Transalp St.6 : Crespano del Grappa-Trente

Distance: 146.4 km
Vertical Metres: 2,740 m
Passes: Foza (1,083m), Melignon (1,508m) / Passo del Frica (1,117m)

The penultimate stage is the longest of the Transalp at 146 kilometres, however, with only 2,740 metres of ascent it is not the the hardest. The stage starts downhill from Crespano to the centre of Bassano del Grappa and on to Valstagna; where the first climb of the day starts - a remarkable switchback path beaten into the rocks up to Foza (14.5km at 6.5%) and on to the green high plateau at Asiago. After the descent to Arsiero the route climbs again towards Vena (19km at 6.3%). From here the route proceeds downhill for the final 45 kilometres via the Fricca Pass to the Cathedral Plaza in the city of Trento.

Photoblog...

At the start of Stage 5.  It is already 25 degrees C at 8:30 am.  This is going to be a scorcher:

Positioning our bikes at the front of Pen B:

And we're off.  The Race Director Car leads out the race:

The first 24km were neutralised due to the nature of the roads, so the race director held the pace steady in the run down and through Bassano del Grappa and on towards the first climb.  I say steady, but this was still at over 30kph.  Race marshalls (on motorbikes also kept a space (100-odd meteres) between pens A&B, B&C, etc.:

   

Shortly after the above, things started to go wrong.  Frist, MM had a flat rear tyre.  At this time we were barrelling along at 35kph comfortably within the Pen B pack.  We pulled to the side and, to his credit - performed a super quick tyre change (4 mins).  We were straight back on the bikes and it joined the pelaton in the middle of the Pen D riders.  The problem was two: 1. the narrow streets (below) made passing tricky:


2. Theses riders, further down the overall standings, had less impetus to keep the pace high, close any gaps, etc so the pelaton was braking up which meant more effort to work our way back towards the front:


By the time we got to the first climb, we had got through pen D and were mostly with pen C riders.  The climb to Foza, whilst beautifully scenic, carved into the rock as it zigs & zags its way up the rockface with views accross the valley it is narrow.  And we were climbing together riders who we would expect to be out pacing, this meant working our way through a crowded pack.

This is when the next issue of the day occurred.  MM & myself lost sight of each other.  I felt I had been ahead and dropped the pace a little looking out for MM.  Then was concerned that he had had a 2nd flat.  I continued on, but at a low power, all-the-while looking for him.  I decided that I would get to the top and wait 5 mins before pushing on to the feed station where I'd wait again.  Very frustrating.  At the top MM was there; no puncture, he had also lost contact and had thought I was ahead.  He had been waiting a few minutes, and was moments away from setting off.

I took my frustration out ion the traverse across the plateau to Asiago before the main descent.  Pushing on to try and make the second lot of time we had lost on the day.

The first descent, the chase for lost time is on:

The start of the second climb.


19 kilometres and over an hour later.  Still climbing.  Pushing on, as whilst there is still 45km to go it is mostly downhill and is all fast.



Stats...

Totals ~ Duration: 5:53 ~ Riding: 5:44 ~ Dist: 147.7km  ~ Elevation Gain: 2740m
Averages ~ Speed: 25.9kph  ~  Power: 192w  ~  Heart Rate: 130 ~ Cadence: 73  ~ Temp: 28.4
Max  ~  Speed: 71.7kph ~ Power: 797w  ~  Heartrate: 152 ~ Cadence: 190 ~ Temp: 35.0C
Metrics ~ TSS: 317 ~ NP: 221w ~ IF: 0.738

Conclusions...
Stage 6 - Pos 240/664 teams (36th percentile).  Overall - Pos 242/695 teams (35th percentile).  A frustrating day all, but we didn't do to bad coming in 240th on the stage and holding onto 240th spot in the overall standings.  Once again, it was tough out there due the intense heat - up to 35 degrees again as per yesterday.  One to go.


Tomorrow...
The finale - 102 kilometres and two passes; one significant (Viote) and one less so (Passo del Ballino) for a total of 2,125 metres of climbing. And the forecast for the final day: yup, very hot again...

Stage 7 Route Profile and Preview

Transalp St.5 : Falcade-Crespano del Grappa

Distance: 128.7 km
Vertical Metres: 3,047 m
Passes: Passo Valles (2,032m), Passo Rollo (1,972m), Monte Grappa (1,674m)

A tough transitional stage from the Dolomites to the Southern Alps. The stage starts with the dual climbs of Passo Valles (11 km at 8%) and Passo Rolle (6 km at 7.7%). This is followed by the longest descent of Transalp; 50 kilometers that start steep off the Rolle and continue at a more gradual gradient on to Ponte Serra. The real challenge of the fifth stage will be the ascent from the floor of the valley up to the peak of Monte Grappa (averaging 28km at 5%, but with several kilometres at up to 17%).

Photoblog...

The start of stage 5.  Pen A forming behind the Race Director Cars.  With pens B, C & D further back.  The 'neutralised section' in this stage was a few hunder metres to get the pelaton out of town, then the route headed immediately up the valley towards the Passo Valles.  The temperature at 9am was already in the 20's:

Midway up the the first climb of the day, Passo Valles.  11 kilometres at 8%.  Starting to feel the fatigue of the week we targeted 240 watts for the 55 minute climb:

A typically beautiful & scenic descent.  Taken at upto 78 kph (49mph):

Working in a large group to traverse from the bottom of the Rolle to Ponte Serra - into a headwind - to get to the start of the Grappa:

The climb of the Monte Grappa. 21 km until the feed station, a further 7 km from the feed to the top.  The whole climb averages 5%, but has sections that are 17% steep.  If you are familiar with your Surrey Hills climbs; then think of this as 10 ascents of Box Hill with a Whitedown in the middle for good measure.

Stats...

Totals ~ Duration: 5:17 ~ Riding: 5:14 ~ Dist: 127.9km  ~ Elevation Gain: 3047m
Averages ~ Speed: 24.5kph  ~  Power: 211w  ~  Heart Rate: 134 ~ Cadence: 72  ~ Temp: 24.9
Max  ~  Speed: 78.2kph ~ Power: 817w  ~  Heartrate: 155 ~ Cadence: 138 ~ Temp: 35.0C
Metrics ~ TSS: 328 ~ NP: 236w ~ IF: 0.788

Conclusions...
Stage 5 - Pos 203/654 teams (31st percentile).  Overall - Pos 242/695 teams (35th percentile).  Another great day, again.  Felt tough out there due to the intense heat - it was 35 degrees Centigrade at the Finish - but we had our best result yet at 203rd for the stage.  And have jumped up the overall standings by 25 places.  All good.


Tomorrow...
Another monster.  146 kilometres (the longest of the Transalp) and two significant climbs for 2,740 metres of climbing. And the forecast: very hot...

Stage 6 Route Profile and Preview

Transalp St.4 : St.Vigil-Falcade

Distance: 107.0 km
Vertical Metres: 2,561 m
Passes: Grodnerjoch (Passo Gardena) (2,116m), Passo Sella (2,234m), Passo Fedaia (2,054m)

This amazing stage goes through the centre of Dolomites with breathtaking mountain views and three of the most beautiful & challenging passes: Passo Gardena (Grödnerjoch) (9.5k at 6.3%), Passo Sella (Sellajoch) (5k at 6.8%) and Passo Fedaia (11.5k at 5.3%). These mountains are best in class in the the Dolomites.

Photoblog...

At the start in St. Vigil.  Our first day on Pen B:

The climb of the Grodnerjoch (Passo Gardena), the imposing Dolomites in the background:

 Descending Passo Gardena towards Passo Sella:

 The super-fast descent of Passo Fedaia - a new max speed for me at 86.3 kph (54 mph):

Chaingang off the lower slopes of Passo Fedaia to the bottom of the valley. 

Stats...

Totals ~ Duration: 4:20 ~ Riding: 4:17 ~ Dist: 107.3km  ~ Elevation Gain: 2561m
Averages ~ Speed: 25.6kph  ~  Power: 207w  ~  Heart Rate: 138 ~ Cadence: 75  ~ Temp: 23.3
Max  ~  Speed: 86.3kph ~ Power: 744w  ~  Heartrate: 156 ~ Cadence: 170 ~ Temp: 30.0C
Metrics ~ TSS: 255 ~ NP: 231w ~ IF: 0.769

Conclusions...
Stage 4 - Pos 227/667 teams (34th percentile).  Overall - Pos 267/695 teams (38th percentile).  Another great day, and we move further up the overall leaderboard.  We are now 267th, well inside Pen B (100-299), having moved up 23 places as a result of coming 227th on stage.


Tomorrow...
The 'Queen' Stage.  129 kilometres with three significant climbs - Passo Valles (2,032), Passo Rolle (1,972m) & Monte Grappa (1674m) - for 3,047 metres of climbing. And the forecast remains hot & sunny...

Stage 5 Route Profile and Preview

Transalp St.3 : Brixen-St.Vigil

Here we go again...

Distance: 85.1 km
Vertical Metres: 2,939 m
Passes: Wurzjoch (1,992m), Furkelpass (1,763m)

Stage 3 Route Profile and Preview

This stage might only be 85 kilometers long, but it is the steepest of the Transalp, packing a punch in the form of two tough climbs.  The Würzjoch (Italian: Passo delle Erbe), at 29km is almost 1,700 metres of ascent @ 6.8% - but this is misleading as it includes several short descents and plenty of steep ramps, including sections at 19%. The second major ascent of the day is the Furkelpass, which averages 8.1% over 9km and includes several steeper sections including a kilometre at 12%.



Sunny morning...
After yesterday's weather, we were blessed with a beautiful day for the third stage.  A hearty breakfast in the hotel and we were at the start in the main square in Brixen a little after eight which had us relaxing at the front of Pen C waiting for the 9am off

Würzjoch...
Pen C was released about a minute after Pen B and we crossed the start line at 9:04ish.  The pace was pretty start from the start and we let those eager to hare up the valley go.  We had a plan, and were not going to deviate from that at this stage.  The pacing had seemed to be pretty good over the last few days but this was a shorter stage (estimate 4:15 today v 5:27 yesterday) and that meant options for going harder. With that in mind we had decided to climb at 260 watts (87%).  And that is pretty much how the first climb panned out, the main part of the Würzjoch is the final 16k to the summit - which includes several 'bike path sections, through the forest, with stretches of 10-18% ramps (see picture).  We kept plugging away, keeping the pace consistent, as we did a lot of the hares that had torn up the road early came back to us and I felt that we had held our own over the first climb (last 16k in 1hr 18 mins at 253 watts).

The decent of the Würzjoch, with the major challenge being the rutted road surface.  Usually when negotiating alpine descents you like to chose your line based upon the bends, the rutts added to the challenge as you had to pick a line with an decent  the road surface.  Before the Furkelpass there were several smaller climbs linked together by descents through the forest.  We kept the pace high, pushing-on wherever possible and were making progress passing other teams.

Furkelpass...
After the second feed of the day, all that remained was the top 10 kilometres of the Furkelpass and then the descent to St Vigil.  I focused on the 10k, the descent would take care of itself once I had got to the top.  I broke it down into sections - the climb was the equivalent to five 'Box Hills' all of 2k length and 120m asecent - every 2 kilometres I mentally chalked off another 'Box Hill'.  Four to go, three, then two to go.  Just 4k to the summit.  Now we were above the tree and pushing into a headwind.  Even the false flats required a full effort.  Ever the while I was keeping my power at the 260w I had contracted with myself that morning.  My legs were tiring, but my heart rate was remaining under control.  There's the summit.  10k in 48 mins at 261 watts has seen us pass yet more teams.

Over the top and straight onto the descent - the last 5k will take just 6 minutes averaging 48 kph - and we are gunning for the finish.

Stats...

Totals ~ Duration: 4:20 ~ Riding: 4:18 ~ Dist: 85.7km  ~ Elevation Gain: 2791m
Averages ~ Speed: 19.8kph  ~  Power: 220w  ~  Heart Rate: 137 ~ Cadence: 68  ~ Temp: 20.4
Max  ~  Speed: 75.0kph ~ Power: 833w  ~  Heartrate: 153 ~ Cadence: 178 ~ Temp: 27.0C
Metrics ~ TSS: 289 ~ NP: 245w ~ IF: 0.817

Conclusions...
Stage 3 - Pos 239/606 teams (39th percentile).  Overall  - Pos 290/695 teams (42nd percentile).  Result.  A great day, and a great improvement.  After the results from stages one: 346th (50%) and two: 313th (45%) really pleased with this move up the field, both in terms of the result on the day and on the overall leaderboard.  What's more, we're be starting in pen B tomorrow...


Tomorrow...
Lined up for us tomorrow is a beut of a stage.  At 85km it is very much a case of 'short and sweet' - as it includes two major climbs (Wurzjoch & Furkelpass) for 2,939 metres of climbing. Practically the same as today's 125km stage!  Oh, and the rain seems to have moved on as the forecast is for warm & sunny.


Stage 4 Route Profile and Preview

Transalp St.2 : Solden-Brixen

So, one stage done, six to go.  Onto stage two...

Distance: 123.87 km
Vertical Metres: 2,998 m
Passes: Timmelsjoch, Jaufenpass

Stage 2 Preview
Timmelsjoch Preview (as climbed by Garmin-Barracuda's Christophe Le Mével)

Early Start...
Logistics of the day meant that desopite the stage not starting until 9am, all bags had to be put in reception by 6:30am!  This meant that everything packed and ready the night before and a snap decision at 6:25am what to wear - bear in mind that the forecast was for torrential rain all morning, 9 degrees C at resort level and 4 degrees at the summit.  When the alarm went off it wasn;t looking to bad out there so I optied for minimal rain cover (rain jacket, wind gilet & too warmers).  By 8am, I had breakfasted, and typically the weather had gotten a whole lot heaver, it was absolutely pouring out there.  On the way to the start there was a stark contrast of optimists like me (summer attire & rain jackets) and pessimists in the full on storm gear (booties, waterproof trousers, gortex jackets & waterproof helmet covers were all typical).



The real challenge for today (other than the weather) is the 2 major climbs, once these are done the leg to the finish should be straightforward.


Summary of the day.  A day of two halves.  The morning in Austria in the wet, the afternoon in Italy in the sun...


The morning: Climb of the Timmelsjoch in the rain:

The afternoon: The Jaufenpass in the sun:

On to Brixen...
Once the tricky, switchbacked descent of the Jaufenpass is completed, there was still 36k down the valley to Brixen.  This is where we got a decent bit of luck as almost immediately after we hit the valley floor we were able to latch onto the back of a bunch with five other teams all doing there bit to keep the pace high ensuring that we all made excellent progress to the finish.

Stats...

Totals ~ Duration: 5:34:01 ~ Riding: 5:20:59 ~ Dist: 123.7km  ~ Elevation Gain: 2787m
Averages ~ Speed: 23.1kph  ~  Power: 183w  ~  Heart Rate: 134 ~ Cadence: 69  ~ Temp: 20.8
Max  ~  Speed: 66.2kph ~ Power: 836w  ~  Heartrate: 156 ~ Cadence: 184 ~ Temp: 33.0C 
Metrics ~ TSS: 313 ~ NP: 218w ~ IF: 0.757

Conclusions...
Stage 2 - Pos 313/660 teams.  Overall  - Pos 322/660 teams.  A better day all round.  Not only did I feel stronger, but we also moved up 24 positions (348 > 322)  - it would have been more if we hadn't been beset with a flat - and are working our way towards Pen B...



Tomorrow...
Lined up for us tomorrow is a beut of a stage.  At 85km it is very much a case of 'short and sweet' - as it includes two major climbs (Wurzjoch & Furkelpass) for 2,939 metres of climbing. Practically the same as today's 125km stage!  Oh, and the rain seems to have moved on as the forecast is for warm & sunny.


Stage 3 Route Profile and Preview

Transalp St.1 : Mittenwald-Solden

So here it is. The first stage of the Transalp.

Distance: 115.17 km
Vertical metres: 2,475m
Passes: Buchener Höhe & Kühtai

Stage 1 Preview
Timmelsjoch Preview (as climbed by Garmin-Barracuda's Christophe Le Mével)

Pre-start...
So on day 1 there is no bag collection; We had to drop bags at the Transalp camp at 07:30. No problem. Except my bag is large, weighs 20 kilos and needs to be taken 3k with my bike and I'm in cleats. Ooops. Fortunately after almost a km of using my bike like a luggage trolley, clip clopping along, some friendly Transalpian took pitty and gave the bag a lift.

Start...
The pens started forming from half-seven - the luck of the draw had put us in the rear pen [D]. But from tomorrow these will be based upon the overall standings, so a good ride today and we can work our way forwards. The tension builds as the clock ticked down towards 8:30. And then we were off. The first 3k were neutralised but from the outskirts of town the road turns right & upwards heading towards Leutasch and the first col of the tour, Buchener Hohe. Fortunately it is a steady gradient up and over the top followed by a very fast (75+kph) descent. After a a short while forging as a pair along the valley floor, a group formed and we were able to power along to the first feed station.



Kuhtai...
The big challenge of the day was always going to be the ascent of the Kuhtai (saddle). 18km at 6% with 15% ramps thrown in for fun; and to break any rhythm. We had decided in advance to ride the climbs to power (at approx 260w / 85% FTP) so as to pace both the day and the start of the week in a sustainable way. And that is what we did, plugging away km after km, steady up the climb generally catching & passing other riders that had started the day too strongly. Soon (an hour and twenty later) we crested 'The Saddle' (largely alone) and started the long fast descent off the back.

Onwards...
We teamed up with another pair at the bottom of the descent to get us to the second feed station of the day. The feeds is somewhere we can improve - whilst we are only taking a few minutes to grab some fruit and fill bottles, there is definately time to be saved by slick stops (and this saves having to re-pass riders again after feeds...). From the feed station we sat-in for the stretch to Lagenfield and from there a group of eight remained that were able to share the work as we pushed the final 10-15k to the finish.

Solden...
Having finished the stage, made the most of the feed for some savoury snacks and a cold beverage it seemed to make sense to find the hotel (where our bags should be waiting). When we eventually tracked it down on the other side of town it was not what I was expecting. Basically, it was a building site. And I don't mean receiving a lick of paint, I mean a full on building site (see pic). Our bags were not here; and neither was the owner. Take it from me, when what your after is a recovery shake and a shower, this is the last thing you need. Fortunately after 15mins we managed to track down the owner, our bags and a bed for the night (elsewhere), but this was hardly ideal.

Stats...
Totals ~ Duration: 4:40:16 ~ Riding: 4:33:32 ~ Dist: 115.7km  ~ Elevation Gain: 2324m
Averages ~ Speed: 25.6kph  ~  Power: 193w  ~  Heart Rate: 144 ~ Cadence: 73  ~ Temp: 23.6
Max  ~  Speed: 77.1kph ~ Power: 811w  ~  Heartrate: 164 ~ Cadence: 126 ~ Temp: 33.0C 
Metrics ~ TSS: 271 ~ NP: 220w ~ IF: 0.763

Conclusions...
Transalp Stage 1 - 115km & 2500m vert - 4:40.00.5 - Pos 348/515. A solid start to what is after all a 7 stage race. Time will tell whether we/everyone else/paced the day correctly. The challenge now is to move up through the field. We started today in Pen D (4th of 4). For tomorrow we have qualified for Pen C. And we need to move up 50 places (approx 10mins) to get into Pen B...



Tomorrow...
Lined up for us in the morning is 124km and two major climbs (Timmelsjoch & Jaufenpass) for 3,000 vertical metres of ascent. Oh, and torrential rain is forecast for first thing tomorrow with the temp expected to be 9 degrees C at the start and 6 degrees at the summits. Yowza. Booties & rain jackets it is then.

Not long now...

So, here I am, on the eve if the Transalp....

Six months have gone by mighty quick; but I feel that I have
managed to squeeze a decent amount of training into that time. And in terms of training hours, hours on the bike, kilometres ridden and fitness (FTP, Box Hill time, etc) I have had my best season yet. And tomorrow I get the chance to utilise all that; and to see how I fair in the mountains.

This week has very much been about Taper & Preparation.

Monday...
Rest day

Tuesday...
A quick spin on the 2 hills (Effingham & Box) loop. Or so I thought. Was due to be meeting a KW training group at Cobham. Only as I was heading into Cobham at speed, they passed in the other direction, strung out chain-gang style. By the time I had stopped & turned I was 400m back. It took a 15min threshold chase to catch them by the top of the Effingham climb. And then Box Hill turned into the usual drag race. So a good little workout.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday...
Rest day, bike clean / dismantle / box up, and packing. Early taxi, fly to Munich and train to Mittenwald. Exciting stuff.

Today...
Breakfast, then across town to registration. Checked out the Expo: including getting the bike checked over by the the 'Rose Bikes' service centre mechanic. Good job really as the brakes, headset and front mech all benefited from a bit of a tune (and my race partner [MM], whose chainset had been playing, up required a new one - fitted while we waited. Result.)

Then headed out of town for a 'shake-down' ride and to get any lingering 'travel' out of our legs. Up the climb to Leutasch, we crossed the border into Austria and headed up the valley towards Buchener Hohe. Lunch - Bratwurst & Frites - in the sun surrounded by mountains. Absolutely stunning.

Update: Just 1 week to go

Weight: 12-5.6. (Target 12-0). Loss: 2.6 lbs.
Wk02 Training: Hours: 9:40 (Target 10:00). Bike: 255km. TSS: 802.

Weight...
So, pre-Transalp weigh-in, and the final result is 12st 5.6. My aim for this last week had been to maintain my weight (i.e. no pre-event binges). However I am a couple of pounds down. This is welcome and not a worry as it has been on the card for a couple of weeks (mid-week weight has dipped here before). Overall I am pretty happy with where I have got to. On the 1st of Jan I was 15-4.8. Today I'm 12-5.6. That's 2 stone 13.2 pounds loss over 24 weeks (41.2 lbs or 18.7 kg). Sure is going to make one helluva difference up those mountains.

Training...
I have started my taper. It is testamount to the increase in hours over the last 6 months that 10 hours can be regarded as a reduced workload. However, within these hours I ensured a good mix of hard efforts (see FTP test below) and lighter 'work' to hopefully maintain fitness whilst allowing my freshness to build.

FTP...
So, with a little over a week to go it seemed like an ideal opportunity to test my FTP. As (1) Testing is Training, (2) I can check my progress (and hopefully get a mental boost/pack on back, and (3) Use the data to gauge/control efforts throughout Transalp. So a 20min warmup and then onto my Test route. Based upon my last test a month ago (avg 301watts) I decided to pace at 300w over the opening 12 mins where the incline is pretty small and then judge what I had left from there. At the right turn for Green Dene my average was 308w, just 8 minutes of pain to go. I could see the average rising slowly, and kept the intensity at max, even sprinting the last k as the climb false flats well before the end. Final wattage was 322, good for a 300w FTP methinks. This represents a 30% increase since start of year in watts. And a 50+ % increase in watts/kilo. Result.

Date	Time	AvHR	Avg W	FTP W	W/Kg
24-Sep	29:49	165	235	225	2.4
18-Feb	28:10	152	272	262	2.9
19-May	24:34	162	301	289	3.6
13-Jun	23:05	159	322	300	3.8

Madmen of Leith Hill

Cinglés du Mont-Ventoux...
The "Giant of Provence", Mont Ventoux, in the Central Massif, is an iconic mountain, with a huge cycling history. The Club des Cinglés du Mont-Ventoux is a club for cyclists that take on the challenge of climbing Mont Ventoux by its three main roads (Bédoin, Malaucène et Sault) on the same day (136 km and 4443m vertical metres).  This is a tough challenge "Cinglés du Mont-Ventoux" translates as "Madmen of Mont-Ventoux".

    

The Octopus...
Closer to home, John Leitch, a member of Redhill Cycling Club has created the Leith Hill Octopus - a challenge to ascend the top of Leith Hill by 8 different routes, finishing at the top at the end of the 8th climb.
  

Leith Hill...
Leith Hill to the south west of Dorking, Surrey, England, reaches 294 metres (965 ft) above sea level, the second highest point in south-east England, after Walbury Hill near Hungerford, West Berkshire.

Leith Eleven...
So, inspired by both the above, I decided to have a go at the "Leith Eleven", ascending & descending Leith Hill eleven times by all eleven roads to/from the summit.  There is some overlap at the top but these roads all start from the bottom and head to the top.

The Eleven ascents/descents are: 1. Coldharbour Lane; 2. Hollow Lane; 3. Abinger Road; 4. Sutton Lane; 5. Henhurst Cross Lane; 6. Sheephouse Lane; 7. Logmore Lane; 8. Abinger Lane; 9. Broomehall Road; 10. Pasture Wood Road; 11. Tanhouse Lane.

In total this amounts to approx 135km & 1,950m of climbing. Yes, all on one hill, all on one day, in Surrey. Madman, indeed.

Course: http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=414015

Update: 3 wks...

Weight: 12-8.2. (Target 12-2). Loss: 0.4 lbs.
Wk03 Training: Hours: 21:53 (Target 10:00). Bike: 551km. TSS: 1,531.

Weight...
Significant weight loss is not really happening for me at the moment. And as I only have one pre-Transalp weigh-in left I an now at race weight (like it or not).

Training...
We should have more of these Diamond Jubilees. Thanks to a double bank holiday and some long weekend rides I managed to do 22hrs of training this week (more than the number of hours I did at work - now that's what I call work:life balance). Previously my highest ever week had been 15h45 way back on June 2007.

Catch up: May

Weight: 12-9.2. (Target 12-4). Loss: 3.6 lbs.
May Training: Hours: 48:17 (Target 44:00). Bike: 1,047km. TSS: 993/wk.

Training...
May was always going to be the month where, all being well, everything starts to come together.  Increased fitness from prior months training and increased urgency (!) means that this should be the peak month for training.  For me, the key to solid training is consistency, an hour every evening on the turbo, one rest day per week, and two solid rides at the weekend.  And that is what I did for May - averaging 12hrs/wk (4.5 hrs Mon-Fri and 7.5 Sat-Sun) - which makes it one of my biggest months of training.

FTP...
It had been a few weeks since I last tested my FTP.  Sure I had been monitoring my power files in Golden Cheetah, and had even raised my FTP in mid-April based upon improved output.  But the there is no substitute for a proper test.  So, with no excuses  left, I started my Saturday ride with a short warm up and then set off on my TT / FTP test route (Ripley-Green Dene).  I targeted 290-300w for the first 15 minutes and increased to 300-350w up Green Dene. The score on the doors was 301w for 24mins which I 'converted' to 288w FTP. An increase of 18w (7%) over 6 weeks. Still 12w (4%) to go over the next four weeks in the run up to the Transalp if I am going to hit the magic 300!


Weight...
Down 3.6 lbs.  Hmmm.  Firstly the positive >>  the weight is still going down.  However, a little too slowly as just 0.8 lbs/week.  I should be capable of losing 1.5 lbs/week.  I think that I have taken my eye off the ball with regard to diet - clearly as per above there is plenty of training - so whilst the Calories Out are great, the Calories In have crept up. I had hoped to hit 77kg (12st 2) for the Transalp. That is now looking beyond me and 79.5 (12st 7) looks more likely to be my fighting weight.

Catch up: April

It's been a while since I last posted.  In previous years my blogging has been directly proportional to my training.  So could this be some last minute cramming (too little, too late)?  However this year while my running commentary dropped off my training has still been moving in the right direction.

Stats for April (4wks):
Weight: 12-12.8. (Target 12-10.4). Loss: 2.4 lbs.
April Training: Hours: 35:09 (Target 40:00). Bike: 610.2km. TSS: 680/wk.

Training...
April started off with a week in Scotland and great expectations.  Then it snowed.  I have been to the Scottish Highlands in April three times over the last ten years, and each time it has snowed... That meant that good intentions turned into a session in the hotel gym and a circuits class.  [As an aside, why is it that I can cycle on a club run for 4 hrs, yet a 60 minute circuit class has me weeping for mercy, with my muscles in agony the next day].  All-in-all 3-hrs for the week.  Fortunately, the next three weeks were much more of the type of training I need to be doing (32hrs & 610k); including a 6hr ride to the cost Cobham-Arundel-Worthing-Cobham.

Progress...
The training process is seemingly working.  Train hard, train frequently, rest & recover = improved speed & endurance.  Not rocket science admittedly, but it is nice to see that it is having a positive effect.  In April I have also started to do get in more hours and more mileage.  On top of the Sunday club run that I had been doing throughout March, I have also started getting in more & faster group rides; with quicker groups on Sunday club runs and heading out on Saturday's with the Windsor Ride crew.

FTP...
Based on a number of rides analysed using Golden Cheetah, I have boosted my FTP from 260 in Feb to 270 in early April.  This certainly added some spice to my TrainerRoad turbo sessions as (rightly so) every time I raise my FTP my sessions go up a notch.  Onwards & upwards, really keen to get close to '300' for the end of June.  Why?  Just because I guess: "three hundred and a little' sounds so much more than "two hundred and a lot".

Weight...
Down below 13stone.  For me this is the benchmark where I start to look and feel like a cyclist. Also, 12st 12 is the weight I rode the Etape five years ago. Whilst I am striving to get closer to 12st than 13st and acknowledge that 'every little helps', anything under 13st is a go-er, and what's more, I have seven weeks to go to lose a few more pounds.