Yesterday rode the SE champs on the tenterdon circuit... A race that I would really like to win one day.
Sadly yesterday was never gonna be that day! In the past two months since the Girvan I have only done one race (the Lincoln GP - which I didn't finish) and haven't done any long 0r hard training sessions.
When Andy Betts jumped off the front on the first time up the hill i was in a good place to go with it so jumped across to him and was last man into a group of 7 or 8 riders and started rolling through to help keep it away. At least this would give me a good workout and with give Sigma a presence up there at the front of the race.
We were keeping a good but not super fast pace, but each time up the hill I could feel my legs getting progressively weaker. After about 80k the race favourites including team mate Gary Dodd, Steve Calland and Chris McNamara bridged across. As they were about to get across Andy Betts made a nice move going off the front with Darren Barclay. This allowed me to rest my already knackered legs in the shelter of now enlarged group.
When it started attacking again I was long wasted having been cramping up the hill the previous 2 laps and did my best to cover a few moves but each time I did this was getting dropped afterwards and having to chase on - Joy!
Eventually after not too long the race went ahead without me with the group splitting with the strongest riders on the day getting away, no searing attacks just legs behind that were too tired to respond.
Was pretty wasted by the time I eventually crossed the line, took me more than 30 minutes to cycle back to the HQ at which time the medals had already been given out.
Taking some positives... Whilst the knees aren't painfree yet the rest of the body hurts almost as much today and im confident that my body is strong enough that I can slowly start to ramp up the training load again.
Think ill take some good fitness away from that race... Was a good workout for sure and was at the front of the race for around 110k which isn't bad considering the little training I have done in the past 2 months.
Further positives are that I have been really disciplined and motivated on the diet front just now and keeping a diary to help get the body fat % down and keep it there.
Also beautiful and sunny here in the UK at the minute and can feel the tan coming along nicely.
Well all being well I will be off to Ryedale this weekend looking forward to take a good kicking... Can't wait!
Monday 1 June 2009
Wednesday 22 April 2009
Not much to update with
Been another few months with little postive to report with regards to cycling for me unfortunately.
Came back from my Majorcan training camp with a niggly knee injury that has persisted and left me stretching more often than cycling. Although I have raced a few times I haven't really ever felt at 100%.
So far season reads:
Training camps: Really flying!
Severn Bridge Road Race: Rode this one after having flu all week and being confined to the bed - couldn't do anything all day! Was probably in the back group when stupidly rode hard up the hill with a lap to go and then found myself in a small group! Not what I had wanted not enough shelter to hide behind!
Bikeline - Cancelled halfway through 1st stage, had only managed top 30 for the prologue, and on the training ride the next day we did instead of the race felt so empty and fed up, spent all day practising hanging onto the team car!
Tour of the Reservoir - Missed a 20 man break! Back feeling sore after doing too much in training the week before. However actually not going too awful in this one but taught a lesson about riding in the wrong place in the bunch.
Thames Velo Road Race - Cramped and dropped from bunch! Not exactly sure what happened
Girvan - Blew up completely in the crit with 2 laps to go and nearly got lapped. Went ok in the last stage though - climbed ok and got in the 2nd group on the road on a race that split to bits after a big crash mid race.
Not exactly going to plan so far!
On the other hand... The premier calender series is definately a lot stronger this year than last. It is noticeable how much better the teams are, particularly those with full time riders. As a team the Halfords riders are seriously quick on the flat and when they go to the front in a cross I know that its only seconds away before i'll be perched right on the nose of the saddle, and giving it everything to try and hold the wheel in front.
It's also slowly sinking in just how important positioning is, and this is even more true when you aren't going well - last year I had a tendency to ride last wheel too often and then have to ride across gaps when the guy in front of me popped. This year find myself near the back and I am too often struggling to get across those gaps!
Well might as well go stretch now... Hopefully a few more weeks and i'll be fit and healthy again, and back to the fitness I had before the training camps.
Came back from my Majorcan training camp with a niggly knee injury that has persisted and left me stretching more often than cycling. Although I have raced a few times I haven't really ever felt at 100%.
So far season reads:
Training camps: Really flying!
Severn Bridge Road Race: Rode this one after having flu all week and being confined to the bed - couldn't do anything all day! Was probably in the back group when stupidly rode hard up the hill with a lap to go and then found myself in a small group! Not what I had wanted not enough shelter to hide behind!
Bikeline - Cancelled halfway through 1st stage, had only managed top 30 for the prologue, and on the training ride the next day we did instead of the race felt so empty and fed up, spent all day practising hanging onto the team car!
Tour of the Reservoir - Missed a 20 man break! Back feeling sore after doing too much in training the week before. However actually not going too awful in this one but taught a lesson about riding in the wrong place in the bunch.
Thames Velo Road Race - Cramped and dropped from bunch! Not exactly sure what happened
Girvan - Blew up completely in the crit with 2 laps to go and nearly got lapped. Went ok in the last stage though - climbed ok and got in the 2nd group on the road on a race that split to bits after a big crash mid race.
Not exactly going to plan so far!
On the other hand... The premier calender series is definately a lot stronger this year than last. It is noticeable how much better the teams are, particularly those with full time riders. As a team the Halfords riders are seriously quick on the flat and when they go to the front in a cross I know that its only seconds away before i'll be perched right on the nose of the saddle, and giving it everything to try and hold the wheel in front.
It's also slowly sinking in just how important positioning is, and this is even more true when you aren't going well - last year I had a tendency to ride last wheel too often and then have to ride across gaps when the guy in front of me popped. This year find myself near the back and I am too often struggling to get across those gaps!
Well might as well go stretch now... Hopefully a few more weeks and i'll be fit and healthy again, and back to the fitness I had before the training camps.
Sunday 25 January 2009
Weekend in the country
Just back from a thoroughly enjoyable weekend staying with fellow Wheeler Stewie Martin at his new house in the country.
Me, Steve, Dan and Shawn all drove out to the country to stay with at the Martins place in Ardingly, Sussex. Beautiful Tudor house, and some great cycling country right on his doorstep, lucky man. Couple of rides which were shortened from the original plan due to rather a lot of rain leaving some big puddles / floods to get round. Whilst short the rides definately weren't easy with me and 1st cat Steve (who has his own website / blog @ http://www.theroadcyclist.com/) racing each other up the hills in particular with the race up the Ditchling Beacon going all the way to the wire!
Next weekend and North Wales, praying for improvement in the weather, although regardless reckon it'll be a good laugh and looking forward to seeing the rest of the team again.
Me, Steve, Dan and Shawn all drove out to the country to stay with at the Martins place in Ardingly, Sussex. Beautiful Tudor house, and some great cycling country right on his doorstep, lucky man. Couple of rides which were shortened from the original plan due to rather a lot of rain leaving some big puddles / floods to get round. Whilst short the rides definately weren't easy with me and 1st cat Steve (who has his own website / blog @ http://www.theroadcyclist.com/) racing each other up the hills in particular with the race up the Ditchling Beacon going all the way to the wire!
Next weekend and North Wales, praying for improvement in the weather, although regardless reckon it'll be a good laugh and looking forward to seeing the rest of the team again.
Sunday 11 January 2009
2009
First post in a very long time!
Had been feeling pretty down about cycling after spending September through to December with my chronic hip injury not really improving, as everytime I tried to up my training I would be punished with my body breaking down and putting me in pain.
Finally had a bit of a breakthrough around xmas, helped by a visit to Sigmsport for a bikefitting with Lee, which not only sorted out my position on the bike, but also renewed my motivation to do the exercises and stretches that I need to do to help me hip get better.
So now mid January, hip problem improving, and am now finally starting to get stuck into training for proper. As expected not really all that fit now, but I am confident that come my first race in March I should be going well.
Got some stuff to look forward though in the next few months, a 3 day training weekend in north wales at the end of January and then another one in Majorca in mid-february. Means I wont be racing til later than last year, when I was really up for the winter series but come the first weekend of March hope to be able to get stuck into racing and hopefully going well.
Last couple of weeks have been really cold, but forecast for the next week looks a little milder albeit predicted to be pretty wet. Can't win with the weather this year, really has been a rubbish winter. Just keeping my fingers crossed that itll be ok for the weekend in North Wales!
Had been feeling pretty down about cycling after spending September through to December with my chronic hip injury not really improving, as everytime I tried to up my training I would be punished with my body breaking down and putting me in pain.
Finally had a bit of a breakthrough around xmas, helped by a visit to Sigmsport for a bikefitting with Lee, which not only sorted out my position on the bike, but also renewed my motivation to do the exercises and stretches that I need to do to help me hip get better.
So now mid January, hip problem improving, and am now finally starting to get stuck into training for proper. As expected not really all that fit now, but I am confident that come my first race in March I should be going well.
Got some stuff to look forward though in the next few months, a 3 day training weekend in north wales at the end of January and then another one in Majorca in mid-february. Means I wont be racing til later than last year, when I was really up for the winter series but come the first weekend of March hope to be able to get stuck into racing and hopefully going well.
Last couple of weeks have been really cold, but forecast for the next week looks a little milder albeit predicted to be pretty wet. Can't win with the weather this year, really has been a rubbish winter. Just keeping my fingers crossed that itll be ok for the weekend in North Wales!
Friday 26 September 2008
Riding Easy
Well been back from the honeymoon since the end of August but after a few relaxing weeks away and with only four weeks or so of the racing season I decided to hang up my racing shoes for this season. Partly this was because I lacked the motivation to train hard to get back to fitness for only would only be a couple more races, but also because i'm still struggling with a few niggles injury wise that I would rather rest and recover properly from so I can really get fit for next season.
So what have I been up to...
Went to watch the Tour of Britain start in London where I was trying out my new digital camera, a Canon EOS 40d.
Photos on my photostream on Flikr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30297354@N02/
Watching a bit of other sport, cycled down to Chertsey to watch some of the racing there,
Have had one decent training type ride since I've been back at the Southern Sportive, a long day of riding steady (where I suprised myself by putting out the same average watts as I did for the marmotte, albeit over very different terrain and a being more than an hours less cycling)
Planning on starting training again beginning of October, as want to get a really good winter in so can be more competitive in the premiers next season helping the Sigma team and perhaps being in good enough shape to get up there and challenge myself.
So what have I been up to...
Went to watch the Tour of Britain start in London where I was trying out my new digital camera, a Canon EOS 40d.
Photos on my photostream on Flikr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30297354@N02/
Watching a bit of other sport, cycled down to Chertsey to watch some of the racing there,
Have had one decent training type ride since I've been back at the Southern Sportive, a long day of riding steady (where I suprised myself by putting out the same average watts as I did for the marmotte, albeit over very different terrain and a being more than an hours less cycling)
Planning on starting training again beginning of October, as want to get a really good winter in so can be more competitive in the premiers next season helping the Sigma team and perhaps being in good enough shape to get up there and challenge myself.
Monday 4 August 2008
Looking forward
Well Sunday didn't really go to plan for me as a rear wheel puncture only 30 minutes into the race scuppered my hopes of a good ride.
Just as the race had hit some narrow lanes and I attacked off the front of peleton, bridging across to a pinerello rider who was ahead. Once I made contact, disaster struck as my rear wheel went flat and I had to watch the entire convoy with the exception of the Sigma team Audi speed off down the road. With the change over taking a bit longer than normal so all in all probably had a good 2 - 3 minutes stationary just as the race was really hotting up.
This meant I had to chase back on, whilst this was helped by being behind the team car, it was far from an easy chase as riders were puncturing, crashing and getting dropped all the time, meaning once back in the convoy I had a hell of a job just staying in it let alone move up as cars sped past me in order to catch up with the peleton ahead. Up the hill just as I believe the winning break escaped the main group I had just made contact with the back of the same group. By the time I got to the top of the hill and the front of the group the break was long gone, and so were my legs ruined by the 20 minutes of hard chasing!
A combination of the course and the racing made it too hard to recover any good feeling in my legs and so after 60 miles, knowing that two team mates up the road in breaks (Rob and Matt) and me being unable to do much more than cling to the last wheel in the main group I sat up and let the wheel go in order to end the suffering.
Annoying as I think I could have gone well yesterday (proved I think by the number of good riders that I saw puncture never to see again in the race). C'est la vie! Its a good event and i'll look forward to doing well here next year.
Have bigger things to think about now as next stop for me is Ireland and the biggest weekend of the year, my Wedding!
Just as the race had hit some narrow lanes and I attacked off the front of peleton, bridging across to a pinerello rider who was ahead. Once I made contact, disaster struck as my rear wheel went flat and I had to watch the entire convoy with the exception of the Sigma team Audi speed off down the road. With the change over taking a bit longer than normal so all in all probably had a good 2 - 3 minutes stationary just as the race was really hotting up.
This meant I had to chase back on, whilst this was helped by being behind the team car, it was far from an easy chase as riders were puncturing, crashing and getting dropped all the time, meaning once back in the convoy I had a hell of a job just staying in it let alone move up as cars sped past me in order to catch up with the peleton ahead. Up the hill just as I believe the winning break escaped the main group I had just made contact with the back of the same group. By the time I got to the top of the hill and the front of the group the break was long gone, and so were my legs ruined by the 20 minutes of hard chasing!
A combination of the course and the racing made it too hard to recover any good feeling in my legs and so after 60 miles, knowing that two team mates up the road in breaks (Rob and Matt) and me being unable to do much more than cling to the last wheel in the main group I sat up and let the wheel go in order to end the suffering.
Annoying as I think I could have gone well yesterday (proved I think by the number of good riders that I saw puncture never to see again in the race). C'est la vie! Its a good event and i'll look forward to doing well here next year.
Have bigger things to think about now as next stop for me is Ireland and the biggest weekend of the year, my Wedding!
Friday 1 August 2008
Last race on sunday.
Just had a very lazy week for me training wise. Didn't touch the bike at all last weekend!
However, being well rested I got a new 5 minute power pb on tuesday on a hill rep session up the Ranmore Common climb near Dorking. 509watts which @ the 74kgs I am running at currently works out at 6.88 watts / kg, and according to my power profile in the cycling peaks software makes me "exceptional". However, I take this with a pinch of salt as i'm a bit worried that my powertap may be reading high. It has been pretty consistent all year, and also seems to match readings from fellow Kingston Wheeler member, Steve Saunders but was about 5-10% higher than Dan Lloyds SRM when I tested it a couple of weeks ago. Also the data in this program is based upon Boardman riding the track in a pretty extreme aero tuck for 50% of the climb up ranmore I was out of the saddle wrenching on the handlebars, still a pb is a pb and i'm happy of the improvement real or not.
Last night raced a SL handicap out on a circuit near Chertsey. In the scratch group we had myself, gary dodd, martin smith, andy betts, Wouter "turbo locomotive" Sybrandy and Chris "The Slippery Hobbit" Moores. Wouter gains his nickname after coming through so hard no-one could follow his wheel and then for continuing to drive it on the front for a minute or so making it very hard for anyone to get past him! The Slippery Hobbit is so named because he was able to get that low on his bike it was hard to see him let alone get any draft from him. Everytime he went through to the front it was like someone had given him a handsling up the road, whooosh and he was off.
Martin Smith won the race, but for me Wouter was by far the strongest rider on the night and was instrumental in bringing the race together and also had a great go at it towards the end when countering an attack I made with 3km to go, and holding a bunch off for around 2km whilst we were shifting at close to 60km/h.
I met a reader of the blog in Toks, (yep I found another one in addition to my mum which is exciting news for me!), and i'm sure he'd be interested to hear the power data from last night so without further delay the stats from my race yesterday:
Time: 55:40
Distance: 41.4km
Avg Speed: 44.6 km/h
Avg Power: 349 watts
Normalized power: 380 watts
Pretty fast wasn't it!
However, being well rested I got a new 5 minute power pb on tuesday on a hill rep session up the Ranmore Common climb near Dorking. 509watts which @ the 74kgs I am running at currently works out at 6.88 watts / kg, and according to my power profile in the cycling peaks software makes me "exceptional". However, I take this with a pinch of salt as i'm a bit worried that my powertap may be reading high. It has been pretty consistent all year, and also seems to match readings from fellow Kingston Wheeler member, Steve Saunders but was about 5-10% higher than Dan Lloyds SRM when I tested it a couple of weeks ago. Also the data in this program is based upon Boardman riding the track in a pretty extreme aero tuck for 50% of the climb up ranmore I was out of the saddle wrenching on the handlebars, still a pb is a pb and i'm happy of the improvement real or not.
Last night raced a SL handicap out on a circuit near Chertsey. In the scratch group we had myself, gary dodd, martin smith, andy betts, Wouter "turbo locomotive" Sybrandy and Chris "The Slippery Hobbit" Moores. Wouter gains his nickname after coming through so hard no-one could follow his wheel and then for continuing to drive it on the front for a minute or so making it very hard for anyone to get past him! The Slippery Hobbit is so named because he was able to get that low on his bike it was hard to see him let alone get any draft from him. Everytime he went through to the front it was like someone had given him a handsling up the road, whooosh and he was off.
Martin Smith won the race, but for me Wouter was by far the strongest rider on the night and was instrumental in bringing the race together and also had a great go at it towards the end when countering an attack I made with 3km to go, and holding a bunch off for around 2km whilst we were shifting at close to 60km/h.
I met a reader of the blog in Toks, (yep I found another one in addition to my mum which is exciting news for me!), and i'm sure he'd be interested to hear the power data from last night so without further delay the stats from my race yesterday:
Time: 55:40
Distance: 41.4km
Avg Speed: 44.6 km/h
Avg Power: 349 watts
Normalized power: 380 watts
Pretty fast wasn't it!
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