Recently in Training Category

Went out on Tuesday for my first long ride in ages through the Surrey Hills. They form one of the main hubs of activity for cyclists in the South East of England and I've been riding them ever since I was a child.

I think I rode for around 5 hours, missed a couple of hills and turns, but enjoyed the mild spring weather. Rode through Peaslake which is always pretty and pleasant, managed to miss Whitedown Vale and the more challenging side of Leith Hill (well the one I dislike more). Those were accidental but skipping Ranmoor Common was a deliberate choice as I was in need of a cup of coffee and some cake and it was taking longer than expected to get to Box Hill.

Next day I was absolutely ruined. I've never recovered well from long rides and this being the first in a while meant that I felt worse than ever. I don't think I would have made a stage racer.

This weekend is Milan-San Remo which I'm rather looking forward to. I'm not tipping anyone as it's usually the way to jinx them. Then again, looking at the list of injured/ill riders, I don't need much help: Ballan's out with the curse of the rainbow jersey, Cancellara's injured, Schleck too and Freire.

Still first of the men's classics traditionally signals the beginning of the cycling year for me.

I've been trying to get the hang of climbing out of the saddle for the last few weeks. Not that I've ever been any good at climbing but I don't seem to be able to crack finding a nice rhythm.

My main problem is finding a steady cadence and level of effort. Is that the lack of an even gradient or just me not knowing how to pedal up hills properly? I find that I end up spinning up ever faster and then getting out of breath rather than hitting a sweetspot and riding at that pace.

I know that out of the saddle is more demanding on the body and that it's not something you can do all the way up a hill, but it feels like I should be able to do it. Anyone got any advice or technique pointers to help me figure this one out?

I'm staring out the window at what looks like a passably sunny January day here in London and regretting not going out for a ride first thing - I'm on a late shift this week and that's about the only perceivable benefit.

I have weighed myself this morning and I'm still somewhere between 75 and 78kg (12 stone plus). I've still got the last snotty trails of a cold that won't shift. I've not ridden properly since perhaps the week before Christmas and got a little hot and breathless on my commute home last night.

All this is making me feel a bit down about this year as I really want to do more and achieve more this year. I've not got a training plan as such but I know what has worked for me in the past. I might follow the seven-hour training plan that came with The Guardian a few weeks ago.

I looked at the 12-hour plan and discounted it immediately. I like doing things other than cycling, I don't have to sacrifice that much of my week to it. I've got goals but, ever since I completed the Etape in 2007, I ride my bike primarily for enjoyment and secondly for "achievement".

So why am I asking if I need a turbo trainer if I really don't care? Well, it's that old double bind: I'd like to enjoy my riding more and the best way to do that is to be fitter and stronger so it's less stress and strain.

I've been reading about how getting a power meter is the future for improving your training and making it more focused (see February's Procycling - the print version). It's expensive, I'm a hobbyist and you probably are as well. Would you rather spend the money on a trip to the Alps this year or on knowing that you've managed to eek out an extra 5 watts?

OK, that's overly simplistic and a bit cynical, but it's a real world question that it feels like a lot of people don't bother to ask it when eulogising the technology. I'd actually be keen to try the tech and see if it does make a difference before writing it off but ultimately what am I achieving here?

If you're wondering where I'm coming from, it was Jez Hastings on u2needyourheadsfixed

"i have read and read and read loads of training ideas and programmes but they all seem to ignore that most of us are not full time sponsored riders - either attached to a pro team or as a privateer funded by the dhss. fortunately or unfortunately, david harmon and i have business/work/families/ homeschools to run.

turbo training is about as exciting as watching varnish dry, but with more wetness and discomfort. however, being on the outer edge, sometimes one does not have a choice of how to get the hours/ miles in."

So do I get one and admit that the only way I'm going to get the hours in until the weather and motivation improve is on a turbo trainer in the kitchen? This doesn't account for my kitchen being open plan and space limited which obviously count against the idea. Or the paint drying aspect.

*Harumph*

Can't there be a simpler way to get things going?

At last, after weeks of illness and grumbling, I have started my winter training... with two laps of Richmond Park on a freezing Sunday afternoon.

Not for me the pleasures of Southern European warmness and training camps. No, I am a Northern European hardman and, as such, freezing fog and bleak grey skies are what I shall feast on this winter as I try to build up a base level of fitness.

Halfway through my first lap of the Park, having gone up the slope toward Richmond Gate a bit hard, the thought crossed my mind that three weeks isn't awfullly long to get so unfit. It lodged in my mind for the rest of the lap as I struggled to get my heart rate down and not over-exert myself.

I'm really prone to chest infections and I find in the cold weather that I can end up with burning throat and lung sensations very easily. And those are exactly what usually lead to me getting ill in some way.

Lucky I bumped into Freysen who was going round the other way and we did a second lap at a steadier pace having a nice chat and passing the time rather than grimly trying to get round as quickly as possible so that we could go home.

You might have noticed the blog's look has changed a bit, which has taken longer than planned, mostly because I'm a cack-handed geek who doesn't do geek. Still not quite finished tidying up after myself either - need a new banner.

It's a difficult time if you are looking for gifts for your cycling-obsessed, loved one. Thankfully, the subject is covered in some detail (and a jolly good job they do too) by the Two Johns podcast. A little American-centric but neatly divided into price points, it's a great little listen:

The Two Johns Podcast - Christmas buying guide

This all helps to cover for the fact that I've yet to get any training done. I've managed to catch two or three of the many colds going round London in a row wiping out the last fortnight to three weeks.

I've managed not to balloon up the scales and I'm still holding tight to the 75kg mark which is a good place to be. Previous years I've done cyclocross or taken it easy for most of November and December so I'm not panicking as yet about my fitness, just concentrating on getting healthy again.

Even if you start in January you've got a good few months before you have to seriously think about your racing. I don't usually get into the road racing stuff until late February when you start to get beginners' races in the calendar and the Winter Series start drawing to a close.

I had planned to get some winter series action in before Christmas but after all this illness, I don't feel much like wearing myself out chasing wheels in the freezing cold. Especially as I'm currently looking forward to my snowboarding holiday in Banff over Christmas and will get killed if I break/injure myself before then. It's just tempting fate to go racing isn't it?