Another month flies by in between updates.
The knee has improved a lot over the last month, so much so I have a 4 week respite in between physio sessions.
The current plan is to get back into full cycling and swimming training - be the first time since April. Additionally I have my stretches and exercises to do, to keep strengthening the specific muscle in my quad and also keep my ITB nice and loose. Providing I have no major issues with the knee between now and 18th December, I will get the go ahead to get back into running.
Due to the really awful weather over the last couple of weekends all my training has been on the turbo, starting off with 30 mins easy spinning and working up to my last session which was 60 mins, with 4 x 8 min efforts at 75% MHR. Hoping to get out on the road this weekend and climb some hills in preparation for the Hell of the Ashdown in January. I also have a shiny new Gore Bikewear jacket to test out.
Plans are taking shape for next year, the current outline is as follows:
Jan 31st The Hell of the Ashdown sportive
Apr 18th Winchester Fast Twitch Tri
May TBC Hart Sprint Tri
July 17th Kernow Man
Sep 4th The Vitruvian
Tri distances are varying from 400m/20k/5k to 3k/135k/30k so lots of swimming, cycling and running ahead over the next few months.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Monday, 2 November 2009
Back into light training and roll on 2010
Just a quick update.
Well both my knee and my mood have improved a lot since the last update.
According to the physio my knee tracking issue appears to be fixed and I am now into the rehab rather than treatment. This is good news! I am allowed back on the bike and in the pool, but running is out for a little while yet. I only have one small painful area left which appears to be down to a build up of scar tissue, but it is not causing a major problem.
To celebrate being allowed to train again I have entered my first event for 2010. The Hell of the Ashdown cyclosportive on the 31st January. 110km with 2000m climbing over 6 hills. Should be interesting, in 2008 they had mild spring like weather whilst last year blizzards were the order of the day.
So it looks like this winter will involve some outdoor riding rather than last year when all training was indoors. Better get thinking up some novel schemes for keeping the feet warm. Any suggestions welcome!
Well both my knee and my mood have improved a lot since the last update.
According to the physio my knee tracking issue appears to be fixed and I am now into the rehab rather than treatment. This is good news! I am allowed back on the bike and in the pool, but running is out for a little while yet. I only have one small painful area left which appears to be down to a build up of scar tissue, but it is not causing a major problem.
To celebrate being allowed to train again I have entered my first event for 2010. The Hell of the Ashdown cyclosportive on the 31st January. 110km with 2000m climbing over 6 hills. Should be interesting, in 2008 they had mild spring like weather whilst last year blizzards were the order of the day.
So it looks like this winter will involve some outdoor riding rather than last year when all training was indoors. Better get thinking up some novel schemes for keeping the feet warm. Any suggestions welcome!
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Being injured is rubbish
Yet again I have left a long time between updates.
Unfortunately just about nothing training wise has happened since running the triathlon on 4th Oct. For once this has not been down to too much work/beer, too little time etc but an enforced period of rest whilst I work with the physio to cure my knee problem.
I started at physio on the Monday after the the tri and was impressed with what I found. As well as issues with the kneecap I was also suffering from a tight ilio tibial band (ITB) (which had caused ITB Friction syndrome) and poor flexibility in the hamstrings.
One session down and I was feeling pretty happy, although I was not to train conventionally for a while, it felt good to have a fuller diagnosis and treatment plan. Session two saw treatment begin with some massage to attempt to release the ITB, unfortunately during this massage a nerve in my leg got irritated causing a fair amount of pain over the next week. A couple of physio sessions later and the nerve pain had thankfully gone.
Got back on track with last weeks session. My flexibility has improved massively over just 3 weeks and my ITB has also started to loosen off. The pain in the knee is just about gone, just a couple of little niggles now. I have moved to do static but gentle exercises to strengthen specific muscles in the thighs and things are looking good for getting back into full training in a few weeks.
Outside of stretching and doing my prescribed exercises, the only other training I have done is 30 mins easy spin on the turbo at the weekend just to test out the leg. No problems to report.
I am still finalising my schedule for next year, another trip to Lands End appears to be on the cards, though not cycling all the way from Duncansby Head to get there this time.
Unfortunately just about nothing training wise has happened since running the triathlon on 4th Oct. For once this has not been down to too much work/beer, too little time etc but an enforced period of rest whilst I work with the physio to cure my knee problem.
I started at physio on the Monday after the the tri and was impressed with what I found. As well as issues with the kneecap I was also suffering from a tight ilio tibial band (ITB) (which had caused ITB Friction syndrome) and poor flexibility in the hamstrings.
One session down and I was feeling pretty happy, although I was not to train conventionally for a while, it felt good to have a fuller diagnosis and treatment plan. Session two saw treatment begin with some massage to attempt to release the ITB, unfortunately during this massage a nerve in my leg got irritated causing a fair amount of pain over the next week. A couple of physio sessions later and the nerve pain had thankfully gone.
Got back on track with last weeks session. My flexibility has improved massively over just 3 weeks and my ITB has also started to loosen off. The pain in the knee is just about gone, just a couple of little niggles now. I have moved to do static but gentle exercises to strengthen specific muscles in the thighs and things are looking good for getting back into full training in a few weeks.
Outside of stretching and doing my prescribed exercises, the only other training I have done is 30 mins easy spin on the turbo at the weekend just to test out the leg. No problems to report.
I am still finalising my schedule for next year, another trip to Lands End appears to be on the cards, though not cycling all the way from Duncansby Head to get there this time.
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
I am a triathlete
Sunday 4th October and my first ever tri race day.
Left home at 7.45 for the 2 hour drive up to Stratford. Our route covered the last 4/5 miles of the bike course where the men were already out. This got the nerves jangling nicely.
Arrived and registered then spent a good bit of time stood around transition watching people setting up their kit and going through transition in the race.
Managed to grab a nice spot in transition for myself which minimised the running around. Wasn't quite sure how best to set things up, so I went with what I thought would be most logical.
Headed on to poolside and lined up in start order, chatting away with those around me was nice.
It was then time to enter the pool and I noticed we had a deep end (there is no deep end in the pool I train in) but did not think too much about it. 5-4-3-2-1 Go and I set of on my first tri. I forgot to start my watch but decided it was not important. First 2 lengths went fine, then whilst turning at the the deep end I ended up underwater - I can only guess that i tried to put my foot down on the pool bottom. A short cough and splutter and I headed off, only to have somebody swim into the back of me. On length 4 I got a nice kick in the ribs by somebody overtaking me and I had decided that tri swimming was not nice! The rest of the swim was fairly uneventful, but I was very glad to get out of the pool after 12 lengths. Time was 12 mins 8 seconds, 10 seconds slower than in training last week but after all that happened I am fairly happy.
Prior to the event I decided I would walk the transitions and think through what I was going to do. In the race I ignored this and ran down to transition, I remembered exactly where my bike was and started to get ready for the bike. On with shorts, a bit of a struggle but not too bad. On with socks, then stand in the puddle I have created on the ground - doh. On with shoes,top, number belt, helmet and shades and off out on the bike.
I loved the bike. My pre race plan was to hold back at the beginning, in training I have a tendancy to fly off and die later. With a 5km run to do after I do not want this to happen. There was quite a string of riders ahead going a bit slower then me. All of my cycling training has been down on my own and I don't usually meet many other riders and almost never get the chance to overtake. I forced myself to keep the pace down and just slowly reel in the riders ahead. I continued this all the way round to the dual carriageway and up the hill. Then it was hammer time back to transition. It was so much fun, I was overtaken by 4 athletes but overtook far more than that and did the entire course with a huge smile on my face. The only downside on the bike was the return to the leisure centre where a car in front got in my way and caused me to stop, thankfully a guy from the crowd came out and asked the driver to stop so I could get by. I think this was an area which could have done with a marshall or two. Time was 58:55 (includes transitions) which I'm quite happy with.
Transition to the run was fairly simple and I headed off onto the course. The start was hard but I knew it would be. I had a sore achilles and a sore back (ribcage) neither of which I have experienced before. I ignored it and plodded on and the pain went away. I overtook and was overtaken by a few runners but survived round lap 1. Onto lap 2 and knee pain kicked in, I have been having problems with my knee for a while so this was not unexpected. Still I kept going and at each turn around point selected somebody to try and catch which kept me going. Finally I was around the final corner and it was time for a little sprint over the finsh line and I had earned the right to call myself a triathlete!
Time for the run was 30:23 which I am happy with.
Total time was 1hr 41mins and 26 seconds giving me 136/192.
Left home at 7.45 for the 2 hour drive up to Stratford. Our route covered the last 4/5 miles of the bike course where the men were already out. This got the nerves jangling nicely.
Arrived and registered then spent a good bit of time stood around transition watching people setting up their kit and going through transition in the race.
Managed to grab a nice spot in transition for myself which minimised the running around. Wasn't quite sure how best to set things up, so I went with what I thought would be most logical.
Headed on to poolside and lined up in start order, chatting away with those around me was nice.
It was then time to enter the pool and I noticed we had a deep end (there is no deep end in the pool I train in) but did not think too much about it. 5-4-3-2-1 Go and I set of on my first tri. I forgot to start my watch but decided it was not important. First 2 lengths went fine, then whilst turning at the the deep end I ended up underwater - I can only guess that i tried to put my foot down on the pool bottom. A short cough and splutter and I headed off, only to have somebody swim into the back of me. On length 4 I got a nice kick in the ribs by somebody overtaking me and I had decided that tri swimming was not nice! The rest of the swim was fairly uneventful, but I was very glad to get out of the pool after 12 lengths. Time was 12 mins 8 seconds, 10 seconds slower than in training last week but after all that happened I am fairly happy.
Prior to the event I decided I would walk the transitions and think through what I was going to do. In the race I ignored this and ran down to transition, I remembered exactly where my bike was and started to get ready for the bike. On with shorts, a bit of a struggle but not too bad. On with socks, then stand in the puddle I have created on the ground - doh. On with shoes,top, number belt, helmet and shades and off out on the bike.
I loved the bike. My pre race plan was to hold back at the beginning, in training I have a tendancy to fly off and die later. With a 5km run to do after I do not want this to happen. There was quite a string of riders ahead going a bit slower then me. All of my cycling training has been down on my own and I don't usually meet many other riders and almost never get the chance to overtake. I forced myself to keep the pace down and just slowly reel in the riders ahead. I continued this all the way round to the dual carriageway and up the hill. Then it was hammer time back to transition. It was so much fun, I was overtaken by 4 athletes but overtook far more than that and did the entire course with a huge smile on my face. The only downside on the bike was the return to the leisure centre where a car in front got in my way and caused me to stop, thankfully a guy from the crowd came out and asked the driver to stop so I could get by. I think this was an area which could have done with a marshall or two. Time was 58:55 (includes transitions) which I'm quite happy with.
Transition to the run was fairly simple and I headed off onto the course. The start was hard but I knew it would be. I had a sore achilles and a sore back (ribcage) neither of which I have experienced before. I ignored it and plodded on and the pain went away. I overtook and was overtaken by a few runners but survived round lap 1. Onto lap 2 and knee pain kicked in, I have been having problems with my knee for a while so this was not unexpected. Still I kept going and at each turn around point selected somebody to try and catch which kept me going. Finally I was around the final corner and it was time for a little sprint over the finsh line and I had earned the right to call myself a triathlete!
Time for the run was 30:23 which I am happy with.
Total time was 1hr 41mins and 26 seconds giving me 136/192.
Monday, 28 September 2009
Back into the swing of things
The last week has been pretty good, a decent amount of training and an update on the knee problem.
First up the training over the last 10 or so days.
After getting back into the UK at 5am on the Sat, it was home for some sleep before a nice easy 1.8 miles run to get the legs back into training after holiday mode.
No training Sunday, but Monday continued the running focus for the week, with a 2.mile run.
Work was manic on Tuesday and Wednesday and as such training went by the wayside.
Thursday saw my third run of the week, 3.6 miles my longest continuous run for sometime.
Headed to the pool after work on Friday and did an 800m swim, only had one short stop after 400m to clear misty goggles.
Headed out on the bike on Saturday morning. It really was lovely warm sunny day, but the ride was marred by every single traffic light I came to being red, even all the pedestrian crossings. This coupled with waiting at a level crossing for a train to pass and stopping for an ambulance led to a very stop start bitty ride. Still it was nice to be out in shorts and t-shirt this close to October.
On returning from the ride I had a letter from my consultant regarding the MRI scan I had on knee. Apparently my knee looks pretty normal, which is great news and backs up what he suspected. So hopefully, after several months of pain, a few physio sessions should sort out the knees and allow me to train properly.
First up the training over the last 10 or so days.
After getting back into the UK at 5am on the Sat, it was home for some sleep before a nice easy 1.8 miles run to get the legs back into training after holiday mode.
No training Sunday, but Monday continued the running focus for the week, with a 2.mile run.
Work was manic on Tuesday and Wednesday and as such training went by the wayside.
Thursday saw my third run of the week, 3.6 miles my longest continuous run for sometime.
Headed to the pool after work on Friday and did an 800m swim, only had one short stop after 400m to clear misty goggles.
Headed out on the bike on Saturday morning. It really was lovely warm sunny day, but the ride was marred by every single traffic light I came to being red, even all the pedestrian crossings. This coupled with waiting at a level crossing for a train to pass and stopping for an ambulance led to a very stop start bitty ride. Still it was nice to be out in shorts and t-shirt this close to October.
On returning from the ride I had a letter from my consultant regarding the MRI scan I had on knee. Apparently my knee looks pretty normal, which is great news and backs up what he suspected. So hopefully, after several months of pain, a few physio sessions should sort out the knees and allow me to train properly.
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Back from hols
Again been a while since the last update.
I have had my entry confirmed for the Warwickshire Triathlon on 4th October, just waiting for start time now.
Since the last update I have seen a consultant and had an MRI scan on my knee. Initial outlook is pretty good, it looks like the pain is caused by misallignment in the knee due to abnormal tracking of the patella, in english, my kneecap is not quite in the correct position. Just waiting on the MRI results to confirm then it will be off for a few pysio sessions and my knee will be as good as new.
Did not do much training between seeing the consultant and going on holiday as I did not want to upset the knee. Had a great week in Greece, lots of swimming in the sea and snorkelling, a few boat trips and enjoying the Greek food and drink.
Back to work now and a few specific sessions before the triathlon, then I will have to decide on next years targets so I can get the winter training right.
I have had my entry confirmed for the Warwickshire Triathlon on 4th October, just waiting for start time now.
Since the last update I have seen a consultant and had an MRI scan on my knee. Initial outlook is pretty good, it looks like the pain is caused by misallignment in the knee due to abnormal tracking of the patella, in english, my kneecap is not quite in the correct position. Just waiting on the MRI results to confirm then it will be off for a few pysio sessions and my knee will be as good as new.
Did not do much training between seeing the consultant and going on holiday as I did not want to upset the knee. Had a great week in Greece, lots of swimming in the sea and snorkelling, a few boat trips and enjoying the Greek food and drink.
Back to work now and a few specific sessions before the triathlon, then I will have to decide on next years targets so I can get the winter training right.
Friday, 28 August 2009
Triathlon cancelled
Unfortunately got an email today saying that Sunday's triathlon has been cancelled due to some health and safety reason.
Bit of a pain, but not much I can do about it.
Have had a look at what events are left this season and will now be doing the Warwickshire triathlon in October instead.
Bit of a pain, but not much I can do about it.
Have had a look at what events are left this season and will now be doing the Warwickshire triathlon in October instead.
Thursday, 27 August 2009
ready to go
With 4 days to go before my triathlon debut I thought I should probably go swimming.
So last night nipped down to the local pool and covered 24 lengths (c. 800m).
I was quite suprised to manage that much as I had not been swimming since March last year.
On Sunday I only need to cover 400m and with it being a 25m pool I can gain more of an advantage from pushing off the walls at the end of each length.
I am really looking forward to Sunday - I know I can cover all 3 distances and the weather is looking good. Is going to be insteresting to see how the body feels after doing the three disciplines back to back.
I have no real targets for Sunday apart from to complete and enjoy it - might as well take the guaranteed PB and then look to improve next year.
Planning on taking it fairly easy over the next couple of days with just some easy gentle training to keep things ticking over. Got a bit of transition practice planned for Saturday then the event on Sunday followed by BBQ and beer I think.
So last night nipped down to the local pool and covered 24 lengths (c. 800m).
I was quite suprised to manage that much as I had not been swimming since March last year.
On Sunday I only need to cover 400m and with it being a 25m pool I can gain more of an advantage from pushing off the walls at the end of each length.
I am really looking forward to Sunday - I know I can cover all 3 distances and the weather is looking good. Is going to be insteresting to see how the body feels after doing the three disciplines back to back.
I have no real targets for Sunday apart from to complete and enjoy it - might as well take the guaranteed PB and then look to improve next year.
Planning on taking it fairly easy over the next couple of days with just some easy gentle training to keep things ticking over. Got a bit of transition practice planned for Saturday then the event on Sunday followed by BBQ and beer I think.
Thursday, 20 August 2009
just ticking over
right, time for another update.
i have been continuing with the running and cycling training although the less said about swim training the better! Unfortunately due to my knee all the training needs to be done at a low intensity otherwise the knee seizes up. It is all getting a little frustrating, still hopefully I will find out what is going on on 8th September and at least I can still do some training in the meantime.
Last weekend I did my first 'brick' session as practice for the upcoming triathlon. The bike was fine but what a difference running off the bike compared to just going out for a straight run. I'm really glad I tested this out prior to the event.
So a little over a week out from 'race' day and I think its going ok. I can easily cover the run and bike distances (if slowly) but have yet to go swimming - oops! Still it is only 400m so should not be too much of an issue - but really must go for a swim prior to the event.
As I can't actually treat the event as a race I have decided to set no targets other than to complete the event and enjoy myself.
I'm waiting to see what the specialist says in September before putting the final touches to next years events - hopefully the news will be good.
i have been continuing with the running and cycling training although the less said about swim training the better! Unfortunately due to my knee all the training needs to be done at a low intensity otherwise the knee seizes up. It is all getting a little frustrating, still hopefully I will find out what is going on on 8th September and at least I can still do some training in the meantime.
Last weekend I did my first 'brick' session as practice for the upcoming triathlon. The bike was fine but what a difference running off the bike compared to just going out for a straight run. I'm really glad I tested this out prior to the event.
So a little over a week out from 'race' day and I think its going ok. I can easily cover the run and bike distances (if slowly) but have yet to go swimming - oops! Still it is only 400m so should not be too much of an issue - but really must go for a swim prior to the event.
As I can't actually treat the event as a race I have decided to set no targets other than to complete the event and enjoy myself.
I'm waiting to see what the specialist says in September before putting the final touches to next years events - hopefully the news will be good.
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Right, what next?
Had a busy time since reaching Lands End.
The ankle damage I inflicted falling off my bike on Day 3 appeared to be more severe than I realised and resulted in 3 weeks off training before it reduced back to its normal size.
During this time I had a think about what I wanted to do next and entered the Concorde Triathlon which is on the 30th August. The distances are short, 400m swim, 20km bike and 5 km run and I am just looking to have some fun and complete it. Run training has been going well despite an awkward knee, cycling is not a problem and swimming well it is only 16 lengths, it may not be fast or pretty but I should manage fine.
So training has been on the light but varied side over the last month which has been nice.
Starting to have a think about what I may want to do next year. Having used up my support quota this year, it looks like next year will have to be one day or weekend events. The next issue is which events or even which sport or perhaps multi sport is the way to go? Home or Abroad? It is quite amazing the huge variety of events available from road sportives, mountain bike events, triathlons, adventure races, training camps - the list is nearly endless. Still I am looking forward to perusing the options and making my mind up.
So for now, it is full speed ahead to the triathlon at the end of the month and then off on holiday in September.
The ankle damage I inflicted falling off my bike on Day 3 appeared to be more severe than I realised and resulted in 3 weeks off training before it reduced back to its normal size.
During this time I had a think about what I wanted to do next and entered the Concorde Triathlon which is on the 30th August. The distances are short, 400m swim, 20km bike and 5 km run and I am just looking to have some fun and complete it. Run training has been going well despite an awkward knee, cycling is not a problem and swimming well it is only 16 lengths, it may not be fast or pretty but I should manage fine.
So training has been on the light but varied side over the last month which has been nice.
Starting to have a think about what I may want to do next year. Having used up my support quota this year, it looks like next year will have to be one day or weekend events. The next issue is which events or even which sport or perhaps multi sport is the way to go? Home or Abroad? It is quite amazing the huge variety of events available from road sportives, mountain bike events, triathlons, adventure races, training camps - the list is nearly endless. Still I am looking forward to perusing the options and making my mind up.
So for now, it is full speed ahead to the triathlon at the end of the month and then off on holiday in September.
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Back Home
Arrived back home from Cornwall this afternoon, feeling really happy and looking forward to a few days R+R before going back to work on Monday.
Firstly I must thank my parents and mik for all their support over the last few days (as well as the months before) - without them I would not have been able to make the trip happen. So thank you for driving all over the country, putting up/taking down tents, feeding me, shopping, cycling with me and generally making the experience as great as it was.
I must also thank Geoff and Ali for their hospitality in Newtonmore, great food and a nice comfy bed, also thanks to Geoff for cycling the last 9 miles into Newtonmore with me and then onwards to Dalwhinnie the following day. Thanks to Grum, Emma and Sam for putting up and feeding my parents, Kye the dog and I at Puddledub. Thanks to Ivor for meeting us just outside Edinburgh and giving us a great tour of the city on the way out to the A7, I hope the ride home was just as pleasant!.
Thanks also to the people who donated money along the way for WaterAid - the couple in the campsite at Brora, the wardens at Chirk Caravan Club Site, the couple at the campsite in Hereford, the warden at Umberleigh Camping and Caravan Club, the man in the pub in Umberleigh and the guys at Tollgate Farm Campsite in Perranporth.
Thanks also to everybody who has sponsored me, the total is now over £700 which I am totally amazed with.
In the end the journey took 9 full days with a half day at the start and finsh and covered 896.9 miles. I kept a journal whilst on the road and will post it up on here along with some photos in the next few days.
I had an amazing time and throughly enjoyed every minute of it - even the rain. The highlights are too many to mention but include the stunning weather whilst cycling through the Cairngorms, discovering new areas of the country that I wish to return to and of course reaching Lands End. There were not many lows - the strong headwind on day 1 and falling off my bike and twisting my ankle on day 3 being the only major ones.
I now plan to have a little rest and think about what challenge I will set myself next.
Firstly I must thank my parents and mik for all their support over the last few days (as well as the months before) - without them I would not have been able to make the trip happen. So thank you for driving all over the country, putting up/taking down tents, feeding me, shopping, cycling with me and generally making the experience as great as it was.
I must also thank Geoff and Ali for their hospitality in Newtonmore, great food and a nice comfy bed, also thanks to Geoff for cycling the last 9 miles into Newtonmore with me and then onwards to Dalwhinnie the following day. Thanks to Grum, Emma and Sam for putting up and feeding my parents, Kye the dog and I at Puddledub. Thanks to Ivor for meeting us just outside Edinburgh and giving us a great tour of the city on the way out to the A7, I hope the ride home was just as pleasant!.
Thanks also to the people who donated money along the way for WaterAid - the couple in the campsite at Brora, the wardens at Chirk Caravan Club Site, the couple at the campsite in Hereford, the warden at Umberleigh Camping and Caravan Club, the man in the pub in Umberleigh and the guys at Tollgate Farm Campsite in Perranporth.
Thanks also to everybody who has sponsored me, the total is now over £700 which I am totally amazed with.
In the end the journey took 9 full days with a half day at the start and finsh and covered 896.9 miles. I kept a journal whilst on the road and will post it up on here along with some photos in the next few days.
I had an amazing time and throughly enjoyed every minute of it - even the rain. The highlights are too many to mention but include the stunning weather whilst cycling through the Cairngorms, discovering new areas of the country that I wish to return to and of course reaching Lands End. There were not many lows - the strong headwind on day 1 and falling off my bike and twisting my ankle on day 3 being the only major ones.
I now plan to have a little rest and think about what challenge I will set myself next.
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Ready to go
Firstly I would like to thank everybody who has sponsored me - Thank You - I have now reached my target of raising £500 for WaterAid.
Things are starting to get quite exciting now.
Had a great weekend in Aberdeen catching up with some people I had not seen for 10 years.
Dropped the bike and pretty much all of the rest of the kit off with my parents
I have had a couple of emails from some people enquiring about how they can keep up-to-date with my progress during the ride. I have a twitter account and have linked it to the blog, so I will endeavour to send regular updates via text message.
Other than that not much to report, finish work at lunchtime tomorrow before flying up to Inverness tomorrow night. Then it 's just the 2.5 hours ish drive to Duncansby Head and I can actually get on the bike and do some cycling!!
Things are starting to get quite exciting now.
Had a great weekend in Aberdeen catching up with some people I had not seen for 10 years.
Dropped the bike and pretty much all of the rest of the kit off with my parents
I have had a couple of emails from some people enquiring about how they can keep up-to-date with my progress during the ride. I have a twitter account and have linked it to the blog, so I will endeavour to send regular updates via text message.
Other than that not much to report, finish work at lunchtime tomorrow before flying up to Inverness tomorrow night. Then it 's just the 2.5 hours ish drive to Duncansby Head and I can actually get on the bike and do some cycling!!
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
The Route
My maps finally arrived last weekend, which allowed me to sit down and finalise some route decisions. The overnight stops have now all been confirmed and accommodation booked.
The fine detail route for each day has not been set in stone as I think it will be nice to plan in more detail as I travel down the country.
I have decided to start with a fairly short day to ease myself into the event, so day 1 will finish in Brora.
Day 2 is from Brora through Inverness to Newtonmore where we are staying with family friends.
Day 3 is down to Perth to stay with some more friends.
Day 4 ends in Selkirk and back to camping, route will probably head over Forth Road Bridge and through Edinburgh.
Day 5 is across the country to Kendal.
Day 6 is through NW England to Whitchurch.
Day 7 is down to Hereford.
Day 8 ends in Cheddar either via Severn Bridge or Gloucester.
Day 9 to Umberleigh.
Day 10 to Perranporth.
Day 11 to Lands End.
The biggest change is heading down the A9 route rather then the A82.
I have made this decision for 2 reasons:
1. The option to stay with friends and get a bed instead of a tent for a couple of nights.
2. The vast majority of the A9 between Inverness and Perth can be avoided by using a number of B roads or cycle paths which use the old A9 road surface. I am hoping this will result in a couple of quiet days cycling through the centre of the country instead of dodging the HGVs on the A82.
I have never been to Perranporth or Cheddar but thought they would be nice so added them to the list.
The other locations just seem to fit into the route as overnight stops.
The fine detail route for each day has not been set in stone as I think it will be nice to plan in more detail as I travel down the country.
I have decided to start with a fairly short day to ease myself into the event, so day 1 will finish in Brora.
Day 2 is from Brora through Inverness to Newtonmore where we are staying with family friends.
Day 3 is down to Perth to stay with some more friends.
Day 4 ends in Selkirk and back to camping, route will probably head over Forth Road Bridge and through Edinburgh.
Day 5 is across the country to Kendal.
Day 6 is through NW England to Whitchurch.
Day 7 is down to Hereford.
Day 8 ends in Cheddar either via Severn Bridge or Gloucester.
Day 9 to Umberleigh.
Day 10 to Perranporth.
Day 11 to Lands End.
The biggest change is heading down the A9 route rather then the A82.
I have made this decision for 2 reasons:
1. The option to stay with friends and get a bed instead of a tent for a couple of nights.
2. The vast majority of the A9 between Inverness and Perth can be avoided by using a number of B roads or cycle paths which use the old A9 road surface. I am hoping this will result in a couple of quiet days cycling through the centre of the country instead of dodging the HGVs on the A82.
I have never been to Perranporth or Cheddar but thought they would be nice so added them to the list.
The other locations just seem to fit into the route as overnight stops.
Friday, 15 May 2009
Update
The cycling is now at ticking over volumes - concentrating on keeping body and bike healthy.
The last couple of weeks have mainly been spent writing lists and ordering last minute bits n bobs.
Everything is pretty much sorted now - most of the kit is sitting in the house, just got to make the final decision on which flavour(s) of carb drink I want to take with me.
The training will effectively finish this weekend - as I am taking the bike to Aberdeen and dropping it off at my parents the following one.
I have been quite busy with route planning, the overnight stops are pretty much sorted and on most days I have a few options on how to get from the start to the finish. I will leave the final decision on route choice to each morning. Got a few little things to sort out and once they are done I will publish the rough route on the blog.
Other than that things are going well, the excitement is building and I am raring for the next couple of weeks to fly by so that I can just get out on the road and get started.
The last couple of weeks have mainly been spent writing lists and ordering last minute bits n bobs.
Everything is pretty much sorted now - most of the kit is sitting in the house, just got to make the final decision on which flavour(s) of carb drink I want to take with me.
The training will effectively finish this weekend - as I am taking the bike to Aberdeen and dropping it off at my parents the following one.
I have been quite busy with route planning, the overnight stops are pretty much sorted and on most days I have a few options on how to get from the start to the finish. I will leave the final decision on route choice to each morning. Got a few little things to sort out and once they are done I will publish the rough route on the blog.
Other than that things are going well, the excitement is building and I am raring for the next couple of weeks to fly by so that I can just get out on the road and get started.
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Scotland trip
Been a while since I last updated - things have been very busy!!
Thought I would update with the week I had up in Scotland back in April.
It was a great week, the weather was fair for Scotland (fickle) - cold, windy and also very wet at times.
The cycling started on the Sunday with a nice ride with my Dad, I cannot remember the last time I went on a bike ride with my Dad. We took the ferry from Corran to Ardgour then set off on a nice ride to Fort William.
It was a stunning ride on an empty road, with amazing views over Ben Nevis, unfortunately neither of us has a camera with us. The ride covered 35 miles.
It was on this ride I rediscovered the fickle nature of the wind in Scotland; once we were on the Mallaig - Fort William road, we cycled down a long straight, at the beginning we had a lovely tailwind which changed into a headwind even though we had not changed direction.
On the Monday, mik and the kids went fishing at Ballachulish, I took a lift there with them and headed off on the bike towards Oban. Another great ride on a quiet road. The road followed the coast and the views were stunning, looking out over the small isles off the coast. I arrived at Oban at lunchtime and met the family for a pub lunch. After lunch I headed back the same way I had come and it was as enjoyable a ride back as it was getting there.
Wednesday brought the ride I had been desperate to do since we were up in this area at New Year. I started with the ferry crossing before following the same road as Sunday's ride up to the Mallaig road. I then followed the Mallaig road through Glenfinnan. This was the point where the weather took a turn for the worse and I found myself climbing up a fairly steep hill straight into the wind and driving rain/sleet. The hill was not too bad but the weather was awful. I go to the summit and enjoyed the beginning of the downhill, but then I got cold, very cold. At the bottom of the steep descent I was frozen and it was still pouring with rain. I took shelter in a phonebox and ate a sandwich and Mars bar which brought me back from the brink of hypothermia.
From there it was a simple cycle to the turnoff for the Moidart and Sunart peninsula. At this point the weather changed and the sun came out. I dried off and enjoyed cycling through some of the most remote parths of Scotland, with stunning views out over the coast.
After a nice flat section, came a fairly major hill where mik and the kids were waiting at the top; it was really great to see them.
After the summit, there was a lovely descent before the road became single track, with some very steep uphill sections. I bid farewell to mik and the kids at this point as they headed back to our chalet with the car. I had a good ride down to Salen before heading for Strontian and the final pass to get back to the ferry side of the peninsula, The climb was just a grind but the descent was awesome. Back to a 2 way road, a great surface and next to no traffic. The road was wet and it was still raining and I got covered in spray, but it was a joy and I managed to hit 44.9 mph, shame it was not dry as I think I would have got pretty close to 50 mph. After the descent it was a simple 7 miles back to the ferry and the pub and a well earned beer!
Above are a few pictures taken by mik out on the ride.
The final ride of the week was on the Friday and was planned to be from Inchree back to Perth via Rannoch Moor. I got up early and headed off to get a head start over the car. Within 2 minutes, it has started to rain. Within 5 mins it was torrential. The first few miles were flat and sheltered but once I hit Ballachulish, the wind appeared. Like most of this week it was a headwind. So I headed off for the climb from sea level to Rannoch Moor, into pouring rain and a very stiff headwind. By the time I was halfway up Glencoe I was pretty wet and cold, the hill is not steep and even with the headwind I could not work hard enough to keep up my core temperature. I went over the pass of Glencoe and headed out onto Rannoch Moor.
The wind was pretty wild, blowing the bike all over the place, I was very thankfull that the drivers were keeping well out of my way. I thought that was the 'hard' bit of the ride done with, just a few miles along Rannoch Moor then a nice descent into Crianlarich. I then found that a long descent, into a cold headwind and rain when you are already wet and cold is not good. Mik and the kids stopped part of the way down the descent and shoved me in the car in to try and warm me up. In reality though it was never going to happen and reluctantly I agreed with mik to stay in the car and abandon the ride. Although it is not nice to abandon things, this was the correct decision as nearly 2 hours later when we arrived in Perth, I was still cold even though I had changed into dry clothes.
Overall the week was great. I was able to head out on some great routes and cover the distance with no problems. I feel that I am right on track for the real event. It was 'interesting' to cycle on the A82, it is not a very pleasant road and even on Good Friday was chock full of HGVs travelling at high speed. I would not fancy cycling across Rannoch Moor with a strong sidewind.
It all gives me food for thought for planning the final route for the ride in May/June.
Thought I would update with the week I had up in Scotland back in April.
It was a great week, the weather was fair for Scotland (fickle) - cold, windy and also very wet at times.
The cycling started on the Sunday with a nice ride with my Dad, I cannot remember the last time I went on a bike ride with my Dad. We took the ferry from Corran to Ardgour then set off on a nice ride to Fort William.
It was a stunning ride on an empty road, with amazing views over Ben Nevis, unfortunately neither of us has a camera with us. The ride covered 35 miles.
It was on this ride I rediscovered the fickle nature of the wind in Scotland; once we were on the Mallaig - Fort William road, we cycled down a long straight, at the beginning we had a lovely tailwind which changed into a headwind even though we had not changed direction.
On the Monday, mik and the kids went fishing at Ballachulish, I took a lift there with them and headed off on the bike towards Oban. Another great ride on a quiet road. The road followed the coast and the views were stunning, looking out over the small isles off the coast. I arrived at Oban at lunchtime and met the family for a pub lunch. After lunch I headed back the same way I had come and it was as enjoyable a ride back as it was getting there.
Wednesday brought the ride I had been desperate to do since we were up in this area at New Year. I started with the ferry crossing before following the same road as Sunday's ride up to the Mallaig road. I then followed the Mallaig road through Glenfinnan. This was the point where the weather took a turn for the worse and I found myself climbing up a fairly steep hill straight into the wind and driving rain/sleet. The hill was not too bad but the weather was awful. I go to the summit and enjoyed the beginning of the downhill, but then I got cold, very cold. At the bottom of the steep descent I was frozen and it was still pouring with rain. I took shelter in a phonebox and ate a sandwich and Mars bar which brought me back from the brink of hypothermia.
From there it was a simple cycle to the turnoff for the Moidart and Sunart peninsula. At this point the weather changed and the sun came out. I dried off and enjoyed cycling through some of the most remote parths of Scotland, with stunning views out over the coast.
After a nice flat section, came a fairly major hill where mik and the kids were waiting at the top; it was really great to see them.
After the summit, there was a lovely descent before the road became single track, with some very steep uphill sections. I bid farewell to mik and the kids at this point as they headed back to our chalet with the car. I had a good ride down to Salen before heading for Strontian and the final pass to get back to the ferry side of the peninsula, The climb was just a grind but the descent was awesome. Back to a 2 way road, a great surface and next to no traffic. The road was wet and it was still raining and I got covered in spray, but it was a joy and I managed to hit 44.9 mph, shame it was not dry as I think I would have got pretty close to 50 mph. After the descent it was a simple 7 miles back to the ferry and the pub and a well earned beer!
Above are a few pictures taken by mik out on the ride.
The final ride of the week was on the Friday and was planned to be from Inchree back to Perth via Rannoch Moor. I got up early and headed off to get a head start over the car. Within 2 minutes, it has started to rain. Within 5 mins it was torrential. The first few miles were flat and sheltered but once I hit Ballachulish, the wind appeared. Like most of this week it was a headwind. So I headed off for the climb from sea level to Rannoch Moor, into pouring rain and a very stiff headwind. By the time I was halfway up Glencoe I was pretty wet and cold, the hill is not steep and even with the headwind I could not work hard enough to keep up my core temperature. I went over the pass of Glencoe and headed out onto Rannoch Moor.
The wind was pretty wild, blowing the bike all over the place, I was very thankfull that the drivers were keeping well out of my way. I thought that was the 'hard' bit of the ride done with, just a few miles along Rannoch Moor then a nice descent into Crianlarich. I then found that a long descent, into a cold headwind and rain when you are already wet and cold is not good. Mik and the kids stopped part of the way down the descent and shoved me in the car in to try and warm me up. In reality though it was never going to happen and reluctantly I agreed with mik to stay in the car and abandon the ride. Although it is not nice to abandon things, this was the correct decision as nearly 2 hours later when we arrived in Perth, I was still cold even though I had changed into dry clothes.
Overall the week was great. I was able to head out on some great routes and cover the distance with no problems. I feel that I am right on track for the real event. It was 'interesting' to cycle on the A82, it is not a very pleasant road and even on Good Friday was chock full of HGVs travelling at high speed. I would not fancy cycling across Rannoch Moor with a strong sidewind.
It all gives me food for thought for planning the final route for the ride in May/June.
Monday, 30 March 2009
Monday 30th March 2009
As is sods law, I had a days holiday on Friday so the weather gods delivered cold, windy and wet weather. I headed out nonetheless and covered a 30.9 mile route in 1hr 57 mins. The wind was quite interesting, on one section I was working hard to travel at 8.5 mph on the flat, I did a U turn at the next roundabout and found myself going at 32 mph. Fingers crossed strong headwinds like Friday will be avoided on the JoGLE.
No ride on Saturday, instead spent the day acquiring new gear such as gator tyres, LED lights, new inner tubes and the like. I also observed mik putting together the new bike rack so that I can take a bike up to Scotland with me.
Woke up on Sunday to discover that not only had the clocks gone forward but that we had headed back into February instead of marching towards April. I headed out with most of the clothing I could find on. I had a nice ride around rural North Hampshire and found some roads I had not yet cycled on which was nice. In total I covered 51.7 miles in 3 hrs and 40 mins.
No ride on Saturday, instead spent the day acquiring new gear such as gator tyres, LED lights, new inner tubes and the like. I also observed mik putting together the new bike rack so that I can take a bike up to Scotland with me.
Woke up on Sunday to discover that not only had the clocks gone forward but that we had headed back into February instead of marching towards April. I headed out with most of the clothing I could find on. I had a nice ride around rural North Hampshire and found some roads I had not yet cycled on which was nice. In total I covered 51.7 miles in 3 hrs and 40 mins.
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Wednesday 26th March 2009
Due to circumstances outside of my control I will no longer be undertaking the JoGLE with Joy and John.
I will still be cycling from Duncansby Head to Lands End and am looking forward to cycling some of the journey with my dad. My parents have very kindly agreed to support me for the initial 7 days and my husband (mik) will then take over the reigns and support me to Lands End.
Additionally I have decided to use the ride to raise sponsership for WaterAid and will be setting up a JustGiving site for this. WaterAid does a fantastic job of providing clean and sustainable water and sanitation to the Third World and providing training and education to the locals to allow them to maintain the facilities built.
I will still be cycling from Duncansby Head to Lands End and am looking forward to cycling some of the journey with my dad. My parents have very kindly agreed to support me for the initial 7 days and my husband (mik) will then take over the reigns and support me to Lands End.
Additionally I have decided to use the ride to raise sponsership for WaterAid and will be setting up a JustGiving site for this. WaterAid does a fantastic job of providing clean and sustainable water and sanitation to the Third World and providing training and education to the locals to allow them to maintain the facilities built.
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Wednesday 25th March 2009
Oops, been a while since I last updated this.
Things have ben pretty busy recently which has restricted training to weekends only.
I am however looking forward to the clocks changing and the light evenings which should allow me to use my bike for some work commuting.
Currently things are going well, the new bike is excellent and really makes a big difference going uphills. I am not any faster up the hills but the lower gears and lighter bike make them almost effortless.
Got a 3 day weekend coming up which I hope will allow me to get 3 decent rides in.
Then got the week before Easter off and am heading up to Scotland with mik and the kids.
We are heading to the Fort William area for the week and the bike is coming, so I am really looking forward to getting some major miles in that week and cycling both ways over Glencoe!!
Things have ben pretty busy recently which has restricted training to weekends only.
I am however looking forward to the clocks changing and the light evenings which should allow me to use my bike for some work commuting.
Currently things are going well, the new bike is excellent and really makes a big difference going uphills. I am not any faster up the hills but the lower gears and lighter bike make them almost effortless.
Got a 3 day weekend coming up which I hope will allow me to get 3 decent rides in.
Then got the week before Easter off and am heading up to Scotland with mik and the kids.
We are heading to the Fort William area for the week and the bike is coming, so I am really looking forward to getting some major miles in that week and cycling both ways over Glencoe!!
Monday, 23 February 2009
Monday 23rd February 2009
Been pretty busy over the last couple of weeks but have managed to keep the training ticking over.
Got back out the road again this weekend which was nice, but not quite as nice as the new bike.
Yes I have purchased a new bike. The new bike has been in the plan for the last two years - well since I bought the old bike really. Several months of saving resulted in me having the funds available and on Friday I went off to Dorking to pick up Xavier!!
Xavier is a Boardman Team Carbon 09 road bike. Full spec is available here but the basics include a full carbon frame, SRAM Rival gears (roughly equivalent to Shimano Ultegra), a 50/34 compact chainset, Ritchey Pro rims and Ritchey finishing kit.
Managed to get out for a short ride on both Sat and Sun. The new bike comes in at over 2kg lighter than the old one and you can feel that on the road. The extra gears I now have compared to Beryl are great and for the first time ever on a road bike I have gears I can use to spin up hills. There is a huge difference between the compact 10 speed and the 53/42 8 speed I had previously.
Got back out the road again this weekend which was nice, but not quite as nice as the new bike.
Yes I have purchased a new bike. The new bike has been in the plan for the last two years - well since I bought the old bike really. Several months of saving resulted in me having the funds available and on Friday I went off to Dorking to pick up Xavier!!
Xavier is a Boardman Team Carbon 09 road bike. Full spec is available here but the basics include a full carbon frame, SRAM Rival gears (roughly equivalent to Shimano Ultegra), a 50/34 compact chainset, Ritchey Pro rims and Ritchey finishing kit.
Managed to get out for a short ride on both Sat and Sun. The new bike comes in at over 2kg lighter than the old one and you can feel that on the road. The extra gears I now have compared to Beryl are great and for the first time ever on a road bike I have gears I can use to spin up hills. There is a huge difference between the compact 10 speed and the 53/42 8 speed I had previously.
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Tuesday 10th February 2009
Have not updated the site for a while - a combination of being busy, being ill and not being bothered!.
Had a good 10 days of training which was stopped by getting the dreaded lurgy, which then kept me out if training for 11 days.
Got back into the swing of things on Sunday with an easy turbo session:
10 mins warm up.
4 x 7:30 efforts at 75% MHR with 2 mins recovery in between.
5 mins cool down.
Total time: 55 mins.
Distance covered: 15.5 miles.
Had a good 10 days of training which was stopped by getting the dreaded lurgy, which then kept me out if training for 11 days.
Got back into the swing of things on Sunday with an easy turbo session:
10 mins warm up.
4 x 7:30 efforts at 75% MHR with 2 mins recovery in between.
5 mins cool down.
Total time: 55 mins.
Distance covered: 15.5 miles.
Monday, 19 January 2009
Monday 19th January 2009
On Thursday night I went on the turbo.
Started with 10 mins easy spinning to warm up.
Main set of 5 x 7:30 mins with 1:30 recovery.
5 mins easy spinning to cool down.
Total Time: 60 mins
Distance covered: 18.2 miles
On Friday I repeated Wednesdays run, 3.5 miles in 30 mins and 9 seconds.
No training on Saturday or Sunday as I took mik to Cardiff for the weekend for his birthday.
Started with 10 mins easy spinning to warm up.
Main set of 5 x 7:30 mins with 1:30 recovery.
5 mins easy spinning to cool down.
Total Time: 60 mins
Distance covered: 18.2 miles
On Friday I repeated Wednesdays run, 3.5 miles in 30 mins and 9 seconds.
No training on Saturday or Sunday as I took mik to Cardiff for the weekend for his birthday.
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Thursday 15th January 2009
Update so far this week:
On Monday I had a rest day.
On Tuesday night I went on the turbo.
10 mins spinning to warm up.
A few minutes of isolated leg drills.
10 minute effort at 75% MHR.
2 mins spinning recovery.
10 minute effort at 75% MHR.
10 mins cool down.
Total time 45 mins.
Distance covered: 14 miles
On Wednesday I went out for a 3.5 mile run in 30 mins 48 seconds.
On Monday I had a rest day.
On Tuesday night I went on the turbo.
10 mins spinning to warm up.
A few minutes of isolated leg drills.
10 minute effort at 75% MHR.
2 mins spinning recovery.
10 minute effort at 75% MHR.
10 mins cool down.
Total time 45 mins.
Distance covered: 14 miles
On Wednesday I went out for a 3.5 mile run in 30 mins 48 seconds.
Monday, 12 January 2009
January 12th 2009
Been on the turbo over the weekend.
Friday night I spent 55 mins on the turbo, first ride in 2.5 weeks and it felt like it!!
Did a warmup, 3 x 3.1 miles efforts and a cool down.
Saturday was another 55 mins on the turbo.
This time did a warm up, 4 x 7.5 mins efforts with 1.5 recovery, 1 x 4 mins hard and a cool down.
Sunday was the final session of the weekend and I did 15 mins spinning to warmup, a 30 mins hard effort and 15 mins to ccol down.
Was good to get back on the bike and although I am covering less distance for the same effort then before Christmas, I dont think it will take too long to get the fitness back.
so totals for the weekend 2hrs 50 mins and 42 miles.
Friday night I spent 55 mins on the turbo, first ride in 2.5 weeks and it felt like it!!
Did a warmup, 3 x 3.1 miles efforts and a cool down.
Saturday was another 55 mins on the turbo.
This time did a warm up, 4 x 7.5 mins efforts with 1.5 recovery, 1 x 4 mins hard and a cool down.
Sunday was the final session of the weekend and I did 15 mins spinning to warmup, a 30 mins hard effort and 15 mins to ccol down.
Was good to get back on the bike and although I am covering less distance for the same effort then before Christmas, I dont think it will take too long to get the fitness back.
so totals for the weekend 2hrs 50 mins and 42 miles.
Friday, 9 January 2009
January 9th 2009
Although I have not updated for a while I have still been training.
Had a couple of turbo sessions in the run up to Christmas before heading up to Scotland for 10 days.
The bike did not come to Scotland so no cycling training, however, I did get back into running again.
The trip north allowed me to check out some of the roads we will be using on the JoGLE. The 5 miles descent into Fort Augustus is something I am quite looking forward to, the ascent up to Rannoch Moor is long, but if the weather is nice then the views will be stunning and there is an equally long descent down the other side. The section from Crianlarich to Loch Earn on Day 4 should also be pretty spectacular.
Training this week has consisted of a 33 min run covering 3.5 miles, out of that 4 mins were walking, the rest running(well jogging!!).
Had a couple of turbo sessions in the run up to Christmas before heading up to Scotland for 10 days.
The bike did not come to Scotland so no cycling training, however, I did get back into running again.
The trip north allowed me to check out some of the roads we will be using on the JoGLE. The 5 miles descent into Fort Augustus is something I am quite looking forward to, the ascent up to Rannoch Moor is long, but if the weather is nice then the views will be stunning and there is an equally long descent down the other side. The section from Crianlarich to Loch Earn on Day 4 should also be pretty spectacular.
Training this week has consisted of a 33 min run covering 3.5 miles, out of that 4 mins were walking, the rest running(well jogging!!).
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