I work about 4 miles away from home and have been saying for the last 6 months that I was going to start cycling the journey rather than driving. However, the excuses have been vast as to why I haven't up to now. I say excuses, they were all genuine reasons at the time ;-)
"I'll start when I get a new bike" - Good enough, but when I got the new mountain bike it was still freezing cold and raining.
"I'll go on days when I finish early so it's not dark out" - If I've finished work early, I usually have 500 things to do so a car comes in handy
"I'll go on dry days" - Dry days are usually cold days!
You get the picture. Since I now have a shiney new road bike at my disposal, the excuses are not really cutting it. Since I didn't get out at the weekend I a) felt guilty and b) had yet to road test the bike!
If I new on Sunday what I know now I'd have been out like a shot. Road bikes are amazing! The ride home was not far at all (although it still took me 40 minutes as I took the wrong cycle path and ended up waaaay out) so wasn't too taxing but I felt like I floated all the way home. Minimal effort for better speed, time and ease than the mountain bike.
I can't wait to get out on it for a big run at the weekend - not even weather permitting this time!
Monday 28 February 2011
Sunday 27 February 2011
Rain rain, go away!
I am a little bit ashamed to say that I did not get out on my bike this weekend. 7am was not happening at all when my alarm went off. When I woke up the second time, the rain did a fairly swift job of removing my last remaining dreg of motivation.
I did, however, get a little bit of shopping done at the weekend. I now have a very comfy gel seat, some very bright jerseys and, probably best of all, a new shiney bike computer! Well, okay it's not shiney but it is new and very very cool. No longer will I have to resort to mapping my routes online when I return from a ride.
Thursday 24 February 2011
Training schedule
When I signed up for the bike ride, I downloaded all the forms and filed them in my 'London to Paris' folder. The training schedule went along with these forms and that's pretty much where it stayed until February 6th. I knew that training would have to start on the 7th as it's a 17 week programme.
The basic layout is 3-4 sessions a week, with one being a big cycle. The sessions increase in time/intensity/distance as the weeks go on.
I am now coming to the end of week 3 and it is all going well so far. The workout schedule is pretty easy going as it's designed to gently introduce you to regular exercise. Since I've been getting out on my bike and going to the gym for the last 6 months, the tasks are still fairly simple.
I was well aware of the physical demands of the schedule before I started and so they haven't caused me any particular distress (except maybe week 13 onwards 60/75 mile cycles) but the one thing I hadn't really factored in is time. I'm generally a fairly busy person but with work, fundraising and training I think I am going to struggle to have time to do it all. I've started to have to schedule in my sessions a week or more in advance so that I can allocate enough time for them.
I knew when I signed up for this that it was going to take up a lot of time but I think I have now had to resign myself to the fact that 'London to Paris' is my life until June 5th.
The basic layout is 3-4 sessions a week, with one being a big cycle. The sessions increase in time/intensity/distance as the weeks go on.
I am now coming to the end of week 3 and it is all going well so far. The workout schedule is pretty easy going as it's designed to gently introduce you to regular exercise. Since I've been getting out on my bike and going to the gym for the last 6 months, the tasks are still fairly simple.
I was well aware of the physical demands of the schedule before I started and so they haven't caused me any particular distress (except maybe week 13 onwards 60/75 mile cycles) but the one thing I hadn't really factored in is time. I'm generally a fairly busy person but with work, fundraising and training I think I am going to struggle to have time to do it all. I've started to have to schedule in my sessions a week or more in advance so that I can allocate enough time for them.
I knew when I signed up for this that it was going to take up a lot of time but I think I have now had to resign myself to the fact that 'London to Paris' is my life until June 5th.
Wednesday 23 February 2011
Mixing it up
Up until this week, my training has pretty much consisted of going to the gym in the week and big cycling at the weekends. Although I am only in week 3, that has started to get pretty boring so I decided to try a few new things to keep it interesting.
Zumba.
For those of you that don't know, Zumba is " an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party" (according to google anyway). I would say it's a bit like aerobics and salsa combined. I went along to the session with a few ladies from work on Tuesday night. It was definitely interesting! I was worried initially that the fact that I have absolutely no rhythm or coordination might hinder me but was told that this wouldn't be a problem. And it wasn't, to an extent, in that no one laughed at me getting the steps wrong, moving the wrong way (and several beats out of time) or flailing my arms around wildy. However, I think it created overall problems in what I was able to get from the workout. I spent a lot of time concentrating on trying to get the steps right and so subsequently did not end up working as hard as everyone else. At the end of the workout I didn't feel like I had done much at all so thing that perhaps Zumba is not for me.
Spinning
Spinning is "a type of aerobic exercise, done by cycling indoors on a stationary "spinning" bicycle". It differs from using the normal bikes in the gym because it is a much more intense workout. I know quite a lot of people who swear by spinning so have been meaning to check it out. Again, I was nervous about how hard it would be, would I be slower/less fit than everyone else there. Everything I knew about spinning prior to attending the class was learned from American TV programmes (which, I think you'll agree, is usually an accurate description of real life) so I was expecting a class of stick thin middle aged women. There was a mix of ages, gender, fitness levels in the class so I was happy. I was also happy that it was really really hard! Which may sound a bit sadistic but I definitely like know that something's working properly. I usually gauge how hard I've worked by how sore I am the next day and I think it's pretty safe to say I worked incredibly hard! So, time permitting, I am planning to sub spinning in as one of my weekly sessions.
Zumba.
For those of you that don't know, Zumba is " an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party" (according to google anyway). I would say it's a bit like aerobics and salsa combined. I went along to the session with a few ladies from work on Tuesday night. It was definitely interesting! I was worried initially that the fact that I have absolutely no rhythm or coordination might hinder me but was told that this wouldn't be a problem. And it wasn't, to an extent, in that no one laughed at me getting the steps wrong, moving the wrong way (and several beats out of time) or flailing my arms around wildy. However, I think it created overall problems in what I was able to get from the workout. I spent a lot of time concentrating on trying to get the steps right and so subsequently did not end up working as hard as everyone else. At the end of the workout I didn't feel like I had done much at all so thing that perhaps Zumba is not for me.
Spinning
Spinning is "a type of aerobic exercise, done by cycling indoors on a stationary "spinning" bicycle". It differs from using the normal bikes in the gym because it is a much more intense workout. I know quite a lot of people who swear by spinning so have been meaning to check it out. Again, I was nervous about how hard it would be, would I be slower/less fit than everyone else there. Everything I knew about spinning prior to attending the class was learned from American TV programmes (which, I think you'll agree, is usually an accurate description of real life) so I was expecting a class of stick thin middle aged women. There was a mix of ages, gender, fitness levels in the class so I was happy. I was also happy that it was really really hard! Which may sound a bit sadistic but I definitely like know that something's working properly. I usually gauge how hard I've worked by how sore I am the next day and I think it's pretty safe to say I worked incredibly hard! So, time permitting, I am planning to sub spinning in as one of my weekly sessions.
Sunday 20 February 2011
26 miles...but faster this time!
This week I did the same route as last weekend but in reverse (Dawlish to Exeter and back). I went with my friend Dan, who teaches PE and coaches football, and does not know the word 'slack' or 'rest' - which proved a very good motvational tool.
As I was doing the same route as before, I decided it would be a good idea to time it so that I can get a good idea of my average mph and get an idea of what pace I will need to be setting for myself on the actual cycle to Paris.
Not including a break for some lunch, it took 2 hours and 20 minutes, which I think is more than reasonable. I did it on the mountain bike too as I don't have the equipment for spares/repairs on the road bike and didn't want to risk getting a puncture/flat tyre and not being able to fix it (26 miles is a long way to cycle but even longer to walk while pushing/carrying a bike!). With that in mind, I can safely assume that I will be able to go further/faster on a road bike with the same level of effort.
One of the great things about doing this is how good it has been at motivating other people. A lot of my friends and family have been keen to get out their old bikes and dust them off ready to come out for the day with me.
As I was doing the same route as before, I decided it would be a good idea to time it so that I can get a good idea of my average mph and get an idea of what pace I will need to be setting for myself on the actual cycle to Paris.
Not including a break for some lunch, it took 2 hours and 20 minutes, which I think is more than reasonable. I did it on the mountain bike too as I don't have the equipment for spares/repairs on the road bike and didn't want to risk getting a puncture/flat tyre and not being able to fix it (26 miles is a long way to cycle but even longer to walk while pushing/carrying a bike!). With that in mind, I can safely assume that I will be able to go further/faster on a road bike with the same level of effort.
One of the great things about doing this is how good it has been at motivating other people. A lot of my friends and family have been keen to get out their old bikes and dust them off ready to come out for the day with me.
Saturday 19 February 2011
The Evolution of Bike
As I may have mentioned once or twice before, I am in no way a keen cyclist and know next to nothing (if not actual nothing) about it. Prior to taking on this challenge, it had probably been about 10 years since the last time I have owned a bike. For this reason, I definitely underestimated how difficult this challenge would be. Not just in terms of the physical but also in terms of having to learn so much about bikes and cycling.
The main and most important aspect of the whole ride is having the right bike. However, a few months ago 'a bike' was pretty much that category covered as far as I was concerned. I realised that the bike I started with would not be suitable for the ride but I didn't really have any idea what would be.
Bad....
Luckily for me, I know a lot of people who know what's what about bikes who have been amazing at giving me advice and tips. Now, when asked about tyre leavers, schrader valves, cassettes etc I can actually answer rather than just stare blankly (in a mild panic that I've never even heard these words before). I am now able to repair punctures and change an inner tube by myself - I realise that this doesn't sound like the most impressive thing ever done but it is still a great feeling to know that you can fix your own bike (please see 'a cautionary tale' if you still fail to see the relevance).
Better...
A friend at work saw a picture of my new mountain bike and quickly realised how hard it would be to complete this challenge on it. Worrying about my choice of bike, he custom built me a hybrid road bike from an old frame and parts he had lying around in the attic. (I will make clear that he is a keen cyclist/enthusiast and owns several bikes - one friend commented that she was imagining a bike built out of old rocking chairs and other things you might find in the attic!)
Best...
So, I now have another new bike (although only on loan) to train and complete the ride on. I also have an expert on hand to advise me on kit lists, clothing, bike repairs etc. I feel like everything is coming together now to make this a really enjoyable experience.
Sunday 13 February 2011
Sugar and spice, and all things nice...
I spent a good 4-5 hours baking and decorating cakes when I got back from cycling yesterday. My lovely friend Tara and her mum also donated a vast portion of their weekend to baking for me. See below the finished result...Cake, anyone?
Fingers crossed people will be wanting a nice sugary kick start to their week tomorrow...
UPDATE: In total, the cake sales managed to raise £80.88!!n :-)
Fingers crossed people will be wanting a nice sugary kick start to their week tomorrow...
UPDATE: In total, the cake sales managed to raise £80.88!!n :-)
Saturday 12 February 2011
26 miles...
I went out with Adelaide and Pete this weekend and we managed 26 miles. We took the cycle path along the canal from Exeter to Dawlish and back again. I don't know if it was having a new bike, or the ride being flat or just being generally a bit fitter (or probably a combination of all three) but 26 miles this weekend seemed a lot easier than 19 two weeks ago.
I've started to really panic a bit about what this cycle actually means. I think before it was just something that I was saying I was doing, without really thinking too much about it. Now training's started it's all very real and I've realised just what a mission it's going to be.
However, I am very lucky that I have a lot of good people who are happy to come out on rides with me, give me pep talks, assist with fundraising etc...and probably most importantly - educate me about bikes and cycling!
I've started to really panic a bit about what this cycle actually means. I think before it was just something that I was saying I was doing, without really thinking too much about it. Now training's started it's all very real and I've realised just what a mission it's going to be.
However, I am very lucky that I have a lot of good people who are happy to come out on rides with me, give me pep talks, assist with fundraising etc...and probably most importantly - educate me about bikes and cycling!
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