On 2nd and 4th January, I did 40 miles each day. The first on my own and the second with the lads . Feeling pretty fine today and hoping to start longer runs and "speed work" soon.
Monday, 5 January 2009
Happy New Year 2009
Probably not a regime followed by most professional cyclists but after an eleven day lay-off, I went out on New Year's Day for a short training run. Did not feel good. This was probably due to the horrendous diet over Christmas and New Year but I suppose it will give me something to burn off. I am currently sitting at 74kg. I think Alberto Contador's weight is a bit too ambitious (he's the same height as me and weighs 62kg) but I think 68kg is achievable by mid-July. It is essential that calorie deficit is sustained and steady eg 500kcal deficit per day rather than starve/ binge. It is important to keep muscle mass as this is what propels one up the hills. Adipose tissue is, on the whole, ballast but some body fat is essential to life.
Saturday, 20 December 2008
The Road
As a car driver of 25 years and a cyclist, I feel reasonably qualified to advise on how to deal with cyclists encountered on the road. And I'm sure the Highway Code will back me up. First of all, I would like to state I am not one of those cyclists who goes through red lights and terrorises pedestrians. I do not think such behaviour is acceptable or even necessary. I am delighted that cycling is on the increase- motorists may "moan" about cyclists but if there are more people on their bikes, there are less people in cars etc.
The vast majority of motorists, I find, are considerate to cyclists but there are a lot of motorists who are not and who "assume" too much.
1) Cyclists need more room than you think. In wet or windy conditions, cyclists need to avoid puddles. This is not so they don't get their bike wet; the puddle may be hiding a large pothole. Road edges tend to be pretty rough places, especially if your tyres are 23mm in width. Be aware that in windy weather or at speed (cyclist), a cyclist may not hear you. Use your horn- gently!
2) Cyclists may be going faster than you think. I have had cars etc. overtake me (with oncoming traffic) not realising I am travelling at 25-30mph. Overtaking car realises he/she is running out of room and makes sharp move back towards ......me!
3) Overtaking. It is okay to pass a cyclist giving minimal room- as long as you are crawling past. Driving past at 80mph is NOT okay. Cutting in is NOT okay.
4) Coming towards a cyclist on a narrow country road. Please slow down. Cyclists are entitled to "half" the road, are "other road users" and therefore need to be "considered".
5) A friendly wave from a cyclist means "Thank you for not scaring/ killing me". Other signals may mean something else!
The vast majority of motorists, I find, are considerate to cyclists but there are a lot of motorists who are not and who "assume" too much.
1) Cyclists need more room than you think. In wet or windy conditions, cyclists need to avoid puddles. This is not so they don't get their bike wet; the puddle may be hiding a large pothole. Road edges tend to be pretty rough places, especially if your tyres are 23mm in width. Be aware that in windy weather or at speed (cyclist), a cyclist may not hear you. Use your horn- gently!
2) Cyclists may be going faster than you think. I have had cars etc. overtake me (with oncoming traffic) not realising I am travelling at 25-30mph. Overtaking car realises he/she is running out of room and makes sharp move back towards ......me!
3) Overtaking. It is okay to pass a cyclist giving minimal room- as long as you are crawling past. Driving past at 80mph is NOT okay. Cutting in is NOT okay.
4) Coming towards a cyclist on a narrow country road. Please slow down. Cyclists are entitled to "half" the road, are "other road users" and therefore need to be "considered".
5) A friendly wave from a cyclist means "Thank you for not scaring/ killing me". Other signals may mean something else!
Friday, 12 December 2008
The Drink
Check out the photo- taken Jan/Feb 2008. I am holding a Margarita cocktail- 4 parts tequila, 3 parts lime juice and 1 part triple sec in a salt-rimmed martini glass (don't follow the link recipe- too sweet). Take it from me that alcohol is NOT performance-enhancing. Especially in large quantities.
I cannot remember how I found it but Tropical Samba from High Five fits the bill for me. I can remember "dying" while out on a run with water only- old hat, these days. If the pros need all the help they can get, so do I. There is no doubt that getting hydration (and nutrition) right are a must. I remember my amateur running efforts when I was a teenager (bad and short-lived- I'm not built for running). Sports nutrition has come a long way since then. If my heart rate monitor is anything to go by, burning 4000 kcal + on a run is not unusual and energy has to be found from somewhere (more on Nutrition post later). On a related note, the most important cycle in the peleton is the Krebs cycle. Get this wrong and you'll be heading home...slowly.
I cannot remember how I found it but Tropical Samba from High Five fits the bill for me. I can remember "dying" while out on a run with water only- old hat, these days. If the pros need all the help they can get, so do I. There is no doubt that getting hydration (and nutrition) right are a must. I remember my amateur running efforts when I was a teenager (bad and short-lived- I'm not built for running). Sports nutrition has come a long way since then. If my heart rate monitor is anything to go by, burning 4000 kcal + on a run is not unusual and energy has to be found from somewhere (more on Nutrition post later). On a related note, the most important cycle in the peleton is the Krebs cycle. Get this wrong and you'll be heading home...slowly.
Thursday, 11 December 2008
The Bike
Prior to September 2008, the bike was a racing Peugeot with Colombus tubing. About 13 years old? It's a good bike but I never felt really comfortable on it. As I have become more knowledgeable (my wife would say "Nerdy") about these things, I think the stem is too long and I was overreaching for the brake hoods. This, in turn, would make me slide forward on the seat and put pressure on the wrong area of the perineum. As every cyclist knows, this causes numbness in the perineal area......which is a weird feeling to say the least. After the Etape Caledonia, I think it took a day or two to wear off! The Peugeot weighs 12.5kg, which by modern standards, is a rock! Gearing was 52/42 on the front and probably 11-21 on the back which was brutal, to say the least, for the hills. I managed to get the local bike shop in Perth to change it to 52/39 and 13-26. This still left a lowest gear ratio of 1.5- probably fine for Mr Armstrong but not for a 42 year-old GP who has only just taken up cycling again. So, I asked my old mate Chris Tiso if he'd sell me a decent bike from his shop in Edinburgh- and he did!- a 2009 model Trek Madone 5.2. Lowest gear ratio, on a 50/34 and 11-25 is 1.36 (34 divided by 25). That may not seem like a big drop from before (<10%) but the bike now weighs in at around 8kg. The UCI specify a minimum weight of 6.8kg for a racing bike. And I'm lighter too! From a starting weight of 78.4kg in January, I am now 71.7kg. A total weight saving of 11.2kg! On the flat, this is not crucial but for climbing hills, maximum power-to-weight ratio is the key.
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Beginnings
Cycling. Why? Lots of reasons- need to get fit, did a fair bit when younger, Achilles problems (must see a podiatrist!), good for the environment, etc. Ultimately though, there is nothing quite like a nice summer's day spent out on the road thundering along at 25mph (wind-assisted of course!). I only started cycling in January this year and I should probably have started this blog then. In May, I did the Etape Caledonia in what I thought was a respectable time of 4hr 21min. However, next year, as well as the Etape Caledonia , I plan to do L'Etape Du Tour and I am doing it for Macmillan Cancer Support. A friend of mine is fighting cancer and I want to do it for this person. (And obviously for my own satisfaction).
So the plan is to raise money via a viral e-mail campaign. Check out Justgiving.com who make it extremely easy to give money. I only want £2 from every person who accesses my page. How easy is that?! The plan is to raise £10,000 but if it really takes off, I'll just raise the bar! Nobody has, as yet, donated but today, I e-mailed Lance Armstrong as his LiveStrong foundation has very similar aims to Macmillan. I have yet to receive a reply but if he can start the ball rolling, maybe all those two quids will add up to a lot of money. As a GP, I can tell you for a fact that cancer is becoming more common and more treatable. Don't leave any unusual symptoms alone and don't worry! See your GP and either get reassured or get investigated!
So the plan is to raise money via a viral e-mail campaign. Check out Justgiving.com who make it extremely easy to give money. I only want £2 from every person who accesses my page. How easy is that?! The plan is to raise £10,000 but if it really takes off, I'll just raise the bar! Nobody has, as yet, donated but today, I e-mailed Lance Armstrong as his LiveStrong foundation has very similar aims to Macmillan. I have yet to receive a reply but if he can start the ball rolling, maybe all those two quids will add up to a lot of money. As a GP, I can tell you for a fact that cancer is becoming more common and more treatable. Don't leave any unusual symptoms alone and don't worry! See your GP and either get reassured or get investigated!
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