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 countdown begins...

And so, the end is near, no more resting at weekends.

No more late nights on Saturdays and fry ups on Sundays. In 4 weeks time we will be out on bikes again with the first of many weekend training cycles in preparation for this years charity cycle.

Who will fall prey to over-confidence? who will fall prey to my secret weapon? a root ginger muffin and a capuccino. No one can keep up with me on that - at least not for 20 or so miles :-)

The first cycle will be pretty tame by the standards we set last year at the end of the training, but given that none of us have really been out on bikes since then, we'll have to start with a nice flat route and then build up to the same sorts of hills as we used to do. I am sure though that we will soon have that mileage and hill climbing go up.

I'm going to make a more concentrated effort of cycling to work at least twice a week once I am able to maintain at least 14 mph (on a mountain bike thats tough going).

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!

how to spot a cyclist

Ok...so its not that difficult normally, they are the ones that just shot across a red light with little regard for your, their or anyone elses personal safety. But there are ways and means of spotting them whilst they are not on the deadliest (and therefore one of the coolest) modes of transport.

Take a look here at our regular cyclist. You will note that his proportions are all wrong.

Years of sitting in the saddle have made his body adapt and do strange things. You can clearly see a lack of head hair, helmet rub and constant abuse by wind, rain, and mud - as well as the occasional trip through a hedge - have left little need for hair. The arms have grown a little longer, to be able to stave off lower back pain whilst constantly leaning forwards and to help absorb more bumps... and the legs have grown slightly shorter. The straighter the leg, the easier it is to push down on the pedal.

In case you were wondering...thats me!

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!

These shoes are made for walking..

I bet when you were buying your trainers for the gym and for exercising you went for two things over anything else. Look and Comfort. Thats great for ensuring that people might be attracted to you but not so useful if you are there to work out properly.

When you decide which shoes to wear to the gym, you should consider what exercises you will be doing. Take treadmill running for example, you need a cushioned sole with high enough grip to ensure you dont slip on the rubberised running surface. Cross country running you need shoes with a little more stability in the sole. Tennis you need ankle support for the fast turns and changes of direction.

Similarly when lifting weights or cycling, you need a solid sole. Having an air cushion in your shoes when cycling means a lot of your effort is going into compressing air instead of pushing down on the pedal. Lifting weights is even worse, each time you push a weight with the base of your foot or are doing a standing rep, your body changes its stance, balance and motion ever so slightly. You wont notice the minor instabilities but they will build up and cause you to swing the weights instead of lift/curl or press them.

Try cycling or lifting weights with a solid soled shoe, with minimal lift and padding, sure it might not be the best walking shoe in the world but then again, you aren't walking are you? I always use Lonsdale trainers - the stuff boxers wear. No, I don't think I am a boxer and don't pretend to be, but the training they go through and the rigorous years of studying to be a boxing trainer must mean something, and if they suggest those shoes then there must be some thought behind it. And they dont look too bad either...

Feel free to leave a comment!

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.

Excited? not me....

Hahahahaha, yeah right! I've been up since 4am thinking about tomorrow.

Well I wish it could be Christmas, every day
When the kids start singing and the band begins to play
Oh, I wish it could be Christmas, every day
Let the bells ring out for Christmas

Imagine that song - but with Sweden where christmas is...

Thats how I feel just now. Everything is prepared. All that we have to do is get to the airport and from then on in theres no turning back.

See you in a week - I'll have loads of pictures, maybe some movies and definitely some stories!

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!

Team Shirts

Well today the first of the team shirts were picked up. I have to admit, TeeShirt Nation in Glasgow did a spectacular job of the shirts. I think it will look fantastic when we all turn up wearing the same shirts and continue to wear sponsored shirts throughout the cycle.

So what are the shirts like? Simple white t-shirts...The CHAS Logo of course, the Nations flags and the sponsors name, and finally on the back... a massive number 08 with the words "Got. To Oslo".



Finally seeing them has brought it home, we're going in 4 days... I - like the rest of the guys - have done my fair share of travelling. I've stayed in some amazing hotels. Yet I don't think anything will compare with the feeling we will get on the day we roll in to Oslo, no matter the weather, no matter how tired we are.

Oslo..watch out...we're on our way and nothing is going to stop us!

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.

Pictures from the weekend...

"hmm, lovely murky weather."

"...and that guys...is where I am going to go head first into a hedge..."

"eeek, we've got to cycle in that!"

"wait for me!"

"no, I am not getting in there - it's not a hedge"

"ah...peaceful country side"
"The secret nuclear bunker."

"what can I say...I didnt move fast enough to get out the way!"
"three knackered guys"
"see down there...at the water? thats where were going that is..."

"Quick - look casual!"

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!