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OPINION

TRAT 2010 - Snow joke

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In 167 days I'm going to be one of 15 cyclists on the start line of The Race Against Time, a Land's End to John O'Groats ride that takes six days - which translates to an average of something like 145 miles a day.

Preparing for a 874 mile bike ride is no small undertaking for a 46 year-old with a dodgy back, a busy life dominated by two small children, and no rides longer than 100 miles under his belt.

So I need all the training time I can get, obviously, which makes this snowy spell unbelievably frustrating. With 167 days to go I haven't been able to cycle so much as 167 yards for weeks thanks to the snow, ice, salt, grit and all that wintry stuff. Actually, that's not quite true - I went out a week ago for a quick 25-miler but all that did was serve to remind me how unfit I am and clog the bike with clag. I've not been out since.

January was supposed to be all about getting past that horrible post-festive season fitness slump when the slightest exertion brings you out in a toxic sweat and those heady summer days when you feel like you could keep going for weeks seem nothing but a cruel joke. It was supposed to lay the foundations for some serious progress made in February and March, so I could move into spring with a little bit of confidence. That's what this month's supposed to be about, but here we are a third of the way through it and I've spent most of it staring balefully out of the window willing the thaw to begin.

There's always the turbo trainer of course. On paper, the turbo trainer looks like an excellent substitute when the road's out of reach. And it is a good substitute - once I've managed my family's expectations about the availability of our breakfast room for the coming hour or two, and I've tunnelled to the turbo trainer in the back of the coat cupboard, moved 16 pairs of shoes, one vacuum cleaner, three vacuum cleaner attachments, four rucksacks, my bicycle pump, a football and three coats that have fallen off their hooks while I've been wrestling all the other stuff out of the cupboard.

Once I've done that it's just a matter of swapping the bike's rear axle for the one supplied with the turbo trainer, finding the mat I put under the bike so the whole house doesn't howl eerily with each pedal stroke, setting the bloody thing up, getting changed, sorting out towel, water and music, and then, finally, getting on and pedalling. For over an hour. Stationary. In my own breakfast room.

Then of course, once I've done my thing and I'm feeling all virtuous, I have to undo everything I've done to set it up, including that exasperating repacking of the coat cupboard, which somehow always seems that bit harder than the unpacking part.

Still, it really is better than nothing I suppose. But come on now, snow! Enough's enough!

Lifelong lover of most things cycling-related, from Moulton Mini adventures in the 70s to London bike messengering in the 80s, commuting in the 90s, mountain biking in the noughties and road cycling throughout. Editor of Simpson Magazine (www.simpsonmagazine.cc). 

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9 comments

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skippy | 14 years ago
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not heard of the "trat", so would appreciate update and dates please.

Haiti disaster is with us so fundraising quandry for all.

visit www.parrabuddy.blogspot.com and follow www.twitter.com/skippydetour.

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Martin Thomas replied to skippy | 14 years ago
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TRAT is The Race Against Time (http://www.theraceagainsttime.com/) which is a LEJOG ride over six days starting on 27 June. There will be something like 16 of us on the ride I think.

It raises money for the Bishop Simeon Trust (http://www.bstrust.org/), a charity that helps the victims of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. One of the more sobering statistics I've seen is that during the six days of the ride, around 35,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa will die of AIDS.

I completely understand what you say about Haiti and I would obviously never try to persuade anyone against donating money to help improve the terrible situation there.

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Martin Thomas | 14 years ago
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Thanks Simon, I confess I'd not thought of waxing as a fund-raising technique. I think I'll see how I get on without before resorting to such drastic measures!

Your offer of company in/around Brighton is much appreciated - especially now it looks like it might be possible to take the bike out for the first time in about six weeks! I'm riding mainly solo at the moment. Shout when you're up for it.

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SimpleSimon | 14 years ago
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I did TRAT in 2005 (I think) when it was a 5 day event. Getting money from people suffering charity fatigue was tough, but as I had not ridden I bike for over 20 years (and did not actually own one when I signed up for the event) meant that people could see that it was a very real personal challenge. Getting money when I did LeJog again in 5 days in 2008 was much harder as people knew I could do it. I raised some money by emailing to say that if I hit a target of £x in a week I would wax my arms and legs - the money came flooding in!!

In my experience you just need to pound the miles and get as many in your legs as you can. When I am fitter I and the TRAT inventor would be happy to ride with you some time as we used to go to Brighton on training rides. We are now aiming to do London to Paris in 24 hours this summer - ha!

I hear that CyclingParadise.com are providing TRAT riders with certain discounts!!

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DaSy replied to SimpleSimon | 14 years ago
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SimpleSimon wrote:

We are now aiming to do London to Paris in 24 hours this summer - ha!

That's one of my rides this summer...

I'll be doing it from Reading to Paris though, as that's where I live.

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vorsprung | 14 years ago
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the difficult bit about trat is raising the sponsor money not doing the miles

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Martin Thomas replied to vorsprung | 14 years ago
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Yes I think you're right. I think I'm in a spot of denial on that score. Mind you, I think doing the miles will also be difficult...(for me anyway)

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G-bitch | 14 years ago
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Rollers - chuck any old bike on there!

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Lara Dunn | 14 years ago
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I feel your pain Martin! I too am resoundingly fed up with the lack of cycling in all this snow!

Here's hoping to a sudden thaw and really early Spring!! Good luck with the training.

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