Training Camp and getting set for Singapore

After watching Het Niewsblad and Kuurne this weekend (Belgian season openers), I am chomping at the bit to start racing.

This February has been all about preparation for racing. My coach has been giving me shorter intervals (1 -2 minutes), some 5 minute efforts, and some long tempo and endurance rides that will hopefully hone my form. My knee is great and I feel stronger than at any time last season. I still need to get my bike position just right, but its almost there (cleats are good though). My weight is stable at 70 kg and my body fat is going down.

I was hoping to get some race efforts done in Nice, on our team training camp, but a sore throat and blocked nose meant only low to medium intensity! Pretty annoying as it lasted the whole 9 days but at least I could still ride with the guys. Some of my team mates were racing at the same time (Tour of the Med, Haut Var, and the upcoming Tour of Murcia), and it sounded brutal, especially with the weather. For me details see our team website: www.enduraracing.com

I thought that I would be starting my season at the Severn Bridge RR this weekend, but have been asked to go to Singapore! Apparently it is a big money crit, and top teams such as Lampre and Garmin are riding. Its going to be a hard start to the season, but at least all the races afterwards will feel easier!

I have also got my programme decided. My big goals for the first half of the season are the Rhone Alpes- Isere stage race in Mid May and the National U23 champs in late June. In between then I will be using mostly National B's to get into top form.

To lighten up the blog I thought I would include some retro images of the 2006 Colne GP Support race. Scott Thwaites, one of my team mates for Singapore, joins me on the podium, and we were both beaten by some old guy..... (I think the photos are from Larry Hickmott)

p.s. hopefully my video blog will be up soon

Comments

Lazy Blogging..

Hi guys, I apologize for not updating in a long time. It is always irritating when people have out of date websites. The excuse is that I have been pretty busy, and also quite disheartened about my cycling. But I think I have turned a new stone and now everything's smooth sailing...or riding perhaps. After my race in Singapore I had a couple of local races, and my knee just didn't hold up under pressure. It was buckling under the increased intensity and I was pretty upset after all the work I had done with my physio, and I thought after a good few months I was over it. This kept going on in a weekly cycle. I would train and condition my leg during the week and then be smashed in the races because I just couldn't put any power down. Needless to say my motivation kept declining, along with my fitness, for around 2 months After an awesome family holiday in Morocco (that can come in the next blog) and a serious discussion with my coach, its looking more positive. I think I may...

Summer Travels

July started well with my first half-decent race for months. I took part in the Guildford Town centre Criterium on Wednesday night. A tiny circuit featuring a patchy tarmac descent and a sharp cobbled climb with little in between. As soon as I started I realized there was no way I was going to keep up the sterling track record of cyclefit employees (Warwick) in the race. I got stronger as the race went on though and I didn't crash -always important as my confidence was pretty low. Jon Dibben did a great ride as per usual. I drove home optimistic that my season was turning around with my new pedalling technique (no pun intended). Next up in July was the Cyclefit Etape Trip. Me and Stuart (brother) drove the Clio down to Pau in the Pyrenees and met Jules and Konrad (or Konradiator as he later become known). Due to the efficiency of the French Motorways, we made it there pretty fresh and with only 3 speeding offences (2 in Bordeaux alone). Our first job was the Expo which involved ...

Great Britain Call Up

Well its lucky I didn't stop my training during my mini- meltdown a few ago. I got a call from Max Sciandri the other day offering me the chance to do U23 Paris-Roubaix and a stint in Italy! It will be good to race with the guys again, and hopefully I can do an impressive ride.... Jules and Phil at Cyclefit have been very understanding, and there is lots of discussion as to what equipment to use. Kimberly's Zipp 303's or use the GB Mavics? Look 585 or Look 595? These are the important questions of our time... nothing to do with people called Cameron and Clegg.

Grain of Sand

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