8th December - Update

Hello again. I cannot believe we are into December already...There has been no updates since September for a very good reason...nothing has happened since then in relation to cycling!

I am still very keen to do a challenge and will look to go out on the bike again soon. However May09 might be too soon for me to complete a trip of this magnitude. Both John and Joy have trained hard and are miles ahead of me especially John. Maybe I underestimated the training required however I am convinced I could do JOGLE, but not at the pace in which it looks like it will be completed, I don't have the time now to get myself to that level.

There are also the time restraints (I only get 20 days holiday per year, JOGLE will take half of these days and I have to consider my family). I have had a incredibly difficult year and I am not getting the time to train, There is no point doing something I am not prepared for and maybe the timing is wrong.

There are a few options I am considering. The most probable is that I will do part of the challenge, I might cycle from Coventry to Lands End...I will still need to train for this but it would only take about 4 days of my time to complete the challenge. The other option is to cancel my participation in JOGLE however that is last resort because initially this was my idea and although being honest I no longer feel this is my challenge, I still feel incredibly loyal to John, Joy and Marian and do not want to let them down.

I will keep you posted and I will make a decision after Christmas...

Sept 20th - No posts for a long while

Well I just wanted to post to let everyone know what I have been upto for the last 3 weeks....

After the group ride on 31st August, I took a few days off from cycling, on the Wednesday I went football training (I play for a Saturday League Team) and pulled a muscle in my left thigh.... The first game of the season was the Saturday after so I rested my leg so I could play in that game.

I played a full 90 mins and we lost 6 - 4 however men leg was very painful. The week after I was in London for a week on a course through work. This meant I was in a hotel and away from home, while away I make it into the gym one evening and managed 5 miles.

This week again my thigh has not been right but on Thursday I decided to cycle into work. In total I did 20 miles split into 10 miles each way. My leg is fine when I cycle but not when I play football!!

Anyway I will endeavor to keep this more updated. I hope to do a good ride tomorrow..

Aug 31st - Group Ride

Well today was the next get together. In attendance was John Berry, Joy Green and myself.

I had planned the route but never actually completed it, although I had done some of the stages. We set off on time at 10am and headed towards Meriden, It takes me about 5 - 8 miles to warm up and I had not been on my bike for a week so I was a bit rusty.

We went Meriden > Fillongley > Maxstoke > Meriden > Hampton In Arden > Chadwick End before lunch.  32 miles in about 2 hours with a avg speed approx 15.4mph. I felt good before lunch, I managed to clock up my fastest speed yet 38.5mph..

We took it in turns to take the lead and cycled quite closely which made a difference for whoever was behind. We stopped for lunch at the Orange Tree in Chadwick End were we met by Becks, Sascha and my Kids for lunch.

After a pleasant lunch we started out again this time in the rain, and headed towards Lapworth > Rowington > Warwick > Leek Wooton > Kenilworth and then home.  The afternoon ride was much harder for me and between 30 and 40 miles hurt.  However once through the 40 mile point (my previous longest ride) the pain went although I was slower overall, sometimes crawing up the hills.

We did another 21 miles after lunch although there were more hills.  All in All is was great, we completed 53 miles with an avg speed around 14.9mph which I was quite pleased with. Once I was home I had a bath, I was filthy and do really feel tired.

I must now build on this.  I need 50 miles to now be the benchmark for my longer rides and must get on the bike more regulary.

Over lunch we also finalised the route.  See John Berry's blog for details and pictures.  Thanks to John, Joy and Sascha for making time for this ride I think it was quite beneficial for all.

The Route: Here

Aug 27th - Injury!

Well I did not go out yesterday and I am gutted.....I did not mention before but when I was in the gym the other day I hurt a muscle in my leg.  I thought nothing of it however yesterday it hurt to walk on it....with this sunday coming up I thought I would give it another 24 hrs rest.  When I woke up this morning it is still no right.  I am convinced everything will be fine for sunday, I don't think I have pulled anything and it is lots better than yesterday but  still not good enough to go out.

I am truly gutted.  I had big plans for these two days off and this hit my training plan.  I now need to get myself right for sunday and then take things from there.  It means I go into sunday (a planned 55 mile ride) having done no more than 40 miles but I am confident it will be OK.

This is not a high point in my training:-(

Aug 25th - Work and then Gym / Swim

I worked today :-( 

However after work I went to my sister house and did some swimming.  I also did a quick 20 mins in the Gym on the Cycle Machine followed by the Rowing Machine followed by weights..Not loads but quite intense.

Tomorrow is a big day for me.  I am still not sure what I am going to do yet, the original plan was back to back 50 miles but I need too spend one of the days with Becks and the Kids so tomorrow may be a full day on the bike....I plan to leave about 10am and see how the day goes.  I have an idea in my head of how far I want to go but lets see!!

Aug 24th - Town Riding

I was not planning to go out today however the plans I had changed so I thought I would go for a bike ride.  I had an idea of where I wanted to ride but had not plans for the total mileage.

So I set off towards Kenilworth everything was going well until I was on the final hill into Kenilworth when I nearly fell off.  The road was quite narrow but there was a lot of traffic. Basically due to a number of factors I got to close to the curb, my left peddle clipped the curb and I had seconds to react.  I am not really sure what happened next however I managed to stay on the bike, just, but due to whatever happened both of my bottles got thrown off the bike and ended up in the middle of the road.  I pulled onto the path and went back to retrieve my bottles. It was just one of those things really, it did not shake me up but it was just a reminder to concentrate more!!

I carried on minus drink which was left behind on the road and headed into Warwick, I then decided to cycle home the proper way, i.e. not using the lanes.  This meant cycling up the hill near the Waterman which I had not done yet. Surprisingly it was OK although at the steepest point I was in lowest gear.

Anyway I did the 20 miles without drink in 1hr 20mins......Not fast enough really but It was good to get out.

Tuesday and Wednesday next week I am off work and plan back to back 50 mile rides!!!! Watch this space

Today Route:  Here

Aug 19th - Evening Ride

Well tonight after work and dinner I did 13 miles.....No issues, only a small ride however I did not get out until 7:30ish and the light is beginning to fade fast so after work riding is going to get more difficult.

Might be time for the Turbo Trainer.

Aug 16th - New Biggest Ride, New Fastest Speed & New Pains!!

Well after quite a quiet training week I knew on Saturday I would have to push myself.  Well I did.  I decided to ride the route that we will be doing in a couple of weeks time.  My furthest route I had done upto this point was 30 miles, however that was only once and 20 - 25miles was a much more comfitable range and the range I have trained too.

The first 25 miles were the best riding I have ever done.  It was a new route and it was challenging but the roads were great and I actually really enjoyed every moment.  I stopped every 10miles for a quick drink and then stopped after 25miles at the side of the road to eat some food which I had taken.

After lunch I planned another 25 miles route however the minute I hit 30 miles the pain started.  My knees and legs ached a lot and I was into the wind which did not help.  I actually took a quicker route back home.

I ended up doing 40 miles in 2hrs 35mins with an avg speed of 14.8mph.  I smashed my highest ever speed when I hit 37mph!

I was a bit dissapointed that I only managed 40 miles and I felt a little disheartened afterwards but I had only ever done 30miles once before and actually it was OK.

I must push myself on a regular basis.  I am reassessing my training regime because its not been great recently.  I now am going to do two 20 - 30 miles ride during the weeks and then every weekend push myself, starting next week.

The Route: Here

12th August - Very Small Ride

Well tonight I did a very small ride. I could not tell you how far because I cannot find the cycle computer!!!!!! Anyway went out, I went about 2 miles down the road and the heavens opened big style!!!!! I turned around and cycled home...

I know!!!! I cannot do that in Scotland when doing JOGLE...

Wednesday I am taking my daughter Elia out for some Dad time, and then I will ride Thursday & Friday...Saturday is going to be my biggest ride yet, no matter what the weather!

Aug 7th - Sorry

Firstly sorry that I have not updated this blog for a few days.  I have not been feeling too good and decided not to go out on the bike as I did not want my sore throat to turn into a cold.

However after 2 days overdosing on Vitamin C I felt much better tonight, I don't finish work til 6:30pm this week so I did not get in the bike until 7:20pm(after dinner).  I did 15.4 miles in 59 minutes.  Not my fastest but it was good to get out.  I was actually planning to go further despite the rain however the light was fading quite fast and I decided to stop after 15miles.

My Dad is staying with us this weekend so even though I still plan to go out it will be nothing spectacular.

Also congratulations to Joy on getting her new bike today, see John Berry's blog for pics.......I look forward to reading your blog!

Aug 4th - 10 Mile ride and new stuff

Well I got home and my new bike stuff had arrived...Saddle Bag, Sunglasses, Chain Lube and Portable Pump.  I fitted it all onto the bike and it is great. I also made a slight adjustment to the tilt of the saddle and this is also good. It means for the first time since starting training I can take my iphone, food, repair kit and pump with me.  The sunglasses are also great, highly recommended, they are so light and don't feel like I am actually wearing glasses.

Anyway after all of this I managed a 10 mile ride, (all of the kit I had attached at the beginning was still attached at the end)...with a 15.7mph avg speed.

August 2nd - Happy and Disappointed!

I wanted to beat my previous record (30 miles) today however I took the kids out instead. I really could not be bothered to go out when I got home however about 5pm I went out for a ride.

I only did 15 miles in 55 mins however it is the best I have ever felt. I can honestly say that my legs did not ache even up hills and after the ride I felt not one ounce of tiredness and hardly broke into a sweat.

I am delighted at this and shows how I have progressed because 15 miles used to seem a big ride, now it just feel like a walk to the shops.  However I am disappointed that I did not go further......15 miles is better than nothing though!!

31st July - Another 10 mile ride

Well tonight I got home and had some jobs to do. I finished decorating my sons bedroom and got out on the bike about 7:30pm. I decided I would try and ride without my padded short and I forgot to take any drink!! Having said that it was ok and I did 10.13 miles in 37mins with an avg speed of 16.2mph.

I did my normal route.......Hopefully on Saturday I will ride my furthest yet beating the 30 miles I did a few weeks ago.

July 29th - Another ride, no thunder but wind!

Well tonight I set off about 6pm, I had no set route although I had an idea of where I wanted to go.  I had not checked on gmap so I had no idea how many miles it was.  I wanted to do no more than 15 tonight.

I set off in the opposite direction to normal and I was straight into the wind.  It was really slowing me down.  I did the first 4 miles with an avg speed of 13mph:-( It was the strongest I had cycled in.

On the plus side the next 4 miles were really fast as I changed direction...I was shocked how difficult even cycling on the flat was into the wind, even down hill I was only doing about 15mph and had to work to do that.

Anyway no incidents, I covered 15.12 miles in 58 mins with a avg speed of 15.6mph.

I am playing golf tomorrow so a day off from riding. I will be back in the saddle on Thursday Night.

Route Here

July 28th - Biggest after work ride

Well tonight I got home had tea (Cod on Rocket Salad, with home made potato wedges)........I got on my bike at about 5:30pm and after one false start (I got down the road and realised I have forgot my helmet!) I got going.  The sky was starting to go very dark however I am not scared of thunder and a bit of rain...or so I thought

Anyway just 2 mins into my journey it started to rain, these were those big pre-thunder storm big rain drops. This sort of rain continued for about 4 miles then stopped for a bit.  However about 9 miles into my ride the thunder, lightning, heavy rain started, I got soaked, it was actually quite scary because I was quite exposed to the weather as I was riding in country lanes.

At one point I could hardly see from the spray and rain in my eyes (mixed with sweat of course)........

I continued on and did not take any shortcuts home and completed the 25.4 miles in 1hr, 37mins with a avg speed of 15.6mph.  I also extended my top speed to 34mph coming past the Waterman Pub towards Warwick.

I am actually really pleased with tonight, It was not easy as the conditions were at some points very difficult, I achieved 25 miles in just over 1hr 30mins and this was after a days work. Although some of the hills were hard work I could have continued. I had one slight scare towards the end when I decided to try and get up the final hill in top gear not dropping below 17mph, half way up I felt something in my right nee move and it did not feel good! however there has been no pain and it feels fine.

I will go out again tomorrow (Probably just 15 miles), Wednesday i am playing Golf.

Route Here  

July 27th - Not gone to plan this weekend!

Well I had big plans for this weekend, however no bike ride has happened! I could list my excuses on here but there is alot! 

I will be out as normal in the evenings next week, I am on early shift so I hope to go further in the evenings

July 24th - 15 mile ride tonight and a new route

Well I decided I needed to more than the 10 -12 miles I have been doing in the evenings so I came up with a new 15 mile route.  Still not loads but ideal for after work.  This route also included no lanes and was all A and B roads which we will be using mostly on JOGLE.  There were no big steep hills and it was mainly a flat route with the odd hill however It was a good ride which worked the legs.

I did the 15 miles in 56 min and 6 secs with an avg speed of 16mph - I also did a top speed of 32.8mph.

I enjoyed the ride, Oh I listened to music for the first time while riding tonight and it was good.  Definitely good to have as an option when during those longer rides.

The Route:

Here

Tomorrow is a day off and then I plan a big ride on Saturday.....

July 23rd - A small but fast ride

Tonight I thought I would repeat last nights route however the road between my house and berkswell is gonna be closed for 8 weeks for whatever reason.  I therefore decided to head down the A road from my house to Meriden and then continue towards Hampton, Barton and then home. Doing the A road meant very fast moving traffic however a flat first 4 miles. Due to this I was able to keep my speed at 20mph+ for the first 4 miles which was new because I had to work hard to keep my speed at this level and it was not a case of hard work up a hill and then rest down the hill.

Anyway I did the 10 Miles in 37min, 10secs with a avg speed of 16.4mph my fastest yet although this means nothing really because it depends on so many factors.

I do feel like at the moment I am training for a sprint and not a marathon as JOGLE is going to be. This is because my training is over short distances and the only thing I can improve is the speed so that is what I am trying to do.  I am sure it all counts but I have put a couple of dates in the diary for some big rides.  Watch this space........

July 22nd - I'm back on the saddle

Well after 8 days off my bike due to a combination of illness, tiredness and trying to decorate my sons bedroom I had not been on the bike for 8 days.  I was totally out of the routine and could have easily not gone again tonight, however I knew that I had too and I am so glad I did.  I only did the 12 mile Meriden > Hampton-In-Arden > Barston route and I felt great. I got on the bike like a man possessed and managed to add 1mph to my average speed.

I did 12 miles in 47min, 22secs - with an average speed of 15.2mph.  I also hit a top speed of 32.1mph........More importantly I did not stop once not even for a drink, I felt strong and like I had not been off the bike.  This has taught me that it is OK to have a few days break although 8 is too many, also my plan of not riding the week leading upto JOGLE will probably work.

I will go out again tomorrow night and will hopefully complete a long ride on Sunday 30+ miles.

July 17th - Bad training week

Well i'm afraid I have done nothing in the way of biking this week.  I have been busy and really tired all week.  I was gonna go out tonight but I have not been feeling too well and chose not too.................Hopefully I will get some energy, and strength soon because I need to do more cycling..

July 15th - No Training!

Well yesterday and today I'm afraid I have done no training.  I got home and the kids were playing in the garden, I went straight out to play and then started working on the garden.  It was 8:30pm before I looked at the time!

I do feel bad and I know I am unable to train tomorrow because I am playing golf straight from work, Golf is like training though!!! I will however go for a ride Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

July 13th - Longest ride so far

Well today has been a busy day, we were out as a family this morning and then got home about 1pm.  I straight away took advantage of the sun and decided to cut the grass.  We then ate some pasta and salad and I did not get out on the bike until 3pm! The plan today was to do 25 - 30 miles today, it would have been very easy not to do the miles because of the time I got on the bike and we had made plans to go round my brothers house about 5.  However I headed out on the Meriden > Hampton-in-Arden route and it was good, it was quite warm today and after 12 Miles it was decision time, 1mile back home to complete the 13 mile circuit or head out towards Knowle.  I took the decision to carry on.

I then went towards Knowle > Lapworth > Rowington > Warwick > Home.  In total I did a total of 29 miles, in 2hrs 2min cycle time (2hr, 10mins total) with a AVG Speed of 14.2mph.  This is the longest cycle I have ever done.  There were times during the ride when I felt tired however It was actually OK.  I felt good, the last few miles were hard but I probably could have carried on.  I certainly felt a lot better than I did after my 22 mile ride on Day 2.

I also beat my top speed and hit 31.7mph.  I got home, jumped in the shower and then went to my brothers house to try out his new hot tub! My legs don't ache (Probably helped by the 2 hours spent in the Hot Tub).  Even though I was out for 2 hours it felt longer. I won't say that I enjoyed it because I was rushing to get back in time.  I find that you never enjoy the first time you go for a new milestone (If you start enjoying it then it is time to push on again!!)

Anyway, I plan to ride to work a few times this week and will look to try and do another 30 miles next weekend. I don't think the jump from 30 miles to 50 will be to difficult, beyond that seems too much yet.  My biggest concern so far is my speed, it seems like my avg speed is around 14mph, I am quite happy with this but is it enough for JOGLE and the others?, I am however only on day 16 of training!

My Route:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2074538

July 11th - Night Off

No training today, however I did fit my new bottle holders and I finally pumped up the bike tires.........

Instead I ate dinner, had a pillow fight with the kids and then watched some TV.

July 10th - New Route

Tonight I tried a new route which was a great route, it was only 12 miles however it was unknown and boy were there some hills! I managed however to do the 12.1 miles in 51mins 28seconds with an average speed of 14.1mph. I totally understand about warming into a ride. The first 5 miles are ALWAYS the worst, as the time goes on I get faster, stronger up hills and really feel like I can keep going. I really need to be pushing my distance now however it all about time. I did not get home until 7ish tonight, had dinner spent a few moments with the kids and then went out about 7:40pm. I have got to get the balance between biking, increasing my distance but spending time with the kids and Becks.

With this in mind I am not going to ride into work tomorrow or else it will mean missing the kids bedtime and that is very important to me. However I will go for a long ride on sunday. I think this 12mile route is a good after work ride, I can use this to try and beat my time, increase my speed. Sunday however I have now decided to do a 25 - 30 mile ride, (I may do the first half of the ride which we will be doing on 31st August).

Oh also I managed to increase my top speed to 29.4mph. However there were not many downhills tonight!

The Route
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2066177

July 9th - Quick ride in the rain

Matt popped in this morning and dropped off the bike computer, thanks Matt. So once I was home I could not wait to get it set up and go for a quick ride. At 8:15pm ish after setting up the computer, I went out in the pouring rain, no padded shorts, new led lights flashing to test the computer. I went too a round-about that on gmap was 1 mile away so I headed there and the computer was spot on. I went round the round-about and headed back home (it is amazing how wet you can get on a 2 mile, 8min, 24second ride). So from my quick ride I managed a top speed of 27.1mph, avg speed of 14.7mph (Towards the round about it was 18mph avg speed, coming back was up a hill?). I went down the hill on the way at 27.1mph, I came up it around 7.5mph!

It was really good though. A couple of intereting things: The bike was surprising comfitable with no padded shorts! and I need mud gaurds ASAP.....We have a provisional date of Sunday 31st August for our next 50mile get together hosted at my house this time and a bike pump, bottle holders and bottles should arrive tomorrow.

I will go out for the meriden route tomorrow night (13 Miles) and then will ride into work on Friday. Sunday I plan to do a 25mile ride

July 8th - Work and Back

Today I actually stuck to my plan and cycled into work and back (18.6 Mile round trip). I did it in 40 mins each way which I was pleased with, no major incident. Oh I did have to ride through a flooded lane which was new and got most of the dirt from the lane on my back (must get mud gaurds!). Also on the way home I got overtook by a middle aged lady and a very old man! I was just thinking how I was doing really well and keeping up speed on this hill when it happend, obviously I still have a long way to go!!!!

On the Bike front I need to put some air in my tyres, I have not added any since the bike arrived. I will hopefully clean the bike tonight and fix up my lights.

I will not ride into work tomorrow and will probably have a day off. Thursday, if John Berry remembers the pump :-) I will go out for an evening ride. Friday I will ride into work and back, Saturday will be a day off (Im in work during the evening) and then on Sunday I will hopefully go for a 25 - 30mile ride in the afternoon.

July 7th - Change of Plan

Well I was going to ride into work today, however after arriving late back from Devon last night and with the weather forecast I decided to drive. Instead I went for an evening ride. I went into Meriden and felt really good, I did the 4 miles in about 15 mins which I was very pleased with. My legs, bum and everything else felt good, no issues and I was able to concentrate on building up speed. I decided to pop into my brothers house for a quick hello and ended up staying for about 20 mins, this left me with a small issue as I had promised to get back in time to put my daughter to bed, so I chose a route back which I did not intend to do until much later on in my training because it was down a very busy and fast A road. In fact it was fine, yes the traffic moved fast but the road surface was batter quality and in fact in the lanes I have been down are very up and down, steep hill then free wheel for a bit. This was a constant hill for about 5 miles, this really worked the legs and I was able to get into a rythm. It also helped get used to the traffic and busy roundabouts which I needed to do. All in all a good ride, not as big a distance as I had planned but a good work out. If the weather is good in the morning I will ride into work and back tomorrow as I believe tomorrow is my best change of some sun. I really need a pump also as I have not added any air to my tires since my bike arrived and they will need some air soon.

My Route: 9.1 Miles Total
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2056297

6th July - No Training

No training this weekend....I have been in Devon with my Dad and have been without the bike. I am however planning to ride into work Monday, Wednesday and Friday next week.

I have however bought a few items. I have purchased a new rucksack and LED lights for the bike. I am actually looking forward to going out on the bike tomorrow and kicking on with my training

Week 1 complete

Today I took the ride into work option. It was fine, no major problems although the early start was not great. It took me a while to wake up, oh and while placing my bottle into the cage while riding, I missed, fortunately no cars were around so my drink and bottle were safe, I just had to retreive it from the middle of the road!

The ride back was different, I was planning on a longer route home but I left my map at work and the weather did not look great. I made the right choice because just as I hit the A road, I experienced a scottish summer: wind, driving rain, spray from lorries and I got soaked. It was fun but also a little scary. It was totally different riding, I just gritted my teeth and rode as fast as I could but I really had to concentrate. The puddles are all at the side of the road, just where I have to ride and there was no choice but to ride through them. I think it is important for us all to ride in these conditions because I am sure that at some point on our journey this is going to happen.

So in total today I rode 18.8miles today (9.4 each way)....I will now be having a break until Monday because I am off to Devon for the weekend minus the Bike. My plan next week is to ride into work on Monday, Wednesday and Friday......I may then do a 25 mile ride on Sunday.

It is now 1 week since I got my bike and did my first blog post. It feels like I have been doing this for ages however in 1 week I have achieved 73.6 Miles. Two cycles into work (18.8 miles each), A cycle at John Berry's house (22 Miles) and a single cycle into Meriden of 12.3 Miles. I am quite happy with this although I know I now need to step this up because when I ride into work my legs do not ache, this is not a good sign. I need to push on.

Night Off

No ride tonight, took the kids out for tea......I will either ride into work tomorrow or do a 20 mile route when I get in.

Fantastic Ride

I did not ride to work today as I overslept so I decided I would go out for a ride this evening.

I got home about 4:45pm and was on the road by 5:05pm. I came up with a new route using gmap and it was great. It was not easy, in fact there were some very steep hills however the steep ones were not that long but there were some other steady climbs that were quite long. It was a great ride because I was shocked how I felt on the bike. I seemed to have loads more power in my legs and only dropped down a few gears when taking on hills and was able to maintain momentum which was an issue the other day. I was able to really attack the hills accelerating and increasing my speed. I am looking forward to getting the bike computer because I am very interested in my speed and avg speed.

The route was 12.3 miles and I did it in 1 hour. Not the fastest, in fact I thought I was faster than that however there were alot of hills and an avg speed of 12mph is not bad.

I was really excited about going out tonight and was buzzing when I got home again not because of the distance achieved but how much stronger I felt. It will be very interesting to see how I get on riding into work on Thursday because if it goes as I expect then it will be very easy.

I am away this weekend so no long rides however the following week I will try and get to the 20 mile ride mark in the evening, I will probably stick at the 20 mile mark for a few weeks and concentrate on increasing my avg speed. 12 Miles is no problem and it is a good bench mark to push on from. I really want to achieve 50 miles by the end of July, early august.....But we will see I want my avg speed to increase first and time at the moment is on our side......

My Route = Balsall Common > Berkswell > Four Oaks > Meriden
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2037139

June 30 - Day Off

Leg ache was quite bad this morning however is OK now. Night off - Gardening instead! Will be riding into work tomorrow....

June 29 - Small Ride

well I was going to have 2 days rest however for some unknown reason even though my legs ache alot today I was desperate to go out. I knew my legs needed some recovery but it is a weird thing, once you start cycling you want to go out and cycle all the time. I had quite a busy day today but about 7:15pm I thought I need to get out even if just for 20 mins. So I set off and did 2.5 miles, nothing really, but it was good to stretch my legs and I wanted to test the new seat height. I have not noticed too much difference so It may need to go a bit higher.

Here is my route, not very exciting but I did not expect that I would want to get on the bike again for a few days but I did. I am even considering cycling into work tomorrow (Monday), realistically though I think it will be Tuesday and Thursday.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2032048

June 28 - 22 Mile ride with John, Campbell and Marian

Well I set off this morning at 8:15 to head down to chippenham, John Berry's home. I arrived at 10:30 via Halfords as I had forgotten my most prived possesion right now, padded shorts!

We set off for the ride at 11am, I started OK until we came to the first hill, it was a nightmare, it was steep and went on and on. I was slow and at the top I had to stop for a drink. The minute I stopped I felt very faint, I was trying to figure out why I was feeling like I was, then i remembered that I had had a wheatabix for breakfast, driven for 2 and a half hours then went straight out. Campbell very kindly offered me a cerial bar with oats, nuts and other bird type food. This istantly helped and my energy came back. I did not have to stop again due to not being able to make a hill however at every hill I was slow, my leg strength is low however on a positive I know I can increase that over time, however on the flat or downhill I was clearly the fastest man in the world, ask John Berry if he remembers a red flash shoot past him. Obviously in the end I let him catch up because he knew the way.

Towards the end I was getting very tired and the final gentle climb was long and into the wind had me struggling however I did it. On Day 2 of training I did 22 miles, I was clearly off the pace but I do feel proud. I want to do that route again in a few months to see how I have progressed.

I still need to higher my seat and get the bike setting right however I now plan to have 2 days off before riding into work on Tuesday.

The pub was nice and even though it has been a long day it was well worth it. I believe it is my turn to organise the next get together for a bike ride and I have already started at looking for a 50mile route with a pub in the middle.

June 27 - Training Day 1 Complete

Well I made it home. It took 45mins to get home and the first 2 miles again were a killer. I am trying to work out if the first few miles are actually the worse or if it takes me a few miles to get into it.

There were definatly more hills on the way home and at some points I felt like stoping however everytime I nearly stopped the hill ended. Who knows how I will be when the hills are longer! The biggest problem I had was by bum, it really really hurts and every bump and even just smooth riding hurt so bad. I know it will get better but that is my biggest worry for tomorrow because i cannot get my mind off the pain and even though tonight was good, it is taking some of the enjoyment out of it.

I plan to relax tonight with a nice meal and movie with my wife and then hopefully tomorrow when I awake I will feel OK, because right now my legs are like jelly. My plan now is to do 25miles tomorrow then rest for a few days. I may ride into work on Wednesday and Friday next week as I am in Devon for the weekend so there will be no training then. I am sure I will look back on all of this in time but right now 80 miles seems a massive number!!

June 27 - Part 1

Well I have just completed the ride into work.

After about 5mins I nearly quit out, even though I thought my arse was OK after my 2 mile ride last night, when I sat down on the bike this morning it hurt, badly! Also you only realise hills when you ride your bike but almost straight from my house for probably the first 2 miles was uphill and this was not nice. Having said all of this the route is great, the lanes had no traffic and I really enjoyed riding into work, which was nice. I thought I was doing badly however before I knew it I was at Hatton, I must have been eating up the miles without realising (Obviously a computer would help). I ended up doing 8.9miles in 35mins!. I called Joy at 9:35am, and was at my desk for 9:50am!!!!!!!!!!! I still think my seat needs to go even higher though.

I will see tonight how I feel, it may be totally different on the way home. I even stopped for a drink and some pics, (no flowers John however if you look closely you may see some stinging nettles. I feel so much better and I totally know where I went wrong last night.

My Route - http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2025998

I am however very conscious of not over doing it and therefor my plan is just to do the 25 miles tomorrow. If i feel good I will do the return journey but I don't want to kill myself or put myself off by doing too much too soon. I think doing 2miles, followed by 18miles followed by 25miles in my first 3 days will be enough for now.

June 26 - Part 2 - The training has begun

Ok, firstly I went against all advice. I was in such a rush to go out tonight before Becky went out that I rushed home, ate my dinner, set the bike up (i.e. Pedals and Handle Bars) and then went. It was pouring with rain and windy. I did not touch seat height or anything else.

To be honest It was not great! I started off thinking this bike is so light, lets see how fast I can go, I was rushing everything. I did not have a clue how to change gears so found myself trying to figure this our while riding along with traffic on Station Road, my road positioning was shocking and probably dangerous and i felt very vulnerable on the road. I was also surprised that I did not have much confidence on the road amongst traffic.

Having said that it was great to get out, the bike is great but I only did 2.3 miles in about 10 mins as I had to get back home. I would have loved longer to try and get used to it more. I had to stop a few time because I was trying to work some stuff out.

I am going to ride into work tomorrow (9 miles, each way), it may be slightly crazy however it is the best way I learn and hopefully after tomorrow I will feel better. Saturday is actually quite scary right now.

Oh and the padded shorts were good, they helped, although you feel every bump in the road and my legs did ache a bit (however at one point I went up a hill in the highest gear). I certainly need to learn the art of steady riding and get into a rhythm, this did not happen tonight.

Link for my route is here.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2024476

Also I have changed my mind on Mud guards, my back was soaking and cold due to the spray and it was very annoying.

June 26 - I have a bike

Guess what turned up this morning!

My new bike arrived just before work. I am well happy that it has finally arrived however I was gutted that I could not play but had to come to work instead:-(
If only I had a WFH day!!!!!!!!!:-)

Hopefully I will be able to get 30 - 45mins on the bike this evening and if everything seems OK I will ride into work tomorrow and back (20miles total).

I am intrigued into how I get on.....watch this space.....

June 25th - I've had some post

Today before work the doorbell went and I am now the proud owner of a bike helmet, padded lycra shorts (keep calm ladies)!!! and gloves. However obviously I still dont have my new bike! I did have an email though saying that the order is now processed and it will be sent to me ASAP. Saturday in now only 2 days away and Becky is out tomorrow night so I cannot go for a ride then. I think I will go out for 1 hour to try and get used to the bike on Thursday night before Becky goes out and then may ride into work on Friday. This will then be followed by Saturdays ride!!! Keep checking back for photos and progress, my training is finally about to begin..

June 21 - Guess what was hiding in my garage!

Well, my new shiny bike did not arrive in time for a Saturday ride so I went to B&Q and Halfords and bought some stuff. Unfortunatly I did not buy bike stuff from Halfords but car stuff.

Having said that if my new bike does not arrive by Tuesday I will need to do something because next Saturdays ride is coming round very quickly. I have got a bike, but it is an old one and I don't really want to go out on it (even if it is a great bike of the past). If my new bike does not arrive then my plan is as follows (on the old bike). Tuesday evening bike ride, approx 15 - 20 miles, followed by riding to work and back on Thursday (Round trip of 20miles). At least then I know I can get to the pub next saturday!

I am really excited about starting my training, im very interested to see how I cope with 10, 20, 30 miles and then pushing it futher. I like to think that will be OK but i might be in for a big shock!

DAY 3 - June 19th | Still no bike and a new twist.....

Today I heard from ashcycles that it would take 2 weeks to get hold of my new bike in my size. I called another company and they said they same :-(

So tonight i decided that I needed to find a new bike. I could get last years model however I am not too sure, that is my last resort. While searching around the web I found this company http://www.cyclexpress.co.uk/. Its not the most confidence inspiring website in the world however they had my bike, in the new model available for £50 cheaper than anywhere else on the web. They also had an additional offer of 10% off anything over a certain value. I have therefore managed to purchase the bike for £30 cheaper the the 2007 model and £80 cheaper than ashcycles :-)

Let wait and see if this one arrives. I have paid £5 for express delivery which will take 1-2 days so hopefully I should have something Saturday.

DAY 2 - June 18th | The bike is on order...

Well today I ordered my bike I ordered it from the same company as John, www.ashcycles.com - Hopefully it will arrive before Saturday!

Oh and I went and picked up my new car, I love it......It is so fast and looks great. I accidently did a ton on the A14 on the way home and it felt like 50mph and the engine wanted so much more. I think I am gonna have some fun in this car, which of course is not going to help when it comes to choosing between riding my bike into work and driving!

DAY 1 - June 17th | Training to start this week.....

Welcome to my blog. Having been inspired by John'a blog I decided it would be good to record my adventures too. I am planning to place an order for my bike tomorrow as I think having a bike might be useful!

Currently my plan is to go out on Saturday (If my bikes arrives) and see how for I get before I either fall off or get too tired. I have commited to do a cycle with John Berry and friends on Saturday 28th June. They are doing a 50mile ride. Even though I know that I do not have to complete the entire journey, I want to, and have just 1 week to prepare!.

I will hopefully do a ride on Saturday and then two rides to work next week. Anyway thats the plan, and it may all change....come back to see how i get on....Oh and i pick up my new car tomorrow, exciting!