So today I was reminded how hard mountain biking can be.
I took the opportunity to ride at Llandegla bike park near Wrexham in Wales as I had a meeting not far from there that finished reasonably early. In previous years, I'd ride around the lap in 50 odd minutes, never out of the 44 chainring. Not this time! a combination of horrendous fitness and a 30mph headwind up the opening 3 mile climb saw me finish the lap in 1hr 11mins.
Still, it's a start point I guess!
I have yet another busy week of work ahead. However, I may, if I'm lucky, get another short ride or two in. Finger's crossed.
Monday, 23 February 2015
Sunday, 22 February 2015
Years plan...
So this year I've started riding my mountain bike again... I'm not sure that's a good idea, as undoubtedly, mtbing is hard and will show up a lack of fitness. I've got away with not being particularly fit over the last couple of years, by hiding behind short sharp strava efforts, short time trials and the odd bunch race. But, last year's Raid Pyrenean reminded me that I can still ride long distances when I practice a bit! I think it's one of those things, that if you've ever done long hard rides in the past, the fitness never really leaves you. That's my theory anyway! I've entered the Dyfi mtb marathon / sportive. It's non competitive and that suits me. It's fairly early in the year (May), so just getting around will be fine with me. I'm so out of practice technically that hoping for anything more would be silly!
This week, I've also been watching the track world champs too. And it got me thinking ' I used to be alright at that'... So, another small ambition is to try to ride the Wolves or Newcastle track league this summer. I have an old bike and should make some use of it before it rots away!
My fitness at present is rubbish. I've had 3 virus this winter - kindly donated by the littl'uns. Hopefully I've had the last one now and I can start to get some consistent riding in. I did a reliability at the end of January which showed I wasn't too embarrassingly unfit, but I've done little since.
The one thing I have changed this winter is my strength training. I have done no upper body work other than deadlift all winter. It's left me weak as a kitten, but 7-8 lbs lighter. I'm aiming to get down to around 11 ston in weight this summer - almost a stone lighter than the last few years. I'll appreciate the weight loss on the long mtb marathons I'll be doing, where climbing is a main feature of the day's riding!
That's it for now!
Paul
Thursday, 12 February 2015
One year on since the last post... frustratingly I didn't keep up with my personal promise to myself to keep writing until after all of the events I wanted to ride were finished. So I'm going to have another go this year. If only to prove to myself that I can do it.
So, last year's goals...
10 mile tt - I rode a few time trials last year, but didn't do enough to really feel pleased with a time. I did though get a couple of 'wins' of local events with a 22 thirty ish (from memory) as my best time on a lumpy course.
Raid Pyrenean - What an event! Absolutely stunning scenery, company, roads blah de blah. The best event I have ever done on a bike. Very challenging course, but I got through it well and felt strong until the end. The photo below was the team at the start of the event.
And at the finish...
Never was a dunk in the sea more deserved!
So, to the hill climb season...
It started off well. 29th/137 at the Monsal Head Hill Climb (possibly the hardest sort of hill to ride fast up - flat at the start (big ring), getting increasingly steep towards the top finishing at 1:6 I think. Never having ridden the event before, my pace was a little off. I finished 15 seconds off the podium, but think I can cut that gap by 10 seconds with gear selection and being a bit lighter this year, so I'm looking forward to the 2015 hill climb season.
The National Champs did not go so well - flu hit me that morning. I rode the event, then drove 3 hours home shivering and sweating in turn!
Below is a great aerial shot of the Monsal Head Hill Climb...
And of course, the all important Strava KOM count - well, my annual roundup left me with 97 KOMs. A decent hall as most were on hard climbs. This year, I will aim to move up the ranks on 'The 100 Climbs Strava club'... have a look for it on Strava - I've found it a great motivator to get out there and ride up hills you wouldn't normally do!
So, next blog will contain:
What I'm up to this year
Where my fitness is at right now
How I intend to improve!
Thanks for reading,
Paul
So, last year's goals...
10 mile tt - I rode a few time trials last year, but didn't do enough to really feel pleased with a time. I did though get a couple of 'wins' of local events with a 22 thirty ish (from memory) as my best time on a lumpy course.
Raid Pyrenean - What an event! Absolutely stunning scenery, company, roads blah de blah. The best event I have ever done on a bike. Very challenging course, but I got through it well and felt strong until the end. The photo below was the team at the start of the event.
And at the finish...
Never was a dunk in the sea more deserved!
So, to the hill climb season...
It started off well. 29th/137 at the Monsal Head Hill Climb (possibly the hardest sort of hill to ride fast up - flat at the start (big ring), getting increasingly steep towards the top finishing at 1:6 I think. Never having ridden the event before, my pace was a little off. I finished 15 seconds off the podium, but think I can cut that gap by 10 seconds with gear selection and being a bit lighter this year, so I'm looking forward to the 2015 hill climb season.
The National Champs did not go so well - flu hit me that morning. I rode the event, then drove 3 hours home shivering and sweating in turn!
Below is a great aerial shot of the Monsal Head Hill Climb...
And of course, the all important Strava KOM count - well, my annual roundup left me with 97 KOMs. A decent hall as most were on hard climbs. This year, I will aim to move up the ranks on 'The 100 Climbs Strava club'... have a look for it on Strava - I've found it a great motivator to get out there and ride up hills you wouldn't normally do!
So, next blog will contain:
What I'm up to this year
Where my fitness is at right now
How I intend to improve!
Thanks for reading,
Paul
Wednesday, 5 February 2014
Post Number 11: What's keeping me riding in the rain...
It's fair to say that the weather is pretty rubbish right now if you're a cyclist. It's also fair to say that I haven't been out on my bike nearly as much as I'd have liked! Not through lack of trying though - things (ie, work) just keep getting in the way! When I have had free time, I've been out riding despite the weather. Come rain or shine, I've been getting in the time I have available suffering in the saddle.
There's a big reason I'm prepared to suffer this year... (read on).
I'm going to be raising funds for a fantastic charity by riding across the Pyrenees close to the Spanish / French border. The route is called the 'Raid Pyrenean'. The tour company website (Marmot Tours) describes the Raid as "720km cycling challenge from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, France, in 100hrs with 11,000m of ascent!"
I think that pretty much says it all! It's going to be tough to get through... I've been riding bikes for years, but even so, riding over just one of the big Pyrenean climbs is hard work - let alone a few of them day after day!
To find out exactly what Cyclists Fighting Cancer are about, then 'like' their page on Facebook and scroll through some of the truly inspiring stories on there:
https://www.facebook.com/cyclistsfightingcancer
Have a hanky to hand - and also have your credit card to hand so that in your weakened emotional state you donate as much as you can afford to my ride Just Giving fundraising site:
https://www.justgiving.com/account/your-pages/paulbaileyraid14
Every penny you donate will go to the charity (I'm paying all of the costs of the trip).
Thanks everyone, and I'll try a bit harder to update my blog with useful training content over the coming weeks!
Paul
There's a big reason I'm prepared to suffer this year... (read on).
I'm going to be raising funds for a fantastic charity by riding across the Pyrenees close to the Spanish / French border. The route is called the 'Raid Pyrenean'. The tour company website (Marmot Tours) describes the Raid as "720km cycling challenge from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, France, in 100hrs with 11,000m of ascent!"
I think that pretty much says it all! It's going to be tough to get through... I've been riding bikes for years, but even so, riding over just one of the big Pyrenean climbs is hard work - let alone a few of them day after day!
To find out exactly what Cyclists Fighting Cancer are about, then 'like' their page on Facebook and scroll through some of the truly inspiring stories on there:
https://www.facebook.com/cyclistsfightingcancer
Have a hanky to hand - and also have your credit card to hand so that in your weakened emotional state you donate as much as you can afford to my ride Just Giving fundraising site:
https://www.justgiving.com/account/your-pages/paulbaileyraid14
Every penny you donate will go to the charity (I'm paying all of the costs of the trip).
Thanks everyone, and I'll try a bit harder to update my blog with useful training content over the coming weeks!
Paul
Monday, 27 January 2014
Post Number 10: Rubber Cranks and 1RM's
Cycling Update
Eight days have rolled by since last I posted... Unfortunately, the days were pretty much the only thing rolling! A quick check of my Strava feed shows just 4.5 hours of training and a mere 80 miles... Not quite what I was intending! Overall, it looks like I am going to fail dismally on my cycling goal of clocking up 30 hours riding in January! Hitting if I'm lucky 21-24 hours.
If I'm being honest, I am slightly disappointed by this. I've probably had more opportunities to get out than I have taken. I could have got up earlier on a number of days and added some hours. I could have ignored the decidedly damp environment and 'mtfu'd'! I have though, made the most of the rides that I have managed to do - so I have to be positive about that. There is no point beating myself up too much. Certainly though, I am going to 'try harder' in February!
Interestingly (to me at least), I did have an opportunity yesterday to see exactly how poor my cycling fitness still is... and it's fair to say I surprised myself! The following is an account of my experience on the Wrekinsport Reliability 2014:
The fantastic Wrekinsport Cycling Club organise a reliability ride that covers 60 miles. The route covers some fairly flat roads from Wellington Leisure Centre near Telford to Market Drayton, Audlem, Whitchurch, Wem and back to Wellington.
As I cycled into the leisure centre car park for the 'signing on', the first riders I bumped into were Andy Tennant (GB Team Pursuit squad member) and Jason Meyer (local hardman renowned for his relentless pace on every ride). I wasn't exactly filled with glee at the prospect of these two nutters setting the pace for my untrained legs to follow. However, the more stubborn side to my personality went into denial. 'It'll be ok' I thought. 'I've hung on in the past - today will be no different!'. I'm sure that at one point I even had the notion that I could probably get around the course without going too 'anaerobic' (you may remember that I'm trying not to go anaerobic so that I can get a higher volume of training in). It really does astound me that after all these years of suffering on wheels, I can still sell myself an idea that is blatantly not true! Not only that, I can even take the big-fat-kidding of myself to the next level...
The next level of denial started pretty soon into the ride. We started pedalling at 9.30am. At around 9.35, with 58 miles to go out of 60, I found myself a fair way off the front of the bunch, cruising at around 27mph. This could have been considered a 'lone attack'. Except I then remembered that I didn't know the route, so I waited for the group to catch me up. 'Don't be silly' I thought, 'You don't know the way and there's a long way to go'. Sound advice. Which I adhered to for around 2 more miles, before I hit the front again.
At this point, the legs were feeling fantastic (20 mph tailwind may have had a role to play in this!). So I stoked the fire a bit and gained a small gap - hoping that 2 or 3 other riders would catch me up and that together we would ride a glorious ride to the finish at an average speed of 25mph. It didn't happen though. I still didn't know the way, so sat up again having used up calories I probably couldn't afford!
Things settled down on the ride for a few miles, until, at the 22 mile mark, a black shadow passed up the outside of the bunch. A quick check of the Garmin showed a speed of 29mph at that point. A normal reaction when you see someone floating up a bunch is to add just a bit of effort, so that when the rider goes 'off the front' and the elastic bunch gets stretched, you're not the rider to snap. So I pressed on the pedals and got to 32 mph. The black shadow (no prizes for guessing who) then duly rode off the front of the bunch. Still in my state of denial, I focused a bit more power through the cranks. 'Easy' I thought. A weird thing happened though - the carbon fibre cranks that have served me so well for the last 2 seasons... well, they turned to rubber. I seemed to lose all control of my pedalling style and absolutely no extra power was coming out the other end. This didn't seem right to me, so I took a moment behind a passing car to take stock of the situation.
As the passing car sped up to overtake the newly formed lead group of four riders, I attempted to hang in it's slipstream - a bit of a cheat to bridge the ever growing gap - but acceptable in such circumstances. Once again, I diverted all my efforts into my legs. My brain stopped functioning, I got a 'pins and needles' in my arms where they were being starved of blood, the car in front even started to look like a 'ghost car' as the fog of complete exhaustion clouded over me. All of this happened to my body and yet there was no extra speed to show for it, in fact, I was slowing up a fair bit. The game was up!
The realisation that I hadn't 'made the cut' was a game changer for me. From that point on, all I wanted to do was survive to the end of the ride. Which, with the aid of a small bunch that formed at about 30 miles to go did actually happen! It's a shame that I didn't play the 'survival' game from mile 1... Perhaps next time! My group (dwindled down to just 2 riders by the finish), eventually finished somewhere around 15 minutes after the leaders.
At the conclusion of the ride, it's fair to say that I was scraping the bottom of the calorie barrel. Even 2 bottles of sugar and a gel didn't last to the finish. Just as well then that the lovely Organisers from the Wrekinsport club were selling homemade lemon drizzle cake for just 50p! 2 slabs later and I was pedalling the 2.5 miles home to more tea and mackerel on toast (my top tip for a protein rich post exercise meal). More on nutrition strategies in the next blog!
Overall conclusion - well, I had good speed, just poor endurance. But for me, that's normal at this time of year. Strength training in winter tends to give you a speed advantage over other riders as you can 'muscle' the pedals round with that bit more force than someone who's just been clocking up big miles. Of course, nothing builds endurance and pedalling efficiency like long rides, so that's something I hope to see progression in over the next month or two.
Strength Training Update
This bit is a slightly shorter ramble! I didn't actually do that much strength training last week. I did though, complete my one rep max deadlift test. I managed 145kgs. As a fairly lanky ectomorph, I'm pretty happy with that!
This week, I'll be back on it - but starting on Tues not Monday (ran out of time today). I'll post on here a short video clip to show correct deadlift technique - mainly because a national cycling magazine has published an article about strength training for cyclists - and has managed to confuse a 'deadlift' for a 'bent over row'. Hopefully, at least just a few readers of that magazine will read this and not make the same error!
Cyclists Fighting Cancer
Finally, if you are reading this blog as a supporter of Cyclists Fighting Cancer, then thanks for clicking on Mike's email link and tuning in! This September, I'll be riding the Raid Pyrenean with Mike and around 18 other cyclists of varying abilities. I'll be using this blog to document my riding, offer training advice and give cycling tips - and I'm happy to answer questions, so please feel free to subscribe and share! The more people you share this blog with, the more people will become aware of the charity - especially as we get nearer to the event, when my 'coverage of the charity' will inevitably increase!
Stay Safe,
Paul
Eight days have rolled by since last I posted... Unfortunately, the days were pretty much the only thing rolling! A quick check of my Strava feed shows just 4.5 hours of training and a mere 80 miles... Not quite what I was intending! Overall, it looks like I am going to fail dismally on my cycling goal of clocking up 30 hours riding in January! Hitting if I'm lucky 21-24 hours.
If I'm being honest, I am slightly disappointed by this. I've probably had more opportunities to get out than I have taken. I could have got up earlier on a number of days and added some hours. I could have ignored the decidedly damp environment and 'mtfu'd'! I have though, made the most of the rides that I have managed to do - so I have to be positive about that. There is no point beating myself up too much. Certainly though, I am going to 'try harder' in February!
Interestingly (to me at least), I did have an opportunity yesterday to see exactly how poor my cycling fitness still is... and it's fair to say I surprised myself! The following is an account of my experience on the Wrekinsport Reliability 2014:
The fantastic Wrekinsport Cycling Club organise a reliability ride that covers 60 miles. The route covers some fairly flat roads from Wellington Leisure Centre near Telford to Market Drayton, Audlem, Whitchurch, Wem and back to Wellington.
As I cycled into the leisure centre car park for the 'signing on', the first riders I bumped into were Andy Tennant (GB Team Pursuit squad member) and Jason Meyer (local hardman renowned for his relentless pace on every ride). I wasn't exactly filled with glee at the prospect of these two nutters setting the pace for my untrained legs to follow. However, the more stubborn side to my personality went into denial. 'It'll be ok' I thought. 'I've hung on in the past - today will be no different!'. I'm sure that at one point I even had the notion that I could probably get around the course without going too 'anaerobic' (you may remember that I'm trying not to go anaerobic so that I can get a higher volume of training in). It really does astound me that after all these years of suffering on wheels, I can still sell myself an idea that is blatantly not true! Not only that, I can even take the big-fat-kidding of myself to the next level...
The next level of denial started pretty soon into the ride. We started pedalling at 9.30am. At around 9.35, with 58 miles to go out of 60, I found myself a fair way off the front of the bunch, cruising at around 27mph. This could have been considered a 'lone attack'. Except I then remembered that I didn't know the route, so I waited for the group to catch me up. 'Don't be silly' I thought, 'You don't know the way and there's a long way to go'. Sound advice. Which I adhered to for around 2 more miles, before I hit the front again.
At this point, the legs were feeling fantastic (20 mph tailwind may have had a role to play in this!). So I stoked the fire a bit and gained a small gap - hoping that 2 or 3 other riders would catch me up and that together we would ride a glorious ride to the finish at an average speed of 25mph. It didn't happen though. I still didn't know the way, so sat up again having used up calories I probably couldn't afford!
Things settled down on the ride for a few miles, until, at the 22 mile mark, a black shadow passed up the outside of the bunch. A quick check of the Garmin showed a speed of 29mph at that point. A normal reaction when you see someone floating up a bunch is to add just a bit of effort, so that when the rider goes 'off the front' and the elastic bunch gets stretched, you're not the rider to snap. So I pressed on the pedals and got to 32 mph. The black shadow (no prizes for guessing who) then duly rode off the front of the bunch. Still in my state of denial, I focused a bit more power through the cranks. 'Easy' I thought. A weird thing happened though - the carbon fibre cranks that have served me so well for the last 2 seasons... well, they turned to rubber. I seemed to lose all control of my pedalling style and absolutely no extra power was coming out the other end. This didn't seem right to me, so I took a moment behind a passing car to take stock of the situation.
As the passing car sped up to overtake the newly formed lead group of four riders, I attempted to hang in it's slipstream - a bit of a cheat to bridge the ever growing gap - but acceptable in such circumstances. Once again, I diverted all my efforts into my legs. My brain stopped functioning, I got a 'pins and needles' in my arms where they were being starved of blood, the car in front even started to look like a 'ghost car' as the fog of complete exhaustion clouded over me. All of this happened to my body and yet there was no extra speed to show for it, in fact, I was slowing up a fair bit. The game was up!
The realisation that I hadn't 'made the cut' was a game changer for me. From that point on, all I wanted to do was survive to the end of the ride. Which, with the aid of a small bunch that formed at about 30 miles to go did actually happen! It's a shame that I didn't play the 'survival' game from mile 1... Perhaps next time! My group (dwindled down to just 2 riders by the finish), eventually finished somewhere around 15 minutes after the leaders.
At the conclusion of the ride, it's fair to say that I was scraping the bottom of the calorie barrel. Even 2 bottles of sugar and a gel didn't last to the finish. Just as well then that the lovely Organisers from the Wrekinsport club were selling homemade lemon drizzle cake for just 50p! 2 slabs later and I was pedalling the 2.5 miles home to more tea and mackerel on toast (my top tip for a protein rich post exercise meal). More on nutrition strategies in the next blog!
Overall conclusion - well, I had good speed, just poor endurance. But for me, that's normal at this time of year. Strength training in winter tends to give you a speed advantage over other riders as you can 'muscle' the pedals round with that bit more force than someone who's just been clocking up big miles. Of course, nothing builds endurance and pedalling efficiency like long rides, so that's something I hope to see progression in over the next month or two.
Strength Training Update
This bit is a slightly shorter ramble! I didn't actually do that much strength training last week. I did though, complete my one rep max deadlift test. I managed 145kgs. As a fairly lanky ectomorph, I'm pretty happy with that!
This week, I'll be back on it - but starting on Tues not Monday (ran out of time today). I'll post on here a short video clip to show correct deadlift technique - mainly because a national cycling magazine has published an article about strength training for cyclists - and has managed to confuse a 'deadlift' for a 'bent over row'. Hopefully, at least just a few readers of that magazine will read this and not make the same error!
Cyclists Fighting Cancer
Finally, if you are reading this blog as a supporter of Cyclists Fighting Cancer, then thanks for clicking on Mike's email link and tuning in! This September, I'll be riding the Raid Pyrenean with Mike and around 18 other cyclists of varying abilities. I'll be using this blog to document my riding, offer training advice and give cycling tips - and I'm happy to answer questions, so please feel free to subscribe and share! The more people you share this blog with, the more people will become aware of the charity - especially as we get nearer to the event, when my 'coverage of the charity' will inevitably increase!
Stay Safe,
Paul
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Post Number 9: You Lose Some, You Win Some
Well, it's fair to say that this week has been a typical example of how awkward my work / life / training balance can be! Trying to squeeze in 40 hours of teaching, plus something similar in Lego building and then add in the complicating factor of some stressful negotiations with an important client of ours is never going to be conducive to smashing out a few hours of aerobic, low intensity training on my bike (as was my goal).
Paul
You can see from my Strava stat's that I have only managed a dismal 41.8 miles in 3.5 hours of cycling! For the 'Stato's' amongst you, to save you getting a calculator out, that's an average speed of just under 12 mph!!
I always knew that this week was going to be a difficult one from a training goal perspective... Therefore I did what any good fitness professional would do and I changed some of the variables in my training. Generally speaking, fitness programming works around four principles: Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type (FITT Principles). I couldn't do the time this week, so I upped the intensity instead. 'How so? You averaged under 12 mph!' I hear you say... Well, I put in a bit of extra effort in the strength training sessions and I also chose to ride up a big hill near where I live called 'The Wrekin'... twice. The Wrekin allegedly has the 'Highest ascent for it's circumference around it's base in the whole of Britain'. I'm not sure that's completely true, but it felt like it two days ago - particularly the second time up!
The Wrekin is an off-road climb to be done on a mountain bike. At times the gradients make you slow to near walking speed. Even once onto the false flat over the top there is still a sting in the tale that is 50:50 whether you'll make it up without pulling a foot out to avoid an embarrassing, slow speed 'topple'. It takes 13 minutes on a good day to get to the top. The day I went up was not a good day, weather-wise or state-of-training-wise!
The Losses
So, I'm a little behind on one of my goals already (30 hours of cycling in January including a ride in North Wales and the Peak District). I could get down about this I guess, but, there have been a fair amount of 'out of my control' obstacles put in my way this week. As mentioned right at the start of my blog, I'm not going to worry about those sorts of things. I'm choosing to concentrate on getting the things in my control right. However, there are also some positives to reflect on too!! (One of the many advantages of setting a number of 'Process' goals).
The Wins
I've managed to up my loads in the 2 big strength exercises I do (Squat and Deadlift). I'm now lifting 10kgs more than over Christmas (see pic to the right for weights) and I feel like I can go on from that over the next couple of weeks too! Usually, you would expect to progress by around 2.5-7.5kgs every 5 weeks or so (that's a typical length of a strength training mesocycle). I guess my progression has been a bit quicker due to me getting more 'familier' with the 'skill' of lifting. Along with this increased strength has come slightly bigger quadriceps and glutes (approx 1 cm in circumference since the start of training in November). Coupled with an actual decrease in bodyweight of 1lb, that's all the proof I need that my body is changing for the better!
Perhaps though, the biggest positive to take from my training so far, is that I felt 'strong' riding up the Wrekin, despite DOMs in my legs limiting my riding intensity. I got to the top as comfortably as is possible up there - never pushing much harder than 7/10 effort. I was 3 minutes off my best time up the hill, but actually think I'm not too far off my best fitness of last year already and I definitely think I'll be challenging for the Strava KOM up there in the Summer! (This is another of my goals!).
The Week Ahead
So overall, I'm pleased with how things are progressing. This week I do have some extra time due to work being quiet, so I'll try my best to get in some long rides alongside the heavier weights sessions. I'm also going to have a go at a 2 Rep Max Deadlift Strength Test at the start of Monday's strength session. Mainly because my training partner, Pom, did one last week (watch Pom's self-glorifying video below!). I won't get very close to his mark, but I'm intrigued to know what I can do! Of course, I'll report back!
Don't try that at home folks...
Don't try that at home folks...
Paul
Sunday, 12 January 2014
Post Number 8: Ice, Over-reaching and Over-training
Well, I'm sitting here in compression socks, waiting impatiently for my dinner, feeling a little like a candle with just millimetres of wick left that is about to be extinguished sooner than intended... I don't get to do that many longer rides, so given the opportunity this morning to ride with no time limit with an old pal, Liam, I thought I'd make the most of it!
It was an early, but promising start, with a beautiful sunrise in my rear view mirror as I headed North. A blue sky rose up high in front of me, with just a few wispy white clouds around that marked just how high up the cold atmosphere went. The temperature on the car said -1 degrees. 'Lovely' I thought, 'Perfect cycling day!'.
And it was a perfect cycling day, with just a few ice patches to spice up some of the descents. Our route ventured into Wales with the intention of climbing over the Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen. Unfortunately however, we never got there! Somebody mysteriously put a hill called 'Yr Ochr' in the way!
If you've never ridden over this horrendous climb, then have a look on my Strava profile and give it a go. It's near Llangollen and is a sort of offroad / road combination that basically just goes straight over the local mountain. No messing around with hairpins like those soft Frenchy's etc use! My standard gear these days of 39x23 was hideously overgeared - especially when weight and fitness aren't what they ought to be! Consequently (I kid you not) each pedal stroke was a bit like doing a 1 rep max lunge! To say I had shaky legs over the top is an understatement! Whether you're a cyclist or not, at some point in your life, if you love fitness, you should try riding up a 'proper' hill without stopping!
I would certainly say I bit off more than I could chew this ride... To be technical, you'd probably call it 'Over-reaching'. Over-reaching is doing a bit more damage than is optimum in a training session, so that it impacts on your next few sessions. I certainly won't be doing my normal Monday strength training tomorrow - or if I do, it'll be adapted and less intense! Training effectively is a manipulation of your FITT Principles (Frequency of training, Intensity of training, Time spent training and Type of training). Push too hard in one of these area's and you'll have to compensate in another. In this instance, my intensity was too hard, therefore my frequency of training this week may well be reduced.
Over-reaching in a one-off session isn't great, but it isn't the end of the world. Over-reaching repetitively however could certainly do some damage. You'd probably call that 'Over-training'. Over-training can lead to lots of physical ailments including reduction in performance, chronic injuries and an under-performing immune system.
It's sometimes hard to spot when over-reaching or over-training occurs. Finding the balance between physical stressors that cause perfect fitness progression and those that go a bit too far is a real art. The most obvious advice is to listen to your body. Maybe take your resting pulse each morning and see if it's elevated the day after training (ie, have an easy day). Ultimately though, just be sensible. Don't go out and smash yourself up every time you train. If you feel tired, wait before training again. Training when you're tired isn't going to be beneficial anyway! Make sure that whatever you're doing has an objective, even if that objective is 'active recovery'.
Right, my amazing wife to be is about to dish up dinner, so I'm off to fill up before I chew my own leg off.
Paul
It was an early, but promising start, with a beautiful sunrise in my rear view mirror as I headed North. A blue sky rose up high in front of me, with just a few wispy white clouds around that marked just how high up the cold atmosphere went. The temperature on the car said -1 degrees. 'Lovely' I thought, 'Perfect cycling day!'.
And it was a perfect cycling day, with just a few ice patches to spice up some of the descents. Our route ventured into Wales with the intention of climbing over the Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen. Unfortunately however, we never got there! Somebody mysteriously put a hill called 'Yr Ochr' in the way!
If you've never ridden over this horrendous climb, then have a look on my Strava profile and give it a go. It's near Llangollen and is a sort of offroad / road combination that basically just goes straight over the local mountain. No messing around with hairpins like those soft Frenchy's etc use! My standard gear these days of 39x23 was hideously overgeared - especially when weight and fitness aren't what they ought to be! Consequently (I kid you not) each pedal stroke was a bit like doing a 1 rep max lunge! To say I had shaky legs over the top is an understatement! Whether you're a cyclist or not, at some point in your life, if you love fitness, you should try riding up a 'proper' hill without stopping!
I would certainly say I bit off more than I could chew this ride... To be technical, you'd probably call it 'Over-reaching'. Over-reaching is doing a bit more damage than is optimum in a training session, so that it impacts on your next few sessions. I certainly won't be doing my normal Monday strength training tomorrow - or if I do, it'll be adapted and less intense! Training effectively is a manipulation of your FITT Principles (Frequency of training, Intensity of training, Time spent training and Type of training). Push too hard in one of these area's and you'll have to compensate in another. In this instance, my intensity was too hard, therefore my frequency of training this week may well be reduced.
Over-reaching in a one-off session isn't great, but it isn't the end of the world. Over-reaching repetitively however could certainly do some damage. You'd probably call that 'Over-training'. Over-training can lead to lots of physical ailments including reduction in performance, chronic injuries and an under-performing immune system.
It's sometimes hard to spot when over-reaching or over-training occurs. Finding the balance between physical stressors that cause perfect fitness progression and those that go a bit too far is a real art. The most obvious advice is to listen to your body. Maybe take your resting pulse each morning and see if it's elevated the day after training (ie, have an easy day). Ultimately though, just be sensible. Don't go out and smash yourself up every time you train. If you feel tired, wait before training again. Training when you're tired isn't going to be beneficial anyway! Make sure that whatever you're doing has an objective, even if that objective is 'active recovery'.
Right, my amazing wife to be is about to dish up dinner, so I'm off to fill up before I chew my own leg off.
Paul
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