FTW - 'Functional' Threshold Work

I'm teetering on the edge of full blown cycling geekery. I just got back from a ride with Sammoth and realised that I spent a fair bit of time 'talking numbers'. What's happened to me??! I can only blame training for three weeks straight on a time trial bike and a weak mental state.

Couldn't find any relevant pictures so here's one of me on a time trial bike from the start of the year.

Last week's bout of training is best described using the word 'functional'. It was a period of back-to-the-grindstone-esque  work mid season and worked as a suitably shocking experience to get me back on track legs-wise. Ploughing up and down a dual carriageway for two hours in the aero tuck position, like a tractor with a broken sat-nav is hardly inspiring work. Still, it's sowing the seeds for future form (sorry world, I went there). Awful similes aside it's got to be done sometimes. 

Phwoar! Look at the lanes on that.

Getting back onto the road bike felt like sitting down in my old favourite armchair and was a treat for my undercarriage as well as my mind. Let me tell you, time trial bikes are not meant to be ridden for five hours. I did a Thruxton circuit race last night and came in second which was alright. I got in a break with two teammates from PedalHeaven, identified the sprinter of the two and then waited for the sprint, where he beat me. Pretty much foolproof tactical nous shown by yours truly there. Still, it was a laugh and after doing my training in the morning it was better than getting on the turbo in my shed for another session!

This Sunday is the National 25 mile time trial so I'll stick another post up after that, hopefully rife with more witty banter and good news. I hope everyone's enjoying the summer. Cheers for reading!

A slacker's apology

Fans, press, cycling community, (okay, mostly family members) this is what you've all be waiting for... The BIG update of what's been going on. I've been awfully terribly naughty and not really had a chance to think about this darned blog for a couple of weeks now but I'm back, with waffling aplenty for you to endure.

First big point is I'm back from Brittany now for a short while as there's a gap in the racing over there and I've picked out a few decent events to ride over here in Great Britain; the National 10 & 25 mile time trials and the BC National TT & RR. I've been up to a lot of different things since getting back, there's the obvious; eating REAL cheese (cheddarrrrr) and enjoying the intermittent hale storms (thanks Gulf stream). But I've also seen a nutritionist (oh fancy-pants!), ridden down the wrong side of the road for a good five minutes before remembering where I am.

Warming up for the National 10 mile time trial

I went to see Gina Boakes a few weeks ago as I wasn't feeling at all myself in the races anymore. In my last road race I'd been in the winning break all day, I felt amazing but when the attacks started coming I had nothing. I was caught and dropped by the bunch! Not cool. She used various methods and a very fancy machine with copper electrodes that you hold onto to diagnose what was going on. Don't worry people, I didn't feel anything, it was a tiny current apparently and something to do with energies and vibrations of the body. I can't say I understood the theory really and I was more than a little sceptical but from the results, and subsequent improvements I'm a believer! Gina discovered that I was lacking in amino acids and also suffering from not ingesting enough electrolytes and salts among other things. It's all useful information and I'm trying to take it on board and use it.

Taking 'stealth fashion' to whole new levels

Last Saturday was the National 10 mile time trial so I'd best report on that quickly. There's not really much that can be said about a short, flat time trial but basically it all went to plan and I did a good ride 'numbers-wise'. Unfortunately I fell a bit short of the win I was striving for, but 3rd place behind the two best time triallists in the country is not half bad I don't think. The margin to the winner was sixteen seconds which isn't much in the scheme of things and I've definitely closed the gap on them since last year. For any super keen beans here is a link to a write up: Nat10Report

So onwards! To a fortnight's time, when the National 25 mile TT is as that's my next target. It'll be interesting to have a rematch and hopefully get a bit more interest from the home crowd here in England. I've got a few other things going on at the moment so I'll report back soon with some (hopefully) interesting updates! Ciao.