3 Weeks to Go!

Scary, stuff now with only 3 weeks to go until the Etape and I turn the pedals ‘in anger’! 

It has come around quite quickly once the weather got better and I have spent more time outside on the bike.  I feel more confident about my ability on the bike and as such my chances of getting over the route.  I have spoken with many of the Kingston Wheelers and others who have ridden an Etape and whilst a lot of the advice is conflicting two things remains throughout.  1. Expect the unexpected 2. Keep turning the pedals!

In pursuit of the first aim, I have created a short list of my essentials for the ride/trip to France.

• Nutrigrain bars (open before the start)
• gel's (Hmm Energy)
• Seat tube bag
• Contact lenses (essential to see where I’m going)
• Sun cream
• Talc
• Diaper cream (allows for a smooth ride, say no more!)
• Bike (essential in my opinion)
• KW shorts
• Alz top
• Black shorts
• Livestrong top
• Leg warmers (could be a bit nippy at 2,500m ish)
• Arm warmers (see above)
• Gloves
• Waterproof (it has been known to Snow/Hail/Sleet/Rain in July)
• Shoes (Up there with the bike in terms of essentialness)
• Helmet
• Socks
• Saddle bag
• Inner tubes x 3 (hopefully not to be used)
• Multi tool
• Oakley’s (protecting the eyes? Looking cool, reason depends on conditions)
• Pump (Hopefully not to be used)
• Camera (scenic shots, proof, evidence of mountain goats walking going faster than I can pedal.)

As for the second option I have plenty of miles in my legs and about 300 more to go before I depart. 

Physiological Testing (Guinea Pig on a bike!)

Yesterday evening I bravely volunteered my body to science! 

Through the Kingston Wheelers I got in touch with Colin Towey a srudent of Sports Physiology at St Mary's College who was looking for test subjects for his final year Thesis.

The benfits for me are that I get a free print out of my Lactate Threshold profile and my V02 Max figure.

Lactate Threshold is effectively the point at which my body is producing more lactic acid than it can clear.  Your V02 Max is the amount of oxygen you consume in mililetres per kilo of body weight per minute when working at your maximum capacity (just before you blow up!)

Colin took an initial blood test from my ear, before I rode a warm up for 5 minutes.  I then graduated to the test bike where I was hooked up to the computer via a heart rate monitor link and breathing apparatus.

The first test was blood lactate, I had to ride a 3 minute set at a consistant 90 rpm, then rest for 45seconds whilst another blood test was taken from my ear.  I then rode another 3 minute set at a higher resistance but steady 90 rpm.  At the start of each rest I had to state my perceived exertion level on a score of 1 -20.  I completed  8 sets of this test before I was deemed cooked.

I followed this with another few minutes on the warm up bike just spinning the legs and clearing the lactate from my system before commencing the V02 Max test.

the V02 Max test took much the same route, although with the resistance increasing every minute until the I could not hold a consistant 90rpm.

Same again next week and then the results!!

6 Weeks to go!!

Time flies when your having fun, so they say... Well the time has certainly flown for this challenge.

My stats to date are:

Date	Distance	Time
October	395.68	25.71
November	365.3	22.72
December	120.15	7.23
January	316.7	17.97
February	245.69	16.95
March	547.22	35.84
April	506.67	33.87
May	412.26	28.48
Total	2909.67	188.77

An average of 15.4 mph but there are still some miles to go!
so I have approximately 140 miles a week to go but I'm not planning to ride all the way up to the race date but give myself a little bit of a taper down to the event.  So the next couple of weeks of regular commuting and I'll try and fit in another couple of 'mock Galibier's' on my turbo trainer in the shed.

http://alzbikechallenge.blogspot.com/2011/05/practice-makes-perfect.html

Practice makes perfect

8 weeks to go!!

My challenge feels only around the corner. Over the past months I have noticed real improvement in my fitness and training.

This weekend I have forgone riding outside in favour of the shed and the turbo training. The purpose of my turbo training sessions. Have been to mimic the route that I will be riding. In July. Yesterday (Saturday) I set the trainer to mimic the climbs of the Telegraphe and the Galibier. Yesterdays attempt took me 2, 1/2hours to ride the 32km of the climb.

Today I rode the same again with the variation to include the 17km 'warm up' that will be from Modane to the foot of the Telegraphe. I also paid particular attention to my timings and pace notes (http://alzbikechallenge.blogspot.com/2011/04/more-detailed-etape-info-received.html)

Today the ride took just over 3hrs to cover the required 48.5pm to get me to the secondelmination zone. I reached this point with an hour in hand.

It was a hard ride especially focussing on maintaining a steady rhythm and trying not to grind away at the peddles.

I feel more confident now in my ability to get myself over the mountains, the challenge is going to come from the weather conditions, it will be in the 30's and also the possibility of bottle necks forming atthefootofeach climb.

My First Century

It's been a great week on the bikecthis week, all topped off with my first century ride yesterday.

Following last weeks effort in the club time trial I found my commutes this week a little easier. I think knowing what I can manage in a sustained effort allowed me to push a little harder. So I have now completed my first commute to the office in under an hour!!

My first century ride - Yesterday I joined 3 fellow wheelers for a ride down to Brighton. The weather started with a spot of rain and then brightened up to good day where I even caught a bit of colour. We took the same route I rode in March and made it down to the coast in little under 4 hrs, including a successful ascent of the Beacon.

As Before we headed to the Regency Cafe opposite the abandoned pier for much needed fish and chips.

The return leg was competed by 3 of us and was a much flatter and smoother route.

It was a greet day and a good hard ride, in total riding 115 miles.

http://app.strava.com/rides/brighton-run-return-525542

Club 10 Time Trial

Last night I competed in my first Kingston Wheelers Club 10.  http://www.kingstonwheelers.co.uk/timetrialing.shtml#Club10

The course started at the junction of Spook Hill and the A24 just past North Holmwood. It was a Lumpy 5 miles down to the Clarkes Green Roaundabout just past Capel and then back to North Holmwood.

The weather was warm and clear, a tailwind for the route out and the dreaded headwind for the return.

This was my second ever Time Trial and I was a little more mentally prepared.  I had also borrowed a pair of clip on Aero bars to apparently make me go faster, although fixing these to the bike I didn't use them as they felt somewqhat loose and precarious.

I started from a seted and clipped in position this time, Unlike my start at the Sporting 14 TT in February.  I felt that little bit more confident and I think it actually helped a little.

Alas as I joined the A24 all aspirations of flying down the route in an effortless haze went quickly out the window.  I went too hard and quickly felt my legs radiating that slow burning feeling.  I eased off and tried to focus on finding a rythm and maintaining a comfortable cadence.  All the while chastising myself for, what could only be nervous excitement interfeering with a steady start.

The first rise in the road caught me by surpeise as I hadn't really found a rythm at all and it was swiftly followed by my chasing rider overtaking me, 30seconds down already.

It wasn't until I went through Beare Green that I found a cadence and effort that was at the upper limits of comfortable and something I felt I could maintain for the duration.

I was overtaken by quite a few other riders but was comfortable in my efforts and thouroghly enjoyed the long pedalling sweep around the Capel Rouandabout for the return leg.  This is where the head wind came into play.  A very useful lesson in cycling aerodynamics, the balance of getting as low and lat as possible whilst still being able to turn the pedals comfortably.  It probably would have helped to use the TT bars but they just were not secure enough for me to feel confident on them at the 15 - 30mph that I was fluctuating between.  Despite the headwind the return leg was more comfortable for me as I knew I didn't have to 'save' anything and I was comfortable with my effort and pace.

I raced through the finish line and completed the course in 31:26 an average of 19.1mph, alot better than it felt I assure you.

The Club 10's are held fortnightly with the next one on the 8th May, so I'm looking forawrds to that, I have now ridden the course and have some time to sort out the aero bars.  Perhaps a sub 30m time????

Olympic Route + plus diversions

What a bloody marvellous day for a ride, (tan lines to prove it!).  The original planned group of 5 was chipped down to 3 and our departure plan was somewhat delayed.

Nevertheless a departure to Thames Ditton to pick up Dave and then we were on our way, on the route through WoT and towards the Surrey Hills.  Alas the route is titled Olympic Route + Diversions because even with the benefit of the Garmin I still took a few wrong turns.... My marvellous sense of direction!
The first wrong turn was one junction too soon down the Pyrford Road rather than the B367, very scenic but definitely too narrow for the Olympic Peleton.
Back on the Route and approaching Ripley, riding past the abandoned Newark Priory was great and it would make a great backdrop for the TV Cameras and give the commentators something to talk about.
Through Ripley, West Horsley and East Clandon, we hit the first 'climb' a mere bagatelle for the Pros but Staple lane felt like a long drag.
The A25 into Dorking was refreshing after the effort of Staple Lane, after Dorking there is the the Dorking Cock at the A24 Junction, I'm intrigued to hear what the race commentators will have to say about that.

Up to Box and it was nowhere near to my Box Hill Challenge time but the ice cream and coke at the top was much needed.

Dave & Ed

After Box the Olympic Route doesn't follow a ridiculously narrow lane decorated in horse manure... but ours did, another wrong turn on my part.  Back on the route we rolled through Leatherhead, Oxshott and Esher before heading back towards Hampton Court.  Thanks to Ed for convincing me to cross over the river rather than abandon after the Surrey Hills.  We headed up through Kingston and into Richmond Park before my sense of direction took the lead again, taking us out of the park one gate too soon.  Once over Putney Bridge it was a straight line to Buckingham Palace and the Mall.

A quick photo stop and back to down the Kings Road, over Putney Bridge and then into Richmond Park at the correct gate this time.

Once back in the Park the end was in site and we were able to pick up the pace.
All in all a great ride, I'm happy with the time (5:54:52) and our average pace (15.5mph) but I can't help worry about my efforts on the hills, and trying to maintain the sustained efforts for the Alps.