A few days after the event, but well done Team Sky and Wiggo!! I read a comment on some newpaper article or other, where lots of people were saying what a great day for cycling: indeed, but for me it has been a revelation, because until about Thursday last week I never really cared about watching sport and never really new the names of any pros. Now I've read up on road racing, know a whole bunch of cycle pro names, and have actually rushed back from a ride (on Sunday) to get the result and settle down with a brew to watch the highlights show. What is happening!? My OH thinks it's a little strange, and I agree with him. But you'd have to be a real reason-free zone to not be amazed by the achievement of those guys over that time period. Anyone who rides a bike anywhere at all or for whatever reason will know just how far and how hard that kind of riding is. I mean if anyone could do it, there would have been no need to invent cars and we'd all be thinking nothing of 50+ mile commutes over the Pennines each day. But that kind of riding is in another league and we are in awe.
With all that going on, there is one thing missing though. Any ideas?? Well, the only coverage given to women was the boring Twitter spat between two cycle WAGS, apparently bitching about their husband's prowess (oh, grow up girls), but this -- as usual -- represent women as whining, bitching, blobs of over-styled pointlessness and detracts from the many strong, talented, and dedicated sportswomen who also ride hard, push their own boundaries, and achieve great things. The recent documentary about Victoria Pendelton shows just what we can achieve when we work hard and dedicate ourselves to things other than celebrity babies and hair extensions, but also reveals what a mountain we have to climb to feel accepted into areas of life that still feel very much like a mans' world.
And what about women's races? I have Googled about a bit and found evidence of.. well, just one so far. I'll keep searching, and will report my findings shortly. For now though, forget all my sniping about gender balance, and repeat after me... Allez Wiggo!!!
Wednesday 25 July 2012
Tuesday 17 July 2012
Politics and Road Safety
I came to cycling through my involvement in transport campaigning. While going around persuading my friends, neighbours and others living nearby that road building wasn't the answer to local traffic problems, I learned more than I ever wanted to about transport policy and took to two wheels in order to put my money where my big fat mouth is. Those <3 miles journeys turned into <5 miles, <10 miles, and now I cycle pretty much everywhere in any weather and try and make as many trips as possible by bike and train instead of car. The campaign got pretty heavy going, taking a heavy emotional toll, so it was lucky for me that it reached a natural conclusion, giving me the chance to bow out from it all. I was still pretty fired up about it though, so went on to do a part-time MA, focusing largely on the issues I observed during my campaigning efforts, with the end result being campaign fatigue and environmental policy burn out. Since then I've just been riding my bike and doing all I can to stay out of the way of anything vaguely political. But maybe that needs to change?
Honestly, I'm passionate about cycling but that has nothing to do with sport and everything to do with the environment: low-carbon (although not low-carb!) transport solutions, cities and streets designed around the needs of people, safe for all vulnerable road users, getting us to where we want to go, making us healthier and happier too; all these things make sense to me and I find it hard to comprehend why some folks think otherwise. But they do.
Then there are places like the Netherlands. Cycling is prioritised, it is popular. Cyclists are safe, they can wear normal clothes, ride to and from work on dedicated routes, go on trips with the family and (and the dog) at the weekend. You can move house by bike and no-one will think you're barmy! Bikes are everywhere. It is just a tiny slice of bike heaven dotted.
Then there is the UK. Car is king. The Government positively discriminates in favour of the combustion engine because cars, lorries, and vans burn fuel which creates income through taxation (fuel duty), whereas cars, bikes, and trains (the things greenies like me dream of) cost the Exchequer because every mile we do by one of those methods is fuel duty lost. Yes, it really does work that way. We don't have anything like an integrated transport system. Shows like Top Gear actively promote running cyclists over. Since we ran out of money to put actual police out on the streets to monitor speed limits, replacing them with speed cameras, everyone drives at pretty much whatever speed they want, irrespective of the limit, and motorists who knock down a cyclists are given a slap on the wrist (if they're really unlucky) and told not to do it again. Those of us who are crazy enough to get out there and ride on the roads feel the need to dress up in flourescent gear visible from space and ride like the clappers in the primary position in order to hold our own. It's a war out there folks.
And that, in short, is why most ordinary people, those who just want to go to work, go to the shops, go out with their friends, and don't want to be at war with anyone aren't jumping over themselves to swap four wheels for two. It's not about the rain or the hills; it's about fear.
So it's with great joy that I read today about Early Day Motion 407, proposed by Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert, which attempts to bring to the attention of Parliament the current imbalance in the system, which favours the car over the human. The full text of the EDM reads:
That this House notes that many victims of road accidents do not feel that the criminal justice system adequately protects or supports them in the aftermath of their case; further notes that it is important that those who have suffered traumatic incidents are given effective and sympathetic support as they attempt to rebuild their lives; welcomes the work of British Cycling and other groups, including CTC, Sustrans, London Cycling Campaign, The Times, Cycling Weekly, RoadPeace and Brake to raise the profile of the issue; and calls on the Ministry of Justice to review carefully the evidence they have submitted and undertake a comprehensive review of each part of the criminal justice system, from crash investigation standards through to sentencing guidelines, to ensure that it is fairer for cyclists, pedestrians and other road users who are hurt or seriously injured on the country's roads.
Trust me. This is huge. It's a few carefully worded sentences away from calling for the ultimate ideal of "strict liability" -- the norm in Denmark and the Netherlands -- but it's a step in the right direction. So here's what to do...
Write to your MP. Do it now. It's important. You can save yourself alot of effort by going to this site here, aptly called Write to Them and putting something in writing. Write to your local Councillors too. They'll be glad to receive a letter that's not banging on about potholes or pointless cycle lanes (we'll save that for another time). For now, just write to your MP asking them to support EDM 407. Tell them why you think it's important. Tell them you're a cyclist. Tell them whatever you like really. It's no big deal. People write to them all the time. You should get a letter back, which will probably be fairly dry and not particularly informative, but a few lucky ones will get a proper letter written by a real human who geniunely shares your concerns. The thing is, if you don't write to them they'll never know you care. Make the bastards work for it, I say. So stop reading now and get writing. Thanks!
Honestly, I'm passionate about cycling but that has nothing to do with sport and everything to do with the environment: low-carbon (although not low-carb!) transport solutions, cities and streets designed around the needs of people, safe for all vulnerable road users, getting us to where we want to go, making us healthier and happier too; all these things make sense to me and I find it hard to comprehend why some folks think otherwise. But they do.
Then there are places like the Netherlands. Cycling is prioritised, it is popular. Cyclists are safe, they can wear normal clothes, ride to and from work on dedicated routes, go on trips with the family and (and the dog) at the weekend. You can move house by bike and no-one will think you're barmy! Bikes are everywhere. It is just a tiny slice of bike heaven dotted.
Then there is the UK. Car is king. The Government positively discriminates in favour of the combustion engine because cars, lorries, and vans burn fuel which creates income through taxation (fuel duty), whereas cars, bikes, and trains (the things greenies like me dream of) cost the Exchequer because every mile we do by one of those methods is fuel duty lost. Yes, it really does work that way. We don't have anything like an integrated transport system. Shows like Top Gear actively promote running cyclists over. Since we ran out of money to put actual police out on the streets to monitor speed limits, replacing them with speed cameras, everyone drives at pretty much whatever speed they want, irrespective of the limit, and motorists who knock down a cyclists are given a slap on the wrist (if they're really unlucky) and told not to do it again. Those of us who are crazy enough to get out there and ride on the roads feel the need to dress up in flourescent gear visible from space and ride like the clappers in the primary position in order to hold our own. It's a war out there folks.
And that, in short, is why most ordinary people, those who just want to go to work, go to the shops, go out with their friends, and don't want to be at war with anyone aren't jumping over themselves to swap four wheels for two. It's not about the rain or the hills; it's about fear.
So it's with great joy that I read today about Early Day Motion 407, proposed by Lib Dem MP Julian Huppert, which attempts to bring to the attention of Parliament the current imbalance in the system, which favours the car over the human. The full text of the EDM reads:
That this House notes that many victims of road accidents do not feel that the criminal justice system adequately protects or supports them in the aftermath of their case; further notes that it is important that those who have suffered traumatic incidents are given effective and sympathetic support as they attempt to rebuild their lives; welcomes the work of British Cycling and other groups, including CTC, Sustrans, London Cycling Campaign, The Times, Cycling Weekly, RoadPeace and Brake to raise the profile of the issue; and calls on the Ministry of Justice to review carefully the evidence they have submitted and undertake a comprehensive review of each part of the criminal justice system, from crash investigation standards through to sentencing guidelines, to ensure that it is fairer for cyclists, pedestrians and other road users who are hurt or seriously injured on the country's roads.
Trust me. This is huge. It's a few carefully worded sentences away from calling for the ultimate ideal of "strict liability" -- the norm in Denmark and the Netherlands -- but it's a step in the right direction. So here's what to do...
Write to your MP. Do it now. It's important. You can save yourself alot of effort by going to this site here, aptly called Write to Them and putting something in writing. Write to your local Councillors too. They'll be glad to receive a letter that's not banging on about potholes or pointless cycle lanes (we'll save that for another time). For now, just write to your MP asking them to support EDM 407. Tell them why you think it's important. Tell them you're a cyclist. Tell them whatever you like really. It's no big deal. People write to them all the time. You should get a letter back, which will probably be fairly dry and not particularly informative, but a few lucky ones will get a proper letter written by a real human who geniunely shares your concerns. The thing is, if you don't write to them they'll never know you care. Make the bastards work for it, I say. So stop reading now and get writing. Thanks!
Sunday 15 July 2012
Muddy Mayhem 2012
Ah, so it's more than a few weeks later, but the mud was so thick, the riding so hard, the weekend so awesome despite the mud Gods' best efforts, that it is still fresh in my memory. Here's my post-post-race report.
So, setting off on Friday afternoon, Sarah, Anne and myself were starting to realise that our hastily formed plan to put a 4-woman team into Mayhem was actually happening -- this weekend. Oh.
With the British weather excelling itself, as much as we were worried about the race we were pretty damned worried about the weather. Anne, as (self)-designated driver was also a little concerned about driving into a field full of mud and maybe not being able to drive out again. Ho hum, well, we'd paid, no-one had been smart (brave) enough to drop out before the day, so it looked like we were in. An uneventful journed, we arrived, pitched our tents, introduced ourselves to the other group, and did boring things like eat, chatter nervously, and put our race "strategy" together. A few of the guys from the club had been out for the practice lap, and were saying things like "unrideable". Hmmm, maybe it was going to be a hell hole out there. Oh, and the main arena was reported to be ankle deep liquid mudd. Joy. Time for food and good sleep and see what the morning brings.
Morning. It had rained plenty during the night, but I awoke to clear-ish skies and it was warm. Phew. Oh, so now it wasn't warm, clouds were building, it was turning into one of those will it, won't it kind of days, with a warm, no cold, no warm, no cold breeze. A typical British "Summer" then. Breakfast and a fair amount of faffing later it was almost midday. Time to get to the start.
Ruth had drawn the short straw, by virtue of being the fittest out of the four of us, so was our first rider, being the only one capable of doing the run at the start. Well if you will do triathlons... The downside of this is, running aside, that you set off in a big bunch with everyone jostling around, and it's a pretty stressful lap compared to a later one, where folks have thinned out a bit. That combined with the mud meant that Ruth came back and just said that was it, she wasn't going out again. Hmm. At changover she also passed the magic stick, which was to be the most essential piece of mud fighting technology ever invented. It still amazes me that the magic stick didn't really catch on, but it didn't, even though it worked a dream. So, how did it go, my first lap??
The conditions were horrible. Even before setting off I was muddy, the bike was muddy. If I'd had high expections I'd have been dreading it, but I'd pretty much decided the whole thing was going to be hell, and I'd mentally prepared for a 3-hour lap involving a lot of pushing, falling over, and -- if I actually managed to ride any of it -- a fair amount of falling off. I had VERY low expectations. Then a miracle happened. I LOVED it!! My bike, having been set up for the Peaks when I rode last year, was suitably set up with skinny mud tyres, and it rode like a dream. The twisty singletrack through the trees was rideable, and it was nice to remember the course and think "oh, now I'm here," etc. I did get a bit nervous on the section where I came off last year and smashed my hand up, but once I got past there I relaxed again and carried on slipping/sliding/riding as best I could. On through the arena, where I bumped into Keith (one of the other MMB riders) swearing at his bike, over the Lezyne bridge, then out, up the hill towards the obelisk. I was definitely faster than last year. Don't just love it when hills are smaller!? I mean last year it was dry, so with the mud and the water, it should have been bigger, right? But no, it was definitely smaller. On and up I went.
Now last year this section of the ride was the best part. I hated the first part, loved the second part. Rob (@bigrobracing) had said the second half as "dry in places" so I had dared to look forward to this part, but honestly, it didn't look like any of that part of the ride had been anywhere near dry in a month. It was Muddy, yes, with a capital "m". Lots of pushing, which was nice. It levelled everyone and, I think, meant that the atmosphere out on the course was really friendly. Everyone was like, "hey, we're all insane to even be attempting this" rather than "hey, get out of my way, I want to podium," which was nice. Somewhere in the woods up there I bumped into Kathryn, from one of the other MMB teams, who has having a suitably shit one. She'd been out for a while and was very unimpressed with the riding conditions. She'd run out of water too, so I gave her my spare on-bike bottle, wished her well, then set off. Onward. Just after this point I bumped into Grace (@competitivegrace). She was having a tough one, on her second lap of her first ever solo attempt. Now Grace is hard-as. She just goes on and on like the Duracell bunny, but with a much prettier smile. I hung out to ride with her for a while, gave her the rest of my food bar, and chatted to her a bit as we rode through the last section of woods. Then, as we got to the big descent into the arena, I was off again. Actually I didn't mean to, but I just got the wind behind me and pedalled away, and when I looked around Grace was nowhere behind. Back in the arena, handover to Sarah, wishing here the best and handing over the magic stick, it was time to get back to the camp and get cleaned up and fed.
Sarah came back, having enjoyed her lap, then Anne. The plan was for Ruth to go next but that wasn't going to happen so we agreed to skip the night laps and pick it up again in the morning after a sleep. If one of us went out at 3am we'd have enough time for another lap each. Ruth wanted to sleep, so I said I'd go out, then she could meet me at 5am for her next lap.
Then the plan started to go wrong. I went to bed, woke up for my lap but couldn't find the baton thing. I checked in the main tent, where Andy (Ruth's OH) was up, and he said she wasn't getting up for another lap. So I went back to sleep (or what passes as sleep when it's hurling down with rain outside a teeny tiny tent) and only got up when I heard Sarah's tent zip go at about 5am. We had a coffee, decided what to do next, and then... well, we were going again. Fuck it. Let's do it. So out I went. A little later than planned, but out I went. Sarah was there to meet me, so we packed in another two laps, taking us up to fourth place. Anne, who had had a terribe first lap and was injured, was ready to go again, despite that actually being a terrible idea because of said injury, but as it turned out we couldn't have made it to third even if she had gone out, so she was spared. And that, as they say, was that. Fourth place, four very muddy bikes, and good fun had by.. well, me and Sarah. I think we may be the only two people who genuinely "enjoyed" our weekend at Mayhem! Roll on SITS!!!
So, setting off on Friday afternoon, Sarah, Anne and myself were starting to realise that our hastily formed plan to put a 4-woman team into Mayhem was actually happening -- this weekend. Oh.
With the British weather excelling itself, as much as we were worried about the race we were pretty damned worried about the weather. Anne, as (self)-designated driver was also a little concerned about driving into a field full of mud and maybe not being able to drive out again. Ho hum, well, we'd paid, no-one had been smart (brave) enough to drop out before the day, so it looked like we were in. An uneventful journed, we arrived, pitched our tents, introduced ourselves to the other group, and did boring things like eat, chatter nervously, and put our race "strategy" together. A few of the guys from the club had been out for the practice lap, and were saying things like "unrideable". Hmmm, maybe it was going to be a hell hole out there. Oh, and the main arena was reported to be ankle deep liquid mudd. Joy. Time for food and good sleep and see what the morning brings.
Morning. It had rained plenty during the night, but I awoke to clear-ish skies and it was warm. Phew. Oh, so now it wasn't warm, clouds were building, it was turning into one of those will it, won't it kind of days, with a warm, no cold, no warm, no cold breeze. A typical British "Summer" then. Breakfast and a fair amount of faffing later it was almost midday. Time to get to the start.
Ruth had drawn the short straw, by virtue of being the fittest out of the four of us, so was our first rider, being the only one capable of doing the run at the start. Well if you will do triathlons... The downside of this is, running aside, that you set off in a big bunch with everyone jostling around, and it's a pretty stressful lap compared to a later one, where folks have thinned out a bit. That combined with the mud meant that Ruth came back and just said that was it, she wasn't going out again. Hmm. At changover she also passed the magic stick, which was to be the most essential piece of mud fighting technology ever invented. It still amazes me that the magic stick didn't really catch on, but it didn't, even though it worked a dream. So, how did it go, my first lap??
The conditions were horrible. Even before setting off I was muddy, the bike was muddy. If I'd had high expections I'd have been dreading it, but I'd pretty much decided the whole thing was going to be hell, and I'd mentally prepared for a 3-hour lap involving a lot of pushing, falling over, and -- if I actually managed to ride any of it -- a fair amount of falling off. I had VERY low expectations. Then a miracle happened. I LOVED it!! My bike, having been set up for the Peaks when I rode last year, was suitably set up with skinny mud tyres, and it rode like a dream. The twisty singletrack through the trees was rideable, and it was nice to remember the course and think "oh, now I'm here," etc. I did get a bit nervous on the section where I came off last year and smashed my hand up, but once I got past there I relaxed again and carried on slipping/sliding/riding as best I could. On through the arena, where I bumped into Keith (one of the other MMB riders) swearing at his bike, over the Lezyne bridge, then out, up the hill towards the obelisk. I was definitely faster than last year. Don't just love it when hills are smaller!? I mean last year it was dry, so with the mud and the water, it should have been bigger, right? But no, it was definitely smaller. On and up I went.
Now last year this section of the ride was the best part. I hated the first part, loved the second part. Rob (@bigrobracing) had said the second half as "dry in places" so I had dared to look forward to this part, but honestly, it didn't look like any of that part of the ride had been anywhere near dry in a month. It was Muddy, yes, with a capital "m". Lots of pushing, which was nice. It levelled everyone and, I think, meant that the atmosphere out on the course was really friendly. Everyone was like, "hey, we're all insane to even be attempting this" rather than "hey, get out of my way, I want to podium," which was nice. Somewhere in the woods up there I bumped into Kathryn, from one of the other MMB teams, who has having a suitably shit one. She'd been out for a while and was very unimpressed with the riding conditions. She'd run out of water too, so I gave her my spare on-bike bottle, wished her well, then set off. Onward. Just after this point I bumped into Grace (@competitivegrace). She was having a tough one, on her second lap of her first ever solo attempt. Now Grace is hard-as. She just goes on and on like the Duracell bunny, but with a much prettier smile. I hung out to ride with her for a while, gave her the rest of my food bar, and chatted to her a bit as we rode through the last section of woods. Then, as we got to the big descent into the arena, I was off again. Actually I didn't mean to, but I just got the wind behind me and pedalled away, and when I looked around Grace was nowhere behind. Back in the arena, handover to Sarah, wishing here the best and handing over the magic stick, it was time to get back to the camp and get cleaned up and fed.
Sarah came back, having enjoyed her lap, then Anne. The plan was for Ruth to go next but that wasn't going to happen so we agreed to skip the night laps and pick it up again in the morning after a sleep. If one of us went out at 3am we'd have enough time for another lap each. Ruth wanted to sleep, so I said I'd go out, then she could meet me at 5am for her next lap.
Then the plan started to go wrong. I went to bed, woke up for my lap but couldn't find the baton thing. I checked in the main tent, where Andy (Ruth's OH) was up, and he said she wasn't getting up for another lap. So I went back to sleep (or what passes as sleep when it's hurling down with rain outside a teeny tiny tent) and only got up when I heard Sarah's tent zip go at about 5am. We had a coffee, decided what to do next, and then... well, we were going again. Fuck it. Let's do it. So out I went. A little later than planned, but out I went. Sarah was there to meet me, so we packed in another two laps, taking us up to fourth place. Anne, who had had a terribe first lap and was injured, was ready to go again, despite that actually being a terrible idea because of said injury, but as it turned out we couldn't have made it to third even if she had gone out, so she was spared. And that, as they say, was that. Fourth place, four very muddy bikes, and good fun had by.. well, me and Sarah. I think we may be the only two people who genuinely "enjoyed" our weekend at Mayhem! Roll on SITS!!!
Friday 8 June 2012
It's all about balance
Or not. I'm sure my OH would argue there's nothing at all balanced about my cycling habit, and no doubt responding that splitting my time 50:50 between road and MTB suggest otherwise would be met with a blank look. So let's tip the life-cycling balance some more by introducing... rollers! It's the rain, you see. I can't take another day staring out the window wondering if, when, the rain will ever stop. This is Britain, it's supposed to be summer, so it probably won't stop now until sometime next March. So I caved in and bought some rollers. I was supposed to be waiting for my birthday, but that's a whole couple of months away and I will have totally flipped if I have to wait that long, so I spoiled my own surprise, grabbing a bargain from Planet X, and now -- with a bit of luck -- my shiny new rollers are winging there way to my warm, dry home. Whoopee!
I decided to get rollers rather than a turbo for three reasons: one, I have a short attention span, so having to concentrate makes is more likely I will concentrate -- boredom combined with the whiny giver-upper who lives in my head -- is my biggest enemy. Rollers require that I pay attention or bad things will happen. Two, well it gives me a core workout too, and three, they will also improve my technique. Now I'm not trying to win any prizes, but I like the idea of being more efficient. That's just who I am. Doing anything the long way round drives me crazy, so efficiency appeals to me.
I've read a whole stack of things on the turbo vs. rollers debate, and I have to say it reminds me a little of the Mac vs. PC debate. Those that have them love them, those that don't, don't. Simples. So, I'm getting mine and I'm going to love them. I don't really care what other people like or why; I'm a roller kinda girl, and I'm happy with that. What I do want to know is what I should when they arrive.
The best article I've found so far is by Michael E. Henson: The Lost Art of Balance: Roller Myths Deconstructed
Then there are some videos and other articles I like.
How To Ride On Rollers, over on Bike Radar, has self-explanatory content. It also has a couple of example sessions, which I plan to try out when I progress beyond clinging to the door frame. Have HRM, will roll.
For inspiration, there's How I Learned To Love The Rollers, also on Bike Radar, which includes a not quite as catastrophic as I was expecting video: Sad first time on rollers. I haven't googled YouTube for disaster videos involving rollers, but I'm sure some Jackass wanabees will have posted a few. I'll go take a look...
I decided to get rollers rather than a turbo for three reasons: one, I have a short attention span, so having to concentrate makes is more likely I will concentrate -- boredom combined with the whiny giver-upper who lives in my head -- is my biggest enemy. Rollers require that I pay attention or bad things will happen. Two, well it gives me a core workout too, and three, they will also improve my technique. Now I'm not trying to win any prizes, but I like the idea of being more efficient. That's just who I am. Doing anything the long way round drives me crazy, so efficiency appeals to me.
I've read a whole stack of things on the turbo vs. rollers debate, and I have to say it reminds me a little of the Mac vs. PC debate. Those that have them love them, those that don't, don't. Simples. So, I'm getting mine and I'm going to love them. I don't really care what other people like or why; I'm a roller kinda girl, and I'm happy with that. What I do want to know is what I should when they arrive.
The best article I've found so far is by Michael E. Henson: The Lost Art of Balance: Roller Myths Deconstructed
Then there are some videos and other articles I like.
How To Ride On Rollers, over on Bike Radar, has self-explanatory content. It also has a couple of example sessions, which I plan to try out when I progress beyond clinging to the door frame. Have HRM, will roll.
For inspiration, there's How I Learned To Love The Rollers, also on Bike Radar, which includes a not quite as catastrophic as I was expecting video: Sad first time on rollers. I haven't googled YouTube for disaster videos involving rollers, but I'm sure some Jackass wanabees will have posted a few. I'll go take a look...
Friday 1 June 2012
Too fast, too slow, who knows?
In the past I've managed to ignore just about every article aimed at runners or cyclists that mentions HRM training. I have one, I used to wear it when I ran, but I never really knew why. I guess I had picked up that I should but what to do with it!? Inspired by my recent hill repeat session (which I've decided to repeat next week) I thought maybe I'd look into HR zone training to see what all the fuss is about. I figure if it makes me a stronger cyclist, I'll enjoy my rides more, and enjoyment is what it's all about!
First step then is to calculate my maximum heart rate. There are various ways of doing this, some discredited, others more accurate than others. Interestingly your MHR will be sport-specific. That means if you run your MHR for training will be different to the MHR you use for cycling. Heck, I'd never have thought of that. So which calculation to use and why? Well, as this is the first dip of my toe into the water, I don't want to get too carried away with details, so I'm keeping it simple and taking the calculation from this online tool machinehead software. Neat. Based on this my MHR is 183 bpm and the zones I need to work in are:
First step then is to calculate my maximum heart rate. There are various ways of doing this, some discredited, others more accurate than others. Interestingly your MHR will be sport-specific. That means if you run your MHR for training will be different to the MHR you use for cycling. Heck, I'd never have thought of that. So which calculation to use and why? Well, as this is the first dip of my toe into the water, I don't want to get too carried away with details, so I'm keeping it simple and taking the calculation from this online tool machinehead software. Neat. Based on this my MHR is 183 bpm and the zones I need to work in are:
- <108 bpm for short, recovery rides
- 109-118 bpm for Zone 1 (60-65%)
- 118-137 bpm for Zone 2 (65-75%)
- 138-150 bpm for Zone 3 (75-82%)
- 150-182 bpm for Zone 4 (82-89%)
- 162-172 bpm for Zone 5 (89-94%)
- 172-183 bpm for Zone 6 (94-100%)
| Okay, so now what does that mean in practice? Good question! There's a really useful article on Bike Radar about getting started with HRM training and ways to train. What's interesting is the comment to me about getting a three-hour Zone 2 ride in as a way to build endurance. As I haven't been recording my HR on rides I have no idea what my usual pattern is, so the project for the next few weeks is to start keeping a record then introduce some structured HR sessions to see what, if any, difference they make to my level of fitness. Watch this space... | ||
Thursday 31 May 2012
Hill Repeats
So, with no-one to ride with tonight and Thursday being my regular ride slot, I decided to try something new with a view to improving my fitness: enter, hill repeats. What on earth!? I read a bunch of stuff on the Internet (like this and this article), figured out what I needed to do - as well as justifying why I was doing it - and, having decided on a good place for it, headed off to a nearby lane. As this is officially "training" rather than "riding" (the latter involving friends and/or cafe stops), I dug out the HRM that I haven't used in an age then rode up to the "start". I figured as this was my first time I'd go easy and just aim to do 8 repeats not quite all the way to the top of the hill. For me the first time I do anything is all about getting to know the lie of the land. On the hill I'd chosen, the last part is the steepest, so the plan is to work up to the full length of the hill when I'm comfortable doing 8 shorter reps.
The first climb was tough. My legs weren't that warm - the ride in was fairly short - so I was slogging up there with the mind chatter already kicking in ("Why are you doing this? This is going to be so boring!" And so on..). One done, 7 more to go. Maybe I'll just do 6? Maybe James will be along to pick up the house key? If he gets here at 5, that'll do for the first time... mind chatter central. After 2, 3, 4, .. James appears, I give him the key, he goes. Well, I'm here to do at least 5 so I'll stay on for 6 then see how I feel. 6 comes and goes. Not so bad! I pass a woman with her dog, me on the way up, her on the way down. I pass her again on the way down. And on the way back up. She thinks I'm nuts. I pass a neigbour on the way back down. Then on the way back up, and down again. She asks if I'm going up again and looks shocked that, yes, one more. And up I go. 7 and then 8; my legs are warm and I'm starting to enjoy it. Maybe next time I'll do 9 or 10. Or just do 8 and push harder? Whatever. First ever attempt at hill repeats and it felt good.
Reps: 8
Max. heart rate: 162 bpm
Ascent: 372m
Distance: 7.21 miles
Time: 46 mins
The first climb was tough. My legs weren't that warm - the ride in was fairly short - so I was slogging up there with the mind chatter already kicking in ("Why are you doing this? This is going to be so boring!" And so on..). One done, 7 more to go. Maybe I'll just do 6? Maybe James will be along to pick up the house key? If he gets here at 5, that'll do for the first time... mind chatter central. After 2, 3, 4, .. James appears, I give him the key, he goes. Well, I'm here to do at least 5 so I'll stay on for 6 then see how I feel. 6 comes and goes. Not so bad! I pass a woman with her dog, me on the way up, her on the way down. I pass her again on the way down. And on the way back up. She thinks I'm nuts. I pass a neigbour on the way back down. Then on the way back up, and down again. She asks if I'm going up again and looks shocked that, yes, one more. And up I go. 7 and then 8; my legs are warm and I'm starting to enjoy it. Maybe next time I'll do 9 or 10. Or just do 8 and push harder? Whatever. First ever attempt at hill repeats and it felt good.
Reps: 8
Max. heart rate: 162 bpm
Ascent: 372m
Distance: 7.21 miles
Time: 46 mins
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Going Solo
On Saturday I did my first 4-hour solo race. Signing up seemed like a good idea at the time. I'd ridden with Grace in a just-for-fun Mayhem team of 4 last year and sort of had the racing bug, and she told me about the event -- Stilettos on Wheels, which would be the first women-only XC race in the UK. This sounded like great idea, so I ummed and ahhed for a while, then -- as part of the pro-women push I've been pretty vocal about in the mountain bike club -- started trying to persuade some of the new women in the club to sign up. To show willing I also put my name down, having decided I would rather spend Saturday doing that than attend the free Bikeability training I'd been offered by Breeze. Turning down a weekend in Brum to get a free qualification in favour of a day sliding around in rooty, muddy field, and slogging my guts out for 4 hours straight? Oh, yes please.
Friday, the day before the race arrived. I'd persuaded two girls from the club to sign up and they were riding in the 4-hour pairs category. It was their first ever race and they were giving me a lift, so no backing out. I was starting to wonder whether 4-hour solo was a good idea. I had a love/hate relationship with Mayhem last year, and one of my motivations for doing SOW was to put myself into a rooty, muddy XC hell-hole situation so that when I return to Mayhem this year the conditions won't be such a hideous shock to the system. Peaks mud and rocks are entirely different to that claggy, clay crap that XC racers seem to gravitate towards, and I was totally unprepared for that type of course. My big, fat, rock-happy tyres weren't going to be right so I'd changed them before the race to run some Panaracer Fire XC Pros, which were about as much use as banana skins. I came off on the roots, I had no confidence in the corners, I was having a properly shit time. When the course dried out I put my big fatties back on and things were much better, but they were no good in thick mud, and there was still plenty of that around. SOW would give me chance to try out a setup in similar conditions to Mayhem -- all good preparation for this year's attempt.
The other thing on my mind was food. I haven't ridden hard for 4 hours in a race environment and after my recent "bonk" I was worried I'd run out of fuel and have a terrible time. I spent Friday getting everything ready, figuring out how much I needed to eat and when, what I was going to wear, cleaning the bike and checking it over, remember any extras, packing every item of clothing - as required by the confused state of the weather - and finally, figuring out my game plan; 8 laps in 4 hours and make it to the finish. Sorted.
Race day came. I had butterflies. I wanted an excuse not to go but was also excited about it. Helen and I chattered away on the way over, trying not to think about it. When we arrived I was surprised that there didn't seem to be that many cars there. I thought there would be more, so immediately felt a bit disappointed with my own efforts to network the event. Next year I'll try harder.
Registering I took a look at the sheet: 16 in my category, some associated with clubs that have the name "Velo" in the name, meaning they're probably quite good. But that's okay. My plan is just to get round, do the best I can, and have a good time.
Setting off in the pack, everyone dashed off and I tried really hard not to get caught up in the dash up the grassy hill, knowing pacing myself was the only way I would manage to ride the whole time. The first lap was hard. I hadn't ridden the course beforehand, figuring I'd be seeing enough of it over the next fours hours (round and round and round) so I wasn't warmed up at all. I had a few moments where I was wondering what the heck I was doing, but soon silenced the dialogue, knowing that would be my downfall. One lap in was no time to fall into that trap!
Up the hill and then into the woods. This is where the sticky mud, slippy roots, and twisty single track took over. I was somewhere near the back of the pack by then and the route had already been churned up by the riders in front. I caught up with Grace and we rode along chattering for a while. Relax, smile, settle in. So far so good. Then the descent section came. Who-whoo!!! That was fun and over all to quickly, then it was time to pound back to the finish and head round again for another lap. A quick rest at the solo pit (I seem unable to eat while riding when I'm on my MTB!) and I set off again. Another lap. This one was better; I was warm and starting to enjoy myself. My brain was desperately trying to trip me up (6 laps to go! 6 WHOLE laps to go! Oh. No!) but I was onto it, countering with "wow, this is so much fun!" which seemed to work.
Lap 3 came. Now I was enjoying myself. I just had to get past the climb, then it was into the woods, and I would soon be at the over-all-too-quickly fun descent. On the second lap I took the Hard line towards the end. Awesome, over in flash, and fun enough that I wanted to do it again. I had right of way coming out of it and passed a couple of girls joining the trail from the easy line. Well the only way to do that is to go round again, so off I went.
Half way through Lap 4 I checked the watch. I was going faster than I thought I would and was ahead of schedule. Not wanting to burn out I decided to have a longer pit stop before setting off for my next lap. Arriving at the pit, I popped to the loo and set out to get some fresh water. This was a bit of a faff, then I noticed my bike was full of crud, so another mini mission to get some water. Thanks to the parents of another competitor, I rinsed it down a bit, then saw Jill, who'd had a bit of a distastrous first (and last) lap, so popped over to see she was okay. I'd just got over to her when Helen came back after her second (and last) lap, so quickly said hi, then headed back out for my next lap. Lap 5, just gone 2pm, on target.
Lap 5 was nice, Lap 6 was okay. I was pretty much on my own now -- was anyone else still riding!? -- and enjoying the ride, enjoying the fact that I'd made it this far. Somewhere on this lap I got chatting to #2 who suggested I was in second place. I assumed she had me confused with someone else, so just plodded on, wondering when I would get sick of it all. Then came Lap 7. Now I was dead tired. I couldn't find my food and my pockets were full of mud! This was definitely my last lap. I'd had enough. Then the final descent through the trees. Whoop!!! Oh, that was fun. Time to do it again? No, I decided. Lap 7 would be my last. I almost couldn't see straight and had had a silly off on a root earlier. Another lap would be suicide.
Through the finish with Helen and Jill waiting for me. 35 minutes to go and they reckoned it only took me 28 last time -- I could do it, they said. Really? I was so close to quitting, but I had wanted 8 laps, so could I really sit for the next 35 minutes knowing I would never know if I didn't try? To cheers from Jill and Helen, I set off for my last and final lap. All I had to do was stay on the bike to that fun descent and I was home. Number 2 (Rebecca) had just gone past me. I knew she would be pushing to get round in time so I just had to catch up with her and I'd make it back too. I managed to catch her, despite nearly coughing up a lung pushing up the grassy hill before the woods, and stuck on her wheel until, disaster! Going into the final descent, she went left on the Easy track and endo'd! Oh no! I had no idea how long we had to get back so I panicked, asked if she was okay, she said yes, so off I went! That's the downside of racing -- leaving a girl picking herself out of the brambles because I didn't want to be disqualified. I felt terrible about that after but I was so focused on making the cut-off I just buggered off without giving it too much thought until later.
The last few hundred metres or so were so damned hard. But there was the finish. When the clock came into view, 5 minutes left - hurray!! I'd made it! I was in a total spin, relieved just to get back, chuffed to have managed a whole 8 laps. The bike was still in intact, just. I was still intact, just. Success!
So what about the results? Well, that's the funny thing. I ended up in 4th place, only two and a bit minutes behind #5, who came in 3rd. And there's the rub. At no point did I know how I was doing, but it seems I was doing pretty damned well up until I stopped for a tea break. Who knew!? I really had no idea. I was thrilled to have managed the 8 laps, but the knowing that if I hadn't faffed as much I might have made third place has taken me a few days to deal with. I've also spent quite a lot of time worrying about leaving #2 in the brambles, so if you're reading this Rebecca, I'm so sorry and hope you were really okay! I had a great time during the event and it was great fun to be in an all-female environment; being chased down the trails by girls is much less stressful than being rammed off the track by a testosterone-fuelled race machine, so I will definitely be taking part in future events and will also try harder to make sure my riding pals are in the line up. I suspect if everyone I usually ride with takes part the podium will be way out of reach, since most of them are faster than me, but I'll cut down my faff time just in case!
Friday, the day before the race arrived. I'd persuaded two girls from the club to sign up and they were riding in the 4-hour pairs category. It was their first ever race and they were giving me a lift, so no backing out. I was starting to wonder whether 4-hour solo was a good idea. I had a love/hate relationship with Mayhem last year, and one of my motivations for doing SOW was to put myself into a rooty, muddy XC hell-hole situation so that when I return to Mayhem this year the conditions won't be such a hideous shock to the system. Peaks mud and rocks are entirely different to that claggy, clay crap that XC racers seem to gravitate towards, and I was totally unprepared for that type of course. My big, fat, rock-happy tyres weren't going to be right so I'd changed them before the race to run some Panaracer Fire XC Pros, which were about as much use as banana skins. I came off on the roots, I had no confidence in the corners, I was having a properly shit time. When the course dried out I put my big fatties back on and things were much better, but they were no good in thick mud, and there was still plenty of that around. SOW would give me chance to try out a setup in similar conditions to Mayhem -- all good preparation for this year's attempt.
The other thing on my mind was food. I haven't ridden hard for 4 hours in a race environment and after my recent "bonk" I was worried I'd run out of fuel and have a terrible time. I spent Friday getting everything ready, figuring out how much I needed to eat and when, what I was going to wear, cleaning the bike and checking it over, remember any extras, packing every item of clothing - as required by the confused state of the weather - and finally, figuring out my game plan; 8 laps in 4 hours and make it to the finish. Sorted.
Race day came. I had butterflies. I wanted an excuse not to go but was also excited about it. Helen and I chattered away on the way over, trying not to think about it. When we arrived I was surprised that there didn't seem to be that many cars there. I thought there would be more, so immediately felt a bit disappointed with my own efforts to network the event. Next year I'll try harder.
 |
| slogging it out on the home straight |
Setting off in the pack, everyone dashed off and I tried really hard not to get caught up in the dash up the grassy hill, knowing pacing myself was the only way I would manage to ride the whole time. The first lap was hard. I hadn't ridden the course beforehand, figuring I'd be seeing enough of it over the next fours hours (round and round and round) so I wasn't warmed up at all. I had a few moments where I was wondering what the heck I was doing, but soon silenced the dialogue, knowing that would be my downfall. One lap in was no time to fall into that trap!
Up the hill and then into the woods. This is where the sticky mud, slippy roots, and twisty single track took over. I was somewhere near the back of the pack by then and the route had already been churned up by the riders in front. I caught up with Grace and we rode along chattering for a while. Relax, smile, settle in. So far so good. Then the descent section came. Who-whoo!!! That was fun and over all to quickly, then it was time to pound back to the finish and head round again for another lap. A quick rest at the solo pit (I seem unable to eat while riding when I'm on my MTB!) and I set off again. Another lap. This one was better; I was warm and starting to enjoy myself. My brain was desperately trying to trip me up (6 laps to go! 6 WHOLE laps to go! Oh. No!) but I was onto it, countering with "wow, this is so much fun!" which seemed to work.
Lap 3 came. Now I was enjoying myself. I just had to get past the climb, then it was into the woods, and I would soon be at the over-all-too-quickly fun descent. On the second lap I took the Hard line towards the end. Awesome, over in flash, and fun enough that I wanted to do it again. I had right of way coming out of it and passed a couple of girls joining the trail from the easy line. Well the only way to do that is to go round again, so off I went.
Half way through Lap 4 I checked the watch. I was going faster than I thought I would and was ahead of schedule. Not wanting to burn out I decided to have a longer pit stop before setting off for my next lap. Arriving at the pit, I popped to the loo and set out to get some fresh water. This was a bit of a faff, then I noticed my bike was full of crud, so another mini mission to get some water. Thanks to the parents of another competitor, I rinsed it down a bit, then saw Jill, who'd had a bit of a distastrous first (and last) lap, so popped over to see she was okay. I'd just got over to her when Helen came back after her second (and last) lap, so quickly said hi, then headed back out for my next lap. Lap 5, just gone 2pm, on target.
Lap 5 was nice, Lap 6 was okay. I was pretty much on my own now -- was anyone else still riding!? -- and enjoying the ride, enjoying the fact that I'd made it this far. Somewhere on this lap I got chatting to #2 who suggested I was in second place. I assumed she had me confused with someone else, so just plodded on, wondering when I would get sick of it all. Then came Lap 7. Now I was dead tired. I couldn't find my food and my pockets were full of mud! This was definitely my last lap. I'd had enough. Then the final descent through the trees. Whoop!!! Oh, that was fun. Time to do it again? No, I decided. Lap 7 would be my last. I almost couldn't see straight and had had a silly off on a root earlier. Another lap would be suicide.
Through the finish with Helen and Jill waiting for me. 35 minutes to go and they reckoned it only took me 28 last time -- I could do it, they said. Really? I was so close to quitting, but I had wanted 8 laps, so could I really sit for the next 35 minutes knowing I would never know if I didn't try? To cheers from Jill and Helen, I set off for my last and final lap. All I had to do was stay on the bike to that fun descent and I was home. Number 2 (Rebecca) had just gone past me. I knew she would be pushing to get round in time so I just had to catch up with her and I'd make it back too. I managed to catch her, despite nearly coughing up a lung pushing up the grassy hill before the woods, and stuck on her wheel until, disaster! Going into the final descent, she went left on the Easy track and endo'd! Oh no! I had no idea how long we had to get back so I panicked, asked if she was okay, she said yes, so off I went! That's the downside of racing -- leaving a girl picking herself out of the brambles because I didn't want to be disqualified. I felt terrible about that after but I was so focused on making the cut-off I just buggered off without giving it too much thought until later.
The last few hundred metres or so were so damned hard. But there was the finish. When the clock came into view, 5 minutes left - hurray!! I'd made it! I was in a total spin, relieved just to get back, chuffed to have managed a whole 8 laps. The bike was still in intact, just. I was still intact, just. Success!
So what about the results? Well, that's the funny thing. I ended up in 4th place, only two and a bit minutes behind #5, who came in 3rd. And there's the rub. At no point did I know how I was doing, but it seems I was doing pretty damned well up until I stopped for a tea break. Who knew!? I really had no idea. I was thrilled to have managed the 8 laps, but the knowing that if I hadn't faffed as much I might have made third place has taken me a few days to deal with. I've also spent quite a lot of time worrying about leaving #2 in the brambles, so if you're reading this Rebecca, I'm so sorry and hope you were really okay! I had a great time during the event and it was great fun to be in an all-female environment; being chased down the trails by girls is much less stressful than being rammed off the track by a testosterone-fuelled race machine, so I will definitely be taking part in future events and will also try harder to make sure my riding pals are in the line up. I suspect if everyone I usually ride with takes part the podium will be way out of reach, since most of them are faster than me, but I'll cut down my faff time just in case!
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Food Glorious Food Part 2: What does it all mean!?
So, I've bonked on my ride, puked up the next day and nursed myself through
a power-headache, all for the love of cycling. So why did it happen and how can
I stop it happening again? Well, the Internet is a wonderful place, and there
are plenty of resources for folks like me who have never real thought about
this stuff before. Some are more authoritative and scientific; others are discussions
on forums, where folks like me have asked these questions before. That's where
I started. Here's what I learned.
Any physical activity burns calories. We all know that, right, but what exactly does it mean? Well, it means that if you burn more calories you need to eat more. Not rocket science, no, but what the heck should we eat and when? Is it okay to burn 1500 calories on Saturday then binge drink your way through the week to make up the loss? See, not so silly to ask these questions after all...
Now before I get all geeky about this I just want to say one more thing. The food/miles issue has never ever come up before on social rides. On a ride with friends I know there will be cafe stops (at least one) and then there are the rest stops en route -- the ones at the tops and bottoms of hills, where we all regroup, providing ample time for a refuel if needed. I have no problem feeding myself on rides like these; in fact the frequent snack stops are my favourite parts of the ride. No, the problem is when I'm on my own, because then I get it in my head there's no time to stop, no point in stopping. Maybe it's a security thing? I don't know. Whatever the reason, when I'm on my own I m on a mission and that's the end of it. So the other part of this lesson is educating myself about ways to eat that don't involved lengthy, social chat stops -- the lesson for those rides is learning about food as fuel.
So, what do we need when there's no time for a cake and butty stop but you still have many miles ahead of you?
Well, the first thing is you need to know how much fuel you need to keep going. To figure this out you need to find a way to log the mileage you're doing and perform the necessary calculations for your age, height, and weight. If you have a GPS and use this to track your rides, the chances are you have this information to hand already. Use it. Study it. Try and figure out a rough guestimate for the different types of rides you do, considering terrain, distance, speed, etc. All those things affect how much fuel you need. When you have this you should end up with a figure for the number of calories you need per hour of activity. So far so good. For me I'm looking at about 300 calories per hour on a "regular" ride. Anything above "normal" levels of activity (races, etc.) I will need more than this.
Second, figure out what you can actually manage to eat while riding. It's one thing sitting down for a butty and swilling it all down with a cup of tea, but if you're pushing yourself hard you need to embrace food as fuel and keep it simple. There are a tonne of products out there to help with this: gels, energy bars (usually dried fruit mixtures, some with oats, etc.) and also energy drinks. When you start looking at these the wide range and different definitions will blow your mind. I haven't figured out what I like yet, so have bought a stack of different products and will just try them out as a ride. Some I'll like, some I won't. I'm hoping that I end up finding one that I can make really cheaply for myself. The products don't need to be specialist sport bars either. Products like Nakd fruit bars and others are available from most whole food shops. Basically what you want are slow release carbs, from dried fruit, oats, etc., and it also helps to have a stash of simple sugars for a speedy fuel injection; jelly babies are as good as a fancy energy gel -- think of this as your get out of jail food.
Then you do need to actually keep track of what you eat, not just during the ride but before and after. I've started doing this because I was worried I wasn't eating enough. My weight was stable but my body fat % was increasing, which suggested that maybe I was in "starvation mode" and my body was storing fat to get me through periods of exertion because I couldn't be relied upon to feed myself properly. I've been using My Fitness Pal, on the recommendation of a Breeze participant, for a couple of weeks now, and it makes pretty interesting reading. Basically, I haven't been eating enough for the riding I'm doing, so now I have a chance to rectify that, which will make me a stronger, healthier, happier rider. Plus I to get to eat more -- marvellous! Saying that, *when* I eat more needs to change too. I still don't eat enough on ride days. Refuelling after is important, and one way to do this is to include a protein shake of some sort into your day. Again, there are a tonne of products out there, some of which are very much aimed at blokes, so lots of focus on muscle gain, others of which are for muscle repair. The products I'm trying (again, trial and error is the way forward) are to assist repair and contain a balance of carbs and protein plus some other vitamins and minerals. I've been trying a few products out after all my recent rides and they have really helped me up my calorie intake to a level that matches my activity level.
So is there any more to say on this? Well, yes, actually there is! But that's enough for now... More to follow.
Any physical activity burns calories. We all know that, right, but what exactly does it mean? Well, it means that if you burn more calories you need to eat more. Not rocket science, no, but what the heck should we eat and when? Is it okay to burn 1500 calories on Saturday then binge drink your way through the week to make up the loss? See, not so silly to ask these questions after all...
Now before I get all geeky about this I just want to say one more thing. The food/miles issue has never ever come up before on social rides. On a ride with friends I know there will be cafe stops (at least one) and then there are the rest stops en route -- the ones at the tops and bottoms of hills, where we all regroup, providing ample time for a refuel if needed. I have no problem feeding myself on rides like these; in fact the frequent snack stops are my favourite parts of the ride. No, the problem is when I'm on my own, because then I get it in my head there's no time to stop, no point in stopping. Maybe it's a security thing? I don't know. Whatever the reason, when I'm on my own I m on a mission and that's the end of it. So the other part of this lesson is educating myself about ways to eat that don't involved lengthy, social chat stops -- the lesson for those rides is learning about food as fuel.
So, what do we need when there's no time for a cake and butty stop but you still have many miles ahead of you?
Well, the first thing is you need to know how much fuel you need to keep going. To figure this out you need to find a way to log the mileage you're doing and perform the necessary calculations for your age, height, and weight. If you have a GPS and use this to track your rides, the chances are you have this information to hand already. Use it. Study it. Try and figure out a rough guestimate for the different types of rides you do, considering terrain, distance, speed, etc. All those things affect how much fuel you need. When you have this you should end up with a figure for the number of calories you need per hour of activity. So far so good. For me I'm looking at about 300 calories per hour on a "regular" ride. Anything above "normal" levels of activity (races, etc.) I will need more than this.
Second, figure out what you can actually manage to eat while riding. It's one thing sitting down for a butty and swilling it all down with a cup of tea, but if you're pushing yourself hard you need to embrace food as fuel and keep it simple. There are a tonne of products out there to help with this: gels, energy bars (usually dried fruit mixtures, some with oats, etc.) and also energy drinks. When you start looking at these the wide range and different definitions will blow your mind. I haven't figured out what I like yet, so have bought a stack of different products and will just try them out as a ride. Some I'll like, some I won't. I'm hoping that I end up finding one that I can make really cheaply for myself. The products don't need to be specialist sport bars either. Products like Nakd fruit bars and others are available from most whole food shops. Basically what you want are slow release carbs, from dried fruit, oats, etc., and it also helps to have a stash of simple sugars for a speedy fuel injection; jelly babies are as good as a fancy energy gel -- think of this as your get out of jail food.
Then you do need to actually keep track of what you eat, not just during the ride but before and after. I've started doing this because I was worried I wasn't eating enough. My weight was stable but my body fat % was increasing, which suggested that maybe I was in "starvation mode" and my body was storing fat to get me through periods of exertion because I couldn't be relied upon to feed myself properly. I've been using My Fitness Pal, on the recommendation of a Breeze participant, for a couple of weeks now, and it makes pretty interesting reading. Basically, I haven't been eating enough for the riding I'm doing, so now I have a chance to rectify that, which will make me a stronger, healthier, happier rider. Plus I to get to eat more -- marvellous! Saying that, *when* I eat more needs to change too. I still don't eat enough on ride days. Refuelling after is important, and one way to do this is to include a protein shake of some sort into your day. Again, there are a tonne of products out there, some of which are very much aimed at blokes, so lots of focus on muscle gain, others of which are for muscle repair. The products I'm trying (again, trial and error is the way forward) are to assist repair and contain a balance of carbs and protein plus some other vitamins and minerals. I've been trying a few products out after all my recent rides and they have really helped me up my calorie intake to a level that matches my activity level.
So is there any more to say on this? Well, yes, actually there is! But that's enough for now... More to follow.
Monday 21 May 2012
Food Glorious Food Part 1: My First Bonk
So, every girl likes something to eat while out on a social ride with pals, and since most of my riding up to this point has been "social" and involved cafe stops, rest stops at the tops of hills, etc. I'd never really given food much thought. Then two things happened: first, my OH bought some scales with a body fat thing on it, and second, I had my first proper on-bike bonk.
First, let's talk about the bonk. Basically, rode over to join some Glow buddies for a gentle, social A-ride complete with cafe stop -- so far so good -- then headed off on a very long-winded route that involved a rather late lunch (check) over at Trafford topped off with the ride back home. That's when the trouble started. I had no proper food, just some jelly babies. There was a head wind. It had been a long day, I was tired, and there were hills ahead -- if I avoid hills, I can't get home. I knew what was coming, knew I had nothing left, and suspected that if I wasn't rescued I would spend the rest of my life cold and shivering in a bush beside the road being licked to death by stray, smelly cats. Ugh, I was miserable! My OH phones -- he might be coming home early. Elation! I can get to a nice, warm pub and he can pick me up (so I can miss out that last hill!). He phones again. Change of plan. But I'll be alright wont' I? Yes, I say wearily, I can get home. And I know I can if I have to. And it seems that I have to. Best crack on then... So I do. I shovel jelly babies into my mouth. I would inhale them, if I could. I have a few left in the bag, enough to get me close enough to home for the homing instinct to kick in. I just have to get passed a few more hills. I am almost out of water but I'm thirsty and I can feel my pulse racing faster than usual. I need to relax, stop rushing, relax, get home.
I get home. Thank you cycling Gods and Goddesses. I eat, guzzle herbal tea, take a shower, put on my snuggly fleece pants (more about them another day), and start to feel human again. All Good.
So Sunday comes around. It's a nice day and we're off for a walk in the Peaks. But wait, I feel like shit. We set off in the car, but half way to our start I feel so bad we turn round and come home. I feel like I have a hangover and am not too impressed to be curled up on the sofa in a ball, nursing a sore head, and wondering whether I can hold down solids. I know it's not a hangover, but if feels like one so I try and AlkaSeltzer (my secret weapon in the war against hangovers) and thankfully it works. I am back on my feet but still feeling a little run down, so out comes the laptop and the Googling begins.
headache nausea after a ride
ride nutrition
when to eat
etc.
I read a whole lot of stuff on a whole lot of websites.
While I'm mulling this over, reading up about ride nutrition, I also start pondering a few other things.
I used to use electrolytes in my water, but ran out a while back and hadn't ordered some more. Since AlkaSeltzer fixed me and hydration had definitely been an issue, maybe it was time to stock up and start using them again?
The other thing niggling at me is those damned scales. The OH is having his own personal fitness revival, so introduced these electronic blighters into our life, and they give me a body fat % reading that is not entirely pleasing. I'm small -- I know that, but while I'm thinking about nutrition the things I'm reading suggest maybe I'm not eating right now I'm riding more. I definitely eat, but not necessarily the right things at the right times. Maybe now I'm riding harder, further, I'm not eating enough?
So the result of all this is that I've decided I need to pay attention to this stuff, especially when I ride on my own because that tends to be when I don't stop, just put my head down and go. The journey into nutrition begins...
First, let's talk about the bonk. Basically, rode over to join some Glow buddies for a gentle, social A-ride complete with cafe stop -- so far so good -- then headed off on a very long-winded route that involved a rather late lunch (check) over at Trafford topped off with the ride back home. That's when the trouble started. I had no proper food, just some jelly babies. There was a head wind. It had been a long day, I was tired, and there were hills ahead -- if I avoid hills, I can't get home. I knew what was coming, knew I had nothing left, and suspected that if I wasn't rescued I would spend the rest of my life cold and shivering in a bush beside the road being licked to death by stray, smelly cats. Ugh, I was miserable! My OH phones -- he might be coming home early. Elation! I can get to a nice, warm pub and he can pick me up (so I can miss out that last hill!). He phones again. Change of plan. But I'll be alright wont' I? Yes, I say wearily, I can get home. And I know I can if I have to. And it seems that I have to. Best crack on then... So I do. I shovel jelly babies into my mouth. I would inhale them, if I could. I have a few left in the bag, enough to get me close enough to home for the homing instinct to kick in. I just have to get passed a few more hills. I am almost out of water but I'm thirsty and I can feel my pulse racing faster than usual. I need to relax, stop rushing, relax, get home.
I get home. Thank you cycling Gods and Goddesses. I eat, guzzle herbal tea, take a shower, put on my snuggly fleece pants (more about them another day), and start to feel human again. All Good.
So Sunday comes around. It's a nice day and we're off for a walk in the Peaks. But wait, I feel like shit. We set off in the car, but half way to our start I feel so bad we turn round and come home. I feel like I have a hangover and am not too impressed to be curled up on the sofa in a ball, nursing a sore head, and wondering whether I can hold down solids. I know it's not a hangover, but if feels like one so I try and AlkaSeltzer (my secret weapon in the war against hangovers) and thankfully it works. I am back on my feet but still feeling a little run down, so out comes the laptop and the Googling begins.
headache nausea after a ride
ride nutrition
when to eat
etc.
I read a whole lot of stuff on a whole lot of websites.
While I'm mulling this over, reading up about ride nutrition, I also start pondering a few other things.
I used to use electrolytes in my water, but ran out a while back and hadn't ordered some more. Since AlkaSeltzer fixed me and hydration had definitely been an issue, maybe it was time to stock up and start using them again?
The other thing niggling at me is those damned scales. The OH is having his own personal fitness revival, so introduced these electronic blighters into our life, and they give me a body fat % reading that is not entirely pleasing. I'm small -- I know that, but while I'm thinking about nutrition the things I'm reading suggest maybe I'm not eating right now I'm riding more. I definitely eat, but not necessarily the right things at the right times. Maybe now I'm riding harder, further, I'm not eating enough?
So the result of all this is that I've decided I need to pay attention to this stuff, especially when I ride on my own because that tends to be when I don't stop, just put my head down and go. The journey into nutrition begins...
Wednesday 11 April 2012
Racing is addictive
Don't ask me why, but after swearing never to ever ride Mayhem again, I've gone and got myself onto an all-women team of four through the mountain bike club I ride with, Manchester Mountain Bikers. We've had a big push in the club lately to try and encourage more women not only to join but to follow through on their guest membership and actually become full club members. Also, those of us involved in Breeze rides are aware that when those easy rides become too easy, women need places to ride that they can progress, so myself and others have persuaded MMB to have a regular women-only ride (after much discussion, I should add -- some of it heated!) so it was time for me to put my money where my big mouth was and step up and do something to represent women in the club. Encouraging women to race is only one step on from encouraging them to ride, and that really is how I've ended up on the Mayhem team. So what happens next?
Well, training isn't a word I'd use but the fact that the other three on my team are machines (one is riding Fred Whitton in a few weeks, the other rode past me on all the hills last week, and the third member is out four times a week, apparently) means I am probably the weakest link of the four. That's not good, so part of me feels like training of some sort might be in order. But where to start? Well, I'll be posting more on that in coming weeks. I don't really know where to begin so am going to have a broad putting in the miles approach that may or may not be the way to go. Time will tell.
Well, training isn't a word I'd use but the fact that the other three on my team are machines (one is riding Fred Whitton in a few weeks, the other rode past me on all the hills last week, and the third member is out four times a week, apparently) means I am probably the weakest link of the four. That's not good, so part of me feels like training of some sort might be in order. But where to start? Well, I'll be posting more on that in coming weeks. I don't really know where to begin so am going to have a broad putting in the miles approach that may or may not be the way to go. Time will tell.
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