Team improves time trial performance

February 25, 2009
Hi folks, Mark here, my first attempt at a blog. Since the beginning of December 2008 after our official entry into RAAM, Jon, Tom, and myself have been training three times a week on our kingcycle turbo trainer. The sessions have been mostly high-intensity intervals (e.g. 10 x 1 km, 3 x 3 km, etc) to try to increase our top-end speed. As well as our physiological tests, we've carried out a series of 8 km time trials to help monitor training progression. Last Friday was the most recent of these time trials and despite some derogatory comments regarding my training methods from my fellow team mates, we all improved our overall times. To date, Tom has improved by 35 s from an initial average speed of 41.3 km/h to 43.5 km/h; Jon has improved by 30 s from an initial average speed of 44.4 km/h to 46.5 km/h; and I've improved by 46 s from an initial average speed of 38.7 km/h to 41.2 km/h. More testing results (physiological assessments) will be posted next week.          

Posted by Mark.

 

Fires of Enthusiasm

February 22, 2009

RAAM meeting (yesterday) was a great day, met up with about 30 other like-minded human beings. Some who are approaching the RAAM with slightly more intensity than I; some who seem to have the same book as I do and are reading from the very same page....now isn't that nice. Definitely came away from there stoked up. Lots of useful tips and I'll have to have a look back through my notes at some stage and make sure that they are shared with the rest of the team!

On a slightly more frustrating not...


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Posted by Cozza.

 

Genetics vs Training: who wins the broken token?

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 howev...
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Posted by Jon.

 

Cozza takes a tumble

February 12, 2009
Twice. I came off my bike twice in one morning.

So I'm joining Jon's club. Both times onto my right side so I'm expecting a cracker of a bruise. When I got up this morning I didn't think that it was so cold so I thought that I'd go for a bike ride instead of a run, I was fine for the first 40 min, pootling along, thinking about night riding in Kansas or somewhere.... next thing I know I'm sprawled on the tarmac. Yikes. Up I get, not too hurt or anything, just a bit surprised. So I'm super car...
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Posted by Corinne.

 

Other UK riders

February 8, 2009
So, just thought that I'd do some research to see who else might be attending the RAAM "clinic" in London in a couple of weeks time. According to the RAAM website there are the following UK teams entered:
5 solo UK riders
2 two person teams
1 four person team (us)

Picked up a couple of other dorky facts as well; Of the 17 four person teams entered
4 of them are mixed teams (Germany, USA, USA, us)
1 womens team (USA)
5 are open category / +50 / +75 yrs  


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Posted by Corinne.

 

Support Vehicles

February 5, 2009
So I think we should get one of these....

  
 

or perhaps...

  

 
courtesy of http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/08/recreational-super-vehicles.html


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Posted by Corinne.

 

the answer on the 3's

February 4, 2009
Yes.
These things do come in 3's. Hit a patch of black ice on the way to work today and went down like Hugh Grant's car-pool buddy. Luckily was going slowly at the time so the car behind me stopped before I got wrapped round their wheels.
I'm awaiting the puncture now.
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Posted by Jon.

 

Snow

February 2, 2009

Woke up this morning to the winter wonderland that's kept most of us at home.
Apparently very few people managed to get in to work today, and after getting outside this morning I decided it wasn't going to be the safest time to get on the bike. After my two recent run-ins on the road I wasn't planning on taking risks today so I ended up being another one working from home.



Corinne (comment): Jon, tell me you didn't leave your trusty steed out in the SNOW?!
Jon (Reply): No, no. This picture was ...


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Posted by Jon.

 

3's

February 1, 2009
I'm currently hoping that things don't really come in 3's.

Having not had a puncture since I got my bike in 2007 I've now had 2 in the last few weeks. I'm riding paranoid at the moment checking down at my tyres after every bump and bit of rough road.

Even more worrying is that I've now had 2 run-ins with motor vehicles. After getting knocked of my bike at low speed earlier this week I had an even scarier run in yesterday with a white van driver who hit me in the shoulder with his wing mirror w...
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Posted by Jon.

 

Jon takes one for the team

January 28, 2009
Had my first meeting with the tarmac today.
Heading down a cycle lane a car swerved left into me rather than slow down when they saw something in their way up ahead. Side swiped me and sent me sliding down the pavement.
Fortunately no real harm done, just a few bruises, and I think the driver was more worried than I was.
A lesson to all, please check your mirrors and look out for cyclists!
Just for your entertainment I've included some pics of the bruises and scrapes.






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Posted by Jon.

 
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