Inevitable Xmas weight gain

So after the usual Xmas over indulgence I'm back at work and by the looks of things I may well be the only person across the entire campus who has chosen to do so.   It's eerily quiet. The restaurant and coffee shops are shuttered up until the New Year - we might as well hang up a closed for business sign over the entrance.....

Anyway. I assume I've put on a bit of weight over the past week or so although I'm choosing to ignore the scales and to estimate my weight by how much gut lard I can grab in one hand. The answer as always is far far too much.

New Year = Newish Me

Had an interesting chat with Mrs T over the Xmas break. We've been together for more than 10 years and, although she's not got an ounce of sporting competitiveness in her, she has always been amazingly supportive of me, my racing and of course the training that comes with it.

For many different reasons our lives have changed dramatically over the past year. Sadly for me it turns out I've not really changed with these changes so to speak and it's about time I made a few changes around family priorities.

This I totally get. I really should spend more time with her and our son. I should be home from work to help with the evening routine rather than getting on the bike and letting her take most of the strain.

Of course I still want to train, to ride, to run and to compete as these activities are very much part of who I am and as Mrs T knows, no training or exercise makes Mr T a real grumpy bugger.

So what needs to change?

The plan is to alter my lifestyle to fit the training and parenting together which of course is something I should have done months and months ago.

Out go the evening workouts to be replaced by 5.30am / 6.00am rides which will leave my time free come the PM. Same goes for the weekends where I'll be up early and all finished before noon which gives back the afternoon for family time.

Sounds simple? Well of course it does.....

Happy New Year everyone!

A few goals for the New Year

For as long as I can remember, I've always enjoyed and looked forward to the December 21st Winter Solstice, the day in the Northern Hemisphere when the axial tilt of the Earth is the furthest away from its orbit around the sun.

 

Of course in simple layman's terms this means as from tomorrow, December 22nd, the days will slowly get longer and the nights that little bit shorter which to me, is a very good thing. 

 

Sadly myself and the other good folk of the UK wont really see a difference, ie an increase, in usable morning and evening light until well into the year so for now, the turbo and rollers will remain my focus for most of my weekly riding. 

 

Another tradition of mine post the Winter Solstice is to think about and then make concrete a few goals and objectives for the forth coming year.  Before committing to such things perhaps a quick review of the incumbent year is perhaps in order?

 

2011, a quick review

 

In truth, a year of stability brought about with the birth in January of our first child.  It didn't seem particularly fair on Master or Mrs T for me to be planning anything to large that would keep me from pulling my weight so to speak. 

 

With that regard I kept a basic level of fitness and ride a few century rides in the summer and ran the odd 10k once in a wile.  That said, I do end the year nearly 4 kgs heavier than I started which upon discovery earlier in the week was somewhat of a shock.

 

2012 Goals

 

1) Gold Standard in the Marmotte

 

- The main and somewhat arrogant goal for the forthcoming year

- So that's a time of 8 hours 50 or so mins if my memory serves

 

2) Loose the spare tyre

 

- Which will certainly help in achieving part one listed above

- I'd like to get as close to 67 kg (about 10.5 stone)

- This should be achievable if I'm careful to watch the food intake and to measure any booze and Pizza consumption

 

3) Time management

 

- Make sure I give enough time to my family

- I've been poor at doing this in the past

- There's more to life than the Marmotte

 

So that's it.  My 2012 goals are sorted with them being achievable, measurable and many other things to boot.

A view upwards from my desk at the office.  Festive.

See you next year and to those celebrating I wish a wonderful Xmas and a prosperous New Year.

2012 Events List

So then, here's a first stab of the events I'm planning to do in the run up to the 2012 Marmotte.  Quite unsurprisingly they are pretty much dominated by cycling although I'm planning on undertaking a smattering of running races too. 

This is just for old times sake you understand, and to keep an element of that type of fitness in the legs for (perhaps) a PowerMan Duathlon for later in the year. 

Kentish Killer (19th February)

Described by Cycling Weekly as one of those, "must do" Sportives, this will be my first longish (70m / 112km) ride of the year that wont have been in front of the TV on the trusty turbo.  Starting and finishing at the Brands Hatch racing circuit, the weather and road conditions will I suspect be somewhat challenging!  I'm already looking forward to the promised vat of hot soup come the finish line.

Wiggle Cheshire Cat (25th March)

Often billed as the "big season opener", this event will see me travel up north to Crewe to tackle my first century (160km) ride of the year.  I've not ridden this route before although on paper it looks reasonably challenging over scenic but lumpy terrain and including the well known Tour of Britain Gun Hill climb. 

Guernsey Easter Festival (6th - 9th April)

Back home to Guernsey for the annual Easter Festival.  If memory serves correctly there's 4 races that include runs along the Southern Cliffs, a cross country run along L'ancresse and ending with a fairly flat and fast Half Marathon. 

New Forest Sportive (15th April)

This will be the third time I've ridden this gentle and relatively flat 83 miler.  Set in the peaceful New Forest it really is a beautiful day out on the bike.  I'm also hoping Mrs T will be joining me on this ride too.  Now that would be a first.

2 Weeks in Italy (2nd & 3rd week in May)

Now this I'm really looking forward to.  Staying in a small hill top village not too far from Assisi, I'm planning to get some big hill and descent miles into the legs.  While I cant guarantee the weather, this will give me an opportunity to tackle a few of the Umbrian hills which should offer a level of physical exertion similar to what I should expect come July.

Above: A View of Assisi

Wiggle Bournemouth Sportive (27th May)

Another weekend another UK Sportive which gives me the chance to get some more group riding under the belt and to tick off another 160kms in the saddle. 

Verenti Magnificat (3rd June)

The longest ride of my prep coming in at 127 miles / 204kms which perhaps is probably a little too long.  That said, the ride is local to me and will give me more time in the saddle which of course is a good thing.

La Marmotte (7th July)

The big one........

Above: A View of the Galibier

PowerMan Italy (28th October)
The Italian leg of the PowerMan Duathlon series.  Distances are still TBC although I'm hoping to make this my first foray into the longer distance world of Duathlon. 

Above: A very dodgy logo if ever i saw one

Anyway. There's little doubt I'll make a few changes to this list over the coming months although these together with the other rides and races over the next 7 or so months should give me a firm base with which to enjoy the main event come July of next year. 

Xmas wind down

It's been a couple of weeks since my last entry.  Work, travel and a dose of the winter vomiting virus have all conspired against putting fingers to keyboard as it were.  That said, as we move towards the Xmas holiday period things seem to be very much on the wind down.

 

For me the past few weeks, apart from a day or two in bed with the aforementioned bug, have been quite productive on the training front.  Naturally I'm still looking to build the base of the engine although I've also been adding more and more tempo and threshold (ie 2 x 20mins at 80% - 90% of FTP) workouts.  While these sessions aren't particularly pleasant they are invaluable in getting the body ready for the demands of the Alpine ramps come July.

 

Again, as we move towards Xmas this is traditionally the time where I spend a few hours planning my sporting events for the forthcoming year.  For 2012 I'll no doubt be riding a few of the larger UK sportives such as the Magnificat or perhaps the Dragon Ride.  I'll hopefully make a trip out to Italy, Spain or France to get some practice in on longer climbs and descents, something I'm not really able to do here in the UK. 

 

More of that to come.

2012 Marmotte Entry Now Open....

.... and by the looks of things it's already full!

2 DECEMBRE - EN 1 JOUR NOUS AVONS RECU PLUS DE 6000 DEMANDES PAR INTERNET.  MARMOTTE: LES INSCRIPTIONS UNIQUES SONT SUSPENDUES POUR VERIFICATION

Well thankfully I was able to get my entry into the event early yesterday so I'm in.  Which of course is rather nice for me.

For some reason I'm a little surprised (if true) the event has filled up so damn fast - in under 24 hours. 

The general consensus from the internet and other blogs is that it tends to take a few days...... but not this time.So with the logistics and entry confirmed there's little left now to do but train for the damn thing!

Retul bike fit - 6 days on

Earlier this week I underwent, which makes it sound somewhat of a medical procedure,  a Retul bike fit to help iron out and fix a few problems in my knees and lower back.

Well I'm happy to report that after 6 days in the saddle I'm still glad I spent the cash.  My new position on the bike feels more stable and secure with a noticeable decline in movement across the hips during the pedal stroke.  While it's perhaps to soon to assess relative increases or otherwise in efficiency (i.e. HR and Watts at a given speed) I'm confident I'll be able to demonstrate this in the positive within a month or so.

All in all, a fine week.

-------------------

Weekly Totals:

- Time in saddle: 7h 47mins

- Distance covered: 266.4 km (roller or turbo)

- TSS: 366

A Retul Bike fit at Primera

A trip to the sea side in the rain

I find myself towards the end of the work holiday year with days off still to take.  As I'm not able to carry more than a few vacation days over into the next holiday year I often take a few early or late November long weekends.  This is precisely what happened on Monday, a day where I found myself in Bournemouth to take in the sights of the peer, the slot machines and the golden sands.  The other, and more important reason for this seaside visit in the rain was to have a bike fitting with the good people at Primera Sports.

Recent bouts of minor, and seemingly healed, injuries aside, 2011 has been relatively uneventful on this front.  I rode for most of the summer without any major pains or niggles which for me and my past history (3 ops on the left knee and 2 on the right) was most welcome.  Naturally I'm keen for this good fortune to continue, particularly as I'm in the middle of a winter training that's using intensity rather than volume as the driver for physiological adaptations. 

It's this higher intensity that caused me to seek out a decent bike fit.  While of course I could use Google as my guide I'd rather spend some cash to know, and here's the important bit, to see I'm riding in the most efficient and injury reducing fashion as is possible.

To this end I chose the Retul method over something such as Specialized BG Fit and while I'm sure both would be more than suitable, the Retul method's use of 3D image capture means I'm 100% sure everything's as right as right as can be with not a plumb line or knee angle measuring device in sight.......

The Fit

The fit takes place in a little alcove of the shop that fits the Retul image capture device, a turbo trainer and plenty oh proactively positioned highly priced bike loveliness.  Anyone for a Lightweight wheel set or a Dogma frame perhaps? 

Anyway, the fit started with the chap explaining what was going to happen and giving a basic overview of the science and rationale behind what we were looking to achieve.  We then spoke of my goals, riding style and injury history before undertaking a few tests on my flexibility (legs straight with hands flat on the floor). 

We then moved onto the next stage which saw LED markers attached to 8 points on the body (the wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, heel & joint of the little toe).  This all complete I jumped on the bike and pedalled in my natural style which enabled the Retul system to build an exact anatomical profile of my pedalling style for comparison with what it "should look like".... so to speak.

Above: Screen grab of Retul image capture (not mine by the way)

Above: Overview of LED placements (again, clearly not me)

Having captured this data the chap went on to make a few changes here and there on the bike before I jumped back on and did the same thing again.  This went on on for a good hour or so until we were both happy with my new riding position.

Once this was complete I went off for a coffee and left the chap to take precise machine led measurements of my bike and its set up so I'd be able to recreate what we had achieved on any given bike in the future

So what changed? 

We concluded I was riding the right size frame and had a correctly sized stem for my height and flexibility.  My cleat position and was also in the right place and didn't need touching.  We did make a 20mm reduction in saddle height while also moving it forward 15mm which I suppose is quite an adjustment.  It's hoped this will improve efficiency and offer more stability throughout the pedal stroke which in turn should enable me to produce a higher rate of Watts for a given heart rate.

Conclusion

With 4 hours post fit riding in my legs I can certainly feel the difference.  The lower and pitched forward saddle position has given me a feeling of greater stability - my hips certainly feel stronger in the pedal stroke with less side to side rocking motion than before.  As for efficiency and Watt creation, it's too early to tell.  I'll certainly be looking at the data over the weeks and months.  Perhaps I'll report back on my findings come the spring time.

At £148 a session it's clearly an expensive option (Specialised BG fits seem to be around £120 give or take) although for now I feel it was value for money.  The fit was well organised, professional and actually quite enjoyable. 

While it's still early days at the moment I would recommend the service to others.  Riders seem to be happy to spend a good couple of grand on a bike and hundreds on shaving a few grams off a set of wheels.  For me, I'd rather spent the cash on this type of fit and perhaps but back that Mince Pie come the Xmas period.

  

Getting a little bit older

For the most part, I’ve had a relatively quiet week form a work wise and riding perspective.  I’m getting through a 3 month notice period before joining a new firm in the New Year so perhaps the lack of work isn’t too surprising.  The lack of riding on the other hand, well that wasn’t so expected.

Earlier in the week my wife gingerly suggested I was “perhaps” training a little too hard.  After all, she said, “you’re not 23 any more”……

Fair enough.  The little quip on the age will ring true with many people and none more than my good self.  Of course, she’s spot on.  I’m not in my 20’s, a time where I spent the best part of 5 years at University where for the most part I lived the life of a professional athlete.  While I never made it to the big time so to speak it did enable me plenty of training and recovery time.  

Clearly those times have moved on. As a new(ish) father and with a full on decent job my priorities have naturally changed.  Furthermore, and most worryingly, as I get to the wrong side of my mid thirties my body is starting to misbehave.

While I’m far from the age where a fart cannot be trusted I’m certainly noticing my powers of recuperation and recovery are far from ideal.  This is perhaps why I’m typing this with a belly full of anti inflammatory pills and an ice pack behind my left knee.

I fear the return of trouble in the meniscus, something which I was first operated on some 12 or so years ago.  So then, I await a trip to the MRI on Monday.  As you can imagine my fingers and toes are all crossed.  Hopefully my Marmotte 2012 isn’t over before its really got going.

Cyclefilm's La Marmotte DVD

Awoke to the first reasonably chilly morning of the impending winter and rather sheepishly I made the decision to forgo a ride in the frost to one on the rollers in front of the TV.   Aside from the inclement whether th either thing keeping me indoors today was the morning post which with it brought the CycleFim's Marmotte reconnasance DVD.

Above: Cyclefilm's La Marmotte DVD cover

I've written about some of Cycleflim's work in the past so knew what to expect from the off and as before, this DVD doesn't disappoint.  

As before the DVD offers informative in ride commentary from the as ever magnificantly sprightly Mike Cotty who the most part manages to find the delicate balance between joviality and seriousness without slipping towards the patronising.   

Through Mike we see all the climbs, descents, food stops and even the odd bit of flat road which all create a sense of context to the event.  No doubt I'll be returning to this DVD many times over the forthcoming weeks and months as its something that can be enjoyed again and again.  

If I had one minor gripe it would be the choice of back ground music in some of the scenes which on occasion is a little repetitive for my humble tastes but of course, thats only me.  Others my love watching Mike climb the Galibier to the sound of what I can only describe as a 2 bar loop featuring (perhaps) a kazoo.... 

In summary - riding La Marmotte or perhaps simply riding over the hills this covers?  Then perhaps this DVD should be on your Xmas shopping list.

November brings the Rollers

Welcome to November and with it the end of British Summer Time, lets all say a big welcome and hello to the annual flu season, lots of leak and potatoes soup and to 5 months of leaden skies and early afternoon darkness.

November is also the month where I dust off the rollers, the turbo and settle down into a routine that sees gives me many, many hours of indoor saddle time with only the TV or the iPod for company.

For the most part I have no objection to this type of training.  I find it highly effective for building a base with which to work on come the spring. 

You cant free-wheel, you cant hide in the pack and effort (ie wattage) is easier to maintain a given sweet spot than days out on the road.  

It's great for an hour spinning at 230 watts, for tackling the 2 x 20min threshold sessions or even for replacing the long weekend ride. 5 hours on the turbo?  No problem.  Nice and easy.

That said, please..... roll on March.

Above: The rollers, my road until Spring




A Cure for the Common Cold

I've had a mildly annoying cold for a few days.  My nose is drippy, my throat like sand paper and I'm perhaps a little achy too.

 

My wife and work colleagues tell me I'm grumpy, slow-witted and generally a bit of a grump.  Of course, some would say I'm like this for much of the time, but with fewer snotty hanky discards.

 

As for training well its been business as usual although at a slightly lower pace than planned.  I know many people tend to avoid training once the nose starts to run although I find getting on the bike noticeably improves the mood.

 

Of course, this might have helped too.  Man Flu, I spotted it in Tesco this morning when looking for some night nurse.  Very apt. Tasted nice too - not that my taste buds are up to much at the moment.

Above: ManFlu Shots

 

Heart Rate vs Power

For the best part of a year I've been boring anyone keen or otherwise on the sport with my love for training with power (ie wattage).

Last October I rented a simple powertap unit from the good people and CyclePowerMeters and after a few months convinced Mrs T that I really, really needed to spend the best part of £700 on getting my very own.

Above: My PowerTap SL+

Heart Rate vs Power

So what's wrong with using the traditional HR model for training?

Well nothing really.

I used HR as the key measure of physiological response to training and exercise for many many years although its use has limitations namely that its confounded by variables that act upon it which in turn lead to inconsistencies.

Bodily hydration levels, air temperature, tiredness, caffeine, how well you slept last night and many other variables which can all combine to reduce its effectiveness as a training tool. On the other hand, power as a measure of physical exertion isn’t confounded by such variables.  300 watts is 300 watts.  Period.

This is most apparent for interval sessions where HR lags behind effort which means it's a poor measure of work done in the session. Hopefully the graph below demonstrates this. 

In this 2 x 20min interval session my HR as shown by the red line clearly rises over the course of the two 20 min intervals whereas the wattage I produced, the yellow line, remained essentially consistent throughout.

Above: 2 x 20min interval session - HR in red, power in yellow & speed in blue

For measuring performance and providing feedback on effort there's really nothing better for pro or amateur hobbyist bike riders alike.

So how do I use my PowerTap?

In essence, I use it for 3 things:

• To guide and pace effort for intervals and rides out on the road and on the rollers
• To track changes in fitness vs physiological strengths and weaknesses
• For motivation to train harder and to make indoor work a little less dull

So really that's it.

There are of course other uses of a power based training system which perhaps I'll look at over the course of this little blog.   Should anyone want to know more I'd point you in the direction of Training and Racing with a Power Meter which explains all in a far better way than I ever could.

Winter - time to lay the base

Ok, so as I type were well into October and I'm a good few weeks into the winter training period. So far so good.   We've been blessed with some cracking weather - lots of sun and little or no wind which has meant the turbo or rollers haven't found their way out of the loft which of course is highly satisfying.  Of course, their time will come, but hopefully not for a few more weeks.

Above: A view from the road

This year I'm using a higher intensity and lower volume training plan rather than the more usual long slow distance approach.  With a new family, full time job and all the usual live stressors I lack the time and the good weather to put in hour after hour needed to build up the miles during the next 3 or so months.

The aim is simple, to maintain and develop my aerobic system and lay down a firm base before the real hard work starts in the New Year. 

To this end I'll be spending the next few months doing lots of week day 1 hour endurance rides and plenty of 2 x 20mins at lets say 80% of my threshold.  Come the weekend I'll be getting a longer ride in of say of 3 – 4 hours.

As I've said above, so far so good although there's a very long way to go until July 2012.

----------------

Weekly Totals:

Bike: 7hrs 15mins - 233.45 kms

Run 1hr 20mins - 16.7 kms

Winter bike get ready!

With the posh camping booked and the EuroStar tickets presumably on their way it's perhaps time to think about getting together some kind of training plan. I'll hold off on that thought for another day as it seems prudent, or perhaps a delaying tactic, to get my winter bike the once over.

I'm a reasonable mechanic around the bike. While I've all the tools and the relative know how to strip, clean and reassemble all of the constitute parts, I like to let the professionals give my bike(s) a once a year through going over.

Above: Canyon Ultimate AL

Earlier in the week I took my winter and all round training bike, a Canyon Ultimate AL, into the good people at Banjo Cycles for its annual overhaul. One "Gold Service" later and she's running smoother and quieter than ever having had the bottom bracket tightened and a few wheel bearings replaced.

With an almost new feeling bike there's really no excuse not to start training with a plan in place to start in the first week in October. More of that later in the next week or so.

For now it's time to get outside and enjoy the 28 degree sun and perhaps have a beer - no doubt one of the last until the 7th of July 2012!

Marmotte logistics - part 2

Decision time
Having been over the options many many times in my head and on paper I've come to a accommodation decision which perhaps is outside the norm.

Rather than book the trip via a tour and have everything organised for me,  I've decided to do everything for myself.   I've opted to stay at the  Le Belledonne campsite which is a little over 7km to the North of the start village.

Why?
In my mind this all makes good sense.  The primary reason to avoid the organised tours, hotels and chalets is due to cost and flexibility.  Came July of next year I'll be making the trip to the South of France with my non cycling wife and, by then, a bouncing toddler.  In this instance, a hotel and an organised trip just wont do.

Similarly, the camping option, or in this case glamping as the onsite cabin has all the mod-cons, gives me the option to book for as many or as few days as I'd like which isn't possible with the Chalets.  In all of the cases I've seen so far a minimum stay of 7 nights is required which for me, is too long a stay.

So camping it is.  I'd better start training.

Marmotte logistics - part 1

Towards the end of my last post I wondered on the efficiencies or otherwise of using a tour operator for next year's Marmotte.

The advantages of doing so are quite obvious.  A guaranteed bed to sleep in, food on the table and of course a ticket into the event thrown in for good measure.  There's plenty of companies willing to part you of your money to offer the services.  Gastrobiking, GMP10 & Veloventoux being just three operators that come across well in the usual forums.

Of course there's the self sufficient option which on paper seems quite simple.  Gain entry via the official website and stay in a hotel / apartment / campsite within Bourg / AdH or the surrounding area.

Perhaps staying on top of the Alpe is a good idea.  While the ride down to the start in the morning may test the nerves, especially if its cold and wet,  the added incentive of a waiting bed at the top of the last climb may provide that necessary incentive to just keep going.

If I'm honest, I'm thinking the latter option is the one I'm more likely to go for with a apartment at the top of the Alpe.  I'll give it a few more days to run through the options a couple times more before getting out the debit card.

A date in the diary

With the route firmly fixed the only open question pertains to the date. Not any more....

It's looking highly likely the date of 2012 edition of La Marmotte has been finalised with the local tourist office in Bourg d’Oisans confirming wheels are set to roll on the 7th of July.

That said, there is no confirmation from the official website which simply offers a generic December date for when places on the ride become avaliable.

I'm inclined to think the 7th is accurate.  The hotels and chalets in the local area certainly think so with avaliability looking somewhat constrained (see below for a view from Expedia).  Advance bookings from tour operators perhaps or have people just been so damn organised already?

Above: any rooms left I wonder?

Clearly, it's time to think trip logistics.  Self organised or Tour Operator?

Before I hit the forums and other usual online resources, has anyone any tips?

La Marmotte Route - 2012

Unlike say the Etape where would be riders and bloggers spend July through to October scouring online forum's for rumours about the route, La Marmotte affords no such guessing.

Year in year out it's the same. 174kms. No changes. No alterations. Ever.


Above: The Route in Full

It offers the rider and this blogger the comfort of conformity. It's journey over the familiar Hores Categorie ascents of the Glandon, the Telegraphe, the Galibier and of course finishing upon the Alpe d'Huez remain forever unchanging.

With it taking in somewhere of the region of 5k meters of vertical ascent it's clearly a day out in the mountains that requires perhaps a fair amount of preparation. It's certainly not a little pootle to the shops of say (and in no way is this a disparaging remark) the annual jaunt between London and Brighton.

I'm sure there are other tougher and no doubt more fulfilling events to do, but for a cyclist to ride these Cols, the ones where legends were and continue to be made, will certainly take some beating.

And so it begins....

Firstly a warm welcome to this my little attempt at keeping a record of everything and anything to do with my attempt to ride the 2012 edition of the La Marmotte Cyclosportive.

The keen eyed amongst you will perhaps notice I've been here (or here about) before. In 2010 I kept a similar journal, which some people were kind enough to read every so often, on my preparation in riding that years Etape.

Sadly that ride wasn't meant to be. Illness and a wise MD who withdrew my medical certificate accreditation the week before the ride meant I was unable to compete the event.

But of course that's all along time in the past. So anyway, I'll pop back here as often as I'm able. As before I'll keep things brief and will try not to post too many times on FTP's and wattages and such like.

That said, I may indulge myself once in a while.....