Magic Lantern

Archive for January 2017

Monday, January 23, 2017

Dear January

January was a crap month for riding and training.

I had a positive start to the month completing the Poor Student Audax strong, including. However since starting out the new job I have been very busy and riding has taken a back seat. The new appealing commute to Petersfield and back (42miles round trip). Has been jeopardised due to the icy lanes & and a minor Achilles tendonitis which I have been nursing since the Poor Student. The ice in the lanes is something I could battle. However I do not have the balls to risk damaging bike and body. I really cannot afford a hard blow right now, especially when it can be avoided, so I must become a slave to the Turbo trainer.

The minor pain in the ankle is a new sensation for me. I am confused where it has come from. However I am taking it as a positive injury, due to the fact I can act on it so early in the season & and not 2 weeks before the TCR. On top of this I received news that I have to work abroad in Spain for 3 weeks at the end of January. This was also a big blow to my regime and general lifestyle. Three weeks without riding with a minor ankle injury. I am treating it as a blessing in disguise. SO using my time wisely during these three weeks in España. I will be conditioning/strengthening my core further, stretching and rolling my calves & other areas of trigger points that need work. On top of all this I will be doing serious route homework ensuring that I will have at least the first three check points routes nailed. On another positive note the lanes will be much less treacherous in March than they are currently. So I can really start to pump the miles out.

More positive steps have been made through the murky cold mists of January in Hampshire. I have installed my new Profile Design T3+ carbon aero-bars on my Diverge. So In March on-wards I will be commuting and training regularly. Ensuring comfort and aero-gains will be to the max come the start of the TCR. Regular Pilates classes have been booked in. These helped massively during my LEJOG endeavour and they will help even more during the TCR. Keeping the legs well stretched and core strong is important to ensure that I do not run into any injury when training and racing is at it's peak.

“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” – Winnie the Pooh

I have also managed to really get the Audax calendar filled up, ensuring that I will defiantly get my SR badge.

Monday, January 9, 2017

#TCRNO5 Poor Student Training Rush

So after being slightly overwhelmed by the mammoth news last week of receiving my golden TCR ticket. I decided a good way to let the news truly ferment, would be by going on a really long bike ride. What better way to start the new year and to reflect past, present and future (87% future). By riding to the Poor Student 200km (Oxford) and back making it a solid ECE 300km effort. On a beyond moist early 5am rise from Reading I headed into the Chilterns to the start point of the Poor Student. I was ambitious to get this done in good time with no faffing around. If I was going to struggle on a mere 300km in the soaking cold British weather. I would not be cut out for the TCR challenges. So this was a good mental early year test for me. To see how hungry I really am for this? Turns out I was starving...Was really good to get on my bike after 7 whole days. The initial 50 km did not phase me even though I was soaked from head to toe. I knew the day would be mild and the Cotswolds would warm up my little body. The audax got rollin' and I was riding well & strong with no issues with bike & health, apart from some mild fatigue in the final 30km of the Poor Student. That was to be expected, something I need to get used to. Was really nice to catch up with Oliver, an old Audax boy who I met on my first Audax last winter. We smashed it though Oxford centre and had a nice chat at the final control over coffee and a toasty. Although I didn't hang around.So I hopped back on bike and rode the final 50km back South to Sophie's. Catching a welcome second wind as I downed my coke filled biddon. After the first tough climb in the fog.I was pumped and really going for it. Returning home, charged. Feeling like I had been on amphetamines all day. The hardest thing I found to do that day was get to sleep...h ttps://www.strava.com/activities/824450699

(Audax is fun!)

Thursday, January 5, 2017

TCR 2017 Golden Ticket

Shit just got very real...

My Transcontinental application has been successful. Initially overwhelming as I read the email the night before starting a new job. However after 72hours I feel incredibly honored and proud to be have chosen out of the lucky dip. It would be an insult not to take up such an opportunity. However it will require many lifestyle changes. Training for such a mammoth ride is not going to be a painless. I am going to have to dedicate a huge amount of time to preparation so watch this space for training updates and more!