We had snow Monday & Tuesday (in case you didn’t notice or see it on the news). I woke up Monday morning, looked out of the window. I saw the deep snow and immediately determined that there was no way the trains would be running today and went back to bed. I was right, no trains Monday, or Tuesday (although Tuesday I did very cautiously drive up to the end of the Underground to drop my wife off so she could go to work, but could not risk parking the car and having it stuck/buried in the foot deep snow in the car park, so I wasn’t able to go in myself, I teleconferenced from home).
Cheam on Monday was like a Victorian Christmas scene. Families out walking in the snow. Roads covered in deep snow, very few vehicles, snow ball fights and snowmen everywhere you looked. We made snowmen, had lunch in a local Italian cafe (it was packed with families, not what you expect on a Monday lunchtime) then we walked in the snow over to some friends for a cup of tea, then walked back home to play in the snow again with the neighbours children.
After two days at home and having spent lots of my time building snowmen my back now reminds me of it every time I move. Jolly heavy lifting those snow balls to make snowmens bodies and heads.
My trains to Waterloo were back in service Wednesday morning but every second train was cancelled and my usual train was delayed 25 minutes. It was the same Thursday. The train company’s excuse was that the snow and ice had damaged the electricals on their rolling stock and the engineers were working flat out to repair the trains.
My son was still off school Wednesday but as my wife and I were back at work he had to go to the childminders. The school was waiting on bulldozers to clear the car park and playground of a foot of snow (otherwise parents could not drop off and caterers would not deliver). He went back Thursday and they had a snowman competition in the car park.
No gym visits this week or turbo sessions in the garage.
Saturday Football cancelled as there was snow on ground and it was cold.
Saturday afternoon I wrestled with TACX imagic. It seemed to have blown a fuse and I ended up doing 2 hours without using the computer and video assistance, just my Polar CS600. I completed 32 miles but was again bushwacked. Saturday night I was dead from the training but still managed to stay up (well, lay on the couch) until midnight watching Forest Gump after my wife went to bed early.
Sunday I couldn’t ride as I was helping at a 9th birthday party at Croydon. It was a bowling party with seven 8/9 year olds and one 5 year old. Chaos reigned. I left the house at 9:15 AM and didn't get home until 14:30. Eight boys aged 8/9 and us two fathers. It was hard work. I had no enegy to train so I did admin in the afternoon whilst my wife did homework with my son
Sunday M ventured out on the roads of Surrey with J, another Pelotooner. They were out for 60 Km in the snowy waste of Surrey. I also noticed that another friend cycled from Cranleigh and he commented on Facebook about how few people were out cycling. They were too brave for me.
Sunday night we were all tired and went to a local Toby Jug carvery. Amazing value, all you can eat carvery roast for £7.50 adults and £4.50 children. Total bill was £24 not including drinks from the bar. Food was excellent but the place was extremely popular and very crowded.
All in all not a very productive week and weekend from a training perspective, however, before we complain too much about our weather spare a though for those Australians who are suffering a extraodinary heatwave with terrible fires destroying their houses.
Tuesday 10 February 2009
February 1st 2009 How to overtrain!
Monday, I was down the gym and did an excellent time on the rowing machine. Because I hadn’t trained over the weekend I was feeling good and knocked another 20 seconds off my recent performances, however, I had overdone it. In the evening my boss was having leaving drinks but I had to leave the drinks early feeling poorly. I didn’t really feel better until Tuesday afternoon.
Tuesday evening I did manage 2 hours on the bike in the gym. I took it very gently.
I have entered the 2009 Dragon Ride. Last year we booked our hotels at Christmas staying at the Premier Lodge on the M4 service station. This year I had yet to arrange accommodation for Dragon Ride. When I was prompted/ reminded by another Pelotooner I immediately started phoning around the local hotels in Bridgend. It seems all the hotels within 10 miles of the start are already fully booked. Tourism in Wales that weekend looks like it is picking up. I had a brainwave (thats the one and only for 2009 used up) and remembered that my parents had friends in that part of the world and so I rang them. It turns out they live half way around the Dragon but their son and his family live only 3 miles from the start and they have offered myself and M the spare room for the Saturday night. I think we might be babysitting the kids whilst Mum and Dad get an evening out.
M saw a Time VXR Edge advertised by The Green Bike Company on their website. It was an ex-demonstrator going about half price. He was looking for a winter bike so he could put his Look 585 away and save it for the summer (although this Time is better than a winter bike). He bought it and will be testing it over the coming weeks.
Saturday afternoon I did 44 miles with Big G. We had a leisurely ride around Surrey in the good weather and had a good chinwag stopping for tea, a pastie and cake at the National Trust tea shop on the top of Box Hill. Incidentally, I was reading an article in one of the cycling magazines and it confirmed that it is illegal for a cyclist to pass this tea shop without stopping for tea and cake so it is official, you have to stop there.
Sunday I was supposed to be going out with M and I was not looking forward to it as the forecast was bad. I got up, got dressed in my cycle gear, I then received a telephone call from M to say he was feeling poorly. I was relieved I didn’t have to go out in that cold weather. I wasn’t going to let myself off so I went into the garage and got on the TACX imagic. I did two and a half hours of cycling up the Peyresaud and the Aspin. I must admit I was in the easiest gear all the way up the mountains (I was still pushing 160 watts) and after an hour and a half I had to take a 10 minute break. It was a tough workout and I wished that the old bike I am using on the TACK had more gears.
Tuesday evening I did manage 2 hours on the bike in the gym. I took it very gently.
I have entered the 2009 Dragon Ride. Last year we booked our hotels at Christmas staying at the Premier Lodge on the M4 service station. This year I had yet to arrange accommodation for Dragon Ride. When I was prompted/ reminded by another Pelotooner I immediately started phoning around the local hotels in Bridgend. It seems all the hotels within 10 miles of the start are already fully booked. Tourism in Wales that weekend looks like it is picking up. I had a brainwave (thats the one and only for 2009 used up) and remembered that my parents had friends in that part of the world and so I rang them. It turns out they live half way around the Dragon but their son and his family live only 3 miles from the start and they have offered myself and M the spare room for the Saturday night. I think we might be babysitting the kids whilst Mum and Dad get an evening out.
M saw a Time VXR Edge advertised by The Green Bike Company on their website. It was an ex-demonstrator going about half price. He was looking for a winter bike so he could put his Look 585 away and save it for the summer (although this Time is better than a winter bike). He bought it and will be testing it over the coming weeks.
Saturday afternoon I did 44 miles with Big G. We had a leisurely ride around Surrey in the good weather and had a good chinwag stopping for tea, a pastie and cake at the National Trust tea shop on the top of Box Hill. Incidentally, I was reading an article in one of the cycling magazines and it confirmed that it is illegal for a cyclist to pass this tea shop without stopping for tea and cake so it is official, you have to stop there.
Sunday I was supposed to be going out with M and I was not looking forward to it as the forecast was bad. I got up, got dressed in my cycle gear, I then received a telephone call from M to say he was feeling poorly. I was relieved I didn’t have to go out in that cold weather. I wasn’t going to let myself off so I went into the garage and got on the TACX imagic. I did two and a half hours of cycling up the Peyresaud and the Aspin. I must admit I was in the easiest gear all the way up the mountains (I was still pushing 160 watts) and after an hour and a half I had to take a 10 minute break. It was a tough workout and I wished that the old bike I am using on the TACK had more gears.
January 25th 2009 Wot no cycling?
Thursday and Friday I was at a conference (the UK Asset Liability Managers Association at Runnymede, where the Magna Carta was signed just after lunch 1215 AD) and the food at the dinner Thursday night and the lunch on Friday were absolutely excellent. I can certainly recommend the Runnymede hotel even if it is right next to junction 13c of the M25. I think I might have put on a few pounds in those two days. The speakers and discussions were good too.
My son’s football was cancelled Saturday morning as the pitches were waterlogged. At least he was able to go to his tennis in the afternoon (after playing tennis on the Nintendo Wii he got for Christmas he has decided he wants to play tennis again so in our local park there is a group session for children on Saturday afternoons).
I didn't manage to get to cycle though as Saturday I decided I had some jobs to do in the house in Bognor so I drove down there with my tools. It was glorious down there and there were lots of people out promenading along the front. I wished that I could have forgotten the DIY and got the bike out of the garage for a quick cycle (I keep an old Bennotto in the garage down there, old but perfectly useable).
When I got up Sunday morning it was raining heavily and my lawn was a lake. It didn't look like letting up so I texted the lads and cancelled. I had also arranged to ride with Big G but I also texted him to cancel. This meant that I was delegated to take my son to Church Parade (he is a Cub Scout and they have to parade each month) so that my wife could have a leisurely morning with her mother and sister who were over visiting for the weekend from Dublin. That took up my morning and was followed by a roast lunch after which it is not possible to train on a full stomach.
Late afternoon, whilst my wife dropped her mother and sister back at Heathrow (air traffic control will not allow broomsticks to fly cross border unless originating from an approved airfield), I swapped my bike off my old turbo to the TACX iMagic I have borrowed off my brother. It was not altogether a successful exercise as the computer is telling me there appears to be a file missing that is stopping me using all the facilities. I cannot use the default video settings and have to use the real video? I will have to get my brother to look at it next time he is over my way.
What a write off the weekend was for my cycling. As a result I will have to motivate myself to get an extra session in the gym this week to make up.
Have you all got your entry in for the SWRC100 on March 8th?
My son’s football was cancelled Saturday morning as the pitches were waterlogged. At least he was able to go to his tennis in the afternoon (after playing tennis on the Nintendo Wii he got for Christmas he has decided he wants to play tennis again so in our local park there is a group session for children on Saturday afternoons).
I didn't manage to get to cycle though as Saturday I decided I had some jobs to do in the house in Bognor so I drove down there with my tools. It was glorious down there and there were lots of people out promenading along the front. I wished that I could have forgotten the DIY and got the bike out of the garage for a quick cycle (I keep an old Bennotto in the garage down there, old but perfectly useable).
When I got up Sunday morning it was raining heavily and my lawn was a lake. It didn't look like letting up so I texted the lads and cancelled. I had also arranged to ride with Big G but I also texted him to cancel. This meant that I was delegated to take my son to Church Parade (he is a Cub Scout and they have to parade each month) so that my wife could have a leisurely morning with her mother and sister who were over visiting for the weekend from Dublin. That took up my morning and was followed by a roast lunch after which it is not possible to train on a full stomach.
Late afternoon, whilst my wife dropped her mother and sister back at Heathrow (air traffic control will not allow broomsticks to fly cross border unless originating from an approved airfield), I swapped my bike off my old turbo to the TACX iMagic I have borrowed off my brother. It was not altogether a successful exercise as the computer is telling me there appears to be a file missing that is stopping me using all the facilities. I cannot use the default video settings and have to use the real video? I will have to get my brother to look at it next time he is over my way.
What a write off the weekend was for my cycling. As a result I will have to motivate myself to get an extra session in the gym this week to make up.
Have you all got your entry in for the SWRC100 on March 8th?
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