Training Log Archive: FE

CCC Club Ride - To Boxhill via Artington-Combe-Crocknorth-back via A25 & Newlands.
The club rides have become unrecognisable, a real headache for the club to manage. 50 people at 9 am and zero degrees, 36 went on the "beginners" although plenty clearly weren't but had more commonsense than me. Of the remainding 14 it turned out only 5 were members and just Greg and I were over 30. Greg is a Cat 2 rider who has spent years racing in Europe with semi pros. Most were between 17 and 23 on bikes ranging from £2k to £7k and some with wheels costing more than my bike. Its not just Mamils with flashy bikes! We set off at a crazy pace, one lad told me Greg did this to get the blood flowing, to close a 20m gap after a roundabout I equalled my max HR on the TT. I walked up Combe legs totally shot and caught the others as someone punctured. Then everything calmed down until we reached Boxhill where the Ballbuster 4 lap duathlon was in progress. It was quite chaotic in a nice way, 100 people cheering you on and then a descent sometimes at walking speed. The ride back along the A25 was the usual burn up, I was dumped on the 12% Westcott hill but maintained the gap on the 4 ahead and caught them going up Newlands, clearly suffering more than me.

Found my front wheel is not running true and there was twanking from the spokes that settled down. A problem with recent Giant bikes.

The cycling boom has certainly arrived and good to see its not just Mamils. .

Time Trial CC175 - Ewshott A287 course. Actual race time 28.13.
Not in the mood when I woke and faffed around, arrived 30 mins later than planned, made it to the start line 2 mins late having cycled only 100m. The ski-jump start (10% initially, 75m drop over first 1.5k) reached 60 kph after 25s, then the front wheel started weaving then shaking uncontrollably, had bizarre thoughts of choosing where to bail. Thank God I wasn't on the aerobars, otherwise......best not to think about it! Managed to apply braking gently and stop. Removed and retightened the front wheel, the rest of the race was a blur of alternating going well and finding I was in the wrong gear (no course recce), apart from having to overtake cars stuck behind my15 min man (he'd just repunctured), at this point I expected Beadle to jump out! Actual time 28.13, estimate it would have been 26.50 - 27.00. 27 was my estimate if I went at threshold with a warm up. So happy enough with speed, bike fit was rubbish after levelling saddle last night.

Checked front wheel, it has too much flex and some play, probably been like that for sometime, just needed speed plus power to start a "death wobble"

HR very constant 158/159 rising to 159/161 after some hills. So at least I have a threshold cycling HR, which was the objective today. Didn't really want a PB that much on a ski start course. Interestly sweet spot training theory suggests cycling around 150 HR, which I had guessed, but good to have it confirmed.

Went to WM for a coffee and met someone who'd just had a fitness test (VO2 and threshold). The full works, mask, ear lobe blood lactate samples. paragraphs advice and all the data for £99! Hopefully Santa can sort me out a test.

C • Snap!! 8

Long warm down, including panic to pickup jacket and keys.

Tried some faster swimming 4 x 40, 2 x 60, then 40s breathing third stroke and increasing roll.

Henley Gate - 24.30 for first 3.1k of last week's Light Green course, around 60s lost due to the dark (finished at 5.10). Soreness after 20 mins. Otherwise feel I've only had a few active weeks away from running rather than months.

Back gradually going out of alignment over the last week, seems one day off exercises is OK, but 2-3 is a slippery slope. Made worse by long working hours.

4 x 40, 3 x 60, 3 x 80, 100. Concentrating on catch, getting better, feeling more stroke control, but no faster.
Managed to walk straight into the path of the "tank" (used to weigh 30st) whilst adjusting goggles. To add insult to injury, my faux pas was to say I didn't see them, they weren't convinced!