Another winter basecamp season closes...

Special correspondent coach Paul wrote..

Final Basecamp of the winter period and this time there was no snow, well.. just a little at the top of the Farefield Horseshoe. This camp was a little different than all the rest being for both triathletes and cyclo sportive riders a new idea has begun and it could be big. Saturday was the first of the big rides and everyone set off together on a cool misty morning, temperatures soon began to rise though as we all climbed Kirkstone pass, out of the mist and into the sunshine and the groups began to split to all there different levels. First stop Keswick and a much needed refuel at a very nice café, it was then decision time do we complete the full ride and head over Honister and Newlands passes or take the direct route back to Basecamp.

All the cyclists and most of the triathletes headed off on the long route whilst I decided to head back to Basecamp with the Endurance coach to prepare the evening swim session. Little was I to know that this decision was going to lead to a race up and then back down the struggle.. the legs where burning and the lungs bursting but sat at the top of Kirkstone drinking orange juice outside the pub in the sun, was one of the highlights of the year so far..

(It should be noted at this point that whilst coach Paul rode a carbon Giant road bike, endurance coach was in fact on a mountain bike! Just in case coach paul starts spreading rumours of how he kicked endurance coach's ar*e!! Not so on the race down.. smart boy! - Editor)

Day two and the groups go there different ways, cyclists off to ride Whinlatter followed by the mighty Hardknott and Wrynose passes and Triathletes off to run the ten mile Fairfield Horseshoe. A great run with spectacular views of Ambleside, Rydal water and Grasmere. Even a spectacular fall in front of everyone couldn’t spoil the day, although as I walked back up to meet the rebel group (you know who you are) the blood had started to dry and I wasn’t looking forward to taking the compression tights off.. The cyclists arrived back at Basecamp some eight hours later, tired hungry but all with a sense of achievement at completing all the Lakeland passes in one weekend. A great bunch of people, good weather, the stunning Lake District scenery and awesome training, it doesn’t get much better.

Here endeth theenduranceblog..

Give me a break..

Spent the whole of last week in Lanzarote sunshine training hard with the training trips.net group and had a fantastic time. I was amazed how well my body held up to the training with an average of 5-7 hours every day.. one thing which it really emphasised was how much more you can do when you are not at work and this sparked 2 thoughts in my mind:

1. You can never compare yourself with pro athletes who only have to think about getting up and riding their bike or going to the pool, for the first time in 6 months I found myself with 30 minutes completely free for a stretch session.. Working people can never imitate pro training volumes and should never try!

2. Training is not the only thing which places stress on your body, by removing work and all other stresses I was able to deal with a lot more training and age group athletes need to take into consideration that family, work and personal pressures all mount up and have a huge impact on your energy levels. Exercise is one form of stress and there are many more.. excessive work and stress can lead to immune disorders which mirror those of overtraining syndrome..

You have 2 options.. either pack in work (which probably isn't possible) or give yourself a break and make sure you set realistic targets! Me.. i'd settle for another week in Lanza.

Here endeth the enduranceblog..

Blowing away the cobwebs..

The first time trial of the year was the circuit of Pendle, only 30 minute drive from home and a great course with some tough hills. Ashurst Bike Club had a decent team considering we are all triathlon competitors and finishing second behind Lancs Road Club was a great start to the season. Time trialling is an odd sport.. it's the only cycling discipline which seems to be dwindling in what is undoubtedly a cycling boom.. the majority of riders are a little older, as are the customs of tea and cakes in the village hall to follow. There is of course something about the yesteryear.. lack of razzmatazz.. low cost events which appeals greatly and it baffles me why more people don't attend. I decided not to shave the legs.. a little early perhaps and also a little cold, the ride was ok, steady all the way just to try out the time trial bike and a good start to the year. I heard on the news that this is going to be a very cold spring and temperatures will struggle to rise, this is not good news when the first event is Keswick triathlon and Derwentwater only just rises above zero in July! No bother.. off to Lanza tomorrow for a week of sunshine and a battery recharge, return for the circuit of Ingleborough time trial on March 14th! Bring on the season! p.s. www.rttc.org.uk come over to the dark side..

Here endeth theenduranceblog..

Season is here..

My god.. where did the winter go? I have a time trial next weekend round Pendle Hill and then it's the NW Duathlon Championships at Parbold nr Wigan.. 3 time up the hill! Today I booked the lake for our weekly openwater swim sessions near Wigan and hesitated when I spoke to the owners over the phone.. "6th May.. are you sure you want to swim openwater so early?".. err.. hang on... (calendar check).. yep.. let's start on the 6th May, that gives us 2 swims before the Keswick Tri in Derwent Water which is generally hovering just above freezing in July!! So it's booked and we start open water training in 10 weeks.. of course, it's not all cold, there is the trip to Lanza in a couple of weeks just to top up on the tan.. ah well.. better shave the legs then :)

Here endeth theenduranceblog..

Yet another basecamp..

Yet aother basecamp and yet again it snowed.. snow seems to follow me wherever I go this winter and looking at my blog pictures you may well think that they were taken on the same day but honestly not, ask the dog. Weather was absolutely great for riding Saturday and then huge snow drifts on Sunday which triggered some kind of regression in maturity as all the adults sledged on their a**es most of the way down the hill.. I, of course, ran and consulted my HR monitor to check the zone.. From every camp there is always a lesson and this is it: If you are going to start a snowball fight you should first ensure that you are on higher ground and with a following wind.. it is far easier to launch a successful assault from this position.

Here endeth theenduranceblog..

Another year over and a new one just begun..

Happy new year and I hope that you missed the dreaded lurgy over the festive period. So another year over, another year older and depending upon which side of 30 you are, you may be thinking that you are getting faster or getting slower as the years tick by! Some interesting thoughts regarding age and performance.. being a keen time trial cyclist, i have taken several beating by guys aged close to 60 and recall not too long ago Roger Iddles being the first man to break 20 minutes for 10 miles.. aged 61 (that's over 30mph average..). Take a look at the British Best All Rounder TT competition, dominated by vets.. now I know that TT events are generally ridden by older gentlemen (sorry chaps) but let's not take away credit for how fast they go. By comparison, as a keen runner, I have never been beaten by a 60 year old.. never close. So why in cycling and not running? Maybe as tendons lose elasticity we lose bounce which is more important for run than cycle performance and I have noticed that older runners are a little flatter of foot and less 'springy'. Vo2 max decreases with age and as both cycling and running are 'aerobic' sports you would think that age influences both at the same rate. I have also noticed that older cyclists push large gears, this has been shown to result in lower oxygen consumption and HR which may offset the drop in aerobic efficiency. I have no real answer and I am in fact rambling.. however, it does feel good to be beaten by a vet60, a kind of reassurance that things don't go downhill as rapidly as everyone would have you think.. ride on and ride long!

Here endeth theenduranceblog..

(picture taken on Altura MTB trail at Whinlatter Forest with coach Paul and roadman Steve Burnett, above the clouds during temperature inversion..)

Grand day out..

Not exactly cycling weather but worth a run over Kentmere Horseshoe.. A quick brew at Wilfs Cafe in Stavely and then we sat and watched the Open5 adventure racers sliding off their bikes at regular intervals. Fell running in the snow is possibly the best activity that exists in the world and 3 hours later, myself, Coach Paul and former european age group duathlon champ Matt 'pork pie' Cullen found our way back to the cars. There can't be anything better than running just for the sake of it.. forget the HR monitor, the pace, chasing personal bests and enjoy the feeling of propelling yourself up a mountain, taking pride in the fact that you fitness can take you to places others can only dream of. Racing triathlon, running and cycling events can sometimes lead to an all work and no play perspective and this often results to low motivation. Get out there on you mountain bike over the winter, run through the mud, do some 'off road night running' with a head torch and when it gets a little warmer pair up and go wild swimming!! Enjoy the benefits your hard work has earned you.

Here endeth theenduranceblog..