Category: Cycling

  • Build block fatigue

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    Sam
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    I’m in the third week of my first build block for 2012 & the fatigue is hitting me nicely. I’m ready & recovered for each hard session but afterwards I’m sleepy & knackered. Dropping the volume & increasing the intensity is tiring me out. Zzzzz. Next week will be an easy week, and I’ve already…

  • BB

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    Sam
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    One of the worst jobs to do on the bike is swapping the bottom bracket. Its not that bad a job, if it goes well. But it’s in an area of the bike that gets a lot of filth and a lot of stress. The result of that, after a year or two of pedalling…

  • Puncture, what puncture?

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    Sam
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    My front tyre was a bit soft on the bike yesterday but I didn’t realise how soft until I pumped the tyres up today. It looks like I had a hole that the Slime in the inner tube fixed automatically. Some of the green slime was oozing out through pores in the sidewall as I…

  • Base training done, speedy stuff next

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    Sam
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    That’s 98 days of training done in preparation for the 2012 triathlon season, and so far so good. I’ve been testing again this week, and results were a bit weird on the running track (maybe too much coffee…) but the final 200m was the fastest I’ve ever run in that test, my 1000m swim time…

  • I beat myself!

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    Sam
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    I had another crack at getting the me of 2012 to beat the me of 2011 today, and succeeded! Winner! I used a 113km course running from Gowerton out through Neath, up to Glynneath and over the Rhigos and Bwlch mountains, back to Neath and home again. It’s a lovely, lovely route, along the Neath…

  • Finishing my (winter?) base training

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    Sam
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    This week I’m coming to the end of my base block of training. For nearly 3 months I’ve been building my training load by increasing volume and workout intensity bit by bit, with an easier week every 4 weeks to allow myself to recover. Most of that work has been aerobic, but more recently some…

  • Sunwise Waterloo

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    Sam
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    I went out on the bike the other day in perfect testing conditions for the Sunwise Waterloo glasses. It had been chucking it down all day, the roads were wet but the sun came out. It was super bright and low, into my face on the way out (sometimes in Wales we don’t see the…

  • Race yourself. Virtually.

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    Sam
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    I noticed some nice new motivational winter training videos and bits up on Garmin Connect the other day (here’s the cycling video) and it reminded me to use the virtual partner function for this morning’s ride as I ride solo & fancied comparing myself to this stage of training last year. I’ve built up a…

  • January training

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    Sam
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    I’m now in the third block of training for the 2012 season, and feeling pretty good. Knackered, but good. This will be the last block of the traditional “base” phase of training, so I’ve just got 3 long rides left. It looks like we’re moving on from the mild, wet weather of the winter so…

  • December training

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    Sam
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    There’s a lot of comment kicking around about our mild autumn and winter. I’m not sure if people are complaining, wishing there was snow for Christmas, or just doing the British thing of commenting on all aspects of the weather. I’m very happy with the mild weather. It went cold last week which brought out…