A day in the life...

Some people find it hard to lose weight, some people find it hard to gain, some are easily motivated and others are difficult to movitate. I've found the key to both, is having a routine, but not mindnumbingly so.

What I mean is to have a routine of doing things but not necessarily doing the same things over and over. Exercising , through various happenings this past year, is medically important to me, but doing the same thing day in day out would drive me insane - more so than I already am - so I have to mix it up a bit but at the same time I have to keep a routine of always exercising at the same time. Its easier to actually get started if you set aside the same time every day for a particular function.

At the moment, my life consists of eating, work and working out. My day starts at 5:30am follows the same pattern every day, but certain key features vary to ensure that I dont stagnate or go mental. For example, even though I do the same amount of pressups and situps every day I dont always do them in the same order.

One night I will lift weights, another I will box, the next I may work my legs or only do a basic workout (120 pressups and 100 situps). But I will always work out at the same time. Your body becomes accustomed to the energy expenditure and will begin to expect it making it easier to get started.

I dont use a gym, machines are the wrong size for me, and I hate using earphones as the cable often gets in the way of weights, so I work out at home. The benefit is that I can still watch tv whilst doing crunches, or pressups or weights which helps pass the time a bit more quickly.

Feel free to leave a comment!

New Theme Tune

As I said the other day, I am going to not only cycle a 400 mile cycle in august but a week later I will be running in a half marathon. That means an insane training schedule as I have to admit at being one of the worlds worst runners. When I was 16 I used to run an 11 minute mile, but that was it, I wouldnt be able to go any further. To be able to complete the half marathon I not only need to complete each mile in 8 minutes or less.

Now, taking 3 minutes a mile off your time is hard enough, adding another 12 miles to your total is even harder. Mix that with trying to build mass and stamina for a 400 mile cycle and you have a totally insane ambition.

Its these insane ambitions that get me through life so I've selected myself a new theme tune:

How am I going to manage the training?

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
1	Week	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
2	Week 1
3	cycle training		Cycle 15 miles		Cycle 15 miles		Cycle 30 miles	Cycle 50 miles
4		rest	run for 20 mins	rest	Fartlek: 4x6 mins quick pace with 3 mins slow jog/walk between each	rest	20 mins easy run	rest
5	Week 2
6	cycle training			Cycle 15 miles		Cycle 15 miles		Cycle 50 miles
7		30 mins slow run	rest	15 mins quick run	rest	Fartlek: 4x6 mins quick pace with 2 mins slow jog/walk between each	rest	20 mins medium pace run
8	Week 3
9	cycle training		Cycle 15 miles		Cycle 15 miles		cycle 40 miles	cycle 50 miles
10		rest	30 mins medium pace	rest	4x200m hill runs (medium gradient hill), walk/jog back, runs to be done fast	rest	30 mins easy run	rest
11	Week 4
12	cycle training			cycle 15 miles		cycle 15 miles	Cycle 50 miles
13		40 mins easy run	rest	6x5 mins quick pace efforts with 3 mins jog between each	rest	30 mins easy run	rest	rest
14	Week 5
15	cycle training	Cycle 15 miles		cycle 15 miles			cycle 30 miles	Cycle 50 miles
16		45 mins easy run	rest	30 mins easy run	rest	30 mins easy run	rest	45 mins easy run
17	Week 6
18	cycle training		Cycle 15 miles		Cycle 15 miles			Cycle 50 miles
19		rest	6x5 mins quick pace runs with 2 mins jog between each	rest	45 mins medium pace run	rest	4x200m hill runs, walk/jog back, fast paced runs	30 mins easy run
20	Week 7
21	cycle training		cycle 15 miles		Cycle 15 miles		cycle 50 miles
22		rest	50 mins easy run	rest	20 mins fast run	rest	4x200m hill runs, walk back, fast paced runs	rest
23	Week 8
24	cycle training	Cycle 15 miles		Cycle 15 miles		Cycle 15 miles
25		40 mins quick run	rest	50 mins easy run	rest	45 mins medium paced run	rest	60 mins easy run
26	Week 9
27	cycle training
28		rest	4x6 mins medium paced runs, 3 mins jog between each	rest	cycle 60 miles	cycle 60 miles	cycle 60 miles	cycle 60 miles
29	Week 10
30	cycle 60 miles	cycle 60 miles	fall down drunk	fall down drunk		fly home from berlin	100 mins easy run	rest
31	Week 11
32		rest	rest	30 mins easy run	rest	30 mins easy run	rest	half marathon
33

Never do things half-heartedly...

Tomorrow is the first cycle since I got back last year. I've done a few km here and there on the bikes in the gym but I hate those bikes. The seats are too wide. The pedals aren't under the seat (they are slightly forward to make it easier to pedal) and the handlebars are too wide and high. Basically, I HATE the gym bikes. So much so I can only use them for a 3km cycle before I am a: bored and b: sore in the bum.

Exercise should never be unenjoyable. If you don't have fun then you shouldn't be doing it. Whats the point? Sure, I lift weights and I get pain and muscle burn. BUT...I enjoy the feeling I get from it after lifting the weights. The endorphins that are released plus all the extra oxygen going to your brain only help to make my mood feel better.

As I don't like the bikes in the gym, and my weekends are pretty packed that leaves me three options

1. Cycle in the morning before work
2. Cycle at night after I get home
3. Cycle to/from work

well...number 1 is discounted for two reasons, first I'd have to get up at the crack of dark to be able to get out and cycle a decent distance, then get home shower and get my butt to work; second, its still pitch black outside at 6am and pretty dangerous to cycle without a bright "nerd" jacket on.

number 2...well I get home and go to the gym 3 nights a week so those are ruled out, the others I normally spend an hour in traffic coming home and by then my brain is fried.

number 3... I leave at 7am when its light, and get to work just before 8 (15 minutes longer than if I drove). At night, because I have to drive through Glasgow, the hour it will take me to cycle is actually quicker than the drive home...and as I leave work at 5.15 its still light enough to see.

So yeah, I do 28 miles my first day of training but hey, there's no incentive like having to get to work on time or getting home to keep you motivated. So yeah, I may not have cycled in a while but tomorrow I'll be right back where I was a few months ago and to be honest...I'm looking forward to it.

Feel free to leave a comment!

you what?!?!!!!

Not content with cycling from Prague to Berlin in august, I am seriously thinking about doing the Artemis 100. Now, there would be no point at all in doing the shorter distances. I'm in it for the challenge, and why do anything by half measures...to its the full 132.5km for me!

I should be reasonably fit by then, the cycle is 2 weeks after the ride from Prague to Berlin and as we are going through Bavarian Alps I should be able to cope with the highlands!

Wish me luck, or send me a straight jacket...

The man who went up a hill and came down a mountain...

Well..thats the cycle decided. August 2009 cant come soon enough to get the same sense of camaraderie and fulfilment that we got from last year. Although, I am NOT looking forward to the buttache and the burning aching pain in my legs from climbing hills. And we are going to climb a LOT of hills this year. The edge of the Bavarian Alps to be exact. Yikes!

Looking at it on Google earth the cycle from Prague to Berlin will require an effort of around 2000ft climb over most of the first day through the mountains between the Chzek Republic and Germany.

To be honest, I can't wait. After this weeks newly found weight lifting abilities I'm going to attack harder and harder to build mass and strength, then in April, I'm going to maintain the same level of weight lifting but increase the cycling to 30 miles 4x a week.

I reckon by the end of the summer I should be a lot fitter than I was last year.


Feel free to leave a comment!

When to realise your limits

Yesterday was a routine day of blood tests, being poked and prodded and various other tests that doctors could imagine. Or so I thought. I have recently moved to a new doctor and hospital so rather than just have the usual small amount of bloods, a whole gamut (ooooh fancy...I never thought I would actually use that word in a sentence) of tests were ran on me.

I'd planned ahead and had booked the day off work...good no problems there then. So this morning I woke to the residual stiffness from the DOMS mentioned a few days ago. So thought "Excellent, back to the gym today". When I got to the gym it seemed a bit busier than usual so the bikes were all used up... So I did my customary 3 second stretch and hit the weights.

WOW! what a difference that made. I was able to up my leg press from the usual 73kg to well over 100kg and bump up the reps to 30. Now, when you only weigh 58kg, I reckon thats pretty good going! Again, I was able to up my chest press to 60kg and increased the reps to 24. I was starting to get a bit worried...what was going on...how after no training for two days, no warm up and having quite a lot of blood taken was I able to do all this?

I'm still puzzling this out to be honest. With the lack of blood I should have been struggling for air as there is less haemoglobin to transport oxygen to muscles. Blood pressure is also lower as theres less volume of blood.

So anyway whats going on? The only thing I can think of is that because I didnt get the heart rate up, my heart was able to beat with a little more force to get the blood to where it needed to be. I really don't know why...answers on a postcard please...although a cheque would get my attention more!

Feel free to leave a comment!

EncHELLada

Enchiladas are evil! Actually, any vegetable is evil!

Let me explain.

After pretty major surgery in 2002 due to a case of Crohns Disease and my own mismanagement of my medication I'm left with the distinct inability to process fibrous (non-soluble fibre) vegetables.

So why bring it up? Well...over the past few months I've been working hard at the gym. 3 nights a week lifting weights and slowly working up to being able to bench almost twice my own weight, as well as being able to squat the same. Yesterday whilst out with the guys - after a few too many beers - we needed food and I saw that enchiladas were on the menu. I am a massive fan of spicy yet uncomplicated foods like enchiladas, chilli etc. So I decided on them. I didnt count on all the vegetables, fresh herbs and rich tomato sauce with their skins still on.

Its quite quickly undone all the good of my training with me having lost 3kg (about 6.5lbs) in one day. Now, I know that the weight loss is mainly dehydration and I will not have lost muscle mass that quickly. However, dehydration doesn't go away when your guts settle down, it takes days (up to a week) to overcome the full effects of dehydration and maybe even longer till you are back to normality.

The most important thing you can do is drink. Drink regularly. Your body will be trying to flush out something that it doesn't agree with, its best to let it.

Now, when you drink try to use electrolytic drinks (dyoralite works much better) and will help you more than just water. When you do eat, add a little extra salt to your food, the salt will help with water retention, normally a bad thing but when it feels like you are trying to expel your spine each time you go to the toilet, it can help you recover a little more quickly.

So whats the point in this post? Simple, when you are training, make sure you understand what eating certain foods can do to you, and if you are in any doubt, stick with the tried and tested foods.

Feel free to leave a comment!

Reach for the stars, you dirty animal!

Most training works on your endurance and strength. That's what you are aiming for most of the time, apart from when you want to get up short steep hills - or when you want to explode out of starting blocks.

The best way to build fast twitch muscles is by using plyometric exercises. A plyometric contraction involves first a rapid muscle lengthening movement, followed by a short resting phase, then an explosive muscle shortening movement, which enables the muscles that work together in doing the particular motion.

Things like Karate, Thai Kickboxing, Capoiera all rely on the ability to expel energy quickly. The movements, forms and training used within them all help develop tast twitch fibres. Kung Fu's tend not to rely on explosive power and instead rely on smooth movement, reading body language and technique over the strength required in the external martial arts.

So how do you know if you need to develop fast twitch muscle fibres?

Try this. Stand next to a wall, feet flat, now raise your arm so that you reach up the wall as far as you go. Mark it (mentally if you dont want to put a mark on your wall), now standing in the same position and without crouching, jump as high as you can and touch the wall with your arm upstretched again. You should be able to get at least 30cm (1ft) higher, if you can manage more then you have plenty of fast twitch fibres. If you can only manage about 10-20cm more then you need to develop the fast twitch fibres.

Fast twitch fibres get tired really quickly, exercising them wont help their stamina, however it will help the efficiency and the number of fibres, thereby making you able to explode out longer when you need to.

Feel free to leave a comment!

I love it when a plan comes together...

Normally I spread myself out across 9 different machines in the gym after my warm up. I don't do much of a warm up as I don't want my metabolism getting into that fat burning zone. But lately I've noticed that my body isnt really getting pushed as hard as it used to. So...instead of working on all muscle groups, I've decided to break down my exercises over 2 nights instead. That way I can hit them harder than before and hopefully see better gains.

What do I mean? Well instead of doing pushing and pulling exercises in one night (and you really do have to do both types or your joints will suffer) I'm now doing only one type each night. But so as I dont leave myself totally crippled, I am working my legs on pushing on the nights my arms are pulling; and the nights my arms are pushing my legs will pull.

Why?

Think about it, when you are pulling a Lateral pull down bar, the rest of your body needs to keep you stable to work your arms properly, your abdomen, back, shoulders, chest all have to work to keep you straight and true, and if you are like me then your legs are also working to keep you from being pulled off the seat by the stack of weights.

Now thats fine normally, but say your back shoulders and triceps have already been hammered by benching that 220lbs you can do for 3 reps (read that as the 220lbs I do), when you pull down on the lateral bar, your back is going to be quivering worse than a jellyfish thats had a dodgy curry. So by splitting the pushing and pulling exercises I hope to a: keep better form, and b: lift (push/pull) heavier...

I'll let you know how it goes. I'm going to try this for a week then bump myself on to creatine - to see if that makes any difference.

Feel free to leave a comment!

Step away from the weight bench...

Ok, so you can bench 200lbs...you can leg press over 250lbs...great, you're a machine. Bet you aren't. Most people that spend all their time training on pushing exercises like that forget to remember to pull.

Pull ups. Chin ups. whatever you want to call them, you MUST balance your exercise or you will cause yourself injury through your own depth of focus and determination. Pushing exercises work specific muscles, triceps and pectorals. Over work those and underwork the deltoids and you risk unbalancing your entire shoulders... and thats when you end up with back pain.

So where do you start with chinups. Well, with a bar. Just hang from it until your fingers give out (aren't you glad you are doing this at home instead of on a cliff 100ft up)...shake out your arms...and hang out for a while more until your fingers give out...shake out your arms again and then hang out more until at last your arms give out.

Whats this doing?

You might think its not exercising your arms at all, but it is, just not the show off muscles you are used to exercising. Its strengthening your forearms and grip.

Why is that important?

Simply because everyone will laugh at you if you can bench 200lbs and can only curl 40 before your wrists and fingers give in and you drop the bar on your foot. When you have a stronger grip, you will be able to exercise the muscles in your upper arm a lot more successfully as you wont feel the temptation to throw the weight up by swinging your body to compensate for the feeling that your fingers are slipping.

Another way to strengthen the wrists and forearms is to use a triangle press up, do 3 sets of 5 to start with - trust me its a lot harder than you think and build up to 3 sets of 10-15. You should notice a big change in your strength.

Who are you calling a jerk?

Yesterday was the first day I got back on the bike since getting back from Sweden. Cycling back to Irvine from Glasgow. 38 miles. I'd done it in 2.75hrs in one go the last time (two weeks before the trip).

This week it took us just over 3 hours - which still isnt too bad. But it was absolute hell. I'd made the mistake of hurrying whilst washing my water bottles. That meant when I needed liquid most and took a quick swig I couldn't. All I could taste was washing up liquid. Now, If you have ever tried to cycle 40 miles across the countryside with no liquid you will know how stupid that was.

My muscles were starting to seize up pretty badly, my lips were dry, and I could feel them starting to crack.

I made it though.

That wasn't the worst though. At the end of the night I lay in bed trying to sleep and just about managed to drift off when I jumped out of my skin...everyone has this from time to time. You know the dream. You're falling, falling, falling and boom with a jerk you wake up...then you drift off to sleep again. It happened to me 4 times last night. Its pretty un-nerving waking up thinking you're about to crash, even my hands had tightened as if I was pressing the brakes.

So what the heck happened?

Well. At night your bodys cicadian rhythm starts to slow everything down so you can sleep. Hormones are released to induce your body to want to sleep, you yawn your head off, and then nod off. simple?

Well, when you are exhausted your body is affected much more than normal, your heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure drop much more rapidly. Your lymbic system panics as it thinks you are about to pop your clogs and sends a massive jolt to every muscle in your body - a kind of a jump start. Your heart rate speeds up, your breathing quickens and your blood pressure spikes temporarily; trouble is, I was so tired that this "one time fix" didn't work. So my brain tried it, again, and again, and again.

The net result is a very bad nights sleep; and very sore muscles the day after.

What have I learned? never ever ever wash your water bottles only 8hrs before you use them. Wash. Rinse. Rinse. Rinse. Rinse. and Rinse again!

And I've decided that cycling alone isnt going to help. This week sees me starting weight training again, and rowing, possibly running although I can't think of anything worse!

A quick update

Well it's day three of the cycle - today is a rest day - thankfully. Saturday was excellent, the weather was perfect for cycling - clear sunny skies but with a low temperature. We had a slight mishap on the start line when Douglas found that his chain was rubbing so we had to do some emergency surgery and remove two links so we could re-route the chain through the correct mechs. Once we got that fixed we found that Shaun's bike had a brake issue...Any time he applied the front brake the front wheel would skew dangerously to the left, clearly something was wrong but we were on a schedule and patched it as best we could.

Over the next few hours we had a few wrong turns, which took the first days mileage up to around 62 miles.

We eventually got to Lyr - and stayed at a friends holiday home, it was fantastic. We sat out till late, drinking low alcohol lager and eating barbecued pork, sausages, and pasta with salad. Once all was eaten, and dessert was finished, Bob produced a fantastic bottle of single malt whisky to toast everyone for taking part. I think with Bobs creative words and the scenery as well as possibly the best and clearest night sky I have ever seen made everyone sit back and contemplate just what we were doing.

The second day was hell on earth for me - I think the other guys were suffering too. I was amazed at how tired my legs were and nothing I was doing was helping. 20 miles in I felt like throwing in the towel - my legs were burning, my knees were in pain on every downstroke. I thought I was going to give up at fiskebaksil, I decided to press on to Brastad - I made it there 4 minutes after the rest of the guys - apart from Bob who I have to thank for keeping pace with me. At Brastad the short rest helped me regain some strength however a few short miles in and my legs were starting to burn again worse than ever. I could feel my knees want to buckle when I pressed down on the pedal and had to fight hard to stabilise them never mind pedal.

I've stopped suffering from the Crohns flare up which hit me last week and caused me to have to stop on the cycle but I am still feeling its effect. My bowels are still very active so I am being forced to eat less and drink less thank I should so that I can continue cycling without stomach pain and the requirement to run to the bathroom like you do the day after a bad prawn curry!

We were meant to meet at a small town 10 miles from Brastad but decided to change the route to go to Hamburgursund. I really felt like my legs were about to stop functioning. Strangely there was no lactic acid buildup, just no energy left in the lower thighs. I made a decision to not use my gears as I had been and instead to stand in the pedals and power up the hills. The tops of my thighs had hardly been used and were comparatively rested so that helped me power up the hills and actually catch up to the rest of the guys.

I don't know how the guys kept going but I am amazed at their pace and stamina. It's testament to the preparation we have done.

We arrived at our meeting point with the van on time where we gave him money and a shopping list and provided him with directions to the ferry to Fjallbacka.

We spent the day resting at Fjallbacka Valo where the weather couldn't have been better. Tomorrow will be a true test, another 120km (70miles) and the weather forecast says its going to be wet. It will be a tough test, but I am sure we will manage it.

2 days to go...

Tonight is the penultimate night. Whats being done? I'm preparing the maps - each cyclist will receive maps for each day broken down into 15 mile sections. This means we will all be able to get to where we need to be and should we be separated - reduce the chances of getting lost.

Today we had some excellent news in the form of replies to emails about the cycle. First of all Rock Radio mentioned the cycle on the lunchtime show - unfortunately I didn't hear this but am hoping its helped raise a bit of awareness of the site!

Then around 4pm I spoke with a reporter from The Metro - a free paper on public transport in the UK asking for a little more information about the cycle, Jack and Melanie and why we were doing the cycle. I explained we were - most of us anyway - desk bound for work so the cycle itself was not an easy task!

I am hoping - as is the reporter - that the story will be in tomorrows edition of The Metro!

On that note, I'm off to make sure I've got enough t-shirts, socks and toothpaste for the week...at least these days I don't have to worry too much about shampoo!

Remember, whilst we are away, I'll still be posting here with updates, I may not be able to get you pictures until I get back but you'll be able to read about the thrills, spills, monotony, rain, shine...whatever happens you'll know about it! Well...as far as cycling is concerned anyway!

The resounding sound of...

Failure! Yep, Failure.

Today was going to be a 75 mile cycle in total. In the end it was a roughly 30 mile cycle of sheer hell and determination not to be beaten by Crohns.

I've had a massive flare up of Crohns Disease this week, resulting in passing blood on Friday and Saturday. I knew I was going to be weak today but didn't figure on being this weak.

10 miles into the cycle - most of it steadily up-hill - I was barely controlling my breathing. I had already had to stop twice and was feeling the pressure.

Eventually we got to Lochwinnoch - where I stopped and refuelled on a can of coke. Possibly the best drink I have ever had. That helped me keep up and even set the pace for a few miles but soon my muscles were empty. I was spent and there was still another 10 miles to go.

Having to stop every now and then enabled my legs to become recharged. The slow twitch muscles in my legs had absolutely nothing to give so I had to alternate between bouts of sprinting and freewheeling.

Soon we neared Largs and the up-hill sections gave way to an altogether too short (but extremely steep) down-hill section. It was bliss being able to freewheel for more than a few hundred metres. Although my brakes had to be carefully applied as I was actually getting down the hill much faster than the cars in front of me.

Strangely though, theres absolutely no lactic acid build up in my muscles. I think for that to happen your muscles have to burn glycogen in bigger quantities than was present in my legs today.

I know 30 miles or there abouts is still an achievement (specially when you consider the only food I had between saturday at 11am and sunday at 11am was a fried breakfast) but I can't help feeling like I've let the team down, more importantly I feel like I am beat.

I'll have a hard time to get over this before the cycle next week - I absolutely have to complete a cycle again before Thursday and do it faster and better than before to help get over it. I have been beaten once, not again!

Roll to me...

"...it wont stop raining, Its the right time to roll to me..." - Del Amitri

Well they had it right, I cycled to and from work yesterday in possibly the worst weather I have encountered on my bike. I had entirely the wrong gear on, and to make matters worse was totally unprepared for it in the morning by missing breakfast.

You would think after all this training I wouldn't do anything that stupid. I did. Momentary lapse in cognitive abilities. It happens to us all sometimes.

Anyway, as the day progressed the weather got steadily worse until at night the rain was coming down in torrents. I knew I was going to get sweaty cycling home so a water proof jacket would only stop me being able to cool down and cause me to fatigue even quicker. So...there's me dressed in a cotton shirt, double thickness cotton three quarter length cargo shorts and my trainers.

Within a mile I was soaked to the bone, within two miles my clothes were water logged and had gained about 4kg in weight, that in itself isn't too bad, but wet clothes cling to you (specially when you have hairy legs like mine) and reduce mobility. Within 5 miles every down-stroke on the pedals issued forth a tidal wave of biblical proportions from the water trapped in my shoes and socks.

What made matters worse is the roads were busy, I had to cycle close to the kerb, and we all know that's where water collects, so not only was I being soaked from the rain above and the cars to the side, but also from the water being thrown up by my off-road tyres. Mud Guards would have been no use...I was leaving a wake in those puddles!

So what did I learn from that? well...carry spare gear in a SEALED plastic bag so it remains dry, and to cycle faster, much much faster.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho its off to work we go...

With a shovel and spade, and a hand grenade, Hi Ho Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

Actually it's more like a bike and a lunch and a change of clothes but that doesn't rhyme! Tomorrow sees me cycling 12.6 miles to the office, and then another 12.6 miles home. And if that wasn't enough we've got some evening cycles planned too!

This is the last full week of training before we leave for Sweden, final destination Oslo, Norway. I have to admit I am pretty psyched up! Each day I wake up more tired than the last from cycling, however, after Friday and Saturday I know my fitness levels are nearing their peak (well for cycling anyway).

I think the 55 miles in a day requirement for Sweden won't be exactly easy but it will be manageable by all of us. Regardless though, I am going to ensure that I complete every last mile; I've never been one to give in without a fight.

So...This week schedule is as follows:

07:00:- Leave for work
07:37:- narrowly avoid getting squashed by truck
08:00:- Arrive at work
08:30-17:30:- work (wooo - the more I work the less I cycle)
17:30:- Leave for home
18:30:- Arrive home
18:45:- eat dinner
19:15:- out on bike again!
21:00:- die of heart attack
22:00:- get better for tomorrow

In amongst all that I've got to ensure that I eat properly, specially given that we are leaving next Friday. Unlike the rest of the guys, I don't have much body mass to store energy so I need to ensure that between cycles I eat plenty and replenish what I've just used up...

Thankfully I have the appetite of a hungry thing thats not eaten for a month so eating shouldn't be a problem!

Finally...I am amazed (in a good way) at the amount of money we have raised so far and the amount of money people have said they will donate. Everyones generosity is outstanding and we can't thank enough for the help you have given us or for the difference the donations will make to the children at CHAS.

Thank you!

The loneliest number...

Well...its 27. The number of gears ONE mountain bike has. Tonight I cycled to my home town from glasgow. Last year it took us over 6 hours (4.5 cycling time). Tonight it took 2hrs and 40mins with no rest stops.

On the way I passed many groups of people. Lazy people on horses. Some joggers. Jakeys with their buckfast. Even other people on bikes. But they were all in groups of two or more.

Why is that? Distraction from the pain. Distraction from the monotony of the same scenery. In the end I gave up and listened to my mp3 player and broke a few laws in doing so. Helpfully jamiroquai and fat boy slim were on there so their up tempo music helped contribute to my pace. The other bonus is that the music does help keep a steady cadence whilst cycling. Maybe I will use that next week whilst cycling to work.

And for you guys keeping score on my spelling. Sorry, I've just posted this from my phone and don't have a spell check on it. Well not a good one anyway.

TGIF!

YAY its Friday! End of the week...Oh no! that means cycling! ARGH! This weekend is specially difficult as I've got to attend a wedding reception which means I cant be out too late on Saturday to get to the reception in time and I will be up too late to get up early on Sunday.

The solution: simple, cycle on Friday night and then again on Saturday morning. How far though? 40 miles each way. Well....38 each way.

I'm going to cycle down to my friends on friday night, watch a DVD and eat loads of high energy food, then on saturday cycle home. My legs will be in agony. The roads will be busy on friday night. It will be getting dark. And looking out the window just now...most likely pouring with rain. It will be a tough test of mental and physical endurance. As I will be cycling on roads I will be unable to use an MP3 player to keep my mind occupied as it will stop me hearing vehicles behind me.

38 miles on your own is a long way to be alone. 3.5 hours. Your mind occupied by nothing but the lactic acid burning in your muscles. Occupied by the pain in your foot. Occupied by the hunger you feel. 38 miles of battling thoughts of wanting to give in.

So what makes me go on when I know I am hurting, hungry and about to pass the limit of my endurance? Memories of the video of Jack Macpherson on youtube. He didn't have a choice. I do have a choice, but I am not going to let myself, my friends or him down.

Training To Failure

This week sees the beginning of a hard training week. Training almost to the point where muscles have nothing left to give. Refuelling with high protein and carbohydrate drinks and food. Whats the point of that?

Well...each time your muscles reach the point of failure - the point at which they can physically exert no more energy (not the point when you think you are too tired) - your body has to repair that muscle but as it knows its been overworked it develops new muscle fibres in the hope that those new fibres will allow you to perform better, faster and more efficiently.

So whats that mean in terms of training? Cycling a minimum of 20 miles a night. Lifting weights at home (free weights such as dumbbells and barbells with no end caps).

A few friends have commented in the past about my lifting weights at home without a spotter - specially as I quite often lift more than I weigh. My retort to that is I always lift those heavy weights with no end caps. The weights stay on the bar purely through their own resistance and my lifting form. IF I should fail at any point the weights would slip off the bar on one end and leave me able to get out without any serious injury!

But all that training is no use if you are not eating right. I've posted numerous times on what my diet consists of so I wont do it again but remember: You need enough carbs to fuel your exercise, and enough protein to be able to rebuild those damaged muscle fibres!

Lucky to be in Scotland

I've got to admit, I really am lucky to live in Scotland. This weekend we cycled from Dunoon to Rothesay. As we neared the ferry terminal in Gourock the rain started. It looked to be a miserable day. We bought "hop-scotch" tickets. A way of travelling inter-island without having to buy multiple tickets. We were committed. We now had to cycle to Rothesay.

On the ferry across to Dunoon however things got clearer, the wind subsided somewhat and we felt much better about the cycle. Tom and I knew we had some killer hills coming up and I think this made it harder for us to go on. Certainly did for me anyway.

We got to the hills and even Tom was struggling up there. I however am pretty happy with myself having only got off the bike once this weekend. Once the 1:8 incline was done, we took a short rest and cycled on to Colintravie where we arrived just in time for the ferry, however it was time for lunch so we decided to stop and have a bite to eat at the Colintravie hotel. It served possibly the best food in the world with a cheerful German Barmaid to talk to...

Enough of that...we got on the ferry to Bute and stormed the next 10 or so miles to Rothesay, we got there about an hour ahead of what we had planned so we decided to go for some ice creams at Zavaroni's and sat in the drizzle waiting for the ferry.

When we arrived in Weemyss bay we found that we would have to wait for over 45 minutes for the train to Glasgow so we decided to cycle to Inverkip instead of sitting doing nothing. The short cycle proved to be a lot harder than I thought but I managed it - including the cliff-like hill to get to Inverkip train station - whoever thought that one up needs their head examined.

I'll post pictures of the weekend as soon as I get them from Douglas, our resident photographing cyclist.