Genetics vs Training: who wins the broken token?
Posted by Jon on Monday, February 16, 2009
A good weeks training for me. After a broken few weeks due to the weather. I clocked up my biggest mileage in a week with 183miles (10 hours on the bike).
It was topped off on Sunday with my most enjoyable ride in training so far. Good friend Andy Fooks came over from Oxford to go for a ride and chat about the possibility of him being in the support crew for RAAM. At lunchtime, when we left it seemed a great day for cycling as the temperature was mild and the air fairly still. Both of us however were claiming to be a little worried. Andy, beacause he hadn't been on his bike for 6 months (evidenced by a completely rusted chain which took him half an hour to get moving) and me because I'm aware of the aerobic genetic freak that Andy is regardless off training (VO2max well over 70 on the bike, compared to little old me at 53 measured in December).
Turns out we were both right to be worried.
On the way out Andy taught me a lesson in cycling as I desperately tried to hang on to his back wheel whilst he cruised along barely breathing, slowing down on the inclines to let me keep up and letting me draft behind him for the entire first 30 miles. We spent frequent prolonged spells up around 40-45kmph, way faster than I would ever try and go normally on a ride of this length. I just kept my head down, watched Andy's back wheel and pedalled hard. Until this point I thought my training was going well and was fancying myself as a bit of a potential cyclist, but Andy reminded me that you can't escape gentics. (average speed to to first 31 miles - 34kmph)
On the way back home however things changed a little. Andy began to feel his lack of training, the glycogen stores started running low and and the wind was picking up into our faces as the afternoon progressed. I started doing some of the work on the front to give Andy a break and to my surprise I didn't seem to be holding him up. Odd I thought, it's not like Andy to happily sit in behind and tick along this slowly (we were now spending most of our time below 30kmph into the wind). Little did I know that behind me the man of aerobic steel was steadily turning to deconditioned mush. With about 10 miles to go the truth came out. As Andy led the way for a spell I saw a steady climb up ahead and asked if he wanted me to lead the way. "Yes please" came the response so I nipped in front of him to try and set a steady tempo up the slope. Suddenly after about 30 seconds I heard a whimpering cry in the distance, "jon!". I looked over my shoulder (which by the way isn't the safest thing for me as I have an inability to go in a straigt line if I'm not looking that way) and to my surprise and initial dismay Andy had stopped on the climb and put his feet to the floor. STOPPED!! FEET ON THE FLOOR!! I couldn't believe it. It sunk in, the proudest point of my athletic career. I looked around me and absorbed the moment. I held my hands to the sky and let out a deep manful laugh. "Ha, ha, ha ... I'm the king of the world!" Regardless of what happens now with my future training, whether I make it through RAAM or not, I no longer care. I was will always be able to remember the day that I broke Andy Fooks in an edurance challenge. (average speed for the latter 31 miles - 27kmph)
It was topped off on Sunday with my most enjoyable ride in training so far. Good friend Andy Fooks came over from Oxford to go for a ride and chat about the possibility of him being in the support crew for RAAM. At lunchtime, when we left it seemed a great day for cycling as the temperature was mild and the air fairly still. Both of us however were claiming to be a little worried. Andy, beacause he hadn't been on his bike for 6 months (evidenced by a completely rusted chain which took him half an hour to get moving) and me because I'm aware of the aerobic genetic freak that Andy is regardless off training (VO2max well over 70 on the bike, compared to little old me at 53 measured in December).
Turns out we were both right to be worried.
On the way out Andy taught me a lesson in cycling as I desperately tried to hang on to his back wheel whilst he cruised along barely breathing, slowing down on the inclines to let me keep up and letting me draft behind him for the entire first 30 miles. We spent frequent prolonged spells up around 40-45kmph, way faster than I would ever try and go normally on a ride of this length. I just kept my head down, watched Andy's back wheel and pedalled hard. Until this point I thought my training was going well and was fancying myself as a bit of a potential cyclist, but Andy reminded me that you can't escape gentics. (average speed to to first 31 miles - 34kmph)
On the way back home however things changed a little. Andy began to feel his lack of training, the glycogen stores started running low and and the wind was picking up into our faces as the afternoon progressed. I started doing some of the work on the front to give Andy a break and to my surprise I didn't seem to be holding him up. Odd I thought, it's not like Andy to happily sit in behind and tick along this slowly (we were now spending most of our time below 30kmph into the wind). Little did I know that behind me the man of aerobic steel was steadily turning to deconditioned mush. With about 10 miles to go the truth came out. As Andy led the way for a spell I saw a steady climb up ahead and asked if he wanted me to lead the way. "Yes please" came the response so I nipped in front of him to try and set a steady tempo up the slope. Suddenly after about 30 seconds I heard a whimpering cry in the distance, "jon!". I looked over my shoulder (which by the way isn't the safest thing for me as I have an inability to go in a straigt line if I'm not looking that way) and to my surprise and initial dismay Andy had stopped on the climb and put his feet to the floor. STOPPED!! FEET ON THE FLOOR!! I couldn't believe it. It sunk in, the proudest point of my athletic career. I looked around me and absorbed the moment. I held my hands to the sky and let out a deep manful laugh. "Ha, ha, ha ... I'm the king of the world!" Regardless of what happens now with my future training, whether I make it through RAAM or not, I no longer care. I was will always be able to remember the day that I broke Andy Fooks in an edurance challenge. (average speed for the latter 31 miles - 27kmph)