June Stats
Time on bike: 25hrs 40mins (20hrs 31mins on the road)
Distance cycled: 691km (516km on the road)
Total climbing: 6,330m
Units of alcohol: 0
I might give the legs a spin on the turbo this week, but the above signals the end of my training for the Marmotte. My stats since I started training in earnest in November are therefore as follows:
Time on bike: 188hrs 13mins (just over a week!)
Distance cycled: 4,846km (just over 3,000 miles - enough to get me from London to Astana, Kazakhstan)
Total climbing: 50,533m (5.7 times up Mt Everest from sea level)
Hours on the turbo trainer: 81.5 hours - mind-numbing
Ascents of Box Hill: 70
And how does that stack up against my preparation for the 2013 Etape? It's a 36% increase on the distance cycled, and 39% more climbing.
And the Marmotte is 36% longer than the Etape 2013, with 40% more climbing.
Monday 30 June 2014
Sunday 29 June 2014
Just. One. More. Hill.
A weekend in Wales allowed me to finish off my climbing training with some peaks that whilst not being a patch on the Alps, certainly present a stiffer test than Surrey.
On Saturday I rode the short distance to Llangynidr mountain to give my legs a good test. The climb itself is 6km at an average gradient of 7%. Very alpine - especially with a few ramps of 11-14% hidden within. Knocked 5mins off my PB, then descended down to Llangattock at breakneck speed before spinning back along the valley.
Instead of heading straight home though, I took on the dead-end road that leads up towards Tor-y-Foel mountain. This is a single track road with a poor surface, and many double-digit percentage ramps which get up to 16% along the 4km climb. Climbing out-of-the-saddle proved tricky in places with the back wheel slipping on the poor road surface and the liberal coating of sheep poo. The final ramp was a killer, but I got over the top, and was rewarded with a magnificent view of the reservoir in the valley below.
On Sunday, I got up early to ride up the road along the side of the reservoir, and tackle the climb at the far end. I knew the climb was steep, having descended it before on other rides, but the sign at the bottom showed that I had a stiff test in front of me:
Whilst not being 20% all the way up, the gradient remains in double figures for the full 1.5km, and that's a long time to stay out of the saddle.
I wheezed my way to the top, and down the other side before turning around and cycling back the way I came. After descending it was into TT mode all the way home.
Less than a week to go now, and I just want to get going!
Monday 23 June 2014
Fit For Purpose
I finally got round to having a bike fit yesterday - one of my key points during training.
There were no great changes to make, although it turns out I have long toes, which pushes the balls of my feet backwards. As a result my cleats were too far forward, meaning that I was on my toes too much when pedalling, fatiguing my calves and hamstrings.
Also, it was discovered that I have collapsed arches, so with the help of some heat-molded insoles, my shoes are much more comfortable and provide a better power transfer through the pedals.
Other than that, my saddle went backwards a bit and was raised by 10mm (thus allowing my ankles to work properly through the pedal stroke), and the bars were dipped forward slightly to give me a more comfortable position on both the hoods and the drops.
Will be having a shortish ride with a crack at my PB for Llangynidr mountain when I'm back in Wales this weekend, but other than that it's a couple of turbo sessions and a quick leg spin at the top of Alpe d'Huez before rolling across the Marmotte startline.
I finally got round to having a bike fit yesterday - one of my key points during training.
There were no great changes to make, although it turns out I have long toes, which pushes the balls of my feet backwards. As a result my cleats were too far forward, meaning that I was on my toes too much when pedalling, fatiguing my calves and hamstrings.
Also, it was discovered that I have collapsed arches, so with the help of some heat-molded insoles, my shoes are much more comfortable and provide a better power transfer through the pedals.
Other than that, my saddle went backwards a bit and was raised by 10mm (thus allowing my ankles to work properly through the pedal stroke), and the bars were dipped forward slightly to give me a more comfortable position on both the hoods and the drops.
Will be having a shortish ride with a crack at my PB for Llangynidr mountain when I'm back in Wales this weekend, but other than that it's a couple of turbo sessions and a quick leg spin at the top of Alpe d'Huez before rolling across the Marmotte startline.
Sunday 15 June 2014
The End Is Nigh
The time to start scaling back my training is fast approaching, as I need to have fresh legs for the Marmotte, and there'll be very little further gain from putting maximum efforts in.
So on Saturday I rode my last 100-miler, with 2,200m of climbing. Had an excellent ride with a sub-7min ascent of Box Hill, and completed the ride with an average speed of 26.4km/h (2km/h quicker than when I last did this ride). Did get a pinch-flat after hitting a pot hole descending Leith Hill, but fortunately I managed to keep the bike upright, and the wheel wasn't damaged.
Definitely feel a lot fitter than when I attempted the Etape du Tour, and got home tired but not broken.
Rode a further 115km today with Emily - a nice recovery ride for me, and the beginning of her preparation for the Ride100 in August. A cake stop at our favourite Surrey Downs cafe certainly helped, although a massive disappointment to find they'd sold out of coffee & walnut cake!
Thursday 12 June 2014
Sunday 8 June 2014
We'll Call That Tapering
One turbo session during the week, then plans for the weekend. Saturday was another turbo session, but at high tempo and pretty much time trial pace for an hour.
Today I had planned to do 150-160km through Surrey and try to blast a few climbs to see where my legs were post-Provence.
Unfortunately I only got about 5 yards down the road before a knocking noise stopped me in my tracks for a worried inspection at the roadside. The cause turned out to be a broken nipple (stop sniggering at the back) which had caused a spoke to come adrift. Very annoying, but better it happened there than in deepest, darkest Surrey. Or worse - on the Marmotte itself.
Was desperate to do some work, so I put the turbo wheel back on the Scott and headed for Richmond Park. I was hoping to get one or two laps in before it got too busy, but it seems that 8:30am is too late when the sun is shining.
The traffic tempered the speed, but I managed a decent pace for 4 laps before returning home.
The nice people at Sigma Sport in Kingston fixed my wheel, so I'm all set for my final long ride next weekend.
Not long now.
One turbo session during the week, then plans for the weekend. Saturday was another turbo session, but at high tempo and pretty much time trial pace for an hour.
Today I had planned to do 150-160km through Surrey and try to blast a few climbs to see where my legs were post-Provence.
Unfortunately I only got about 5 yards down the road before a knocking noise stopped me in my tracks for a worried inspection at the roadside. The cause turned out to be a broken nipple (stop sniggering at the back) which had caused a spoke to come adrift. Very annoying, but better it happened there than in deepest, darkest Surrey. Or worse - on the Marmotte itself.
Was desperate to do some work, so I put the turbo wheel back on the Scott and headed for Richmond Park. I was hoping to get one or two laps in before it got too busy, but it seems that 8:30am is too late when the sun is shining.
The traffic tempered the speed, but I managed a decent pace for 4 laps before returning home.
The nice people at Sigma Sport in Kingston fixed my wheel, so I'm all set for my final long ride next weekend.
Not long now.
Wednesday 4 June 2014
Club des Cingles - Photo Casebook
On our trip to Provence, we were lucky enough to have Kay Morris staying at the same time, who is pretty much Team Sky's official unofficial photographer, given that she and her husband Rusty follow the team all over Europe every season, and have become good friends with many of the riders and staff.
Kay very kindly acted as photographer during our stay, and particularly on the Ventoux during our attempt at the Cingles, and some of her brilliant photos are attached below.
On our trip to Provence, we were lucky enough to have Kay Morris staying at the same time, who is pretty much Team Sky's official unofficial photographer, given that she and her husband Rusty follow the team all over Europe every season, and have become good friends with many of the riders and staff.
Kay very kindly acted as photographer during our stay, and particularly on the Ventoux during our attempt at the Cingles, and some of her brilliant photos are attached below.
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| Rusty & I - I'm feeling under-sponsored! |
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| Inside the bike cave |
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| 9 brave men |
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| Into the mist (and the wind!) |
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| 1st summit complete |
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| Despite the conditions, Emily smashed her PB for the Bedoin climb |
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| Around the final hairpin |
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| Success |
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| Je suis un Cingles! |
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| VeloVentoux - A little corner of heaven, with a mountain from hell |
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| The whole gang |
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