I REALLY hate TTs

So im crap at time trialling! i know this! I knew it when in my first few weeks of riding a bike i got 30mins for 10miles. I was pretty happy and some people said i did well for only being on a racing bike for 4 weeks. Being the last man on the road in that TT that day i dont think the ambulance drivers were too happy slowly tipping along behind me!

Well the other day i had a go at my season goal of sub 24 mins. Pathetic i know but when the fastest time at the end of last season after my first season racing was only 20seconds under the 30min mark despite a years training i was gutted! In the UCD TT at the start of the season i shattered that time by almost 2 mins down to 28:05. Sad time still i know!

Then when i bought a dodgy second hand TT bike with no headset i managed to knock another 2 mins off down to 26:09.

how the good lads do it!

There were lads racing who were walking their dogs before it so the field was mixed and the course was lump on the N11. I hadnt been on the TT bike in 4 months and only been on it 3 times ever i think so it was uncomfortable to say the least! On the Tuesday i avg 315 watts for 20mins but due to the bike i could only hold 260 and it was a struggle with avg hr 176!!!

luckily i did break my time by 2 mins again! so its now 24:09. shocking i know! but progress indeed!

Going to get on the bike a few times and try woodgreen soon and see if i can beat my 24min mark this season!

WHAT A FRED

vive le france…

Well im back a week now from France. It was my 3rd trip there and we almost had the crew from the original trip. We were staying in http://www.skideuxalps.com/lolypme.htm

and i think we would all recommend it. It fitted 4 people perfectly. One or two more would be a push but for 300euro for the week between 4 people it was a bargain! Perfectly located at the top of Les deux alpes which takes anywhere from 27mins (anto) to 40mins+ to climb at the end of each day.

Preparing for the trip to alpe d'heuz. The jacket was for the descent but wasnt neccesary at all!!

This was obviously a bit daunting considering you would usually of done one or 2 cols already and would be fairly shattered but it always made you have a dang at your time. The climb has 10 switchbacks and is pretty steep too. Avg speed up it is about 15km so its reasonably fast compared to the Alpe d’Heuz and Sarenne.

Pantani holds the record up in from 1998 and there is a statue in his honour up there commemorating it.

Il pirato the record holder. (not me sadly!)

Its a great climb as if your not doing it in the middle of the day it can be sheltered with some trees but if its in the midday sun its a scorcher! no where to hide!!!

In this video Anto and Colin are coming back from a dirt road ride up to an altitude above 2500m. We were late picking them up from the bottom of the alp and got them with 3 switchbacks to go. They were flying! It gives you a good idea of the gradient and the look of the area. It doesnt look that steep but this would be a flatter section at about 6% some of it is about 9% id say with avg about 7.5%? Colin had to do the Marmotte (190km) the next day so was not impressed (he rarely is!). It was 9pm at this point so not much sun but its easier to go hard whens its not as hot thats for sure.

Coming up next we will take a look at our trip up the Alpe D’Heuz. A day that had 3 punctures, one person blew up and another got stranded! A real treat!

Club championships last night

A good night followed a terrible morning of rain and general dullness. The club championships were a funny affair with riders racing against their teammates not the other riders so with only 4 UCD riders racing it was a strange experience.

A split went on a whopper of a climb and me and anto were at the front of it and Skipper and Ben at the end of it sadly.

During the race anto did many attacks to try and cross the line first in a group of about 20 riders mostly from Lucan with some Usher and orwell in there too. As expected it came down to a sprint and anto came strong at the end with coming about 5th and half a wheel ahead of me. Well deserved and id feel guilty if i had of nipped him.

Looking at the power file from the race my sprint went up to 9oo+ watts for 5 secs then down to 400 when i got stuck behind a lucan rider then back up again so that was frustrating. Il race Saturday and see how it goes but im fairly goosed at present! A nice rest should do the trick!

The skipper cam flying in well up the front of the main group out sprinting many of them with Ben following close behind. A good day out and another 100km+ day.

More details on France training to follow…

Anto, no doubt, resting up before and after the event. What a Pro

Im back, and alive too…

Well i survived 8 days in France. Just getting back into the swing of things and of course it was lashing today back on bike.

Il go through some of the great videos and pictures i got in the alps.

We did a great video series on Colin doing the Marmotte.

Lets see how the training went when i do the club championships tonight.

Conquered the alp and a cheesy pic!

Colin before the Marmotte. (didnt look like this afterwards!)

on the way to Alps

More info and pics when i get them!!! lets hope we survive!

My First bike at bottom of alpe D'heuz 2007

puncture!

Whats worse than cycling for an hour to the club race only to get a puncture 5 mins before it starts and you 5 mins away due to your warm up! yeah well at least it was a lovely night for fixing a puncture! I ended up riding home which was a bit of a disappointment as i haven’t done much since Sundays epic race!

Im saving my UCD gear for the France trip on Tuesday so i threw on the old black ones and looking at the pics i cant believe how fred-like they are! Need to pick up a few more pairs of shorts but i wont be going for the standard black ones.

But you also cant wear pro-team shorts as thats a no-no. You cant wear white shorts as although you look cool for the first week they will be covered in multicoloured gels and oil stains forever. So whats the solution?

Seth happy as larry

total fred shorts

what to do???

SO what is the advice when you have just done a hard overload week and you ready to do the same again but your starting to get a sore throat and a bit wheezy???

I was thinking of going on the turbo for an hour tonight?

I was thinking of going to jacuzziand swim and relax the legs?

or will i just relax and go to bed early hoping to be better to cycle 120km round trip to the club race after work???

Seth doing a good early session

Yesterday mornings lovely recovery spin seems miles away now!!!