Archive for the ‘training’ Category
Monday, March 8th, 2010
Looped figures are relevant splits.
These are my splits from last Thursday’s Richmond Park workout. Lap 1 was clockwise (the ‘hill’ route), Lap 2 counter-clockwise, with a 3-minute recovery in between. If it hadn’t been so cold I would have recovered for longer!
The laps were tough, and not made any easier by a chilly head-wind. I also didn’t feel that great either. Because of the way my HRM occasionally malfunctions, I don’t know whether the highs of 184 and 193 are accurate – but I think they are, since they happened on both laps. I had a feeling of being half-strangulated from the effort and the cold air.
I have Jonny’s 3-lap record of 56 mins to beat…
Tags: 3-lap challenge, richmondpark
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Sunday, February 21st, 2010
I think I can call last Wednesday’s 3-hour hilly loop the ride of this year so far. After thorough drenchings on both legs of my commute on Tuesday – a day when it literally did not stop raining – Wednesday dawned clear, with blue skies. The sun’s appearance, and perceptible warmth on my face, was little short of a miracle after so much bitter cold.
Riding last Sunday’s loop – which I can see becoming a mid-week staple – in reverse took me over Toy’s Hill the same way I rode it in the Reigate sportive last year. From bottom to top it’s a 10-12 minute climb, but a Box Hill-style gradual ascent unlike the harsh gradient on the southern side. I prefer it this way round, because there are at least 2 other chevron spikes on this route (including this little baby in the hills west of Biggin Hill) so there’s no shortage of opportunities to get out of the saddle.
After a weekend off (wedding) I’m planning another mid-weeker this Wednesday, followed by a longer one on Sunday, and possibly a bit of speed-work on Richmond Park the following Weds to tune me up for the Puncheur.
Tags: Box Hill, Toys Hill
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Monday, February 15th, 2010
The best thing about February is that it’s no longer January. That said, it’s still cold, and wet, and muddy. In fact the only thing that saves February is that my birthday is on the 7th – which potentially means new kit.
Having achieved my January goal (I rode about 29 hours / 17 days, compared to Jan 09, when I rode 25 hours / 15 days), I’m starting to feel a return of the legs. Yesterday I did 3 hours, mainly brisk, on a hilly circuit that took in Toys Hill and a handful of other spikes. My heart rate graph for the ride revealed an average of 144 bpm, and a max of 169 bpm, very similar to what I recorded on Jan 17, although I felt like I was riding smoother and stronger over tougher terrain. I’m considering doing the same route in reverse on Wednesday, but just pushing it a fraction harder.
But man, the conditions sucked. 1 hour of drizzle, followed by freezing fog and visibility down to 70 metres, and a layer of slush that turned to mud on sheltered roads. Roll on Spring time.
Tags: hills, HRM, Toys Hill
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Thursday, January 28th, 2010
Allow me to point out that West Norwood rocks, for a number of reasons – not least because I can ride this hilly 4-5 hr route from my door:
View West Norwood foray in a larger map
Rode it last Sunday with Millsy, who has been bending my ear on recovery smoothies and base amino supplements among other matters. Actually felt pretty good.
The route takes in Toy’s Hill along with plenty of other rolling sections, and has plenty of room for expansion for longer rides.
Tags: route, westnorwood
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Sunday, January 17th, 2010
With the snow and ice washed away by rain and milder weather, I’ve spent the weekend pulling January’s shoddy training schedule back into line.
Despite waking up on Saturday morning vowing to spend two days at my laptop, I braved the drizzle for an hour on Regent’s Park. As ever, the hardest part about going for a ride in bad weather was pulling on the lycra in the first place. I rode the hack, and got soaked.
Today I rode the Finchley – Knebworth ‘cheat the week’ route – for one last time before the move south. To be honest, it’s not one of the classic routes (no hills to speak of, plenty of A-road) but from North London, without taking a train, it’s about as good as it gets. I’ve never Google mapped it before, so here it is for posterity:
View Cheat the Week in a larger map
It was 3hr 30 – the majority in the small front chainring. Conserving le jus at this stage. Joe once told me one of his club mates didn’t go into the big ring before March – excessive or the best way to build an early-season base?
Tags: cheattheweek, joe, london, regentspark
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Saturday, January 9th, 2010
My goal this January is to ride for more days / hours than last January.
In Jan 09 I had 15 days or 21 hours of some on-bike activity, 10 hours of which were commute days, and the others being regular winter training rides on the road. So far, I’ve already racked up 4 days and 7 hours, so hopefully, weather permitting, this should be an easily achievable goal. However, the weather isn’t exactly permitting – it’s the coldest winter for 30 years.
Hey - nice!
Another comparison with last year is that I’m starting it lighter. In Jan 09 I was a stocky 11st 12 – this year I’m probably around 11st 5-6 (lighter than I was in March last year). True, my form is fairly rubbish, but one thing about starting a third year of serious riding is a certain mental confidence. I’m more in tune with my own fitness levels after several seasons of waxing and waning form. I know what’s required of me come July, and I know that my body will respond to the training in due course – better, even, than in years past, because your legs do remember.
In addition to the riding, I’m building in plenty of core work now. I realised too late last year that my core muscles (abs, back and hip flexors) needed to be stronger to avoid fatigue on long, hard rides. I would go into the exercises in detail but Millsy’s already done it for me.
Tags: january, weather, weight
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Sunday, January 3rd, 2010
The current conditions just north of Potters Bar.
Yesterday was my first ride out of the new decade. Following a period of 2 months out of the saddle (a trip to Nepal was partly to blame), which itself included a 2 week drinking marathon (the party season) and a 1 week eating marathon (the Mucklow family Christmas), it wasn’t surprising that my form stank.
My leg strength deserted me; my heart rate pootled along in zone 2; my blood sugar levels bonked as my stomach craved cake and turkey trimmings. Compare this graph from yesterday (peak HR 157):
Heart rate graph 2-1-10
with this one from 18 July last year (peak HR 177).
Heart rate graph 18-7-09
I remember this ride. I never blogged about it because I was just back from La Marmotte and I couldn’t be bothered. But it was the ride of the year. I was out with Millsy on a 4hr+ circuit from Sevenoaks (possibly the Hell of the Ashdown route). I was rested from my trip to France, but still held the form from months of training. I was hitting the hills hard, and just kept feeling stronger. Then came a truly epic half-hour stretch in the closing stages of the ride, on a gradual climb up to Sevenoaks Weald. My heart rate climbed from 160 into the 170s, and I recall looking down at my wrist to check the effort and seeing 177. There was an almost other-worldly absence of pressure.
But back to yesterday. In a nutshell, I followed Millsy all the way up to Woolmer Green, whereupon he binned it on the ice, and I followed his bloodied carcass all the way back to London. My flabby core is so out of shape that it’s all achey today, and I’m saddle-sore into the bargain.
Looks like more snow’s on the way for Wednesday’s ride – sweet!
Tags: crash, fitness, ice, millsy, snow
Posted in bike, fitness, training | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
The hour approaches for my house move from North to South London. As is the way with house-hunting and flat-hunting and home-buying, last minute glitches and complications make the whole thing a nail-biting experience. However, it will happen. At some point in January I will be hauling my kit from Hornsey Lane N6 to West Norwood – SE27.
One of the reasons I headed south was the proximity to hills. Much as I love being close to Hampstead Heath and training on Regent’s Park and Swain’s Lane, there’s no contest between the quality of riding around say, Stevenage, and the riding around Sevenoaks (comparable distances away from Archway and West Norwood respectively). I’m already planning 3-hour training loops from my door to Toy’s Hill, for example:
View West Norwood foray in a larger map
Not to mention quick spins down to Brighton, training at Crystal Palace and Richmond Park, and the odd razz around the track at Herne Hill. The reality of all this outweighs a good chunk of my anxieties about buying and owning a property.
Tags: westnorwood
Posted in armchair, bike, training | 1 Comment »
Sunday, November 8th, 2009
One of mine from Japan.
Millsy and I had a good ride out from Denham today. The weather was overcast, and a bit chilly even in 3/4 fleece-lined bibs and Rapha long sleeve.
We did 67 miles – longer than the distance on Google maps owing to an early map SNAFU on my part – in 4hrs 15. I felt OK, but as the hours wore on I was treated to an extended viewing of Millsy’s ass as he showed some solid form on the flat. I still had the edge over Whiteleaf Hill though.
Tags: autumn, denham, millsy, rapha
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Monday, November 2nd, 2009
Here’s a list of 2010 sportives as I stumble upon them. Please comment any I’ve missed.
Here’s the list.
No Etape du Dales – yet.
Tags: calendar, events, sportive
Posted in sportives, training | 1 Comment »
