training

This might be a bit unlike any other approach to training you’ve ever seen, who knows, here goes.  My approach goes a bit like this:

1. I like Phil Deeker’s simple training advice in the training guidance issued to “Lifers” (those of us intending to try and ride the entire Tour de France route next June / July).

2. My distance calculations are based loosely on Google rather than an onboard trip meter.  I do have one, but it’s only on one of my other bikes, a bike I don’t use that often, so it doesn’t get much use.  I used to somewhat religiously record every distance, time, average and maximum speed, and the like.  Then I realised I was chasing the numbers, and watching them more than where I was going, and as a result not enjoying beiong out on the bike.  So I stopped.  Now I have much more fun.

3. I let the combination of the conditions, the bike I’m riding, the time of day, the wider environment, and how good or otherwise my body feels, dictate how hard I feel like going.  And still get / stay fit.

4. Pre-D Day: plenty of long (60-90 mile) rides in South Wales, to/from Cardiff on a Saturday, up into the hills or along the coast Westwards to Swansea, or a bit of both, even the odd trip across towards Newport.  Plus the occasional commuting ride in good weather and reasonable light, between Bristol (work) and home (Trowbridge) including: Bristol-Bath railway path, across the river, road and railway in Bath, and either up Ralph Allen Drive hill, down Brassknocker Hill, or along Warminster Road (longer but gentler although more traffic), up Winsley Hill, through Bradford on Avon, past the Moulton cycle factory and the the Nestle cereal factory, to home.  In all, about 28 miles or thereabouts, normally about 1hr 40 – 1hr 50 depending on wind state, red lights, road crossings, and general feelings of fitness

5. Post D-Day: lots more commuting rides (normally only one way though – homewards, all of which is in the dark – see post on “lights etiquette”).  Despite the terrible weather, floods, etc, over recent days / weeks, I have commuted at least one way most days, both ways some days, and not at all only once (the day of biblical downpour, when I set off home regardless, but a puncture after a mile and no easy place to shelter and replace the tube, meant that instead I ran for the train and wimped out.  Not a proud moment.

6. I’ll post every couple of weeks a list of training completed – days, distances, and what bike I did it on – trying to use my old MTB with x-country tyres where possible, as it is blimmin’ hard work on tarmac, compared to a road bike – so its got to be doing me more good (hasn’t it?)

7. At the moment I’m not that bothered about times, how long any particular ride takes, as I am more interested in simply getting in time on the bike, any bike, every day,doing “base training”, to build up my body’s general fitness, before rolling out some longer more sustained and hopefully faster efforts when the corner is turned from winter into spring.

So thats about it, feel free to check out what feeble efforts I have been managing as the days and weeks go by.