I've been taking care of myself the last few days. Cooling down properly. Stretching every 2nd day (I am lazy, it really should be a daily ritual!). I even had a lovely fast commute home today - fast along Embankment I felt very loose and speed came easily.
So it is totally frustrating that I am still on the reserve list for Sunday's race! Still, I won't give up hope just yet. Hold thumbs!
p.s. Check out my new 2nd blog site (click here). It is all about my passion for bikes rather than my athletic endeavours.
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Monday, 20 April 2009
Gaining in the shortlist race
I've moved up from 5th to 2nd on the Spring Races reserve list; so all I need is for two more of the 80 listed entrants to bail out to assure myself a place - with a whole week ahead of us, I think I've got a pretty good chance of getting myself a spot on the start line.
Which brings me to my idiotic pulled muscle. I wanted to nip past a lorry that was parked in the filter lane. So I did a cyclocross dismount and shouldered my bike across a section of pavement before hopping back on again. Somehow I got the dismount wrong, and my left calf feels like its been clouted with a hot iron.
That said, the ride back from town felt pretty good tonight, and my legs responded well to accelerations and spinning. The only problem is out of the saddle - where it feels a bit nasty.
Roll on Sunday!
Which brings me to my idiotic pulled muscle. I wanted to nip past a lorry that was parked in the filter lane. So I did a cyclocross dismount and shouldered my bike across a section of pavement before hopping back on again. Somehow I got the dismount wrong, and my left calf feels like its been clouted with a hot iron.
That said, the ride back from town felt pretty good tonight, and my legs responded well to accelerations and spinning. The only problem is out of the saddle - where it feels a bit nasty.
Roll on Sunday!
Monday, 13 April 2009
"Reserve list"
Procrastination is a very bad thing. And in this case, just a bit silly. The day after entries opened for the Reading CC Spring Race I'd printed off the entry form and filled it in. All that was needed was attaching a cheque for the entry fee and that would be it. Except that meant I'd have to locate my chequebook (post house-move this was a daunting task, as I couldn't remember exactly which box I'd stuffed it into), so I procrastinated.
Over last weekend, with my daring wife doing her thing running a quick 42 in Paris, I figured I'd better get off my rear and send off the entry, which I did.
And all week I hadn't heard anything from the organisers, and I'd assumed no news was good news. Sadly this morning an email came through saying that the race was full, and that I was shortlisted awaiting a withdrawal. I have been assured that withdrawals are common and that, given I am 5th on the list, I have a good chance at a place on the start line. That said, it doesn't make it any less annoying.
In the meantime I will be positive and try to get my mind back into the racing frame of mind. My legs are pretty strong at the moment from my daily commute (which is pretty much a daily interval session), good for explosive speed and hard spurts. I'm less sure about their tolerance for endurance - but I think I'll be just fine.
My biggest worry at the moment is the state of my back. I had a fall a while ago and literally landed on my arse. As a consequence, my back hasn't been at all happy lately. Last week it was so bad that I battled to get any power to the pedals without sending my back into excruciating spasms. So I'll be doing as much stretching as I can to ease it up and to get ready for Reading.
Anyway, just holding thumbs that I get a race entry and that I manage to ease my back out. Hold thumbs.
Over last weekend, with my daring wife doing her thing running a quick 42 in Paris, I figured I'd better get off my rear and send off the entry, which I did.
And all week I hadn't heard anything from the organisers, and I'd assumed no news was good news. Sadly this morning an email came through saying that the race was full, and that I was shortlisted awaiting a withdrawal. I have been assured that withdrawals are common and that, given I am 5th on the list, I have a good chance at a place on the start line. That said, it doesn't make it any less annoying.
In the meantime I will be positive and try to get my mind back into the racing frame of mind. My legs are pretty strong at the moment from my daily commute (which is pretty much a daily interval session), good for explosive speed and hard spurts. I'm less sure about their tolerance for endurance - but I think I'll be just fine.
My biggest worry at the moment is the state of my back. I had a fall a while ago and literally landed on my arse. As a consequence, my back hasn't been at all happy lately. Last week it was so bad that I battled to get any power to the pedals without sending my back into excruciating spasms. So I'll be doing as much stretching as I can to ease it up and to get ready for Reading.
Anyway, just holding thumbs that I get a race entry and that I manage to ease my back out. Hold thumbs.
Saturday, 7 March 2009
Silly Commuter Racing
My training has been getting on pretty well lately. Apart from a short interruption from having a one-day bug, it has been nice and steady. My training is made up entirely of commuting.
This consists of a blast over to Fenchurch Street every morning followed by a short two-and-a-bit mile loosening up to the Station. The morning rides are generally very quiet and, with less traffic, are at a far more steady and controlled pace, interrupted only by (multitudinous) traffic lights. The evening ride is far more crazy; and the traffic coming out of the vicinity of The City is probably best described a Battle. A low speed jostling between bikes, motorbikes, cars, cabs, buses...
The bicycles generally win, because we can get through the smallest gaps. And, given the amount of cycle traffic on my route, there is a lot of impromptu racing which is where it all gets fun. It's probably not the best way to warm up, as effectively it is usually game-on from London Bridge, but it certainly makes for a great interval session.
On the Bikeradar forum, this is known as SCR - Silly Commuter Racing - and the forumites enjoy posting stories of their latest scalps. There is also a cute ranking system (based on position in the food chain, my ranking being 7). I don't know if I've met one of the 'Radars, but I certainly have had a lot of fun chasing down whoever might be around.
My personal bugbear is red light jumpers (RLJ'ers). So I make it a goal to chase these guys down so I can give them The Eye, and then leave them for dead. This is the goal anyways. Usually I catch them only to reach another red, so being forced to repeat the whole process. Or they simply get away as I'm stopped by successive reds. Whichever way it works (and high horses aside), it is a hard interval session and has helped in acceleration hugely.
After Elephant and Castle, the nature of my ride (and prey) changes. From the fast sprints light to light, the route is less interrupted and so becomes about trying to keep pace with the cars - which is usually about 40-45km/h. The bike traffic seems to mostly continue straight ahead where I turn right to head to Vauxhall, so this bit is a bit lonely in terms of SCR. So it is time to dig in, keep the cadence smooth and let the legs burn.
Vauxhall gives me a bit of a breather as lights provide rest time, traffic density slows things down (together with the need to be a bit more alert to traffic hazards!), but here I also pick up a few more cyclists. Onto Nine Elms Road I'm usually quite stuffed, but this is prime SCR territory. Not as much by the quantity of contenders, but rather the quality of battles possible; there are few lights, the Red Route bus lane provides a nice free flowing highway and the fast guys I've met along here have been pretty quick indeed. This section has been great for getting in some nice long, high intensity efforts in as I'm usually chasing a flashing tail light in the distance, or doing my darndest to stay away from a white flashing LED behind me. Or just racing buses.
From Battersea Park, I do try to slow it down to get a nice cool down and make sure I haven't got piles of lactic acid in my legs, but inevitably I get myself in to chasing down an RLJ'er on the run to The Latchmere.
Inevitably you meet the same cyclists on a regular basis; there is a guy on a black Bianchi 1885 who I have yet to get the better of, and another notable is a Specialized Roubaix pilot who is quite a rouleur but sadly also an RLJ'er - which makes my life doubly difficult.
But hey, it wouldn't be a challenge otherwise.
This consists of a blast over to Fenchurch Street every morning followed by a short two-and-a-bit mile loosening up to the Station. The morning rides are generally very quiet and, with less traffic, are at a far more steady and controlled pace, interrupted only by (multitudinous) traffic lights. The evening ride is far more crazy; and the traffic coming out of the vicinity of The City is probably best described a Battle. A low speed jostling between bikes, motorbikes, cars, cabs, buses...
The bicycles generally win, because we can get through the smallest gaps. And, given the amount of cycle traffic on my route, there is a lot of impromptu racing which is where it all gets fun. It's probably not the best way to warm up, as effectively it is usually game-on from London Bridge, but it certainly makes for a great interval session.
On the Bikeradar forum, this is known as SCR - Silly Commuter Racing - and the forumites enjoy posting stories of their latest scalps. There is also a cute ranking system (based on position in the food chain, my ranking being 7). I don't know if I've met one of the 'Radars, but I certainly have had a lot of fun chasing down whoever might be around.
My personal bugbear is red light jumpers (RLJ'ers). So I make it a goal to chase these guys down so I can give them The Eye, and then leave them for dead. This is the goal anyways. Usually I catch them only to reach another red, so being forced to repeat the whole process. Or they simply get away as I'm stopped by successive reds. Whichever way it works (and high horses aside), it is a hard interval session and has helped in acceleration hugely.
After Elephant and Castle, the nature of my ride (and prey) changes. From the fast sprints light to light, the route is less interrupted and so becomes about trying to keep pace with the cars - which is usually about 40-45km/h. The bike traffic seems to mostly continue straight ahead where I turn right to head to Vauxhall, so this bit is a bit lonely in terms of SCR. So it is time to dig in, keep the cadence smooth and let the legs burn.
Vauxhall gives me a bit of a breather as lights provide rest time, traffic density slows things down (together with the need to be a bit more alert to traffic hazards!), but here I also pick up a few more cyclists. Onto Nine Elms Road I'm usually quite stuffed, but this is prime SCR territory. Not as much by the quantity of contenders, but rather the quality of battles possible; there are few lights, the Red Route bus lane provides a nice free flowing highway and the fast guys I've met along here have been pretty quick indeed. This section has been great for getting in some nice long, high intensity efforts in as I'm usually chasing a flashing tail light in the distance, or doing my darndest to stay away from a white flashing LED behind me. Or just racing buses.
From Battersea Park, I do try to slow it down to get a nice cool down and make sure I haven't got piles of lactic acid in my legs, but inevitably I get myself in to chasing down an RLJ'er on the run to The Latchmere.
Inevitably you meet the same cyclists on a regular basis; there is a guy on a black Bianchi 1885 who I have yet to get the better of, and another notable is a Specialized Roubaix pilot who is quite a rouleur but sadly also an RLJ'er - which makes my life doubly difficult.
But hey, it wouldn't be a challenge otherwise.
Saturday, 14 February 2009
The end of Winter?
I woke up feeling grotty. The week had been a long one, and Friday in particular was miserable and draining. Not that I was feeling anything like what I'd classify as "poorly", but certainly not 100%.
In my fuzzed state, I missed wandering around the corner to my favourite local café for my Saturday morning hit (but I did get a bunch of laundry done - how's that for messed up priorities!). I got the bike, race bag and other racing essentials into the car on time, but misjudged the traffic and ended up being stressing about missing the race. I still fail to understand how it is possible that it was quicker to get from our previous home in Reading than it is from Battersea, but that is how it is, go figure. Anyhow, thanks to deft navigation (thanks Garmin), we arrived with enough time to sign on, unpack and get onto the circuit. Perhaps it was the adrenaline of trying to get to the track on time, but as soon as I was on the bike the fuzzy head was forgotten and I was feeling ready for action.
The first few laps of the race were quick; though probably felt faster than they were due to my lack of a warm-up. The Imperial trio were turning up the wick at the front which strung the group out a little. I moved up and got stuck in a little.
Thinking back to the first race of the Winter Series, it is amazing just how much the racing has evolved. Previously the racing was fairly cynical, a collection of random, ill-conceived attacks that, combined with little co-operation, would inevitably lead to nothing. Yesterday's race was a lot more interesting so that now the 4th Cat race is no longer seems to be mostly about riding around for half an hour and then hoping to finish in a reasonable place to get some points.
Back to the race: after staying right at the front in the early stages I decided to drop a but further back into the shelter of the group but keep an eye on what was going on. I was feeling great and was looking forward to the final lap. I got myself into two break attempts that looked like they had at least half a chance. The second was unfortunately ill-timed. For some reason I thought there would be just a lap to go when it started, but there were still two. I was gutted to head up the finish line to see the "2" board. Argh! A lap at full bore would be OK, but not two.
So I settled back in to catch my breath. I still felt great and was really looking forward to putting everything into a final surge to the line; I was ready to do something special. Unfortunately my run up to the line didn't go at all according to plan. I got boxed in and passed on the back straight and so ended up further back than I wanted to be heading into the 2nd last corner. Then that sickening sound of bike hitting the deck.
Being on the right edge of the track, I had nowhere to go but the grass, my momentum taking me right into the (thankfully flat) field. I've always wanted to do cyclo-cross, but this wasn't how I'd envisioned my debut on the rough stuff. And so ended my ambitions of a great finish. The guys who went down were OK, so I turned my cranks up toward the line to complete the duty of the lantern rouge. But despite the disappointing finish, this was possibly the best race so far - or at least the second best (last week was particularly enjoyable!). I felt great and I believe a good finish was definitely on the cards.
As with so many things, my experience of the Imperial Winter Series was completely not what I expected and all the better for it. Naively I has wanted to get stuck in, grab some points so I could start the season as a 3rd Cat.
I missed that target, being four points shy. But I have ended up gaining far more from the racing. I've learned a lot and my race craft is certainly sharper. I've also grown a lot more confident as a racer.
For now I'm looking forward to the rest of 2009, certainly a lot more racing. Firstly I'm going to have a lot more fun. And secondly I'm going to chase those points down; there are still a few races around in the coming weeks, so perhaps I'll drag myself over to Redbridge to see what that all this talk of the big hill is all about.
In my fuzzed state, I missed wandering around the corner to my favourite local café for my Saturday morning hit (but I did get a bunch of laundry done - how's that for messed up priorities!). I got the bike, race bag and other racing essentials into the car on time, but misjudged the traffic and ended up being stressing about missing the race. I still fail to understand how it is possible that it was quicker to get from our previous home in Reading than it is from Battersea, but that is how it is, go figure. Anyhow, thanks to deft navigation (thanks Garmin), we arrived with enough time to sign on, unpack and get onto the circuit. Perhaps it was the adrenaline of trying to get to the track on time, but as soon as I was on the bike the fuzzy head was forgotten and I was feeling ready for action.
The first few laps of the race were quick; though probably felt faster than they were due to my lack of a warm-up. The Imperial trio were turning up the wick at the front which strung the group out a little. I moved up and got stuck in a little.
Thinking back to the first race of the Winter Series, it is amazing just how much the racing has evolved. Previously the racing was fairly cynical, a collection of random, ill-conceived attacks that, combined with little co-operation, would inevitably lead to nothing. Yesterday's race was a lot more interesting so that now the 4th Cat race is no longer seems to be mostly about riding around for half an hour and then hoping to finish in a reasonable place to get some points.
Back to the race: after staying right at the front in the early stages I decided to drop a but further back into the shelter of the group but keep an eye on what was going on. I was feeling great and was looking forward to the final lap. I got myself into two break attempts that looked like they had at least half a chance. The second was unfortunately ill-timed. For some reason I thought there would be just a lap to go when it started, but there were still two. I was gutted to head up the finish line to see the "2" board. Argh! A lap at full bore would be OK, but not two.
So I settled back in to catch my breath. I still felt great and was really looking forward to putting everything into a final surge to the line; I was ready to do something special. Unfortunately my run up to the line didn't go at all according to plan. I got boxed in and passed on the back straight and so ended up further back than I wanted to be heading into the 2nd last corner. Then that sickening sound of bike hitting the deck.
Being on the right edge of the track, I had nowhere to go but the grass, my momentum taking me right into the (thankfully flat) field. I've always wanted to do cyclo-cross, but this wasn't how I'd envisioned my debut on the rough stuff. And so ended my ambitions of a great finish. The guys who went down were OK, so I turned my cranks up toward the line to complete the duty of the lantern rouge. But despite the disappointing finish, this was possibly the best race so far - or at least the second best (last week was particularly enjoyable!). I felt great and I believe a good finish was definitely on the cards.
As with so many things, my experience of the Imperial Winter Series was completely not what I expected and all the better for it. Naively I has wanted to get stuck in, grab some points so I could start the season as a 3rd Cat.
I missed that target, being four points shy. But I have ended up gaining far more from the racing. I've learned a lot and my race craft is certainly sharper. I've also grown a lot more confident as a racer.
For now I'm looking forward to the rest of 2009, certainly a lot more racing. Firstly I'm going to have a lot more fun. And secondly I'm going to chase those points down; there are still a few races around in the coming weeks, so perhaps I'll drag myself over to Redbridge to see what that all this talk of the big hill is all about.
Sunday, 4 January 2009
Prime Spot
January 2009 has been crazy. With trying to find a new flat, then moving in on the 24th and afterward trying to settle in, my blogging has been a bit poor.
Getting back into bike racing has been going pretty well in spite of the upheval, I've improved my finishes, learned many lessons about how and when to chase and most critically where to position myself.
Race 7 on the 3rd Jan saw me getting another 9th on a relatively warm and beautifully sunny day. There wasn't much wind and I was feeling pretty strong. I was a little disappointed with the position as I managed to get horribly boxed in at the end and found myself on the back foot heading up the hill to the line.
Race 8 on the 10th was in some of the hardest conditions I've ever ridden a bike in, biting cold with a dusting of snow on the track. I suffered a lot, and the cold took it out of me badly. I found it difficult to concentrate and to make matters worse I found operating the basic controls on the bike difficult as I'd lost feeling in my fingers. I guess us Saffers aren't built for these sort of conditions; winter in my home town of Durban rarely getting below 10°C in winter!
Race 9 was good fun. Despite very nearly getting caught up in an incident on the run up to the line, I managed to keep a bit of momentum and secure a 7th. The race was good start to finish, I rode with my head and I was feeling strong from being on my bike a bit during the week hunting for a new home. Things were starting to come together.
Race 10 I missed as we were moving. What a pain.
Race 11 - what a disastrous weekend! We were in the throes of unpacking, and so I ended up being a bit late getting to the race. I also wasn't feeling great from a hard week at work and a fairly hard new daily commute across London. Whatever the excuses, it was a culmination of things going wrong (I'd also I forgotten my track pump, my gears weren't shifting quite right ... it was just one of those). Enough said.
Race 12 - I woke up feeling positive, I'd got the bike 100% the night before and I was ready to race. I was up for doing something today; trying something new and maybe a bit interesting. There was a sprint prize at 20 mins which I thought would be cool to get stuck in for, but it wasn't my focus. I was keen to stretch myself in some way and learn more about what I could do.
After 20 mins the bell went I and I was feeling nice and loose from a few pulls at the front, so I thought, "Why not?" Heading onto the back straight I rolled up to the front. The pace was surprisingly slow with the tension only just starting to form, "This was my opportunity!"
So hopped out of the saddle and gave it everything. I was convinced someone would be on my wheel so I decided to keep the hammer down all the way - accelerating and not letting up until I crossed the line. Even then, it took a few seconds for it to sink in. I was so surprised when I looked back and saw the huge gap I'd pulled on the group - it felt pretty cool indeed.
Of course, as that excitement ebbed, the flaw in my plan emerged. I had put everything into that sprint, and now I was battling to recover; as one of my mates put it, "Now you've just got to do the same in about 15 minutes."
Getting back into bike racing has been going pretty well in spite of the upheval, I've improved my finishes, learned many lessons about how and when to chase and most critically where to position myself.
Race 7 on the 3rd Jan saw me getting another 9th on a relatively warm and beautifully sunny day. There wasn't much wind and I was feeling pretty strong. I was a little disappointed with the position as I managed to get horribly boxed in at the end and found myself on the back foot heading up the hill to the line.
Race 8 on the 10th was in some of the hardest conditions I've ever ridden a bike in, biting cold with a dusting of snow on the track. I suffered a lot, and the cold took it out of me badly. I found it difficult to concentrate and to make matters worse I found operating the basic controls on the bike difficult as I'd lost feeling in my fingers. I guess us Saffers aren't built for these sort of conditions; winter in my home town of Durban rarely getting below 10°C in winter!
Race 9 was good fun. Despite very nearly getting caught up in an incident on the run up to the line, I managed to keep a bit of momentum and secure a 7th. The race was good start to finish, I rode with my head and I was feeling strong from being on my bike a bit during the week hunting for a new home. Things were starting to come together.
Race 10 I missed as we were moving. What a pain.
Race 11 - what a disastrous weekend! We were in the throes of unpacking, and so I ended up being a bit late getting to the race. I also wasn't feeling great from a hard week at work and a fairly hard new daily commute across London. Whatever the excuses, it was a culmination of things going wrong (I'd also I forgotten my track pump, my gears weren't shifting quite right ... it was just one of those). Enough said.
Race 12 - I woke up feeling positive, I'd got the bike 100% the night before and I was ready to race. I was up for doing something today; trying something new and maybe a bit interesting. There was a sprint prize at 20 mins which I thought would be cool to get stuck in for, but it wasn't my focus. I was keen to stretch myself in some way and learn more about what I could do.
After 20 mins the bell went I and I was feeling nice and loose from a few pulls at the front, so I thought, "Why not?" Heading onto the back straight I rolled up to the front. The pace was surprisingly slow with the tension only just starting to form, "This was my opportunity!"
So hopped out of the saddle and gave it everything. I was convinced someone would be on my wheel so I decided to keep the hammer down all the way - accelerating and not letting up until I crossed the line. Even then, it took a few seconds for it to sink in. I was so surprised when I looked back and saw the huge gap I'd pulled on the group - it felt pretty cool indeed.
Of course, as that excitement ebbed, the flaw in my plan emerged. I had put everything into that sprint, and now I was battling to recover; as one of my mates put it, "Now you've just got to do the same in about 15 minutes."
I tried to find refuge in the group but the pace was going up and shelter from the wind was in short supply. In all honesty I'd run out of juice and just didn't have enough for another all out run up to the line.
So a rather anoymous finish after my moments of glory, but I reckon it was worth it. I really enjoyed charging up to the flag for the Prime, and I know far better what I am capable of. I'm really looking forward to the last race next weekend, but also the 2009 season. I reckon it is going to be a good one!
Friday, 2 January 2009
Speed catches ...
What would you say is a perfect way to mark the New Year? This year (my darling wife) Tasha did a 10k trail run at Bodmin Moor.
When we got there, I looked at the route map and thought, "hey, the elevations must be in feet" and when we looked across at the "tor" we assumed the run can't be heading up that thing. Was I wrong.
Bang on 11am the group trundled off, and I watched them traverse the valley, and head up the mountain. Eish! At this point I realised that the 1 hour target I'd chatted to Tasha about might have been a bit optimistic. Nevertheless I knew she was having fun, so I dragged my cold body (+ sore knee and Life in the UK study notes) into the warm bowels of the Jamaica Inn.
I wandered back out at around 45 mins past - expecting that most of the fastest runners would already have got in, only to get there in time to witness the first man in. OK. This was clearly a hard run.
Tasha made it in 30 mins later, looking pretty good. By all accounts she had a great time and did a solid run. It was odd for me to sit on the sidelines, but I am very proud indeed.
But I'm now preparing myself for tomorrow. I think my head is where it should be, but my knee is still quite uncomfortable. I'll try to save it all for the finish. Looking forward.
When we got there, I looked at the route map and thought, "hey, the elevations must be in feet" and when we looked across at the "tor" we assumed the run can't be heading up that thing. Was I wrong.
Bang on 11am the group trundled off, and I watched them traverse the valley, and head up the mountain. Eish! At this point I realised that the 1 hour target I'd chatted to Tasha about might have been a bit optimistic. Nevertheless I knew she was having fun, so I dragged my cold body (+ sore knee and Life in the UK study notes) into the warm bowels of the Jamaica Inn.
I wandered back out at around 45 mins past - expecting that most of the fastest runners would already have got in, only to get there in time to witness the first man in. OK. This was clearly a hard run.
Tasha made it in 30 mins later, looking pretty good. By all accounts she had a great time and did a solid run. It was odd for me to sit on the sidelines, but I am very proud indeed.
But I'm now preparing myself for tomorrow. I think my head is where it should be, but my knee is still quite uncomfortable. I'll try to save it all for the finish. Looking forward.
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