back on bike and with a hopeful (probably fairly ridiculous) end goal: L'Etape du Tour

martco · 01-08-2023 10:39AM #1

writing this up as a visible record and reminder to myself to stay on track and achieve this out

I'm a lad in my 50's. I was never an athlete by any means but took up running when I turned 30 and ran a few marathons here and abroad too. life was great, I loved the training nearly more than the marathons themselves, for whatever reason having a strictish structure just worked for someone like me (pressure of commitment to a fixed goal) thought I'd get times down to maybe 3 hours kinda thing then disaster struck. 2014 I broke my hip and ended up having to get a THR. at the time the prevailing logic was not to run again, that was upsetting as it was my main method of getting out and keeping fit, got multiple opinions, researched the arse out of it and tried a couple of the tricks and running styles yadda yadda but eventually resigned myself to giving it up. life took over combined with disappointment over what had happened I unfortunately allowed the depression to win, threw the frame with my photos and finishers medals in the attic and tried to forget. I never forgot though and have decided to do something about it. because these days I feel like a potato and literally unwell, I'm a whopping FOUR STONE heavier than I was back in 2014. It can't be running but it has occurred to me how much I loved cycling in my teens, pre-internet, following the exploits of Kelly, Roche, Early, Kimmage over in far flung Belgium, France, Italy...I even setup a club in the secondary school and got them to agree to let us out for a spin on the Weds afternoons when everyone else was out the back field playing gaa....all 3 of us LOL. so why not? why not get back on the bike, learn how to cycle again, set myself a big big goal and train properly towards it, open a new door and get my life back. so that's the background to all this.

martco · 01-08-2023 11:41AM

Goal: to ride and complete the Etape du Tour 2026 (146 weeks to go)

Bike/gear: nothing too fancy. bike is a 9 year old Thompson frame in vgc which I've just finished a full rebuild of, basic 11 speed groupset, changed the original 11/28 cassette and derailleur out for a 11/34 setup so I can eventually get climbing. have a garage, plan is to get hold of a decent refurb/secondhand turbo trainer for winter coming. I'm not in a club, not sure it's for me at this juncture.

Weight: 96.5KG (I'm 173cm shortarse => basic BMI is 32.2 :( but this is the challenge)

Plan: roughly it's get some weight off before I get too ambitious with the bike. combine walking, some baby step sides and diet to start for next 6 weeks see what I can do about it

DrumcDub1 · 09-08-2023 08:40PM

Do continue to document this journey here, it'd be some achievement! Fair play to you for not letting the demons win.

gn3dr · 15-08-2023 11:06PM

Try to get a smart turbo trainer if you can. Much better , game changer actually.

martco · 19-08-2023 03:39PM

ok so managed a couple things this week

decided screw the walking as an exercise in itself. it's too slow for what I'm up to so I'm going straight to bike combined with basic workouts in the garage. so I found a decent secondhand punchbag and a pair of gloves, couple freeweights and I'm aiming to work on that in addition to the bike

been out for 2 rides. 1st attempt was 11.5km, quiet time of the day, thought I was going to puke but it exposed a couple of adjustments I had to make on the bike build and its running lovely now. 2nd was 19km. busy roads cars and people everywhere 1st thought was holy sh-- I'm carrying some weight!?! not gonna lie it was in the middle of the day and initially felt bit embarrassed fat blob puffing on a bike but decided to stick to the small ring and get a nice cadence going and I got thru it.

already thinking ahead to a route for the training. I'll stretch it as I go. first thing I'm going to do is use a bypass not too far from the house for the next 6 weeks. it's exactly 1.5km long with a slight gradient, roundabout at each end and the tarmac is lovely fresh carpet. so the idea is get up there early morning and get 5x circuits in before work start with 3 days a week. garage gym alternating days. then do a "long" ride on the Sat or Sunday.

also having thoughts about diet. it's a family home. so thinking nuts/fruit/porridge in morning and afternoon with family dinners as normal and taking care to eat nothing whatsoever after 8pm

lets see...

Mr. Cats · 27-08-2023 12:06PM

Fair play to you so far! Starting is the biggest step!

On the idea of circuits, I always find it’s much tougher to motivate myself to get out if there’s some sort of circuits/repeats ahead as it’s mentally tough. It might be different for you but I think a loop is ideal, out and back on same route is second best and circuits would be a much lower third preference. Remembering that consistency and persistence is the key, an enjoyable route with a bit of variety might be more repeatable than something that doesn’t give some mental stimulation (even if they all give the same physical stimulation). If you can find somewhere with a nice view, some nice trees or anything else pleasant, I would try to incorporate it in.

Best of luck!

martco · 30-08-2023 01:36PM

so have settled into the initial circuit I'd planned on the bypass, 21km and done it 3x times in last week hoping to keep up the habit now over the next few weeks as planned, bit boring but grand for now the point is to drop some weight initially and get hang of it again. resurrected an old apple watch has the gps and so I'm able to see what I'm going after being out which helps a bit. need to sort out a couple of niggles not too sure what to do...1) hands start getting numb near end of ride, thinking maybe some of that thicker squidgey tape I've seen on some bikes recently might help that 2) after a while mickey feels like it wants to turn itself into a vag?! doesn't hurt but its a bit weird and uncomfortable, maybe it's saddle adjustment or something or just takes a while to literally get back in saddle lol dunno. otherwise I'm ok and bike serving me well.

on another score, I'm also just back from a short family break over to Italy/France alps, 1st time ever in the alps and fab, got to eyeball the Col de la Madeleine and I'm thinking/wondering if that's the kind of potential stage setting likes of the Etape follows...first thoughts are am I fupping bonkers but it's 2026 I'm aiming for and maybe I can really do this......

DrumcDub1 · 02-09-2023 07:14AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121047052#Comment_121047052

A bike fit would be a great investment given the amount of time you plan to spend on the bike!

07Lapierre · 03-01-2024 05:32PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121047052#Comment_121047052

Numb nuts usually indicates that your Saddle tilted up at the nose ( Saddle should be level). Numb hands suggests your "reach" is too long. Definitely get a bike fit.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0gw_UG1zZM

07Lapierre · 03-01-2024 07:43PM

The Col de Madeline is exactly the type of climb you can expect on the Etape…actually there will be two or three climbs on the day and the finish is usually on the summit of the last climb.

Do you intend doing any events in Ireland? I’d recommend you try the Ring of Kerry and the Wicklow 100/200.

MojoMaker · 09-11-2025 08:06PM

How's the progress @martco?

fat bloke · 21-11-2025 12:07PM

Jeepers. That's some story. Would be great to get an update. What's that phrase about - if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans. The Gods are certainly having a laugh with you because the etape 26 is possibly the hardest one ever. It'd be difficult for it to be any harder quite honestly.

But anyway, hope you're still on the bike and progressing, regardless.

back on bike and with a hopeful (probably fairly ridiculous) end goal: L'Etape du Tour

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