by | Feb 14, 2016 | Training
Now five hours riding with a coffee shop stop sounds like my ideal kind of day! However 5 hours non-stop on a training ride where you are not supposed to stop at all is hard work both mentally and physically to do.
Last weekend I rode my first five hours since my knee started to give me pain. I sorted out my nutrition before I left making sure I had fuel for every hour and enough water to keep me going for a good few hours too. I have recently started using a water bladder in my run sac so I can carry 2 liters on my back as well as a water bottle. My new Specialized Era only has room for one waterbotttle as t has a very compact frame to increase the stand over height for women.
When I set out the weather was good as I rode towards buster hill and had a loop planned which would include all the good hills in the area.
The first two hours went by quickly and I felt good keeping my heart rate over 150bpm as much a is could, on long rides, especially on the road on your own it can get a bit dull I always look for spots in the distance or if I’m on a route I know only allow myself to think as far as the next hill or obstacle this keeps me focused on riding at a good even pace and means I don’t get phased by the distance still to go.
By hour 3 I had reached my next considerable climb, Harting hill this one was a killer and left me with not much left in the tank! I had my third snack, a banana and carried on towards my next goal.
The weather had started to close in and the wind had picked up as I rode past Funtington it took all my energy just to stay in a straight line against the wild wind.
Long rides are as much psychological as physical and as I got near the turning for home with just under an hour to go it was hard to turn back away from home but by this time I had a new goal! I had been doing around 20km per hour so my new plan was to hit 100km this was really motivating and helped me push on when my legs were so tired, I piled in the food eating a Torq energy bar, handfuls of salted nuts and a malt loaf slice for good measure in my last hour riding.
By the time I got home I was exhausted I had left it all out on the road. I was really proud with my achievement.
Overall I covered 100km climbed 1,261 meters and burnt 1,528 calories in 5 hours. My average heart rate was 141 and my max was 177 which is encouraging as I know I can push it higher than that and go faster.
My goal is to beat this 100km time before I go snowboarding in March.
by | Jan 23, 2016 | Training
Today was the my long ride day. My ride was set to be 4 hours long in tempo heart rate for 220 mins (heart rate between 150 – 160 bpm).
I set out with Michelle my partner for the Trans Alp from Petersfield on a loop I had planned with as many hills in it as possible! Our first big ascent was Butser Hill, which usually has awesome views out to the sea from the top, today not so great!
After climbing Butser we made our way down and around to Liss, I was keen to take my new full suspension bike off road so we headed to the wood to try out some of the single track around Liphook. Living in the South Downs we are really lucky to have such amazing riding all around.
The new Era was such a comfortable ride, the 29er rolls smoothly over lumps and bumps once the bike is moving it just seems easier to maintain momentum.
After our ‘playtime’ off road we headed back to the tarmac to finish our long ride.
Altogether we clocked up 47 miles in 4 hours and 10 minutes, we climbed over a 1000m which was a great achievement but far off the 19,000m we will do over 7 days in the alps!
As ever all great rides end with cake today we stopped at Madelines Delicatessen for a slice of Almond and apricot cake totally awesome worth checking out this place.
I am excited to be back training properly again and working hard towards my first race, Battle on the Beach in March.
This week I have done 9 hours training so far and clocked up just over 100 miles. I am pleased with my progress and enjoying learning how to get the most out of my new bike.
My coach added a sprints interval session and a flat pedal technique session to my normal routine, it is good to have new challenges and goals to work towards. I have forgotten how tough sprints were so its nice to be out pushing my body to new limits.
by | Nov 1, 2015 | Training
Now that the clocks have gone back it is dark just after 5 so any evening training is done in the dark. The autumn is a great time, the leaves are so colourful and they make the trails take on a slightly different form. The terrain changes with piles of leaves and they hide obstacles which would normally be easy to spot.
This week I got out on a 2 hour ride with my Trans Alp partner Michelle. We rode from where I work in Liphook out into the countryside along tracks and back lanes.
Being off road at night can be a bit creepy when your alone but with conversation flowing we ate up the miles. That was until we had to take a trip over a stile which seemed to lead into someone’s back garden towards a very creepy poly tunnel… We decided to turn round and head for the safety of the wide track where any zombies or other ghouls of the night would be spotted in advance!
One of my sponsors Grip Grab do high vis arm and leg warmers, I decided to get some for road riding mainly thinking they would help me be more visible to cars. Michelle kindly took some photos and they really do stand out in the dusky and dark conditions. They are also super insulated and kept me really warm once the sun dipped behind the hill.
We got very lost! In the dark all perception changes and my sense of direction, which is not good at the best of times, meant we were soon in the middle of nowhere on a back country lane standing next to a creepy looking house with an eerie red light trying to figure out which way to go! To add to our slight panic at the point there was what sounded like a huge angry cyclists eating dog barking at us from the creepy red lit house! Luckily a gate was keeping the creature contained, for now…
Heading back in the right direction we dived off on a track through the golf course by this time it was pitch black and our Exposure lights came in very handy. They are expensive but their ability to light up the trail so that you can go at a good pace and read what is coming up is well worth it. Off-road you really need lights that enable you to see not just be seen because of the terrain it’s important to see well in advance what is coming up. I would recommend a head torch light to anyone that is planning on spending a lot of time hitting the trails in the dark as it gives you light not only directly in front of you but also wherever your looking.
by | Oct 29, 2015 | Training
This week in training I have been looking at manuals and front wheel lifts. At some point out on a ride you are going to come across something that you can’t roll over.
Especially in races and in more demanding situations to maintain your flow and not loose too much speed it is important to be able to pop over obstacles confidently. So this week I have been making use of the light to practice these skills.
Manual:
The good points:
- I lean forward and move my body weight back with straight arms, this gives me good leverage to pull the bike up
- My legs are pretty straight…
- I am looking forward
- I twist my wrists to pull the handle bars towards me
To improve:
- I need to shift my hips and weight backwards in order to find the bikes balance point
- Dropping my heels lower and getting my legs straighter
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nG9AmzBqcg]
Front wheel lift:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MgZE13uvn8]
The good points:
- Wheel comes nice and high over the obstacle
- The movement is coming from my leg and not pulling on the bars
- I take my head back with my shoulders
- I am looking forward
To improve:
- Maintain momentum and not hesitate before lifting the wheel
- Right and left leg able to lift wheel
- Take body and head further back
My 3 tips for learning how to do these two techniques are:
- Find an open space where you can lay out some markers
- Write down the key points needed for the technique like moving your weight forward then quickly back in the manual, power stroke from your leading leg on the front wheel lift and keeping your head glued to the top of your shoulders so you take it back with your body
- Video your technique a couple of times and critique yourself
by | Oct 7, 2015 | Training
When my off season began I was really excited about trying new things and eating cake! I had lots of plans to go swimming, running and even a bit of sailing whilst I recovered form cycling. As with all plans some of these for one reason or another never got off the ground.
I did however try running. I used to run at school (way back!) and thought it would be an easy way to get some exercise. I found running really hard my first run, which was probably too long was 40 minutes of absolute hell! My shins hurt, my achillies hurt and listening to music i felt disconnected from the world around me.
I decided to try again, so a few days later I laced up my trainers and headed off this time my play list was actually motivating and I found myself running faster and even did some lunges too! Although my legs ached I decided this was probably normal for a non runner and carried on.
I have found it hard not having a reason to go out on my bike and have only been out with friends which was great a usually I do so much riding alone, it was nice to share adventures with others, this is something I want to continue to do!
It was also nice getting out and exploring new places with no agenda, when training I am so focused on what my heart rate should be that sometimes I miss out on the enjoyment of riding my bike. It has be great to get this back and take my time and enjoy the views.
My coach and I have been working out my training timetable looking ahead to my races next year. It is going to be hard to fit everything in but I am determined to make it work.
So after a month off I am officially back in training! Not the best start to my training plan as im blown over by a cold second week in!
Ill keep you posted on how its going!
