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
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.
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!!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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