Read Katie’s blog on training for an 81 mile cycle race. Injury and my old bike become distant memories as my training for the Etape Caledonia begins in earnest throwing up a few new challenges along the way.
Monday 8th February
Spin – Aerobic Intervals
As I’ve said before, I was initially a spinning sceptic but am now converted!
One of the great things about the Pedal Studio is that there isn’t any maniac shouting nor any hardcore techno-rave music. Its a really friendly little studio with a great vibe, there is also lots of helpful advice available if you want it. Everyone is encouraged to take their own pace. Your objective effort levels and training zones are explained to you at the beginning of each session as well as the reasons why you are working in this way. Over the course of the session you can then follow your own individual levels as every bodies heart rate and effort levels are displayed on a large screen at the front of the class. I have never worked with a heart rate monitor before and am loving the geek element of it. What I am not loving is how long my recovery is, my unfitness twinkling away in bright colours for all to see. This can only get better and I have convinced myself that my fellow spinners are far too busy minding their own efforts to give a thought to mine.
Immediately after your session you receive via email a summary of your performance. You can see my print out from last night here.
Today’s session focused on building power and aerobic fitness. After a warm up we isolated each leg for 30 second periods – concentrating on making full circles rather than just pumping our legs up and down. This is something I definitely need to improve on. The next effort zone was seated sprints. Working at an increased resistance we moved into a 15 second hard out sprint then taking the resistance off and slowing down for 45 seconds to recover before repeating again. This was a killer, you can see the increased effort levels on my chart.
After the session there is always chance for a comparison of pain afterwards, it helps to know you’re not the only one who thought they were going to die.
My friend Chris and I then head for our long journey back to East London – train then, to add insult to injury a cycle from Waterloo to home, its only a few miles but in last nights wind and snow it seemed like an eternity. Have slight suspicion though that I have no idea what a cycling eternity really feels like yet… 81 miles of hills should sort that out though.
Spin Session Summary
Duration: 45 Minutes
warm up: 10 mins
Isolated legs: 30 secs effort 30 secs recovery alternate 3 mins
Seated Sprints: 15 secs hard effort, 45 secs recovery x 8
Cool down
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Read more from Katie’s Uphill Battle cycling blog
Katie’s Uphill Battle – Getting Started
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Wednesday 10th February
Spin - Endurance & Aerobic Fitness
Back to pedal studio again but this time with a new recruit, another cycling buddy to add to my ever growing collection! A change from the normal session we had a new instructor who took us through a more endurance style of training – 32 minutes of climb interspersed with hard effort, for 8 ‘prizes’ – in order to obtain your prize you had to increase resistance and effort for varying durations; 40, 55, 60, 70, 40, 70, 50 and finally a 60 second push at the end followed by 3 more minutes of climb – just to really finish you off.
Its a toughy as unlike in other sessions there wasn’t any instant relief after the effort as you were still climbing. Got to be good for you though.
Chris stayed on after for another session, mad woman – I went home and I think Alex went to the pub. For one bonus point which of these three spinners had the right idea?
A) Chris
B) Katie
C) Alex
If you answered A) Chris – you are probably also a nutter, if you answered B) Katie – you are quite boring and if you answered C) Alex – there is some hope for you!
Spin Session Summary
Duration: 45 mins
Warm up: 10 mins
Hill Climb for 3 mins intervals broken up with
Hard Effort & increased resistance: 40 secs
Hard Effort & increased resistance: 55 secs
Hard Effort & increased resistance: 60 secs
Hard Effort & increased resistance: 70 secs
Hard Effort & increased resistance: 40 secs
Hard Effort & increased resistance: 70 secs
Hard effort & increased resistance: 50 secs
Hard effort & increased resistance: 60 secs
Continued hill climb for 3 minutes
Friday - 12th February - Big Ride Preparation
Although and actual proper training plan has still not been property hatched at this stage I am going on good advice and also, loosely the concept of my marathon training which is basically short harder efforts during the week and building up those miles at the weekend.
With this in mind its time for another big ride.
After my encounter with the A21 I was pretty keen when Chris suggested a route we could do starting out from home – no trains, no random meeting points – just me picking her up from her house and heading out into the countryside just 28 miles (route map) each way and reputedly flat. Easy.
I’m attempting to sort myself out gear wise but this is a slightly expensive and protracted process so my current attire is a little, umm random…
In a desperate bid to get with the programme I just bought some great new gloves – sealskinz – the gloves of champions and people who do tough things. Just what I need – I had thought I had bought the waterproof ones but upon arrival it seems I bought the windproof ones instead. No matter – it was blow all it like tomorrow and my hands will be in good… er, hands.
Saturday - 13th February - The Big Ride
Woop woop! Its not snowing and its not raining! - what luck. Its not actually windy either which is a shame, would have been nice to give the uber gloves a road run.
I’m porridged up, cereal bar in hand and off to Chris’ house. She live a mile from me so even though she is double tough I will be cycling more than her today. Ha ha…
much much later….
So that was a first, I have never cycled that far, or in fact travelled that far in one go under my own steam – until today. 108 Km according to the clock – in about 5 hours – give or take quite a bit of stopping time… Chris is so slow.. yeah right.
So, we headed out from East London through the salubrious suburb of Leyton (where the Olympic Village is being built which would be very inspiring if you could actually see it through the construction), through Epping Forest and beyond into what can only be described as beautiful countryside, but on the map is described as Essex.
We only had to ask for directions once which is pretty impressive and completely discounts any ideas that females are incapable of reading maps.
After about 2 ½ to 3 hours we arrived at our destination and stopped for lunch.
Before heading home. I decided to tell myself that it was downhill all the way home, not strictly true as the route was pretty much flat with only slight inclines, but after about a hour of the return journey even a 1% incline felt like a mountain. The steep inclines on the Etape are what it is know for. I’m scared.
The route home was a revelation in so much that I realised there are more than just a few things that I need to address if I’m going to make it to the start line let along the finish.
My gears – they skip and jump in a very jolly but totally unproductive fashion
My saddle – less said about this the better
My set up – I have a feeling my reach is too far and I was getting quite a bit of lower back pain as the ride progressed.
My own fitness – am working on it!
On the way home I started to experience some lateral knee pain – key signal of illiotibial band syndrome and something that for me often kicks in if I’ve upped my mileage too quickly. So I need to work on my fitness but not all in one go! I also need to make sure I keep an eye on this. As a runner I’m no stranger to a tight IT band and i’m also only too aware how debilitating it can be.
As soon as I got home I are whatever protein based food I could find in the house (must be more prepared in future, lentil strew doesn’t really cut it), stretched and then got in the bath and contemplated how nice baths are, much nicer than bikes.
Ride Summary
Goal: get some miles under my belt
Distance: 108Km
Terrain: flat(ish)
Time: about 5 hours including stops
Cereal bars consumed: 2
Lucozade: 1 bottle
Water: not enough
Biscuits: 1
Banana: 1
Ability to walk afterwards: Poor
Sunday 14th February - Stretching and Recuperation
I always knew today was going to be interesting. I got up (just about) and went to the gym with the sole purpose of stretching and sitting in the steam room. A fine plan, only downside is that in order for me to get to the gym I had to get back on my bike.
I reminded myself that I love my bike, its nice, its new, the bike is my friend. Hmm the bike is not my bloody friend. Think I need to invest in another more industrious pair of padded shorts.
At the cracking rate of about 1 mile every 10 minutes I creaked into the gym and, crying wept silent tears as I attempted to roll our my ITB band. Normally my left leg needs some work but today it was a double whammy. Best head to the stream room I though, nobody can see me cry in there. 40 Minutes later I emerged, I’d like to say I was feeling better but to be honest I was just feeling a bit weird. Hmm think I may have overcooked it yesterday, and today for that matter.
Katie Gormley, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
