Well it seems like last weekend’s slightly milder weather was just a momentary respite from this bitterly cold and interminable winter, as the air temperature has resumed its Arctic trend. Added to which I had a very long week at work with a couple of late nights to finish off our annual update on the sector before the publication deadline… having been up since 5am as usual on Wednesday, finally got to bed at 2am on Thursday morning, only to get up three hours later and return to my desk! This meant I disappointingly also missed out on brother-in-law Phil’s birthday dinner at our house on Tuesday night and a 3-0 Chelsea win over Birmingham at the Bridge on Wednesday night.
On Thursday we received some much better news – my mate Rob and his wife Lou are expecting their first child in August which is really exciting. They just had confirmation from their first scan today.
So given the big freeze, I spent an hour on Saturday and hour and a half on Sunday on the turbo trainer (Keiser). All a bit boring, especially Saturday when I foolishly chose to ride without either music or TV to look at – watching the seconds tick by makes time move very slowly indeed. So on Sunday, after a dig around in the cellar, I hooked up a DVD player and a small screen we used to hang over the front seat headrests for the kids to watch films in the car. I chose to watch The Colditz Story, on the basis that it was conveniently 91 minutes long – the same length as I planned to ride. It certainly helped the time pass, but I couldn’t help feeling that this supposedly iconic war film, was lacking a decent script and a certain amount of drama…perhaps it’s due a modern make-over. As it happened, I saw quite a lot of cyclists out on the roads while walking the dog in Richmond Park, which suggests I might have been a bit precious staying indoors. But also spotted quite a bit of ice at the edge of the road, so concluded I was better safe than sorry on this occasion.
Weekly totals
Commute – 60 miles
Other rides – zero
Turbo – 2.5 hours
Sunday 31 January 2010
Sunday 24 January 2010
A big week and a wake up call
My biggest week to date by a long way.
I used the Keiser properly for the first time on Monday evening after work. I set up the TV in front of the bike to relieve the monotony of spinning out for 60 minutes. I think it's going to be a really useful part of my training and I'll try to get in at least an hour once a week - but also really useful to help me understand how to train properly using a heart rate monitor and determine what heart rate I can comfortably work at for long periods. The kids were highly amused by the sight of me working out and sweating profusely. They are madly keen to use the machine too, which means the set-up keeps changing while I'm away at work...
Rested on Saturday, but had a very long ride on Sunday to complete my first century of the year. The Tour de Force monthly meet was in Knebworth this time, so I cycled out there to meet a really big group of about 25 people - best turnout yet. And, importantly, my mate Tommy was there for his first cycle ride in a couple of years, looking resplendent in his new kit and proudly standing astride his shiny new Specialized. Turned out that his twice weekly spin classes have given him a pretty good base level of cycle fitness and he coped admirably, given the pace set by some of the seasoned cyclists. We did a couple of 20-mile loops around the area, split by the most awesome cake and tea stop in the village hall, organised by family/friends of Darren, our guide for the day. Met three guys also signed up to do the full route, who I guess I'll know pretty well by the middle of July. Rick Wates has done a great job in organising the rides and getting people signed up for the Tour de Force, and I think there are now 14 doing the whole route and around 80 riders in total doing part or all of the route.
My ride back to London was terrifyingly painful and I seemed to be running on empty with nothing left in the legs. Probably wasn't helped by a couple of silly sprints and high speed catch-ups during the main ride. My state of mind wasn't helped by two of the Tour de Forcers overtaking me, stopping to water the verge a mile or so later, then overtaking me again...as if to show how slow I really was! But tired though I was, I felt a real sense of achievement at completing 114 miles. Now I've just got to get to the stage where I can manage that distance day after day, over much more challenging terrain. Mmm, bit of a wake-up call there I think.
Finally, good to see the new Team Sky picking up a couple of wins in the Tour Down Under to kick-start their debut season.
Weekly totals
Commute - 75 miles
Other - 114 miles
Turbo - 1 hour
Swim - 1500m
I used the Keiser properly for the first time on Monday evening after work. I set up the TV in front of the bike to relieve the monotony of spinning out for 60 minutes. I think it's going to be a really useful part of my training and I'll try to get in at least an hour once a week - but also really useful to help me understand how to train properly using a heart rate monitor and determine what heart rate I can comfortably work at for long periods. The kids were highly amused by the sight of me working out and sweating profusely. They are madly keen to use the machine too, which means the set-up keeps changing while I'm away at work...
Rested on Saturday, but had a very long ride on Sunday to complete my first century of the year. The Tour de Force monthly meet was in Knebworth this time, so I cycled out there to meet a really big group of about 25 people - best turnout yet. And, importantly, my mate Tommy was there for his first cycle ride in a couple of years, looking resplendent in his new kit and proudly standing astride his shiny new Specialized. Turned out that his twice weekly spin classes have given him a pretty good base level of cycle fitness and he coped admirably, given the pace set by some of the seasoned cyclists. We did a couple of 20-mile loops around the area, split by the most awesome cake and tea stop in the village hall, organised by family/friends of Darren, our guide for the day. Met three guys also signed up to do the full route, who I guess I'll know pretty well by the middle of July. Rick Wates has done a great job in organising the rides and getting people signed up for the Tour de Force, and I think there are now 14 doing the whole route and around 80 riders in total doing part or all of the route.
My ride back to London was terrifyingly painful and I seemed to be running on empty with nothing left in the legs. Probably wasn't helped by a couple of silly sprints and high speed catch-ups during the main ride. My state of mind wasn't helped by two of the Tour de Forcers overtaking me, stopping to water the verge a mile or so later, then overtaking me again...as if to show how slow I really was! But tired though I was, I felt a real sense of achievement at completing 114 miles. Now I've just got to get to the stage where I can manage that distance day after day, over much more challenging terrain. Mmm, bit of a wake-up call there I think.
Finally, good to see the new Team Sky picking up a couple of wins in the Tour Down Under to kick-start their debut season.
Weekly totals
Commute - 75 miles
Other - 114 miles
Turbo - 1 hour
Swim - 1500m
Sunday 17 January 2010
Arrival of the Keiser
Delivery of the Keiser M3 (static exercise bike) was delayed by yet more snow this week - sadly ironic given I've rented the machine to train safely indoors when the weather's too severe outdoors. Minimum rental is three months so that should take me well into Spring - fingers crossed it's warmed up a bit by then.
Although the bike arrived on Friday I couldn't assemble it until Sunday, after we returned from Dad's brilliant surprise 70th birthday weekend. Thought about taking the bike down to Dorset but decided to come back to London early on Sunday instead. Saw lots of cyclists out in Dorset (looked very hilly), braving the cold and copious amounts of surface water now the snow has begun to thaw.
On return to London, I took my sister Clare out for her first ride on her new bike - a Focus Cayo 105 from wiggle, which being one of the last 2009 editions, looked a bargain at around £800. I'm really excited that she's signed up to do the last three stages of the Tour de Force, which should be a real challenge for someone that's never ridden more than 20 miles - what an effort! And it'll be lovely for me to have her come out and join me. So, for her first ride, we did a couple of laps of Richmond Park, which she coped with pretty well - sore arms but we flipped the stem and that seemed to ease things a bit.
And then back home to assemble the Keiser - all fairly straightforward really. Did a quick test and it picks up heart rate from my Polar belt so that's good (no need to buy a new one!). And it is SO quiet compared to standard turbo trainers. I'm looking forward to trying it out in anger next week.
Weekly totals
Commute - 60 miles
Other rides - 18 miles
Although the bike arrived on Friday I couldn't assemble it until Sunday, after we returned from Dad's brilliant surprise 70th birthday weekend. Thought about taking the bike down to Dorset but decided to come back to London early on Sunday instead. Saw lots of cyclists out in Dorset (looked very hilly), braving the cold and copious amounts of surface water now the snow has begun to thaw.
On return to London, I took my sister Clare out for her first ride on her new bike - a Focus Cayo 105 from wiggle, which being one of the last 2009 editions, looked a bargain at around £800. I'm really excited that she's signed up to do the last three stages of the Tour de Force, which should be a real challenge for someone that's never ridden more than 20 miles - what an effort! And it'll be lovely for me to have her come out and join me. So, for her first ride, we did a couple of laps of Richmond Park, which she coped with pretty well - sore arms but we flipped the stem and that seemed to ease things a bit.
And then back home to assemble the Keiser - all fairly straightforward really. Did a quick test and it picks up heart rate from my Polar belt so that's good (no need to buy a new one!). And it is SO quiet compared to standard turbo trainers. I'm looking forward to trying it out in anger next week.
Weekly totals
Commute - 60 miles
Other rides - 18 miles
Sunday 10 January 2010
Snowbound
The snow and ice appears to be showing little sign of abating. After hitting the deck on black ice a couple of times last winter, I have taken the oath of sensible riding this year – as I get older the pain from crashes seems to be a lot more acute, and my body seems to take a lot longer to mend than before – so if the mercury dips below zero I’ve vowed to myself that I’m better off staying off the roads. I admit I find it really difficult to accept this stance as it seems like I’m wasting training days, but better that I suppose than crashing and losing several weeks with a broken collarbone instead. I’ve only managed one day cycling into work this week, and that was a pretty stupid decision, as the roads were treacherous.
Which was all fine while the video-linked turbo trainers were working at the Hurlingham Club, where I can cycle up and down the Col de Peyresourde or Alpe d’Huez safely in the indoor warmth and comfort of the gym. But then both machines were out of action, so I was left without a training option – very frustrating, and with the forecasters (yes, the same ones that predicted a sweltering summer in 2009 and a mild winter in 2009/10) telling us that the cold snap is here until at least the end of the month, I am considering getting a turbo trainer or a fixed exercise bike for home. But the expense and (hopefully) limited use over winter means I don’t want to buy one and ebay prices are still quite steep. But found a website that hires out fixed exercise bikes – they look like the ones in spin classes, but better, with more adjustment options and an electronic gear adjustment and data on heart rate, cadence, power output. So have decided to order one for 3 months at just under £10/week, which should get me through the winter…now fingers crossed they can deliver in the snow!
On the plus side, we had awesome fun with the kids and dog in the snow – went to Wimbledon Common and sledged down the hill on a tea-tray – some traditions are irreplaceable – until I had a go and promptly broke the tray. Clear blue skies, proper deep crunchy snow…for a moment you could believe we were in the Alps…well, almost. Rounded off with hot chocolate in the Windmill Café. Unbeatable.
Weekly totals
Commute – 15 miles
Other rides – zero
Swim – 1500m x2
Which was all fine while the video-linked turbo trainers were working at the Hurlingham Club, where I can cycle up and down the Col de Peyresourde or Alpe d’Huez safely in the indoor warmth and comfort of the gym. But then both machines were out of action, so I was left without a training option – very frustrating, and with the forecasters (yes, the same ones that predicted a sweltering summer in 2009 and a mild winter in 2009/10) telling us that the cold snap is here until at least the end of the month, I am considering getting a turbo trainer or a fixed exercise bike for home. But the expense and (hopefully) limited use over winter means I don’t want to buy one and ebay prices are still quite steep. But found a website that hires out fixed exercise bikes – they look like the ones in spin classes, but better, with more adjustment options and an electronic gear adjustment and data on heart rate, cadence, power output. So have decided to order one for 3 months at just under £10/week, which should get me through the winter…now fingers crossed they can deliver in the snow!
On the plus side, we had awesome fun with the kids and dog in the snow – went to Wimbledon Common and sledged down the hill on a tea-tray – some traditions are irreplaceable – until I had a go and promptly broke the tray. Clear blue skies, proper deep crunchy snow…for a moment you could believe we were in the Alps…well, almost. Rounded off with hot chocolate in the Windmill Café. Unbeatable.
Weekly totals
Commute – 15 miles
Other rides – zero
Swim – 1500m x2
Saturday 2 January 2010
Hopes and fears
The enormity of the task is sinking in. Consecutive daily rides of over 110 miles, for three weeks. Yes, there are two rest days, but those just serve to illustrate the difficulty of the mountainous days either side of the rest days. I suppose it’s not for nothing that The Tour is described as the ‘greatest sporting test in the world’. Anyway, I accepted this event as a serious challenge and a chance in a lifetime opportunity – and I will therefore treat it as one.
In November, we had the luxury of a pre-registration preview of the route from Phil Deeker of Classic Tours, who had driven the entire route as couple of weeks previously. Phil is an extremely experienced cyclist, and cycled over 300 cols in 28 days in 2007, so has an intimate knowledge of many of the stages – particularly since the 2010 route passes through his homeland of Belgium. The talk was beautifully descriptive and truly inspiring for all us amateurs, but we left under no illusion of the severity of the 2010 Tour de France, which appears to have no ‘easy’ stages for recovery unlike previous years. My emotions about the Tour, which were clearly replicated by most of the other potential participants, swung madly between exuberant anticipation and nervous trepidation.
In November, we had the luxury of a pre-registration preview of the route from Phil Deeker of Classic Tours, who had driven the entire route as couple of weeks previously. Phil is an extremely experienced cyclist, and cycled over 300 cols in 28 days in 2007, so has an intimate knowledge of many of the stages – particularly since the 2010 route passes through his homeland of Belgium. The talk was beautifully descriptive and truly inspiring for all us amateurs, but we left under no illusion of the severity of the 2010 Tour de France, which appears to have no ‘easy’ stages for recovery unlike previous years. My emotions about the Tour, which were clearly replicated by most of the other potential participants, swung madly between exuberant anticipation and nervous trepidation.
I have set up a training plan, which doesn’t seem too bad on paper. But by the time we get to April I need to be averaging over 100 miles at the weekends, on top of my 80 miles of weekly commuting – a large workload and a big step up from my current weekly average of 100-125 miles. And that is going to put a lot more pressure on weekend family time and other home tasks. So a big thanks in advance to Mrs G and the kids for their sacrifice in accommodating my training and the three week Tour. That in itself should be enough to keep me committed to completing the long rides ahead.
Friday 1 January 2010
Welcome to my 2010 Tour de Force blog
Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm new to this kind of thing, so please bear with me. I aim to use my blog to keep a record of my preparation for and participation in the 2010 Tour de Force.
The 2010 Tour de Force is an event run by a relatively small but established fund-giving charity, the William Wates Memorial Trust, set up to help disadvantaged children reach their full potential and stay away from crime. The Trust exists to celebrate the life of William Wates (1977 - 1996) who was tragically killed when travelling in South America. To date, the Trust has donated over £1m and helped more than 8,000 young people through organisations such as Fairbridge, Springboard and LIFE.
Completing the entire route of the 2010 Tour de France will be some challenge - I've cycled single stages of the Tour in 2007 and 2008, so can imagine how difficult it might be to ride two consecutively. But the work of the William Wates Memorial Trust and donations from friends and family will provide a much-needed source of inspiration as I struggle up the next col.
The 2010 Tour de Force is an event run by a relatively small but established fund-giving charity, the William Wates Memorial Trust, set up to help disadvantaged children reach their full potential and stay away from crime. The Trust exists to celebrate the life of William Wates (1977 - 1996) who was tragically killed when travelling in South America. To date, the Trust has donated over £1m and helped more than 8,000 young people through organisations such as Fairbridge, Springboard and LIFE.
Completing the entire route of the 2010 Tour de France will be some challenge - I've cycled single stages of the Tour in 2007 and 2008, so can imagine how difficult it might be to ride two consecutively. But the work of the William Wates Memorial Trust and donations from friends and family will provide a much-needed source of inspiration as I struggle up the next col.
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