Now Day -26 to start in Lands End

Looking back:
Day -29
The ride home on Friday evening strarted with the usual route through to Victoria Park and onto the Regent Canal southwards towards the Limehouse Basin.  As I approached the bridge over the final lock on the canal and past the Water Chariots I made the decision to avoid the tunnel and head down to the foot tunnel through to Greenwich and then use Crooms Hill to test my fitness.  I remained seated for the climb and made a steady ascent with a strava segment of 2:06 against my best of 1:56.
Day -28
The Bigfoot CC Saturday Ride was entitled 'Kent Villages' and did not disappoint this weekend. For our RAB group Hugh intended for us to follow the 48 mile route he had planned for the Level 3's but to set a slower and more steady paced ride.   We waited at Hayes Village Hall while all the other groups headed out and then six of us begun our ride.

My ride download file is on Strava and shows with the ride to and from home the distance covered was 90km in 3 hours 40 minutes moving time.  A typical day on RAB will be that in the morning and then the same again after lunch.  Discussion on the ride was about the need to pace our riding, not starting too strongly and allowing the daily riding to improve our fitness as we work our way into the journey.  So wherever possible on the climbs I stayed seated and rode an even pace not chasing those ahead but keeping well inside the red line.  The Strava summary shows mostly 2nd and 3rd best times on the familiar climbs and this encourages me that I am actually fitter and stronger but am able to ride the overall distance and enjoy the experience of RAB.

On arriving home it was back to domestic duties before an evening BBQ - no trip to Rapha this weekend.  Instead we took a gentle stroll across the common to the village for a few groceries and as we walked down the High Street we came to the bike stands adjacent to the pharmacy where there were two road bikes and a cyclist staring at a bike lock attached to the Sheffield stand.  I had to approach him as I immediatley recognised the Enigma Ti frame of one of the two bikes.  We struck up a conversation.  As an aside it is wonderful how people who cycle have such a shared passion and are willing to share time for a conversation.  The Enigma was an Esprit frame and looked quick.  We discussed riding and his wife who emerged from the Orangery was immediately in conversation with Sara about her training and triathlon plans for the autumn.  After a while we said our farewells but felt uplifted by the chance meeting. 

After the BBQ and then shouting at the watching TV while Mo secured his second Gold medal in the 5000m (an awesome achievement) we made the short trip to meet some friends in The Bull.

Day-27
Out early on Games Maker duties for the mens marathon.  The event management (LM) was superb and the crossing team was happy and effective during our shift in the City.  Overall the runners were amazing, the crowd were brilliant in supporting all countries not just the GB team and the Games Makers were a great team - THANK YOU!

Day -26
A typical early morning ride into work although I had stayed up late to watch the brilliant closing ceremony on TV so not much sleep. 

Kit:

A text message from EvansCycles on Saturday morning informed me my order was 'now out for delivery and due with you today.'  When the box arrived late afternoon it was opened slowly and with much pleasure as the expensively wrapped items were revealed.  First the Gore Bike Wear Gloves were tried on for size and confirmed as good fit.

The Assos products were in the most luxurious packaging so first the Body Car Pack comprising one of a Chamois and Repair cream were removed from the box and inspected.  All good.  The Knog Skink light packaging was impossible to open without ripping it apart but the red plastic body and 4 LED's were just what I had hoped for and will be perfect for RAB.

The pile of packaging was building up but the most impressive was for the Assos FI.Mille S5 bib shorts, an outer sleeve and then the box itself, in which I found not only the bib shorts but they also came with a miniture Chamois cream pot, a fabric care wash bottle and a mesh bag for washing the shorts.  When making the order I had spent some time deliberating over what size to purchase.  I had chosen Medium initially but subsequently amended the order to a Large size.  Somewhat too apprehensive to try them on and to be disappointed by the potential of them having to be returned I decided to leave that until later.

The final item at the bottom the box was the ProGold Prolink chain oil.

On Sunday evening I cautiously put on the bib shorts and was massively relieved to find that the Large size was a perfect fit.  Tried on with the RAB top I felt ready to ride a 1000 miles!

Looking ahead:
After a warm sunny weekend the forecast now includes some rain but commuting each day will be the usual 26 mile round trip.  Thursday will bring the return visit to Swift Cycles with Sara for the bike fit and then Friday for the start of the last of the 3 by 3 day tours planned and organised by Hugh for the RAB team.

Ride Across Britain - the countdown to the start line

Countdown: Day -29

So tomorrow will be exactly four weeks or 28 days to when I, and over 400 others, will be rolling across the start line down in Lands End. I am feeling a sense of both excitement and apprehension at the prospect of riding for 9 consecutive days with distances between 98 and 120 miles each day to cover the entire length of Britain. From Lands End to John O'Groats with the Ride Across Britain all the details at the Threshold Sport website http://www.rideacrossbritain.com/

Ride:

Today is a regular work day and therefore I have commuted on my Enigma Ethos It's a ride of about 13 miles and takes just under an hour. Going home can take about 5 to 10 minutes longer due to more traffic on the roads.

Kit:

Rapha Summer Sale starts today and I am wondering if a new jersey can be justified.

Preparation:

Items on the to do list include a trip to B&Q for some pipe lagging and zip ties to protect the bike when I pack it for the journey to the start. Then I will also need to plan at least one full practice of packing the bike and unpacking with the associated disassembly and reassembly of the components.

Also yesterday I ordered from Evans a few essentials including bib shorts and gloves, a knog rear light and lubrication for bike and rider taking advantage of a 15% discount offer that was about to expire. The excuse to shop is completely irresistable!

Tomorrow:

Morning I'll be out on Bigfoot CC Level 3 ride covering 48 miles at a steady pace and then a visit to Rapha in the afternoon.

Planning and training

Having returned from Boston with renewed energy and seemingly recovered from the knee problems I am now building up the regular running and cycling. I have logged most of it using either Edge500 or Forerunner210 and its uploaded to Garmin Connect. Some of the activity has simultaneously been recorded using the iPhone app for Strava and it is undoubtedly motivating to do the comparison available via this service.

With the regularity of the riding and running has come the planning of training and the research on potential events. Some of this is looking towards the autumn and the idea of a marathon in October or November. So far the first idea was Palma or Frankfurt but a suggestion on the PWR forum was for Valencia and this has become my preferred option as its three weeks later and is supported by Sara. So a long weekend Friday through Monday is going to be booked.

In the more immediate timescale the priority is training for the RAB in early September. I am commuting regularly and this is building up my bike fitness again therefore I will ride from Hayes to Brighton and back with Bigfoot CC this Sunday. Two weeks later is the Sidcup to Whitstable ride organised by Sidcup Cycles. Both these are local events and will serve to get my endurance and time in the saddle. Already planned are the Dragon Ride and BHF London to Brighton both in June.

I do not want to neglect my PWR activities and there are some important events that I am going to participate in. These include the upcoming Beckenham team relays on 9th May, a 3 way mob match at the Bromley parkrun 12th May and the June Assembly League. All these are short distances but will help with improving leg turnover.

This morning I woke to very heavy rain so I decided to leave the bike at home and switch to train, DLR and then run. This journey starts with a 1.5 mile run to Elmstead Woods station and I chose to run in my asics DS Racers today so wet feet were splashing in puddles from the start. Legs felt stiff and had not recovered from Sundays 10k but it's mostly downhill and I was at the station in plenty of time. The connection at Lewisham worked well and by just before 7 I was at South Quay. The rain was heavy and the Garmin is always slow to load in amongst all the tower blocks so I walked forward until the signal was acquired. The usual route was blocked in part but I was soon heading towards the canal and although the legs were tired I made reasonable time. The routine is to complete the reverse journey in the evening but not long after I headed out on the return I was obviously not going to be able to do the full run back to South Quay. The legs were sore and I decided to head to Limehouse to finish with just over 3 miles. I even walked up the 1.5 miles from Elmstead Woods.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is no rain so I will be back on the bicycle for the commute.

There is a lot todo with planning for RAB and that includes the bike I will ride. My Enigma Ethos is my daily commuter but I want something lighter and faster for the RAB and the other Sportive events coming up. Some phone calls to make ....

Some petrol soaked brain driving logic

This comment makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time

Under the bonnet, a 580hp V10 Lamborghini engine grunts gently, accelerating at a rate of 0-60mph (0-100km/h) in just over four seconds.

"It accelerates like a motorbike so it's really good for overtaking in a safe way," Mr Wotke says - though he also acknowledges that "you could just go mad in this thing - but you'd lose your licence".


Two observations...
1. you are very unlikely to lose your licence for this type of driving given how little policing of roads actually exists
2. what assumptions are contained within the thought that accelerating exceptionally fast make it 'safe' for all road users?

But then the Top Gear team say its okay to drive and sow a button on at the same time so why not ...

A marathon and the after effect

The plan for the summer 2011 was to achieve another Boston qualifying time.  The Target was to be at least sub 3:30 and hopefully a better than that time to get me into the early entry phase.  With the huge increase in popularity the Boston organisers had developed a new entry process that opened early if you had a better than the minimum for your age grade.

In the early part of the year I had not actually entered a race but had talked about entering a April marathon but come the time and despite being in good shape I did not do it.  I think I felt somehow I was not ready despite having done much of the training, particularly the Sunday LSRs.  That meant to refocus on the autumn and after some hesitation I settled on the Nottingham marathon.  It seemed to have a good reputation and was a Sweatshop branded event.  From what I could tell the profile was undulating and was suited to a good time.

My training was not perfect due to the frequency of my cycling commute but I progressively reduced the cycling and increased the running to and from South Quay to Hackney and also included some mid week long runs the entire way home.  Summer time training I never find easy with holidays and the warm weather but on this occassion I managed to run in the heat in Ibiza but not the planned longer distances over 10 miles.  Nonetheless this summer was not hot so no impact when running here.   I just don't seem able to follow a formal plan and so I use my own instinct on frequency and how to use my existing journey to and from work as a basis for 'training'.  I typically ran 'hard' on the shorter 4 mile morning and evening legs and 'easy' on everything else.  However by virtue of some new found level of fitness some of the 'easy' runs turned out pretty quick with sub 8 minute miles not that hard to achieve.  There was not much racing as part of this programme but the Dartford Half turned out well and boosted my confidence early on but after that it was only Nottingham.

I was pleased with my organisation of the journey to Nottingham by train and the accommodation in a budget hotel within a mile of the start.  And although the meal in the pub the night before was below average quality it was fine.  On the morning itself I had planned in detail my food and drink and it was as good as can be hoped for when away from home. The usual porridge supplemented with energy drinks and then off to the start.

The hanging around is always the worst part of any race.  You get to the start in good time but then what to do.  The village area was busy but I just needed to rest and wait.  As the time for the start approached I headed over to the baggage area and stripped down and pinned on the bib number.  At this point I was able to help out someone who did not have safety pins and that gives you a good feeling to lift you before the start.  Then I was off the pens, but again more waiting.  Eventually we were on our way.  Much of the early miles are now a blur of memories but somewhere around 5 or six miles in I was conscious of running with someone.  At first you match stride and then I spoke to him and asked about his expected time.  The conversation was unexpected as I really would say I don't have a conversation when running, particularly not at race pace!  But we stayed together chatting intermittently until half way.  His plan was not to run fast here but use it as a training run for his preparation for Amsterdam.  After I went on and he slowed it took a bit of time to adjust to not having the pacing effect of another runner but the route was more challenging in the second half.  The toughest section was a combination of an out and back road and then the run around the national watersports lake at Hurst Pierpoint where the wind almost stopped me running.  The mental strength at this stage was being drained but I tried to focus on getting to Boston.  The route took the runners back to the Trent and alongside the Forest ground and then around the meander of the river before crossing over and turning back towards the park and then the finish.  The second half had been slower and the time ticked past 3:10 but a sub 3:15 was possible.  Over a ramp and a sprint to the finish caused some leg pain but it was temporary as I realised I had finished.

The usual routine of medal, goody bag and baggage tent followed by changing and a search to find the railway station which turned out to be a couple of mile walk.  Then something to eat from subway and the train home.

The next morning I am in good shape and decide that I will use the Brompton and train to commute to work.  I rush out the door and although initially the plan was to use Elmstead Woods I convinced myself somewhere on Watts Lane that I should switch to Chislehurst.  I whizzed onto the main road infront cars and sped towards ... disaster!

My recollection is foggy.  But I was aware that the roads were wet from rain earlier.  I realised that I had been going a bit quickly and decided to 'feather' the brakes.  I moved out from the side of the road and as I descended further down Summer Hill I remember at one point saying in my head ' that is not good ' as the rear wheel was no longer firmly on the road and I was starting to fly through the air.

I hit the road hard... very hard.  My wrist watch took some of the impact. My head was without a helmet but stayed away from anything hard but my left arm and left hip took the impact the bike slid beyond me.  I recollect quickly getting up and grabbing the bike and hobbling to the road edge. I was winded and hurt but could not tell how bad... was I going to be alright?  Initially I fumbled for my phone to call Sara.  My fingers shook and yet I called her to come and get me.  I lay down on the pavement and at first declined the suggestion of calling an ambulance from the biker who had stopped to help me.  After a short while I changed my mind.  A crowd gathered and people all were helping; local residents, another biker or two and then the ambulance paramedics.  I was feeling so tired and dazed that I have no idea on time.

A few things stick in the memory.  A discussion about pain levels; my heart rate being low; and their eagerness to cut my clothes that I pleaded them not to do.  The Gore top cost a fortune!

The A&E was efficient and I had a range of views of my hip and leg x-rayed and the good news was nothing was broken.  I was taken out of A&E and placed somewhere else but there was nothing much they could do.  By the end of the day I went home.  Hardly able to move. 

Something of a contrast with my condition post marathon.

Recent progress and forward view into 2012

I was woken about 4:30am with the sound of heavy rain beating against the window and wind howling through the trees.  I had briefly considered getting up early but was not able to resist the comfort of staying in bed so was finally woken by the iPhone alarm at 5:50am.  The forecast had been for rain and strong wind but I was pleasantly suprised to find that the sky was now clear and wind was not as strong as earlier.  I followed my usual routine except I did not put on the kitchen TV for BBC 1 Breakfast as that would enevitably slow my getting ready and the news is always such a steady stream of 'bad' news.  Nonetheless I expected rain so took the decision to wear the overshoes and stuff the lightweight jacket into the backpack for when the rain came.

The commute journey is a routine and I have been back riding to and from work since returning from the fall in early September.  I feel I am making good progress and fitness is coming back now as a result of the continuous pattern of 5 weeks of riding daily the 13 miles each way.  I consider it at a 'satisfactory' level but not yet to an 'endurance' level. This was proven on Saturday morning on the 40+ mile ride with BCC where I was lagging behind the level 3's on the climbs and was not able to maintain the cadence on the gently undulating sections.  However, what was most concerning was my fear on the descents.  The fall that so badly bruised my hip has also taken away my confidence on the road with anything that looks like it might cause me to come off the bike.  Drains, manhole covers, potholes and adverse cambers all scare the hell out of me.  I have to find a way of overcoming this if I am going to ride any distance beyond to and from work.

The Enigma Ethos attracted some positive comments during the ride.  It's my new winter bike and commuter and so far its proved remarkably comfortable and enjoyable to ride.  Also what might appear to be a trivial feature but are in fact an important addition are mudgards that keep me clean.  No more the dirty splash marks of road grime (petroleum and bitumen) on my shorts and jacket.

The new steed does mean a decision needs to be made about the much riden Trek 1.9 that now sits unused in the garage.  I need to clean it thoroughly and then have it serviced before putting it onto eBay.  I don't intend to be gready about the sale price but anything above £250 will be very satisfactory.  I know that is not very much towards the replacement that could be half as much again as the Ethos but that will be a higher specification Ti frame with hopefully Chorus 11 groupset and matching quality wheels.  But that is not until May or June 2012.

The next few months will comprise a juggling of both marathon training and cycling.  I have two milestones for 2012.  Firstly in April there is the Boston Marathon and then in September the Ride Across Britain (or Lands End to John O'Groats known as 'LEJOG').  I know I cannot compromise on the marathon training as I intend to run a sub 3:30 time which I would consider a respectable but not a leg damaging time.  Whilst I might be able to go faster I have said to anyone prepared to listen "this is my last marathon".  I am not entirely convinced of my own resolution to stick to that I am sure that when I am pounding the streets in February for 3 hours or 20 miles I won't for a moment want to commit to any more after Boston. 

A LEJOG has been something I have had on a 'things to do' list for a while and had assumed that I would do a 'supported' rather than the 'unsupported' approach.  With a support vehicle all the spare kit, clothes, food and drinks are off the bike leaving the rider to just enjoy the ride.  Unsupported can be based on carrying a tent for camping whilst others are with accommodation in B&B's pre-booked.  But I have gone for this organised event with the 960 mile route in 9 days which is fully supported but has a camp set up for each night stop.  It also includes a training programme and pre-event activities to get you to the starting line ready for the challenge.

So far I have signed up for the training programme at an Intermediate level though the Map My Tracks service and the associated RAB private Rider Hub which is a closed community for the participants.  As a result I have discovered to my great pleasure that a clubmate from BCC has signed up for the event.  We are currently discussing the various sportive events for spring and early summer as a compliment to the training rides.

Lastly I have purchased a Kindle edition of a recent LEJOG account called One Man and LEJOG by Antony Last which is helping me appreciate the scale of the challenge ahead.

Tomorrow I want to look back on the success of the Nottingham Marathon and the nightmare that followed.

A review of 1st Quarter 2011

March has been a busy month and rounds up a great first quarter of 2011 so here is a review of progress and activities.

parkrun in Bromley has been growing steadily after some terrible winter weather and by the end of the month it had reached its 82nd event. In March it averaged 131 runners each week and the last weekend was particularly rewarding for me personally as I set a new PB of 19:15 whilst being chased hard all the way to the finish kept me going.  Although only in 11th place it was a 35 second improvement on my previous time.  Conditions were ideal for the run with the ground firm and no rain in the preceeding days and I was feeling certain that an improvement was going to come but the margin did suprise me.

Running has taken a more frequent part of my commute to work since the turn of the year.  Last year I had been commuting by bike most days and the running performance had really suffered as a result.  The heart and lungs were fine but the legs just were not cooperating.  So starting late last year I switched a couple of days to running to the station then taking the train and DLR part of the way.  The final part of the journey involved the Regent Canal from around Limehouse up to Victoria Park then the final mile to Homerton on the local roads.  At first this was hard work but by March I was running from South Quay to Homerton, a distance of 4.3 miles in approximately 32 minutes in both directions each day as well as the 1.7 mile run from home to the station.  When combined with some long runs up to 20 miles on Sundays at 8 min/miles I had rediscovered an enjoyment with running that had been missing for about a year.

Cycling was not forgotten, but the winter has been tough on the south east London roads on a bike.  Bad weather, terrible road surfaces, punctures, a couple of falls and drivers who at best could be described as inattentive.  Also a change of route was required as I lost patience with and gave up using the Greenwich foot tunnel and started to use the Rotherhithe instead.  Although slightly further the route is faster, the downside is the polution in the tunnel which is terrible but it's quick to get through by making the most of the downslope.  

At the end of February I did my first sportive event of the year The Hell of the Ashdown.  A full race report was posted here.  This was my first training event in preparation for the Dragon Ride in south Wales.  It was a perfect day and although I was exhausted at the end of 65 miles I was very pleased with my 4 hour 15 minute time.  The Dragon is almost twice this distance but I rode HOTA alone for most of the distance and have gained valuable experience of riding a demanding route.

Also during the first quarter I have attended a Race Directors day course with England Athletics; an excellent event and good networking opportunity.  Through work I spent a week in Aberdovey on an Outward Bound course with 40 students and particularly enjoyed the overnight trip staying in a wooden cabin away from the centre.  Another weekend away was down on the East Sussex coast at Camber Sands at the Fitness Fiesta. 

I also had my London 2012 Olympic Games Maker interview in early February and walked the Sector 2 route during half term in preparation for marathon day on Sunday 17th April.  My only other volunteering was supporting the Marsden March as a marshal.  Behind the scenes the dialogue regarding SportBromley moved a step forward with a couple of meetings at the Civic Centre and I am looking forward to the forthcoming AGM.  There is a possibility I will make it onto the committee but nothing has yet been finalised.  There have been two PWR committee meetings and one race sub-group meeting in the first quarter but from the perspective of Race Director and Treasurer it has been very quiet.  The 10k is in the calendar for 9th October and entry is open on Runners World and RunBritain with a steady flow of entrants.  The sub group continue to discuss sponsorship opportunities with interested parties and the chip timing system to be used.

The next quarter has already started well with a reasonable performance of 67:09 at the Dartford 10 last Sunday.  Also Bromley parkrun hosted a three way mob match between local clubs Petts Wood, ORR and Beckenham on 2nd April which led to a record busting attendance of 266 runners on Saturday morning.  I ran well but not as quick as the previous weekend achieving a 19:47 with the intention of saving my legs for the 10 mile run the next day.

Looking forward, instead of completing a marathon which will have to wait to the autumn, I need to focus on the bike riding in preparation for the Dragon Ride and also the BHF London to Brighton during June.  These two rides will be a big contrast to each other.  The Dragon is a hugely popular event amongst the serious club cyclists whereas the L2B is more of a fun run with a carnival atmosphere.  Nonetheless the L2B has the Ditchling Beacon to climb and its my intention to get well ahead of the crowds so that I can complete the climb.

Therefore by early July I hope to be reviewing achievements with the bike in those two rides on the back of solid weekend training rides out into Kent and running some respectable performances in a few 10k or 10 miles races.  Also by then parkrun attendances might be averaging over 150 each week and event preparation for the 10k will be well advanced.