Harder Than I Thought

So then.  Cycling!  Sit down, push the pedals round, let the machine do the work.  It's only 75 miles (yes, they're hilly miles) how hard can it be!

Well I went out with a couple of fellow "cyclists" yesterday morning for nearly 50 miles.  A steady training run, or so I thought.  In the words of my teenage children OMG (actually, they are way too cool to ever say that - or to say cool).  It hurt a lot.  Here's what happened.
 
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/199356379

My nameless "friend" went pelting off at the start like it was a 10 mile time trial and I was off the back immediately, struggling constantly to remain in vague contact.  Each time we hit the gentlest of up slopes, I was gone again, using my superior weight advantage to gain on the down hills.  It took its toll.  By about 13 miles, I was feeling so nauseous, I climbed off the bike, and lay on the pavement - only getting up when I realised I must look like a crash victim to any passing motorist.

I told the others to go on without me - really hoping that they would - to allow me to continue a shorter route at my own pace.  Of course they wouldn't hear of it in a sadistic "all-for-one" scenario, which at other times I'm sure I would appreciate.  As it happens they did me a favour and I gradually recovered.

After around 25 miles I felt strong enough to take my turn on the front from time to time, really feeling quite good and absolutely delighted to see my mate starting to struggle on the hills.

All was good till the final "climb" of the day. In "" because most people wouldn't consider it much of a climb, but it was a bloody mountain to me.  The struggle became greater when suddenly my right thigh cramped half way up.  Now I know how to deal with cramp in a calf, or hamstring, but never had a cramped thigh (quads?) before.  Leg wouldn't move, fought way out of cleats just before bike toppled with me on it onto grass verge.  I really couldn't work out what to stretch to stop the pain, so just walked 100M or so.

Happily pain subsided enough for me to finish in the saddle over the last mile or so.

That was just 50. Almost vomited.  Got crippling cramp.  Could hardly walk for 24 hours afterwards.

Now do you see why you need to sponsor me?  I need encouragement. Please give a little to make sure I don't give up, lie on the pavement with my helmet as a pillow and wait for the broom wagon.

Thank you.

New Era

It is a new era.  No more Triathlon training.  Running injuries seem to have got the better of me.  So what does a knackered old runner do, who simply can't run anymore. He gets on his bike of course!

As a man who needs a goal, some sort of challenge, some reason to exercise other than just getting or keeping fit, I've entered an event.  The London Bikeathon http://leukaemialymphomaresearch.org.uk/get-involved/sports-challenges/cycling/london-bikeathon is a 75 mile jaunt from London to the Surrey hills (Box Hill, Leith Hill) and back. To add to the innterest it follows much of the course of the 2012 Olympic Cycle Road Race.  So far, so straight-forward.

Now, I'm a fella who has never ridden more than 30 miles and never on that type of terrain, so it's going to be a challenge.  Raising money too for Leukaemia research to add to the fun!

So over the next few months, feel free to join me on my journey from a weekend cyclist who does the odd hour on the bike here and there, to tree-trunk thighed, lycra-clad sportive specialist.  It all starts in earnest tomorrow with my ride home from work and then again on Friday morning, cycling back in. New era, new routine (new thighs!) new challenge.

Let's go!

Winter Training

Decided on whim this morning that I need to do more endurance training through the winter and that today is the start of winter.  So to that end I swam 1500M this morning.  Took about 45 mins and now my shoulders ache quite a lot!

Still haven't quite decided what I'm training for.  I'm thinking Olympic distance triathlon (hence the 1500M swim) but I need to

1. decide I can actually do it
2. find an event and enter
3. train harder and longer

Need to decide soon, because right now I'm goal-less and I know from experience that means I'll skip training, because, what am I doing it for anyway?

So by the end of this week, I'll announce the next challenge, mainly to myself, but I'll let you know too!

In the meantime, need to get up earlier, swim further, run further, cycle further.  heck, sounds hard!