Sportive Training Plan

We have 7 weeks until the Midlands Monster & I have now compiled a training plan for the Sunday morning lads [and myself] to increase general mileage & fitness capability. I have used a combination of last years routes, our Sunday outings & a couple of new ride to gradually increase the distance.

Plans are for Saturday & Sunday rides [as available] with the odd evening sprint thrown in for good measure. We should also include as much cycling / commute to work as possible just to add to the overall mileage.

Outdoor Show Saturday - Bike Ride Sunday

Went to the Outdoor show on Saturday [Birmingham NEC] - I had originally thought about doing the Outdoor Show Sportive on Sunday [100 miles around south B'Ham] but that had long since been a distant memory. So we decided to attend the show anyway - loads of interesting stuff from Hiking, Biking, Street boarding & Rock Climbing & loads of stuff in between.

Sunday was a ride around Telford via the outskirts of Shifnal & Kemberton before dropping into the Ironbridge Gorge on a 12% descent at Coalport & climbing back out via Buildwas [fantastic view of the River Severn S-Bends - just enough testy hills to raise a sweat on this ride - ended up doing 35 miles in brilliant spring sunshine - Lovely.

I have to devise a training plan this weekend to get the Sunday morning lads [& myself] up to doing an 80 mile sportive "Comfortably". I will probably use the routes & training from last years London to Paris event as a basis.

Out Twice again this weekend

Managed to do a couple of decent rides this weekend - Friday afternoon was a short 20 mile sprint out to Upton Magna along the the south side of the Wrekin with a 5% average climb for about 3 miles - good ascent training - drop back down into Wellington before finishing with an short 11% climb back into Wrockwardine & then home.

Saturday was abit of a wash out with the persistent rain but the sunshine was back today so I did a 40+ miler with Lee & Darren, out to Church Eaton & around Weston Park - this ride has a few medium hills nothing greater than 6% but still a bit testy if you keep a good tempo.

Whoops

Guess who registered on the wrong sportive for the Midlands Monster? - yep, you guessed it "Me"

I somehow managed to register on the 103 mile route instead of the 73 mile route - a quick email to the organisers will hopefully have me switched onto the shorter event.

Sportive Bike Ride No.2

Despite a serious muscle cramp issue during the Jodrell Bank event I enjoyed the experience & it has not put me off doing another Sportive - Mike, Lee & Darren also enjoyed the Jodrell & hopefully they will be joining me again as I have now entered my second sportive bike ride.

The Midlands Monster starts at Rolliston Forestry Centre near Burton on Trent in Derbyshire - I have registered for the 73 mile event which is a loop in & around the Lower Peaks.

You can find out more about the Midlands Monster on the attached link.

www.cyclosport.org/eventdetails.aspx?eventid=2215

Jodrell Bank Sportive Completed

Here's how the Jodrell Bank sportive panned out - up at 5.00 am packed the car - met Lee & Darren at 6.00 am - arrived at Woodford Community Centre met Mike & Alan & registered at 7.55 am - queued for the loo for 25 minutes [not good] - eventually on the road at approx 8.40 am.

Made good speed early doors along very pleasant country lanes - got tagged for time at approx 37 miles [end of 30 mile loop] the guy sat by the road side said "its not far to the feed station" - 10 miles on & we eventually arrived [tagged for time again at this stop?]. Unbelievable that the first feed stop is at 47 miles - felt this has a bit too far & it should have been a bit earlier [at the first time tag would have been about right]. Another gripe was that the 50 mile riders had also passed thru this feed station like a plague of locust & stripped it of any food worth mentioning. We continue on & my GPS indicates a projected finish of 4 hours 50 minutes with our current Av speed nearly 17 mph. Thats when the trouble started - at 60 miles I start suffering with cramp in my right quad [upper thigh] - not good - as this is where the hills start - any extra excursion brings on the cramp. This soon spreads into my left quads as well & I am forces off my bike to carry out road side stretches. With the 5 hour target now fading fast I decide the last 20 miles will be a limp to the finish. The last feed station was empty at 67 miles having feed the 30, 50 & 80 mile riders. I am forces off the bike a further 4 times to stretch my quads eventually arriving back at Woodford after 5 hours 48 minutes. Yes I am disappointed with the time but glad to have finished [didnt want a DNF on my 1st sportive]. To add insult to injury there was no food left at the finish either.

So in summary - the toilets were crap - there was NO food available during or after the ride - I suffered with cramp in my quads for the first time ever but I still enjoyed the route which was well marked out & the GPS download was spot on.

Jodrell Bank Sportive Ride - Cheshire

Just one week to go until my first challenge ride of the year - the Jodrell Bank Sportive - 80 miles around the Cheshire countryside. Over 530 entrees to date with 306 on the 80 miler - 171 on the 50 miler & 55 on the 30 miler - people attending from all over the country - making for a good crowd.

It will be an early start next Sunday, so need to prep everything on Saturday, we will be leaving Telford 6.30 am, hopefully arrive for 8.00 am, meet up with Mike & the others, register & be off by 8.30 am.

Garmin Edge 705 Testing

2 rides again this weekend [so far] - Friday afternoon went for a spin in the lanes outback of Admaston towards Haughmond Hill - only 27 miles but a good ride. Today, Saturday I've been out with Lee & Darren for a spin to Eccleshall & back, country lanes with the odd A&B road, 40 hilly miles & at a good tempo - again a good ride.

If you recall I had been having a few problems with my Garmin 705 GPS - both of this weekends routes had been mapped on www.ridewithgps.com & downloaded to my Garmin for further testing - I'm happy to report that everything worked well - with good route map & turn by turn instruction as it says on the tin.