I’m reflecting now, with alcohol as an emotional crutch.

I don’t comment on grammar and spelling these days as without reading glasses, I can only hope I’m not making many mistakes…

Crikey, there’s some anger out there, I suppose it’s better than winding each other up on a serious thread. Have a beer all of you and reflect!

Actually, add ‘people who tell me to calm down and think about my actions’ when my anger is entirely justified… 😉

People who piss all over the seats in public toilets, including kids – scruffy oiks. Parents who don’t teach their kids not to be scruffy oiks.

Dived back in tonight after a few weeks off riding in the real world on mountain, road, e and a bit of commuting too. Thought I’d be flying back on Zwift tonight.

Week 5, #8. Didn’t find the last couple of efforts easy at all.

If you’re on cruise, then nobody thinks you’re racing them. Nobody.

INXS in Sheffield, supported by Alisha’s Attic. Beyond surprised.

I bought a Samsung UR59C 32″ 4K curved screen for the home office, no matter what I do the text is a bit blurry, I’ve decided that’s the curve but it might just be a poor panel – probably why it was pretty cheap when I bought it.

It’s also a proprietary mount, not VESA.

There’s nothing about it that I could recommend.

Can take 2 weeks longer to finish the programme, if you have a break etc!

I’ve lost a week or so. Did a lot of commuting and biking last week, mountain bike on Monday and then a gout attack Tuesday (first time ever). Commuting in tomorrow – hopefully – and then away this weekend with work.

Really pleased you can now catch up, otherwise I might have dropped out. Back on the turbo Sunday…

Sneaky tonight. It was pretty easy really, albeit a bit boring.

Not sure if it’s because I spent the weekend outside in the woods on my bike, but found the slow cadence stuff much, much easier to get into than it has been for the past few weeks…

Ham Sandwich done this afternoon. Strangely enjoyable though, which is worrying me slightly

I wish. I’ve just finished it tonight. After about 25 years of riding on a turbo I can barely recall a single second I actually enjoyed.

Orange Unicorn today too. Tough.

Had to drop the resistance on the last set on the 2m min intervals to 80%, but put it up t 110ish on the 30 sec intervals to finish – still had top end power but lactic was setting in quickly…

Would have bailed on the program by now without knowing others are doing it…

A few days off the bike, running instead.

What Goes Up tonight, I’m finding the slow cadence drills really hard to stay anything remotely smooth in – pedalling squares really.

Unicorn tomorrow. Can’t wait (for Monday).

Halfvems. That was ******* horrible tonight.

Devedeset also done.

Half way through, I found myself wondering why, at 47 and no future plans to race, I am following a program again when there’s beer in the fridge.

I didn’t figure out the answer before finishing it.

I’ve just done the first session, need some structure post Covid. Been a really inactive month apart from a handful of short runs each week and FTP dropped by 40 – missed every single STW race despite looking forward to them pre-Covid.

Set my new FTP to where I thought it would be, and it felt about right. Weirdly though, while my legs had very little more on the final effort the heart was only at about 160, about 36 under what I’d consider my max – admittedly a short effort.

Might have tired legs, we walked about 7 miles yesterday and another 4 today taking the kids to school, but still…

Covid has passed through the family and killed my cycling this Jan. I then tested positive last Tuesday, and still positive now. Going to jump on the turbo tonight and see if I can manage an easy pedal. Still pretty fatigued.

Managed one ride in over two weeks. Mentally, I really need to get back in routine. 🙁

What’s the likelihood of an asymptomatic or really mild infection not showing up on a lateral flow?

I was testing every day last week as my son had it, and I tested negative Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning on LF. I felt a bit grotty on Tuesday morning so went for a PCR at 9.30am, about an hour after the LF, and received a positive result Tuesday night.

I continued testing negative until Thursday on LF until Thursday, but on Thursday a very clear positive until Sunday night.

Going to try and get on the turbo tonight. Mostly my experience was mild symptoms but very, very tired and the return of lots and lots ectopic heartbeats for about four days – which seem to be subsiding now.

I’ve had Polar and Wahoo chest straps since forever, never found the Bluetooth or the actual reading on them totally reliable. Tried my wife’s Wahoo Tickr Fit and quite liked it on the arm so bought a Polar Verity.

It’s by far the best, most reliable, most comfortable HR strap I’ve ever tried, and never moves. Really happy with it.

Either stick it to an old case or get a cheapie.

Thanks 🙂 It’s what I do now, but I’m so lazy I CBA to keep changing cases. I know…

I’ve just stumbled across this. Stupidly expensive for what it is but neatly solves a problem for holding your phone without adding or changing the case, or sticking something bulky to your phone – assuming you already have a Garmin mount on your bike…

No doubt been covered in a different thread somewhere but they are new to me…

I’ve just done my first ride since the 8th. Off the bike with soft tissue damage to my shin, unbelievable how long it’s taking to heal.

None of you will care one not about that, I’m just getting excuses in early. I’m in. I think I’ll need to bring down the FTP – about 260 I reckon. Weight 86.

Uurrgghh.

Craig

Can I add thanks DrP, and Keith. This thread lead me to the FTX models linked and I bought a couple for my two boys (8/11).

Knowing nothing about RC cars, I just needed a box I could open and use. I ordered a couple of extra bigger batteries and so far I reckon they are the hit of all the gifts.

They won’t let me have a go, I should have bought three…

The most important thing for me at that age is that he’s enjoying himself. If he’s smashing himself on a run, let him have some time veg-ing out of the sofa to recover too.

That’s a great post, thanks for that. That book is exactly what I was thinking of, and although much of it will be more than I want there are a few chapters that look perfect.

I just don’t want him overdoing it. Honestly, I imagine it’s impossible to be less pushy than I am – he does anything because he wants to and that alone. He’s equally at home playing Fortnite for a bit or watching endless crap on Youtube, or reading a book too. He’s much more rounded than me…

Isn’t this what kids do? Smash themselves into exhaustion?

Yes, all the time. This I know. Mostly I think it’s great, but he digs really, really deep and refuses to give up – not sure that’s good for him, which is why I’d like to read more.

There’s a charity that raises awareness and does testing, might be worth tapping into them.

Thanks. Plenty family history to make that a good shout. I’ll have a look.

Still would like to read more if anybody has any links or books to recommend.

Yes, comfortable with that – would just like to read a bit more – only just started looking at the numbers with a HRM. On tonight’s run, at 10 minute mile pace, he was at about 175-180.

He can easily reach 200 – just want to know if he’s doing any damage I guess, and would like to read a bit more about it. It’s hard to get him to back off.

and you still are happy to go along with it and just do what they say without question?

Honestly, we question it all the time but realise that in the absence of all the data, meetings and experts all we’re really doing is voicing frustration.

Do you honestly think you know better based on nothing other than gut feeling?

What are you suggesting we change instead?

I’m not suggesting anything, I don’t need to. I just need to trust that those who know more about this stuff than me will make the most appropriate decision for the best outcome and I’ll do what they tell me.

I can’t believe anybody is making a poor decision against the evidence and advice just because…

If a patient is already in hospital with covid what difference does a staff member with covid treating them make?

So based on this and another comment, @airvent, you don’t think people with Covid should isolate, even if they are working in a hospital?

It’s an interesting perspective. Essentially then, you appear to be proposing that those who go on to experience a morbid outcome with Covid for whatever reason, are acceptable collateral damage, and there’s no need to try and stop them from catching the virus for the sake of life getting back to normal?

I know that’s not what you’ve directly said, but it’s the only conclusion to mandating the infected back to work. In the age of modern medicine, it appears pretty medieval…

I run Teams and Zoom all day on my 14″ MBP, usually with Firefox/Edge both open and Photoshop, attached to an LG 5k external display over TB3 and to a iPad over wifi. I haven’t heard the fan yet…

They are blazingly quick, even in Lightroom, but I think I’d say the same with an Air: side by side it seems marginally, and I mean marginally, slower with the same load than the MBP…

If it continues on its current path I fid it hard to believe that they won’t close non-essential shops and schools for the two weeks The Times are reporting above.

Realistically, I think they have until around the 27th to make that decision. Anecdotally, I can’t remember a time where I’ve heard so many people I know testing positive, it does feel we’re on a tipping point.

I’m supposedly booked in for my booster next Tuesday. anyone know what the implications for that are give I’ll just be a day out of quarantine?

I had my booster today, but my wife missed her appointment as she is currently positive (and suffering a bit). They told me she shouldn’t get the booster until at least 28 days after testing positive…

Habit and routine. I’ve been riding enough, but a soft tissue injury means I’ve been resting since last Wednesday.

I feel like I’m already out of routine now and don’t think I’ll be back on until Sunday – already dreading how much I’ll feel like I’ve lost in nearly two weeks. Realise how nuts that sounds but it’s true.

I think habit and routine is everything. When I’ve been off for a long time I just aim to get on the turbo for 30 mins with a 5 min warm up/cool and moderate 20 in the middle – no plan whatsoever. I do that for a couple of weeks and don’t try and kill myself, then go from there.

It’s amazing how quickly it comes back from week three but I don’t try and sicken myself with the numbers at first. I’m not being paid to do it, after all… 🙂

We did it a couple of years ago and mostly no regrets at all.

Streaming services are obviously good as you currently know them: iPlayer is amazingly good, All4 is pretty good but ITV hub is utterly frustrating, whether you chuck them four quid a month or don’t. It’s almost Redbull TV app bad…

The one time on my commute that it would work is the southerly commute home in strong winds, ebike makes mince of headwinds.

This. I ride in on a normal bike without arriving in a sweat, I tend to commute most months in jeans and a t-shirt or jacket (only 8 miles though). I just pootle in and decide on the route back depending on what sort of day I’ve had and what bike I’ve taken, and how hard I want to ride home.

If it’s blowing a hoolie though (or if I’m under the weather) I grab the Decoy and just sit and spin on that, makes a windy commute not windy at all.

School runs mean I’ve been in the car more than I’d like this term. If I had £5k burning a hole, I’d be buying a Tern GSD for those days and dropping the kids off half way on that.

Thanks Jon, leaning that way really – but battling the logic. Booster is booked for Thursday, which will be 5 days from her PCR Sunday, symptoms started Saturday.

I think I’ll keep out their way, PCR Wednesday and if negative still take the booster on Thursday. I feel a sense of inevitability that I’ll catch it this week but hear lots of anecdotal stories at work similar to your colleagues, appears incredible]y random for something so highly contagious…

My wife and youngest tested positive this weekend. We were booked to get boosters this week: obviously she’s out but I can’t find anywhere whether I should postpone my booster as a close contact.

Regardless of a negative PCR test on the day before the booster, logic says I should reschedule, I don’t fancy booster as well as live infection at the same time and she’ll only be 6 days into her infection…

It’s on zwift power and open to anyone but not sure if it shows up in the companion app list of events

The link on ZP opens the event in Companion for me, on iOS.

If there’s space, I’d definitely join – I still end up robbing short rides where I can but I’ll find it easier to find slots (hopefully) is they are listed on ZP now. If nothing else, it’s motivating to see what else the group is up to.

You should have me, I’m following you from the original races, C raig – IATR on Zwift… No sweat if already full, I’m seriously unreliable anyway 😉

You also need to keep wearing the mask, even though it also doesn’t do much for stopping transmission. Because you might kill someone’s grandma (who is also presumably vaccinated, and with a vaccine that is apparently very effective at reducing symptoms).

It’s not about absolutes. Vaccines are not 100% effective against severe symptoms or death, and masks aren’t 100% effective at stopping transmission.

If masks stop some transmission and stop some serious infections or death in those where the vaccine isn’t 100% effective, or the unvaccinated, are they not worth wearing in more crowded spaces?

I hate wearing them to be honest, I have doubts how effective they are, but I’ll stick one on as advised because I’m ill equipped to put forward an intelligent, informed argument to counter the advice given by people who actually know this stuff.

Agree with all of that, Poly.

Threads like this and the court of social media generally show a correlation between the smallest understanding of the facts of a case and the strongest emotional response to an outcome… It’s become a human condition, only accelerated with online.

I don’t know the facts of this case but do think the judge went to work each day wanting to find the right outcome based on the facts presented; and I believe in a well established process for when the court gets it wrong.

I ride on the road, and my two kids ride to school, about 3 miles each way. I really do worry about how easily distracted drivers can be – but don’t know what we do about that without a technological solution. I don’t think we’ll change behavior through education.