Crank It!

One former Olympian who has been in the news a bit lately is former rower James Cracknell. He featured in a cycling record attempt with another Olympian, rower turned cyclist Rebecca Romero. He has also been in the headlines as one of a trio of explorers (including Ben Fogle and another former rower Ed Coode) heading to the South Pole. This was documented in the BBC series On Thin Ice.

If you spend any time watching the former rower, you are instantly hit by what a driven individual he is. He throws himself wholeheartedly into whatever challenge he is undertaking. It has to be said, at the detriment of the rest of his life (usually in a description such as this it would say 'sometimes at the detriment of...' In the case of Mr Cracknell, I have deliberately ommitted the 'sometimes') Maybe this is what makes him such a great champion. After all, we are not all double Olympic champions.

Anyway, whatever you think of him, the reason I am writing about him is that James Cracknell is responsible for one of my favourite snippets from sport, ever. It is only short but sums up the moment fantastically well. It comes from the awesome autobiography of another rowing great, Matthew Pinsent, titled 'A Lifetime in a Race'

This is a great book, which I have read twice. It follows a format is a favourite of mine, the diary of events told through the athletes eyes. From the inside as it were. A real page turner. The final chapter of the book (or epilogue) covers the Athens Olympics of 2004 and Pinsent's quest for a fourth successive Olympic Gold medal. He is part of a coxless four crew (including Cracknell, Coode and Steve Williams) who have devoted at least four years to achieving gold...

Rowing is not a sport I know. Nor is it one I particularly follow but like most inhabitants of the UK, I have been swept up by the passion of Olympic rowing. Following the fortunes of Redgrave, Pinsent and Cracknell over the last few years. I hope Matt doesn't mind if I give you a taster of the book. It may inspire you to give it a read? (NB A bit of background first, in rowing the calls and direction are usually made by just one of the team (historically Redgrave in the team of four but now Steve Williams) the others usually staying silent and concentrating on the rowing.)

Ten twenty eight; the starter goes through the call over and turns on the lights. Staring at the red nothing dominates my thoughts more than the first stroke. Make it quick, make it deep.

I know we had a good start and our position relative to the Canadian's proves it, level if not a little up after ten strokes. 'Length' Steve calls, quiet almost. We get into our cruise, less energy than the start but the foot hasn't come off the gas much, if at all. Still level, maybe up a bit, then definitely up. 'Don't wait!' We had talked about this and made a point of the mistake we had made in Lucerne two months before. We had slowed after two minutes to row alongside the Canadians rather than keep forging ahead. But even though we are trying to get ahead, they are right there, a man down. 750 down and we are not going to drop them, but we are in position A. We had always felt that they put too much into the first half and we needed to be there to punish them in the second.

Halfway, '250 now'; it's a long drawn out effort, meant to last from the halfway mark to the next, a full 250 metres. We move and then stick, then they start coming back. This should be it, it should be easier from here on in.

'Two-fifty now'; another go at moving, they are just ahead, now we have actually lost ground on them. We are getting close to sprinting but not yet all in. Bad news is that we can't seem to shake them from their rythmn, can't get away. Good news, they can't either, it's right in the balance.

Five hundred to go, both boats fly through the last mark locked together. 'Crank it!' It's a different voice, it's James. His favourite call, one we dreamed up in altitude camp, it's the beginning of the charge. Crank encapsulates everything we want here, relentless, increasing power without losing length.

Four hundred, still together, still we can't get ahead enough to feel we are going to win for sure. The grandstands start on the left hand side, the roar begins. Okay, I think to myself, this is all over if we get a decisive move here, get a half-length and it's over. Give it 30 strokes, make them the best, as if everything rested on them and win it right here. I go for more power, more length again and start driving the oar through the water with all I've got. We talked about this before too, let's get everything out, let's empty the tank...

Did they win? You might know the answer already. I suggest you buy the book whatever. A great read and encapsulating from start to finish. I would copy the whole section here but risk getting in trouble with big Matt and I am guessing if we got into a discussion, he could take me...

Cracknell's 'Crank it!' is now locked away in my memory banks. I pull it out whenever I need that little bit more effort. Whether it is on the bike, in the gym or some other sporting endeavour, if I need just that little bit more, I know the ideal phrase to spur me on.

Take care,

Col.

PS I am going to be organising a charity fundraiser for the GT Foundation soon (watch this space) and an autographed copy of Matthew Pinsent's autobiography will be one of the prizes on offer.

One small step for man...

Hello and welcome back to GT Winner!!!

It has been a while but we all deserve a rest every once in a while! It seems like an age ago that I was all wrapped up in the Etape Caledonia. What a ride and what a journey it was. Thanks again to all who contributed in both money and support.

You will no doubt be pleased to learn that it is not the end for GT Winner. I have more events planned (watch this space) and definitely more rides on the way. In the meantime, I would like to share a ride with you that was completed yesterday by someone other than me - my daughter, Skye.

Yesterday she rode her little pink bike for the first time without stabilizers! It was a very proud moment for us all and gave a huge sense of accomplishment.



I can still remember the first time I rode my bike by myself. So does my Dad. He was the one who let go of my saddle and let me ride free. Yesterday, the shoe was on the other foot as it were. I was struck by the sense of freedom there is from riding a bike, I still am today. There is nothing to beat the feeling speed and of the wind in your hair. I hope Skye gets as much pleasure from bike riding as I still do. I know as she sat down afterwards that she was very pleased with herself - and so she should be. What a girl!

There was another tinge of emotion simultaneous to the huge elation I felt at her achievement. At one point I was running alongside her, just in case of mishap. The increasingly confident (and always independent) Skye shouted to me to stop running and let her go. I did as I was told and watched her ride off into the distance. I was so proud but also aware, is this the start of my little girl really growing up...

It's good to be back,

Col.

GT Winner on GTF

If you have a look here the Etape Caledonia ride details are now on the Geoff Thomas Foundation website. Thanks again to Becky for organising that. If you do decide to have a look, you will see that the GTF site is a very good one, with loads of info about the charity and its events. There are also a growing band of GTF fundraisers, which is great to see.

From a personal point of view, this is going to be the last few days of fundraising for the EC project. I will be adding up the total soon. Donations are still coming in (many thanks) and we may well reach the £2,000 mark yet!

Keep up the good work,

Col.

Post-race Photos

Here are some pictures of the race finish courtesy of my mothers mobile phone (surprisingly clear I think). BTW my Ma thought I might have been missing the chocolate since January, so she brought me a little taste! (PS It is still untouched in the fridge at home)

There are a couple of things apparent to me. One is, "how small are my folks?" They must definitely be shrinking in old age. They never used to be that small...


Secondly (and on a slightly more serious note) I noticed my white lips in the last picture with my Dad. This is not due to any Tom Boonen type antics but rather dehydration. I mentioned before that my carefully planned eating and drinking schedule had been thrown off course by the unexpected stoppage and this seems to confirm it. I downed three bottles of water soon after the picture was taken.

This can happen to the best of us though. Lance Armstrong famously dehydrated in a long time trial stage of the 2003 Tour de France and nearly lost the race as a result. He has the white lip thing too.

Cheers for now,

Col.

The Support Team

I have been caught up in the GT Winner project for about six months now. It has been quite a ride and has taken many twists and turns during that time. It has been very fulfilling but also hard work during that time. There were plenty of occasions where I would have preferred not to do the training, or not to write the blog and definitely times when I could have gone a bar of chocolate (still off it!). What I have realised is that you can't really do anything in life by yourself. You need back up. You need your support network. Fortunately, I am blessed with one of the best and it is time to give them a bit of a mention.

MY WIFE

I am one of the lucky ones. I love my wife more than I could ever write here and I am sure she feels the same. I very much look forward to us growing old and senile together. We are true life partners and despite her relative lack of cycling prowess, her input into this project has been invaluable.



As I have mentioned many times on these pages already, I would struggle to get through the day without Marnie keeping me organised. Therefore for a project like this, she was a necessity! Add to this the amount of time she has spent massaging both me and my battered ego over the last six months, plus her endless hours of childcare while I was away riding my bike and you have a key member of my team.


There is also one last piece of thanks I owe my wife. That is to say thank you for being there (in the infancy of our relationship it has to be said) during the dark times of the cancer, all those years ago. I truly couldn't have done it on my own and I will never forget who was my rock of support.


THE KIDS


If I thought I was lucky before, I wasn't even started! When you are lucky enough to have kids, it really does open your eyes as to what life is really all about. I absolutely adore my kids (Skye is nearly 4 and Ben coming up 2). They are both truly exceptional human beings in their own ways and I love watching them grow, almost visibly, by the day. They have spurred me on during the training and put up with their Dad being tired and grumpy!



Unbeknownst to them, they have also spurred me on in another way. I have tried not to lose sight of why I am raising this money and the thought that cancer can affect anyone, of any age, just doesn't bear thinking about.


MY FOLKS


As if putting up with me for eighteen years was not enough, always good for an adventure and a day out, my folks were my very own support team on the day. Bearing in mind that they had to drive up all the way from Lincolnshire the day before, this is no mean feet. Thanks Mum and Dad, especially for putting up with me being speechless at the finish for at least five minutes!




T-A CICLISMO



My companions for the weekend, Team T-A Ciclismo, are an awesome bunch of fellow cyclists. I truly could not have wished for a more hospitable group of guys to share my Etape Caledonia experience with. Before the event I had visions of wet canvas and damp sleeping bags. The reality was the lap of luxury and all my meals made for me. From Malcy's pasta, to the morning granola to the finest burgers in the whole of Pitlochry, I was definitely well catered for. Add in to this the friendly banter and a not inconsiderable sum of sponsor money and it was pre-ride utopia! Considering I had never met all but one of the guys before the weekend, their support was truly awesome. All I can say is, guys...chapeau! and same time next year...?


THE SCOTTS


Speaking of beds... The owners of my place to rest for the night were the very hospitable Scott's (Margaret and Peter), sister and brother in law of JJ, one of the TA guys. Not only did these lovely people agree to letting twelve or so sweaty cyclists camp out in their house for the night (they even moved next door) but they also put up with me and my folks after the ride (BTW - owners of the finest shower I have ever used, thanks Mags. Perhaps my judgement was slightly influenced by the occasion?) Below are (L-R) Pete, Mags and JJ.


Also, the TA guys had a whip round after the ride to pay for the inevitable clearing up that was required. Mags and Pete decided to donate this money to GTF. This is truly above and beyond the call of duty and shows what great characters they are. My thanks go to them both, on a personal level and on behalf of GTF. Thanks and any chance of a bed next year...?

WILLY BAIN


What is there left to say about this man? A true legend amongst bike mechanics. Well, there is one last thing. Not only did Willy assemble my new hot-rod in double quick time so that it was ready for the event, he even added some "go-faster" parts onto it...and he donated his fee for doing it to the GTF charity. Awesome work Willy, thanks!

BECKY AT GTF

I chose the GTF as my charity of choice for a number of reasons (see one of the first blog postings to find out why). This was long before I had the good fortune to be in touch with their campaign coordinator and PA to Geoff, Becky Frewing. Throughout the project Becky has been very helpful and encouraging and a pleasure to deal with. She has also helped me organise the next GT Winner project (coming soon, watch this space...)


THE STAFF

Last but not least, my work colleagues. These guys have put up with me being forgetful and disorganised lately (but that is no change from normal!) They have also helped with raising money by publicising the project. Thanks guys, couldn't have done it without you.

Finally, I must also say an enduring "Thank You" to anyone who has sponsored me for this challenge. I have been truly overwhelmed by everyone's generosity and have raised far more money than I expected. I know it is going to a good cause.

All the best,

Col.

Going the distance...

I have made a shocking and rather unpleasant discovery over the last couple of days. Whilst reading some of the many reports on the sabotaged Etape Caledonia I have discovered that the race did not cover the complete distance. Apparaently, due to the potential danger caused by the tacks and due to the difficulty in clearing them from such a large area, the organisers decided to omit a small (about seven miles) section at the bottom of the climb. Here is an image of the route but due to my poor grasp of geography, I am not sure which bit it is?

Now, you would be forgiven for thinking that I should have noticed this before...and I kind of did. I remember thinking as we were passing the distance markers on the run in that they did not tally up with my cycling computer but to be honest, you are kind of busy with other things at the time! The other variable was that I had ridden from the campsite to the start, so my computer wasn't starting at zero (incase you are wondering, two reasons for this. I was going to set a personal best for distance, so wanted to know how far I had gone in total. Secondly, I had half an eye on doing 100 miles, a cycling landmark).

So, here is the real rub. I feel I have raised money for charity (GTF) during this project, with the objective being that I would ride the 81 mile Etape Caledonia. Now, depending on how you look at it, I have or haven't done this. I rode the whole event (as it was on the day). It looks as though I have ridden 81 miles too (73 or so in the event and another 8 going to and from the campsite) Here is a picture of my computer to confirm the distances I travelled. They are not 100% accurate, so rounding to the nearest whole number, 81 miles.

However, if anyone who has donated feels short changed in any way, you most certainly have the option of letting me know. I will not be confirming a final total raised for a few days, so there is plenty of opportunity to get in touch. I promise that if there had been the opportunity to ride the extra distance, I would have done it. The whole thing is a bit unsavoury and leaves a bad taste in the mouth but I guess that's life. I entered into the event in good faith, it is just a shame some circumstances beyond my control affected the day. I guess I will just have to do it again next year...

All the best,

Col.

Etape Caledonia 2009 (Part 2)

It is now the morning after the night before. I am happy to report that I am still in one piece, although walking seems to have taken on a new level of difficulty (and in true Fawlty Towers stylie, just don't mention the stairs - imagine Herr Flick from Allo Allo and you are about there!) Suffice to say that my right knee in particular is letting me know what it thought of yesterdays antics. More on that later.

I thought I would expand a little on my short post from last night and add in some pictures. Just to truly give a flavour of the event.

REGISTRATION

I picked up my hire car on Saturday. I had booked a nice big estate car with plenty of room for one, if not two bikes. Only to arrive and be greeted with a Ford Fiesta! Not to worry. It meant I had to decide which bike I was going to use as I could only take one. I think this prevented some on the day procrastination, so was actually beneficial. I decided to take the new steed and was truly vindicated in this decision during the event. All my stuff only just fitted in, even with no other passengers. Who would have thought you needed so much stuff just for a bike ride...

One of the provisos for entry into the Etape Caledonia is that all participants must register the day before the event. I drove up for around 6pm and was greeted by the sight of cyclists everywhere. Almost every second car seemed to be carrying a bike or two. Riding, walking, chatting, shopping, it appeared everyone in the town had the same shared passion for two wheels and it was a great sight. I registered (very quick and extremely well organised) and collected my timing chip.

ACCOMMODATION

For most people this pre-race registration also means an over night stay in or around Pitlochrie. I mentioned a while ago how I struggled to get a bed for the night but by a quirk of fate, I fell right on my feet! A chance e-mail put me in touch with an old friend Ed Lindsay. He is the (self-elected?) leader of a group of cyclists calling themselves "Team Affluent" (more on these guys later). Fortunately for me the TA boys had the Etape Caledonia down as their first event of the summer. Ed very kindly offered for me to bunk in with them. I expected this to mean a night under wet canvas but nothing could have been further from the truth. I stayed in a lovely holiday home on the Faskally campsite, owned by one of the teams sister and brother in law (more on this great couple later too).

RACE DAY

I had a comfy (if short) bed and slept reasonably well considering. I awoke at about 5 am. It was damp but not raining. A good breakfast and a bit of bike prep and then it was time to get ready. It was now raining, so clothing choice was getting more difficult. I eventually chose to wear knee warmers with my shorts and to take my rain cape (horrid to ride in, very sweaty but useful while I waited around for my turn to start - and again later in the day, unbeknownst to me at the time!) I shunned the over shoes (in some way they just offend me aesthetically?) a decision I rued for the first few miles as I had really cold, wet feet! Here I am before the start.

We cycled down to the start as a team. Most of the TA boys were off early doors, so I got to watch the myriad of cyclists setting off before me. What a true celebration of two wheels the EC really is. Men, women, road bikes, mountain bikes, recumbents, tandems, you name it, they were all there. What I found particularly interesting was the true mixture of cyclists. In some groups you had true roadies with their carbon bikes and deep section carbon wheels lining up right next to a seventy year old in baggy shorts with his pannier clad touring bike. Awesome. Despite the drizzle at that stage, everyone seemed in good spirits and the organisation was again first class (as it was throughout, despite the unforeseen problems ahead).

Once I got going it was a case of trying to find a rhythm. As I suspected, at that late stage there was little in the way of group riding. I tried to find riders of similar pace but the course is quite undulating at the start, so there are lots of changes of pace and it can be tricky to ride with other riders.

Eventually I met a guy called Alex (riding a blue Trek) with whom I had a nice chat. I was trying to just stay relaxed and not worry too much about time or distance travelled. I then met another nice chap, Bruce, from Edinburgh who I road a good few miles with. We had a great chat on a range of subjects including football, rugby, cycling and work. It really helped to pass the time. By this point we had probably ridden about 25 miles. I still hadn't been in a bunch, or really drafted anyone (if you remember from previous posts, riding in another riders slipstream can save up to 33% of your energy. I would certainly vouch for this after yesterday!)

As luck would have it, I found what I was looking for. Two large blokes, riding at a good speed. Due to my size I need a larger rider to shelter behind and these guys were perfect. I didn't get their names but yellow Giant riding man and particularly Cervelo riding blue jacket man - chapeau and thank you! I proceeded to get a lovely tow for a good ten miles along the Loch side. Awesome views, sunshine and passing people all the way. It doesn't get much better than that. Once I had drained their energy I took my turn at the front and made some further headway. I was just getting psyched up for the big climb when disaster struck...

Up until now there had been a couple of minor roadside incidents. Crashes, feed stations, punctures etc. but this was a big hold up. The entire field seemed to be coming to a standstill. We all dismounted and rather demoralising, I met all the people I had ridden past already! At this point, I still thought it would be a short stoppage - maybe the feed station was busy? or another crash? so I went for a pee.

As I documented yesterday (see previous post) it was much more than that. We were held up for a long time. As I said, it was just after 10.00am when I stopped and 11.50am when I got going again. During that time we advanced about a mile down the road (I should factor this into my time, which I forgot yesterday). I won't talk too much about this period other than to say it was cold, windy but sunny and not wet. Almost all of the riders were confused, dismayed but not aggressive, despite their anger at the mindless actions of the minority. The locals of Loch Rannoch were brilliant. They provided tea, coffee and shelter (even using their own mugs!) and were very understanding.

Now, this is important. If you were to ask a non-cyclist or non-athlete whether they would like a long break in the middle of an event, they would probably say yes. Following my experiences yesterday, I would definitely say this is a hindrance rather than a help. During the stoppage I got cold, I got hungry (I had a very pre-planned eating and drinking schedule that was going very well but planned for five hours, not six!) and my legs stiffened up. Prior to the stoppage, I was going really well and was nicely warmed up for the big climb. When we re-started I was cold and there were bikes everywhere, all going at different speeds. In particular, my knee was giving me jip straight away.

I managed to get over the climb and hooked onto two guys going at a good speed. It is quite a long, stepped climb but not too steep. The main difficulty was finding the rhythm again and trying to combat the feeling of having to make up for lost time. The descent was fun, if windy. Open roads really are the way forward!

Next came my biggest stroke of luck. I was falling low on energy and knew there was still a way to go (30 miles?) I needed a group...and I got one. In this situation names are irrelevant. There is just you and the wheel infront. I decided that wheel was mine and I was staying there. The group was about six strong - Etape Caledonia jersey man, Assos jacket man, Sweden jersey man, Dave Raynor Fund man, me and our spiritual leader - Endura tights, dhb jersey, red Principa riding lady. Yep, four blokes and me all got towed for mile after mile by a very smooth pedalling young lady. To you my dear, chapeau and many thanks. For the only time in the ride, we got a bit of "through and off" going on and the pace was way, way higher than I would have manged solo. The sun was out, the scenery was stunning but to be honest, I was a long way away by now. My world had closed in to leave just the tyre two inches infront and the screaming pain coming from my thighs every time we went even slightly up hill.

We rode as a group almost to the end, where a series of truly brutal short, steep climbs really signs off with a bang. This is definitely the hardest part of the route! Then, before I knew it, I was coming in to the finish. Pitlochry was full of cheering people. I actually slowed down on purpose as I came into the barriered section. I wanted to soak up the moment. I had been thinking about this for six months and I wanted to savour the occasion. I looked around and my emotions were all over the place. I crossed the line and a lovely lady presented my with a medal and said how well I had done. It appeared so heartfelt, I almost hugged her!

My folks had come to watch and they were just after the finish. Unfortunately, I couldn't speak for about five minutes but I drank three bottles of water and then was a bit more with it. Here is me after the finish, with my medal!!!

There is much more to say but that is enough for today. As I said yesterday, I am very pleased and very proud. Thanks again to everyone who made it possible. I will continue to post over the next few days about everything and everyone involved.

Chapeau,

Col.

Etape Caledonia 2009

Wow. What a day. What a truly amazing, unforgettable day. Certainly a "once in a lifetime". Some of you may already know what happened but if not, here it is...

I am going to have to keep this brief (I am practically falling asleep on the laptop-promise to write more tomorrow) so here goes...

I set off in wet conditions in the last group (group X - they went in alphabetical order, so you can easily figure out how far down the field I was! If nothing else, there would be plenty of people to aim at). By this time I had freezing fingers and toes and was praying the weather wasn't going to be horrible. However, it soon warmed up and the sun came out and the first 40 miles or so were very enjoyable and passed mainly without significant problems. Then this happened...

I cannot believe that anyone in the whole field of 3,500 people anticipated this happening! (or was really prepared for it) The actions of a mindless few threatened to spoil the whole event for the rest. Spraying the road with carpet tacks is irresponsible and very dangerous. Never mind punctures, this could have lead to crashes and as it was on the fastest part of the course, maybe even fatalities. We have been lucky. I only hope the police can find the culprits. Bearing in mind that local people lined the whole route and to a man cheered us on, this is definitely not an accurate reflection of the local people of Perthshire.

Eventually, after a long, cold break, we got going again. I managed over the big climb and got in some good groups on the way home to the finish. The route definitely has a sting in the tail!

For me, the facts are something like this. I eventually finished the event. I managed to cycle the whole 81 mile course (some earlier riders had to be re-directed and didn't get this opportunity). It took me approximately 6 hours in total, of which I was stood around for about 2 hours, so in reality just over four hours.

My timing chip says I took 05.52.48 and I timed that I was stood from 10.02 to 11.50, so working that out I was riding for about 4hours and 5 minutes. Either way, much faster than I anticipated. With this I am really pleased. I feel very proud and a great sense of achievement. I will sleep well tonight and it is in no small part due to the people that have donated to the project that I have such a good feeling of success. Thanks to you all.

Sleep well (I will) and thanks again,

Colin.

Route Fly Through

2 days to go...

Only two days to go now and I am starting to dread the thought of Sunday. Sorry to be doom and gloom at this late stage but this is due to a combination of factors.

I am feeling a little under pressure (the fundraising is going really, really well and thank you to everyone who has dipped into their pockets over the last week, it is all really appreciated) but this does mean that the stakes are being ramped up. Also, the weather has taken a definite turn for the worst (gone is our mini-heatwave back is the familiar rain).

However, I don't think these are the primary reasons for my malaise. I think this has another cause, namely the fact that I am averaging about four hours sleep a night. My son, Ben, is unfortunately not well and has been up most nights over the last week. Add to this the fact that his sister, Skye, has a hacking cough and I wouldn' be surprised if I am coming down with something...aarghh!

It's not all doom and gloom though. The new bike has arrived and Willy has truly pulled out all the stops and got it on the road for me (despite an ill fitting seatpost shim, he just made a new post appear "as if by magic" just like the shop keeper in Mr Ben!). Took it for a test ride this morning (not far, about 15 miles) and I can happily report that it rides like a dream. It is comfortable, fast and handles perfectly. The biggest revelation surprisingly though has to be the new Campagnolo Veloce groupset - what a stunner. Multiple up and down shifts, front and rear, even under load. A huge improvement on anything I have ridden before. I just hope the crappy Scottish weather isn't going to go and get it all dirty!

Anyway, I am off to finish packing my bags. I pick up the hire car tomorrow lunchtime and then it is off to Pitlochry to meet up with the support crew (TA you know who you are!), register and try to get some sleep.

I may not get to post again before the ride, so once again thank you all and wish me luck...

Cheers,

Col.

The Final Week

Well, the day of reckoning is nearly upon us. I am well into the final week of my preparations for the Etape Caledonia 2009. There are now four days to go...

I have the week off work (by lucky coincidence) and have been to my warm weather training camp...in Ayrshire! (we have spent the last three days at Seamill Hydro. Who would have thought you could feel this far away from everything just 45 minutes from the front door?). All joking aside, we have had glorious weather. The kids had a great time and are wonderfully sun-kissed. Very relaxing indeed.

In actual fact it was no training camp - I didn't take the bike. I am obeying the rules of relaxation this week and hoping to save all my energy for the big day. Only problem I am having is that I seem to be confusing "pre-ride carbo-loading" with "stuffing my face full of cr@p!"

Weather forecast (despite our current heatwave) is not good for Pitlochry at the weekend. Looks like it will be wet. Oh well, at least no chance of sunstroke and no excuse to be distracted by the scenery!

New bike frame arrived today. I haven't seen it yet as it got delivered to work. I will take it to Willy tomorrow. I very much doubt I will use it on the big day (especially if it is raining!) as I want to have a chance to familiarise myself with it and there just isn't time. Not to worry, I will take my best legs instead...

Cheers,

Col.

bicyclerepair.co.uk

If you are going to ride a bike, you soon figure out that it will need a bit of maintenance along the way. This starts off with keeping it clean, then progresses to oiling the chain and...before you know it...you are wondering whether the headset bearings are integrated or not!



This is a journey I have been on over the last few years and the next dawning realisation you will have is that you need a reliable LBS. LBS is cyclo-speak for "Local Bike Store". No matter how confident you are at bicycle maintenance (as I have mentioned before, I positively enjoy getting my hands dirty), there will come a point where a lack of knowledge or tools will have you seeking expert help. I am very fortunate to have just that expert, right on my doorstep.



Close to both my work and home is bicyclerepair.co.uk. This is a store run by ace bike mechanic, Willy Bain. It is an unusual bike shop in that it does not sell bikes. Instead, it concentrates on providing bicycle maintenance and repair and selling all manner of cycling accessories. Willy stocks a seemingly ever increasing range of cycling accoutrement's from parts, to nutrition supplements, to clothing, to lighting, to helmets and much more. I have been impressed recently with the expansion of his ranges, particularly for clothing. As you can probably tell, I spend an unhealthy amount of time hanging around the shelves of bicyclerepair. It is a fault I am happy to admit to and plan to continue (even if Willy is not so sure!)

Willy truly is a bike genius. There seems to be little that he doesn't know how to sort. I am sure he has forgotten more about bikes than many of us will ever know. Whether it is a simple or complex task, he seems to tackle it with ease. Many is the time I have sweated and thrashed over something for hours, only to take it in to Willy and him sort it in two seconds! He even guided me through my first attempt at wheel-building recently (I am very proud of the rear wheel on my fixie these days!) and if he can do that, he must know what he is on about!


The shop is always full of bikes (and often full of bikies too. One of the things you soon realise if you ride a bike around South Glasgow is that everyone knows Willy and they all seem to like hanging around in his shop - especially me) of all different kinds. I thought at first that this must be some kind of summer rush but I have come to realise that no matter what the season, bikes will need repaired! I am sure I read somewhere that Willy knows about all forms of two-wheeled transport and I can vouch for this having seen the plethora of machines that regularly fill his store. These range from children's scooters, to the most blinging carbon time trial bike I have ever seen! I even once saw a tandem combining upright and recumbent sections in there!


So, to paraphrase the Ghostbusters, if your bike needs sorted..."Who you gonna call...?"


Happy Riding,

Col.

bicylerepair.co.uk can be found at 359 Pollokshaws Road and on the phone 0141 423 9010.

35

It's my birthday...today...I am 35...and I am really, really...happy about it!

Sometimes it pays to take a step back and look around. I have been trying to do that a bit more lately and do you know what? I like what I see. I am a very lucky man. I have a beautiful wife, whom I love very much and who I know loves me (that is a very special thing and not as common as you might think). I have the two most fantastic kids I have ever clapped eyes on (they really are truly remarkable and having my son sing happy birthday to me this morning while my daughter ripped open my presents at the speed of light, really amazing). I live in a lovely house and I am reasonably secure financially. All in all, I have everything I could have possibly wished for at this age.

Above all though, I realise that I am very fortunate to be fit and healthy and able to enjoy all of these aspects of my life. Long may it continue.

Please have a drink on me tonight,

Col.

Weather

Everything I read about the Etape Caledonia 2008 includes pictures of idyllic Scottish countryside filled with happy cyclists, dappled in glorious sunshine. It seems that the weather last year was absolutely perfect. Just right for an early morning ride. Not too hot, not too cold.

I have obviously been praying all year for something similar. However, it is looking less like this is going to happen... The weather here has been awful for the last few weeks. It is cold, windy and wet (and then some). This doesn't normally bother me too much (if you don't ride in the wet in Glasgow, you don't really ride much at all!) but it is getting a bit silly.

I got home from my ride on Wednesday night to find a huge puddle in the middle of my lawn and two of the local ducks swimming in it! You can see the male of the duo in the picture having a little sit down under my kids climbing frame!

I guess you have to be a little bit mad to be a cyclist and I certainly felt it that night. Everyone else was rushing to their cars or homes after work. I chose to go on a training ride to the Glennifer Braes! Probably not my wisest move but I felt good about it once I was finished. I wanted to check a couple of things before the EC came around.

I wanted to check what kit would work best in the wet (I certainly got a chance to check that!) and to check my climbing form (I haven't been riding too many hills recently, just because of route choices). The good news was that I felt good on the climb. I rode it in 11.38, which is almost two minutes faster than when I last did it in February. I also managed to climb a significant proportion out of the saddle, another pleasing factor. Just hope I climb as well on the day, Shehallion is a bit bigger than the Braes though...

Only 9 days to go,

Col.

Tour de Force

I have always been a lover of sporting non-fiction. In the run up to the Etape Caledonia this has escalated above even my normal levels. I have practically been devouring any literature to do with cycling. It was due to this that I stumbled upon the excellent Tour de Force by Daniel Coyle. I was in my local Borders and I had pretty much read everything else in the cycling section! I was to be pleasantly surprised. It is an excellent book and surprising in it's honesty. I would have imagined that a book like this, written by someone close to Armstrong, and privy to his personal affairs would have been very bland and controlled. Not so. Coyle gives a detailed account of his time in the Armstrong camp (he and his family moved to Spain and followed Armstrong for a year - no mean feat in itself!) without offering any rigid opinions on what is going on. He allows the reader to make up their own mind. His writing style is excellent and as a result the book will appeal to cyclists and non-cyclists alike.

I have a couple of favourite bits from the book, that I will share with you. Coyle speaks at length about Armstrong's training methods and in particular his relationship with the infamous doctor Michele Ferrari (the good doctor is widely regarded as a doping genius. He has been charged in the past with doping offences pertaining to cyclists and Armstrong has latterly tried to distance himself from Ferrari following public out cry). Interestingly, Armstrong also has another well known trainer, Chris Carmichael, who has made a fortune from his association with the Tour de France champ. It is an interesting area and here is a section from the book on the subject.

Whatever the balance*, it was clear that Armstrong was close to both men; both served his needs in their own way.

*To explore this question, I took a poll. Here are the results:

• US Postal Directeur Johan Bruyneel (diplomatically): "I would say that both Ferrari and Carmichael are important to Lance. Each in their own way."


• Armstrong Agent Stapleton (emphatically): "Ferrari's the trainer but Carmichael is the coach. He's got final say."


• Postal Team Chiropractor Spencer (carefully): "Ferrari's brilliant, and I think there's no doubt that Lance listens to him carefully. On the Tour, I can say that Carmichael is just not that involved. I think he's busy with TV stuff."


• Current Postal team mate Landis (incredulously): "Come on. You've met them both. Who would you listen to?"


• Former team mate Vaughters (knowingly): "That is a very interesting question. There are a lot of people who would say that is THE question."

I particularly like Landis' comment. However, my favourite part of the book covers a different topic altogether. It is when Coyle describes the riders preparation for the Tour de France. It describes a level of conditioning unknown to almost all humans...

"A privileged equilibrium between quality of muscles, acuity of intelligence and force of shear character," the French philosopher and writer Roland Barthes called it. Stepping out onto the razor, the riders call it, a journey into the realm of physiological irony. On the bike, they feel invincible; the pedals seem to float. Off it, they move slowly, delicately. Body fat plummets to malnutritive levels, they are hollow cheeked and paper-skinned; they might get out of breath climbing a short flight of stairs. White blood cell counts drop by 30 per cent; their bodies become vulnerable to all manner of colds and disease. They push elevator buttons with their elbows to avoid germs. They sniffle. They live on the boundary between pathetic sickness and intoxicating power. They push, like Icarus, to see how high they can fly.

I love the term "stepping out onto the razor". I wish I were approaching that level in my preparations. Unfortunately, the only razor I need worry about is the one hovering over my leg hair. But then that's another story...

Col.

Fundraising Update

We are at less than two weeks to the big day now. My nerves are starting to jangle. I am feeling pretty good about the ride itself and I am still really looking forward to it. However, I am feeling a little pressure due to the amount that is riding on it (pardon the pun), quite literally.

So far we have raised just over £1500. This is an awesome amount and I have been truly overwhelmed by everyone's generosity. I have received donations from friends, family and associates. I have even received donations from people who I have never met! Some people have donated because they know me. Some because they know the disease. Either way I am very, very grateful and just hope that I can do them all proud.

If you would like to donate, please visit the fundraising page here.

Take care,

Col.

The Bike

I cannot believe that I have gotten this far and I have not yet really mentioned the bike. After all, I would struggle to do the Etape Caledonia without one! For me one of the great things about cycling is that it provides dual enjoyment. Yes, I love riding my bike but I also just love bikes...

Over the last couple of years in particular, I think I have spent as much time building and mending bikes as I have riding them! I think it is a man thing. We all seem to like to have a passion or hobby that we can get truly over-indulgent about. For some men it is cars, for some it is computers but for me it is definitely bikes. There is something about the cogs and sprockets and oil and grease of it all that just appeals. I blame my Dad, who has always been an inveterate tinkerer and DIY kind of guy.

Now, if you were thinking of buying a bike, there are (broadly speaking) two ways that you could go about it. You can buy a complete bike from a bike shop (as most sensible/ normal people would do) or you can buy it piece by piece and then build it all up into your pride and joy. This second route is definitely not cost effective (or time efficient for that matter) but it does provide almost limitless scope for pouring over catalogues and websites of components and specifying each individual part just the way you want it. I could spend hours (what do I mean could, I do spend hours, just ask my wife) pouring over cycling magazines looking at the specifications of various bikes and components. What more could a man dream of...

When I returned to cycling about ten years ago, I purchased a cheap Claud Butler road bike from the guys at Craig McMartin's on Pollokshaws Road. It was a good starting point (both from the point of view of riding and my introduction to bike "fettling"). I then went on to a Specialized Allez (lovingly bought for me as a birthday present by my wife). This was/ is an awesome bike. It may have a relatively low spec by some peoples standards but I have always loved it. It has suited me well irrespective of the type of riding. I have used it for general riding, racing, time trialling and it is currently in use as my winter bike with mudguards and panniers.

As I started riding (and reading) more, I began to lust after a faster bike (This is an interesting concept in itself as the thing that makes the most difference to how fast a bike goes is nothing to do with the hardwear, ie the rider!). I was so impressed with the Specialized Allez that I was keen to keep the same frameset. There are bikes higher up in the range than the one I had but none of them tickled my fancy. I searched around and managed to find a frame only deal that was the same as mine from what was Oldham Cycles. I duly bought it and set about choosing the components.

I wanted to give Campagnolo a try rather than the all pervasive Shimano groupsets. At the time, there were no Specialized bikes with Campag(nolo) components. I have always been a sucker for aesthetics as far as bikes are concerned. Things have to match. No purple bar tape and red saddles for me. The theme for this bike was black and white, styled on the La Pierre bikes ridden by the Francais Des Jeux team at the time. Bearing this in mind, I chose a black groupest, Campag Mirage. Not the best by any stretch but visually awesome and the poor mans Record! I asked Glasgow's finest bike mechanic, Willy to order a groupset for me and to build the bike up (this was one bike I wanted to be perfect, so no home build here). I chose Campag Vento wheels to keep the theme going throughout the bike. Finishing kit was mainly Specialized, with a carbon pave seatpost and stem.

I think the outcome was near perfect. The bike looks awesome and rides like a dream. It is light (comparitively), smooth and comfortable. It gives off a real air of speed. I think (I am being very honest here, particularly bearing in mind what is to come) I would be happy riding this bike for many years. It suits perfectly the type of rides that I do, usually one or two hours with no huge climbs.

However, when I signed up for the Etape Caledonia, my mind obviously started to wander...(as I said, boys love their toys) To give you some background to my musings, there is a theory that Aluminium (from which the Specialized is made) can give a slightly harsh ride. I have steel framed bikes (a very forgiving material) and I can vouch that the ride is definitely different. It is a slightly softer, less twitchy experience. Does this take away from the feeling of speed? Hard to say. The general feeling (within the cycling community) is that Aluminium is not a great frame material for riding long distances. For this type of riding, the preferred materials are steel, titanium or carbon. Carbon is theoretically perfect as it has a very high strength to weight ratio and can be formed into nearly any shape. For me, titanium is just something to be lusted after as it is outwith my price range...)0:

So it was that I plumped for a new bike (in reality it had as much to do with the fall in the Bank of England base rate as it did my mood!) I have always admired the Specialized Roubaix (a carbon, high spec version of my Allez, specifically designed for riding longer distances) but they have changed it a bit recently and I am not so keen. It is also pretty dear for what it is. Then I saw a new kid on the block, the Ribble Sportive Carbon. I saw it and instantly had to have one...

The only problem is that a few hundred other folk seem to have had the same idea. The bike has been sold out for months. I telephoned the guys at Ribble (they were very helpful) and was advised that the frame should be back in stock at the end of April (it turns out they were coming from the Far East - Taiwan? and Ribble had paid for air freight rather than sea to try and get them quicker). Unfortunately, April has come and gone and still no bike. I have all of the components and the wheels, just no frame...

I think they may have now arrived in the UK. I may still take delivery of it before the Etape. However, it will still need to be assembled and there is a limit to the number of favours I can ask of Willy. Also, do I really want to be riding 81 miles on a bike I have never sat on before? I am not sure. I would ideally have liked to get at least some training in on it before the event. I suppose these questions will all get answered over the next week or so but it is looking more likely that the Sportive Carbon will be a very nice finishing prize, rather than my steed for the day. Not to worry, it is the legs that count really...(0:

Happy riding,

Col.

Fat Boy

Last night I had my weekly visit to my own personal torturer, Gordon (aka my personal trainer - see previous post on Impact Fitness). This particular visit was important as I was due to have my body measurements taken.

I will try and explain. As a way of monitoring his clients fitness, and to help set them achievable goals, Gordon takes body measurements from each of them at their first visit. These can then be repeated at a later date to check for improvements. I had my measurements taken about a year ago, when I had my first Impact Fitness session.

The measurements include standard parameters such as height, weight and "circumference measurements" (waist, chest, bicep, quads, calf etc.) . There is also a measurement of body fat. This is done using what looks like a large pair of pliers that are used to grip your various spare tyres! A calculation is then done to determine your percentage body fat.

Now, before I reveal the results, I should say that I have been feeling pretty good about myself recently. I have definitely lost weight since I began my training. I can feel it in my body and I notice a difference in my clothes (my jeans don't fit). Having said that, I have not been having a particularly great week. I've been a bit under the weather, I guess with a virus (my son has not been well either over the last couple of weeks and we are a very caring family...). This, combined with some truly Glasgow-esque weather, has scuppered my plans for a long ride this week (I did go to cycling club on Wednesday and had a great time. Forty miles, including my first "race pace" group riding of the year but this has definitely been the exception rather than the rule this week).

So, before last nights session, I wasn't feeling at my peak but then I guess we all have bad weeks, or bad days. I was having what Bridget Jones would called a "fat day". My diet had not been particularly good and, as I said, I was feeling a little under-exercised. Not a great mental state of affairs for such an ordeal but hey-ho. It turns out that I have a body fat percentage of 20.3%. This seems like an awfully high number to me but Gordon assures me it is not too bad. It places me in the Good category (the categories being Poor-below average-good-very good and excellent). I suppose I should be pleased although it is higher than I had hoped for (my perception has definitely been skewed by an article in Cycling Weekly last week, where one rider had the bizarre level of 1.5% - truly abnormal) I guess what is important is whether it is an improvement on last year? I will look out the other figures and let you know...

Col.

The Cancer (Part 2)

Firstly, I have only had cancer once. I only intend to have it once too (touch wood). However, I think there is more to say on the subject than I have already posted, so here goes...

There are many reasons why people write blogs. I know I have many reasons for doing so (too much time on my hands?). One of the reasons for me writing GT Winner was partly to provide a degree of self-help type stuff, on those topics us men are so crap at talking about and so happy to ignore. I know it has been at least a partial success on this front as recently one of my female friends remarked to me

"...great blog Col. If I had any testicles, I would have had them out for a feel straight away..."

Such is the theme of today's post.

It turns out (I didn't know this until much later) that one of the main reasons for me developing testicular cancer when I was 25 years old, was something that happened much earlier in my life. When I was born I suffered from a very common birth defect known as cryptorchidism, or undescended testicle. This affects 3% of full-term or 30% of premature infant boys. It can affect one or both testes (for me it was just the one) and is one of the most common birth defects (and the most common of involving the male genitalia).

In my case, it was discovered that I had cryptorchidism when I was about three years old. I vaguely remember it, so I cannot have been that young. I underwent surgery and the testicle was re-positioned in the scrotum. The mis-placed testicle can lie in various places depending on how far it got on the journey of descent. In my case, it was in the abdominal region, below my belly button. I remember relatively little about the hospital stay, although I remember vividly returning to hospital to have my stitches removed and crying bitterly because I didn't want the nurse to see my willy! (again another sign that I can't have been that young!)

I know for a fact that both my parents and I thought that once the surgery was completed, that was the end of the saga. My mother swears that at no point was the possibility of cancer mentioned or discussed in any way. This is more than a little odd as it seems well documented in the literature that undescended testicle does significantly increase the chances of a patient developing testicular cancer at a later stage. With a history of one undescended testicle, your risk is about four times higher than that of a man with both testicles descended normally (about 1:120 compared to the norm at 1:480 for both testes affected it is 1:44). More information can be seen here

So all in all, I was lucky that I found the problem when I did. It would have been nice to have the "heads up" that I might develop a problem as I got older. I certainly think this knowledge would make affected individuals a bit more scrupulous about checking themselves regularly. I would hope that in the modern age, counselling post-cryptorchidism is better than it seems to have been when I was a boy.

Take care and happy self-examination boys and girls...

Col.

Prologue

Last night saw my long awaited return to the competitive world of club cycling. The first club night of the season (usually just after the clocks have changed) is a key date in the cycling diary. For a member of The Glasgow Nightingale Cycling Club it is marked by the running of the Prologue time trial.

(NB the word Prologue is derived from Ancient Greek and means preface or preceding the main matter. In cycling, it is usually a short time trial at the start of a longer event - such as the Tour de France - used to order and position riders. For our club it helps us order ourselves into groups for subsequent training rides over the summer.)

I decided to ride over to the race. It takes place in and around Torrance, on the North of the city. From my house it is about ten miles give or take a little bit. I hoped that this would help me warm up but would also let me get more miles in the legs leading up to the Etape Caledonia ride. The weather was slightly overcast but dry.

On the way over I met fellow club member Tom Worthington on Great Western Road. He was on his way home from work to change, ready for the race. Tom is a Nightingale stalwart and a great guy. He is a true bikey with a love of all things cycling related. I don't know whether Tom drives a car (I doubt it) but he seems to have truly taken the bike to his heart and integrated it into his daily life. On this occasion he was cycling along in his "civvies", trousers rolled to keep them away from the chain, bag slung over shoulder. We had a quick chat and Tom headed off.

One of the interesting parts of the evening for me was as Tom and I turned a corner into Queen Margaret Drive. We were side by side, me in my race gear, Tom in his ordinary clothes, both on race bikes. We set off together but within one corner and only a couple of pedal strokes Tom was bike lengths ahead of me and looking around. I don't know if it was his line through the corner or the fluidity of his riding but Tom (the seasoned racer) had, unbeknownst to him, given me a reminder that I have much to learn...

Tom has his own blog here:
http://theweering.blogspot.com/

As I arrived at the club house I could see quite a crowd of expectant riders, mostly kitted out in the new 'Gale jerseys. These have a really classy look about them and it is great to see so many club members supporting the club in this way. I felt I stuck out a bit as I was all decked out in my bright green Geoff Thomas kit.

I gave my name to the starter, Jim Reid (all clubs need a Jim to survive. A club member for seemingly forever, he is always helping out us younger riders and events such as the prologue would not be possible without him) and was given number 13 on the start list (unlucky for some but actually my lucky number and my shirt number during my hockey days. An omen...?)

Riding a time trial is a difficult business. It obviously requires extremes of physical effort but it is also quite a mentally challenging act. Maintaining concentration is difficult, particularly when your body is so focused on other things. Also in the mix is the need to maintain the correct levels of effort. This is surprisingly challenging. One of my worries prior to the prologue ride was whether I would be able to control my effort to cover the whole course (the last time I rode the event I went off too fast at the start and blew up half way round). Some riders use power meters or heart rate monitors to control their efforts. I chose to go with good old fashioned "feel" (the battery was flat in my HRM!). Would I be able to go hard enough but without going over the "red line"? I knew time would tell...

The course is approximately 5.5 miles in length. It is in four sections - an uphill drag to begin, followed by a fast descent, then a hard hilly section followed by the run in to the finish. I waited in line (shivering in the cold after removing all unnecessary clothing) and soon it was my turn to start. The starter gave a short countdown and then I was off...

Riders are set off at minute intervals. It is always good if you can see the rider in front as this lends some incentive to the chase. As I went up the initial drag I could see my minute man off in the distance. I could even convince myself I was catching him. Once I reached the roundabout and began to descend the second section, he was nowhere in sight. I couldn't believe the irony. A heavy weight rider like me was actually losing ground on the descents! I pressed on regardless.

Next came another turn and the technical, hilly section. This is where I had come a cropper the last time. I had an idea in my mind of when I would know I was going hard enough. It sounds daft now in retrospect but I thought I would know when I had reached maximal effort when I got that rasping, metallic taste in the back of my throat. That is a sensation I know well from years of interval (running) training with hockey and always a sure fire sign you are reaching your limit. I was well and truly getting this taste for it all by now...

I managed to maintain my form through the hills and wasn't scrambling for gears too badly. I rode the whole course in the large chain ring. Then, as I rounded the bend, I could see my minute man again, who was turning for home. I vowed to chase on. A clear road at the final turn and I was onto the finishing straights. It is funny how these short roads that I had studied on the map so many times now seemed so long. They only looked like inches on the map? I didn't know how far to the finish but I kept grinding away. I looked down and realised I was in my top gear - not something I use very often! I felt sure at this point I was going to make the catch. Visions of Armstrong and Ullrich a la Tour de France flashed through my mind. I pressed on but then, there it was, I could see the finish. It was getting closer. I was still a few yards behind. Press on. More power captain. But alas, the race was over...

I didn't catch my minute man but I rode pretty respectably (for me that is. I was nowhere near the top riders but I felt pretty good and rode pretty consistently all the way round). I had no idea of my time. I had set my computer to show me distance rather than time, so that I would know how far to go. It felt as though one of my lungs had decided to take up residence in my throat. It took a while for my breathing to calm down. I was happy. Knackered but happy. Content with my performance.

I think in the end I finished about half way down the 30 man field. I rode the 5 miles plus in 15.08 minutes, so about 20mph average speed. The winning time was an extraordinary 11 minutes something. Again a reminder that I am many things but no bike racer...

The finished riders all had a cuppa and something to eat and then it was time to ride home for me. One of the most pleasing parts of the evening for me was the rides to and from the club. All in all I covered about 26 miles and I felt pretty damn comfortable through it all. I am feeling really happy on the bike just now. My position is comfortable and familiar and my "souplesse" is improving. I made it home just in time to see Sir Alan firing the American bird and have a chat with a fellow Etape Caledonian rider who I met in the street whilst putting out the wheelie bin! (Good luck Rod).

All in all a great night. Back in the saddle again. Roll on next Wednesday...

Cheers,

Col.

Glasgow Nightingale Cycling Club

Although I have ridden bikes for most of my life (except for a short period during my University years when I was too busy, er...studying ;-O ) I have never been a bike 'racer'. Being a road racer is something that separates you from the average man in the street and allows you membership of an elite clan. It is definitely something that I aspire to.

With this in mind, a few years ago I decided to join a cycling club. I had no idea where to start but was lucky enough to have a good friend who was a member of a local club (Clive, where for art thou now...?) He recommended that we try a club on the North side of the city - The Glasgow Nightingale Cycling Club. It was not particularly handy for me but seemed to offer all I was looking for. I have to say I have never had cause to regret that decision.

The many benefits of the club included that they ran group training rides every week in the summer, longer Sunday runs during the winter and they also put on their own time trials, to give their members the chance to ride this style of event. Since I joined this has blossomed even further to include team time trials and track events too.

The club has a very comprehensive website which can be seen here:

http://www.glasgownightingalecc.org.uk/

and a very active forum here:

http://www.glasgownightingalecc.org.uk/forum/YaBB.pl

Allied to these benefits, club members are given the chance to ride races. This is a driving force for many riders joining a club for the first time. At the Nightingale, other, more experienced members will provide practical advice and support for 'newbies'. They can help with planning, fitness and equipment advice and just general organisation leading up to that first racing experience. They have some stunning new kit too (which I have mentioned before is very important to us cyclists!). Check out the kit page here

I have been a member now for four years or so. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your point of view) this has coincided with me having young children. This has limited my ability to ride much at all but I have still enjoyed the membership, regularly reading the forum and trying to keep in touch. Bearing in mind the almost negligible membership fee (less than twenty quid), I cannot see a reason not to be a member. I have ridden APR training rides and tried my hand at time trials. You can see one of my efforts here

All in all, Glasgow Nightingale is a very pleasant club to be a member of. No matter what type of cycling you are involved in, they can help you enjoy the experience. They are a very friendly club and a club going from strength to strength. They have secured good sponsorship deals with NVT, SAPPHIRE and SOLIDROCK CYCLES. I would not hesitate in recommending them to anyone looking for a club in Glasgow. I hope one day to race in the Belgianesqe colours of the Glasgow Nightingale (maybe even later this year...?) but even if I don't, I will have very much enjoyed my times with the guys (and gals) of the club.

Happy riding,

Col.

GTF Blog

It appears that I am not the only one who has been busy recently. Things at the Geoff Thomas Foundation are equally frantic. They are in the middle of several projects, including Geoff's appearance on the BBC and the launch of their "Virtual Tour de France" fundraising project. Details of which can be seen here:
http://www.geoffthomasfoundation.org/gtf/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=102&Itemid=28

Geoff has also joined the blogging clan, his latest offerings are here:
http://www.geoffthomasfoundation.org/gtf/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=5&Itemid=42

All the best to Geoff and his team.

Cheers,

Col.

Great French Words of Cycling

Cycle sport is an inherent part of the culture in countries such as France and Belgium, much like football is part of our culture in the UK. Road cycling in particular is steeped in European traditions handed down through many generations. It is also true that French is the unofficial language of road cycling and because of this there is some great cycling-specific terminology. Here are some of my favourites...

Peleton - the term used for the main bunch of riders. It comes from the French for 'herd'.

Contre le Montre - the time trial or 'race of truth' where the rider competes solo, against the clock.

Parcours - a french term for the route the race takes each day.

Hors Categorie - or 'beyond classification' a term used to describe the hardest of the mountain passes.

Grimpeur - a climber suited to the high mountains.

Rouleur - a rider suited to the flat lands, usually larger riders.

Casquette - the short peaked, cotton cycling cap worn by riders.

Maillot - jersey, most famously the Maillot Jaune or Yellow jersey worn by the leader of the Tour de France.

and my own personal favourite...

Souplesse - a word without a direct translation into English. It is used to describe the suppleness or fluidity of a riders pedal stroke. It is often talked about with regard to 'fixed wheel' riding. The great champions are often remarked upon as having wonderful 'souplesse'.

Fine souplesse is something most of us mere mortals can only aspire to. I can categorically confirm (particularly after nearly meeting my maker coming down a steep hill in Kings Park last night on my fixed wheel bike) that my souplesse is almost entirely up my arse...

Keep spinning ;-)

Col.

Beautiful Day

You will all have had that feeling when everything just seems to go right. No matter whether it is work, sport or in your social life, there are some days where everything just seems to click. I was lucky enough to have one of those days today.

I have set aside Mondays as the days for my longer rides in the last few weeks leading up to the Etape. I was therefore absolutely delighted to see the sun shining when I got up this morning. It meant short sleeves and the summer bike for the first time this year (a lot of cyclists will have two bikes, a winter and a summer. The winter bike is the workhorse, often an older bike, fitted with weather beating accessories like mudguards and maybe load carrying rack and panniers). Using the summer bike means freedom from this extra weight and the feeling of flying...

I deliberately chose a flat route but felt really good as I sped off to Kilmarnock down the old A77. The weather was perfect. Not too hot and not too cold (although I did meet an Aussie cyclist over in Glasgow for a year - still wearing full length tights, jacket and skull cap!). The scenery was delightful (Ayrshire is really beautiful from a bike).

All in all I managed 40 miles in 2 hours 15 minutes. Back in time to play with the kids in the sunshine. So good pacing but still only half distance. Not to worry, shan't spoil my good day thinking about that...

All the best,

Col.

Optician Awards 2009

Some of you may know what I do for a living. I am an Optometrist (or Optician to the majority of the general public). I work in general practice in Glasgow. I would imagine that less of you know that I have a particular interest in Sports Vision. This is a specialist area, which deals with vision assessment of people participating in sport.

I run a specialist clinic where interested parties can have their vision assessed in the most comprehensive way. As well as the normal tests you would expect to be carried out when you have your eyes tested, we also assess visual functions particularly important for sport. Measurements include dynamic vision (vision of a moving target), reaction speed, hand eye coordination and peripheral awareness. To do this we use the latest in up to the minute Sports Vision technology. We also offer training packages, where athletes can come repeatedly to the clinic and train their eye muscles and coordination. Done repetitively this can lead to performance improvement, as with other areas of sports training.

Our particular set up is pretty unique in the UK. There are other clinics in England, based at the Olympic training centre at Bisham Abbey and Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United. However, we are unusual in that we combine our Optical services and our sports coaching all under one roof. The line between what is Optometry and what is sports coaching is definitely becoming more blurred.

We have had a very busy and productive year in 2008 and were fortunate enough to be nominated for the recent Optician Awards. These are an annual event held by our industry publication "Optician Magazine". They are designed to show recognition for outstanding achievement within our profession. This year the awards were held at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham and we were shortlisted in the "Sports Vision Practice of the Year" category.

So it was that our practice manager and I flew down to Birmingham last Saturday morning. We spent some time at the Optrafair trade show, then got ourselves ready for the gala dinner in the evening. It began with a champagne reception, with a guest list reading like a who's who of UK Optometry. There were lots of faces that I only recognised from magazines. There were also some friendly faces that I hadn't seen for some time. We also bumped into Marilyn Munroe and were photographed by the paparazzi on the way in...

The formal part of the evening consisted of a dinner, attended by 650 guests. There was also a live video link to another 200 or so upstairs in the bar area. We had a very pleasant meal in the company of our hosts, Rupp & Hubrach, who were sponsoring our category. Then it was time for the awards, which were done is a very "Oscars" style. Each section had a shortlist of five, from which the winner would be announced. No one knew the results prior to the event except the judges.

Our award came about half way through the thirteen on offer and I admit to more than a few butterflies. Fortunately, and to my very great joy, we were announced the winners! We had to go on to the stage and accept the award (thankfully no speeches) and have our picture taken.

The rest of the evening passed in a bit of a blur to be honest. I hardly noticed who won the awards that came after ours. I was too busy grinning. As a practice, we are all very proud of this award and feel it is great recognition of what we are trying to achieve.

Take care and keep your eye on the ball,

Col.

Impact Fitness

At one stage last year, when my son was still pretty young and sleep was scarce, my fitness reached an all time low. I was eating poorly, with lots of sugar and caffeine to get me through the day. There never seemed to be a spare minute, so exercise was confined very much to the back burner. Add to this the fact that I was knackered all the time and you can see that it wasn't a great recipe for a healthy lifestyle!

My wife and I discussed the situation several times and eventually we decided that we needed a kick start in improving our weekly routines. We decided to try a personal trainer, something my wife had done with great success a couple of years earlier after the birth of our daughter. This was how we came to meet Gordon Hill of Impact Fitness, with my first batch of sessions being a birthday gift from my beloved!

I was a bit wary of using a trainer, as it was going to be a new experience for me. I need not have worried. Gordon is a very friendly guy with the ideal persona for a personal trainer. He is very friendly but with a steely edge that helps him to push you on. He tailors each persons sessions to their individual fitness levels. He is also a very fit guy, so you never feel that he is making you do something that he wouldn't do himself!

Initially my sessions took place at my local hockey club. Gordon would set up circuit training for me on the grass. Latterly, when the weather took a dip, we would meet at the gym of Parklands Country Club, which is the base for his training. I enjoyed the sessions from the start , although my fitness was woeful! With the rest of my lifestyle at that time, Gordon was definitely fighting a losing battle! But we persevered.

For one reason or another, I had taken a break from the sessions since Christmas. We reconvened last night. I had asked Gordon to help me with the final push to fitness before the Etape ride. This was a challenge he seemed to relish...

Last nights session was based on interval training. Short sections of near maximal effort, followed by short recovery to allow the heart rate to re-stabilise, repeated. Gordon had me working through intervals on the exercise bike, rowing machine and treadmill. By the end I was gasping for breath and feeling more than a little nauseous! As I begged for mercy, we finished off with some abdominal work and some much needed stretching. This stretching seems to have helped my knee pain quite a bit. I will need to do more of this easily forgotten part of my training regimen.

I will be seeing Gordon once a week up until the ride. If you want details of his services, you can visit his website at:

http://www.impact-fitness.co.uk/
or at here:
http://www.parklandscountryclub.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=57

Keep happy and keep training,

Col.

Coaching Session (Part 2)

I recently posted about my visit to cycling coach, Colin Bark. He performed a very thorough test of my fitness with an aim to helping my preparation for the Etape ride. Well, I am pleased to report that..."the results are in!"

Colin e-mailed me last week to give me the details from my test. They are as follows:

Lactate Threshold = 148 bpm

Zone 1: Recovery: 97-117bpm

Zone 2: Aerobic: 118-132bpm

Zone 3: Tempo: 133-138bpm

Zone 4: Sub-Theshold: 139-147bpm

Zone 5A: Super-threshold: 148-151bpm

Zone 5B: Aerobic capacity: 152-156bpm

Zone 5C: Anaerobic capacity: 157-162bpm

I don't fully understand these yet but the lactate threshold basically indicates where the body changes from aerobic to anaerobic respiration. This is where lactic acid build up becomes a problem. During the Etape ride, I will aim to keep below this line except for short periods (eg small climbs). The data will also allow me to plan my training more successfully. In particular, it will help me during my turbo sessions to ride at the correct tempo.

The results for my test session are shown in this graph:

Apologies that it is not very clear, but you get the general gist of it. The figures on the right show my maximum power to be 360 watts, my average cadence to be 86.9 (definitely not Lance-esque there, could do with being up a bit) and my maximum heart rate was 165 bpm.

Colin is going to help me plan my training program for the month or so leading up to the Etape Caledonia. Hopefully with his help I can maximise the time I have left and make up for the missed training over the last couple of weeks.

Cheers and keep riding,

Col.

Fitness Update

As you may have read in my earlier blog post, I have been struggling recently with injury. It started with tendonitis in my right knee. I have since learnt that this is quite common in cyclists and is due to the knee-cap not tracking correctly during the pedal stroke. This can be due to issues with bike fitting (I "fitted" my own bike using various techniques that I have read about. On the whole I am happy with it but there is a nagging doubt that a professional might be able to do it "better". Unfortunately, time, geography and budget will probably prevent this from happening before the ride). The good news is that the knee is feeling a lot better. I have been doing the R-I-C-E as often as I can and have stayed off the bike a bit. I would say the knee is now back to around 85% of it's maximum, compared with the 30% of a couple of weeks ago.

Unfortunately, the knee has not been my only injury problem of late. I have also been struggling with a groin strain. All joking aside, this has been really pretty painful. Bizarrely, about the only time it didn't really bother me was when I was on the bike. This is because the range of motion is so isolated and in just a straight up and down plane. However, almost any other type of movement (including getting up from sitting, getting in and out of the car, turning or lifting) caused significant discomfort. This was driving me crazy and was making me very grumpy (even more than usual!).

I decided that I needed to do something about it. After already having time off the bike due to the knee problem, I could feel the hard earned fitness leaking away. I was loathed to let it all disappear! I ended up telephoning the Sports Injury Clinic at Hampden Park, Glasgow. For those who don't know this is Scotland's national football stadium. The clinic is available to all, professionals and amateurs alike. I telephoned in the morning and an appointment was arranged for later the same day. The clinic is very swish and modern. It is located right in the bowels of Hampden, below the football museum.

I was seen by a very nice physio called Jim, who listened carefully to my history and went through a diagnostic process. This included examining my posture and getting me to perform some stretch and strength tests. He ruled out that I had a hernia and located the problem as one of the small muscles/ tendons/ ligaments (sorry, I forget which) attached to the main groin muscle. He gave me some deep massage and then stretched out the groin muscle. As he was doing this it gave a click and felt immediately much better! I am pleased to report that it has been infinitely better ever since.

I am hoping that this means my bad luck with injuries is all behind me but we will have to wait and see. If nothing else, it has served as an interesting exercise with regard to monitoring my stress levels. During my enforced inactivity I became acutely aware of the targets I had set myself. I was also aware of the (self imposed) burden of pressure I was under. The sponsorship I have raised so far is awesome and thanks to all who have contributed, but it has obviously (however sub-consciously) come with some weight of expectation. I will need to try and manage this as the ride approaches...

Take care and keep stretching yourself,

Col.