well last night was the 10 mile TT at ballydonaghy.... route was out to the nutts corner roundabount, onto the airport roundabout, then round it and back again... not a bad route. Strong headwind on the way out which was harsh, and it got harsher as the road opened up coming to the roundabout... more of a cross wind on the next section.... but a tasty tasty tailwind on the way back... wheeeee!! Good for getting lots of leg speed!
Anyhoo... time for a 10 was 25.28. Not bad. Average speed of 23.5 mph.
Also, the wheelie wonders arrived yesterday. 1100 grams of climbing goodness!
Only problem is I can't get the tubs on to stretch due to girly like hands and wrists. Doh. To the bike shop! (There also seems to be some old glue residue on it, but I'm hoping that doesn't need to be taken off...)
Wednesday 30 April 2008
Monday 28 April 2008
pu***u*es
don't say the word... don't say it! the bane of the cyclist... speaking the name is inviting doom upon yourself. or so we think anyways.
but it happened... and verily it did suck as it happened at the worst time.
picture the scene... a sunny sunday afternoon... the tour of the mournes.... the race started fast and it started well for me... I was feeling good... didn't take long for me to settle in, for a change, the sun was shining, the birds were singing and cats scurried out of the way of the fast approaching peleton as we rolled out of newry and towards warrenpoint.... the pace was fast.... we had a police escort and it was going well.
We rolled on round the coast in the nice sunshine at a nice high speed, going through rostrevor etc... all good. A few guys tried to break, including myself, but it wasn't happening, the bunch were too quick....
All going well. Then we hit the descent from Kilkeel in towards newcastle... I'm about 4 off the front and riding well and feeling strong... about 35 miles in at this point.
Bang. No.... thats not me... is it?
Hand up... try to control a wildy juddering bike as the rear wheel bounces on a rough surface... stop stop stop.... noooooooo. Blowout.
On of the mechanics got me a wheel quick... and then told me to draft a motorbike dude... but the motorbike dude rode away... leaving me on my todd, with a 7speed shimano wheel running on 10 speed campag. argh.
Anyways... I tired to get back onto the bunch... but not a hope in hell... they were moving too quick.... I followed the course on round, did the climb at bryansford... passed a few guys who got dropped... and then just went straight back to newry cutting out the last climb at rathriland... got there about 5 mins before the main group... so seen the finish too.
Basically terribly disappointed as I was feeling good, the legs felt good and I reckon I could have had a chance! :-) Although its easy to say that when I didn't finish....
Anyhoo... got home... got a beer.... tried to fix the problem and it turned into the nightmare.... pulled the tyre off and there was a hole aboud 2-3mm wide in the tube.... seemed to be on where it was contacting the rim too... checked the tyre for anything embedded but didn't seem to be anything.... put a new tube in, inflated... bang. popped again... this time it was on the tyre side... checked again.. nothing there... but what i did notice this time was a bit of the bead has detached itself a touch from the sidewall.
tyre in the bin, two tubes down.... doh.
I consoled myself with a beer and steak and chips, cooked superbly by Cathy.
but it happened... and verily it did suck as it happened at the worst time.
picture the scene... a sunny sunday afternoon... the tour of the mournes.... the race started fast and it started well for me... I was feeling good... didn't take long for me to settle in, for a change, the sun was shining, the birds were singing and cats scurried out of the way of the fast approaching peleton as we rolled out of newry and towards warrenpoint.... the pace was fast.... we had a police escort and it was going well.
We rolled on round the coast in the nice sunshine at a nice high speed, going through rostrevor etc... all good. A few guys tried to break, including myself, but it wasn't happening, the bunch were too quick....
All going well. Then we hit the descent from Kilkeel in towards newcastle... I'm about 4 off the front and riding well and feeling strong... about 35 miles in at this point.
Bang. No.... thats not me... is it?
Hand up... try to control a wildy juddering bike as the rear wheel bounces on a rough surface... stop stop stop.... noooooooo. Blowout.
On of the mechanics got me a wheel quick... and then told me to draft a motorbike dude... but the motorbike dude rode away... leaving me on my todd, with a 7speed shimano wheel running on 10 speed campag. argh.
Anyways... I tired to get back onto the bunch... but not a hope in hell... they were moving too quick.... I followed the course on round, did the climb at bryansford... passed a few guys who got dropped... and then just went straight back to newry cutting out the last climb at rathriland... got there about 5 mins before the main group... so seen the finish too.
Basically terribly disappointed as I was feeling good, the legs felt good and I reckon I could have had a chance! :-) Although its easy to say that when I didn't finish....
Anyhoo... got home... got a beer.... tried to fix the problem and it turned into the nightmare.... pulled the tyre off and there was a hole aboud 2-3mm wide in the tube.... seemed to be on where it was contacting the rim too... checked the tyre for anything embedded but didn't seem to be anything.... put a new tube in, inflated... bang. popped again... this time it was on the tyre side... checked again.. nothing there... but what i did notice this time was a bit of the bead has detached itself a touch from the sidewall.
tyre in the bin, two tubes down.... doh.
I consoled myself with a beer and steak and chips, cooked superbly by Cathy.
Thursday 24 April 2008
how long must I wait?
Man I hate waiting.
Managed to pick up a set of American Classic Carbon 38's from a dude in the states about a week and a half ago... he shipped them that day... which was cool and they arrived in the UK on the 21st. Three days ago.
They've been siting in customs being inspected for three days so far. Argh... there's seriously not that much to wheels to be honest.
And I wanted them for the weekend. They need glued up with tubs and if they arrive on Saturday morning its not really time enough I think....
tiredness and horse like eating.
so I've been feeling pretty tired today.... it kinda started yesterday. Did a ride to work and that was fine... but coming home I was feeling pretty wasted on it.... Cathy and I went out for dinner to a local wine bar (which was excellent btw) and then casually sauntered home with a wee bottle of wine to share.... only problem was that I started to feel a bit nauseous on it... it wasn't the food, I actually think it was sheer tiredness... so into bed at about 9.15pm. Party animal I am.
Woke up this morning after sleeping right though and still feeling pretty tired on it.
The upshot of this, is that I'm eating like a machine. And it feels like its too much food for my body to be perfectly honest. I know I'm paranoid about putting on weight, but after listing what I ate yesterday to Cathy, even she thought it was a lot.
Anyhoo... gonna walk home from work today and do a spin class. Perhaps slightly ill-advised but I'm gonna give it a go anyways.
Its the Tour of the Mournes this weekend also... and I really want to be in tip-top form for it... so if I can get this spin class under the belt and then just take it very easy for Friday and Saturday I'm hoping it should be all good.
Woke up this morning after sleeping right though and still feeling pretty tired on it.
The upshot of this, is that I'm eating like a machine. And it feels like its too much food for my body to be perfectly honest. I know I'm paranoid about putting on weight, but after listing what I ate yesterday to Cathy, even she thought it was a lot.
Anyhoo... gonna walk home from work today and do a spin class. Perhaps slightly ill-advised but I'm gonna give it a go anyways.
Its the Tour of the Mournes this weekend also... and I really want to be in tip-top form for it... so if I can get this spin class under the belt and then just take it very easy for Friday and Saturday I'm hoping it should be all good.
Monday 21 April 2008
its monday (again)...
... amazing how it seems to roll around with nary a question to the world if anyone wants it to?? How rude.
Anyhoo... cases of the monday's aside.... I was racing on Saturday. It was the Seamus McGreevy Race @ Dromore. It was fecking hard. :-) I think that is definitely the toughest race I've ever done.... but I still managed to finish which is a good thing. You can see the Bell looking comfortable going up the hill there...
The race started off fairly sedately until it hit the first long hill.. and man it was a hill.... another 4 times round this (or so I thought)... then rolled up a bit more, round to the left... up some more... ever seen one of those pictures that looks like stairs always going up? This is what this course felt like. Past the finish line - on a hill - and on up some more... still some more climbing with a faux plat on it and finally a stretch of downhill on good road with a tailwind.... oh yeah did I mention that most of the climbing was done into a headwind?? Nice.
Ok... so after a very fast stretch of downhill, round a tight left turn, wee bit uphill, another left turn, some nice road and into a set of lumps, then onto a horrible road surface... northern irish cobbles. nice.... left turn... noooo.... big hill again.... rinse repeat.
I think the break went off at the end of the first lap more or less... I didn't even see it to be honest, I think Jonny Cole tried to get in it but got reeled in by us. Some of the really really really good juniors were in it as well, and that basically means the rest of us mere 30 year old 3rd cats haven't a hope.
Anyways, this went on till what I though was the final lap and then man held up a sign saying two laps to go... :-( I am in pain.
Finn went off the front on this lap with me behind him, not chasing my own man down though. Then there seemed to be a bad crash with one of the guys in front of my group coming down, either hit by a car, or something in the road... either way he came off at around about 40mph... but I think and hope he's ok.
In general it was a good race... definitely more interesting for the hills in it! but damn sore on the legs... so it must be doing me some good.
Friday 18 April 2008
counting down...
... till race day :-)
anyways... tomorrow is the Seamus McGreevy race thingy-ma-bob. Apparently its a fairly murderous hilly course... should be good hopefully!
This weeks training has pretty much been about 45 miles on Wednesday split between the morning and after work..... about 18 miles fixed, and a spin class. Not great, but ok.
Feeling pretty tired today though, and had developed a minor scratch at the back of my throat this morning... but it seems to have disappeared... a good thing!
Anyhoo, feeling pretty nervous about this race tomorrow too... but looking forward to it. Gotta get home and break out the climbing bike.... now if only those new wheels I won on ebay would arrive... I could get them glued tonight and take at least a pound off the bike in weight :-)
anyways... tomorrow is the Seamus McGreevy race thingy-ma-bob. Apparently its a fairly murderous hilly course... should be good hopefully!
This weeks training has pretty much been about 45 miles on Wednesday split between the morning and after work..... about 18 miles fixed, and a spin class. Not great, but ok.
Feeling pretty tired today though, and had developed a minor scratch at the back of my throat this morning... but it seems to have disappeared... a good thing!
Anyhoo, feeling pretty nervous about this race tomorrow too... but looking forward to it. Gotta get home and break out the climbing bike.... now if only those new wheels I won on ebay would arrive... I could get them glued tonight and take at least a pound off the bike in weight :-)
Wednesday 16 April 2008
I'm not a happy leporidae....
... or the bunnies or not pleased at all.
Turned up at the race last night, managed to find the place which was a good start for me, who has the navigational ability of a spoon, got the bike out, got setup, started to get changed.... f*** f*** F***. Forgot my shoes.
Argh!!! To say I was not pleased is an understatement. I am the official numpty. And it was a lovely evening, and a good circuit and I was really looking forward to it. Fecking thing. :-(
I still hung about and marshalled, might as well get another turn of that out of the way.... but tickle me raw with a turnip, not happy at all.
Its also royally screwed uo my training for this week now too, I've only really today and tomorrow, and I can't go too mad tomorrow as I want to be fresh for Saturday's fun.
Turned up at the race last night, managed to find the place which was a good start for me, who has the navigational ability of a spoon, got the bike out, got setup, started to get changed.... f*** f*** F***. Forgot my shoes.
Argh!!! To say I was not pleased is an understatement. I am the official numpty. And it was a lovely evening, and a good circuit and I was really looking forward to it. Fecking thing. :-(
I still hung about and marshalled, might as well get another turn of that out of the way.... but tickle me raw with a turnip, not happy at all.
Its also royally screwed uo my training for this week now too, I've only really today and tomorrow, and I can't go too mad tomorrow as I want to be fresh for Saturday's fun.
Tuesday 15 April 2008
tuesday night racing
so tonight is the first tuesday night road race on the Ballinderry circuit... starting at 7pm. Cool! No racing for me last weekend... but we had a good blast on the club run with some quality hillage in it too.... so I'm feeling pretty good at the minute for the race tonight!
let's see how we go!
let's see how we go!
Thursday 10 April 2008
victoria park...
.... just out in sydenham, is really nice actually.
there's ducks and swans and geese... whats not to love?
here's a pic from it I really like.
there's ducks and swans and geese... whats not to love?
here's a pic from it I really like.
laithwaites
gotta love 'em.
they cunningly seem to be able to time each and every wine delivery so that it happens when we need it most.
this week we've been mostly drinking red in the evenings... just a glass of two of a nice shiraz or a cabernet sauvignon.... yum.
they cunningly seem to be able to time each and every wine delivery so that it happens when we need it most.
this week we've been mostly drinking red in the evenings... just a glass of two of a nice shiraz or a cabernet sauvignon.... yum.
the week in retrospect...
this weeks training has bee fairly light actually.
monday - some miles on the track bike... which kinda hurt
tuesday - only about 15 miles or so time trialling
wednesday - about 38 miles total way in and out of work
thursday - 5 mile run and a spin class
friday - rest!
I think i'm taking a weekend off racing this weekend... just going to do the club run on saturday and take it handy on sunday.
monday - some miles on the track bike... which kinda hurt
tuesday - only about 15 miles or so time trialling
wednesday - about 38 miles total way in and out of work
thursday - 5 mile run and a spin class
friday - rest!
I think i'm taking a weekend off racing this weekend... just going to do the club run on saturday and take it handy on sunday.
tuesday night racing starts again!
Well it looks like the club Tuesday night races have kicked off again.... technically they started over a week ago, but I was marshalling so didn't get to ride.
Anyhoo.... course was a 8.5 mile loop around Lyle Hill Upper... (note the clue in the title) and it was a TT. I'd never ridden a TT before so it was all new to me! Got the aero bars clipped onto my titanium bike... plugged in the deep jet 50's and got ready to go. I warmed up with a lap that alternated between hard efforts and some recovery which actually seemed to work pretty well.
So the timing guys were out in force helping out with things too... I went off 4th. The course started on an uphill which I took mostly out of the saddle, then round a tight corner with gravel (whaaa.... skid on the front wheel!!) onto a downhill section where I dropped into an aero tuck on the bars and started to power out... this rolled up and down for a bit till the main hill which is quite steep... out ofthe saddle again to get up this... legs burning now... heart at about 170bpm... over the top, back into tuck... getting up some speed now... around 36mph keep it going till the next turn which was safer than the last.... rolled on trying to keep it going nice and quick with a decent cadence.... onto the 7 mile straight... starting to roll a bit more with a bit of a drag... legs are now seriously on fire and aching... cadence is dropping... heart rate is rising.... final turn for about one more mile back to start... all uphll... argh... spin spin gotta get up this....
Finished in a time of 18.40.... not bad for it! And mid table obscurity for me in the club league so far....
What I did notice is that I was churning a bigger gear in the aero tuck... I think the position doesn't help it. Not sure if a higher cadence of about 110 like in races would have helped? Only one way to find out I guess.
Next tuesday is a road race proper... lets go!
Also... just found the vid from Sox on youtube:
Anyhoo.... course was a 8.5 mile loop around Lyle Hill Upper... (note the clue in the title) and it was a TT. I'd never ridden a TT before so it was all new to me! Got the aero bars clipped onto my titanium bike... plugged in the deep jet 50's and got ready to go. I warmed up with a lap that alternated between hard efforts and some recovery which actually seemed to work pretty well.
So the timing guys were out in force helping out with things too... I went off 4th. The course started on an uphill which I took mostly out of the saddle, then round a tight corner with gravel (whaaa.... skid on the front wheel!!) onto a downhill section where I dropped into an aero tuck on the bars and started to power out... this rolled up and down for a bit till the main hill which is quite steep... out ofthe saddle again to get up this... legs burning now... heart at about 170bpm... over the top, back into tuck... getting up some speed now... around 36mph keep it going till the next turn which was safer than the last.... rolled on trying to keep it going nice and quick with a decent cadence.... onto the 7 mile straight... starting to roll a bit more with a bit of a drag... legs are now seriously on fire and aching... cadence is dropping... heart rate is rising.... final turn for about one more mile back to start... all uphll... argh... spin spin gotta get up this....
Finished in a time of 18.40.... not bad for it! And mid table obscurity for me in the club league so far....
What I did notice is that I was churning a bigger gear in the aero tuck... I think the position doesn't help it. Not sure if a higher cadence of about 110 like in races would have helped? Only one way to find out I guess.
Next tuesday is a road race proper... lets go!
Also... just found the vid from Sox on youtube:
the results from sunday
its been a long week!
anyhoo its Thursday now and I'm only getting around to putting up a diatribe about last Sunday's racing...
I kinda did just alright... it was a good race in general though I think.
The first two or three laps were very very quick... I reckon people were just going a bit mental as its a short circuit only around about 3 miles or so. Then a break went and I didn't make it onto the back of it.... so the chasing group was a bit ragged and even with a few guys shouting at folk to make up lines and start chasing, it just didn't happen. Anytime that a few guys started ridingh through someone decided to attack... sensible. So we caught some of the stragglers that got dropped from the break, but the main guts of it stayed away. doh.
Next time, I'll make a point of being in the break!
Thursday 3 April 2008
time to get fired up...
Ok, so its Thursday. And its been a long week.. hasn't been the best training week either as I've
pretty much just been feeling tired, there's also been stuff going on in general too.,. having to drop bikes off to get looked at, cars... etc etc. So its been light on the training front - some work on the track bike on monday, a few hill repeats, nowt on tuesday, about 25 miles and an interval session on Wednesday and hopefully a ride at lunchtime today and a spin class tonight.... then I think i'll probably take it easy on Friday and Saturday... although it might be worth throwing in one more ride on Friday morning maybe....?
Anyhoo... race this weekend is the Aghagallon cup. 15 odd laps of a 3.5 mile circuit. On the flat, so expecting it to be fairly savage. Have the full support team out with me though... Cathy and some of the folks to cheer me on!
pretty much just been feeling tired, there's also been stuff going on in general too.,. having to drop bikes off to get looked at, cars... etc etc. So its been light on the training front - some work on the track bike on monday, a few hill repeats, nowt on tuesday, about 25 miles and an interval session on Wednesday and hopefully a ride at lunchtime today and a spin class tonight.... then I think i'll probably take it easy on Friday and Saturday... although it might be worth throwing in one more ride on Friday morning maybe....?
Anyhoo... race this weekend is the Aghagallon cup. 15 odd laps of a 3.5 mile circuit. On the flat, so expecting it to be fairly savage. Have the full support team out with me though... Cathy and some of the folks to cheer me on!
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