Training

There are two elements to my winter training plan as I prepare for this summer's LEJOG: cycling a lot and going to the gym a bit.

There are three main reasons for the gym: the first is to build up a little strength and flexibility in my sedentary worker’s shoulders, hopefully to ease the pain that builds there over longer rides. Another is to strengthen my core muscles to protect my slightly dodgy back. The third is to add some power to my haunches to give me a bit more welly.

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.

My first ride of 2010 yesterday morning was certainly memorable.

It was frosty yet sunny as I pedalled through Yaxley before getting on to the Holme Road and taking a rare tailwind on the way out towards the fens. Where the sun hadn't risen above the hedges there was a crunch under the tyres but since I have upgraded to the Schwalbe "Blizzard" I wasn't fearing any 'slideage' (well not much).

I would describe this weekends cycling as 'memorable'. I took the rain early in my ride on Saturday and on the bleak top road above Moonshine Gap the stiff wind dried me out... I was ok. As the saying goes...

"There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad preparation and the wrong clothes"

Sunday was a different matter altogether. The great thing about the huge panoramic, uninterupted Fenland skies is that you can see cloud and showers of rain and ride around them.

There was I spouting off in this post about how 2010 was starting here and I was about to launch into some training programme or another.

And then "Boom", the Missus gets a cold at the start of last week and despite my best efforts to keep it at bay I have an absolute shocker of a weekend including virtually falling asleep at the table of a family meal on Friday night and sleeping in until after mid-day on Saturday.

Welcome back to the blog. It has been a nice little break from cycling which has seen me riding my bike (but for pleasure not training), doing a bit of sightseeing in the UK and decorating (not as interesting).

But now it is time to start thinking of the proposed trip to Spain next March and start knocking off the miles.

So, please think of me at 0645 in the morning as I will be hopping enthusiastically(ish) out of bed to hop on the turbo and start pedalling for half an hour of magic.

It has been a long and ardouos last few months. Cycling and work and work and cycling.

After one or two knocks caused by falling down the stairs I am happy to say that my season is coming to an end and I will be having a nice rest to paint the house and start thinking about wrapping up warm for some weekend cycling in the winter.

Turbo time too!!! I usually hate this time of year but winter 2009 is going to be different. I am not going to moan about the cold and the wind and the rain.

This is the third attempt to write this blog... a crap computer seems determined to stop me from having my say on what was a lovely mornings riding around the Northamptonshire lanes.

I was up and about early this morning and was super motivated following a midweek trip to the Tour of Britain.