Which hill out of Frodsham? Helsby side or Sutton Weaver?
Weight loss/training for L-C-L
- Thread starter Alan O
- Start date
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Toward Sutton Weaver, but right on the B5152 under the railway bridge, up and then right on Manley road and up further.
Ah yeah, I know the one, it's not exceptionally steep, but it does drag on for quite a distance. Definitely one you need to pace properly.
Yep, it's the distance. I just struggled with the needed fitness last year, but I'm now relishing it.
The weight loss alone will make an enormous difference, even without any fitness gains.
Three weeks of illness (cluster migraines, followed by a flu-type thing, which left my balance affected) and injury (twisted ankle) put paid to my April distance target, with three weeks off the bike and my partaking in group rides having to be canceled. Just before the ankle injury I did manage a quick 4-mile ride to test a new pair of wheels, but that's nothing really.
But I managed to salvage something from it in the final week, with 129 miles over 5 days (three 15-20 mile weekday evenings, Saturday off, and 76 miles on Sunday) taking me to 133 miles over the month. It's not the 200 I was targeting, but it's a lot more than the mere 49 miles I did in April 2017 and better than I'd feared.
And I did at least manage my 75-mile ride target. The long ride (yesterday) was around 2/3rds off road, on everything from decent hard surface to gravel track to bare earth, so I reckon it was worth the equivalent effort of a significantly longer all-road ride. I also managed to get from the Wirral Way at Davenport Road, up Dee View Road to Heswall and beyond with only a handful of short breather stops - I was at about 55 miles at that point, and pleased enough with that.
I felt really quite good at the end of it, and went to bed wondering if I could make a 17 mile ride this evening to reach 150 for the month, but today I think 17 yards might be pushing it :-)
Still, I reckon I'd probably be fit enough to do the 100 now (well, in a week), so I have two months to improve on that fitness and keep losing weight.
I have six group rides planned for May, and I'm setting a month target of 250 miles.
But I managed to salvage something from it in the final week, with 129 miles over 5 days (three 15-20 mile weekday evenings, Saturday off, and 76 miles on Sunday) taking me to 133 miles over the month. It's not the 200 I was targeting, but it's a lot more than the mere 49 miles I did in April 2017 and better than I'd feared.
And I did at least manage my 75-mile ride target. The long ride (yesterday) was around 2/3rds off road, on everything from decent hard surface to gravel track to bare earth, so I reckon it was worth the equivalent effort of a significantly longer all-road ride. I also managed to get from the Wirral Way at Davenport Road, up Dee View Road to Heswall and beyond with only a handful of short breather stops - I was at about 55 miles at that point, and pleased enough with that.
I felt really quite good at the end of it, and went to bed wondering if I could make a 17 mile ride this evening to reach 150 for the month, but today I think 17 yards might be pushing it :-)
Still, I reckon I'd probably be fit enough to do the 100 now (well, in a week), so I have two months to improve on that fitness and keep losing weight.
I have six group rides planned for May, and I'm setting a month target of 250 miles.
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Ah, Wallrake, yes, that looks hard. I did actually look at it and ponder it when I reached the top of Station Road, but I decided to turn left instead!
The wiser choice!
Thought I'd do a mid-May update as things are going a lot better - at 180 miles I've ridden my longest monthly distance so far, with only half the month gone.
I should have my 250-mile target done by the end of this week, so I'm upping my full-month target to 300 miles.
Update: I couldn't resist, and went out for a quick 20 this afternoon to bring my month up to 200 miles.
I should have my 250-mile target done by the end of this week, so I'm upping my full-month target to 300 miles.
Update: I couldn't resist, and went out for a quick 20 this afternoon to bring my month up to 200 miles.
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End of May, and I exceeded my 300-mile target with a total of 373 miles. That's more than twice my previous best month, and way ahead of the 75.5 miles I did in May 2017. Biggest ride of the month was 67 miles.
I intend to ride less in June, but I want to do at least one 75% distance ride in the first half of the month. After that, just a few gentler rides immediately ahead of the 100 on 1 July.
I intend to ride less in June, but I want to do at least one 75% distance ride in the first half of the month. After that, just a few gentler rides immediately ahead of the 100 on 1 July.
wow, this is great! its really interesting to see your progress. do you have strava at all?
I also had the ''my scales have been underweighing me'' 2 days ago when i went to the doctors...mine are under by 7 kg
that, or my clothes and anything in my bladder/bowels that isn't usually for my morning weigh was quite more substatial than expected. I'm going to try get 14lbs off by the time my tour begins in 7 weeks, figuiring that im already just about fit enough to cycle 50 miles a day for a few weeks (and will gain fitness as the tour goes on), but the stone plus of weight will make all the difference in my speed and tiredness. Bonus points if i can lose more...can you feel the weight difference on your bike?
I also had the ''my scales have been underweighing me'' 2 days ago when i went to the doctors...mine are under by 7 kg
that, or my clothes and anything in my bladder/bowels that isn't usually for my morning weigh was quite more substatial than expected. I'm going to try get 14lbs off by the time my tour begins in 7 weeks, figuiring that im already just about fit enough to cycle 50 miles a day for a few weeks (and will gain fitness as the tour goes on), but the stone plus of weight will make all the difference in my speed and tiredness. Bonus points if i can lose more...can you feel the weight difference on your bike?Yep, on Strava I'm athlete number 17483433.wow, this is great! its really interesting to see your progress. do you have strava at all?
I also had the ''my scales have been underweighing me'' 2 days ago when i went to the doctors...mine are under by 7 kg
And yes, I really can feel the weight difference - I think another stone, if you can lose it, would help you enormously with your tour.
I've just read back on this whole thread since I started training for last year's ride, and it surprises me to be reminded of the illnesses and minor injuries I suffered over the period. I guess it's what comes from getting old, but it's an additional good reason to not push myself too much in June and risk injury.
awesome, have been eating clean this week...hoping to see some weight start going from next week on...a stone off before the tour will balance out the weight of my SLR camera and stuff which ive never taken on a tour before! and yes it must be really nice to read back on the progress youve done...seeing yoru rides get longer too, as well as knowing you are riding faster.
