Staying Strong WITHOUT Cycling

One of the challenges I've had over the last few weeks has been staying motivated to keep fit even though I wouldn't, after all, be joining the rest of the Paris to Venice team on this years mini-adventure.

I had planned to be part of the foursome riding London to Paris this weekend, but circumstances intervened. Being pressed for time also meant I didn't always feel I could justify taking hours out for training rides when I had no real need to be in peak form.


But coincidentally, I've also noticed the trend towards shorter, more intensive training sessions that several fitness coaches have been advocating.

That has helped me in two ways:

Firstly, I concentrated on shorter training rides, mostly around an hour long, at a higher intensity to build strength rather than trying to improve endurance by doing loads of miles.

Secondly, I've added running to the mix. Running is more intensive anyway and I was a runner long before I was a regular cyclist. Getting back to it felt odd at first (in fact, I felt old and stiff!) but I'm back to more like the form I used to have, albeit I am a few years older. Shortish runs have meant I could mix in a few sprints at times as well. My knees seem to be holding up so far...

Psychologically, missing out on this weekend's adventure hasn't been pleasant, but knowing I'm doing something towards 'keeping up', fitness-wise, has made it easier to bear.

So, I have no need for regrets - just a heightened resolve to be better placed for the next opportunity that comes my way.

And that's next week, when the Tour of Britain visits Bury St Edmunds and local cyclists of all standards get a chance to join in the fun. More on that in a couple of days!

Roy

Pedalling as Fast as I Can!

Well, it's been a while since I found time to post on here, but I have at least found some time to get out and pedal. (And peddle, as I'll reveal later.)

Being somewhat short of free time, but still wanting to get fitter, stronger and a bit lighter if possible, I've been concentrating on shorter, more intensive rides, mixed in with some running as well. After not running for a while, the first couple of times I went out on foot seemed quite odd. My occasional dash to the shops didn't prepare me for the way my legs felt after running a mile or two, and I felt a long way away from the half-marathon runner I used to be!

Proof that running and cycling use different muscles and that our limbs modify themselves very effectively for specific needs.

So, I was pleased when my running legs seemed to return last week, but now I worried: would that hamper my cycling?

Well, possibly. Now I can time my rides accurately I know I did my fastest 15 mile ride of the year the week before I felt my running improve, and since then I've actually become measurably slower. Today I was one mph slower than on that fastest ride.

However, it's probably also significant that my fastest ride happened on the second of two consecutive riding days - the first time I'd ridden two days in a row since Paris to Venice.

So maybe I just proved what I've been saying all along: that I will be Stronger Tomorrow!

Roy

PS. I've also lost just over half a stone in weight in the last month, so I must be doing something right :-)

Hard Miles Today!

Stepping up from fifteen miles to twenty shouldn't feel this hard!

Whatever the reason for yesterday's ride feeling like such hard work, it was a bit of a shock to find myself going quite so slowly by the time I reached the top of Hartest hill.

I sensed it was going to be tougher than usual on the first couple of gentle gradients. With a stronger headwind than I anticipated, I was riding at least one gear lower than usual and struggling to get into any rhythm at all.

I ploughed on, safe in the knowledge that this must be doing me good and determined to stick to my plan to take on 'my' hill for the first time in months. Well, finding the right gear for Hartest hill proved even more difficult than usual and it never quite happened! Once the gradient eased I was able to pick up quite well and at least it hadn't killed me...

Safe to say the return had to be easier, with a tail wind and a banana assisting my still fairly feeble efforts. Better to the tune of eight minutes, in fact, which is a lot over ten miles.

So, it was probably the headwind and it was probably low energy levels, and it was certainly a lack of miles since those glorious days back in September...

But I will be stronger tomorrow!

Roy

Still Resting!

It wasn't the plan to take this week off, but cooking mishaps (see below) and horrible weather have conspired to keep me off the bike since last weekend.

Muddy rain splashing on burnt skin is not a good idea.

My back is just about better and I haven't hurt anything else, so I might get out later today if it dries up or, more likely, tomorrow. But I won't be doing any big mileages at this late stage - standard advice is that you can't do much in the last week or so before a big ride that will make much difference, apart from trying to stay loose and not do any damage!

I'm banking rather a lot on the first few days out of Paris being relatively easy, so we'll all have our legs by the time we reach the first real hills.

We'll see!

Roy

Two More Rides in the Sun!

Thursday was a pleasant if rather cool day, which made it almost perfect for cycling, so I headed off in the usual southerly direction from Bury St Edmunds, via 'my hill' at Hartest, and on to Stanstead.

I didn't stop at my usual rest point in Stanstead - shown here - but turned back at the bottom of the village.

I've been testing a theory put forward by fellow cyclist and nutritional expert Graeme Street that you shouldn't eat carbs in the two hours before a ride. The idea is to smooth out the sugar highs and lows, and to reduce the amount of insulin in your bloodstream. Insulin apparently also suppresses the function of growth hormone, which you need to grow and heal hard-worked muscles.

So, for the second time, I followed his advice and I have to say I felt stronger for longer. I was actually slightly hungry when I set off but my legs were fine. So I rode for fifteen miles before I ate anything at all - a banana - and finished the ride feeling quite fresh and strong, having pushed myself pretty hard for the whole 25 miles.

Of course, I am building my fitness, so this one ride probably isn't strictly comparable with a week or two earlier.

The second ride, on an even more beautiful Saturday afternoon, was even better. There was a little stiffness in my thighs from the hardish riding of a couple of days earlier, but that soon disappeared. I planned a longer ride, so I set of at a slightly gentler pace. This time it was probably only an hour since I'd eaten. I still took very little food but added an extra bottle of water, just in case.

I rode for exactly 90 minutes before I stopped for a snack, covering about 23 miles in that time. Coincidentally, this brought me to the end of the road on the outskirts of Thorpe Morieux, where I lived for a while about seven or eight years ago, so I took a couple of pictures for posterity. With no planes flying, due to the Iceland volcano, the sky was a totally clear and silent blue.

I tend to ride too fast to hear the birds singing, but they were in full voice when I stopped.

On the way, I'd passed through Hartest and Stanstead as usual, and the popular tourist spots of Long Melford and Lavenham, both of which were quite busy, although the Suffolk lanes were as quiet and pleasant as ever.

A banana, a small piece of cheese and some of the extra water was just enough to get me home, cycling quite strongly, having covered about 35 miles in 128 minutes of cycling, plus 11 minutes R&P (rest and photography).

And I'm still riding my old mountain bike.

Next week we step up a few levels, with our 158 mile weekend in the Yorkshire Dales. It is going to hurt!

Roy

Training for Paris to Venice

This week's training has once again been affected by weather and shortage of time, but I managed another twenty miles during the week. Conditions were good to terrible!

Starting out in slightly cool and very windy weather, on dampish roads with some run-off, mud and gravel in places, the outward ride to my turn-around point at ten miles was hard going, but I felt reasonably strong doing it. Hartest hill was a bit of a drag, but I made it to the top in a decent time, all things considered. Average speed was about 12.5 mph.

Both bike and rider were very mud-spattered by this half way point.

Turning for home, the wind was now my ally, and I was making good speed until about half way, when it started to rain. Within a minute or two the rain was torrential and the wind had picked up even more. I discovered my lightweight shower proof jacket is surprisingly good in the worst of conditions, so I was actually not too uncomfortable - and the bike was getting a wash, too.

There was no reason to slow down, so I didn't, and I got back in 35 minutes or so, just as the rain petered out, for an average speed near 17 mph for the ten miles.

Not bad going I thought, and really good fun, despite the soaking.

But I do need to get some longer rides in soon, with only three weeks now to our first major weekend in the Yorkshire Dales.

Roy

Stronger Today

Hello again

Just a very quick post today to record the weekend's training rides. Despite the sunshine, the weekend was raw and cold, but at least the roads are largely dry again.

On Saturday I headed south as usual, to 'my' hill at Hartest, then carried on to Long Melford. At this point I was feeling quite good, although I reminded myself (this time) that I'd enjoyed a slight tailwind.

Turning east towards Lavenham meant running into the northeasterly wind more, and the slight climb over the next few miles was tougher than I would have liked. Still, I knew that hard work today would make me stronger tomorrow - even though I was planning to rest on Sunday. At Lavenham church, which dominates the small town below it, I refuelled myself and decided, belatedly, to pump some more air into the tyres. About 150 squirts later, the tyres were somewhere near their correct pressures...

So, running northwards, almost into the wind, should have felt easier than it did! Still, despite at one point feeling too weary to reach into my back pocket for my last banana, I got home after about 35 miles in a little under 3 hours. Not great speed but a hard enough work out to be going on with.

Then brother-in-law John phoned and suddenly I would be riding again next day...

But it's true what they say: 'Ride harder today and you'll be stronger tomorrow.'

Sunday's ride was in the opposite direction and a whole lot easier and faster. Heading north from Elmswell, we made reasonable speed into the still brisk (and colder) northeasterly as far as England's only (I think) Scottish wisky distillery. Over 18 miles in roughly 75 minutes.

At this point, John headed north for home and I turned back southwards, then southwestwards to Bury St Edmunds. It's roughly 22 miles home from there, via the lanes to Ixworth then the main A143 to Bury, so the day's ride gave me a round trip of about 40 miles. John probably did 5 or 10 miles more.

Again, I was home in around 2 hours 45 minutes, for an average of close to 15 mph. Which is not bad at all on my old mountain bike.

Today I have a few minor aches and pains but I'll be ready to go again in a day or two.

But it feels great to be making progress again after months of moving inexorably backwards!

Roy

Back to the Hill

Today's training ride felt about 30% better than a couple of days ago. Progress was certainly helped by the tailwind on the outward leg - not that I really noticed the tailwind, I just congratulated myself on being stronger than I expected!

Anyway, with a bit more time set aside, I made it back to 'my' hill at Hartest for the first time in a few weeks. It's still there, you'll be pleased to hear and still supposedly the steepest hill in Suffolk, even if my photographic skills don't reflect that:

As you can see, it was a beautifully sunny afternoon and the floods of last weekend had reverted to puddles and few run-offs. I made good time to the top of Hartest hill and almost as good time back again, despite the headwind.

It's a long way short of the Alps and not even comparable to Yorkshire's hills, but a ride in the Suffolk countryside is a very pleasant way to spend an hour or two and inch a little closer to fitness - whatever that is!

Roy

It Doesn't Have Quite the Same Ring to it

We've been discussing plans for the Paris to Venice trip and the concensus seems to be that the trip will be far too easy unless we make a point of making it harder.

So we might now start on the coast at Le Havre, with the Seine giving us a natural route into and out of Paris. It would add about 150 miles (240 km) and probably a whole day to the trip.

By taking the overnight ferry we could start very early on day one and get most of the way to Paris.

From there we would head east into the Vosges and then south through Germany, Austria, maybe Switzerland and finally Italy.

So the total distance will probably be close to 1600 km, or around 1000 miles. It would be nice to crack the 1000 mile barrier and turning this trip into another coast to coast will be a lot more satisfying. The other three team members did the Pyrenees coast to coast in 2007 and we all did the English coast to coast last September. We might do that again in July or August as a final prep for the big one*

I actually managed some time on the bike today - lovely day if a bit chilly, and some flooded roads - and although seventy sluggish minutes is nowhere near what I'd like to be doing I'm confident I'll be up to the trip.

We've also confirmed our 'Etape de Dales' training weekend next month. That might be a bit soon for me but I'll certainly be stronger after it!

Roy

*Talking of big ones, Simon Hood is taking cycle touring to extremes. He's cycling to every York City football match this season. As I write this he's done about 5500 miles, with 3000 to go! Read his excellent and entertaining blog at http://www.bicyclekicks.co.uk/. Naturally, he's raising thousands of pounds for charity, including Altzheimer's research.

What's So Special About Will Carling?

I'm sure Will Carling is a really nice guy, and I'll accept he's a little bit more famous than I am.

He might even have shapelier thighs (a big thing for cycling groupies, I imagine).

He certainly has more powerful friends in the Twitterverse:

But the fact is, he's only doing London to Paris - just over 500 km, whereas I'll be starting where the former England captain leaves off - almost exactly.

Our ride starts in Paris, heads for the nearest hills on the way into Germany, then south into the Austrian and Swiss Alps, before crossing the Dolomites and finishing over 1200 km later, in Venice.

So, it's much further, it's a lot hillier and we'll be carrying all our own kit. Will Carling could probably do it (although he might expect a bit of help from the forwards with his luggage), but the fact is, he isn't.

I am. So Make a Wish Foundation and Multiple Sclerosis Society will be really pleased if you can all stop admiring Will's admittedly more muscular physique and just put your hands in your pockets, or more accurately, your mouse pointer on either of the two Just Giving widgets on this page.

If the widgets aren't showing, go to the blog front page at http://stronger-tomorrow.blogspot.com/

Thanks. And I'm sure Mr Carling won't mind, either.

Roy

Is There a Bike Hire Shop in Suffolk?

For the last few days we've spent some time brainstorming fund-raising ideas for another project, and I have to say the Warrior Forum members have been coming up with some great ideas that I might steal for myself :-)

So it occured to me that the Paris-Venice trip will be even more lucrative for the charities concerned - and remember each team member will probably have their own causes - if I open up this opportunity for suppliers to contribute in exchange for loads of lovely goodwill and publicity.

For the last trip, a bike shop in Norwich supplied half a car load of spares on a sale or return basis - and every single spare was returned unused. There wasn't even a puncture between the four riders over two weeks in the Pyrenees.

(To be fair, one team member broke his seat bolt on the final day, but they didn't have a spare for that.)

So there's actually no reason to believe that supporting me on the trip will cost a switched-on local bike shop a penny. As I've already said, the trip will be self-funded - it's just equipment 'hire' and spares I'm looking for. And as we'll be unsupported, we won't be carrying too many spares!

You will receive:

Frequent expressions of undying gratitude (ie, PR and advertising) from me on Twitter, Facebook, this blog, forums, online press releases, at networking events and probably in the local press. If it helps, note that I'm the 'most influential twitterer' in Bury St Edmunds...

And I just need:

1. Supply or loan of a suitable bike in time to do most of my training on it over the spring and summer. I will need to keep up with fit (younger!) people on road bikes on the flat and be able to climb Alpine passes, with luggage, so a tourer or possibly a hybrid with pannier racks and wide-ranging gears will be essential. As a guide, gears need to be something like 28/38/48 front and 14-32 rear.

We won't be racing, but John is seriously talking about doing 100-120 miles on day two, to get to the hills quicker!

2. Spare tyres, tubes and repair kit. I expect to wear out a set of tyres, but there's a good chance you'll get the spares back unused. Puncture-resistance is essential. Probably 700x32 tyres.

3. Probably panniers. I have my own but I expect I'll need a larger pair for this trip.

4. A few clothing items, but we will be carrying the minimum possible!

Hey - if you want to chip in for my rail fare in exchange for even more gratitude, kudos and cheap publicity, don't be shy! Eurostar is apparently only £49 to Paris, where we'll start the ride, and the train back from Venice to Paris can be as little as £42.

If all that publicity is too much to bear, you can donate anonymously via the Just Giving widgets on this page or buy your own cycling and outdoor gear through the Wiggle and Evans Cycles links at top right instead. I'm donating at least 50% of commissions earned to the two charities.

In case you've forgotten, or this is your first visit, my two charities are Make a Wish Foundation and Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Thanks for reading!

Roy

Paris to Venice is On!

This time there's no support vehicle so we'll be carrying all our kit

Preparations for Paris to Venice in September have begun in earnest, at least for John C, who's at week-long training camp in Lanzarote. I have a feeling that wasn't how he sold it to his other half, but that's between them!

Meanwhile, in dull and rainy England, we've realised we do actually have to book the time off work, or away from our families, or otherwise just unavailable for more mundain duties. To do that, we need to fix the dates for the trip, and it's looking like 5th to 20th September, or thereabouts.

I've added two Just Giving pages for the event and you'll see the widgets on the right that link to each of them. Naturally, I'll be delighted with any donations for either of my two charities: Multiple Sclerosis Society and Make a Wish Foundation.

I'll be supporting the MS Society again because my dad died after more than 30 years of increasing disability from MS. And I promised a friend I'd give half the proceeds from my next fund raiser to Make a Wish, the brilliant charity that makes children's dreams come true before it's too late.

My father's poor health makes me all the more grateful for my own good fortune, and anything I can do to help rid the planet of that horrible disease is worthwhile.

One more thing: we will need to get home from Venice to various parts of England at the end of the ride. One option is the sleeper train to Paris and then the Eurostar. So if you've any experience of the train services from Italy to Paris, I'd be very grateful for any advice or comments!

I don't think a slow ride home is an option...

Oh yeah. Better get training, too.

Roy

I Can Take a Joke, But...

Maybe I should rename this blog 'Be Warmer Tomorrow', but I'm not too hopeful!

Several weeks of too wet, too icy and too much else to do means I can't help but feel wistful for those uncannily warm days just twelve weeks ago...

This was Hadrians Wall on 10 September:



And this was the start of our return journey, coast to coast, at Workington on 11th:

It was as warm at it looks.

Roll on spring!

Roy

Even Lance is Human, Isn't He?

This video from SuperhumanMag.com show's Lance Armstrong in the Leadville 100.

Do my eyes deceive me, or do we see the great man actually jump off and walk (well, climb)?



Anyway, Leadville looks like a killer race. But who wouldn't love to take it on?

Roy

What is it with Suffolk Hills?

Hello again.

While the Suffolk lanes are filled with huge trucks collecting sugar beet from the fields, a detour or two is inevitable. Today I squeezed past two articulated lorries being loaded on my usual route and set off some kind of proximity alarm.

I guess a beet on the head from that height might have hurt a bit!

So I changed my route for the return and ended up riding further than I intended. I planned a very short ride anyway, so a couple of extra miles didn't hurt.

Plus, I found some hills I'd forgotten about.

Suffolk hills are odd: too short to get settled into a proper rhythm (and the right gear) and too sharp to just fly up regardless, unless you're in very good shape already.

Better shape than I am in right now.

Today, my feet were cold, my knees were aching and I proved to myself I definitely haven't been out enough lately.

But I will be stronger tomorrow!

Roy

PS. I also need a new touring bike for next year's expedition. Evans Cycles and Wiggle both have some great deals on at this time of year. Click on their banners to see what they can offer you.

Some Tips on Climbing

Some tips on climbing technique in this brief video from Livestrong:



All I'd add to this is that it's a lot easier to anticipate what gear to use when you've got more experience behind you (and unfamiliar hills can still catch you out).

Secondly, once you're on the hill, unless you're racing it's better to be in too low a gear and pedalling faster than it is to be in too high a gear and straining, especially for your knees!

Roy

Not Enough Bike Time, But...

Well, at least I got out there today, and boy did I need it.

Just forty minutes on the bike and it took me the first thirty to warm up. Still, the last ten minutes was good.

Actually, it was all good, even the stiff muscles and aching knees at the start, because there's no doubt that I felt ten times more alive out in the fresh air than I did in the warmth and comfort of our house.

And it was good to feel strong for ten minutes, at least!

No great insights today, except to say I should get out more...

Roy

Be Stronger and Happier

A quick question today:

So what is it about cycling that males us feel so much better mentally?

Partly the endorphins, I think, but did I read somewhere that the average cyclist's cadence is a good match for the alpha waves that scientists detect in a relaxed brain?

Whatever it is, it works. I forgave the learner driver who tested my emergency stopping skills a couple of days ago before his instructor had the time to wave his apologies...

No harm done :-)

I have seen aggressive cyclists, especially after car or van drivers have put them in danger, and I suppose you need more innate aggression if you're a racer, but however hard I'm working on a bike I always feel happier in myself.

And always stronger for it! How about you?

Roy

Keep Your Head Up

My head is up, honest

When you're cycling at speed, several competing forces come into play.

Mechanically, you're fighting friction and aerodynamic drag.

Physically, you're pushing the limits of your physical strength, stamina and aerobic capacity.

And mentally you're battling against the urge to reduce the discomfort.

So, for aerodynamic reasons, when you're travelling fast you need to make yourself as small as you can.

But you actually make better use of your core strength, and breathe more efficiently and pedal more strongly when you sit up. Nonetheless, when we need to 'dig in', we habitually crouch low over the bars, because aerodynamic drag is the main consideration.

Now, unless we're serious racers, we'll be riding somewhat slower up hills than on the flat, so aerodynamic drag is much reduced and that habit of 'hunkering down' actually makes us less efficient. Still, we often do it anyway and make the summit through shear bloody-mindedness.

(There is something to be said for bloody-mindedness.)

But getting the best out of ourselves physically has a psychological aspect to it, as we all know.

We perform better when we feel optimistic than when we feel mentally 'down'. Our physical and mental states are closely related.

Plus, it works both ways - when we're physically strong we feel better mentally, too. This is bio-feedback in action, and even our body language, our posture, has an effect on our mood.

Now, do you feel more optimistic when your head is up or when it's bowed? Do you feel stronger when you walk tall or when you slump? You know the answer.

How about when you're on a bike? Do you feel happier when you're 'hunkering down' and 'digging in' or when you relax a little and sit up?

And do you feel stronger when you can see the summit of the hill quite clearly or when all you can see is the endless road in front of you?

I find, and you can test this for yourself next time you go out, that I am much stronger, mentally and physically, when I keep my head up and my eyes fixed above the top of the hill.

Because any problem you can look down on is smaller than you are.

It takes practice and some mental discipline, but the pedals spin faster, you'll breathe more easily and, above all, you will enjoy climbing more when you keep your head up.

Work harder today, and stay tall - be even stronger tomorrow.

Roy

You Don't Need Matching Jerseys

... to be a team, as you can see from this team picture taken in Keswick, on our coast to coast trip in September.

By the time we assembled at Carlisle, we had already done a few hundred miles between us, by various means. John C and I had cycled from North Shields after driving up from Suffolk, John H had taken a couple of trains from somewhere in the Cotswolds and JR had taken the train from Nottingham, via Newcastle.

Staff at the Travelodge in Carlisle were friendly and very obliging about bike storage overnight and we did some team bonding over a Mexican meal near the station.

Next day we rode about 80 miles to Keswick, via Workington, and we were already a team.

The best test of a team's cohesion is when things go wrong or tempers are tested, so it might be a pity that we're all so even tempered and get on so well. We didn't even have a puncture to deal with. The nearest we got to being grumpy with each other was when the pre-lunch stretch to Workington turned out to be longer than anticipated and our blood sugar levels dipped.

We mostly stayed together on the flat stetches. And while we all climbed at our different speeds (because you can't really help each other at those slower speeds) the top of every hill was a reunion of sorts, where every word was an encouraging one and every greeting came with a smile.

And the end of each day was another little triumph, a social occasion and a time to share stories of that day and other days - even when we couldn't get a proper meal on Saturday night!

So, while we all face a unique and almost solitary challenge on every climb, being part of the team makes it doubly worthwhile. That, and the promise that, with the team's support, we can take on even bigger challenges in the future.

That's the point, really. Challenging yourself is one thing, but you can do so much more as a team.

Next year, The Alps.

Roy