Team Sky :-)

Well yesterday I received the best text message I have ever received. I won a place at the Team Sky launch ride - I will ride with Team Sky!

I have not stopped grinning since I heard that news and on January 4th I will get another text telling me where in London to meet them. I will definitely blog about the experience so watch this space.

End of year training

Just had a fantastic week in wonderful, sunny Lanzarote. I'm really pleased that I managed a little bit of training more or less everyday and I hope to get time to write some more about the island in the context of this blog.

So each day from 25th to 31st December I at least did some swimming and/or push-ups and pull-ups, plus:

Saturday 26th

8km run

Sunday 27th

32km cycle

Monday 28th

16km cycle (which included a climb which I will write more about soon!)

Tuesday 29th

7km cycle (all climbing...see above)

Wednesday 30th

5km run

All the cycling was short distance so nothing too arduous and it was on a hired mountain bike which I wasn't too keen on.

Now it's New Years Eve so I rest.

The lure of fixed gear

Juliet explains (with the help of the legend that is 'Super' Ted) the attraction of riding fixed gear bikes.

Fixed 2 from Charge Bikes on Vimeo.

Gym...chest day for some reason

Flat db bench press 30kg 4 x 8
Lying db floor press 30kg 4 x 8
Lying db flye on floor 12.5kg 2 x 10
Flat db flye on bench 20kg 2 x 8-10
Various tricep exercises (unstructured routine!) to failure
Push ups with feet elevated high up on bar 4 x 15

Monday gym

500m row, x 5 (all under 1:49)

Leg press, 200 lbs 4 x 25

Front squats, 50kg 8 x 5

Core/abs work, 20mins

Lazy Sunday afternoon...

16kg kettlebell snatches: no rest, 1 set = 6l 6r. 15 sets completed. Hands started tearing up and slight twinge in back so stopped.

Then:

60kg clean barbell from floor and push press: 6/6/6/6/6

Best commercial ever made, period.

Not great picture quality but as someone says in the comments below, "best commercial ever made, period".

The bit where the kids in the hospital run to the window and Lance punches the sky always brings a lump to the throat...

What are you on?

Everybody wants to know what I'm on.

What am I on!?

I'm on my bike busting my ass 6 hours a day.

What are you on?

Macaframa

Love it.

Saturday feet up? No chance!

Pretty much trained to exhaustion today.

• Deadlifts: 50kg x 10, 70kg x 10, 80kg x 10, 87.5kg x 9 (this is current bodyweight), 90kg x 8, 90kg x 8
• Chin-ups (bodyweight + 16kg kettlebell on waist chain): 3/3/3/3/3
• Ring dips: 5/3/5/5/3
• Inverted rows on rings: 12/11/10/9
• Push ups superset with Abs wheel rollouts: 20+10, 20+10, 20+10, 20+10

I'm really missing getting out on the bike at the moment but the weather has been a bit wild. Seems like I've put on a little bit of weight but I am not too concerned - plenty of time to get the miles in in the New Year.

I do aim to drop to around 82kg by May/June 2010. Watch this space!

Riding with The Shack

This is just a great story. The Fat Cyclist is a blog that's been around for a while but things took quite a significant turn recently when Fatty got himself a place training with Lance Armstrong's RadioShack team.

Anyway, the full story can be found on his blog along with pics and videos.

Dreams do come true and good luck to him.

Wednesday in the gym...all alone

Crossfit Fran - Thrusters/Pull-ups (21-15-9) 90lbs barbell (15 mins)

Incline db bench 4 x 10

Flat db bench close grip 4 x 8

Db flyes 2 x 8

Push ups on push up bars feet raised quite high on bar 3 x 12

Core work (20 minutes)

I really enjoyed the Crossfit workout and I intend to do more of these in the New Year.

Running man

Cold, sleety and snowy in London today but managed to run for 7+ miles.

Tuesday training @ home

• Kettlebell Tabata swings (All Tabata 20s on, 10s rest x 8)
• Kettlebell Tabata alternating snatches
• Kettlebell Tabata alternating shoulder press
• Tri-set - Pull-ups, Chin-ups, Hammer curls (25kg first 2 sets then 23kg) 5x5
• Dumbbell curls superset with narrow grip chin-ups 23kg and body 3 x 6
• Upright row superset with lat raises with 8kg kettlebell
• Narrow grip pressups superset with ab wheel rollouts 3-4 sets

Medical all done

No problems. Sent the form stamped and signed by the GP to Cyclomundo.

Sunday training @ home

• Push ups on gymnastic rings superset with pull-ups (2+1,4+2,6+3,8+4,10+5 and then ladder back down again all the way to 2+1)
• Weighted pull-ups (body + 10kg) superset with dips on rings (1+1,2+2,3+3,4+4 but failed on the last pull-up of the final set)
• Weighted chin-ups (body + 10kg) superset with inverted rows on rings (2+4,3+6,4+8 and then ladder back down again all the way to 2+4)
• 'Tri-set' (not sure if this is correct terminology!) but E-Z bar curls, E-Z bar tricep x-tensions and dumbbell shoulder press 5x6 of each. Dumbbells 2x25kg, E-Z bar from 30kg to 40kg.

The Road to Tourmalet

When I signed up for the Etape I pre-ordered a copy of The Road to Tourmalet which is a recon of the stage by a company called Cyclefilm.

Should have received the DVD by now but there was a delay in production, however, they have sent a link and password to the full feature so we can watch online while waiting for the DVD. I thought that was a nice touch.

Anyway, from what I have seen so far I would thoroughly recommend it. Good value at £17.99.

Here's a trailer:

ETAPE DU TOUR 2010 - Tourmalet Recon from CYCLEFILM on Vimeo.

I want...

Futura/SAG messenger bag

Friday run round Regents Park London

9.2Km...route link here

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20372477

Thursday cardio

16 mins (boat race test) row 4080m
30 mins spin bike
20 mins treadmill with some 200m sprints

Wednesday 9th more gym work

Superset Heavy bag work with sets of pushups (regular, t-ups, feet on swiss ball, feet on swiss ball/hands on 2 medicine balls) … probably did 12 sets+

Superset Machine chest press with swiss ball crunches with medicine ball (3 sets)

Superset Situps + Medicine ball with Tricep rope push downs (3 sets)

Superset Rope ab crunches with Burpees (incl a push up in each rep) (3 sets)

2km treadmill at 10-10.5km/h

Etape entry form

Received the entry form yesterday. I need to get a medical certificate from the GP so I am trying to organise this asap. They claim at Cyclomundo that the quicker I get the form back then the lower the race number which means I won't be so penned in on the big day.

Need to call the GP tomorrow as instructed. I really hope there is not a long wait for an appointment.

Dec 8th weights day

Loadsa weights:

Clean & press from floor around 6 sets up to 70kg
BOR 50kg 3 x 10
Upright row 30-40kg 3 x 12
Face pulls 4 x 12
Pull-ups 5 x 3-4 (just bodyweight)
Chin-ups 4 x 4 (as above)
Standing bb curl 30-40kg 4 x 10 superset with hammer db curls 4 x 10 15kg
Seated db curls 20kg 4 x 5
21s curls 2 x N/A
Core work 10 mins with leg raises hanging & on floor

Monday Dec 7th in the gym

3 x 3 min rounds heavy punch bag
16 min row (4000m+)
2 x 3 min rounds heavy punch bag
16 min bike incl. 2 x 3 min hill intervals
2 x 2 min rounds heavy punch bag
10 min treadmill 10-11km/h

Sunday training in the gym

I am lucky at the moment to have free access to a little company gym where I am working. Today though I was taken as a guest to a Virgin Active gym locally so today's session was:

Incline bench press 60kg 4x8 (sets x reps)
Incline db press 24kg 4x8
Flat bench press 60kg 4x8
Deadlift 80-100kg 5x5-8
Back squats 60kg 4x6
Seated machine row N/a 4x10-12
Seated cable row N/a 3x8
Inverted grip pull-ups Body 3x4 (found these hard)
Concept2 row 1000m (sub 4mins but just used it as a cool down)

I should be lifting more in the back squats but I am nervous about my sore knees at the moment.

London to Paris - might do this one day

Can't wait to see the full version of this - looks fantastico.

LONDON TO PARIS from Amazing Grace on Vimeo.

Inspirational people

Once I get my teeth into something I'm pretty much full on, 100% determined and some would say a little (ok - very) obsessive. I just can't see the point in doing something half-arsed.

So in terms of my training I'm very dedicated but one thing that also really helps is being inspired by others. You'd think that hero-worshipping Lance Armstrong would be enough but it also helps that I have worked for the last year or so with some inspirational people. I am surrounded by colleagues and friends who train really hard. From daily cardio bunnies in the company gym, sub 20 minute 5km runners, marathon runners to Ironman triathletes I am always amazed at how many people around me keep fit. The boss for example has trekked to Everest base camp, sailed to Antarctica and across the 12 months of this year scaled 50 mountains.

And then there is Richard. Within the next few days he will get into a 23ft rowing boat called appropriately 'No Fear' and row with his mate from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua. 3000 miles across the Atlantic. This is going to take around 60 days and is the same journey that James Cracknell and Ben Fogle undertook 2 or 3 years ago. Now that's inspirational! So for the next 60 days at least, if there is ever a moment I need to push myself harder or dare to think "Ah, I won't ride today because it's raining" I will think of Richard out there in the ocean doing something super human.

If anyone ever comes across this blog and wants to see what Richard is up to there are some links in my blog list on the right.

Why the Etape?

I hate travelling on public transport. It is a dehumanising experience commuting into London day in day out. So I would stand there on the train or bus, crammed in with the snotters and the sneezers, and look out and see hundreds of cyclists weaving their way through London's traffic. Ummm....I could do that but I am too much of a coward. But, the more I thought of it the more I wanted to give it a go. In a way I had to confront that fear.

I don't know where I saw my first 'fixie' but immediately I thought - I should know better at my age, but [man] I want one of those! I chatted to my friend James at work because I knew he had one and then I saw this video:

MASH Austin with Lance Armstrong 2008 from MASH TRANSIT PRODUCTIONS on Vimeo.

Lance? On a fixed gear? That was it, no further persuasion was necessary. With James's encouragement I finally took the plunge and ordered a shiny new Charge Plug.

That was in June and now less than 6 months later I have covered hundreds of mile on my Charge and entered the Etape 2010. Madness.

But, 2010 was always going to be Lance's year. I promised myself I would get to see him in what will probably be his final Tour. And when I heard about the Etape in a cycling magazine I thought taking on that challenge would be a perfect way to salute him. I doubt I have been this excited about anything in a long time!

So, I train most days anyway in the gym. I keep pretty fit and now this has given me the incentive to take it to the next level. I like to train with weights and I will keep that going. I like to row and get out for the odd run and I will also continue to do that but the big thing is to get a nice racing bike and put in some long rides. To support that I have entered the King of the Downs next May which looks really tough but I am up for it.

First training session

So this is the first time I have been out for a bike ride for exercise. Just to clarify; when cycling to work I do close to 28 miles per day and try to do some intervals during the journey but it is tricky to go hard due to traffic.

Headed out towards Hayes, then on to Keston, Biggin Hill and through to Westerham. Surprised how I found myself gently but constantly climbing until Westerham Hill which was a rather unpleasant steep descent - very tough on a fixed gear bike. Stopped for a couple of minutes on the green in Westerham to take a photo by Churchill's statue and then headed back for home.

Here I went a bit wrong trying to avoid climbing Westerham Hill. Headed up a country lane which was awash with rain water and muck including some very smelly stuff seeping out of a farm. I was soon covered in the smelly stuff (*hangs head in shame - no mudguards) and then found myself back at Westerham Hill anyway as I rejoined the main road. From a standing start I did try to cycle up it but after about 50m I could feel there was no way I would get anywhere near the top so I pulled in and endured the shame of walking up to near the top.

Started to feel a bit cold, thirsty and hungry so headed for home clocking up a neat 50km.

So what did I learn from this first 2 hour+ ride?

• I loved it, particularly once away from heavy traffic

• I found the hill that beat me on the fixie (first one that has!)

• I should prepare better for slightly longer rides (see below)

• I should take a drink next time

• I should take a little snack next time like an energy bar or a banana

• I will go back to Westerham Hill one day and beat it

There might be a way to publish the map of the route here but for now here is a link:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/20029883