Thanking my lucky stars

I sit here typing this as a very lucky man.

I normally consider myself unlucky in most respects but last night, the big man in the sky was most definitely looking after me.  I'll explain in a mo.

It has been a good week.  I'm getting back in the swing of doing my regular chest and abs sessions around my cardio, although I havent been to the Gym in a while, almost 6 weeks now, my longest break in a while.

I've blogged recently that I havent been enjoying my running, so I've been getting back out on Hayley and getting some cycling done...and this week has been good.

Out on the bike Wednesday night.  My old favourite Welling to Higham and back loop.  Just a fraction under 2,000ft of climbing, so not particularly hilly but more than enough to give the legs and cardio a thoroughly good work out.

 

I'll take the 17.1mph average speed all day long for that course. My legs were really it and I was backing down the pace on some stretches where I would normally be going flat out but it was more than sufficient for a Wednesday evening ride straight from work. Pretty chuffed with that. In at 5:30pm, out by 6 something and 50 miles done in less than 3 hours. Happy Days. 

Throw in some pretty heavy duty gardening into the mix then it was back out on the bike late Saturday afternoon.

Riding at pace on a reasonably flat course is fine but that never compares to hills. The only way to improve is do hills and lots of them. Not necessarily all on the same ride though. Saturday was supposed to be a rest day and I was only going out for a gentle spin but it didnt really turn out like that.

As it turns out, I headed out to Westerham via Cudham Lane at Orpington.  Dropped down Hogtrough on to the Pilgrims Way and dropped down into Westerham then I done the three absolutely stinkers.  Hosey Hill, Toys Hill and Ide Hill.  Thankfully, at the top of Ide there is a lovely long descent back into Dunton Green and then back to the Pilgrms Way to climb Old Terry's Lodge before heading back to Dartford via the Fawkham Valley.

It was a lovely ride, albeit very hard on the hills as I'm just not bike fit right now but I was going great guns.  Until I hit the single track part of Pilgrims Way.  This takes me back to my opening line.

The road/track is only wide enough for one vehicle to pass.  If there's a cyclist in the road, you can get past until the road widens.  Cue me on Hayley cycling around a left blind bend and a speeding White Van Man coming the other way.  I had two seconds to make a decision before I got hit.  I either throw myself left into the tall hedge or get hit.  It was a simple decision.  I had nowhere else to go.  So I threw myself to the left, missed the van thankfully but when cycling along at 18-19mph, landing in a 8ft hedge isnt the best option but its a damn site better than ploughing head first into the front grill on a van.

Its a real blur now but the cuts to my forearm, bicep and bruising to my ribs are testament to how much little protection you get from lycra.  Getting out the hedge was fun.  I was almost laying on my side in the hedge and I was still clipped into my pedals.  I managed to unclip myself from Hayley and crawl out.  I was a mess. 

Thankfully I'm ok and so is Hayley but it could have been so much worse.

I was more shaken than hurt although the blood coming out of my arm was a concern but made my way back towards home but stopped at my parents for some First Aid.

So there you go.  After almost 15,000 miles of cycling over the last 3-4 years or so, thats my first proper incident.  Not bad going really.

As a whole, I was really pleased with the ride, aside from the mishap.  To average 15.2mph with such little mileage in my legs this year was great with that amount of climbing involved (approx 3,400ft).  

What with a 8 mile run last Sunday, a 10k on Monday and a slow 5k thrown in for good measure too, it was a good week of training.

8PM EDIT: And if that wasnt enough for one weekend, Izzy's Mum phoned at 6:30pm to say they'd spent the last couple of hours in A&E after Izzy fell off her bike.  They'd been on a nice family ride and Izzy took the last corner too fast.  Came off on the alleyway down the side of their house and on top of some road rash, she's got a pretty nasty cut on her knee which needed 6 stitches.  That means she's now going to have to miss Sports Day on Tuesday :(

Izzy's leg all bandaged up after six stitches in her knee...

And if that wasnt enough to top the weekend, the THIRD cycling incident of the weekend happened on the way home from my parents on the quick time trial back home.

As I was decending down Central Avenue at Welling Station, some blind Ford Focus driver nearly wiped me out. He turned right into Station Approach as I came down the hill at 20mph+ and somehow, somehow, I managed to avoid him and stay upright. It was so close that I actually shut my eyes and prepared for the impact. I was so sure he was going to hit my back wheel that I was already clipped out on my right pedal and I was preparing to roll right and stick my leg out to stay upright but no need.

Central Avenue, Welling.  The Ford Focus was turning right from where the car is pictured here...

One near miss too many this weekend.  Am now beginning to remember exactly why I decided running was much better for me than riding!

A date with Hayley

With the realisation that my running seems to be getting worse, I made a decision to vary things with some serious cross-training.

Since the garden revamp, Hayley, my carbon-frame steed, had been standing in my bedroom, literally begging me to ride her, so it would have been rude not to really.

I'd had a broken up week at work.  Monday was spent in the office and then I didnt return until Friday as I was doing my St John Ambulance First Aid at Work training course.  The good news is that I'm now a fully trained First Aider but the bad news is that I almost passed out when the trainer was describing the symptoms of a broken pelvis.  My stomach just churns at the thought.

So with the training course being held locally, I was home by 4pm every night, which gave me the extra time to get off my backside and out on Hayley.

Tuesday was great.  A quick(ish) 20+ mile of my old training loop, averaging just over 17mph.

It was great to be back out on Hayley. I'll be honest, the legs were hurting big time. My HR was all over the shop but the feeling of flying down Birchwood Road at over 30mph came flooding back and the adrenaline was buzzing big time. Two laps of the training loop and I was done.

Got home, had a quick stretch and then put on my running shoes and went out for a 5km run. No effort, no pace, just a plod. I was determined to enjoy it. It was seriously slow but my legs felt like jelly after the ride.

I was spent by the time I got back but thats exactly what I was looking for. I need to start pushing myself through the pain barrier and then the fitness will start coming back.

On to Wednesday. I enjoyed the Tuesday night ride so much that I wanted to get back out on the road again. So thats what I did. I was planning to do the same again pretty much but as I pulled up to the traffic lights at Avery Hill Park, I realised my old buddy Richard Williams was just ahead. A quick sprint and I was on his back wheel. When he realised I was there, he was happy to see me and delighted to see me back out on the bike again. I'd been thinking of phoning him about going out for a ride one night but I thought he would have been doing some proper training so I resisted.

Rich asked what I was up to and I said I was going for a potter. He said I was more than welcome to join him. When I asked where he was off to, he casually replied oh, just a 50 mile loop out to Toys Hill and back via Cudham Lane. 

Now in the old cycling days, this wouldnt have been a problem for me. Cudham Lane is a long 4 mile upward drag averaging out at 4% gradient and most Kent riders will know Toys Hill at Westerham. Not particularly steep but its long. I thought to myself, ok my legs are still sore from Tuesday but I'll give it a go. If I struggle, I'll just turn back and cut the ride short. I know my way back so it shouldnt be a problem.

Well I need not have worried.

Seriously, what a great ride. 50 miles in just over 3 hours at an average speed of 15.5mph. Ok, it wasnt my fastest ride of all time and I did sit in Rich's tow for 80% of the ride but I dug in and got it done. The hills hurt a lot as I'm not bike fit these days. Having only ridden 150 miles this year so far, its little wonder. The only riding I have done has been on flatish loops but this was much more like it. My HR was much more stable and lower than the previous day (understandibly because of being in Rich's tow) and I felt great. My legs did feel drained for 24 hours after the ride but that was to be expected. 

It was by pure chance I bumped into Rich but I'm so glad I did. I've got the bike confidence back now and thats exactly what I needed. I think it may well be time to step away from running for a while and cycle some more miles instead. 

Cheers Rich, a much needed break from the norm and it really was like the good old days :)

My marathon recovery

In my Paris Marathon write up, I briefly touched on recovery, so let me outline what I usually do these days...and what I've done since I've been back home.

In normal circumstances, I definitely wouldnt be having a beer to celebrate within 10 minutes of finishing a marathon.  Normally my go to is a chocolate milkshake.  In the early days, I was going for specific recovery shakes but I really dont think there is any need.

I'm now buying a tub of Nesquik and making up 250ml with semi skimmed milk.  After longer sessions, I'm drinking around 300-400ml.  The tub is great value and a damn site cheaper than specific recovery shakes and to be honest, I'm getting other essential nutrients from elsewhere in my diet.

Nesquik...the chocolate milkshake of Kings...

Within 10 minutes of being back at the hotel, I was laying in an ice cold bath.  Only the legs mind you.  There's a trick to it.  Fill the bath up a couple of inches.  Lower yourself in, when you get your breath back, turn the cold tap up again and just fill it up until the quads are covered.  Then sit there for as long as you can stand it.  The longer the better.  I'm normally in for 15-20 mins and its enough to take the stinging out of the legs.  If you're brave, chuck in some ice too.  Just remember, the colder the better.

It goes without saying that regular stretching is important whether you've just ran a 5k race or a marathon.  For me, its quads, calves, groin, hamstrings.  They're the four groups I concentrate on, especially the hamstrings since I got a telling off from my physio a few weeks ago.

The last thing is to keep on moving.  Rest is important but the longer you keep them legs still, the more they're going to hurt. Keep the legs warm, keep them moving and keep stretching them.

Sunday the legs were sore.  By Monday they were reasonably ok.

Monday evening I went for a gentle recovery run, just 5k around about marathon pace...

The legs were a little stiff to begin with but by the end of the run, I was feeling a million times better. 

To keep the legs moving the next day, I went for a ride on my road bike. However, I got a little carried away. I'd popped around to see my cycling buddy Rich and he had me on the turbo with a plumb line, looking at my knee alignment with pedals and cleats and we made some adjustments in an attempt to clear up my bike fit issues. It has been pretty obvious that my recent knee issues were caused by my last ride and Rich was keen to look at the bike.

We moved the saddle up and backwards and it appears my legs are now in the correct position.  So the plan was to go out and test the new position and give the legs a stretch. However, it probably wasnt the wisest move to do just under 50 miles on the bike, less than 48 hours after the marathon had finished.

The good news is that Rich really does seem to have cured the knee problem. It was my first ride in over a year where I've not suffered any kind of discomfort in the knees which is absolutely great.

The ride was good. We went out at a leisurely 15.5mph (well it is for us normally) but we got out as far as Higham then when we turned to come back, we hit the head wind. Goodness me, it was strong. That pretty much took every last ounce of energy out of me by 30 miles and the last 15 I was hanging on to Rich's back wheel for dear life to get home in one peace. I cant remember the last time I'd been out on a ride and felt like that but I've got absolutely no doubt that was the after effects of the marathon

You only have to look at my average HR for the ride, averaging Zone 1.0 to know how little effort we put into that ride but I was ruined for energy. I've since been eating carbs like there is no tomorrow.

A day later, Wednesday as I type this, I still feel tired but my legs actually feel like they havent done anything recently.  Proof that my recovery times are excellent nowadays, something that really wasnt the case in previous years.

In future, I will ensure I do ride the bike but nowhere as far as that.

I'm now having a well earned rest.  I've got my daughter Izzy with me for the next 4 days so I wont be doing anything training-wise until she goes home now.

Monday Training (50 mile road ride)

Monday.  Day off.  Still in bed at 8:30am.  Hmmm, that makes me smile just thinking about it.  Makes a change from the normal 6:40am alarm.

Anyhow, fancied a change today so I dusted down Hayley from the shed under the stairs, gave her a quick check over and then spent 30 mins or so trying to locate the various kit I'd need.  Lycra, check.  Helmet.  Where the hell did I put my helmet?  A ha.  Check.  Garmin.  Check.

Eventually, after a quick safety check, tyres pumped, drive chain lubed, I was off.

50 miles at 16.9mph. I'll take that, given the last time I rode on the road was mid October. Obviously the running and Gym work over the last 4.5 months have played huge dividends.

The first 10 miles was pleasant enough. Comfortably holding an average speed of 17mph up to Green St Green but then the heavens opened and didnt stop for the next 90 mins or so. I was drenched. Despite overshoes, the feet were numb before I'd reached Longfield. Some huge puddles along the route, just before Shorne, the road was almost flooded but I made it through ok. Back through Gravesend, up the Betsham climbs then back to Dartford along the return leg of Green St Green to Dartford, then Erith and Woolwich. Great start to my 2014 cycling campaign

Feet were seriously numb 30 mins after the ride. Had to get the feet warmed up before I could have a bath otherwise I'd be at serious risk of burning my feet. They were that numb, I couldnt feel the water.

With Eltham Velo now on the doorstep, I look forward to some more rides like this on a more regular basis now. Great way to utilize a day off :) 

(Not quite sure what is going on with the Garmin today.  When I uploaded the ride, it says I needed to do two firmware updates so I'm assuming its related!)

My 2013 review...

Here we are.  Another year draws to a close.  Exactly three years to the night I made myself a vow to take better care of myself and to get as fit as I possibly could.

2011 was a good start.  2012 was better.  2013 took it to another level altogether.

Here's my final 2013 stats:

The Final 2013 Stats as per Garmin Connect

The main aim at the start of 2013 was to mix things up this year.  As most of you will know, cycling was my main stay for the previous two years but I was determined to do things differently this year, cross training between running, cycling and Gym sessions.

I achieved what I wanted to do.  I reduced my cycling time and increased the time I've spent running and the time I've spent in the Gym, to increase my fitness and improve my body shape.

In total for 2013, I trained for 338hrs (14 days), burning 251k calories in the process (the equivalent of burning 896 Mars Bars).

I can now say I'm a runner as well as a cyclist.  This year I spent a total of just short of 159 hours running 1,055 miles, burning 162k calories.

In April, I smashed my Half Marathon PB set back in 2008... by a huge margin of 48 minutes...

From running 2:45:06 back in 2008 to running a sub 2hr HM in 1:56:29 was probably the highlight of my year.  In the 14 months that I've been running again, I've also brought my 10k PB down from 1:06:36 to 51:42.  Here's to finally smashing the 50:00 10k in 2014.

From a running perspective, I'm chuffed that I took the plunge to join Plumstead Runners back at the beginning of February.  My running has improved ever since and I cant imagine my Wednesday nights without them now.  What a great bunch of people.  A huge thanks to Graham, Paul, Jim, Mary, Siobhan, Julie, Robin and a few others that have made me feel very welcome.

Cycling-wise, its been a mixed year for me.  I started on fire and was riding out of my skin, had a massive fall out with the chairwoman of my then cycling club and I was really given no alternative but to get out.  I have to say its the best thing I ever did.

Riding at pace is the way forward.  Fitness-wise, you wont get anywhere stopping for cake and coffee every 20 miles or so.  Each to their own though.  It wasnt for me.  I rode London to Brussels (via Amsterdam) in May and it was an absolute breeze and at no point did my body feel like it was being stressed.  The hardest thing was dealing with the hangover on the last day after spending a night on the sauce with my old Uni pal Imran.  What a fab night that was.

Unfortunately, on return from Brussels, I developed tendonitis of the patella tendon which left me unable to cycle for a good 2-3 months which put paid to my chance of riding the inaugral RideLondon100, which I had been so looking forward to.  I learnt a long time ago that the disappointments make you stronger.

Sadly, as you will be able to see from this, I've only completed two road rides since July, mainly because of the tendonitis...

I've got mixed feelings about cycling at the moment to be perfectly honest.  No doubt when I get back on Hayley again, I will wonder what took me so long to take her for a ride again but until then, I'm enjoying my running far too much.  What with marathon training in progress now, I cant see how I can fit both in side by side so I'll just have to take it week by week for now.  However, as you can see, I dont think it will take me too long to get back in the saddle.

2013 was also the year of taking the Gym seriously for me too.  I joined the Gym back in 2012 but never really took to it and it hit the back burner until Chandra finally persuaded me to go back and I havent looked back since.  Take out the cardio work in the Gym, I completed 90 sessions over 73 hours dedicated to strength training and toning up this wrecked body of mine and you can really see the difference it has made now.

So fitness-wise, despite a couple of injuries, 2013 has been my best yet.

2013 has been pretty good in terms of the rest of my life too.  My relationship with Isabelle gets better and better.  She's turning into one hell of a daughter.  I cant begin to describe how proud of her I am.  I guess part of me will always feel like I've let her down what with seeing her parents split up at such a young age but I want her to grow up and be proud of her Dad too and hopefully she is.  I want her to grow up and see me as one of her mates, not just her Dad. 

My relationship with my parents has got better too.  I've always been a stubborn b*stard and tend to go off like a bull in a china shop at times but I've learnt to bite my tongue and be more patient.  I guess I'm beginning to grow up a little.  Blimey, never thought I'd hear myself say that.

My bruv's had an ok year health-wise too.  A few wobbles here and there but he's getting there.  That makes me very happy indeed.

2013 should also be remembered as the year I kicked depression into touch.  Keeping myself busy and focused on my fitness has meant for the first time in years, the darkness of impending doom hasnt come to visit.  Long may that continue.

Other 2013 highlights: My dear friends Yatin and Vanessa aka the Posh & Becks of Docklands got married.  Ah bless, such a lovely couple.  Chandra & Sophie's little man Rhys has made us all smile an awful lot.  I have to say I havent really seen a lot of anyone else.  Weekdays are dominated by work, weekends are dominated by Isabelle, leaving not a lot of time for anything else, sadly.  That really has to improve next year.

Love life, non-existent.  How many dates have I had this year?  3 maybe 4, cant remember now.  1 was great, the others not so.  I still find it amazing that when I was almost 18st, I was swatting the ladies off like flies and now I'm looking bloody fabulous, I cant get a date.  Haha, I'll never be able to work the ladies out.  Here's hoping for a change in luck sometime soon.

As for Spurs.  Hot and cold.  Missed out on CL by a point but had our best ever PL season in terms of points won.  Sold our best player for a world record fee.  Have struggled to find some consistency since.  Started the season ok but two hammerings saw AVB sacked and replaced with Tim Sherwood.  I hope 2014 brings some consistency and stability, what we all long for.

Generally, as years go, 2013 was the best for a while.  Here's hoping 2014 brings further contentment.  I can live without a winning lottery ticket as long as my family and friends are healthy and happy.  That would do me nicely.

So, Objectives & Targets for 2014:

1) Complete the Paris Marathon on 06/04/2014 (preferably in sub 4:00 but we'll see!)

2) Finally run a sub 50:00 10k.

3) To see some more of my friends (and get a resemblance of a social life again)

4) To get back out on Hayley again...

5) If Paris goes well, maybe look at doing another (or a few more!)

To be continued...

(The first person to say 6 - get a girlfriend gets a slap!)

Before signing off, I'd like to say a huge special thanks to Chandra, Rich W and Reuben for keeping me sane at all times, the pep talks, putting the world to rights with me and sharing god knows how many pints with me over the space of the last year.  Not sure what I'd do without you guys.

Here's to a healthy and happy 2014

JB :)

Monday Training (Brick Session - 10 mile turbo followed by 5km run)

If Sunday's exploits were not enough, I had a mad desire to do a brick session on Monday evening.

What's a brick session I hear you ask?  A brick session is where you practice two elements of a triathlon back to back, as if you were doing an actual tri.  Obviously, my two elements are cycling and running, so I put two sessions back to back.

A 10 mile turbo session followed by a 5km run.

Two targets of the turbo was to achieve an average speed in excess of 20mph and an average cadence on 90rpm...

Target achieved.  Average cadence of 95rpm and an average speed of 20.5mph but its clear to me that both my cadence and speed was all over the shop tonight which is a huge sign that I've hardly cycled in the last three months.

Transition from Bike to Run of 2:36 (which mainly consisted of changing shoes, unclipping the bike from the turbo and putting it indoors and locking the house up, setting the alarm)...then straight into the run... 

No target to achieve on the run.  Just to finish it in one piece being the objective...

Followed by a gentle slower cool down... 

So yes, I'm officially bonkers and as I type at 9:23pm, I'm pretty much shattered.

With my lack of mileage on the bike in the last three months, the turbo session was tougher than I imagined it would be although the legs didnt fill up with lactic although they felt shattered before I hit the road on the run.

The run was ok. The first mile up Welling Way was hard, the second mile and a half was quicker but as soon as I hit Welling Corner, I literally felt the legs drain and my pace dropped significantly. With practice and getting the legs turning over more often on the bike again, this wont be a problem and the brick sessions will become an important part of my training armoury. 

Great session.

Tuesday Training (30 mile road ride)

Today was my first ride on Hayley, my road bike, since 22/07/2013.

For those that dont know, I was suffering from Patella Tendonitis earlier in the summer, initially caused from misaligned cleats on my Sidi road shoes.  Being the stubborn sod that I am, I thought I could cycle it off.  I couldnt.  I made it worse and it was agony.  Thankfully I was still able to run but cycling was so uncomfortable, almost unbearable, so I stayed off the bike.  Until today.

 


Had to pop into Lloyds Bank on my way out, about half a mile down the road but then I was able to open the legs up a bit after that. Down to Danson Park, through Blendon down to Bexley Village, out on the North Cray Road, up Maidstone Road, down through Swanley Village to Green Street Green before heading back home via Dartford, Belvedere and Abbey Wood

The plan was to take it relatively easy, keep my cadence above 80rpm and to try to ignore my average speed but as most cyclists will know, thats one of the first stats to look at when analysing a ride. I was touching 18mph at Bexley Village on the way out and I was averaging 17.9mph by the time I got back to Abbey Wood but I decided to take my feet off the gas and reel it back in otherwise I would have been seriously blowing in the last mile.

30 miles at an average speed of 17.6mph for a first ride in almost three months is good. I'm pleased with that. I'll need to start increasing my mileage again once I'm happy with the position of my cleats and I'll start increasing the amount of climbing I do as well. The ride was relatively flat today considering the usual climbing I would do on a ride but this was a gentle reintroduction. I'm very pleased to just get out on the bike again and not feel the previous knee niggle. Happy days.

2013 v 2012 Training Stats

I've just been updated the 2013 training stats as of today and I thought it would be interesting to compare like for like with the same period last year.

So, for the record, this is my 2012 training stats...

2012 Training Stats 1st Jan - 12th Aug...Click to expand...

Now when you see the 2013 stats, it does really show a signficant change in my training regime...

2013 Training Stats 1st Jan - 12th Aug...Click to expand...

Now bearing in mind I lost time in April due to a reoccurring chest-infection and I've had to scale back my cardio training in June onwards from the persistent knee niggle I've been suffering from, its interesting to see that I've lost 4 hours on last year but I've burned significantly more calories for the same period.

The main plan this year was to spend less time cycling and spend more time running and in the Gym.  So far so good and the results are clearly paying off.

Average speeds for cycling and running have increased whilst the average HR for the same activities has reduced, meaning I'm a damn sight fitter than I was than this time last year.

Back on the saddle but not good news...

After exactly a three week lay off, I got back on my bike last night.

Met up with my old pal Rich W and we set off on the regular Gravesend & Higham training loop.

 

It was a good tempo ride, around 17mph (only dropped to 16.9mph once we got caught by the traffic lights at Welling Station on our trip to the pub for post-ride carb-loading of the Stella/San Miguel variety) and was thoroughly enjoyable.

However, the ride left me with one nagging doubt. My knee. It is still not right. Not by a long chalk. I didnt feel it for the first 15 miles or so but then it kicked in. A dull ache. I got through the ride but the pace dropped because of the knee. We would have been up around 18/19mph had I not had to back off the pace on the small number of climbs when the discomfort increased.

Having slept overnight and now on my second dose of Ibuprofen since the ride, I can still feel the knee. It feels stiff although it isnt. Very uncomfortable indeed.

I'm 12 days away from the RideLondon100 and I feel as though I've got no choice now but to withdraw. I'm absolutely gutted. I'm going to give it a few more days to settle down and see where I'm at then but I think my chances of attempting the RL100 are diminishing by the day now.

Man vs Bike...

So does having an expensive superbike really make a difference???

Injury update

24hrs after last night's run with the Plums, my knee feels absolutely fine.  Not even the remotest little twinge having now been on the Ibuprofen for 48 hours as instructed.

However, really unlike me, I've spent most of this evening asleep.  Hopefully, its just down to the heat.  One of my wisdom teeth is sore too as its cutting through the Gum as well so may be related.  Spent nearly 90 minutes asleep in the bath and then fell asleep again on the sofa for nearly 45 mins during the second half of the England Ladies v France Ladies match on BBC3.  I cant remember the last time I fell asleep indoors before bedtime.

Anyhow, the knee feels good enough to cycle on now for the first time in over three weeks.  So thats the plan for tomorrow night.  Nothing too far or over the top, just a nice ride at half decent pace out into the lanes to ensure I've got the cleat positions correct and am going to adjust my saddle height too, raising it a fraction to take some more pressure off the knees and hopefully give me a little more power.

Roll on tomorrow evening!

Looking back in time

In life, you get watershed moments. Those moments that live with you forever, for good reasons and bad. The data below is from a ride I had with Seeds Cycling Club in October 2010...

Dare I say it, I felt ill on that ride. It was my first time out with Seeds' Saturday group and I was almost left for dead. I couldnt keep up on the flat, I was getting dropped...badly...on the hills. Never have I hated a ride more.

However, that ride motivated me more than anything to get myself in shape. I enjoyed cycling but I never wanted to be humiliated like that again. From a ride point of view, a length of 30 miles and only 1,400ft of climbing doesnt even touch the sides these days. An average speed of 11.5mph too. Embarrassing doesnt even come close. Just goes to show how far I've come in a very short space of time.

Similarly, check out the data on the run below...

I couldnt even manage to run 5 miles in an hour. The HR data is significant. The troughs in the graph indicate I was slowing to either a stop or walking pace. Can I ever imagine myself being as unfit as that now? No chance...

Onwards and upwards!

Knee update and Gym session

The knee feels better.  So much so I spent this morning in the Gym.

Rather than doing my usual 5km treadmill pyramid warm up, I done 2 x 2.5km pyramids.  The first starting at 10km/h, incrementing my 0.5km/h every 0.5km, making sure I stretched both legs out properly in between the first two...

So even after all that, the knee felt reasonably good.  As I type this at nearly midnight, the knee feels a little tender but there's an explanation for that.

A conversation with my cycling buddy RW suggested I ought to check the cleats on my cycling shoes.  I knew they were due for replacing so I had ordered a new set and they arrived today.  As I looked at my shoes, it was clear there was a problem with my left cleat.  The top bolt had been lost and the cleat had rotated out of its normal position.  No wonder I felt discomfort on Monday!

After taking a chunk out of my finger with the alun key, I eventually managed to change the cleats and a quick test spin of a mile was all it needed to confirm that was what caused the original injury.  The knee still felt very uncomfortable but I'm putting this down to the discomfort of the original injury rather than new damage being caused.   Looking at my position on the bike, my feet are touching more of the floor than they ever have before, which tends to suggest that either my saddle has slipped downwards or that my legs are getting longer from the cycling.  I'll need to spend some time in the upcoming days before my next ride to ensure I get the correct position then hopefully once this knee niggle settles down, I'll be riding again in complete comfort.

New cleats...with the inflicted war wound...

Oh JB JB...he's only got one knee...

...apologies for stealing Ledley King's song...

Sadly, it appears I have a knee injury

Whilst out cycling on Monday evening, I felt some discomfort in my left knee, something I've not experienced before. It had felt a little sore in recent weeks after running off road a few times but nothing as bad as this.

Voltarol gel (similar to Ibuprofen gel but contains anti-inflamatories) and Nurofen havent really touched the sides over the last 48 hours which is a concern. I was in a huge amount of discomfort yesterday during the day and had to resort to an ice pack just after lunchtime in the office. It does feel slightly better today although only good enough to walk on. Certainly wouldnt think about running on it.

I sensibly have not gone on the Wednesday night Plums run as a precaution, hopefully an extra 24 hours will see it right.

The main question is what has caused it? Having looked at the cleats on my cycling shoes, the left does seems to be more worn than the right so I've ordered a new set which I will fit tomorrow when they arrive.

Having read some articles on cycling knee injuries, it appears anterior (central) pain rather than lateral and medial (at the sides) could be down to having my saddle too low. Both Richard and Matt have mentioned this in the past so I will get the bike up on the turbo and have a look at my position once I've replaced my cleats.

Fingers crossed the knee heals quickly.

Cobham Loop (46 miles)

A decent paced, medium length ride for a Monday evening. I felt reasonably good throughout apart from some discomfort in my left knee. Feels more anterior than medical or lateral, so I'm assuming patella tendonitis which I hope will settle with some ice and some Ibuprofen. Will see how it feels in the next 24hrs.

Welling Way Interval Set

24hrs before the Plums Cross Country Handicap so was a restricted interval set tonight keeping lots in the tank for tomorrow evening.

Effort towards Falconwood on the up slope. Recovery on the decent to Welling.

A good session but could feel a twinge in my left knee...

Hill Reps (Shooters x 12)

After a very flat L2A2B, thought it was about time I started to up the climbing. Was very short of time tonight so thought what better way to kill two birds with one stone by doing some hill reps. The one advantage I've got is that Shooters Hill is literally on my doorstep. So after a very short and quick warm up down Welling Way and back (because I forgot to put on my HR monitor), I done 12 reps of Shooters Hill without stopping. 6 London-bound and 6 returning Welling-bound. Was an excellent work out. Its all about keeping some energy in the tanks and not going out too fast. If I was only going over the hill once, I would have given it some more beans but no need for this exercise.

2,250ft in 16 miles. Not quite replicating a mountain climb because you've got the 2 min descent either side of the hill before you come back up again but it'll do nicely for a Monday evening.

Interesting to compare my average HR of this session against a similar session last year...

HR significantly lower this year compared to last, especially given the data from last year would have been lower due to the cool down included at the end of the ride out to Blackfen and back. Clearly the hard work over the last 6-9 months is paying off handsomely now.

L2A2B Day 4 (73 miles)

L2A2B Day 3 (101 miles)

L2A2B Day 2 (52 miles)