London Duathlon over and out

Seems like ages ago now that I booked a slot in the London Duathlon. I said at the time I booked that I was doing so because I wanted something to focus on after the Etape. To that end it served its purpose.

It was quite nice to switch from cycling dominated training to running. In fact after the Etape I did no formal cycle training apart from my commute and some leisurely Sunday rides. Until that point too the furthest I had ever run in my life was about 11km a couple of years ago. So in the lead up to the Duathlon I built my running distance up as follows (all in Km):

6.5, 10, 10, 12.5, 16, 9, 21.1 (first half mara!), 5, 12, 20

On the big day I was in the group to set off just after the elites. The first Ultra distance Duathlon and I was in it. It felt quite good. The first 20km run went ok - I even managed to overtake a few and came in at 1:52 which was quicker than I thought I would do. The bike leg was a disaster though. I came out of transition and went to clip in with my right foot and a part of my cleat broke preventing from properly clipping in for the whole bike leg. Worse though was that I almost immediately got a hot-foot attack just like on the Etape. I had changed my cleat position, put insoles in my shoes but again it was the blow-lamp on the feet again. This meant I just could not get any speed up and I did the 80km and 7 laps in an appallingly slow [just under] 3 hours.

The minute I got to the dismount line before transition I took off my shoes and ran in my socks to rack my bike. Trainers on and I was off on the final 10km run. I didn't really run, I shuffled but looking at my Garmin it seemed I had plenty of time to break my 6 hour target time. After about 10 mins my Garmin battery went flat (I thought it was good for 8 hours in training mode grrr) so I had no idea if I was going to make it at the pace I was shuffling at. I saw someone ahead who was wearing the same colour number as me and they seemed to be walking then running but even though I was kind of running I just couldn't catch them.

Within the last 2 km I blew up completely. I grabbed 2 cups of water from the drinks station and walked a bit while I drank them. I started to 'run' again but 200m from the finish line and at about the only point on the whole course where there was a concentration of spectators I got cramp down the back of my right leg. I lent on the side trying to stretch it and people were shouting for me to carry on so I limped on and then someone shouted, "come on mate, make it look good for the cameras". With that I just managed to hit a few running like movements to cross the line. In fact I wasn't sure I had finished until I heard a voice behind me say, "would you like a medal?" and it seemed I had run though the finish in my befuddled state.

I missed my 6 hour target by a few minutes. Gutted and annoyed that the bike leg did for me. Oh well....

That's it for this blog. I now formally declare this blog over. I might pop up again later and if you keep your own blogs going then I will drop in as it would be lovely to keep in touch.

All the best,

Andrew

Learning to swim

During the summer holidays when I was about 10 years old my mates suggested going to the local baths for a swim. I happily went along blissfully unaware that I couldn't swim. How did I not know that I couldn't? Would it not have been obvious? Well it wasn't obvious to me at the time, and when they all went jumping and diving in the pool I did the same (in the shallow end luckily) and then threw myself forward in the water thinking - well this is how it's done isn't it, how difficult can it be? Of course I soon found out that I wasn't able to follow them and spent the session hanging on to the side-bar feeling quite lonely.

I wonder how much that experience shaped my (some would say 'determined' others would say 'pig-headed') character as an adult. It could have gone two ways: I could have given up and not gone to the pool again or I could learn how to swim so I could join in. I chose the latter but I didn't have anyone to teach me (none of my family knew how to swim) so I just went on my own to the pool day after day, launched myself forward time and time again until eventually I found I could float. Then I started waving my arms and legs in a front crawl looking stroke until one day I started moving in a sort of forward direction. From there I progressed enough to join in with my mates. Over the following months I even managed to get into a swimming gala and bag a few merit badges for distance.

As an adult I rarely swam and when I met my wife I realised that I couldn't really swim properly. She's a beautiful swimmer and her giggles at my thrashing around were enough for me to retreat into a kind of breaststroke, head up high out of the water, not going anywhere fast. No longer at the beach would she have to have the conversation -

That guys in trouble, we'd better call the lifeguard!

No that's my husband and he's fine

He's drowning!

No that's how he swims, he's fine honest

At that point the Man from Atlantis would emerge from the water puffed out, choking and probably covered in seaweed.

My interest in taking on a triathlon next year has brought the whole swimming challenge back into my life. Over the August bank holiday we stayed in an apartment with a communal pool and I decided that it was time to confront my fears. I bought myself some swimming goggles and put myself in the hands of my wife and kids and said - come on then teach me. At first I couldn't even put my face in the water. When I did I would just start to loudly choke and splutter which is quite embarrassing in front of a few hundred other holidaymakers. But I did progress a little; I was still swallowing water and for some strange reason couldn't stop water going up my nose, but at the end of the 3 days (admittedly after a few too many glasses of wine with lunch) I managed to dive in the pool with some style and even execute a few stroke like moves in the Med. The experience though of entering the pool and then hearing from the overlooking apartment balconies, "Come quick, that bald bloke's getting in the pool again, this will be a laugh" has persuaded me to seek formal coaching.

So this morning bright and early I turned up for my first lesson of twelve. Oooh I have so much to learn. I still can't breath when my face comes out of the water but I did 'glide' ok and the instructor said I looked quite strong in the water and "that was a good sign". I respond well to the in-at-the-deep-end approach to life's challenges but if I do actually end up being good enough to complete a tri then I will be genuinely amazed.

Hot Foot...must be a Mamil

After all this time I have finally solved the mystery of the agonising foot pain I experienced during the Etape. Reading an old tri magazine last night I read about something called 'Hot foot' and sure enough looking it up on the web this morning this is exactly what I experienced.

Hot foot or Metatarsalgia is caused by pressure on the nerves causing a burning sensation..."severe cases feel like some sadistic demon is applying a blowtorch".

Boy can I identify with that description! I think my shoes fit okay but with the heat on the day of the Etape the feet probably swelled causing pressure. I wish I had been level headed enough to move the cleat position and shift the pressure. Oh well it's too late now and anyway one reason I suffered from it could be thinning skin due to old age...fits well with my label as a Mamil (Middle Aged Man in Lycra).

2011 must do event

I had an email tonight from ASO asking for a survey to be completed about a new sportive they are planning. Anyone who has done the Etape this year will probably get the same. I was a bit slow to realise at first but amazed when I saw they are planning to do Paris-Roubaix and using the survey responses to shape the event.

I know where I will be on April 11th 2011.

Fabian Cancellara wins Paris-Roubaix [HD] from CYCLEFILM on Vimeo.

Etape Garmin stats

Just had a look through my Garmin stats still quite proud to have finished the ride but still quite annoyed that I wasn't a little quicker.

• Time to the foot of Marie-Blanque (take that as Escot at 54.5km): 01:57
• Coming off the summit at 64km including the walking (so annoying!): 03:01
• To summit of Col du Soulor at 125km: 06:10

So let's say 10 hours was a realistic target at this point. I've got 3 hours 50 minutes to complete just 56km. Roughly 20km of that is downhill and 20km up the little lump called the Col du Tourmalet. And this is where it goes wrong.

I can see that I descend far too slowly off Solour (I knew this even before looking at the stats because I was really suffering from that blasted foot thing at this point). Then on the Tourmalet I am slow which might be expected but what is annoying is that my HR on the Soulor ascent was sitting up at the mid 160s and on the Tourmalet it averaged out at approx 147 bpm. Should have been able to push harder. My official time for the Tourmalet climb was 02:49: I've gone for months thinking that climbing the Tourmalet was a 2 hour job. The reality is quite different though!

This is not the end, it's the end of the beginning

-Le Mondovélo!? You mean your son?

-No, my husband.

-Him!?

We've only been at her house for 5 minutes and Mme Gaye, our host and owner of the Hotel Le Vieux Logis, is already eyeing me suspiciously. We've just arrived at the cottage and it's getting dark so before anything else I am readying my bike for the morning.

-So, you are going up the Tourmalet tomorrow?

-Yes that's right, I say from behind my bike.

-Get a good night's sleep, you are going to need it. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.

And she was dead right. A long day indeed. She was very impressed though when she found out I had finished and sent my kids down with an Etape pullout from the local newspaper she had kept for me. My best memories of the Etape are all related to people:

• The relationship we built with hard working Mme Gaye: how she treated us like royalty when we dined up at the hotel. The perfect evening. The hugs and kisses she gave us when we said our farewells says it all about this irrepressible woman.
• The people cheering, clapping and shouting Allez, Allez!! At one point I zipped quickly through a tiny hamlet and there was a huge cheer. I looked behind me thinking there must be a big group of us but no for a few seconds it was just me on my own and loving all the attention!
• The guy who I watched give someone a push when they had nearly ground to a halt on a steep bend. He turned round as I was coming, smiled and gestured with his hand on his chest that the effort of pushing had got his heart pounding. Still he took pity on me and launched me up the slope giving my poor feet a few seconds respite.
• Those who doused me with cool water. I am wondering if without this in that heat if I would have keeled over and not finished.
• Those I met on the ride - Karen, the Dulwich club members and the lady who I should apologise to: on the Tourmalet she recognised my club kit and said hi but I was in no fit state to chat. You were going strong and I am sure you finished.
• The 2 French couples who gave my family and I a lift down from the Col du Soulor on stage 16. We had walked 13km up the summit in the heat because the police had stopped us driving any closer. We were dreading having to walk all the way back down again but we cheekily stuck out a thumb and you stopped and kindly ferried these strangers all the way back to our car. Thank you so much!
• Sean Yates: I spotted the Team Sky bus outside a hotel on the Wednesday Tour rest day in Pau. I stopped and had a wander round and Sean was there chatting to someone. So I interrupted and asked if I could take a photo and he was very nice about it.
• Lance Armstrong: This all really started after watching the Tour last year. I said I had to be there in what I guessed would be your last Tour. We walked a long way to see you on stage 16 and you didn't disappoint. It was just a great moment when you accelerated up that final section right in front of our eyes as the pic below shows...

We stood right by your bike lent up against the Radioshack bus at the beginning of stage 17 knowing that unless someone moved it you'd have to come by. I shouted, "the Tour's going to miss you Lance" and I'm pretty sure you heard me and smiled (although I think the smile said 'to be honest I've just about had enough of all this'). You clearly did smile at my youngest who is a rather cute 9 year old and you signed an autograph for him before getting your bike and heading off to make mincemeat of the same stage I had ridden soooo slowly.

And so to my fellow bloggers and readers. Thank you and chapeau if you finished the Etape. I'm sorry if you didn't and there is always next year.

Would I do it again? I feel it is likely and I am guessing it will be in the Alps which I won't be able to resist. I would do some things differently though i.e. not drive for 2 days and arrive at 6pm the night before to register; if I get any foot pain don't confuse being well 'ard with being well fick (I could have got some bandage/medical help, moved my cleats position etc. which would have been more intelligent).

Anyway I will still be around in the blogging world. I've got the London Duathlon in early September so I need to get training....

Etape report - warning it's raw

You know I like to post stuff with all the immediate emotions and I've written this within 24 hours of the end. I don't intend to steralise it - so apologies for any inaccuracies and bad language as this is written from memory and without checking the Garmin etc....

Waiting at the start it was warm so I removed my gilet regretting bringing it. I kept my arm warmers on though and waited impatiently just wanting to get going. I was expecting some kind of gun to go off or something but it was only when I glanced to the right down the hill that I could see riders starting to move fast down the road and it must have started. Looking ahead and the wall of bodies and bikes started to weave like a thousand snakes and I realised that this must be it. I switched on the Garmin and at 7:11 clipped in for the first time. At 7:16 I pressed the start button as we crossed the mats at the start. This is it - I'm actually doing the Etape.

I went for it from the start as planned. Very aggressive. It was mostly gently downhill and I felt really strong, powering along.

We were held up in a town where the road had narrowed. A bloke to the side of me couldn't ride while moving so slowly and started to tumble. I dropped my shoulder as he lent out to grab me to steady himself. Sorry mate but you are not taking me down with you. Not today. I managed to keep pedaling - all those bike skills learnt weaving through London traffic paying dividends. I hopped up the pavement along with some other riders and we whizzed past a few hundred riders before rejoining the road at a left turn over a bridge, I was loving this.

On the Fred and the Etape du Dales I wouldn't bother trying to suck a wheel because I didn't have the confidence. A rider would come by and I would try it only to be pushed off by someone stronger. Not today though. I held strong and I could hear Kevin at the club saying to me, "Get on that wheel and hold it. You are working harder than the rest of us and you need to learn to hold a wheel". And I was doing it now.

As we exited the town at the foot of the Marie-Blanque eerie bells tolled which seemed so fitting. I've heard this is the hardest - so come on let's see how bad it is. I felt good. I got into a nice rhythm and although felt a little tired with the length of the climb but I was feeling fine. A voice said, "Hello Dulwich" and I recognised someone who I had ridden with a couple of weeks before. We exchanged a few words and then he powered on leaving me to my own slow but steady pace. Then a shout from behind and a crash. A wheel hit me from behind and I just managed to unclip one foot and stop myself from falling too. An American voice shouted at me, "get to the side if you are walking", and I resisted the temptation to shove him over the edge into the bushes. By now everyone had stopped even the big mouth and it seemed we would have to walk to the summit. Some English lads thought they would take it upon themselves to get everyone moving again. So they kept shouting, "stay to the left if you are riding", but much to the enjoyment of those around they didn't seem to get far as the slow moving wall of bodies and bikes was just too dense to pass through. After a good 20 minutes walking there was a break in the crowd and I tried to get back on and ride. I got one foot clipped in and tried to lift the other quickly to push on but just couldn't do it. I then scootered up the slopes ludicrously swinging one leg until there was a bend in the road and some spectators. One of the spectators was pushing a rider to give him the momentum to get riding and I motioned to his family that I'd really appreciate the same. They called him and bless him he grabbed the back of my saddle and launched me up the slope. I clipped in and then climbed to the summit before dropping down the descent. I descended like a demon. I felt so good. The Marie-Blanque was over - that could be the worst climb and I had got through it fine. It was going to be a good day.

I went faster and faster, overtaking so many and then on the flat again I refueled, checking my now soggy route card to see when the Soulor was coming. I got into a big group and we were doing around 36km/h to 40km/h and I felt strong. In fact I felt so good I pulled out of the group and powered to the front bringing a couple of riders with me. We worked quite well together but then I started to feel a little breathless so I eased off soon to be overtaken by the group I had previously left. I didn't mind. My average speed for the day was well up and I was confident. The first part of the Soulor was gentle and I stayed in the big chainring watching the Garmin move from 1% to 2% to 3%. I could go all day like this I thought. 4% and another Dulwich rider came alongside. "How you feeling?". I feel great thanks, I said, and so I did. This is the easy climb isn't it?, I asked and he said - yes but it does kick up at some point. True enough it got steeper. 4%, 5%.

"Andrew?" a voice said. I said "Hi" without really concentrating and then looked at the bike. Litespeed. I had finally met Karen. Karen - my god, well spotted!. Karen looked fit and was riding really steadily. Seemed to be oozing confidence. We chatted but I was starting to suffer a bit as I am prone to doing when climbing. I wanted to stay with her and maybe work together but she kept at her steady speed and I started to slow. I actually started to feel some pain in my feet at this point but thought it was nothing. Just a stinging around the balls of the feet and so I eased off just to wriggle the toes to remove the discomfort. I had really started to slow now though and was being passed by rider after rider. There was a nice calm though as everyone went about their business, engrossed in their own thoughts.

On and on we climbed. I saw a sign saying 10km to the summit. Bloody hell - 10km!. I looked at the Garmin and worked out that would be 125km total distance so I settled down to slog through it. My feet were getting more painful though and I was struggling with the heat. The climbing really did seem to go on forever and Soulor was by no mean the push over that I had thought it would be. By the time I summited I was feeling pretty rough, There was a food stop not far on and I filled up my bottles from the taps and went over to see what food was on offer but I couldn't get anywhere close so I pushed on content with an energy bar from my pocket. I couldn't enjoy the descent. My feet were agony. The pain was a combination of walking over baking hot sand barefoot on the beach and stepping on broken glass. Every pedal stroke sent a searing shot of agony through each foot. I pulled over to the side of the road and an old guy seeing that I was in some discomfort looked at me sympathetically and held my bike in silence as I took off one shoe and tried to massage the foot to bring some comfort. I had put some kiddies pain killers in my pocket as a last thought in the morning and I popped a couple in my mouth before putting on my shoe, saying "Merci" to my friend and pedaling gently away. No more than 10 minutes on though the pain was excrutiating. I was cursing myself for not wearing in these shoes that had only seen a couple of outings since I'd bought them. Idiot. You stupid idiot. I decided to OD on Calpol so I popped another couple of painkillers. I couldn't keep up any speed at all. Group after group came by and I knew I should get on a wheel and get some respite but I just couldn't apply any pressure to the pedals and maintain any speed.

I started to see signs for the Tourmalet. This is it - the big one. Oh dear - this is going to hurt. We started to climb and climb and climb. Unlike on the Soulor I didn't want to know the height or the gradient. I didn't want to know anything, I just wanted it to be over, The heat was unbearable and apart from some tunnel like sections where the rocks overhung there was no shade at all. God this is tough, My feet were so painful and the lack of gloves started to punish me too as my fingers started to go a bit numb, On and on we climbed. I don't know how I got through the pain, I was really suffering and starting to pathetically whimper a bit. I took a guilty and perverse comfort from the scenes of carnage around me. A bloke was puking beside the road. At least I wasn't him. Another was screaming in agony as his legs cramped up. At least I wasn't him. So many had now dismounted and were walking. Others were just slumped against the rocks desperate to get some respite from the beating sun. I didn't enjoy seeing other people suffer but at least I was still riding. I was swearing at myself (and my feet): I was Scarface..."F*** you, f*** you...f*** you".

We came through a shallower section with a few bars and I could see some riders were stopping to buy drinks. I was desperate for something to drink other than water but couldn't be bothered to rummage around to find my money in the saddlebag, There was a pump that some were using which you turned quickly to draw water up from somewhere below so I did the same and filled my bottles. One went over my head, the other I sipped. 7km to go. This is unbelievable, This is cruel, why do this to us? This is extreme. I was now almost wilting with the foot pain. Every chance I had to get a dousing from someone with water I took it. The heat on my head and the pain from my feet was making me crumble, About 5km from the summit there was a water stop. I had to get off the bike and take a break so I lent it against some barriers and hobbled over to a lady who filled them up. She said something to me in French which I didn't understand but it seemed from what she did to someone else that she was offering to spray my legs with the hose. This seemed like a geat idea so once I got my bike I went back, found an empty hose and soaked myself with the cool water. The next section was very steep and I think it was here that there was a photographer. I tried to put on a brave face but at one of the only flat sections in 20km I had to dismount and give myself a good talking to. I was annoyed that there was another photographer a little further on and I am dreading the picture of me sitting on the stone bridge wall, arms outstretched, holding the top tube of my bike, head in between my arms and saying to myself - you can do it - ignore the pain, it will soon be over...come on.. come on...you can do it. It was only about 90 seconds or so but it was enough for me to get some resolve to ride now all the way to the summit.

3km to go...this is going to be the longest 3km of my life I thought and so it was. So hard so painful...keep going, stop being a twat...just keep going. I looked up to see if I could see the top of the Tourmalet and I could see 2 long sections with a snake of riders making their way up. I looked up further and there were yet more sections and I hoped we didn't have to climb them but I could see vehicles so I realised I must have to go up that far.
,
181km: I see a lady over to the left pouring water over riders so I move over to get some. A gentle English voice, "Just 500m to go, you're so close now", as she poured to cool water down the back of my neck.
181.1km: I down the last of my water. It's warm and I'm glad it is the last because I'm sick of drinking water.
181.2km...181.3...every 100m seems to take an age but I am pushing harder. F*** you feet. F*** you. F*** you.
181.4km...Will it ever end...
181.5km: Cruel , cruel - it should be over. Another English voice, "You are there guys... just 100m to go", and the road seemed to steepen.
"50m", another English voice, "just this turn and you are there". It was true, I could hear the beep beep of transponders going over the timing mats. And then I was there myself, head slumped low with exhaustion and agony, crossing the finishing line. Arivee. Not too many people around, just some polite clapping from those that were there. From me no elation, no fist pumping, no joy, no tears. I pressed stop on the Garmin, a shocking and never in my wildest Etape nightmares 10 hours 35 minutes since I'd pressed Start. It's over. It's over. Thank god it's over. I've finished the Etape.

Here we go then

The waiting is nearly over. We head off early'ish tomorrow morning for the long drive to the Pyrenees. Planning to do around 8 hours driving tomorrow, stop the night, and then turn up in Pau to register on Saturday before settling into the cottage for a bowl of pasta and an early night.

Good luck to all who are taking on the challenge.

Joe Friel calls the end

Lance has nothing to prove but yesterday's events on stage 8 made for tough viewing. I never believed he could win the Tour but I thought he might make podium. That seems impossible now. I'm glad that he will stay on and finish the Tour. I'm happy if it is just a lap of honour and I am very excited about catching a glimpse of him after the Etape.

Nice piece by Joe which also shows what an ass**** Lance was in his younger days...

http://www.joefrielsblog.com/2010/07/end-of-an-era.html

CAMPEONES!

Mark's climbed it

Check out Mark's blog http://marksetape2010.blogspot.com/2010/07/tourmalet-and-col-de-solour.html

He's climbed it and he's got me worried...

Etape du Tour for Dummies

I'm delighted to say I have an unexpected free day which gives me an opportunity to update my blog, check the bike over and watch the Tour. Oh, something funny - when I said I had my bib number a while back? It wasn't mine. It was someone else with the same name and in the same category. Good luck Andrew!! If you get a really good time I hope that people confuse us!

Taper

I didn't really taper for the Fred or Etape du Dales and I didn't have a tapering plan for the Etape. I actually feel worse when I don't train. I get a kind of lethargy and I feel flabby. All purely psychological I know but that's the way I am. Last Sunday I had a great training ride which I blogged about, Monday I rested, Tuesday I rode to work, went to the gym at lunch and did a hilly ride home. Wednesday I did the same but riding home my right knee was very painful to the point where I was cycling left legged most of the way.

Of course on Thursday I rested the knee? Nahhhh of course not - I rode to work (carefully), skipped the gym and then rode home like a lunatic. Thursday night I was absolutely drained. Zero energy, aching all over. So Friday and Saturday I rested. I let my body tell me when to stop. Well it didn't actually tell me as much as have a real paddy so I stopped. Today I feel alright and had a quick spin out this morning. I wish the Etape was today because apart from sore knees I'm really up for it.

Travel plans

As I write I don't know if I am flying or driving. If driving then I need to sort out a bike rack for the car or buy a different car. We have accommodation booked and that's it so far.

The bike

I haven't had time to get it serviced. It seems to be alright though so I will give it my own service (i.e spray some oil at it, pump up the tyres and bang the wheels to make sure nothing is loose). I've only just ordered a gilet and arms warmers just in case it is a bit chilly.

Etape tactics

Now everything I have said so far (since this blog started) probably makes you think, "this bloke doesn't have a clue". Well I will tell you something else that will change that view. Well it will change it from "hasn't a clue" to "is Andrew really Gazza?".

I'm saving nothing for the Tourmalet. Yep you heard it. Everything I have watched or read says, take it easy, don't go too hard or you will blow up on the Tourmalet. If I get to the top of the Tourmalet and I can still speak then I've not worked hard enough. I reckon I rarely push myself to the limit. The Fred was close but I still drove home for 6 hours immediately afterwards so I couldn't have been that bad. The EdD shattered me but I think that was more to do with letting the weather get to me and too much faffing. I don't want to make the same mistake with the Etape.

So from the gun I'm going to ride hard. If I get to the foot of the Tourmalet and I am cooked then I will stop and have a rest. The thing is I suspect that I will still have something in reserve because my body will have put some auto controls in place. If I need to I will stop and have a drink at Super-Bareges. I was talking to a guy who has ridden extensively in the Alps and Pyrenees. He advised me to wear an HR monitor for the Etape. Now I usually use HR to make sure I am working hard enough. But on a long climb like the Tourmalet he said to use it to make sure you are not working too hard. So I will use it to ensure that I don't creep too far above 80% of max HR which for me is going to be about 145. I feel quite comfortable at that level. The only question is can I get up the Tourmalet and never get above 80%? Seems unlikely but I will try it.

Inspiration

I'm really looking forward to seeing the Tour move into the Alps today. It's going to be fascinating to see how the GC contenders play it. Has there though been a better sporting moment this year than Cav's win in stage 5? Aw bless. The HTC lead out train is a thing of beauty and the picture of him hunched low over the bars with that grimace has to be one of cycling's (sports?) great iconic images. When he broke down I just wanted to say, "come here you soppy twat" and give him a big cuddle.

Good luck everybody

I hope you have a great ride. Many thanks for all the advice and kind words over the months.

Be safe and have fun. Looking forward to reading all the Etape reports. Cheers for now....

Velostream telemetry data

This is genius. Get real time data on the HTC Columbia riders: heart rate, speed, power output.

Fantastic technology. I'm going to watch this when they are on the climbs and Cav and Renshaw in a sprint finish.

http://www.highroadsports.com/velostream

$15,000 helmet

I need a new hat. When I crashed a while back the helmet seemed OK but I broke the inside and it's now held together with superglue. I'm in a stingy mood though and reluctant to pay out 100 quid or so for a new one. If Lance has finished with this one, I wonder if I could have it?

Leading the Tour

Just saw a link to this over on the Bike Radar forum. A cycling coach riding each stage of the Tour a few days ahead of the race. What a fantastic trip, would love to do something like this.

http://pedalbiker.blogspot.com/

Sunday club ride (or was it?)

I picked up my new club kit yesterday at Herne Hill Velodrome. It was the first time I had been there and it was great to sit there in the sunshine watching the racing. This place is a little gem and now I've got another item on my to-do list because I wouldn't mind doing the induction session and then doing a few laps.

Kevin Knox the Dulwich member who had organised the club kit, which is a special edition for the club's 75th anniversary, mentioned that he was doing the Sunday club ride which is rare because he is usually racing.

I thought this was a great opportunity to test the legs so at 9 this morning I left home to climb the Col de Crystal Palace and meet up with the club. I thought I had sorted the headset problem but on the way up I could still feel some

movement and vibration. I mentioned this to another rider (Andrew thanks!) as we waited for the off and he immediately diagnosed what the problem was and with allen keys of various sizes collected from other riders fixed it for me on the spot. Phew!

Off we went in a group of I guess around 15 but that number started to dwindle quite quickly and I'm not sure why. The pace was quick but I managed to tuck into the group and it was OK. Faster than I would go out on my own but I wanted to test myself. Knowing that Kevin was up front was quite inspirational - I mean 2 weeks ago he is racing against Mighty Malc et al in the Smithfield Nocturne and now he's putting the miles in with us. I'm quite certain another rider Dan is cat 1 too so this all added spice to the day.

Once the ride leaders heard that 5 of us were doing the Etape then it seemed the game of the day was to ride hills. We hit some of Kent's toughest climbs, Toys, Ide Hill, through Ashdown Forest, 'The Wall', Crowborough, Sundridge...you name it we climbed it. Some of the other Etappers were very good indeed on the climbs (I wasn't one of them unfortunately). Anyway, I did my best and all credit to the group because they waited where necessary so we could stay together. By 3pm we were still out though and I was feeling very very tired. So at the nearest sniff of home I waved goodbye. Tired but satisfied.

I missed part of the route due to poor Garmin control but by the time I got home it had all added up to just over 153km and somewhere in the region of 2200m climbing (although it seemed more than this I tell you so this might be wrong). The thing that was different today was the average speed. I have never ridden as fast and it just shows what you can do when pushed hard.

I am enormously grateful to the guys today for their patience and particularly Dan and Kevin who took time to ride alongside me and offer advice. Cyclists are often such nice people aren't they? Problem is now I am Etape du Dales / Fred knackered!

Congratulations Datameister!!

He did it! http://twitter.com/clivejhandy/statuses/17594726109

4 days, 13 hours, 47 minutes. Job done

Post Etape drink?

Just wondering if anyone is sticking around after the Etape and wants to get together for a celebratory drink? We will be out there until after stage 17 and staying near a place called Montaut (roughly in the middle of the embedded map below and between Pau and Lourdes).

Drop me an email/PM (I think you can do that via the profile) or a comment and we'll sort something out. It would be great to meet you.

View Larger Map

*Prologue spoiler warning* Bring on the Tour!

Zugz said it in the comments and yes, at last, as I type the intro music on the ITV4 coverage has just played. The Match of the Day theme used to get me like that when I was a kid.

Bring it on! I absolutely love the Tour and want to absorb every second of this year's. Can't believe they didn't show Wiggins run live though although I suppose he did catch them out with the early start time.

*Stop reading if you've recorded the prologue and don't want it ruined by my enthusiasm. Just a fantastic moment to see Cancellara, Armstrong and Contador out on the course at the same time. OK, when Armstrong went through the half-way checkpoint I cheered so loudly that my son said, "calm down, you'll be getting pom poms next". It's early, I'm under no illusions that Alberto is still THE man but Lance laid down a great marker today. Top ride by another favourite of mine David Millar. Wiggins - please stop saying "it doesn't matter". Of course it does. But all hail Spartacus! What a powerhouse. I'm sick to death of people's eagerness to slag off these athletes. Motor doping my arse.

Is IT really just 2 weeks away?

Can't be. I've got loads of time haven't I?

January - Buy first bike with gears and ride it for the first time on the 23rd. Fall off. Doh!

February - Join a cycling club and get shocked by how quick proper cyclists are.

March - Buy my Etape bike and start to call myself 'a cyclist'.

April - Realise I am really very shite at climbing. No really.

May - Do the Fred Whitton and the Etape du Dales. Confirm (April's) sentiment however realise that I can actually ride 112 miles in a day. Go me.

June - Training suffers due to work. Mind in another place. Try to lose weight.

July - No point worrying now!

Eeeeek it's nearly here and I'm not 82kg, I need to get the bike serviced pdq, I haven't worked out how to get me, family + bike to the villa/cottage/gite thing we booked last year, I don't feel I have put in enough mileage and I haven't bought anything nice to wear ummmummmm you tell em girl.

But I've got enough in the tank to finish. Fall flat on face moment coming up but I know I will finish (mechanicals or serious injury to one side). Can I do a 'decent time', whatever that is? Haven't got a clue but I'm going to give it a bloody good go.

Lance's final Tour

Not entirely unexpected but he's announced that this will be his final Tour de France. For me this makes doing the Etape this year even more poignant and of course I will have the chance for a bit of hero worship as I will be staying on after the Etape to see a couple of stages.

I have no idea how easy it will be to get a viewing point up one of the mountains during a stage but I will give it a damn good try.

He can't win unless Contador gets injured but another podium finish will be an amazing result I think.

Bye

Toys Hill ride

Anyone in a Sarf East London or North Kent club or who has ridden a Kent sportive will probably be familiar with Toys Hill. I had heard about it but never ridden it so I went out to put that right this morning. What a cracking ride.

4:41 in the sunshine with two ascents of Toys Hill and another corker round the corner called Yorkshill (yep, one word) which I also did twice. I haven't got the individual stats for the two main climbs but the total elevation gain for the ride was 1,733m. I felt quite good riding back to home and I even braved the fast and busy A21 where I got into time-trial mode and really went for it. .

I do have a problem with the bike. Last weekend I noticed too much vibration coming through the handlebars and a slight clonking. I tightened the headset but while out today it was the same making me nervous on the downhills. When I got home I shook the front of the bike and there is clearly something loose with a clear clonk coming from the forks /headset. I will get it serviced before the Etape so better to find out now.

Etape countdown...3 weeks to go

All too real now. Haven't quite worked out the Etape travel arrangements but that will come together next week.

On Thursday and Friday serious training was all but killed off due to work. Wednesday was good, nearly 4 hours riding. Tuesday I did the commute cycle nice and hard and spent an hour in the gym rowing and doing bodyweight exercises. Monday the same except the gym session was an hour on the spin bike.

I'm well aware I should be getting some long rides in but to be honest I feel pretty good. The 'injury' hasn't really bothered me - something's not right but I doubt this will be too much of a handicap.

I'm a believer

http://twitter.com/lancearmstrong

Etape du Tour survival

Worth reading Alex's excellent series Etape du Tour Survival. Superbly opinionated on jerseys as I've mentioned before!

I saw a while back in a magazine a pro rider who rides 23mm tyres on the front and 25mm on the back. I must try and dig that out. Alex recommends 25mm for the Etape. Worth thinking about.

Tour de Suisse TT

Very interesting this. Lance seems to be in good form and from his tweets appears to be very fired up for today's TT. Just can't wait to see how he goes. I pinched this great pic of the Shack start times...

Smithfield Nocturne

Had an hour wandering around this event yesterday although regrettably (understatement!) I couldn't stay for the elite race. I would have loved to have watched Mighty Malc in action and Kevin Knox from the club was in the field too. I don't know the results but it also seems Cav made an appearance although I am not sure if he raced. A couple of side events to the racing were of interest.

These guys from Theatre Delicatessen were performing Pedal Pusher which I thought was terrific. So difficult to do this sort of thing in a windy street with a chair, a box and some road barriers as props but they pulled it off brilliantly. Lance on the right, Pantani on the left and I guess that was Ullrich in the middle.

And Oliver (on the red bike) won his Rollapaluza heat by half a second thanks to a late burst. Well done dude!

Etape countdown...4 weeks to go

I'm a very impatient person and I rarely plan much in my personal life therefore I've quite surprised myself with the Etape. I must admit though I am getting to the stage now where I just want to get on with it.

So what has the last week been like and what's between now and the Etape?

I work as a freelance analyst/consultant in IT. I don't particularly enjoy it and could think of a thousand things I would rather be doing with my time but I have chosen my path and will have to put up with it. People of my age 'with responsibilities' don't start new careers. Sorry for the life stuff here but now and again in one's working life significant career opportunities pop up. Thinking back I have had 3 significant ones. The 1st one I turned down because I was too immature; the 2nd I grabbed with both hands; the 3rd I grabbed and then stupidly within a year let go because I didn't have the patience to wait for the reward. And now I have a 4th. Without exactly turning it down and burning bridges I tried to put them off me by telling them I had no experience in that subject matter, not shaving, not tying my shoelaces, being rude and spending too long in the gym. It didn't work. Opportunity knocked, I pretended I didn't hear, it knocked again and with a due sense of exhaustion and dread I answered. From entering the first project meeting like a man going to the gallows (a very rude unshaven man with his shoelaces undone) I'm now a dedicated IT professional once again. Fandabidozi.

Etape impact? Training suffers. Diet suffers. Sleep suffers.

I have also found myself to have a rather odd injury. I will call it an injury even though it's not stopping me doing anything [yet]. A few weeks ago I had a sharp throbbing in my left calf muscle. I've still got that. In the last week I have felt like my left leg was not doing as much work as my right. It felt like my upper leg was not quite properly connected to the lower bit and there was no power coming through. I've now got a sore knee on the inside bit of the leg and today I've got a pain down the left hamstring. Ummm...I'm guessing that this is because I am a bit lopsided due to the calf pain.

Etape impact? None really. I am going to try to stretch more and I have ridden quite strongly this week even though the left peg feels a lot weaker than the right.

Looking forward I am still hopeful of fitting in a sportive probably next weekend. Then there is the Cycling Plus sportive which starts fairly close to home but takes place on the weekend before the Etape. I don't think this would do me any harm do you?

Joe Hall @ Rapha

Dear Joe,

Ouch. Sorry. I shouldn't have said anything that might have labelled one individual. Last night you came across as a top bloke who was passionate about his subject: you were let down though and shouldn't feel that I was laying the blame entirely at your feet.

Giving a presentation is extraordinarily difficult and all credit to you for giving it a go. I wanted to hear what you had to say but it was impossible.

I have connected with a small group of people through setting up this blog and to be honest I've always thought that it is only them that are reading it. I didn't intend to attack Rapha per se so I've learned from this to be careful what you say on the interweb. You never know who is reading.

I can't take you up on your offer but the gesture is very much appreciated. I threatened a while back to wear Rapha on the Etape as I wanted to look my best for the big day. I'm going to make sure I do that as a way of saying thanks for leaving your comment.

All the best,

Andrew

Rapha Etape seminar - wtf

Just think how many things you could do with 15 quid. I'm sure a mosquito net somewhere would come in handy. A vaccination. Some food for someone who is starving. A book for someone who doesn't have any books. You could even buy nearly 10 issues of Heat magazine. All these things would be better than spending it with Rapha on their Etape evening.

I lasted less than half an hour before I walked out. ************************************************ I could have forgiven the fact that it started late. I could have forgiven the fact that the screen was so low down that only the first few rows could see it. I could have forgiven the fact that the guy with the microphone didn't know how to use a microphone. I could have forgiven the fact that they were so ill prepared and amateurish that it was embarrassing. I could have forgiven the fact that in the 30 minutes I stayed all I learned was that the Marie-blanque is really fucking hard. All this I could have forgiven if the people working in the shop/cafe weren't so up their own arse that....grrrrrrr....on the floor above the presentation room they played loud music, chatted and then clod hoppered down the stairs to get to a storeroom keys jangling on the hip every few minutes.

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Stunts on carbon

Usually the domain of BMX or more recently the fixed gear crowd...do watch until the end!

Via BikeRadar

Tour de Suisse - ouch

I was watching from behind the sofa as this finish was being played out. So fast, so crowded and CRASH!

Hard hard sport. Cav at fault for me here but hope all OK.

Mirror man doing the Etape

Quite a decent blog from a triathlete and fellow Etapper.

Steve Halsall

I've been Paco'd

Yesterday I got Rick Roll'd and today I got Paco'd. I love it - Paco, muchisimas gracias! Venga La Roja este año podemos!

Etape medal times

I'm not absolutely sure if there are different medals at the Etape but on the Mondevelo site there is a breakdown by 'objectif' and this could be Gold, Silver & Bronze.

Gold under 7 hours

Silver under 8 1/2 hours

Bronze all other finishers

My French isn't up to much but I think they might be saying that to prepare for a Silver medal time (e.g.) then you'd have ridden about 5000km, with 6 rides of 150km+ and taken part in 3 sportives.

Contador on L'Alpe d'Huez

Just sat enthralled by the action in the last hour from today's Dauphine stage which finished on L'Alpe. You've got to see this. Thrilling stuff. If a video link comes up I will post it.

Great photo set here. Copyright Russell Standring.

Happy birthday Marco!

The diet is off for 24 hours as we celebrate my beautiful boy's 16th birthday. Among other things he's asked for a fixie (at least I think that's what he asked for!). How cool is that.

Chrissie Wellington MBE

Congrats to the superwoman! Outstanding athlete.

New Sufferfest

Great news, there is a new Sufferfest out called 'Revolver'. I'm a big fan of these so will have to make a purchase.

Etape countdown...5 weeks to go

I was so tired and low last week. Work was rubbish, home life was intense, I was dieting and not sleeping much. If J-Lo had called me up and said, "Hey Andrew, I'm in town. C'mon out - we'll have dinner, go to a club and then we'll make made passionate love all night", I'd have to say - sorry luv but you'll have to find someone else cos I'm knackered. Yep, it was that bad.

And then Friday came. The only reason I didn't have a duvet day was that I wanted to ride my bike. I rode into work with very tired legs, shouted like a madman at some dopey motorists and then sat at my desk mucking about with stuff trying to look busy. I went off to the gym at about 11.30 and did Sufferfest Fight Club. What a sweaty mess I was (must have looked horrific to the lunchtime cardio bunnies) but came out pleased that I had managed to do the full thing. I then went to a meeting and was superbly arsey. Nobody punched me or anything. In the afternoon I was asked to take on a new project and it's quite high profile for them so I was chuffed they trusted me with it despite my crap attitude and I thought I should be grateful that so many people are struggling to find work and I'm doing okay for now. I worked late and then rode home quite strongly. Had 2 incidents within a mile of work: a motorcyclist just did a sudden u-turn right across me and then a van overtook me, pulled in front and slammed his brakes on to turn left. Oh man, did I give these two some stick. When I got home I immediately stepped on the scales. 82.9kg!!

Suddenly life didn't seem so bad. My 82kg target is close and I might be able to exceed it. Could 80kg be a possibility? I have been super disciplined this week with weighing and calculating my food intake and capturing in my home made Excel food diary. I said in post last week that I would aim for 3000 calories per day but check this chart out. I didn't get to 2000 calories in a

day. I did get the nutrient ratios wrong but I will do better on that next week.

Training wise I was disappointed not to spend longer on the bike, and again, I will put this right next week. I do feel that I could do with one more sportive before the Etape and I am looking at opportunities to fit one in.

Sunday: 2 hour ride (50km) including hill repeats

Monday: 43km commute ride, 1 hour on spin bike (intervals 12 mins, 10, 8, 6)

Tuesday: 43km commute ride, 1 hour gym of rowing and core work

Wednesday: 1 hour of rowing/bike/rowing/bike/rowing trying to keep HR at 80% of max

Thursday: 10km run, 30 minutes of kettlebells and core

Friday: 43km commute ride, Sufferfest Fight Club

lol

6946

Very happy to have my number now, the suspense was killing me. I'm quite pleased with it so thumbs up.

Skinny envy

This week I am mostly obsessing about dieting.

There was a story on the Cycling Weekly website this afternoon which now seems to have been removed but I captured the following quote re Wiggins:

"Ellingworth said that Wiggins rode the Giro weighing 74 kilograms and stayed at that weight. Now he will lose the last two kilos and aims to start the Tour at his ideal race weight - 72kg."

72kg - he's 6'3 (1.9m)! That will make him a 2.1 on the Friel scale which isn't bad. I still don't think he will beat his 4th place in the TdF from last year though.

Rapha Etape evening 17th June

Thanks very much to Alec for this lead. I'm really looking forward to this.

http://www.rapha.cc/etape-evening-17th-june-2010/?cm_mmc=email-_-040610-_-textlink1-_-etape

Tourmalet times

There's a TdF supplement in this month's Cycling Plus which includes most interestingly an article on a guy tacking both sides of the Tourmalet in the same ride. It took just over 3 hours to ride the full 35km and 1hr 36mins to tackle the climb we will make from Luz St Sauveur. The article predicts that on stage 17 the pros will ascend in 50-55 minutes!

I eat too much

A few years ago at a rather lovely restaurant I tried lobster for the first time. The waiter took our order and then rather theatrically hooked two of the live crustaceans from a tank nearby and brought them to our table for me to choose. On the tray was a skinny small one and a big fat one. I swear the look of resignation on the big fat one's face still brings a tear to my eye. He looked with his beady black eyes at his competitor on the tray (who I might add was looking rather smug) and then looked at my huge bloated sun burnt face beaming down at him and I am sure I heard him say under his breath, "Oh no, it's Peter Griffin - I'm dead". I still wake up now with the sound of his screams coming from the kitchen (of course I made this up: I'm sure he didn't suffer and if it's any consolation I didn't really enjoy him and I've not eaten it much since...much).

I tell this story because one of my Etape goals was to get down to 82kg and the problem is not that I don't do enough exercise but that, like most people, I eat too much. Or more precisely I'm just bloody greedy, I eat more calories than I need to fuel and repair. Reading a couple of magazines while on holiday there were 3 reminders that this is the case.

1) An amateur who spent some time training with a pro cycling team. He did less than half the riding than the pro he was profiled against but was amazed at how restrained the pro was with his food intake.

2) A letter in a tri magazine from someone who wondered why despite all the training they didn't seem to lose any weight. The answer is obvious - you are overestimating how much food you need.

3) In another tri magazine a look at the daily diets of some pro triathletes. The diets in some cases were far from perfectly balanced but despite the fact that these people are training for up to 5 hours a day I definitely eat more than them.

When I lost 10kg in about 6 months I did it by following a strict diet I was given and timing my carb intake to sit around my workouts. Some days I could get by on 1800 calories and it worked. I got down to 87kg and the weight has stayed off (now 85kg ish) even though I am more relaxed about my eating. I'm doing much more cardio work now so I need to look afresh at my dietary requirements so I can lose that extra 3kg+ without Etape performance suffering.

So let's have a go at my daily calorie intake. Using the calculation in the The Time Crunched Cyclist (Mifflin-St. Jeor):

• My resting metabolic rate (RMR) is coming out at 1750
• As I have a desk job I will use the lifestyle factor of 1.25 so that's now 2187.5

Now this is where it gets tricky. How much to add on for calories burned during workouts and ensure I get a deficit? This is going to vary day by day but on work days I will do roughly 3 hours of training and the calorific expenditure is going to vary with the effort or work-rate. Going by the book I could add 1000 calories to my total per hour. Looking back at my Garmin stats for my cycle commute I can burn over a 1000 each way but even with my greediness I cannot see me eating over 5000 calories per day and lose weight. When I look back at my food diary from when I was dieting 3000 calories looks like a fair amount of food to leave me satisfied and what I will do is start there and if I am feeling underpowered then I will up the carb/protein intake.

How to split that 3000? I will go for 50% carbs (low GI as much as poss), 25% protein, 25% good fats. So that's 187.5g of protein (sounds perfect, 1g per pound of bodyweight), 375g of carbs, 83g of fats.

It's a bit of a pain but I have found it absolutely essential to weigh everything and keep a food diary. I will add daily intakes to my blog if only because it helps to achieve goals if you share your aims with others (peer pressure/embarrassment of failure and all that).

Training plans for the run in

6 weeks out and I've loads of time on hols to think about what I would like to do training wise leading up to the Etape. The way I see it I have about 4 weeks left which can still be part of the build period and then a couple of weeks when I should be peaking in readiness for the big day.

So the simple plan for the next 4 is:

• Ride the bike as often as possible trying to fit in at least 2 hilly rides of 5 hours+
• Do 2 interval sessions a week probably on the spin bike. This will be one 2x20 session and one Sufferfest or similar
• Do 2 core dominant workouts most likely with the kettlebell
• Do one 10-12km run a week
• Nail my diet (more on that to come!)

I will keep the running going even though this is the area where I am most likely to pick up an injury. Okay, the distance isn't that great but on injury risk I was interested to read in Runner's World about the 'ultra-shuffle'. This is an economical running style used by ultra marathon runners and involves keeping the arms around waist height and every step "as low to the ground as conditions allow". The attraction is this minimises impact injuries. I'm sure I'll get some funny looks but I will give it a go.

6 training weeks until the Etape

I've been away for a week of gluttony and sloth but I think I've just about got away with it. Within a few minutes of arriving home tonight I stepped onto the scales with dread - and drumroll...despite a week of too much food, too much alcohol and no cycling I am 85.2kg which is about what I was when I left. How does that work?!

Well I did do some training: 4 gym sessions of weights, rowing and spin bike plus 2 runs of just 5km each. But, I have eaten a diet of seafood, fried fish, the finest fatty Iberico ham all washed down with beers and wine and ohhhh the ice cream. Also, I now have a Haribo habit which I need to kick pdq.

As much as I enjoyed the holiday, I did not like the indiscipline and I am delighted to say that there are no 'planned' distractions between now and July 18.

Well I hope everyone's training has been going well. I will catch up on all the blogs and I have loads more to talk about. Fingers crossed Rich & Rob are on the mend - we've got to have all the bloggers and commenters up in those mountains on the big day. Ambitions have to be realised and selfishly it will be a huge boost to me to know you are all out there.

7 training weeks until the Etape

OK, maybe not 7 weeks of training but I'll do what I can over that time to get faster/fitter/finner. It would be interesting to know how much of the time I spend training actually means a measurable improvement. One thing I know is that training to lose weight is so much easier than training to improve athletic performance. I lost 10kg in recent times mostly through weight/kettlebell training with a small amount of running and rowing thrown in. On reflection that was easy compared with trying to get faster on climbs or building endurance.

There was a good piece in Cycling Weekly recently on Graham Obree. I couldn't find my copy to quote him here but I did find a very similar article on the web via http://velocitynation.com. OK he was training for the 1 hour record not 180km in the Pyrenees but I like his simple approach to training:

• A couple of all out efforts a week ONLY if he felt good enough to go all out
• Strength work - not squats but riding big gears over hills
• Actual training - rides the bike everyday but only about 4 hours per week qualifies as training: "there's no point doing a whole pile of training if it'll be substandard"
• "Did you use an HR monitor..?". "No. What I had was the best cycling body monitoring computer ever invented - the cerebral cortex".

This week has not contained any long rides but I've worked quite hard in the gym. Dare I say I feel quite satisfied (for once!) but how much will this help me on the Tourmalet who knows...

• Sunday: Kettlebells
• Monday: Sufferfest Downward Spiral. Full video. Plus 43km cycle commute ridden hard.
• Tuesday: Deadlifts, pull-ups, 30 mins core specific work, heavy bag 5x2 min rounds, row 16 mins HR at 150-160, 43km cycle commute hard in the morning, easy at night
• Wednesday: Gym brick session pushing very hard - 2km run / 5km bike, 1.5km run / 4km bike, 1km run / 3km bike. Plus 47km commute ridden hard (forgot mobile!)
• Thursday: 30 mins rowing. Lower weights circuit high reps with little rest and core specific work.
• Friday: Rest

Despite some good days and some bad (naughty) days, my weight seems steady at about 85kg. With some discipline in my diet I will hit my target of 82kg in the next 3 weeks. Watch this space.

Bicycle parking tower

I'm very lucky that the company I'm currently doing some work for has a secure bike room in the basement. This good fortune is tempered slightly by the fact that the bike has been scratched and scuffed by inconsiderate others who are less than careful when racking their steeds. Bizarrely a couple of weeks ago I collected my bike at home time and I noticed that the front dust cap was missing, the front tyre was a little flat and it was in a gear I just wouldn't have been in when I arrived in the morning. It wasn't chained up so I don't know if someone took it for a cheeky spin throughout the day but now I lock it.

I've been amazed this past week at some of the beautiful (and obviously brand new) bikes that others have left down there. A Pinarello, a Wilier and a stunning BMC are the most recent additions.

I'm not sure I would trust my best bike to this robot but this is a very cool and clever use of technology...

Kettlebells

I was awake this morning at 3.30 and thinking if I should just stay up and do the King of the Downs. As it turned out I ended up going back to bed and then getting up a few hours later and eating a fatty Sunday fry-up. Not good.

I hate not training, or to be more accurate, missing the chance to put in some miles. This weekend however the weather has been beautiful and it's been nice to muck about in the garden with the boys. Garden games didn't quite do it in the end though and KotD guilt set in so I started to do a few kettlebell sets in between the badminton, tennis and football. I so regret not spending more time on kettlebell training lately. I can't offer much in the way of cycling training advice but I do know kettlebell training really helped me strengthen my core and this in turn helped with other aspects of my training.

I know there are some blogging comrades here who have seen the light and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Some useful links:

http://www.dragondoor.com/

http://www.mikemahler.com/

http://www.fullkontact.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNaoELYlLfw

Steve Cotter is just about the tops:

8 training weeks until the Etape

I was going to wait until June to pick this up again but I just had to say it - 8 WEEKS TO GO! Not far off is it? The more I read about the Etape the more I am aching to get started.

Having completed 2 sportives I will allow myself confidence that I can indeed cycle for 8-9 hours and cover 100+ miles. There are 2 Etape factors that I haven't catered for yet though:

1) The heat (if it is a hot day).

2) The length of the climbs. The Etape du Dales had some long climbs but not as long as we will face in the Pyrenees.

On Sunday I am supposed to be doing the King of the Downs sportive (although my paid entry has been lost due to a system error!) but I'm undecided. Looking at the forecast it might be a good chance to experience (1) but the climbing looks to be more like the EdD or the FW rather than the Etape and I can ride those roads anytime as they are close by. We'll see if I can wangle another day of non-family time to spend on the bike but it's unlikely.

This week I've felt surprisingly good. Monday I was drained after the EdD, stiff as hell. Nobody told me my arms would ache as much as my legs! Tuesday though I did loads of cardio in the gym (rowing, cycling, running) + core work. Wednesday I cycled into work, ran 5.5 miles at lunchtime in the sunshine and then cycled home hard. Thursday another cycle and a great gym session of front squats, deadlifts + core specific work. Today I've rested with an eye on Sunday's event.

2 Days on Ventoux

This might be recycled from the mag but it popped up on BikeRadar today.

Two days on Ventoux. Fascinating reading.

Chris Boardman Etape top tips

Full article here in the Telegraph:

1 Train, train and train some more

2 Practise seated climbing

3 Good shorts and chamois cream

4 Pace yourself

5 Eat and drink little and often

6 Lower gears

7 Make use of the groups

8 Sunscreen and a cape

9 Do it in company

10 Post-race plans

Just passing by

When I've been on the club rides there has been a familiar pattern. Hit a hill riding strongly and 99.9% of the time the rest of the group that I'm out with will quickly pass by inducing a kind of panic in me. The sense of panic in this case is an emotion constructed of embarrassment, failure, frustration, anger and a heavy dose of self-loathing.

One good thing about doing sportives though is that due to the high numbers of other riders it's pointless panicking when you are passed - I mean, logic takes over and you realise that out of a 1000 people the odds are that a lot of them will be quicker than you.

So on Sunday for example I got quite used to being passed, and not just on the hills. It was even quite interesting noting who was going by. I was passed by a bloke who was cycling with no hands and seemed to be looking for some info on his Blackberry. I was passed by a tandem going up one of the steep hills (I don't know why I think I should be quicker than a tandem). I was passed by someone who wasn't even in the race: he had no number, no helmet and a heavy bike with mudguards.

On one of the steep climbs I was going painfully slowly - I think the Garmin showed I was at about 4 or 5km/h max and my cadence was at about 12 - when I could hear what I first thought was a horse trotting behind me. I sped up a bit but the hoof steps came closer and I thought, "sh*t it's a ram or something chasing me - I'm gonna get butted for shouting at that lamb earlier". I couldn't go any faster and when I looked fearfully to the left where the noise now was the beast started to pass me. It was a bloke running in his cleats pushing his bike up the climb faster than I was riding. Cheeky git.

Fred Whitton vs Etape du Dales

Ummm, the Fred and the Etape du Dales. I like them both but which one is better? There is only one way to find out. FIGHT!

-Administration-

FW 10

Personal and efficient. When I moved house I sent them a change of address and they responded immediately. I sent them an email after the event and again I got a quick reply. They put the results up on their website on the day.

EdD 8

Entries are made online through the SiEntries system which is easy enough to use. The website could do with updating but they were unlucky as it seems they had a malicious attack on their website a few days before the event. I haven't seen the results on the website yet.

-On the day organisation-

FW 9

It was good that you could register the day before. That made it easy to get started on race day. Marshalling was excellent supported by the police. One roundabout didn't seem to have an arrow. The food at the end was tremendous (great cakes!).

EdD 9

Busy on the race morning due to everyone registering and starting. They were well organised though and it only took 10 minutes or so to get started. The route was well signed and marshalled at key points. I don't think the police got involved. There was quite a queue for food so I didn't get any but I am sure it was great. I did get a T-shirt!

-Checkpoints-

FW 9

2 checkpoints. Dibbing in was easy. Food and drinks well stocked.

EdD 9

4 checkpoints. I thought in one way this was an inconvenience and a bit excessive but it did provide an extra opportunity to refuel and get help. The timing tag was tricky to find as it was round my neck and took a bit of digging to retrieve.

-Support (local or friends/family of riders)-

FW 10

The closest I will come to the TdF feeling. Good crowds on the climbs shouting encouragement; Children really getting involved; a bagpiper at one point; vehicle drivers very considerate - I really felt like the local community embraced the event.

EdD 7

Not a lot of support out on the course, mind you the weather wasn't great so I can't blame people. I am sad to say I did see some very aggressive driving with drivers impatient to get round groups.

-Location-

FW 10

Stunning. I'm not very well traveled but this must rate as one of the most beautiful places on earth.

EdD 10

Stunning. See comment for Fred.

-Road surfaces-

FW 7

Very rough in places. One descent was very rutted and I'm surprised the bike didn't disintegrate because it was vibrating so violently.

EdD 10

Very good. Can't say I noticed too much wrong although there were so many cattle grids and one little stream to spin across (I liked that bit!)

-Climbing-

FW 10

Garmin shows 3598m total. Hardknott is the only hill I have had to walk since I got a bike with gears (at the end of Jan this year). The thing is that Hardknott starts when you have about 95 miles in the legs. The climbing doesn't stop until about 2 miles from the finish. It has the long drag of Kirkstone and the severity of Hardknott/Honister.

EdD 9.5

Garmin shows 3334m total. Long climbs that really do go on and on and on. Coal Road is a beast. A great challenge and I am just pleased that I managed to ride all the way.

-Descending-

FW 7

Like being thrown off the side of a mountain. Usually terrifyingly steep with brakes needed from the top. Not much fun for me. My highest speed was 59.5km/h (thanks to the brakes).

EdD 10

Thrilling and fast. Highest speed 64km/h

-Difficulty rating-

FW 10

Very hard and the extreme of Hardknott at the end is so cruel (but I like it!). The climbing starts within a mile of the start continues right to the very end. I'll be back I hope to do better.

EdD 9.5

Very hard. Looking back at the Garmin it seems the first 30km is more or less all climbing to varying degrees. The wind was an added factor on the day. There is a decent run in of about 20km after the last climb which is easy enough but I was cooked at this point. I'm not sure any part of the course is 'flat'.

_________

Total FW 82 EdD 82

It is an accident that the scores came out the same but I'm pleased they did. Two challenging events and I have nothing but admiration for those that organise them and those that complete them! This year the Fred had the advantage of the fine weather but we'll see how they stack up next year if I get the chance to go again.