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Friday, October 31, 2008

Day 199

Due to munching peanuts most of the afternoon I thought it was probably a good idea to have another turbo trainer session.

So today I did another 30 minute session 5 minutes easy spin 20 minutes hard graft and 5 minutes easy spin to cool down.

Total elapsed distance 10.5 miles

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Day 198

Turbo trainer again......

11.4 miles in 32 minutes, with 21.2 mph average speed

The office was 18 degrees when I started and the thermometer showed 20 degrees!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Day 197

Work from home day today ;-)

Stopped working at 11:30 and went for my first really cold ride.

I dressed up in my winter woollies and set of on my 'normal 20'

I did 21.58 miles in 1 hour 16 minutes with an average speed of 16.8 mph.

On the plus side I have manage to tweak the right hand cleat round a bit ;-) and it did actually appear to make a difference ;-)

As far as the cold, the thermometer had the temperature at 11 degrees so not exactly freezing, but darn my feet got cold!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Day 196

Day off....Played computer games

Monday, October 27, 2008

Day 195

Turbo Trainer

Did some more hill training, 5 minutes in each gear climbing up the hill then 5 minutes in a couple of gears down the hill and finally a 5 minute cool down.

Total ride time of 45 minutes.

The computer stats are....

14.9 miles
19.6 mph average speed
42.7 mph top speed

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Day 194 (Sunday)

Marian, Joy, Dave and myself went on a group ride, route here...

The weather unfortunately was a bit wet, and not so warm :-(

The ride through Calne, Avebury and Marlborough was wet but uneventful, I was however still riding along at my own pace! which is possibly (Definitely) to quick....

When we got to Marlborough it was a tough climb up to Savernake Forest. Then a right turn towards Pewsey then Alton Priors and then lunch at Honey Street ;-)



After lunch there was a concerted effort to slow the pace down, and we actually appeared to cycle a little more as a group.

When we got to Rowde Marian picked up a puncture and had slowed down a little, thankfully we had noticed that she had dropped of the back and stopped in a wide gateway, Marian limped around the corner with an almost flat tire, Dave saved the day by swapping the inner tube with a spare and re-inflating the tyre.

After the roadside repair the rest of the journey back to Chippenham was uneventful.

My right knee pain made a re-appearance and Dave has noticed that my right hand cleat is not aligned correctly. He suggests that the heal is towing in by about a centimetre.

Today we cycled 51.78 miles with a ride time of 3 hours 45 minutes.

It was a very worthwhile experience again ;-)

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Day 193 (Saturday)

My birthday.......

Woke up early, went for a lovely walk in West Wood's



When we got back, I had soup, then went for a cycle ride.

I opted for my 'normal 20' and it was very hard work, there was a very strong headwind.

I did 21.6 miles in 1 hour 16 min with an average speed of 16.8 mph

Friday, October 24, 2008

Day 192

Day off

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Day 191

Turbo again.....

Thought I would have a bit of a change of strategy today, did a 5 minute warm up in a nice low easy gear, then changed up on the front and middle cog on the back and peddled away for 20 minutes maintaining a high cadence (and speed) then settled back down in an easy gear and cooled down for 5 minutes

According to the cycle computer I did 9.5 miles in 29.37 minutes with an Average speed of 19.2 mph.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Day 190

Worked at home today.
Unfortunately I got absorbed into work and didn't make it out at lunchtime ;-(

So after tea I spent an hour (Yes a whole hour!) on the turbo trainer, due to popular demand (Ray) I have moved the computer transmitter from the stationary front wheel to the very dynamic back wheel and will now add the Turbo statistics to the statistics panel. Unfortunately the computer did not receive a signal from the transmitter when on the handlebars so I had to remove it and put it on the floor near the back wheel, this meant that just over 2 minutes of stats were not captured.

It was very interesting to see that I actually do just over 20 mph whilst going nowhere!

Any way here's what I did today (Note I actually did an hour but the computer was on the handlebars for just over 2 minutes and it didn't work)

Cycle Time (Computer) 58 minutes
Distance 19.7 miles
Average Speed 20.2 mph
Maximum Speed 35.4 mph

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Day 189

Turbo Trainer.....

Got in from work, changed and jumped straight on to the Turbo Trainer.
Warmed up for 2 minutes then 2 minutes per gear for the first four gears (easiest) then 5 minutes per gear on the last 3 and finally cooled down for 5 minutes.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Day 188

Night off

Left for work in the dark...got home in the dark....I hate the winter!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Day 187 (Sunday)

Got up early, stoked the fire up and sat in front of it....nice cosy and warm...

Eventually moved and tidied up. Then I braved the icy cold outside and went for a ride on the mountain bike to Avebury and back, along the cycle way.

The cycle way has the best view of Cherhill White Horse and Monument

Some of the cycle way proved VERY interesting to navigate.

When I got to Avebury I did not relish the idea of cycling back up hill across the fields to get to Yatesbury so I opted to cycle on the main road past Silbury Hill and on Up the A4, Turning back onto the Byway at Yatesbury.

Then it was downhill all the way to Calne, were I followed the Wilts Berks Canal for a couple of yards...

Because the canal is not complete there is no boat traffic to keep the duck weed at bay and it looks very green..

From Calne it was back onto the familiar cycle way home.

Today I cycled 31.7 miles on the mountain bike, I haven't been on the mountain bike for quite some time and I found the whole exercise quite a lot slower than I am now used to....But it was FUN and I really enjoyed it....

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Day 186 (Saturday)

Started the day with a nice long walk with wifey and Rosie in West Wood...


We had soup for lunch then I headed straight out on my cycle ride. I cycled the planned route for next Sunday (Route here...).

It was a VERY nice ride although I am a bit concerned about the right turn at Avebury, as It is a nasty blind corner, It may be worth cycling on into the centre of Avebury and turning around that way it is a nice safe left turn ;-)

The centre of Marlborough was closed off and I had to detour around it, The hill out of Marlborough into the Savernake Forest was a bit punishing.

Although it was well worth it as the trees are now starting to show their golden colours.



From Savernake to Easton Royal was cross country and again very nice riding, but unfortunately I was starting to head into wind, and I remained cycling into wind for the next 30 miles...

After Alton Barnes I stopped to take some pictures of the rolling hills, they always impress me.



From there on it was plain sailing (Cycling) to Devizes and on home although the constant head wind was a pain...

So today I cycled 50.18 miles in 3 hours 10 minutes with an average speed of 15.8 mph and according to Lyneham met office it was a 14 mph WSW wind, Hopefully the wind will be a little calmer next Sunday.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Day 185

No training today ;-)

Fantastic pub food and a couple of pints of cider instead ;-)

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Day 184

Turbo Trainer again......

Spent 40 minutes from 7:20 till 8 cycling to nowhere, climbing up a steep hill, same as Tuesday 3 minutes per gear in large chain ring from easy to hard then back again.

I must admit I did find it a lot easier tonight. I might increase the time per gear to 4 minutes next Tuesday.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Day 183

WFH Day ;-)

I stopped work at about 11:45 and did my 'normal 20', there was quite a tough head wind on the return leg, but I think the turbo training is paying off as I still manages a respectable 1 hour 15 mins for the 21.58 miles and an average speed of 17 mph.

It is good to get out for a real ride!

We are having another group ride on October 26th and I thought I would change the route a little bit from last time, as cycling 20 miles to the pub was easy...but cycling 30 miles home was a pain... So I have changed the route slightly to give a nice scenic 30 miles to the pub and a more pleasant 20 mile return home. I will try out the route this Saturday to make sure there are NO surprises ;-)

The proposed route is here....'October 26th route'

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Day 182

Really tough Turbo Trainer session again.

Did 40 minutes, large front chain ring and 3 minutes per gear from easy to hard, then 2 minutes per gear back to easy.

Total time 40 minutes.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Day 181

Day off....

I am very tired today.....

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Day 180 (Sunday)

Plan was to do normal Sunday house tidy then cycle to Lacock with wifey and Rosie (dog) for lunch, unfortunately the early morning fog didn't clear until after lunch.

So instead I set of on my 'normal 30' It was all going very well until after I cycled up Dunkirk hill then I noticed that the left hand crank had worked loose again, and I had foolishly left my tool kit at home! so I turned around and headed back home, at Bromham it was no longer possible to cycle so I walked to a friends house (less than 1/2 a mile) , I called up wifey to bring my tool kit and repaired the bike, I then continued back home.

Photy of Dunkirk hill going into Devizes

I actually ended up cycling 20.57 miles and put in the fastest top speed to date 45 mph! going down Old Derry Hill ;-) I actually left the cars behind and broke the 40 mile speed limit!

I am a bit miffed that the crank worked loose I had been checking it by a push/pull check every couple of weeks it appears that I will actually have to test everything for tightness instead of just looking at it!

Anyway not all bad today, the weather was excellent again, I met up with an old friend and I achieved the fastest top speed- oh and the lesson is ALWAYS carry the tool kit! things come undone when you dont expect it.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Day 179 (Saturday)

What a fantastic day ;-)

Got up late'ish had porridge for breaky and milled around the house a bit, then took Rosie (dog) for a really nice walk along the river. Got back for lunch, then decided I would go for a longer ride than I had planned.

I ended up doing 40 miles, the main part of the planned ride for the 26th and it was fantastic, next to no wind and beautiful sun shine.



The leaves on the trees are clearly turning now :-(


I find the slumping ground down the hills very intriguing


And the view across the countryside was magnificent


When I reached Bromham I had to make a descision, go via Lacock and turn in a nice 50 mile ride or carry straight on home and complete a lesser 40 mile ride.

I opted for the direct route home and completed the 39.47 miles in 2 Hours 21 Minutes with and avs of 16.6 mph. When I got back I put the bike away immediately, changed out of the cycle shoes and put my boots on and warmed down by cutting the grass.

Just as I was starting to get used to the idea that winter meant bad weather and no cycling, out pops a fantastic day ;-)

Friday, October 10, 2008

Day 178

Day Off.....

Cooking tea with wifey then going to relax and watch a film ;-)

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Day 177

Turbo Trainer

Had a nice long chat with Dave on the way home and he suggested a nice hill climbing training routine ;-)

So I set the Turbo to maximum resistance and peddled away in the easiest gear for 5 minutes then I changed into the largest front chain ring and peddled hard for 3 minutes per gear changing down gears on the rear cassette every 3 minutes, then finally I started changing back through easier gears to cool down.

Total turbo time was 35 minutes. and I was tired out again!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Day 176

Worked from home today ;-)

And what a lovely day, I stopped work at 11:45 and did my 'normal 20' .

I did the 21.55 miles in a stonking 1 hour 9 minutes with a new massive avs of 18.4 mph.

There was absolutely NO wind and the sun was out the sky was blue and the temperature was a very pleasant 15 deg. It was good to do the ride without any irritating head winds and I am certain that the Turbo Trainer is helping my road riding technique. I now notice that when my cadence slows down I drop a gear and the speed goes up - sounds blindingly obvious but it's taken a bit of time for me to see the real results!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Day 175

Turbo Trainer!

I decided to do my normal 30 minutes but this time push myself quite hard, I did 5 minute cycles between easy spinning and higher gears.

I actually found the 30 minutes tougher than my normal 20 ride.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Day 174

Wifey's B-Day so no cycling today.

When I got home I got straight on with cooking tea with son ;-) (We made pork and apple braise with rice)

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Day 173 (Sunday)

Woke up and did normal sunday house tidy, followed by a breakfast and shopping at 'Morrisons' :-)
I managed to eat my own brunch then most of wifey's and daughters. This meant that no matter how I didnt feel like going out for a cycle ride, I had to!

After we got back and unloaded the car, I got changed into my winter cycle clobber, without a rain jacket today because the weather didnt look so bad! about 20 minutes into the ride the heavens opened and I got drenched ;-(

On the plus side I did get blown home as the wind was NNW at 8 mph ;-)

So today I did my 'normal 20' again (21.63 miles) however due to the favourable wind direction I did it in 1 hour 12 minutes with a avs of 17.9 mph :-)

Although when I got home I was soaked I was not cold at all ;-)

I then spent the rest of the day in the kitchen cooking ;-) I made Egg Custard Tart, and Roast Chicken in Cider ;-) (Wifey's B'day T'morrow and family meal today ;-) (I will cook somthing equally as nice tommorow :-)

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Day 172 (Saturday)

Got up and it was cold....|So opted for a walk into town to do some chores (I also bought a sports knee brace)

Got back home at lunchtime and it was still cold and had started to get windy.

I put on some of my winter warmer cycling stuff and braved the elements.
I did my 'normal 20' (21.64) in a wet and windy (18 mph SSW Gusting 29 mph) 1 hour 20 minutes, either the ride wasn't taxing enough to cause any knee problems OR the knee brace worked but I had NO sign of any problems ;-)

When its NOT the summer I have noticed that the thought of going out and braving the elements on a bicycle is FAR worse than actually going out! with the winter jerseys, cycling trousers and gloves it doesn't yet get to bad - but I guess there's a lot more of the dark ages to go and its definitely going to get worse :-(

Friday, October 3, 2008

Day 171

Got home frozen on MotorBike...

Sat in front of fire all night warming back up!

Try and do a nice 20-30 tommorow

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Day 170

Got back on the turbo trainer today ;-) (Or should I call my personal Sauna???)

Did 5 minutes spinning in an easy gear, then alternated 2 minutes working and 2 minutes spinning for 20 minutes then did some single leg exercise 1 minute each leg then finished of with 3 minutes spinning. I attempted to focus on maintaining a high cadence and trying to stop my knees cycling outwards whilst peddling.

The Iron Maiden DVD on the computer helped hold the boredom at bay...and the peddling action meant that I was head banging to the music ;-)

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Day 169

WFH Day...and I have LOTS to do :-(

I did however stop at 11:30 as planned and went for my 'normal 20', I focused on trying to keep the cadence up and trying to keep my right leg straight, I have a tendency to let my knees drift outwards at the top of the pedal stroke, I think this may have been the reason for the tendon issue.

Although the ride was shorter than I have been used to of late, it was still reasonably tough as there was an 18mph westerly wind, but the extremely good news is that I had NO sign of any knee issues at all ;-)

I did the 21.65 miles in1 hour 20 minutes with an avs of 16.2 and an exciting max speed of 40 mph ;-)

It felt good to be out on the bike again ;-)