L'enfer ouest.

[hirez]

I'd been a bit worried of late that I'd not been putting enough miles, and brightly telling people I was going to have a crack at the Dunwich Dynamo was my mouth writing cheques that my body would refuse to cash.

So I went out down the cycle-path this arvo with the intent of beetling to Bitton and back to see how out of puff I got and how loudly my knee would complain. Some roadie came past me out by Mangotsfield, and being an idiot I thought 'Sod that' and fell in behind. Unfortunately his pace was such that I couldn't come round and do my turn at the front, for which I apologise, but I was still feeling good by the time we got to the Steam Railway at Bitton. So I kept going, thinking to stop for a pint at Saltford. And kept going all the way to Bath. And then back, slightly slower but not by much.

Not a bad run out at all.

Comments

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

I was going to have a crack at the Dunwich Dynamo

Not the Dunwich Horror? Shame...

[voidmonster.livejournal.com]

That reminds me.

Why the hell am I not out on my bike every day? I'd really, really like to get in a real century this autumn. I am currently nothing resembling in shape to do it.

Are you pushing for distance or time?

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Distance, mostly. This (http://www.southwarkcyclists.org.uk/dunwichfaqs.htm) in particular. I must be bloody mad.

[voidmonster.livejournal.com]

That doesn't seem mad at all!

But then, I want to do this (http://www.adventurecorps.com/dvfall/index.html)

The last time I was doing serious training, I'd gotten up to 20 miles a day. Currently, I'm doing about 36 inches per day kicking my chair back and forth from my desk. Blargh.

[hirez.livejournal.com]

You're right. That's mad. But you get a smart cycling jersey.

I think I can just continue commuting via bicycle, but need to push the mileage up steadily at the weekend. Though it should really be on the Friday evening, so I get two good rest-days.

[voidmonster.livejournal.com]

Looks at the

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<i>Looks at the <a href"http://www.adventurecorps.com/deathvalley/northernroute/pages/dvd2003profile.htm">elevation profile</a> for the Death Valley ride</i> Weeeell, I'll have to work up to that one I think. Oof.

How far is your commute?

Also, I can definitely confirm that doing the carb + protein drink while riding makes recovery much, much easier. For me it was the difference between being sore the next day and feeling fine, even when I'd pushed pretty hard.

[voidmonster.livejournal.com]

Behold my l337 HTML skillz.

[hirez.livejournal.com]

Commute? Four-and-a-bit miles each way. Not much in the way of flat bits.

I was hoping to survive on bananas, fig rolls and mineral water. I'll have a look at 'sports drinks', though I've always considered that sort of thing to be a bit amateur golfer. On the other hand, if it works, it works.

[voidmonster.livejournal.com]

That's a solid routine.

I can't really highly-enough recommend the 'recovery' drinks. I suspected it was hooha or placebo, but it's made a regular difference for me with pretty much any exercisy-endurancy thing I've done. Instead of sore and tired the day after, it's just tired. The one I use is this (http://www.trisports.com/enr4brperdri.html). The main feature of that type of product is that it's a load of sugar and protein. I'm pretty sure as long as they're providing sugar, some salt & potassium and protein in one product it'll perform about the same.

[spride.livejournal.com]

Chapeau!

[outerego.livejournal.com]

Good stuff!

I was wanting to do the long Bealach Mόr sportif this year but it's sold out - I'll have to settle for the shorter Bealach Beag ( http://strathpuffer.co.uk/Bealach-na-Ba/event_BNB.htm ) instead.