This video should either put you off the 3 Peaks for life or if you're slightly odd and think, 'Wow that looks like a fun day out I might pack some chicken sandwiches and give it a go', I'll see you there next year. O and if anyone can work out how Rob Jebb is running up Simon Fell at around the 20 second mark of the video please let me know... after watching it a few times I put it down black magic.
Thursday 30 September 2010
Monday 27 September 2010
The first of many?
And as my racing season came to an end with the 3 Peaks Cyclocross race, billed as the toughest of its kind in the world, I picked up my first age category win and my first ever trophy!!! WOOP!
The race started in Helwith Bridge, Yorkshire, and involved the leg shattering ascent and arm busting descent of the 3 biggest fells in the area; Ingleborough (723m), Whernside (736m) and Pen y Ghent (694m). The race is 'only' 38 miles long which may not sound like much but it was the longest 4hours and 15minutes of my life and by far the hardest race I have ever done.
Rob Jebb was the overall winner in a time of just under 3 hours. He, along with all the top senior riders make the climbs look easy and the descents seem a walk in the park. Perhaps one day I will be able to bomb it down a loose rocky track on 35mm tyrea like they do... might just have to remove my brain first.
As I was 3 Peaks Virgin I had no idea what to expect. I started amongst the middle of the 550 starters and got held up quite a bit on the road towards the first climb, Simon Fell/Ingleborough, pictured below. This grass covered wall was the hardest part of the race and seemed to go on forever, then once it was over the descent was as terrifying as the hill was tough!
After getting passed by many people on the descent I hit the road towards the next climb and made up quite a few places. Once on the track towards Whernside I looked up and was taken aback by the vast lump of limestone in front of you with riders looking like ants as they clamber their way up. The top of Whernside is a rather alien environment with loose boulders and not much going on in the form of life, other than dozens of cyclist gasping for air. The descent of the hill involved a lot of steps and some 'HOLY MACKEREL' moments but I made it down in one piece, thankfully, and was then back onto the road towards the final climb of the day, Pen y Ghent.
I must admit I had imagined Pen y Ghent to be mostly rideable as people had been saying it was a 'riders climb'. However I soon found this was the not case for me as I hauled my bike up a steep, loose rocky track for what seemed like hours with my legs cramping up and energy levels dwindling. Nevertheless I made it to the top where from then on in it was all downhill. I got down Pen y Ghent in decent time and bombed it to the finish on the last couple of miles of road. Then crossed the finish line in a haze after 4hr 15mins and 44secs and was absolutely pooped. I went and got changed and had some food and then lugged myself outside to lye on the grass and wait for the prize giving to see where I had come in my category.
So after watching the Senior Male and Female winners claim their prizes the U23 male category came up. And the winner was... Me! Couldn't quite believe it but I walked through the crowd and collected my £200 voucher for High Peak Cycles and as I was walking away was called back as I hadn't got my trophy! Out came a rather large silver challis and in a way I was more pleased with that than the voucher, having my name engraved on the same trophy as 8 time 3 Peaks Champion Rob Jebb along with the likes of Nick Craig is a real honour. Now all I have to do is find a place to put it!
So my race season is over. Nice to finish on a high and to know all the hard work is paying off. Now time to relax for a couple of weeks, Veg out on Maccy D's and Dominoes, and work out what to spend my voucher on!
The race started in Helwith Bridge, Yorkshire, and involved the leg shattering ascent and arm busting descent of the 3 biggest fells in the area; Ingleborough (723m), Whernside (736m) and Pen y Ghent (694m). The race is 'only' 38 miles long which may not sound like much but it was the longest 4hours and 15minutes of my life and by far the hardest race I have ever done.
Rob Jebb was the overall winner in a time of just under 3 hours. He, along with all the top senior riders make the climbs look easy and the descents seem a walk in the park. Perhaps one day I will be able to bomb it down a loose rocky track on 35mm tyrea like they do... might just have to remove my brain first.
As I was 3 Peaks Virgin I had no idea what to expect. I started amongst the middle of the 550 starters and got held up quite a bit on the road towards the first climb, Simon Fell/Ingleborough, pictured below. This grass covered wall was the hardest part of the race and seemed to go on forever, then once it was over the descent was as terrifying as the hill was tough!
After getting passed by many people on the descent I hit the road towards the next climb and made up quite a few places. Once on the track towards Whernside I looked up and was taken aback by the vast lump of limestone in front of you with riders looking like ants as they clamber their way up. The top of Whernside is a rather alien environment with loose boulders and not much going on in the form of life, other than dozens of cyclist gasping for air. The descent of the hill involved a lot of steps and some 'HOLY MACKEREL' moments but I made it down in one piece, thankfully, and was then back onto the road towards the final climb of the day, Pen y Ghent.
I must admit I had imagined Pen y Ghent to be mostly rideable as people had been saying it was a 'riders climb'. However I soon found this was the not case for me as I hauled my bike up a steep, loose rocky track for what seemed like hours with my legs cramping up and energy levels dwindling. Nevertheless I made it to the top where from then on in it was all downhill. I got down Pen y Ghent in decent time and bombed it to the finish on the last couple of miles of road. Then crossed the finish line in a haze after 4hr 15mins and 44secs and was absolutely pooped. I went and got changed and had some food and then lugged myself outside to lye on the grass and wait for the prize giving to see where I had come in my category.
So after watching the Senior Male and Female winners claim their prizes the U23 male category came up. And the winner was... Me! Couldn't quite believe it but I walked through the crowd and collected my £200 voucher for High Peak Cycles and as I was walking away was called back as I hadn't got my trophy! Out came a rather large silver challis and in a way I was more pleased with that than the voucher, having my name engraved on the same trophy as 8 time 3 Peaks Champion Rob Jebb along with the likes of Nick Craig is a real honour. Now all I have to do is find a place to put it!
So my race season is over. Nice to finish on a high and to know all the hard work is paying off. Now time to relax for a couple of weeks, Veg out on Maccy D's and Dominoes, and work out what to spend my voucher on!
Wednesday 22 September 2010
Going like a well oiled machine
Today I went on a short ride on my cross bike to test the new tyres and check everything is running smoothly including myself. I basically rode up a big hill on the road and then went down it on a track to try and improve my descending skills in the wet and give the bike a good shake around! Everything seems to be running smoothly. Got absolutely soaked doing so and my legs got covered in stuff... autumn is on its way!
Today was also the first day of serendipity up at the uni. I went and checked it out, got some vouchers for free pizza and checked out the clubs available. Unfortunately there is still no road cycling club, although this year someone has finally organised a triathlon club so I'm definitely gonna hit that hard. Wasn't too tempted by the battle reenactment society or Warhammer club. Maybe next year!
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Trouble cramming in the calories?
Just one final bit of 'food for thought' for today.
There may be people out there training so hard they find it hard to take in enough calories? Well here is the answer...http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/food-drink/the-world%E2%80%99s-most-unhealthy-sandwiches-blog-1-sabrina-ghayour.html
There may be people out there training so hard they find it hard to take in enough calories? Well here is the answer...http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/food-drink/the-world%E2%80%99s-most-unhealthy-sandwiches-blog-1-sabrina-ghayour.html
Clean chain clean mind
So as I've got a big race coming up this weekend in the form of the 3 peaks cyclocross race, supposedly the toughest race of its kind in the world, I'm not doing too much as far as training goes. Today just involved a 1 and a half hour tempo ride around the lanes on Anglesey which was rather nice!
This afternoon I got down and dirty and gave my Jake the Snake cyclocross bike a good clean and service along with some new tyres. After much deliberation and searching on the internet I decided to go for the Maxxis Mud Wrestler, partly because it was on offer and partly because it said it was a good all round tyre... can't go wrong really.
So now my bike looks rather swish and I'm happy with the new tyres, I'll give them a little run tomorrow to see how they roll! Here are a couple of pictures of ma Jake the Snake. You made need sunglasses he's rather bright!
This afternoon I got down and dirty and gave my Jake the Snake cyclocross bike a good clean and service along with some new tyres. After much deliberation and searching on the internet I decided to go for the Maxxis Mud Wrestler, partly because it was on offer and partly because it said it was a good all round tyre... can't go wrong really.
So now my bike looks rather swish and I'm happy with the new tyres, I'll give them a little run tomorrow to see how they roll! Here are a couple of pictures of ma Jake the Snake. You made need sunglasses he's rather bright!
Monday 20 September 2010
Text book training
I'm a rather poor student at the moment so in order to try and make some money I gathered my chemistry text books together to see if I could sell them at a local book shop. So I whacked them all in my bag and chugged along the hilly 1.5 mile walk to the book shop only to get rejected with a 'come back next week'.
So I still have 3 text books I don't need, still have no money and now have a sweaty back from lugging them around for 40 minutes.
Nevertheless a nice little training session for the three peaks race next weekend where I'll be carrying my bike for quite a bit of it so every little helps!
So I still have 3 text books I don't need, still have no money and now have a sweaty back from lugging them around for 40 minutes.
Nevertheless a nice little training session for the three peaks race next weekend where I'll be carrying my bike for quite a bit of it so every little helps!
Food Coma Mondays
I do not enjoy Mondays. Not because I have to get up early to go to work after enjoying my weekend off, but because Mondays are my day off from training. This means I have to find ways of keeping myself busy which usually involves eating ALL day, and ending up in a food coma...
Sunday 19 September 2010
So how fast can a student go?
Hello! So after a 5 year break I've started a new blog... this time with a purpose, to document how fast I can get on a bike, in the pool and running over the next two years at University.
So why now? Well to be honest I have too much free time on my hands with just 6 hours of lectures a week and not much reading going on... So rather than sit on my bum all day browsing Facebook I'm going to get out there and train hard and see just how fast my body can propel me.
After my first season of cycling time trials and a triathlon I've now got a base to improve on. So here goes!
So why now? Well to be honest I have too much free time on my hands with just 6 hours of lectures a week and not much reading going on... So rather than sit on my bum all day browsing Facebook I'm going to get out there and train hard and see just how fast my body can propel me.
After my first season of cycling time trials and a triathlon I've now got a base to improve on. So here goes!
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