Filed under: London-Brighton bike ride, cycling | Tags: cycling, London-Brighton bike ride
Yesterday I completed my first race on two wheels, by finishing the London-Brighton bike ride alongside 26,999 other people. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect to be honest as I’ve only ever “raced” around a course on two legs. Here’s my good, bad and ugly race report…
The good
- Remembering on Sunday morning as I pedalled through north London to the start line at Clapham Common that I actually quite like cycling.
- Comprehensively overcoming my fear of kerbs and cars, nine weeks after my date with the tarmac. (Several of my friends and colleagues expressed surprise last week that I was intending to do the ride, but it was either that or never get back on a bike again).
- Glorious biking weather from start (virtually) to finish.
- Well organised start, staggered between 6.30 and 9.30am. We were drip fed out of Clapham Common in batches according to the colour of our race numbers. I had envisaged a chaotic and dangerous muddle as people jostled to get ahead, but the reality was safe and serene.
- The atmosphere on the course. It was about as inclusive as a sports event can be, with people of absolutely all ages and abilities taking part alongside one another.
- The sheer variety of bikes and other contraptions along the route. Especially a lady on an incredibly decrepit old shopper complete with wicker basket; the chap with strange woolly socks on a BMX who would have looked more at home on a street corner wearing a hoody and pulling wheelies; a couple of uncomfortable looking recumbent cyclists; and the girl facing backwards on a tandem with a curious chain arrangement that meant she could contribute to the pedalling.
- Local support at the refreshment points, especially at Turner’s Hill where practically all the villagers and a brass band had turned out to fill up our empty water bottles free of charge and clap us along.
- Reaching the top of Ditchling Beacon just outside Brighton without stopping – unlike 90 per cent of the competitors.
- Slick transport arrangements back to London. Everyone was given a bit of bubble wrap to protect their bikes, which were then loaded into a TNT lorry. The exhausted riders were then piled into coaches which followed the lorries back to Clapham Common to be unloaded. I had misgivings about putting my pretty bike in the back of a truck, but it emerged without a scratch.
The bad
- The first few miles through south London, where had to do battle with the traffic, obey the signals and found ourselves shuffling along slowly, if not at a standstill.
- The last few miles into Brighton where – absolutely knackered – we had to crawl along with the traffic again knowing we were so close, and yet so far away.
- An anti-climactic finish. I’m not sure why as there was a finish line and lots of support, but I just didn’t get the same sense of achievement as I do every single time I do a running race, whether a 10k or a marathon.
- The refreshment stops right on the course, which caused unnecessary congestion as people swerved around to get food and water. The organisers should have publicised the location of the stations so that people could plan where to stop/meet up. The first one (of 15) was at about the ten-mile point with another three before the 20-mile mark. Perhaps setting them back off the course would have also helped to ease the congestion for people that didn’t want to stop until later.
- A handful of people who obviously hadn’t cycled recently, or maybe ever, who seemed completely oblivious to the other riders. My cycling proficiency award goes to the bloke on a blue racer who just stopped and got off his bike halfway up one of the steeper inclines slap-bang in the middle of the road, nearly causing a massive pile-up with me at the bottom of it.
- The descent from the top of Ditchling Beacon trying to brake as if my life depended upon it. (Though I’ve overcome some fears, I could manage a top speed of only 32.2mph while others whizzed past at speed. Scary).
- The 2.5-hour coach trip back to Clapham with 51 other tired and sweaty people.
The ugly
- Hayward’s Heath.
- The unbelievable congestion at the 15/16-mile mark, where it took us about an hour to cover a mile across a major road. It was absolutely absurd to try to get 27,000 people across there without closing the road or using an alternative route to go over/under it.
- Having to get back on my bike at Clapham at 9.30pm last night to cycle to Paddington in order catch my train home. I’m not sure if my bum will ever recover.
So, all in all, a great race unfortunately marred by sheer congestion. I now understand why everyone I’ve spoken to has completed the race once and hasn’t gone back to do it time after time. I’m afraid I’d need some persuading to do it again.
Filed under: London-Brighton bike ride, X-bike, running, spinning | Tags: London-Brighton bike ride, spinning, X-bike
Having failed to get up early enough at any point this week to get the gym, I did manage to drag myself out of bed for one last spinning class before the London-Brighton bike ride on Sunday. As always, I was glad I made the effort once I got there. A different instructor took the class this morning – Matt – and it started off a bit slowly with some horrendous R&B crap as background music.
There’s a Sound vs Silence debate taking place on Runner’s World at the moment where two writers have swapped their usual running styles. The music nut has had his iPod confiscated, and the “running purist” has been plugged into headphones. Despite running years ago with no music before the iPod and even Minidisc player were invented, there’s just no case for silence in my book. But it’s just as important to think about the type of music. The chap who normally runs to the sound of his own heartbeat was sent out on his first iPod run with Dizzee Rascal. No wonder the poor bloke lost the will to live within the first few metres. He’s onto Mozart now. Can’t say that would flick my switch either.
Anyway, happily Matt turned out to have a wide variety of music on his iPod this morning and we left the R&B behind and upped the tempo with some guitar-and-drums rock music, involving some X-bike handlebar action and clapping during the chorus of a particularly catchy tune, and culminating in a standing climb, pumping the handlebars to Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis. Jack Johnson helped us cool down, and I left the class with a smile on my face.
Filed under: Commando Challenge, London-Brighton bike ride, St Albans half marathon, half marathon training, running | Tags: Commando Challenge, half marathon training, London-Brighton bike ride, St Albans half marathon
I’m feeling more confident about the London-Brighton bike ride in ten days’ time, having been out again last weekend for a reasonable 15-ish mile ride. OK, it’s nowhere near the distance but at least I don’t feel like I’m going to hit the deck again every time I turn the handlebars. I felt noticeably more relaxed and considerably happier about tackling the roads down to the coast.
I’ve done another six-mile run this week. I would have preferred to do a nine or ten-miler before the St Albans Half Marathon this weekend, but just haven’t been able to find the time. If I run it in two hours and ten minutes, I’ll be happy with that.
I was hoping to go for another half marathon in the autumn to try to break the elusive two-hour mark, but failed to get places in either the Great North Run or Run To The Beat. Instead, I’ve convinced a crowd from work to join me in Devon for the Commando Challenge. This isn’t just about running with no pants on. No, it involves seven miles of cross country running with various team-based challenges around a Royal Marines training course.
The website gves competitors the following handy hints, as if providing advice on the best way of doing one’s laundry:
“Remember to tie your laces tightly or you ARE going to lose your footwear.”
“It really is worth a visit to your local Army Surplus as old combats will not only protect you from cuts & scratches, but also protect your knees in the tunnels.”
“Remember – this is a military fitness test and you should train like the Marines do. During your training runs, drop and do press-ups, squats and crunches. This will prepare you for the frequent mid-race changes from running to crawling and back again.”
Gosh.
Filed under: London-Brighton bike ride, X-bike, cycling, nike+ sportband, spinning | Tags: cycling, London-Brighton bike ride, nike+ sportband, spinning, X-bike
Last Saturday I decided it was time for a “proper” bike ride, so headed up to my parents and went out with my Dad. He cycles several times a week to meet the other retired old gits at the “nursing home” (in reality a garden centre that makes homemade scones and beans on toast for them, before they go toddling off to the pub for a lunchtime pint. One of Dad’s mates drank eight pints the other day, and still cycled home in time to cook a Sunday roast. Which was a little confusing for his family on a Thursday evening.)
Anyway, he agreed to take me out and suggest that we go off-road through the Gorhambury House estate near their house. That turned out to be a good plan – because, on the main road that we needed to cycle along to get to the estate, I was cycling a bit like a granny driving a Rover 200…clinging on for dear life and braking my way down any slight descent, on bends and whenever a car approached. I got down the bottom of Bluehouse Hill and into the estate, feeling like a gibbering wreck.
Once into Gorhambury though, I started to relax a bit. Dad gave me some tips on my grip, when to indicate and brake, which made me feel a bit more secure – and we had a really nice ride. Not very far – Dad’s bike showed 12.8 miles (mine showed 14.5, which may be part of the reason I couldn’t accurately calibrate my Nike+ Sportband last week) – but enough to give me the confidence to go out on my own a bit. He’s also put me on to Wiggle to buy gloves and a lock for the London-Brighton. Fantastic service too – my order placed on Saturday arrived on Tuesday morning.
I’ve also done a couple of spinning classes this week. Class sizes are a bit depleted at the moment – not sure everyone’s enjoying the new X-bikes. Admittedly they take a bit of getting used to – and the classes are way harder than normal spinning – but I’m really enjoying them. It’s about as close to the sensation of outdoor biking as you can get indoors.
Filed under: London-Brighton bike ride, Pulse8, St Albans half marathon, X-bike, cycling, gym, half marathon training, nike+ sportband, running, spinning | Tags: cycling, half marathon training, London-Brighton bike ride, nike+s sportband, running, spinning
It’s been a week since my last blog. Contrary to probable assumptions, I have done some exercise; just been too busy at work to write about it.
After my spinning class last Saturday, I headed out with some friends to the Reading Beer Festival. Only we didn’t quite make it, due to excessive queues, so ended up in a very pleasant beer garden drinking shandies in the sunshine instead. I ended up at E&D’s, who introduced me to Wii Fit. For the uninitiated (moi included) it’s a modern and rather more sophisticated take on the 80s aerobics video, to encourage people do a workout in their own home. You have to do various exercises on the Balance Board, which also measures your weight, BMI and…weirdly…your age. Aside from the fact that my BMI was right at the top end of normal, veering dangerously towards overweight, it established my age at 45. I was less than impressed, given that I am really only just about nudging 31. I was even less amused when it classified me as “unbalanced” – not just once – but three times after slalom skiing, ski jumping and hulahooping. Now, I had had a few of the aforementioned shandies and a couple of Long Island Iced Teas, but that is seriously unstable. Maybe that’s why I keep falling over/off things.
By Sunday – with six weeks to go until the London-Brighton – I could put off a bike ride no longer. For the first time since my little tumble, I strapped on my helmet, gingerly put my feet into the toe clips and ambled off down the cul-de-sac where I live. It was hardly rush hour; in fact, there were no cars whatsoever. Which was nice. This hurdle overcome, I took a deep breath and left the cul-de-sac to cycle off around the village, complete with speed humps, corners and an A-road full of cars. I didn’t fall off. Ha! Up yours, Wii Fit.
Tested the Nike+ Sportband on Monday. In the absence of Nike trainers with a hole in the sole, I used the cling-film-and-sellotape trick. Note to self: must get one of those little pouches, otherwise I’m absolutely bound to lose it. Anyway…the device measured my little jog along the river to Dinton Pastures and back at 4.90 miles, in 45:47 mins, during which time I burned 506 calories. I think that’s overstating it a bit to be honest, so I need to calibrate it. I assume these things are set to some kind of average stride length and – as I have little legs – it’s going to think I’ve gone further than I actually have. Anyway, I like it: it’ll give me some kind of idea of the mileage I’m doing during training without forking out for a Garmin, the calorie counter is a nice touch, and I could set myself a few targets online – though after the Wii Fit experience, I’m not sure I enjoy being berated by a computer.
Didn’t make it back to the gym until Friday morning, when I did another spinning class on the X-bikes. I’m getting to grips with the rock-and-roll handlebars, and can pump along in time with the best of them when I’m standing up. Co-ordinating my arms while sitting down is harder. Maybe that’s why I was never any good at the piano at school either.
Filed under: London-Brighton bike ride, St Albans half marathon, X-bike, half marathon training, running, spinning | Tags: half marathon training, London-Brighton bike ride, running, spinning, St Albans half marathon, X-bike
Enough is enough: it’s time I got myself in shape for the St Albans Half Marathon on 8 June and London-Brighton bike ride on 15 June.
I managed a spinning class on Friday when I was at the very lovely Henlow Grange with my Mum, and again on Monday at the gym. Then got back onto the treadmill this morning, doing a comfortable 5.2k in 30 mins. I won’t be breaking any records at the St Albans race, but I am desperate to finish it after having to pull out of the Hastings half due to illness.
I’ll try for the gym again in the morning, though normal spinning is off while the instructors are trained on new X-bikes. No, I’d never heard of them either. According to the manufacturer’s website, the X-bike allows the rider to:
“…functionally engage the upper body and core musculature while the legs do the pedaling. The exercise offers enhanced total-body fitness benefits while bringing the natural movements of outdoor cycling indoors.”
Crikey. I’ll be back to the gym for the Saturday morning class to give them a test run. Watch this space…
Filed under: London-Brighton bike ride, cycling, spinning | Tags: cycling, London-Brighton bike ride, spinning
Having had a few weeks off exercise following a bout of the flu, I’ve done five or six spinning classes over the past couple of weeks to start preparing myself for the London-Brighton bike ride. It’s been good to get back into the gym especially after putting on a few pounds and I enjoy the group experience of spinning. It’s a lot harder to quit when you start flagging if there are other people in the room.
I was feeling a little bit fitter for it so I decided to go out on a proper bike yesterday with one of my mates. The ride started well enough, apart from some slippy gears that had developed a mind of their own over the winter. Fortunately we came across a man wandering the lanes with a bag of spanners and some WD40 (as you do), who kindly lubricated the gears and sent us on our way again. I wasn’t feeling great about the ride – which may have had something to do with the fact that I was on an unfamiliar bike that was ever so slightly too big for me – but we plodded along without incident for a couple of hours.
On the home straight, around two miles from my friend’s house, we had to take a right turn. I indicated with my right hand and started braking with my left – then several cars appeared ahead and to my right, disorientating me slightly. I stopped braking, careered right, missed the road and mounted the pavement which threw me over the handlebars and onto the tarmac path…face first. It wasn’t my finest cycling hour.
Luckily I was more shaken than badly injured. One of my front teeth was displaced slightly and my face is a bit battered and bruised. Managed to get an appointment with an emergency dentist within a couple of hours of my fall – the NHS comes into its own when you really need it – and she strapped up my tooth with some metal wire. Time will tell if it’s too damaged to be saved, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Meantime, I look like the love-child of Bugs Bunny and Mick Jagger and am on a liquid diet. At least I might lose those few pounds I’d put on. Mind you, drinking soup through a straw isn’t very dignified, so I’m moving onto gin and tonic shortly…
