The sun was shining and it was warm here today for a change.
I had an ace speedwork session tonight.

radoggair – i’m pretty sure that if you’d asked them for an elite licence they’d have given you one of those too.

Too true. And a license for being awesome? 🙂

Nice one TD. You are lucky, hardly any of the races up here have points so unless i travel to englandshire to race, i’ll be a cat 4 forever 🙄

You got the details of that one?

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/54932/Ian-Walls-Memorial-10-mile-Time-Trial

And also some info on the Hervelo fb page. Think there’s at least three hervelos doing it but no herrvelos – andy’s away otherwise he’d likely have been doing it too. I’m off to dig out your TT thread to get some ideas for dos and don’ts as i’ve no idea about TT’ing. Don’t think TT’ing will be my strong point though but i’ll see how i get on.

When are you all attempting it again?

No idea as yet. I’m thinking it’ll be sept though as August is busy for me. Plus we usually have nice weather then! I’ll let you (and everyone else) know when we’ve re-arranged something.

BTW, I’m doing the Bishopton TT on 16 July if you fancy a further afield TT? It’ll be my first so you can laugh at me!

And how about Nuun tabs they are electrolyte not energy are these ok to drink or can they mess around with you?

Nuun tabs are great – i like the tri berry ones. They are just electrolyte so shouldn’t cause any stomach issues and never have done in my case.

I like and use high 5 4:1 for rides over 50miles/racing, combined with a pre ride coffee for an instant energy hit, but its a personal preference and as said, if you’ve not time to try anything out, then don’t bother. Just eat little and often.

Eat, hydrate and rest properly before your ride. Chocolate milk for recovery.

I’ve seen it twice in Paris and wouldn’t bother – its totally rammed unless you get there at silly o’clock and not really worth it imo. I’d suggest going to see a different stage.

my ex asked me when we were out on the mtbs. We’d just said goodbye to some friends and stopped mid way down a descent to eat and he got down on one knee and proposed.

Was meant to be doing one but its been cancelled on account of our “summer” weather. Speedwork and hill reps in the rain for me instead!

There’s currently three herrvelos…my other half (andy), Druidh and Philip. We generally ride together or meet outwith club rides for faster/specific training rides. A few of the girls other halves show up on an ad hoc basis for the Tuesday sessions and pub nights but aren’t members. Its been a while since we had a good turn out on a tuesday night but three of us last night managed to wreck each others legs 🙂 We are also setting up a road race team too. You should both come along, the Tuesday nights at AS are good fun and hard work.

Good luck George. Trying a TT is on my to do list this summer. Pity I can’t try the ERC ones, ill have to find a weekend one to do instead…or try the one in fife ive been told about. You shoulda joined the her(r)velos though 😉

If you fancy some training, we meet on tuesday night for speedwork and attacks on AS.

Square miles summer espresso for me, or anything from artisan roast. *drinks latte*

Dammit, wish we had gone for the podium kiss now 🙂

Thanks to everyone for the good wishes, turning up to ride or cheer us on, and to everyone who was committed to the 31laps before the weather turned horrible. A second go will be attempted, perhaps waiting til winter when the weathers better? 🙄

Stripey arm warmers is my partner in crime/road racing pal, sandy 🙂

Stuart, we are going clockwise with the traffic flow.

I can’t tell you that. But i can tell you the sun is shining today and there’s no wind forecast for tomorrow, and its meant to feel about 14. I don’t think its been like that since you left here! *prays the forecast is accurate* No wind will make life a lot easier tomorrow!

Edit: Just noticed its meant to start raining at 4pm tomorrow. We’ll have to ride faster to be finished by then!

BTW, sauna/steam room might be an option for sunday – bring your speedos? 😀

I’m finishing at 2.30 today and off all next week. 8) Tomorrow i’m riding 31 laps of Arthurs seat with Druidh, Mustard, StuartieC and the Southern Yeti. Hoping to have enough energy left to climb on sunday.

Every time I tried a turn on front I just wasted everyone’s time by misjudging pace and pulling away

That’s what i was trying to say earlier – its very difficult for those new group riding to judge pace/effort/know when to pull in, especially if they come through from the back. At an APR in March, the group i was with yelled clear every time a rider cleared the wheel in front but it was blooming hard at 21mph on the front.

I’ve ridden various different ways in a bunch, but i hate when its unorganised/the rider from the back comes to the front rather than the one at the front peeling off because the pace will generally change/jump, unless the person from the back has judged when to pull in perfectly.

I’ve been training mustard to be my domestique, and plan to sit on his wheel in races and go for the (women’s) podium that way 8)

There’s three blokes in the hervelos so far (druidh and philip too). It’d be great to expand the road race section as there’s currently not enough of us road racing to have a proper team/bunch/practise riding in a big group and we get tortured by the other teams as a result 😥

It was only a teaspoon before bed. I’ll have to hunt at home to see if I’ve got the rest of the stuff he gsve me but this was years ago.

I’ll start it at the weekend, seems as good a time as any 🙂 maybe I can feed you it this weekend as well? 😛

I didn’t say i believed it, although what phil says seems to make sense. But i don’t get why its taken at night, unless its somehow aided/boosted with sleep.

I’m curious now. I’m going to try it for a month and i’ll see what happens.

I meant fructose. I’m very sleepy this morning!

No, it was cos he put me off with the way he gave me feedback on my diet/exercise…he told me i should be in a coma with the amount i (then) ate and exercised.

I think its more about glucose than carbs. Maybe the way the liver absorbs/stores glucose is different to carbs? Dunno. Shall i try it for a month and see?

Its nowt to do with hayfever, although i know local honey helps with that.

Mol, i’ve found it and i’ll email it to you. I’ll re-read it as its been a long time.

Edit, the emails says: “The most significant organ of exercise and recovery, in fueling terms, is the liver.”

Lol @ MF. Maybe that’s where i’m going wrong *ditches chocolate and rings the bf* 😀

Mol, he explained it to me at some length and sent me some stuff. He runs a health type shop in a tri centre. I’ll dig it out if i can find it but hotmail on my phone is a pita.

I’ve been told to have honey before bed…something to do with feeding the liver over night. Have never done it though.

Can confirm chocolate before bed is nice, but its never given me get up and go. Maybe i’m just not eating enough of it!

Right now i’d like to be back in bed with someone special, have a lazy morning with good coffee, then go for a run and climbing to my hearts content/my hands give out.

Instead i’m at work, waiting for my coffee to wake me up having had a restless night dreaming about riding round AS 31 times.

Leaving a gap – ime/o – is something to do with judging how fast to come past/distance as its not an easy thing to get to grips with when learning.

At least they come through and take a turn, unlike the club from up north who sat on mine and a friends wheel for a huge chunk of a recent sportive and didn’t take a turn up front. 😡

I’ve heard riding 31laps of AS is helpful for getting you to sleep and de-stressing 😉

You have my sympathy too – my neighbours are awful too, and the women constantly shouts/argues. I ended up putting a letter through their door, detailing what i’d heard / when as it was so bad, and saying i’d be in touch with the noise people at the council if they didn’t shut up. It worked, but they are just generally noisy. I’m moving soon and looking forward to some peace!

I don’t get on with earplugs either, but have tried bioears and they work really well – can’t hear a thing with them on and they stay in too. Might be worth trying?

I’d say get to a physio asap. I’m prone to shin splints in the same area and last year, had pain there and assumed that’s what it was again as the pain felt exactly the same. It didn’t ease as usual despite my self treatment (massage, ice, calf stretches etc) and i eventually went back to physio where i was told i’d damaged a tendon. So don’t automatically assume its shin splints, even if its sounds like it.

Complete rest from running, ice, physio/massage treatment (acupuncture and massage) and bags of calf and shin stretches, were the only things that fixed me.

My physio gave me exercises to strengthen my shins and calves which have been great. I try to massage my shins on a regular basis as i can feel where the muscle gets tight/sticks to the bone, but its really horrible, and painful.

<avoids political debate>

Yeti, I don’t know why, its the right link. BTCV are an environmental charity, and my interest partly stems from work, and partly from my beliefs.

I’ve been thinking about this on and off since the start of the year. I looked into http://www2.btcv.org.uk/ but haven’t done anything about it yet 😐

Pick something you are passionate about, have an interest in or feel makes a difference and look into it.

Hope the link works as I’m on my phone and can’t check it properly.

You can sit on my wheel* and then sprint for glory up the hill at the end if you like 😉

I’ve not had anything through other than the original email. We are aiming to be there for 8.30 to register and then get coffee in the mountain cafe if you fancy it?

*this won’t work if its windy as i’ll be hiding behind mustard, druidh and you 😀

That’d be an early start 😯 I was wincing at having to leave our accommodation at 7.30 but that’s a long lie by comparision!

Riding on the road.

Epicsteve – we aren’t racing round it. The main aim is to complete it so it’ll be a social pace so you’ll be able to keep up. Plus i’m reckoning that by lap 15, we’ll be starting to hurt…

Cynic-al, can you make us some custom carbon accessories for the day? 😀

Aware it clashes with Tweedlove, but it was the only date that suited the initial few who signed up to do this with me.

I suspect after the 11th i won’t be so keen on my usual Tuesday night hill rep/speedwork sessions up there for the rest of the summer 😐

I like the why cats are awesome pic, thanks phil 🙂

Oh btw I’m bored again

You need to find some new stuff to do – i’ve got no time to be bored these days!

Not riding much just now. Climbed at Ratho on Friday which was ace. Got introduced to the bathgate alps on Saturday…head wind most of the way, lots of climbs, hail, rain and sunshine. Ran on Sunday morning and then climbed at alien in the afternoon and I was climbing really well. Went to the gym this morning and have had an afternoon of guilty pleasures on the sofa.

Really dont want this weekend to end 😥

*jealous of idave*

I’ve had the bestest long weekend of road riding, climbing, running, good coffee and cooking up enough quorn chilli to feed me for ages :-). And I’m off again today…sitting outside a cafe with coffee listening to ladyhawke *content.* 8)

Thanks solo for the recipe, reckon I need to put in another tin of toms though as it wasn’t quite saucy enough.

My Sunday has been fab, and busy…running, climbing, drinking good coffee and cooking. No time to be bored, just enough energy left to crawl into bed exhausted. But im off tomorrow. 😀

Only slight pita is my very sore bruised knee which I knocked on a metal hook climbing on Friday, and I keep banging my knee off everything 😥

Druidh, what can I say, I like gadgets 🙂

I blame going mtbing for the second time on months, wouldn’t have happened on the roadie!

It should have dried out by now – not a rubber one. I guess the strap itself should be ok as it’s washable but not the unit. Gggrr. That’ll learn me to empty a bag of muddy mtb clothes straight into the machine without checking what else is in amongst the clothes 🙁 Typically its the newest of all three of my hr straps, and my favourite one too 🙄