Category Archives: Training blogs…

Training rides for the JOGLE challenge

For the next two months I’ll be mostly consuming Sci-Mix and Tangfastics!

Lee gave me a tub of Sci-Mix Recovery powder for my birthday (we call it ‘cheating powder’ at the club) which I thought I may as well give a try. I’m not really into these supplement powders but I was finding myself a little knackered the day after training, and amazingly it really helped that problem. If you take it the moment you come back then you definitely feel less knackered the next day, as it supplies your body with the stuff if needs right then, rather than your body taking that from your own tissues.

Anyway.

So I ran out. I figured I would get some more, and since the tub i got last time was only half full I went for twice the weight (assuming they would completely fill it this time). Wrong. It just came in an even bigger tub, and we are talking HUGE. So, I apologise in advance to my wife for when she comes back from work and sees that I have taken over even MORE of the house with my bike bits and pieces.

But yes, my strategy for training rides is simple: Tangfastics half way around and some of the magic powder when you get back. Sorted. By the way, it just dawned on me that readers who dont know better might think I am referring to an illicit substance when I say ‘magic’ powder. Its not that exciting I’m afraid, and boringly available over the counter as its just a mix of protein and carbs and vitamins and stuff.

Blagdon lake and back

New gloves, lycra (!) and saddle! Turns out the saddle is pretty good, although it will take a while for my behind to get used to the change! The gloves are the same – fingerless is good but they need to give a little, which they will over time. The shorts are great, although I feel like an idiot… And here was the short and fast route for today – I decided to go down to the lake this time – the hill from the lake up to Blagdon then up two trees to the top is a proper benchmark hill and it was good to be able to ride it out of the saddle for most of the way – check the elevation plot!

To Blagdon lake and back

Beckington, tractors and wind

Another lovely day, so I had to get back out on the road to stretch the legs. With a short 30 ish mile route round and about to Beckington and back I set off. The bike is now pretty much exactly as it will be for the JOGLE – so its great to know that I’m getting some really genuine practise in now. Had a bit of a hairy moment: going fairly quick down a very narrow single lane, taking some water, thinking how stuffed I would be if a wide car came around the corner when BAM there was a massive tractor steaming towards me. Only just had enough time to cage the bottle, and get on the brakes. Damn tractor didn’t slow down and I had to press myself into the bank not to end up under one of his massive wheels. Fun fun.

I took a few more photos than normal – its odd that I have never seen Nunney castle despite it being only a couple of miles off my Southampton commute! Its also amazing how just a tiny amount of wind can really slow you down on the roads. It was definately against me today, and I’m beginning to get a good picture of the overall average I should expect for the JOGLE, wind, small roads and hills included! Here was the route:

Ride to Beckington

A recovery weekend!

I would have liked to have gone for a long training ride this weekend, but it just wasnt to be! I have put this one down to a recovery phase – it is important to have a day or two here and there to allow your body to recover from the training you do. This week I need to write letters to the major hotel chains (i.e. travel lodge etc…) to see if they are interested in supporting the challenge. Fingers crossed!

Weston and back at night: 53 miles in the rain

Despite the rain, I headed out anyway – given that it was a traditional cycling night I figured I would go a bit further than normal and realised that Weston is almost exactly 25 miles from here. So off I went. everything was fine in the rain – the iPhone mount is certainly waterproof enough and the replacement Montane jacket really is excellento! All I can say is there is no substitute to a fistful of tangfastics to keep you going. Spot the wrong turning at one of the roundabouts and subsequent milage down a dual carraigeway to the next roundabout! Overall it really wasn’t much of an effort as I took it slow and it was mostly flat apart from Burrington combe. Here is the route:

Weston and back in the rain

A quick sprint

I decided to make the most of the hour I had for training tonight and sprint to Blagdon (well, the top of two trees) and back (22 miles). Really didnt think I would able to maintain race-pace all the way there and back but I guess all this training must be paying off as I maintained an average of 19 mph (ignore dodgy EveryTrail average) and hit over 46 mph at one point. Here is the route:

A sprint to Blagdon and back

Plan your trips with EveryTrail Mobile Travel Guides

Beautiful day for a long ride (made up for England’s performance)

Natasha went horse riding this morning so I planned a route on EveryTrail and set off. Before I went I made a change to the bike kit setup – rather than opting for my camelback (its like a rucksack) to hold everything (i.e. MTB style) I went for the roadie style setup of water bottles in cages on the bike and a small saddle bag and food in the back pockets of my cycling top. I was a bit dubious about the food position but it worked out perfectly. I was aware the single bottle I had wouldn’t be enough but planned to stop by a garage to top it up half way through. More things to add to the shopping list: another bike bottle and cage and a new saddle bag, new waterproof and a small lock. There was no chance of taking my existing lock with me so I just hoped that there wouldn’t be any dodgy youths around if I had to pop into a shop.

I planned a 45 mile route south through Castle Cary, and then east to Wincanton and up through Bruton, back to Nunney and home. As it turned out, I felt fine after around 35 miles and decided to extend it further. After topping up the water at a garage I cycled east to Frome, then hit the A36 up to Norton St Philip and back through Faulkland and Stratton on the Fosse. A total of about 60 miles. Not bad. The section of A303 is not to be recommended as the left side of the carriageways is covered in stones. Plus cars flying by at 80 mph is never a happy feeling. I’ll try and avoid dual carriageways on the JOGLE. Slightly worryingly short of breath after Norton St Philip, despite having many more miles left in the legs – I’ll have to watch out of that in the future. Took about 1 hour for the breath-shortness to go once I came back.

I am typing this having given up on the England game, which was (is) pathetic. Here is the route I took:

Down to Castle Cary, then Wincanton, Bruton, Norton St Philip and home

Oh, and the England game just finished – shocking performance, 4:1 to Germany – good on them!

Riding past Pilton (Glastonbury festival)

Honestly, I don’t know why they call it the Glastonbury festival, as Pilton is a fair way from Glastonbury! Still, its always good to cycle by when its on and be amazed at the sheer scale of the thing. The wall-of-china like barriers all around the fields are amazing, and you just cannot imagine you would be able to fit that many cars into a bunch of fields. It is literally a pilgrimage, with people walking from miles around, some people were even skateboarding there. Amazing. So I cycled past and through to Glastonbury then up to Cheddar and to Shipham where I had a drink with the Shipham MTB crew, then cycled back home. Keep forgetting to turn the tracking off when I’m stationary, which doesn’t help! Fixed the slipping cleat (was a loose chainset shaft) and a few other things too. Bike is riding well now.

Past Glastonbury and through Shipham

Shoes arrive and another ride

My new Northwave vertigo pro shoes arrived today, courtesy of the next door neighbour who signed for them yesterday when I was at work. They seem a pretty good fit, so the Look pedals have gone on the bike finally (why can you never find the right allen key when you need it?). I also fixed up something else pretty cool and custom – an auxillary iPhone battery which also runs my light – check it out on the bike page.

To test out the shoes I went for a late night cycle to Shipham and back via Charterhouse. It was a beautiful warm night with a full moon making lights hardly necessary. A Tiger spot works a treat on the road, although you occasionally get a flash for being too bright…

Here was the route I took today, 30 odd miles in a couple of hours:

Shipham and back

The shoes turned out to be pretty good although the left foot got a little numb and there was a wierd slipping at the top of the right stroke. Plenty more things to tweak then!