Maintaining the Training;
Most days I cycle to and from work, and try to do more at the weekend. But family takes precedence, so a trip to Swindon on Saturday with Hannah, Michael and grand-daughter Josie to see friend Ros was a special time. Back for church on Sunday, I was just descending into Luton when the mobile fired off a message; missed call from Naomi. I don't like calls on the bike; I can never answer them in time.
But this call changed the plans for the return cycle ride. Naomi was feeling rough in Cheltenham. So it was home by the direct route, lunch as planned, and Sue & I drove to Cheltenham. Five minute turn around and I drive Naomi's V reg Yaris back to Eaton Bray. It's a lovely car, and Naomi survives the journey home in the car that has aircon and comfy seats!
Stephen graduated this last weekend with his Masters in Education from Homerton, Cambridge, so we joined him at his college and then the Senate House for the ceremony. Central Cambridge had a huge choice of eating establishments, so Jamie's Italian won the day at about 1700hrs and we retreated inside from the showers that had dogged us. Emerging into the evening light, we toured my old college Queens' in the best of the day's weather. Cameras captured the events. Another special day with no cycling!
Sunday I finally did a longer ride. Ten miles to church, 17 miles to St Albans, and I had looked at the Sustrans Route 6 in advance. Underneath the Parkway bridge to Luton Hoo, the cycle track was easy to find. It's a beauty to ride on, taking me into the centre of Harpenden. Then the main road took me past the station and on to St Albans. Just as I was approaching Morrisons the mobile went off. It was Sue, but another missed call! At Hannah's home, I had a chance of a shower and change before a meal out at Darcys with all the family to celebrate my retirement. Sue's next call catches me in the bathroom, but I get a lift to the restaurant. Another great meal out. Once back in my cycling gear, its home the most direct route. 17 miles in 73 minutes into a head wind. The worst bit was the bumpy road below Harpenden. It felt like the bike had elliptical wheels for a couple of miles. Great to descend Bison Hill at Whipsnade in the final approach to home.
The Garmin SatNav tells me my speeds and times, and even on the shorter routes, my times are improving. Folk sometimes comment I'm looking a bit thinner; the scales tell me that too when I jump on them in the morning. So I haven't done big distances since Sheffield, but I retire tomorrow. The department takes me out on Wednesday evening to Cafe Masala in Eaton Bray, and I can then get serious about clocking up more miles.
Watch this space to see the fruition! Shall I change my pedals and cycling shoes to SPD clip-ons? The theory is I could go faster. The reluctance is that I might fail to dismount safely, by a twist of the foot to disengage the pedal when stopping. I want to cycle to Evans in Milton Keynes to pick up a discount of some final cycling items.
I saw a great cycling top in London last Thursday in Holborn. " Hate Jams; Love Marmite" in bright yellow. I start the day with marmite on my toast. There's double appeal there. Oh yes; I overtook Sue on the way to work last week, after she had earlier gone past me. Another joy of cycling!
Join me again soon.
Monday, 29 April 2013
Sunday, 14 April 2013
Sheffield training; day 2
35 miles with a lunch stop didn't seem to be much of a day. But it was. The ascents and descents were steeper, and one of the fit young ones had a front tyre blowout on descent. His helmet protected him from worse, but he'll probably have had sutures over his eye. His padded protection ripped on his left side where he landed in an instant. His bike flew against the wall. A farmhouse couple 100metres downhill heard the noise and brought first aid up the hill. The tour back up van picked him up, and his two friends were driving him home later. His inner tube had a 6 inch rip in it, possibly due to the heat of braking on a hotter day.
We were all more reluctant on descents, and walked our bikes down thw steeper ones as the wind whipped up. The snow melt was being blown uphill! I also got off and walked up a few of the tougher ones, when walking was as fast as cycling. So i got back to the hotel at 1400hours and arrived home at 1730.
The family seemed glad to see me! Back to work tomorrow on the bike.
We were all more reluctant on descents, and walked our bikes down thw steeper ones as the wind whipped up. The snow melt was being blown uphill! I also got off and walked up a few of the tougher ones, when walking was as fast as cycling. So i got back to the hotel at 1400hours and arrived home at 1730.
The family seemed glad to see me! Back to work tomorrow on the bike.
Saturday, 13 April 2013
I was talking of punctures - and how to avoid them
Morning enthusiasm had me on the bike at 0720 the next day. One mile out, the front tyre went flat quickly. I walked it home and had an hour down to the sea at Mudeford on our second hand mountain bike. Fixed the bike after breakfast, and no problems since.
Thursday was Naomi's birthday, so apart from checking the tyres on a trip to the local shops, my training was in abbeisance. Friday I had plans on putting the panniers on and cycling up Bison Hill at Whipsnade. That didn't happen. The Garmin navigator with downloadable Ordinace Survey maps of the whole UK on a SD card wouldn't unlock the files onto the Garmin. Naomi,treasure that she is, spent 4 hours trying her computer-literate best to help - to no avail. Garmin have a 3-day waiting list to help, but because lots of folk have problems 9 non-Garmin technical experts offer to assist at £28 a call. I declined.
So today my Garmin told me I expended 4880 Calories in cycling 65 miles around the west of Sheffield in the beautiful Peak district over six and a half hours. I was in some of the first back at the Holiday Inn Express on Blonk Street - that is not a misprint! It is very difficult to drive to unless you know the City. I have climbed and descended bigger hills than ever before, and covered more miles in a day than since I was a teenager. I feel in fairly good shape for tomorrow's 35 miles on steeper hills to the Northwest.
The team is great. One drove the support vehicle with snacks and drinks, and two cycled with us. Our route maps were handy, so we went at our own pace. The morning was sunny, but cloudy from lunchtime and rain in your face from 1500hours. There were two foot deep snow drifts at the tops, and there were rivulets down the road from the thaw. We ascended up Eccleshall road and then Ringinglow, amd returned the same way. The descents at Hathersage and Edale were awesome. The ascents from Bakewell and around Stannedge Edge were humbling. I confess to dismounting on two occasions to push the bike to the summit, when the narrow road had cars driving towards you, and you were struggling with the lowest of low gears. I am delighted with the bike and my level of fitness, but one day of 66 miles is not the same as consecutive 14 days of 71 miles on average. The End-to-End leaders say that if you get through Cornwall and Devon as far as Glastonbury, you are likely to complete.
And so to bed... Thanks for reading this far
Thursday was Naomi's birthday, so apart from checking the tyres on a trip to the local shops, my training was in abbeisance. Friday I had plans on putting the panniers on and cycling up Bison Hill at Whipsnade. That didn't happen. The Garmin navigator with downloadable Ordinace Survey maps of the whole UK on a SD card wouldn't unlock the files onto the Garmin. Naomi,treasure that she is, spent 4 hours trying her computer-literate best to help - to no avail. Garmin have a 3-day waiting list to help, but because lots of folk have problems 9 non-Garmin technical experts offer to assist at £28 a call. I declined.
So today my Garmin told me I expended 4880 Calories in cycling 65 miles around the west of Sheffield in the beautiful Peak district over six and a half hours. I was in some of the first back at the Holiday Inn Express on Blonk Street - that is not a misprint! It is very difficult to drive to unless you know the City. I have climbed and descended bigger hills than ever before, and covered more miles in a day than since I was a teenager. I feel in fairly good shape for tomorrow's 35 miles on steeper hills to the Northwest.
The team is great. One drove the support vehicle with snacks and drinks, and two cycled with us. Our route maps were handy, so we went at our own pace. The morning was sunny, but cloudy from lunchtime and rain in your face from 1500hours. There were two foot deep snow drifts at the tops, and there were rivulets down the road from the thaw. We ascended up Eccleshall road and then Ringinglow, amd returned the same way. The descents at Hathersage and Edale were awesome. The ascents from Bakewell and around Stannedge Edge were humbling. I confess to dismounting on two occasions to push the bike to the summit, when the narrow road had cars driving towards you, and you were struggling with the lowest of low gears. I am delighted with the bike and my level of fitness, but one day of 66 miles is not the same as consecutive 14 days of 71 miles on average. The End-to-End leaders say that if you get through Cornwall and Devon as far as Glastonbury, you are likely to complete.
And so to bed... Thanks for reading this far
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Crises with Cows and wiggly wheels
Winter's almost gone, and the miles and hills have to be totting up to show I'm serious about this 950 mile endeavour I've signed up for. Five days in the New Forest has given me a chance to chase the last Easterly breezes away. I don't like headwinds; I realise how much they slow me on my Garmin route maker secured to my handlebars. The Lycra is getting an airing, but I need the layers on top still to lessen the chill. So 30 miles yesterday and 40 today without too many steep inclines.
And the cows? In the New Forest, when you've dismounted for a cattle grid, you look out for free-living livestock. Today it was the cows that wandered purposefully into my path. One found me more terrifying in appearance than the juggernaut beside me. Naomi snatched a picture of a bovine reversing away from my fluorescent attire!
Reality hits on Saturday when I have a weekend of endurance on the peaks around Sheffield. 65 miles followed by 35 on the Sunday and back at work for Monday. Some of those others doing a Peak Tours End-to-End in the next months have a chance to see how their training is going. I will know know how much more I need by the weekend's finish.
Meanwhile the first repairs are necessary. The rear wheel is getting re-dished, so I hope it will ride true and not catch the brake pads in free-wheel mode. I'm not into bike maintenance, so I'm on a steep learning curve there too.
April 30th heralds my last day at work, and then I've got ten days to limber up in final preparations, before catching the train to Penzance on 11th May. We get billeted at St Just, and then we will set off from that well-known signpost in Cornwall. I plan to update daily from that day until 26th May. Thanks for travelling with me.
Rest & Recuperation:
The bike's had a rear lift, and I've had a rest day. Six miles in the rain back from the cycle shop with a rear light to fit and wing mirror to fix. Interesting observation on the cycleshop - they don't reinflate the tyres to the pressure I've been told is safer. 75 psi is what my tyres states is maximum, and that is where I like to keep them, free of punctures. I've been told that soft tyres are more likely to get punctures.
Forecast for tomorrow morning is OK. A ride to the beach before breakfast appeals. Then back to Eaton Bray to celebrate Omi's 22nd birthday on Thursday. Up to Sheffield for the TEST on Friday - actually Saturday & Sunday will prove my mettle or lack thereof! The menus have been ordered for Friday and Saturday restaurants. You can see the order of priorities.
Michael
And the cows? In the New Forest, when you've dismounted for a cattle grid, you look out for free-living livestock. Today it was the cows that wandered purposefully into my path. One found me more terrifying in appearance than the juggernaut beside me. Naomi snatched a picture of a bovine reversing away from my fluorescent attire!
Reality hits on Saturday when I have a weekend of endurance on the peaks around Sheffield. 65 miles followed by 35 on the Sunday and back at work for Monday. Some of those others doing a Peak Tours End-to-End in the next months have a chance to see how their training is going. I will know know how much more I need by the weekend's finish.
Meanwhile the first repairs are necessary. The rear wheel is getting re-dished, so I hope it will ride true and not catch the brake pads in free-wheel mode. I'm not into bike maintenance, so I'm on a steep learning curve there too.
April 30th heralds my last day at work, and then I've got ten days to limber up in final preparations, before catching the train to Penzance on 11th May. We get billeted at St Just, and then we will set off from that well-known signpost in Cornwall. I plan to update daily from that day until 26th May. Thanks for travelling with me.
Rest & Recuperation:
The bike's had a rear lift, and I've had a rest day. Six miles in the rain back from the cycle shop with a rear light to fit and wing mirror to fix. Interesting observation on the cycleshop - they don't reinflate the tyres to the pressure I've been told is safer. 75 psi is what my tyres states is maximum, and that is where I like to keep them, free of punctures. I've been told that soft tyres are more likely to get punctures.
Forecast for tomorrow morning is OK. A ride to the beach before breakfast appeals. Then back to Eaton Bray to celebrate Omi's 22nd birthday on Thursday. Up to Sheffield for the TEST on Friday - actually Saturday & Sunday will prove my mettle or lack thereof! The menus have been ordered for Friday and Saturday restaurants. You can see the order of priorities.
Michael
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