Show us your.......newbie progress! [4 Sep 2012 - 4 Oct 2014]

[Stonechat]

Back from halford, spoke to the bloke there. What a fella, telling me about his rides talking about garmins etc!
He's convinced me to want to do the London to brighton. Just got 1 issue, nobody to do it with as i'm only 14 (though by then i'll be 15!) Bit of a bummer but hey, i'll do it in a year!
Liam

Well I am doing London to Brighton, but this is my first big cycle and I don't really want responsibility for anyone but myself

 

[L14M]

Well I am doing London to Brighton, but this is my first big cycle and I don't really want responsibility for anyone but myself

Yeah I don't blame you!
Liam

 

[Stonechat]

A consequence of doing the ride, and the training I am doing is a king of Angst over the weather and if I can fit in the training still.
I am using (more or less) British Cycling BEginners sportive training plan. At least from the day I booked the ride. I am now equipped with cadence and heart rate sensors.
The plan calls mainly for rides on Wed Sat and Sun, I have nominally moved Sat to Friday. I am likely to be still doing my own thing for some of the Sunday rides

I am sure that if I more or less keep to it, I should be imnproving in the right ways

 

[Mo1959]

A consequence of doing the ride, and the training I am doing is a king of Angst over the weather and if I can fit in the training still.
I am using (more or less) British Cycling BEginners sportive training plan. At least from the day I booked the ride. I am now equipped with cadence and heart rate sensors.
The plan calls mainly for rides on Wed Sat and Sun, I have nominally moved Sat to Friday. I am likely to be still doing my own thing for some of the Sunday rides

I am sure that if I more or less keep to it, I should be imnproving in the right ways

I honestly wouldn't worry too much Bob. A long ride at the weekend for your endurance and two or three shorter ones during the week to work on a bit of speed one day and maybe a bit of hills another and you will be fine.

Poured all night here and roads are pretty waterlogged so just dog walking again for me.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

A consequence of doing the ride, and the training I am doing is a king of Angst over the weather and if I can fit in the training still.
I am using (more or less) British Cycling BEginners sportive training plan. At least from the day I booked the ride. I am now equipped with cadence and heart rate sensors.
The plan calls mainly for rides on Wed Sat and Sun, I have nominally moved Sat to Friday. I am likely to be still doing my own thing for some of the Sunday rides

I am sure that if I more or less keep to it, I should be imnproving in the right ways

I agree with @Mo1959 I wouldn't get hung up about training plans, ride when you can as often as you can and you will come on leaps and bounds

 

[RWright]

The weather here has been crazy and I have been lazy, not a good combination. I have put on some weight and if I don't get back out soon I may even start losing my leg strength. I know I have lost a lot of the aerobic fitness I had gained but my legs were never much of a problem after the initial pain and cramps. I am afraid I may have to go thru that again if I don't get off my lazy ass soon.

The weather has not been helping at all but there have been several days I could have gone out but didn't. That won't be the case today. It got very cool here with snow overnight. Looking at the temperatures the next few days it looks like the snow will be round a couple of days. I doubt if I will even go out of the house until Friday. The snow looks nice for a day or two then I like for it to go away, which it should. It is warming up for a few days then rain and cold weather again. It has really been a strange weather pattern here for the past couple of months. It has helped deter me from getting into and keeping a steady riding routine. At least that is what I will blame it on. Just thought I would say hi and cry a little about being such a wimp.

Roll on Spring.

 

[Mo1959]

@RWright Nice to hear how you're getting on Rocky even if you've not been getting out. Was starting to worry you had got stranded in the snow or something! It's certainly tough at this time of the year so hats off to all those who are slogging away and getting out every day. A bit sporadic here too and finding it hard work when I do go out.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Anyone heard from @Nigelnaturist ? I know he disappears every now and then, but he isn't normally missing this long? Fingers crossed he is okay.

 

[Stonechat]

Seems a cold may be coming - this will reduce cycling and training if it progresses.

I am not 100% keeping to the training plan but there are clearly benefits if I can more or less keep to it. I don;t know exactly what training helps which ability so it helps me
I have a slight understanding of heart rate zones now - sure this will at least guide my midweek sessions.
I am trying to keep these for a purpose, but hill work will probably continue to be mainly weekend.
I think a little structure can help

 

[Stonechat]

No haven't heard from @Nigelnaturist
Best wishes if you see this Nigel

 

[Nomadski]

Having done the London to Brighton last year @Stonechat I would just echo what others have said. Dont get too hung up on training plans and the like, just go out regular and up the distance as and when you feel comfortable doing so. Its getting your mind and your bum trained to being in the saddle for over a few hours where you really benefit, the added fitness will just follow that anyway. Plus during the L2B you spend most of the time stood up waiting for the logjam in front of you to clear up! I tried getting up the Beacon (the only truly nasty hill) but was defeated not by the gradient, but by the sheer volume of cyclists around and in front of me, and ended up walking the last part of it.

Wondered about @Nigelnaturist myself, hope he is well, he hasn't updated anything recently has he?

 

[SWSteve]

I'm with you @RWright roll on spring.

Went for a run tonight as new bike is in for its 6 week service tomorrow as didn't want to clean tonight when it's currently spotless. Somehow I think STRAVA got a funny reading fr distance as I don't feel like I just ran 4 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/109785210

 

[Mo1959]

Woke up in one of these lethargic, can't be bothered moods Bit grey outside and cold but calm but just don't feel like cycling. Looks like it will just be a walk with the dog.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Woke up in one of these lethargic, can't be bothered moods Bit grey outside and cold but calm but just don't feel like cycling. Looks like it will just be a walk with the dog.

same here except I didn't wake up because I had no sleep last night... constant asthma attacks finally tracked down to a faulty steroid inhaler... at least I know the cause now, but lethargic does not describe how I feel this morning and the dog is anything but... And to make matters more fun, my OH has locked both of us into the house this morning so has had to come home to unlock the house! won't be cycling today, the dog walk was hard enough!

 

[MattMM]

Today cracked one of my goals when I started out and did the Eaglesham Moor climb, seeing as the weather was the best it's been for weeks. Gorgeous day, and screwed up any Strava segments with a photostop :

That's Whitelee wind farm, one of Europes biggest, in the background. Quite a climb as you can see from the profile, couldn't have even contemplated this a few weeks back, so chuffed.

http://www.strava.com/activities/109934958