Longer rides

Yesterday I rode around 85km. It was very pretty, and I had a great coffee at Pomona.

The problem I am having at the moment, is that although I can ride this far with no real problems, I am still rather slow. It took 4 and a half hours, including coffee, and I was very tired for the rest of the day, and not very productive.
I am hoping that after riding this sort of distance in France, I will have both time to be a tourist, and the energy to be interested in being a tourist!
Fortunately, in the earlier part of the ride, it was fun to be a tourist whilst on the bike. Look at the artwork you can see right here in rural Queensland.


I did not ride today, for social reasons, but plan some windtraining sessions during the week and a series of longer rides over Easter.

Still Training

It has been hard going keeping up with the training for the past month, as it has been raining, and flooding for all of this time. Despite this, I have been riding or running 4 times a week, thanks to the windtrainer. The problem is that windtraining is just not exciting, and although I am pleased to have kept up with my one hour sessions, it is not the same as a 2-3 hour ride.
I particularly noticed this on Saturday when I rode the bike on the road for the first time in 3 and 1/2 weeks. I rode reasonably well, had no trouble with the hills, but I was completely worn out for the whole day after a 2 hour ride. I did not do anything on Sunday at all. This is not good for the training programme.
However, this week we booked our tickets to Europe. I feel very poor all of a sudden. Traveling at high season is not the way to find cheap airfares, but as the whole idea is to look at the Tour de France, traveling in the shoulder season is not an option.
I had a little trouble with the tickets. I booked and paid on line, and although the full amount was charged to the credit card, only one e-ticket was dispatched.
I sorted this out this morning with the airline, no trouble, but whilst I was on the phone the very helpful fellow wanted me to book specific seats. He promised me good seats, and I asked for a window seat. All fine, very polite la-de-da.
However, fortunately my husband came across a very useful site a few weeks ago, and when I could get to my computer, I looked up the seats the helpful airline fellow had given me at seatguru.
I was very displeased to discover that he had kindly given us the only "window" seat in economy that does not actually have a window for one plane type (2 legs of the journey) and the only economy seat without a locker that opens for another 2 legs of the journey.
I telephoned the airline again and made a polite fuss, and had the seats changed to ones that seat guru describes as standard economy, with no little drawbacks like being next to the loo. I hope seat guru is right, it is a long way to Europe, and surely would seem a lot longer in a horrid seat.

Seriously windtraining

I have been working on my cycling now for 3 months. So far I have mostly managed to keep to my goal of 3+ riding sessions per week, whilst continuing to run 2x a week. I did not do this for a week over Christmas and New Year, or for another week whilst I was camping on Fraser Island, but otherwise, pretty much on target. I did not do so well with strength training.
Now is a good time for a review. My aim for the first few months of my training was to increase my endurance base. I felt very discouraged about my slow progress for several weeks, due to comparing myself to other riders, but a weekend where I rode by myself, at my own pace, made me notice enough improvement to restore my motivation.
I still cannot keep up with the faster people in the local cycling group, but I am no longer always the slowest (this may have something to do with new members, even less fit than me!)nor am I always tired for the whole day after a 2 hour ride. These are all good things, but not sufficient to allow me to enjoy a 140km ride up a mountain. I have experienced only 2 small injuries, one fall, cutting my knee, which did not restrict me in running or cycling, and one minor ankle sprain (whilst running) which did not limit cycling, but made me miss one running session.

My plan for the next 12 weeks is to use 2 windtraining sessions each week, one emphasizing strength, and another aiming to increase my speed. I hope to continue 2-3 rides per week, one ride to be a little longer than 2 hours.

Today I worked more at the strength end of the spectrum
10 min warm up (small chain ring, 15)
4x sets: 3min at big chain ring, 15, aiming to increase HR to 90%of max by 3min, then 2 min recovery at sm, 15. (20minutes)
3x sets: Single leg cycling at sm, 15: 1minute L, 1minute 2 legs, 1min R, 1 minute 2 legs
another 1 min of L leg alone, as I am weaker on the L (13 minutes)
2x sets : Big chain ring, 12 30 seconds, then recover 30 seconds (2 minutes)
10 min cool down cycling
Total cycling 55 minutes
Stretches; Piriformis, External hip rotators, Hamstrings, Iliopsoas, Lat dorsi
Upper body strength: 10 push ups, 20 triceps dips, 2x 30 sec plank. This is not enough, but I ran out of time before work. I think I will need to do some stretching and strength work in the evening.

Week 2

I am behind already, but only with posting, not with the real work on this project. Week 2 there was quite a bit of riding.
Ride1. Saturday - Hervey siding, 2 and a bit hours. I left my heart rate monitor somewhere, and did not wear it all this week, so I am a bit vague on the details.
Ride 2. Sunday - Raining. I rode the windtrainer for 35 minutes, one legged drills.
Ride3.Tuesday morning YJ and I rode out along Hall Road. This was instead of riding out along the Highway with the bunch - too fast for me, and I didn't fancy riding directly into the sunrise with trucks roaring past at 100km/hr.
Hall Rd was rather hilly, and after 50 minutes I was worn out. This was a bit of a problem, as 50 minutes was when I finally caught up with YJ sufficiently to suggest that we turn around. After another 30 minutes I got yet another flat. This gave me a little rest (he, he)and fortunately the patched tire held until we got home. The hills were much easier on the way back. 1 hour, 50 minutes, including puncture.
Ride 4.Thursday windtraining, 35 minutes, highly virtuous and boring.
I also started some core strength training and yoga stretches, 30 minutes per day, 5 days this week. I think this is helping. However, I am not getting much housework done. Good trade IMO.
Purchases - legion! We went to Noosa on Saturday to view the criterion and to visit the trade show. I came home with 4 pairs of new cycling socks and a helmet (also new running shoes, probably not directly relevant). YJ pointed out to me that my helmet was at least 15 years old, and probably not up to any actual protective function should it be required. He bought a new small size pump and some other things I am not supposed to know about. I am raising the Tour de France budget upward.
I also discovered this week that the Tour falls directly in the high season for airfares to Europe. I am currently wondering if we could leave Australia before the end of June, but think this might be considered abandonment by our children.

Bad Beginnings

At the Sport's Medicine Australia conference, I attended a few cycling lectures and workshops. I was rather annoyed to find that some of the "experts" working with cyclists spoke with considerable scorn concerning middle aged people who want to cycle the Pyrenees in 6 months, and come to them for help. Personally, I think that middle aged people with athletic goals deserve, and need, a lot more help than people who have sport as their paying job.
On the 20th of October, the 2010 route for the Tour de France was announced. YJ and I will be cycling as part of a group following the last 10 days of the tour, so I think I will be an" expert" in what it takes for a not very fit middle aged person to achieve such a goal by the end of July next year.
Step 1. Assess your fitness - Can I skip this bit? No.
Weight: BMI 26, not terribly good
Fitness: Runs 2x a week, 7-10km, resting HR 60, middling
Sport specific fitness: Has not ridden a bicycle regularly for the past 10 years - not very good.

Step 2: Long term goal:
Most challenging ride on tour - 120 km over mountains.
Riding at least 50km per day x 10 days
Aim to achieve this without requiring the sag wagon

Step 3: Short term goals, one month
1. Ride 3x week, at least 30 minutes per time x 1 month

Week1.
Ride 1. Saturday : We stayed at Noosa on Friday night, YJ and I rode up the range 4 times on Saturday morning, great ride, but got a flat on the third uphill. YJ fixed it for me, and we rode the hill again to make it worth our while. Ride 90 minutes.
Ride 2. Sunday: Harvey siding, a nice easy ride, YJ and I started late, but met up with a bunch 1/2 way through (they had turned back by then, I am very, very slow). Another flat, 1km from home. I walked barefoot and was attacked by bindi's, but fortunately my sag wagon (thanks again YJ) picked me up 200m from home and we went out for coffee. Ride 60 minutes, coffee, 60 minutes. Jaw muscles not as tired as leg muscles - better trained maybe?
Ride3: Windtrainer 35 minutes.
Other: Run x2 x 7km
Purchase : 2 new inner tubes and a tyre repair kit.