REsults:

http://www.mapmytracks.com/events/ride-with-brad-sportive/results/160km-sportive/0/sort/total_time

I did the 160.

Rode with him for about 12 miles of it. He was really happy to chat and the roadside support was ace but the fella riding along one-handed while trying to take photos nearly caused an almighty pile-up!

What are your weaknesses?

I think there had been a massacre on my ride this morning:

Dead badger, dead hedgehogs (2), dead squirrel, dead pheasant. Saw a live Red Kite though.

Oh, and I disagree completely with this:

Yes, eating out in provincial restaurants is one obvious downside!

So many of the restaurants/ pubs in t’sticks cater for the ex-urban market. Loads of places obsessed with local food provenance and quality.

Glad i tried it. Glad I left.

This. Grew up in the Peak District, London for a bit, now in the Dales.

I love London as a tourist and bits of it will always be really familiar but, looking back, I was never really happy there. I’m too much of a country boy.

I’m doing the 160 but given an almost complete lack of long rides I suspect that it’s going to hurt. A lot.

I’m looking forward to it – it’s supposed to be a nice part of the world for road riding.

An average of 12.5 seconds per 100m.

Just astonishing.

He makes it look so easy and is a proper ambassador for his sport and his country. Also nice to keep it in the family – his dad won silver in Mexico ’68.

The step-up from Sora to Tiagra is imo bigger than going from Tiagra to 105 (given the shifters) but 105 is nice.

A clause from an Agreement used where I work:

X’s employment with Y will terminate on D (“the Departure Date”). Y will pay X’s salary and benefits up to and including the Departure Date. X is required to take any annual leave due to him/her before the Departure Date. X’s P45 will be issued to him/her and, save as set out in this Agreement, all contractual benefits will cease with effect from the Departure Date and no further payments or benefits are due to X unless specified in this agreement.

… but everything in life is negotiable!

They don’t really intend to sell them. If a mug/ rich person wants one, great, but they’re generally just showpieces to demonstrate the awesomeness of the brand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirational_brand

I like that the Korean coach basically said ‘they started it’ about the Chinese, rather than protesting innocence.

Do you have any questions you would like to ask?

I had this in an interview recently. It was a complete gift. It’s an opportunity to have a conversation on your terms that shows that you’ve done some research, you have a genunie interest in the role and, frankly, it’s a chance to show off.

I found out from the annual report that the company had an aim of doubling turnover in 5 years and my role would, most likely, be involved in delivering this. I asked about how they are planning to achieve it and we had a 20 minute conversation about it and about how I had relevant experience that could help.

I got a job offer.

Good luck, and well done for getting an interview – that’s the hardest bit.

edit:

I’ve done my research on the company but can’t think of much to ask apart from the amount of possibly working away from home.

What are their aims? What’s their strategy to achieve this? How does your specialism fit with the strategic direction of the company?

As for your role, time for a change, opportunities to build on what you’ve done by gaining more experience etc are ok. What attracts you to this particular employer?

Another vote for the South Lakes animal park.

Boat trips, train rides and local shows in the Lakes.

Beach, ice cream and fish and chips at Morecambe

Head into the south Dales to Hesketh Park Farm and the amazing Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream Factory (50s-style diner and big outdoor playground)

Our 2-year old loved the Falconry centre at Austwick (on the A65). He had a proper twit-twhoo conversation with an owl and laughed so much he kept falling over.

I’d retrain as a palaeontologist.

djglover – Member
didn’t drink anything in 2:30 it took me to run 20 miles yesterday. Although in the 2-3 hours following I had 750ml of milk, a pint of tea and a pint of orange

You’ve been watching Panorama! There’s apparently lots of science showing that the weight loss associated with mild dehydration (to 4% bodyweight) leads to faster running. If properly hydrated at the start you shouldn’t need much fluid during long runs.

Oh, and according to the Ingleboro results I was a bit keen with the stopwatch buttons and hit 55 dead.

11-28 and a compact 50-34 here.

main thing is dont crash or puncture

🙄 thanks 😀

Thanks for that. I’ve been trying to ride in the drops as much as possible to get used to the position so this makes sense. I’ve also bought some compact bars from the classifieds with the same aim.

The other thing I need to practice is dismounts and jumping back on. I’m left-handed and automatically get off on the wrong side. If I try to get off on the left I get my foot stuck in the pedal every time. Grr.

sefton – Member
What does everyone’s training look like at the moment?

Bit of running, a few fell races, 2-4 60-90min road rides per week, bloody hilly 65 at the Bronte sportive last week, a few hill reps with a road bike on my shoulder…

…and a mostly-built cx bike in the garage.

Really really need to finish building and ride it.

Well done Jamie – your heart rate chart looks like you were about to explode towards the end! What a weekend for it!

Ingleboro race for me. Very pleased to scrape under 55mins, just missing out on top 10.

djglover – that’s great. When’s your race?

schrickvr6 – Member
Pffff what do you know!

😀

Must be time for a cuppa.

Loose leaves are always good.

Otherwise another vote for Assam. I recently tried the Tesco one but was disappointed. Whittards is good but Taylors of Harrogate Assam is amazing.

Bluntly, you sound like a whinger looking for excuses.

If you want to ride, and if you want the benefits from riding, find a way to ride. Either get more appropriate clothing, get guards, get a turbo or ride at a different time when the weather’s better.

(Personally, I run!)

You’ll be fine – it’s an easy route to follow.

The gpx takes the proper route over the top. If you’re feeling knackered, the wood is the bailout route and is pretty obvious.

WackoAK – Member
Jensie Blog for anyone who is interested. Really good reading.

Thanks for this – brilliant find. Is it wrong to have a man-crush on Jens?

That’ll be great – at least it’s the dry half! The bogs on the other half could well be neck-deep.

Make sure you follow the ridge line from the top of Lose Hill to Hollins Cross – the route through Brockett Wood below Lose Hill is a bit dull and gloopy.

Full skyline in March? http://www.dpfr.org.uk/pages/3

Look for Castleton Fell Race on Garmin Connect/ Mapmyrun. It’s a classic route. 6m, 1500’ish

Did that last year in 58:42 which I was quite pleased with

Too right! Good run. That’s about my target. Glad you seem to be on the mend and, more importantly, seeing sense and moving north. I moved up from London a few years ago when I was much fatter.

Well done IanMunro – 4th is 4th! You can only race the people who turn up…

Tea boy, where are you based?

I’m in the Ilkley/ Keighley/ Skipton triangle. Bad luck on BGR. One day I’d love to have a go at legs 3 and 4.

Got chased by a small herd of cows and a bull

😯 Sprint training anyone? My mum once got chased by a horse and ended up running into a river to escape.

Good going! That sounds great, and I’m very jealous of the BG stuff. I’d imagine it could be addictive and, before you know it, you’re obsessed.

I only ran 10 miles last week – one good session of 6*3mins and a short 3Pcx set of hill reps with a bike on my shoulder (800′ in total).

Cycled 150miles ish over 3 rides, including lots and lots of hills.

Ingleborough fell race on Sat so I’ll probably do a session tomorrow and take it easy for the rest of the week.

Where are you planning to be? As above, it’s huge.

2nd for Brick Lane if you’re going east. The market at Chalk Farm if you’re north.

I’m unable to sleep on anything moving with an engine.

I’ve had sleepless nights in cars, buses, planes, trains, ferries, post boats, cargo boats, camper vans, trucks and rice delivery vans.

It’s horrible but I keep going back for more as I figure that, since I’ve made the decision to put myself through it, whatever I’m travelling towards must be worth it.

Brad in yellow, Cav going for a win? I would.

I’m interested in this too having recently moved nearby.

Lots of people on here were raving about Bingley last week.

There’s also the Skipton/ Sharp Haw/ Hetton/ Rylstone/ Bolton Abbey/ Draughton/ Roman Road/ Skipton loop though Sharp Haw will be unbelievably boggy now.

The route of the Bronte mtb challenge in Sept looks good too:
http://www.sueryder.org/Get-involved/Events/All-events/2012/September/Bronte-Bike-Challenge

Haven’t done the 3Pcx before and really fancied a go. I’m treating it as a recce for a future assault so taking it reasonably easy amd making sure I enjoy it.

I’ve done the fell race before and got it catastrophically wrong. I wasn’t really fit enough, hadn’t done many long races before and got my fuelling wrong. I needed a few lie downs from Whernside onwards to get over the cramp, then stumbled in at 4:38ish, 40 mins slower than target. Very much a case of unfinished business.

Target for Abbey Dash is 34:59, though I hope to go a bit quicker – I ran 35:30 earlier this year and have plenty of time to get better.

“I always thought mile reps were the default for 10 work building to 3 x 2mile efforts.”

Sounds about right. I’ve seen 3x2m or 5x2km or 2x3m. I guess all pretty much the same idea and effect.

I do most of mine pre-breakfast too.

Sounds like you’re definitely going in the right direction. Abbey Dash is on my list too. Just the small matter of 3 Peaks cx first…

emsz – I like this article about marathon long runs:

http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/articlePages/article/2

Message is either start slow and build up speed or go unfuelled and steady to train your body to use fat as fuel.

Depends who and what you’re racing.

I’ve got kids of 1 and nearly 3. I’m not winning races but I’m coming closeish – top 20 in Leeds Half Marathon, a few 2nds and thirds in road and fell races.

Being a parent has made me think much more about how to make my training more effective given limited time – even though I’m not motivated/ selfish/ talented (delete as appropriate!) enough to do enough training to win things, I’m actually by far the fittest I’ve ever been which, for me, is a pretty good result.

Can’t claim to be an expert but I’d say that the mile reps aren’t really about the speed for 10k – they’re about endurance at the right speed.

I do shorter, faster intervals to generate leg speed and form and then build up reps at target race pace to generate the endurance.

What’s your target 10k pace, and are you doing your mile reps at this pace? If so, do as many as you can until your pace starts to fall off.

How long have you got before your race? If you’ve got a month or more and can do 5+ miles or 2+2+1 at target race pace, aim to go faster!

Be aware that it might be bloody hard work if everyone else onboard is sick.

With all the usual cliches, you’re part of a team and some are likely to be complete novices who will find it hard when they feel sick, cold and tired, it’s 3am and a bit scary in big seas and all they want is a warm, dry bed, so remember to be nice and do your bit.

It’s brilliant fun.

craigxxl – Member
Have a look at M&S. Not quirky but quality leather and build, had mine for years and still going strong.

I got an M&S one for an 18th birthday present. I’m now 30-something and it’s just starting to fall apart.

Got all 5 sides remaining

Put some on the classifieds?!