of The Etape. Until reading this, I had previously been of the opinion that if I get get over the Col du Tourmalet, I can make it up the Hautacam to the finish. They make the Hautacam sound very tough. Very tough.

GPM10: Annecy-Chamonix

Distance: 111.49km
Time: 5:01:02
Avg Speed: 22.2km/h
Max Speed: 66.1km/h
Calories: 5267kcal
Avg HR: 146bpm
Max HR: 182bpm
Ascent: 2420m

Profile: Annecy-Chamonix



Lake Annecy

Today was all about the Col de la Colombiere. We would have to ride about 25km and gain about 500m just to get to the bottom. The day started with a drag uphill and almost immediately the group split in two. Legs were heavy from yesterday. I hung on to the front group (predictably the London Dynamo boys) for a while until someone put the hammer down. My HR shot up to 180bpm and I began to drop-off the back. Fortunately a couple of Dynamos also backed-off a little and we were able to cruise up to the feed point before the main climb.


Feeding before the Colombiere

As we set off I asked guide Rusty how far to the top. 13km. I lowered my expectations and sat up. I rode the whole climb alone, on a deserted road, through closed ski resorts and boarded chalets. It is a steady 7% climb only kicking-up for switchbacks and turns. For the first half of the climb I was pleased to see my heart-rate was a steady 160bpm. The col has a flat section for about a kilometer half-way. As I eased up to chew a caffeine loaded energy bar it occured to me that the low HR was most likely due to being pretty tired and unable to work any harder.

The next half of the climb see the leisure chalets replaced by the occasional old cabin and then nothing but huge granite cliffs, rock, gravel, snow and grass. It was a lonely, empty, windy place and I was happy to spot another rider one or two switchbacks ahead. It is easier when there is someone to follow. I lost sight of him with about a kilometer to go. The wind was hard, I had run out of gears and had to keep getting out of the saddle to maintain momentum. I was almost at the cafe. I was almost at the summit.

When I rolled over, the cafe was closed and the riders ahead of me long gone. It was no place to hang around. Sam was waiting with the van. He took a photo of me trying my very hardest to look composed. It had been a deeply difficult climb on the back of yesterday. Now for the reward. A 20km descent into the valley.


20km downhill from here.

After a decent lunch Mark took us out to part of the 1980 World Championship course. A plaque here commemorates Winner Bernard Hinault. The climb was short at about 4km but it was almost wholly over 10% often as much as 14%. Incredibly, some of the Dynamo boys were hoping for something a little longer. For the first time, I had actually considered getting off the bike and waiting for the van.

From here it was time to head on back. Mark did a cracking job of pacing me all the way back. He managed to drag every last drop of energy out of me, every lat pound of value out of the weekend. Back at the hotel, some had already arrived, others rolled back in one and twos, the van or a blagged lift in a passing car! I was completely spent. The weekend had been epic, challenging and fulfiling. The other riders had been really good company. I would recommend Mark & the boys at gpm10 without hesitation. They made my weekend a complete success.

Annecy-Chamonix at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:Share GPS tracks

GPM10: Chamonix-Annecy

Distance: 100.31km
Time: 4:07:40
Avg Speed: 24.3km/h
Max Speed: 71.6km/h
Calories: 3909kcal
Avg HR: 146bpm
Max HR: 186bpm
Ascent: 1713m

I'd headed over to Haut Savoie for the gpm10 Etape Training Weekend. This was to provide me with some experience of climbing cols, before I get to The Etape. Saturday took in cols Aravis & Croix Fry. Sunday, the Col de la Colombiere. It proved challenging weekend.

Chamonix-Annecy Profile



We arrived on Friday night at the surprisingly nice Hotel Eden in Chamonix. There was time to unpack the bike from the case and take it for a quick spin before dinner. Rather than pay £200 for a bike case, I'd opted to hire one from Primera at £6 per day. I was quids in until I discovered it was too big to go in our car and that I'd have to pay £140 for a return taxi to the airport.


View from Hotel Eden, Chamonix

We had a damp start the next morning and much of the first 30km or so was downhill. It should have been pretty uneventful, but one guy locked up and went into the verge and I had a blow-out while descending at some speed. Luckily I managed to stay upright. The real bonus was the support van following. Mark jumped out and swapped my wheel and I was on my way immediately. Superb service :)

From here on the road headed up along the Route Megeve. The climb lasted a lung-stretching 11km at 6.5% and we got a couple of superb panoramas on the way. At the top we stopped at the van for sandwiches and refreshment. This was by far the furthest I'd ever climbed before and I was stunned to find out this wasn't even one of the days named climbs. My heart wasn't used to such a sustained effort and myself and other stragglers watched the guys from London Dynamo ride-off up the road at speed - something we'd get used to as we hit the cols.

The next 15km or so were a chance to recover, mostly undulating down to the base of Col des Aravis. At the foot, the cloud broke and the sun started to shine. The col was a steady 7% over 7km - about half as long as the climbs in the Etape. What was surprising about these climbs is the lack of flat sections to bring the heart rate down. For the duration of the climb my HR stayed above 170, far higher than expected. The climb up to lunch at the cafe on the top took over just over thirty minutes. It was hard, hard work, but there was a sense of achievement at making it up my first col. I can't see how I could ride easier without fitting a triple chainset for tiny gears, something many do, but an expense I'll avoid. I could have done more training. I'm probably setting myself up for some real suffering.


Lunch on the Aravis

After lunch we had a short & fast descent where I passed 70km/h before losing my bottle (figuratively). The next climb was Col de la Croix Fry. We were fortunately doing it from the short side, only 4km at 6%. I still found it a bit of a slog. Amongst other things I'd had a second cheese & ham sandwich at lunch and it was a bit much.

From the summit we had a mighty, exhilarating, uninterrupted descent of over 20km. It was superb fun, overtaking cars on the way down, weaving left & right following the boys from the Dynamos. When we stopped to regroup at the bottom I noticed cyclists heading up in the other direction, something that would take them one or two hours.

More modest digs awaited us tonight, although superbly located next to Lake Annecy. Mark arranged for us to have a very decent dinner out in town. Somewhere I'd like to return to for a break. The gpm boys were doing a cracking job. Sam even fixed my puncture.


Slumped.

Chamonix-Annecy at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:Share GPS tracks

May Weigh-In

Weight down again slightly to 76.1kg.

Yesterday I ate a Snickers, a Twirl, four Jaffa Cakes and some of my wifes posh chocolate. I was taking the baby for a walk in the park and needed the carbs.

Hands-up everyone who wants to see a graph...

Il Pleu

The weather is looking damp in the Annecy area. I can only guess it's colder than that up in the mountains. Still isn't dampening my entusiasm for the gpm10 weekend.

Sunday Social

Distance: 60.92km
Time: 2:26:46
Avg Speed: 24.9km/h
Max Speed: 53.1km/k
Calories: 2261kcal
Avg HR: 128bpm
Max HR 168bpm

A social ride out to Stockbridge with DP gave me the chance to bed in some new kit. I've been down Primera and got a 12-27 rear cassette fitted in preparation for L'Etape. The gear ratio is pretty low and should be a big help on the long ascents. The down-side is that it reduces my top speed, but really, on the mountains that won't be my primary concern.

I also made an adjustment to my cleats to try nail the problem in my right knee, by moving the foot away from the frame has more space to rotate outward. I couldn't feel much going on, but the ride was pretty short. At least it didn't make it worse.



For my training weekend, I ordered some KoolPak instant ice-packs. If riding in the mountains stresses the knee out, these babies should get me through the next day.

sunday social at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:Share GPS tracks

Highclere Entry

Inexcusably, I haven't had a training ride this week. My knee has been okay and the weather good. I have procrastinated and postponed and run out of days. I've done some commuting and played a game of 5-a-side, but it's not the same.

I've given myself a kick up the arse by entering the Highclere Castle Sportive. It's a whopping 200km ride - 125 miles. I can hardly believe I entered, but I've convinced myself it's part of my training plan.

From last weekend until the Etape, the idea was to alternate weekends of endurance training (100 miles+) with easier 75-100km social rides. Last weekend was my first century, next weekend is my Haut Savoie training weekend, two weeks after that is Highclere. I have one more big weekend on 22 Jun to plan and then it's L'Etape!

The Highclere is pretty much in three legs. A fast leg from Highclere to Winchester, a very familiar leg from Winchester to Petersfield and then the final leg from Petersfield to Highclere. The final leg will be unknown territory distance-wise, but Im feeling confident I'll be able to grind it out.

My goals are:
1. Finish
2. Enjoy myself
3. Beat 8 hours

200km! 200km!

First Century

Distance: 167.29km
Time: 6:36:15
Avg Speed: 25.3km/h
Max Speed: 66.8km/h
Calories: 6079kcal
Avg HR: 134bpm
Max HR:169bpm
Ascent: 1656m

The 2008 Etape is 169.1km or 105 miles in old money. So far, I've put off going for a hundred mile ride, not because of the distance but because of the giant hole it would make in my weekend. More specifically the giant hole it would make in the time I'm supposed to be spending with our baby. I needed to squeeze the whole ride in before lunchtime. And that meant getting up at dawn.

I don't even set to the office until 0845, so to be on the saddle and riding at 0520 was an achievement. No, it was a privilege. Instead of leaving Southampton in a queue of traffic, I was treat to an empty avenue and the sound of the dawn chorus. Birdsong - in a city! With a glorious rose and peach sunrise to my right I headed north to Farleigh Mount and the countryside.

I shared the first hour of my ride with all manner of wildlife. I raced a hare, had to brake for deer twice, constantly feared rabbits going through my spokes and watched a fox float through a field in search of prey. It was all getting a bit Dr. Dolittle until I came across two badgers, as big as dogs, dead, bloated and rigid with their legs pointing into the air. By 0700 the traffic arrived and the wildlife was nowhere to be seen, except in the flattened form of roadkill under a scavenging crow.

Much of the next 90 minutes was spent regretting not using the toilet before I set out. I'd made my 100mile ride by bashing a 75km and 85km loop together with a refreshment stop at home at 75km and then a breakfast date with Long Suffering Wife in Pertersfield at 125km. I managed to make the first break quite short, as it would be during the Etape but the second was a full half-hour at Costa Coffee.

By this time I'd eaten my fourth energy bar and I was really craving salty food. Anything that wasn't sweet. The cheese and ham panini and americano were just what the doctor ordered. I need to think of a way of getting salty food into my ride diet. maybe like peanut butter in a bun or something.

I'd expected the last 40km back from Petersfield to be a slog, but I felt okay. I was cursed with a puncture at Bishop's Waltham but made good in a pub beer garden at leisure. I really don't need one of these on the day with the broom wagon behind me.

Once back, could see I'd beaten my target of 100miles in 6hrs 30mins and generally felt okay. I iced my knee straight away and there's no stiffness at all today. It all went so well, I'm considering signing up for a 200km ride in June. The Highclere Sportive

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Etape Dossard 6202

I finally got my entry confirmed for the Etape. The number determines where you start on the day - I'm 6202 but some poor souls are in the 9000s.

The importance of a low number is that it gets you an early start. As people are eliminated along the route by a broom-wagon at fixed times nobody wants to be sitting around at the back of the start line for 10 or 15 minutes with the clock ticking. I guess the worst-case scenario is starting at the back and then getting a puncture. Months of training and a pile of cash over in a pfssssssssssst.

I'd hoped to be in the front-half. On the day we'll be put into maybe three-or-four pens, so there's still the opportunity to creep forwards (or backwards).

Isle of Wight Randonnee

Distance: 106.83km
Elapsed Time: 4:00:12
Avg Speed: 26.7km/h
Max Speed: 65.5km/h
Calories: 4217kcal
Avg HR: 152bpm
Max HR: 186bpm
Ascent: 1360m

This week I gave blood and then picked up a healthy bout of Man Flu. If I hadn't roped KH & NH into my plan to ride the Isle of Wight Randonnee I would almost certainly laid on the sofa.

I arrived at the Ferry Terminal late as usual and very surprised to find KH & NH at the end of a very long line of cyclists. It's clearly a very popular event.



On the IoW the event was well organised with village halls and schools turned into waypoints. There were six in all, although strangely, two were only 8km apart. Respect to all who gave up their Bank Holiday Sunday to man the waypoints and provide refreshments.

My original intention was just to take it easy and see the sights. This didn't really precipitate for a couple of reasons. First, NH & I found a pretty useful group and jumped on. Second, much of route was inland rather than coastal; it wasn't until Chale on the south coast that we were high enough and close enough to enjoy the sea view.



The toughest climbs were on the approach to Freshwater Bay.  Below people boogie boarded and paddled in the surf while I bust a gut wheel-sucking.  My HR was in the 180s on these climbs which is a bit of a worry for my trips to france.  I'm hoping the lower gearing and gentler pacing will bail me out when I hit the mountains proper.

Last notable climb of the day came just west of Cowes at Bunts Hill.  It was an unwelcome graft  and I'll be surprised if the sign wasn't 'modified' before the day was out.

IoW Randonne at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:Share GPS tracks

Sunday Blow-out

Distance: 84.07km
Time: 3:08:12
Avg Speed: 26.8km/h
Max Speed: 63.8km/h
Calorie: 3229
Avg HR: 145bpm
Max HR: 181bpm
Ascent: 920m

Goals for this ride were to cover a metric at as close to midweek pace as possible, eat and drink well on the ride. On the whole it went well. The knee gets better every ride, it was over 60km today before I noticed it and even then it wasn't painful in anyway. I've invested in some chamois cream to smear on before riding. This kept me comfortable in the saddle for over 70km. It might just be a jar of glorified nappy-rash creme, but it was £8 well-spent.

I was almost home when I took my eyes of the road to fumble around with an energy bar. In my periphery I thought there was some debris from a tree across the road. This turned out to be a piece of scrap metal that sliced clean through the carcass of my rear tyre and brought me to an abrupt halt. It was quickly apparent that it was beyond the scope of replacing the inner tube with the spare, so I called Long Suffering WIfe to come get me. It did make me wonder what I would have done if I was out in the hills, because I could have ended up with a five mile walk to the nearest village for a rendez-vous.

Next ride is the 100km IoW Randonee. Thereafter I'm going to have to try find the time to start riding 100 miles every other weekend. It's difficult to fit a 7 hour ride into the weekend while spending quality time with the family. I'll probably have to head-on out at 5 or 6am to make the most of the early light.

Sunday Blow-out at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:Share GPS tracks

GPM10 Etape Training Weekend

My withdrawal from The Dragon Ride has left a gaping hole in my schedule. Most importantly it was to be my only practice at riding mountains. I came across GPM10's Haut Savoie Etape Training Weekend and suggested it would make the perfect wedding anniversary present.

Both days look like a mini Etape. The route asends Col des Aravis (1498m) & Col de la Croix Fry (1477m) on day one, Col du Marais (843m) & Col de la Colombiere (1618m) on day two. Never having done any real climbing before it's going to be a real challenge. Can't wait.

On the downside, my flight is from T5 so I may never see my bike ever again.

Midweek Ride Out II

Distance: 53.83km
Time: 1:57:24
Avg Speed: 27.5km/h
Max Speed: 47.5km/h
Calories: 2115kcal
Avg HR: 148bpm
Max HR: 181bpm

Perfect riding weather after work. Set myself a two hour target to do the short Test Valley loop. Once as far as Hursley, the traffic all but disappeared and I had the lanes to myself. I like this short loop a lot. I will aim for 1:50:00 next week.

I've read that I should be consuming a gram of carbohydrate per kilo of bodyweight per hour which is much more than I'm consuming at the moment. I managed barely half that by indulging a jam-tart every 30 minutes. I going to buy some squeezy energy gels to supplement my food.

midweek ride out at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:Share GPS tracks

Baptism / Dragon Ride

Sunday at church saw the wife arrange the Babies baptism for the same day as The Dragon Ride. Maybe next year. I'll have to look for a replacement sportive.

Petersfield Stinker

Distance: 86.9km
Time: 3:58:32
Avg Speed: 21.9km/h
Max Speed: 62.2km/h
Calories: 3028kcal
Avg HR: 132bpm
Max HR:170bpm

I waited the better part of Saturday for it to stop raining. Part of the procrastination involved a trip to the butchers to kill some time. He noted his amazement that my life lets me go AWOL twice a week when we've got such a young baby. He said his missus would bloody kill him. Rightly so, he probably works 80 hours a week. But it was enough to get me thinking and I let the better half have the day off on Sunday. Sunday turned out glorious.

In the end I gave up waiting for the rain to break and with time running out DP & I headed out to Petersfield in the pouring rain. DP wasn't enjoying the bleakness of the hills and we were both glad for the cover of Caffe Nero. The rain petered out on the way back. We went our own ways at Bishop's Waltham and I cranked it up a bit to get back in time for the babies bed-time. I was surprised I could ride so quickly after so long in the saddle. There is a lesson here in the importance of taking it easy on the way out to Tourmalet.

I was late home and missed the baby by five minutes. It's the last time I'll wait for the weather.

Petersfield Stinker at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:Share GPS tracks

Etape du Tour 2008 Flyover

Very chuffed to find this. The guys at sports-log have put together a google earth flyover of this years Etape route and uploaded it to youtube. Love the way it swings up the Col du Tourmalet half-way through!

Midweek Ride Out

Distance: 58.14km

Avg Speed: 27.4km/h

Max Speed: 58.2km/h

Calories: 2197kcal

Ascent: 497m

Finally after months of stinking, dark nights we got a run of long, clear evenings.  The Keiser classes just didn't cut the mustard.  I need a decent ride midweek and this evening was my first.

I was in a bit of a hurry to get out and forgot the HRM.  After the farcial ride at the weekend, I decided in advance where I'd go as I figured I'd only have a couple of hours of good light.  I also needed to get out of the rush hour traffic ASAP, so headed off to Farley Mount and King's Somborne.  The weather was perfect and I saw quite a few riders while out.

Because the ride was only going to be a couple of hours, I pushed on a bit harder than normal and got my Avg Speed up to 27.4km.  Next time, I'll hopefully have the HRM and can work on my training properly.  Tonight was just a blast.

Inaugural Evening Ride at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:Share GPS tracks

Isle of Wight

It's incredible to think that I've lived in Hampshire for almost 15 years and never been to the Isle of Wight.  Fortunately I stumbled across the Isle of Wight Randonee, a 100km loop of the island organised for Early May Bank Holiday.  My plan for the ride is just to relax, take in the sights and treat myself to a fine lunch back in Cowes.    I've got DP, KH & NH for company so it should be a grand day out.

In the Brown Stuff.

Distance: 46.67km

Time: 2:03:05

Avg Speed: 22.8km/h

Max Speed: 53.7km/h

Calories: 1721kcal

Avg HR:  145bpm

Max HR: 175bpm

Ascent: 587m

I thought it would be a change to go out for a ride and just ride where the road takes me.  Somewhere near Morestead I found myself at a crossroads.  Straight ahead was a single-lane road heading up at maybe 10%.  It was a no-brainer, I had to check it out.  At the top of the hill a farm stood alone looking over the hill.  The tarmac broke up into potholes and then as I went over the top the surface changed to hardcore.  I continued over and down.  The surface turned to firm grass.  I knew already there would be no more road.  No sound, no noise, nothing ahead.  Nothing to see but rolling hills.  Behind me the distant swirl of road noise.  I continued further downhill until the path turned to thick mud.  At the bottom, I rode out into a field.  A tree-line on the hill looked like it might yield a road, but the air remained silent.  It was only a five minute walk back to the farm but I rode on.  There is something in the human psyche that stops you turning back.  

Thick nutella like gunk scraped away at the surface of my wheels packing out the clearance between the stays, forks and tyres.  Stopping only to poke at the mud with sticks I continued out to the South Downs where the path turned to chalk.  A family out walking gawp as I slide past.

The ride and the bike were ruined. It was time to turn 'round and head on home.

mud path at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:Share GPS tracks

April Weigh-In

Weight: 76.7 Kg

Fat: 14.2%

BMR: 1900 Kcal

Again, I've lost a kilo in just over three weeks. I'm completely at a loss to explain it. I'd expected to have a bit of an Easter 'bounce'. In the last couple of weeks, I've eaten chocolate every day. First there was the easter egg, then the easter chocolates, then, the Toblerone from the ferry and currently some lovely belgian cherry liquor chocolates. I have returned from Lent in fine style.

Ronde Van Vlaanderen / Tour of Flanders

I'd entered the 140km loop of Ronde van Vlaanderen - The Tour of Flanders. It was my first attempt at a Cyclosportive. I took the ferry across to Brugge and drove on inland for about an hour, where the flat featureless farmland of West Flanders breaks into rolling countryside.

Two-or-three miles from Ninove the hard-shoulder became a car-park-free-for-all, so I pulled over and parked. Somehow the trivial task of getting dressed and assembling the bike became an endless faff-on. Nerves we're setting in. The final task was to attach the GPS. I'd left the bloody thing in the hotel. I set off to the start cursing myself - I'd be riding 140km with no real idea how I was doing and how far to go. I checked the time on my mobile phone at the start: 08:32 I'd have to use this as my only point of reference for progress.



Riding out of Ninove was frequently on wide cycle-paths. This meant riding in one large almost contiguous group of riders for maybe the first twenty minutes. Eventually we broke up into large groups of maybe fifty-or-more riders. I found myself sharing a group with a gentleman wearing a brown coat, something akin to that a retiree might go to the shops in. With riders streaming past at speed I was fresh enough to jump on and move from group to group, each a little faster, each a little smaller. Each break, there he was and I remained in 'Group Man-with-Brown-Coat' for much of the ride out to Molenberg. In fact it even started to irk me a little. I had similarly irrational experiences later in the day while trapped in 'Group Lady with Cuddly Toys Strapped to Bike' and 'Group Moutain Biker with Buckled Rear Wheel'.

The Molenberg really set the tone for the early cobbled climbs. Being steep, slippery and way too congested with riders, it was possible to ride about half-way before a critical-mass of dismountees barred the way. Most at least attempted to get over to the side, but some pillocks just wandered up the middle oblivious to their obstruction. The Koppenberg, I remember was really disappointing due to all the walkers.



My first attempt at a long, flat cobbled section was a real struggle. Remembering some advice, I went at it flat out. To describe the sensation as vibration doesn't do it justice. I was really uncomfortable however I rode and my wrists and hands tired quickly. I found myself changing down and down through the gears trying to maintain speed and others started to pass me. Eventually my kidneys started to ache from all the shaking about. At the end of this long, flat first section hundreds of riders dismounted at the side of the road to regroup, refuel & repair. Throughout the ride these sections would be littered with lost bidons, gloves, chains and people mending punctures. Somehow I made it through without a puncture or mechanical, but I don't have any fond memories of these sections.

The first food stop came as a surprise. I hadn't figured we would be shepherded into a giant warehouse to pick-up slices of cake, drinks and banana. It was here I met two of only three english riders I bumped into on the ride. Spotting the Milton Keynes shorts I asked the fella how far we'd come so far: 50km.



From now on the weather really deteriorated. It got wetter, windier and colder. I hooked into a group containing some riders from VC Neuilly and stayed in their shelter for much of the next couple of hours. Although the climbs were getting easier due to the groups thinning out, I was enjoying myself less-and-less as my hands got more-and-more tired from the paved sections and cold.

There was a Red Bull drink stop and then another food stop, this time in a giant marquee. I could only guess we had done around 100km at this point by checking the time on my phone and guesstimating my progress. I was cold, soaked through and started to have trouble disengaging from my pedals somehow.

The weather improved on the last section, but I really started to flag. I hung on to the back of 'Group Guy with Blue Briko Jacket' for maybe an hour before I was dropped for the first time. This was pretty depressing, because I knew being dropped just meant no shelter and more effort. From then on I didn't seem to get a break and had trouble hanging on to almost any passing group. Even so, I actually enjoyed my ride up the Muur and made it up the final climb at Bosberg. Due to the lack of computer, I'd had no idea of how far I'd got left since the 50KM point but knew these climbs heralded the end-of-the race, so brought some blessed relief. I was just a wheel sucker for the ride in to Ninove, hanging onto the back of a couple of guys to the official finish.

Descent into suffering:

Stomping:

Determined:

Suffering:


There followed a short ride through Ninove to the start where we exchanged our race numbers for bags of Isostar products.

On the whole a valuable experience. Enjoyed the mass-group riding, was pleased with what was probably 150km on the bike. The event was well-organised. Negatives were the foul weather and the beating I took on the pave.

Pre-Flanders Ride

I've missed the last two weekends training rides altogether. First up was a work trip to Poland, the second a trip up north to see the folks. I convinced myself this was all necessary recovery time for my right knee, which is generally rubbish.

I was spurred into action this weekend by the appearance of my Tour of Flanders race pack. I'm number 1179 which is probably about 10000 lower than my predicted finish.

Distance: 92.92km
Time: 3:55:02
Avg Speed: 23.7km/h
Max Speed: 61.3km/h
Calories: 3332kcal

Avg HR: 140bpm
Max HR: 183bpm
Ascent: 1094m

Riding solo today. Weather made it a game of two halves. On the way out to Petersfield, the sun was shining and life was good. I was taking it easy in prep for Flanders, the knee felt fine, remembered to eat & even the queue at Caffe Nero was short. While drinking my coffee the sky turned dark and as I headed into the hills, the wind really picked up and made the going tough. The rain lashed down for the last hour of the ride.

When I got back I felt in the best shape yet. The 140km of Flanders felt very achievable. Eating better while on the bike is paying big dividends. I'm spinning better and getting out the saddle more instead of grinding away on the hills. My knee feels in really good shape today. What can possibly go wrong now?

Pre-Flanders at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail:

March Weigh-In

Weight: 77.7kg
Fat: 14.7%
BMR: 1913KCal

I had set myself the target of losing 4 kilos in time for July. I've already passed that target and I'm losing a kilo about every three weeks. Much of this is down to my Lent fast of avoiding confectionery, something that turned out much easier than expected. In place of the confectionery, I've developed a taste for hot buttered toast, with soft, plump slices cut from big white loaves, spread with butter containing sea-salt. Mmmmm.

Somehow my body fat is down by 4.5% and my BMI is now 23.5, which falls into the ideal category. All good stuff, but I'm ready for an Easter Egg.

March Metric

Distance: 100.92km
Time: 4:02:38
Avg Speed: 25.0km/h
Max Speed: 59.7km/h
Calories: 3821kcal
Avg HR: 144bpm
Max HR: 183bpm
Ascent: 1142m

Long overdue, this metric. A chronic pain in the inner side of the right knee has put me off riding this far for a few weeks, but (touch wood), I think it's now sorted. Three or four weeks ago the pain would be pretty uncomfortable even after about 10km and would last for much of the week. I only made a two or three very small changes which have had a huge impact.

I removed all the float from the right pedal and pointed the toe out by about 5degrees. This initially felt weird as opposed to painful, but now I don't notice it at all. I also set the saddle height as 107% of inseam, which was slightly lower than set-up in the shop. I read everywhere that I should stop grinding big gears on the hills and am slowly educating myself to spin low gears more quickly. This reduces the load on the knee and I'm finding I can adapt to changes in gradient easier.

There was lots of weather today. A sunny start, I went out with arm warmers and a Gilet, but found a few short, cold, heavy showers, strong winds & even hail along the way. Hail smarts a bit on the face, I had to put sunglasses on so I could see where I was going without squinting to protect my eyes.

I had a new bling Assos bib short on today. The chamois was comfy until about 70km when it got wet through. This is a big improvement on the Castelli & Endura bibs I've got. Even heavily discounted, it still cost £95, but beats riding with a wedgie for 4 hours.

The 100km felt pretty good, I was tired when I returned, but with a better feeding strategy (I only ate half a flapjack, every hour - a meagre 400kcal) I think I could get round the 140km Tour of Flanders quite comfortably. I'm looking forward to it.

March Metric at EveryTrail

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Ascent

"Information is not knowledge"  --Albert Einstein

True enough. The Garmin is logging a huge amount of data and I'm at a loss as to how to use it to add value to my training. My latest download is Ascent, which visually interprets the data on my behalf. I'm still none the wiser, but now I've got graphs to prove it. There is undoubtedly novelty value in watching a map of your journey play, while overlaid with gradient and heart rate info.

An assortment of metadata can be overlaid in HUD's over the maps and graphs so you can relive the suffering on that 12.5% climb, or glory in the speed of that long descent.

Some grabs:

Activity Browser:

Activity Graph:

Detail Map:

Someone with more time than I has posted a YouTube clip of Ascent in action:

On the Drops

Distance: 72.78km
Time: 2:47:34
Avg Speed: 26.1km/h
Max Speed: 63.7km/h
Calories: 2881kcal
Avg HR: 150bpm
Max HR: 188bpm
Ascent: 704m

Nice ride out last Saturday afternoon with KH & NH. Cracking weather on the day although the previous nights storm brought some trees down on the lanes around Hursley. I've still been taking it easy during the week, just commuting a couple of times a week. The knee is feeling better for it and come the weekend I'm really looking forward for the ride.

My beer belly is almost a thing of the past. Suddenly, it's comfortable to ride on the drops. No longer are the tops of my thighs bashing off my gut. No longer am I struggling for breath when on the drops. Previously I'd only used them for downhill cruising and flat-out sprinting down Southampton Avenue. On this ride I was able to get down out of the wind, or use the drops to attack short hills. I almost felt like a roadie. With hairier legs.

Avg speed for the ride was higher than usual, although riding in the Test Valley is pretty flat. Still felt pretty good generally, although the ride was short. I think my knee is ready for another metric. I'll ride alone to take it as easy as possible.

Test Valley at EveryTrail

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Lance on Hautacam

Probably my biggest worry for L'Étape du Tour is that I'll have to suffer the climbs in 30 odd degree heat. My blue skin and fair hair are just not compatible with that kind of weather. 

Here's a Lance masterclass on the climb to Hautacam. In the cloud and rain ;o)

Metric Century Challenge: Fail

Distance: 94.89km
Time: 3:49:31
Avg Speed: 24.8km/h
Max Speed: 63.9km/h
Calories: 3646kcal
Avg HR: 150bpm
Max HR: 188bpm
Ascent: 1098m

I was looking forward to heading on out in a different direction to Petersfield. KH suggested Old Winchester Hill; I immediately suggested we went on from there to Petersfield, for a coffee.

It's become a bit of a ritual on Saturday morning. I peer out of the blinds again & again looking at the sky trying to figure if its going to rain. I remember an Asterix gag. There are two types of weather in England: Rain & looks like it might. Today, it only looked like it might and I left the rain jacket at home. NH & KH came prepared, but the weather held and I got lucky.

There were a couple of decent climbs I'd only ridden once previously.

The first is the climb up Beeches Bill from Bishop's Waltham. It has two 10% stretches separated by a 7% drag. A couple of traffic calming pinch points can really throw your rhythm if there's something coming the other way. If your lucky, you can get a jump on your companions and take a breather at the top.

The second is the climb from Warnford up to Old Winchester Hill. The climb is about 3.5km and has a decent drag at 7%. Tourmalet is 7% over 14km. Every time I see that grade on the Garmin I find myself wondering how I'll sustain the effort. I rode up at a gentle enough pace to hold a conversation with NH, but the section was probaby only a kilometer.

The single lane roads in this area see more cycles than cars. The scenery is rolling, rural and uninterrupted. It's strange to think were surrounded by countryside that most never see. Nowadays, travel from A to B is almost exclusively on main roads and motorways through the suburban sprawl. The network of single lane roads linking farms, hamlets and villages is a revelation.

I was feeling in pretty good shape on the way home. Riding with others gives you a chance to wheel-suck and take a break. I could see that I was going to fall just a few km short of a metric century. There was the simple option of adding a lap of Southampton Common on to the end of the ride so that I got this month's metric in. At the same time, I was thinking, this is absurd. What kind of person can only ride a bike a round number of km? I decided to be perfectly rational and ride February's metric next weekend. Later, in the shower, I realised next weekend is March.

Metric Century a Month Challenge: FAIL.

Metric Century Challenge - Fail at EveryTrail

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February Weigh-In

Wahey!

Weight: 78.8Kg

Fat: 17.1%

BMR: 1893Kcal

Without actually dieting as-such, I've lost 3.6 kilos or 8lbs in the last 5 or 6 weeks. I haven't been checking my weight on the Tanita, because I didn't want to get weird about it. The only changes to my diet have been to replace snacks such as crisps & choccies with fruit & muesli and pass on puddings after dinner or cakes in coffee shops. That said, this is probably good for 500 calories per day.

I've been carrying a bothersome knee problem recently on the inside of my right knee. My miles are right down and I skipped last weekends ride, so the weight-loss isn't wholly atributable to exercise.

My target was to lose 5 kilos for L'Étape du Tour in July, but it I might hit it in time for the Tour of Flanders.

Hopefully the weight loss will help with the knee. I'm trying small changes to my position on the bike. Raising the post seemed to make it worse if anything. I've had most luck altering the cleat to make my toe point slightly inwards. It feels better on the trainer and on my short commute. Hopefully I'll feel the benefit at the weekend, otherwise it's a trip to the Doc's to blag a referral.

Lent

About 4PM, I'm half-way between lunch and dinner.  I always head to the office vending machines for a Snickers or some crisps.  Or maybe both.

Ash Wednesday was the kick-off for Lent.  This gave me a new angle for my Sportive preparation.

So it's au revoir to chocolate, puddings, cakes, sweets, biscuits or sugary drinks until Easter.  I'm only 5 days in, but it's been okay so far.  I've substituted the snacks for fruit, my only exemption is for energy drink & flapjack on the long weekend ride.

Petersfield, Americano.

Distance: 86.92km

Time: 3:33:13

Avg Speed: 24.5km/h

Max Speed: 55.5km/h

Calories: 3274kcal

Avg HR: 153bpm

Max HR: 190bpm

Ascent: 1028m

My Better Half, who is currently training for the Reading Half Marathon, got the better half of the day for her training.  With about 4 hours of good light to play with, I decided to head on out to Petersfield for a coffee.  

The weather today was perfect, and the far reaching views of the downs were inspirational.  For the first time today, riding for ridings sake was a real pleasure.  Until now I've been riding in crap weather just to build a base of miles.  It's been cold, wet & unlovely.  My plans post Hautacam tended more towards marathon training than any more cycling.

But today. Today was the day I finally got it.

Petersfield Americano at EveryTrail

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New Forest. Fail.

Distance: 29.36km

Time: 1:08:02

Avg Speed: 25.9 km/h

Max Speed: 42.5km/h

Calories: 1133kcal

Avg HR: 138bpm

Max HR: 167bpm

Ascent: 192m

20th Jan.  The first sunny weekend day since I started training.  The plan was to meet DP & NH at the West Wellow entrance to the New Forest for a decent ride.  On the way out I was having some grief engaging the right pedal.  By the time I arrived at the car pack I could no longer disengage.  I was an accident waiting to happen, so I passed on the ride.

A real shame.  The weather was perfect.

The replacement cleats for Speedplay Zeroes cost a whopping £40!  More than twice the price of other brands.  Kindly the guys a rock'n'road, my LBS gave me a 10% discount.  I've almost got over it.

New Forest. Fail. at EveryTrail

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Big Fat Lies

Maybe a couple of years ago it was an optician who noticed the yellow, fatty deposits on the whites of my eyes.  She suggested that I might want to get my cholesterol levels checked by a doctor.  Of course, I never bothered.  Being male means being infallible, indestructible and in denial.

In December my employers hosted a Well-Being Day for the staff.  A Bupa representative took a small phial of my blood and told me that I had scored high cholesterol.  He said that because I hadn't fasted the test wasn't accurate, but that  I might want to get my cholesterol levels checked by a doctor.

I recounted this while getting my doctor to sign-off my  Étape du Tour entry and he sent me up to Winchester General for a fasting blood test.

The American Heart Association provides a set of guidelines for total (fasting) blood cholesterol levels and risk for heart disease.

mmol/L Interpretation

------------------------------------
<5.2 Lower risk for heart disease

5.2-6.2 Borderline high risk

>6.2 High risk

My score came in at 5.9.  The doctor advised that taking into account my lifestyle, blood pressure, salts & sugars that this wasn't necessarily a result that required any attention.

The following clip is a light-hearted rebuttal of the popular consensus that a high-fat diet leads to heart disease.

Cannondale System Six

I've been meaning to post a pic of the bike for ages, but ridden almost daily it seems permanently filthy.  This weekend is the cleanest it's been for ages.  I was so chuffed, I just had to get the camera out.

I'd decided to enter L'Étape du Tour before I'd got myself  something to ride.  I'm lucky enough to work for a company that promotes cyclescheme to staff.  This allows the employee to lease the bike from the company in a tax efficient manner and then buy it at a discount after one year.

In effect, I've got a company bike.  [Clearly, I'm not keeping up with the Jones']

Primera are suppliers to cyclescheme and I went down there principally to look at the Cervelo R3.  I was sooooo close to committing to a £4500 R3 SL when the sales guy clocked my heavily pregnant wife and said '...but no.  You really don't need to spend that much.'  A salesman with conscience!

I picked up the heavily discounted Cannondale System Six from the sale section and have never looked back.

The bike is getting on for about 4 months old now.  It's been used for commuting and weekend riding - approaching 1000km now.  The carbon fibre pipes on the front end, stem & bottom bracket are massively oversized compared to conventional bikes.  Despite this it doesn't feel stiff or harsh, just firm and predictable.  

I had a compact chainset retro-fitted with sportives in mind.  I needed the gearing to suit my rather modest power output and the intended Pyrénéen climbs.  The only other thing to go was the Vittoria Diamante Pro Light tyres, which while undeniably rapid were very fragile and cut up really badly.

It's turned out to be a great value bike.  Great value, because there's nothing I want or need to upgrade.

Andover Metric

Distance: 108.16km
Time: 4:27:20
Avg Speed: 24.3km/h
Max Speed: 65.2km/h
Calories: 4043kcal
Avg HR: 139bpm
Max HR: 175bpm
Ascent: 1012m

I hadn't planned to do a metric century this week, or even again this month, but NH had figured out a decent route around Andover villages. I'm always a big fan of letting someone else navigate because I can just sit back and enjoy the scenery rather than curse the absence of signposts out in the sticks. This happens often, the rules are simple:

• If a junction doesn't have a road going straight on, or 
• If there are more than three turnings, or 
• If you've come too far since the last signpost to turn back

then signposts are deemed unnecessary.

The route was a little flatter and a little faster than the Petersfield metric.  We passed many pretty villages full of thatched cottages which were pleasing to the eye.  Unfortunately we also passed many dairy farms, who's wretched slurry ran-off onto the wet roads and became a kind of toxic aerosol kicked up from the tires into the face.  Yum.

Highlight of the ride was a climb from Upton to Pill Heath, with long sections of 7% & 10%.  The weather deteriorated thereafter into a windy squall which made progress on the open downs a bit of a slog.

The Garmin started playing up a bit at this point too.  The gradiometer failed for a couple of km and the head unit lost contact with the cadence sender for the rest of the trip.  Although it was undeniably soaked and filthy, I'd expected better.

Very tired post-ride, but feeling better today. 

Andover Metric at EveryTrail

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Tour Down Under

Let's face it, the weather in Blighty is miserable at this time of year. Fortunately the Tour Down Under starts in a couple of days, so some armchair cycling while dreaming of the South Australian summer is in order.

There looks like a decent line-up of teams involved, but many top riders are absent. If I was a pro rider I'd be biting my arm off for a chance to get down to Adelaide. The stages are short and the evenings long. They could barely call it work.

Étape Medical

Organisers of L'Étape du Tour require entrants to either hold a race licence or provide medical certification of fitness for competitive cycling.

I went to the surgery today for my medical.  I was surprised how seriously my Doc went about the business.  After a my check-up he sat me down for some advice.

"Don't underestimate the the amount of training required."

"Don't train through any problems, but seek advice.  Particularly as it gets towards the event itself." 

"Don't be tempted to use performance enhancing substances, if offered, because of the risks involved."

WTF?  Is the sports image so tainted that even medical professionals assume that recreational cyclists are subjected to the temptations doping?  He kindly made me an appointment for a blood test at the hospital tomorrow morning to check my cholesterol levels.  One wonders if he suspects EPO abuse and is more interested in my red blood cell count.

Sigh.

Keiser Cycling

I would really like to be getting out more on the bike.   Either side of my working day it's dark and the roads are busy.  In an effort to get some non-commuting miles in during the week I've ordered a turbo trainer which should be here soon.

I went down to a Keiser cycling session at the gym last night.  I got there a little late and managed to get the last bike.  The group contained about twenty people and the session started as soon as I sat down.  We warmed up to cheesy euro techno and I'd prepared myself to suffer another 45 minutes of the stuff when the leader announced:

Everybody Loves Phil Collins!  

She's and Easy Lover...  Sing Along!!!

Thankfully nobody did.  The change in tempo and style of music continued right throughout the session.  Each song heralded a change in drill from sprint intervals to standing climbs to recovery riding.  It maintained interest and helped the session fly by.

Keiser cycling is much hotter and sweatier than the real thing.  A towel and water bottle were essential.  The Keiser bikes had a nice smooth action controlled by a magnetic resistance lever.   Dialling in higher resistance than those around me proved irresistible. A power & calorie meter showed effort expended and I was quite fixated with my output in watts.  Everyone else seemed more interested in checking each other out in the mirror.  

I really need to get out more.

Meon Valley

Distance: 68.54km

Time: 3:11:14

Avg Speed: 21.5km/h

Max Speed: 53.5km/h

Calories: 2409Kcal

Avg HR: 140bpm

Max HR: 176bpm

Ascent: 772m

This Sunday was the first day I'd felt well all week.  Met DP at Fair Oak and road out to East Meon on the route used for the metric.  

Concentrated on just taking it easy and keeping down the HR.  Really pleased with the average of 140bpm.  It would have been even lower if it didn't get so windy on the way back.  Missed the turning at Warnford at so spent a little more time on main roads than desired.

Ran for some time with the Garmin stopped which has skewed the stats.   Hey ho.

Meon Valley Recovery Ride at EveryTrail

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Convalescence

Felt  bit under the weather all week.  This is compounded by having to work a couple of nights.  The only exercise I've managed is my 15 minute commute.

My only preparation for the Étape has been to watch the excellent cyclefilm reconnaisance DVD: Road to Hautacam.  Mike Cotty makes the ride seem quite effortless, which is reassuring.  This might be because the DVD lasts about an hour, whereas the ride will take me the day.

January Weigh-in

Weight: 82.4kg

Fat:  16.8%

MBR: 1989kcal

Over a tin of Quality Street, I was mulling over losing a kilo a month for 4 months.  This would have me nice and spritely for Ronde Van Vlaanderen.

Somehow I've gone and put a kilo on - but the Tanita says I've lost over 2% fat.  I'd be in denial if I suggested the extra kilo is fluid, so my seasonally adjusted figures are:

Weight:  82.4kg

Fat:  16.8%

MBR:  1989kcal

Quality Street: 1.2%

I've now set myself the goal of losing a kilo a month for 5 months and reducing my Quality Street level to 0%.

Petersfield Metric

Distance:  100.52km

Time:  4:21:20

Avg Speed:  23.1km/h

Max Speed:  58.8km/h

Calories:  3295kcal

Avg HR:  148bpm

Max HR:  177bpm

Ascent:  1346m

My First Metric!

I signed up to a Metric Century Challenge 

I figured riding 100km at least once a month would add some focus to my training and provide a challenging ride in the months I'm not entering sportives.  Riding my initial metric would also boost my confidence and let me enjoy my training without doubting I'd ever complete the events.  I'd also be riding on my own so I could take it easy and avoid the temptation to race.

Today's goals were:

1. Ride 100km
2. Get to Petersfield to ride Stoner Hill
3. Not get lost.

I did get lost, but 2 outta 3 is an excellent result. 

I was a little disappointed with Stoner Hill.  It's pretty and quite alpine, switching back through the trees, but after an initial steep section you hit the switchbacks and it mellows out to 5%.

On the way back not too far out of East Meon at about 65km, there was a much tougher climb.  Its the first time I've run out of gears.  It was quite a drag at 10%...11%....12% by which time I realised I couldn't shift down any further.  And on it went  13%...14%...15%.  The weather really turned at this point, strong wind and cold rain.  I stopped drinking and paid the price at about 80km where I felt really nauseous - I was bonking pretty bad.  I munched a Go bar, drank some PSP and was fine for the ride back.  I need to be more careful with my fuelling.

Feel a little sore, but not ruined.  The metric century itch is well and truly scratched for now.

Petersfield Metric at EveryTrail

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Walking The Koppenberg

I signed up for Ronde Van Vlaanderen thinking it would be a fun training ride.  I just found this video of the pros walking up The Koppenberg.  The crowds cheers turn to jeers as the stragglers reach the top. 

It's a small mercy that The Koppenberg is omitted from this years RVV.  Seventeen others remain.

Ronde & Rhondda

It's 25 weekends until Étape du Tour 2008.  This extends well beyond my feeble concentration span.  To keep me on the straight and narrow I will be setting some interim goals, the first of which is Ronde Van Vlaanderen: The Tour of Flanders.

The RVV is a spring classic race famed for its short, steep cobbled climbs - or 'Muur'.  I've signed up to a 140km 'sampler' which takes in all the Muur.  

Last year saw a whopping 18000 taking part.  This will be an excellent intoduction to riding in large groups.  It takes place on April 5th, which is half-way between now and the Étape.  The pros ride the day after, so it will be fun to see them share my pain >:)

I've also signed up for The Dragon Ride on May 18th.  This event has had great reviews as a training ride for the Étape.  I entered the Gran Fondo which weighs in at 180km.  It will provide me with some long uphill drags to harden me up a bit before I get to Pau.

I feel there's room in the calendar for a couple more.  Is there no end to this?

New Forest North

Distance: 74.18km

Time: 3:00:00

Avg Speed: 24.7km/h

Max Speed: 48.3km/h

Calories: 2869kcal

Avg HR: 157bpm

Max HR: 183bpm

Ascent: 543m

The last time we met up in this part of the New Forest I had my first proper off, a puncture & sideways rain.  This time the weather was much better and it was a decent enough effort to blow off the Christmas cobwebs.  Amongst the countless ponies and cattle roaming the roads in the forest, we were pleasantly surprised to be braking hard to avoid a herd of deer crossing the road.  

Off the pace a bit today and very aware that again, the ride would only get me to the foot of Tourmalet.  My first resolution is to do a metric next weekend.

New Forest North at EveryTrail

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