Two weeks of nothing much

Well to be honest in the past two weeks I haven't really done anything exciting so I'm going to keep this update short and sweet.

Having not updated for a couple of weeks now I'm going to start from two weeks ago. On the Monday I went pheasant beating at my local shoot, the day started off pretty nice sunny cool and clear but soon the heavens were open and it was another wet finish, not a great thing considering that night it was below zero and all the rain froze. Predictably the next day the roads outside the house were covered in ice and getting to the bus stop to go to the gym was a little tricky.

I was a little lost in the gym, I'd done gym all last winter but none of what I did benefited me so I got chatting a PT. I asked him if he new anything about how to train for cycling, what would be a good routine and where should I get started. Instead of just standing around yapping I thought it best to book a session with him so I could have a good demonstration and description of all the workouts beneficial to cycling. (This would be the following Tuesday). So I hadn't really done anything in the gym but talk so I went in the pool for a a while and did a mile.

For the rest of week I didn't really do much just a few short spins round the lanes when the most of the thick morning frost had gone. Thursday night I was looking for cross races local to home, there was one in Wakefield I had planned to go to my sister's a few miles from the race and then ride home the day after. But when Sunday morning came around I felt very tired and didn't think it was worth spending £10 on a race I knew I wouldn't do well in and further more not knowing the weather conditions of Monday whether I would be able to ride home safely. Sure enough Monday was icy and a bit snowy so I'm glad I didn't risk it.

Tuesday came around it was my session at the gym, over the weekend the PT had written up a programme specific for me as a cyclist. I was confident with what he'd done because it was very like exercises my friends do, so I had a good hour and a bit going through motions and him accessing what my strengths and weaknesses were. for 3 days after my body was in ribbons every muscle ached.... but no pain no gain!

Wednesday I took the time to get some presents for the nearest and dearest, this took about half an hour at the most... not really a shopping type

Thursday me and my friend Sam went out for a few hours to Waddington and round Bashall eaves climbing over Blacko in thick mist absolutely soaked from the low lying g cloud and Friday I just went out steady away round the local hilly lanes and enjoyed my bike, it was good to be able to get out on the smaller lanes without the threat of icy patches. Now the weekend with family around i think the next bike ride will be boxing day!! hope you enjoy the read!!

Rain, Hail, Snow, Sleet, Wind...... You name it!!! last week I had it

Since my last update the weather has been on and off, bad to worse. Open the curtains in the morning to be greeted by light rain, get down stairs and it's hailing go outside and its freezing and I mean perishing with savagely cold wind taboo. 

Monday 5th  December- Well Monday morning I didn't feel like going on the bike, with a thick frost on the small lanes, paired with the 80mph gusts I didn't feel keen venturing out.  In April this year I was given a small amount of funding from my local council and with this came a free pass for all leisure centres in the area, so I took full advantage of this given the weather and headed to the pool. Before I started racing I was a  keen swimmer and raced for the local club regularly, so I thought my first proper swim in two years would be a doddle, but it was't. My Stroke was messy I was breathing all wrong and when I'd done the first few lengths I thought Jesus, this mile I'm aiming for is going to be hard. But its like riding a bike!! and I soon got back into it and did a mile (64 lengths) quite comfortably. 

After the swim I decided I'd make my way round to the gym only in the adjacent building, very handy considering it was bucketing in down outside.  Now my first gym session since last winter so I didn't want to over do it, 10 sets of 10x 41kg on the leg raises and  4 sets of 25x110kg on the legs press and I was done, saddle up and get home to the log burning open fire and a big bowl of noodles!!!! yum.  A good days work

Tuesday 6th December- Split day-

Part 1-Today was a very different day to Monday, bright, sunny and even colder but the maze of surrounding rolling lanes was calling!! Now I wasn't going to do anything insane but when I got into the really narrow single track lanes it wasn't my effort raising the heart rate, but the very nice strip of slush down the middle and the occasional icy inside puddle kinda twitchy to say the least but i made it home unscathed.

Part 2- After the easy morning spin round the lanes I decided I would step it up a little bit and head onto the turbo for some muscle busting, hard resistance work.

Don't really know how to make turbo sound exciting so I wont ruin it by training, so below is what I did make of it what you can, but I'm pretty sure its beneficial.....

10 mins warm up

10 mins 52/12 (resistance 5/5) stud up 

10 mins 52/12 (resistance 5/5) seated

5 mins fast spin

10 mins- 5 x 30 second sprints @ 1 1/2 minute intervals

15 mins warm down

Unfortunately I didn't have the cadance sensor or heart rate fitted but for the 1st turbo session this winter I don't think will hurt.

Wednesday 7th December- Hurricane class winds, torrential rain and sub 5 degrees temperatures it was another day for the pool, and boy was it going to be a tough 2nd swim (all my fault) but you got to love pushing it!! Now Obviously using this alternative training for benefit on the bike i thought swimming with a board and just doing leg kick would be a great idea. So i set myself a plan for the days swim. 

2 sets of :-10 lengths kick

                16 lengths front crawl

                10 lengths kick    

                16 lengths front crawl 

This took me to have done 1 mile front crawl and 40 lengths kicking, i thought well its only another 24 lengths and I've done 2 miles, so i got on with it, 2 miles came and past and i ended up doing a total of 2 and a half miles. Which showed its effect in the last 10 lengths resulting in me cramping and looking like an idiot mid lengths like someone who needs a red ring throwing round them and pull to the side, but i got out had a stretch and finished the job at hand .... something I always try and do

                

+ 46 lengths front crawl and 10 more kick for good measure

Thursday 8th December- Today was by far the worse day of the week, trees down everywhere, roads flooded, people been advised not to travel,  thankfully today clashed with a local club Christmas dinner, which weeks in advance I'd put my name down for, honest!! a day out in the car just happened to be on this not so lovely day. The club isn't really a club but a group of still pretty fit old boys who meet at the local cafe  every Tuesday and Thursday for a good distance ride around the dales. I used to go out with them every holiday off school when I was 15 &16 polishing off a good 80-90 miles each ride. so every occasion I can I still meet with them for the monthly dinners and Christmas gatherings.

Friday 9th December- Another split day first off it was going to be 2 turbo sessions but I decided it would be a short but leg burning turbo in the morning and a steady loosening pool session in the afternoon. Again I wont bore you with rambling about a turbo session, I'll just put the figures below to show what it was all about, However this time i had been more prepared and got the cadance sensor fitted and chucked a new battery in the heart rate band, numbers were there!!! and cyclist love to see numbers, well good ones anyway...

Turbo 45 minutes total

0-10 mins warm up           rpm  92 HR113 avg-141 max

10-20 mins resistance 3/5  rpm 95  HR161 avg 169 max

20-30 mins resistance 4/5  rpm 95  HR 179 avg 184 max

30-45 mins warm down                  HR 169 avg- 183 max

After the Turbo i kicked back on the sofa and watched a film, knowing I'd done some good work. Then it was a matter of sweetening  mother up for a lift to the pool. Idid a mile and half steady away with breaks every 16 lengths or so. 

So a good weeks work done, I kick back for the weekend now and get some odd jobs done and earn some penny's all a build up for what I hope to be a great 2012 season, sorry to ramble in places but how can you tart up something that's pretty simple!! stay tuned for of what else I'm up to, maybe another cross cross race is on the cards and some bush beating with them pheasants>>> cheers for reading

         

What's happened since the first post!!

Well the week before I created this blog, I decided I would buy a cyclo cross bike for winter training and maybe to do a few races on too. Well I couldn't resist as soon as the wheels went in the bike I couldn't wait to have a dabble. The Following weekend I did a race in Myrtle park, Bingley. The gap between my ability and the top lads was huge it was so hard, setting off like a Kermess race but  running up steps, negotiating trees and jumping off the bike, which was all new to me but i plugged away and finished respectably,  falling off a few times on the technical parts of the course but its only mud!!!

 The Following week I couldn't bring myself to change the tyres and was hooked on riding off road. On the Tuesday I decided I would ride to a cafe at Airton about an hour & a quarter ride on bridleways, sections of canal and through fields, running with the bike slung over my shoulder when ever it got a bit to tricky to ride, so a good 2 1/2 hours had getting plastered.

Wednesday- I thought I would just have a quick rip round the local lanes through the Paythorne, Hellifield, Winterburn and Gargrave area, but still with the fast moving cx tyres on another track became to tempting. This time to those of you who know the area, it was from Hetton to Gordale Scar, Malham,  a real tough pull 50% on a old rough drover road and then into fields and across bordley moor "riding on grass is harder than it looks" climbing up to an altitude of 377 meters above sea level. Then the fast road decent down into malham, where i found myself running out of brake block!!!!! again absolutely plastered in mud i was a site for the local WI at the cafe!! But another great 3 hours in the saddle had!!

Thursday- I had get the road tyres back on! a road ride with my mate sam was calling. Today it was through the lanes to settle, then a long pull up to ribblehead "witha  beast of a tail wind" round to Ingleton and back through clapham and home. A really good 3 and 3/4 hours through cracking scenery.

Friday- A steady spin about 2 hours with my mate john to the local cafe and then to Wilks Racing  stores for some much needed new over shoes and gloves, oh hang I mean his wardrobe!!!!


Sunday- Today was a good day, I had arranged to meet my mate Daniel Patten Who I lived in Belgium with this year in the Peak District for a Publicity ride, which was organised by and to publicise ONIX bikes. The ride was based from Langley near Macclesfield  and took in some great countryside, most notably the cat and fiddle climb, which was made even more eventful with unbelievably strong winds "so strong as i was riding with David Harmon he just kinda disappeared of the road" I mean I know chatting to me sometimes is a bit much but no ones ever gone to such lengths before!! All in all though it was a nice day and good excuse to ride on some different roads.  That afternoon Dan came back up to my place to about 5 days riding in my neck of the woods. For some Yorkshire tea and maybe some caramel slice....... a long standing joke!!!

Cat and fiddle with David Harmon, Ken Jones and Dan Patten.

Monday- After a nice steady ride on the sunday in the peaks, i decided Monday would be a nice 3 1/2 hours around the dales, showing Dan what the north has to offer as far as great cycling roads are concerned! and I think he really enjoyed it, at times I was listening to myself and think I sounded a bit like a guided bus holiday, "over there is...., just down there on the left is......"

Tuesday- Now today was a different kettle of fish, is wasn't a day for the bike but a completely different kind of exercise. The North of England is famous for its Grouse moors and in winter as part of my training and just as importantly my bank balance I go grouse beating, flushing game birds out for the pleasure of the Gentry to shoot, from lords and ladies to I'm quite proud to say Royalty!! Its hard walking, bad weather and great for building fitness, so me and Dan went on the moors for the day on my local shoot!! Petrol money for his journey back to SUNNY essex!!!

Wednesday- Back to two wheels and another great ride with Dan Patten and Sam Boast, a good 3 1/2 hours through single track lanes to Wharfedale, up round the Hubberhome triangle and the back down the valley to the cafe, which was much needed after a strong 20 mile head wind!! But no caramel slice we had to do with scone and cakes!!!!

Thursady- Today me and Dan met up with Craig Middleton, Onix bikes,  for a good leg spinner round the Ribble valley and a coffee and cake at waddinton cafe!! I don't think we had a flat bit of road all day and the car count on the road was in single figures "GREAT"!!!!

Friday- Today it was Salue Manneke Patten, the long drive south awaited and a day chopping wood awaited me but you gotta have a rest sometime!!

Saturday- And then today Saturday, for me another day trogging over the moors flapping my flag, hard walking this time through hip high heather!! 

Hope you've enjoyed reading this blog, i'm sure theres no other like it............. Yorkshire tea and a caramel slice!!!

Returning home!!!!!!

A brief story of my cycling so far.........

 Hello I'm Hamish Graham I'm 19 and I am from the North of England, sandwiched between the Yorkshire dales and the industrial North West. This blog is all about my cycling life, how I started, the people I meet through the sport, where I'm racing and where I'm training.

I began cycling thanks to my mum and dad, firstly starting in a child seat on the back, followed by a tandem, then to a trailer bike and finally on to my own solo bike. From been a sprog until i was 16 it was a case of going on family bike rides and doing a few sportives, my first big ride alone was when i was 15, completing the hilly 100 miles pendle pedal. Other long distance cycle rides ive done before i came into racing are the wicklow 200 where i met sean Kelly a hero of the sport, etape du dales, e2e and c2c with my dad, i didnt complete the whole of e2e but i rode 80% of every days ride.

As far as racing goes I didn't start racing until march 2009, my first proper race was a cycling development North West event in cockermouth, lake district. I had no idea about race tactics, pace or anything i lasted about 10 miles with the bunch but managed to finish the cold wet 55 miles race, obviously been the north it was wet!!!, but this didn't put me off and i entered more races, getting better everytime. Then i jumped in at the deep end, i went to do a 6 day Junior stage race in Ireland, county Mayo, hard man country!! this was my 5th race and boy did i know about it, 80 mile stages over hard climbs, bad weather and rough roads, but i loved it!!. So to the end of my 1st year racing my last race was my best, I pulled off the win in a  bunch sprint and won £60, I'd hit the big time!!!

2010- I came into the year confident and up for racing well, my first race was a criterium in mallorca where got 5th, back in the uk my 2nd race was the same course as my 1st win and i missed doing the double by a tyre width!! So a very good start but it didn't continue i was there and there about's but not close enough. I returned to Ireland for the junior stage race in county mayo but sadly the week before a virus got me and the days leading up to the race i was coughing up green stuff !!! not good. The still completed the race but with a higher level of competition than the year before it was just too hard to feature. However not all was lost thanks to 6 days of long racing miles my 1st race back home was a winner!!

 The year it got really tough!!!!!
I decided i was going to go and live and race in Belgium, and i'm so glad i did. Me and mum packed the car up and set of to belgium, to be exact Oudenaarde, oost Flanders. With no where to live and no team to ride for i turned up blind hoping for a b&b and to ride for my club. But thing turned out very different, I found a family to live with and a team to ride for within hours of been there "thats belgium i guess", i got riding for Asfra Racing team (flanders fiets) After a week my mum left and i was there alone ready to try my best and progress. The racing in belgium is tough to say the least and it took me a while to even finish a race, but thats nothing to be ashamed of with the calibre of riders who turn up for the amateur kermess races. After six weeks in belgium i moved house to live with 3 lads from the same team and a girl from a pro dutch team. It was great to live with them, all of who knew more than i did and all gave me advise and guided me in the right direction. I stayed in begium from the beginning of may to the end of September. I personally see my journey home quite comical and a good story to tell. " My friend drove me to the docks in zebrugge i had a bike, 2 big hold alls and a rucksack. Getting on this ferry was going to be tough not to mention the fact it was 35 degrees c and I was lugging at least 70kg's of bags about and a bike. There's  a picture somewhere!!

And that's a short description of my cycling life so far!! Hope it's been an interesting one.