seamus's ridiculously low-shooting goal

seamus

Having only been commuting really, my goal is going to be easy enough:

80km - to my parents' house in the Glen of Imaal and back using mainly the N81. And to do it before my birthday in April when I officially become "late twenties"

My intention was to go on the Orwell spins up to now, but it never suited (read: hungover), and all gunned for it yesterday and...no beginners' spin

So did 40k anyway yesterday, easy enough spin out to Dun Laoghaire - via Lamb's Cross and Blackrock on the way out, and then back via Dundrum. 90 minutes, almost on the dot.

Stuff I learned yesterday:

- Save the climbing until I've warmed up. Climbing Stocking Lane in the first 15 minutes of the ride was at least twice as hard as climbing it in the last 15 minutes of the ride.

- Eat something before you go, but not right before you go. I had no food for about 4 hours, then a cup of coffee just before I left and spent the first hour fighting indigestion while trying to climb. Not pleasant. I would have killed someone with my bare hands for a gaviscon.

- Cold air burns your lungs.

So 80k seems pretty easy because there was definitely more in me yesterday, but I left it quite late so it was getting dark by the time I was heading home, and I only took one five minute break. Some company would be nice too

So I'll try go for the 80k in 3 hours (not including the time to stop at my parents' and have my lunch made for me ).

If I manage to crack that easily enough before April, I'll go for the route to Laragh and back - smaller distance, much hillier and tougher.

Doing about a 27k commute per day (13.5k each way). Very limited in how much I can improve my times on that as most of it is spent rushing from red light to red light, so I really need to get out onto roads with little or no traffic lights (but not in the dark!)

Greyspoke

From what you've said there, you'll manage your goal with very little trouble - if you do that by April you should start looking for one of the many "sportive" challenges that are available. Start with 100kms and then just keep going longer...!

uberwolf

seamus wrote: »

- Save the climbing until I've warmed up. Climbing Stocking Lane in the first 15 minutes of the ride was at least twice as hard as climbing it in the last 15 minutes of the ride.

true dat. Or if unavoidable, just stay in the saddle and spin.

seamus wrote: »

- Eat something before you go, but not right before you go. I had no food for about 4 hours, then a cup of coffee just before I left and spent the first hour fighting indigestion while trying to climb. Not pleasant. I would have killed someone with my bare hands for a gaviscon.

that all depends on the effort level tbh. Once you acclimatise you could eat a sunday roast at a low heart rate. But on a long spin at endurance pace you don't need to avoid eating like you would for swimming (for example).

The same goes for getting your body used to the energy drinks and bars.

A tip is to have a supply of nutrigrains* in house. I'd never leave home without some food in the jersey. I've had the bonk. It is horrible. Truly unpleasant. You prob won't need to eat in a 90 minute spin, but one day, some combination of events will cause you to need it, and it's a great habit to be in.

*insert your choice of bar here.

seamus

Very short trip yesterday to get back into it since Xmas. First spin on the road bike since then. Nice and easy, 30k in 70 mins, Blackrock and back via Lamb's cross (detoured up Mount Venus Ave. on the way home). Wind was a bit of killer in parts heading back home.
It was a little colder than I expected, I could have done with tights and overshoes.

Hoping to go out to the far side of Blessington (44k) next Saturday (and get home in time for my NCT!), then out to Hollywood (62k) the weekend after that.

superrdave

bananas. stick a couple in the saddle bag along with your nutrigrains. top you right up, one at 1/2 distance and another at 3/4. Keeps you going.

seamus

I've discovered why all the clubs and everyone here sets out at 10am. My intention has been for the last few weeks to get everything done by 2pm, then I can hit the road, get 40k in and be home before it gets dark. Of course nothing gets done by 2pm. The missus has two slipped discs which means I've a whole lot more housework to do on Saturdays (:D) and we've been taking the dog training every Sunday morning, and by the time we get back, have lunch and do the other bits and pieces, it's 3 o'clock.

So depite my best intentions of 50k yesterday, I only got to leave at 2.30 and so only got 30k in. Avg 26.7km/h, pretty happy with that, pretty happy with getting on the road at all, but I really wanted to get 50k in this weekend.

My intention is to set out at 9.30/10am next Saturday, whatever needs to be done can be done when I get home.

seamus

So it was 11am, makes a big difference though.

Beautiful day. Crosswind was a bit of a bitch, no let up in it. Firhouse to Blessington, 48.92km in 1:43:27 (28.3km/h).

The avg is higher than normal cos I avoided Bohernabreena, reckoned it would be icy. Nice flat enough spin, hands kept going numb though (from the bars, not the cold).

Head on out to Poulaphouca next weekend, bring it up to 61km.

seamus

OK, so maybe not Poulaphouca, I was under time pressure, but close enough. Out to Russborough house via Bohernbreena, 50.73km in 1:48:57 (27.9km/h).

That Bohernabreena hill is a bastard, but great craic on the way home. The tailwind on the way out caught me out, I didn't think it was that strong - average in excess of 31km/h on the way out, really had to push it on the way home against the wind.

So I didn't get the 61k in, but if this weather keeps up I'll probably spin on out past Poulaphouca next weekend.

seamus

Bad month. Two weekends (and the week in between) written off by sickness, followed by a week of only one or two commutes and then a four-day weekend last weekend (parties and such).

Though I've been making very good time on my commutes so far this week, even against the wind, so the short break may have done some good.

I'll push for 60km this weekend and if I don't have a coronary, I'll go for the 80k the weekend after.

If my work goals were only two weeks overdue my boss would be delighted

seamus

Gorgeous day.

Pushed it pretty hard on my commutes this week, so I was going to take today as a rest day, but the wife insisted that I go out today (cos she works Saturdays).

So the tired legs meant the first 20 minutes was a bit of a killer. Had to take a 30 second breather at the top of the Ballinascorney hill and when I hit the N81, the south westerly wind made me struggle. But I got into a rhythm then.

Made 60.18km in 2:07:13 (28.3 km/h). The light wind meant that the speeds were relatively even both directions, though it was a bit stronger at Blessington lakes. I reckon the average is higher than I would expect because I was wearing less clothes

If I'm not as tired next weekend, I'll probably go the whole distance. Could have added 20km onto today's spin, but there's a decent piece of hill into and out of my parents' place, which would have killed me. The jersey sightings thread would have included someone who spotted a boardsie in a coma at the side of the N81

Had some problems with hands, feet and ass going numb, but I reckon that's mostly a case of HTFU. Taking a 5 min break every 20k seemed to stave it off for the most part.

uberwolf

goal achieved \o/ and only 2 weeks off target. Fair play, and a good time too.

seamus

Yep. 84.84km today in 2:55 (28.9 km/h) \o/

Really couldn't have been a better day. Beautiful weather, light winds going in just the right direction. Had a 30 minute break with food at the 40km mark, which no doubt helped.

I'll probably do this same spin a couple of more times to acclimatise myself with it, then start doing 60kish hilly spins before I set another goal. Not exactly the most exciting route, so once or twice more before it drives me to boredom.

Time for beer and (pizza) pie.

seamus

Been on (work) training all week, so haven't been riding into work. Finished on a half day today, so took myself up Stocking Lane and out the Military road. Short spin, 15km each way, stopped at some viewing point between Glencree and Laragh and turned around. Didn't warm up and had an emptyish stomach so I wasn't a happy camper at Viewpoint, felt like puking my ring for a few minutes. But that passed and it turned out nice, the wind was going in the right direction.

Half-unclipped my speedo so it wouldn't keep timing while I wheeled the bike and forgot to reclip it again on the way down. So it jumped out. Somewhere.

Means that I've no real idea what kind of time I did. Excluding two short breaks and the time taken to go back and look for the speedo (:D), I reckon it was 30km in about 75 mins. So 24km/h, not too shabby considering the hilliness of it all.

Guess I'll have to buy a new speedo. Oh noes, I'm devastated

If anyone spots a old tattered Cateye Velo 8 lying on the side of the road between Glencree and Laragh, you know who it belongs to Served me well for the last 3.5 years.

Tempted to get a Speedtrap sensor and node computer, but considering I could get a comparable wireless speedo & HR for half the price, it would be mostly for show.