After Work Rides

With last weekend seeing the clocks here in the UK move forward an hour I like many other people are now able to enjoy a longer ride once clocked off from the office.

Couple this with fantastic wall to wall sun and a nice balmy 22 degree ambient air temp I set off this evening close to 5pm (ish) and was able to get a steady 60 kms or so under my belt before arriving back home. 

Being honest, my confidence at the moment for the first weekend in July is on the up and up.  With only 14 more Saturdays to go I really think I'm in with a good chance of getting the Gold Standard that's been at the forefront of this little adventure over the past few months.

Hopefully this good weather will continue into the weekend where I'm hoping to get a long long ride in on the Sunday. 

How Much Weight Gain?

BBQ anyone?

Well that certainly seems like a good idea given the clear blue skies and the 20 degree temperature in my back garden.  That said, it seems a fair few other people have had a similar idea as my local Tesco had already sold out of charcoal by 10 am this morning.

Thwarted.....

Holiday weight gain

Somehow I've managed to pile on a good 2kg over thr course of a single week?  Man, is that even possible or are my scales on the blink?  Perhaps Mrs T messed around with them while I wasn't looking to help a touch of "motivation" to the weeks a ahead.

Alas no.  She hasn't.  The simple truth is really quite simple.  I ate and drank a little too well while I was on holiday.... far too many mouthfuls of this type of stuff:

Damn it!!

2 kg's cant be that hard to get rid of this coming week, can it?

Guernsey's Own Little Alpe

The man flu I mentioned in yesterdays post seems on its way out of my system so quite naturally you find me in far better spirits than a day ago.  

These type of colds tend to stay with me for at least a week so I'm putting my speedy recovery down to the sea air, plenty of vitamin C and (as sort of being told to do so by The Telegraph) the absurdly hot Thai Green Curry I consumed last evening.....

In any case.  I've spent another day off the bike with Mrs and Master T enjoying the warmer than expected early spring weather on the beach close to my parents house.  That said, I did take a few moments to piece together a few snaps from the Islands's own very little Alpe

Less than 21 Bends

The Vall Des Terres is to be found just outside the Island's main town of St Peter's Port.  While of course I'm joking in comparing it to an Alpe, its average 12% (give or take) gradient does compare nicely with its much larger and more famous cousins across the water.

Of course where it differs is in its length (0.777 mms) and the number of turns (9 of them) a rider needs to negotiate in getting from the bottom to the summit.

Above: The first few meters

Above: The first "switch back"

Above: A tight little chicane half way up the 'Terres

Above: Turn 6 ( I think)

I've ridden the 'Terres many times and while there's a heavy sent of jest within this little post I'm in no way actively diminishing the fun I still feel in getting up and down this little hill.

If you ever get the chance to pop over to the Island and can get your hands on a bike, this little climb is well worth doing and sure to bring a little smile across your face once you get over the top.  I understand the local club (non closed road) record for the hill stands at a little over 1m 50s so that's something to go for, isn't it?

By the way, the views out to sea from the top on a clear are simply stunning.

March '12 - Guernsey Holiday - Day 4

One of the odd things about any of the holidays I take is my ability to fall ill with a cold or a cough on the third or fourth day. Guaranteed. Always.

This trip is no exception and somewhat unusually for myself I've decided to stay away from the bike for a day or two to see if I can shake this little bug before the weekend. In many ways I'm looking forward to a little time out of the saddle so I can spend it with Mrs and Master T.

Whether or not my little boy or other half are looking forward to hanging around a chap with a dose of man flu is of course another matter entirely.

Above: A view from The Beach House at Pembroke Bay

Onwards to coffee and cake before checking out the Val des Terres - the closest thing the Island has to Alpe.....

March '12 - Guernsey Holiday - Day 2

This morning broke to a blue sky with just a smattering of clouds and a very balmy temperature for this time of year with the mercury nudging towards 14 degrees by the mid morning.

After tea toast and a massive croissant I once again headed out onto the Guernsey roads on my Dad's old and trusty Marin.  Today's ride wasn't in the plan - I should really be resting after yesterday's long ride although with the weather the way it is, not doing so would be almost criminal.

In keeping with the leisurely approach for this morning ride I decided to take a few pics while I was out of the views from parts of the Island.  

I'm sure you will agree, the place is looking rather fabulous.

Above: Bordeaux Harbour

Above: View of Castle Cornet near The Bathing Pools

Above: Pave!!!

Above: l'Ancresse Bay

A week off, sunshine and sun burn.....

Holidays are more than coming

You find me once more in the Channel Island of Guernsey, a small little island in the English Channel, the place of my birth and where my parents remain.

For a short break with a toddler, the island is very much a safe and easy bet from a travel perspective with only a 25 min flight out of Southampton which means we can be settled at my parents with a nice cuppa  under 2 hours.

Now that's a proper bike

Unlike my last trip to the island towards the back end of last year, I've opted to leave my bike(s) at home and instead make use of my Dad's trusty Marin San Anselmo.



Above: Profile shot of the Marin Anselmo

Above: View number 2 of the Anselmo

Ok, so the riding position is more Raleigh Chopper than perhaps I'm used to but for the most part it makes for a smooth ride that once up and running easily keeps it's speed - 30 kms per hour is no trouble for this elder statesman of a bike.

Should have used some sun screen

Well yes, today was rather sunny and after 3 hours of pottering around the island from 11am to soon after 2pm I should really have known better.....



Above: Early season helmet shaped sun burn

I'm hoping that silly tan line fades fast.  Real fast.

This is your 5am alarm call.....

Wakey wakey!!

Today started very much like many of the other Tuesdays over the past couple of months. The shrill of the 5am alarm.  The sigh of annoyance from Mrs T and a groan of realisation from myself that I had better roll out of bed and get myself ready to train. 

I quickly learned back in October of last year that organisation is key to these early morning sessions. 

Everything must be ready to without fuss or it’s too easy to hit the snooze button time and time again and to bail on the session.  To avoid this end I’ve made sure the bike is locked and loaded into the turbo or next to the rollers before going to bed the previous evening.  The same goes for the kit in as much as I’ve got it all ready the night before so upon waking I almost fall out of bed and into a set of bib shorts before my feet hit the carpet.  Of course there have been times when I have hidden under the duvet and decided to train in the evening although for the most part, these morning sessions have treated me well.

Training while fasted

The other aspect of this morning sessions that took a while to get used to was the notion of riding for up to 90 mins in essentially a fasted state.  This was a choice to perhaps help force the body to use some of its fat reserves in the absence of a stomach full of food but also it was a decision based on logistics.  Simply put, there’s no way I’m able to get up early enough to get a good meal down me before waiting the normal time to let it settle before then, and only then, getting my back side onto the bike.  It can’t be done.  Just can’t.

The jury’s out from my point of view on the validity of this type of training as I’m not too convinced I’m not over eating later in the day to compensate for the events in the morning.  That said, I have lost much of my winter coat of lard sooner than normal this year.  This could be a consequence of the early morning sessions burning more fat than in previous years although conversely, this weight loss may also be simply a resultant of the overall volume of training I’m doing.

In any case.  Next week I’m on holiday which nicely coincides with a rest week.  Nice.

TSS on the Rise

What a cracking weekend!  For me, almost wall to wall sunshine which allowed for a good 5 or so hours outside in the saddle.

As the chart shows below, I'm starting to rank up the training (pink line above blue roughly means I'm training harder now than in the past).  This week gave me a TSS score of 478 and a total of 8hrs 45mins of riding.

Above: Pink above blue TSS

So far things are going really well and I'm feeling really strong.  This week and the next will prove a little harder to get the hours in due to work and travel commitments.  Hopefully I'll be able to make up the time - perhaps in my lunch hour.

-------

Weekly Totals:

Time: 8hrs 45mins

TSS: 478

Distance: 248kms

4 Months and Counting

A quick look and glance over my shoulder to the calendar that's hanging on the wall in my kitchen shows that we are 4 months or so away from the big day.

So far, I'm happy with how things are going.  Touch wood I've been fairly healthy since the New Year and I've been able to keep a steady progression going with my training which has been easier than I thought.

To fit around work and family I've been trying to do my mid week sessions early (as in 5am early) which has meant a little change in the daily routine.  When this hasn't worked I've sometimes taken the bike and rollers to work and have ridden in the car park during my lunch break - I'm gaining somewhat of a reputation for this.......

Anyway.  I'm choosing to be up at 5am so I had better get my head down....