My 2015 Racing & Training year as a Plonker Roadie ;-)



Bigbananabike

Active Member
Dec 29, 2004
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Hi folks.

Hoping for a better year of it than last year - various factors and a recurring hip problem kept my training and racing to a pretty naff level - even though I'd joined 2 clubs and got my national race licence etc.
After weeks of Chiropractor visits (he rides - occasionally) my hip is good again.

In late November a local club(West Auckland) I belong to started the hilly and fast 24kms races - all of two I did.
I went ok in those - faster up the first two hills when I was lighter (who would've guessed!) and so managed to stay with my bunch.
These races start again at the end of January and finished in early March.

By that time the other club I belong to (long drive to South Auckland) should have racing starting.

There are longer sportive style events I'm hoping to do as well. Most of these are out of Auckland. My wife and I have a bit more $ now so we'll be able to afford to all go to them and stay away for the night etc.

I also want to increase my fitness to be able to do the longer, faster group rides on Saturdays and Sundays when not racing. At present I'm just doing the shorter, slower rides / groups.

I'm 52, a Vegan (for say the last 3 years after being a Vegetarian for 17 years), 181cm and this morning after defecating(!) 74.2kgs.
I'm thin boned (who would've guessed) and can get down to 68kgs when I really start to fly up the hills.

Anyway, enough typing, I'd better get out for a ride.

Feel free to offer advice and encouragement as I keep posting.
 
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31/12 Short ride today - only 20kms in the hills but at least I got out before doing family stuff.
 
73.4kgs this morning.

Tapped out a good 46kms in what seemed like almost calm conditions until I turned around....to a reasonable headwind home.

Nice to see some other riders out and smiling at them gets a smile back...apart from one guy with his mind on things other than sociability!
 
I gave it a rest yesterday but today (Saturday) I rode my old steel singlespeed on the group ride.
Even having not rode it for months I did better than expected and was in the first 3 up the climbs and managing to spin it out ok on the flats/down hills.

I tend to aim for riders I want to 'pick off' = be faster than and today most of the ones I wanted to beat, I beat
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A bit of a plod into the wind home.
55.9kms at 25.9kph.

Weight after ride 72.9kgs
 
Yesterday, Sunday I thought I'd be too had it to ride with the bunch so took the 'rello and aimed for maximum smaller hills - at my own pace.

Did 42.6kms including walking over railway tracks as they're fixing the roadway.

Last night I did something a bit stupid - I entered a race in the South of Auckland. I've done it about 6 times already.
Its 110kms of mostly hilly and often a reasonable windy riding but its very scenic....when going slow!
http://www.tourderanges.co.nz/

This means I only have 12 days to add a lot of distance and some good quality hill riding....while trying to get work done and looking after my boys who're on holiday.
 
Originally Posted by lovemotobike
yesterday I ride for 50km
It was really a challenge for me
But I'll do it again :D
Good on you
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50kms is a fair stretch when you're not used to it but all being well the next time will be easier.
 
I was determined to tap out the 100kms today.
I've got to get the bigger kms under my lycra belt for the race and the season.

I mixed up sports drinks (my 2 x 900ml bottles and enough powder to make another one), put 4 x muesli bars in my jersey pockets, put on lots of sunscreen and wired myself up with my MP3 player (I'm into listening to books while I ride) and off I went at 8AM.

I rode through the hills to Kumeu and then did 4 laps of our club race course, back to Kumeu and over the hill to home.
Two stops - changing over drink bottles and MP3 & second stop at a bus shelter because I felt like I needed a rest (it did me good actually).

Lovely sunny day with light winds help me.

I thought I would've cracked the hundy when I got home but I'd only done 97kms.
Close enough ;-)

I'm feeling pretty good considering its 4 x what I normally do.
 
I managed to farm out our boys to friends from 10AM so I went back home, changed etc, got all the drinks/muesli bars, Mp3 player and headed out on my bike.

It was fine (up to 24c) with light winds (got windier later) so a good day to tap out the hundy.

I did the same route but came home a slightly hillier way.

I stopped a few more times (note cars regos down for Police complaints), sort MP3/drink etc out and needed to get off the bike!

93 kms when I got home so not the 100 but nearly again.
Feeling a bit worse than two days ago but I've had harder days on the bike.
 
Originally Posted by Bigbananabike
I managed to farm out our boys to friends from 10AM so I went back home, changed etc, got all the drinks/muesli bars, Mp3 player and headed out on my bike.

It was fine (up to 24c) with light winds (got windier later) so a good day to tap out the hundy.

I did the same route but came home a slightly hillier way.

I stopped a few more times (note cars regos down for Police complaints), sort MP3/drink etc out and needed to get off the bike!

93 kms when I got home so not the 100 but nearly again.
Feeling a bit worse than two days ago but I've had harder days on the bike.
Down to 71.9kgs when I weighed myself after my ride.
 
Originally Posted by Bigbananabike
Down to 71.9kgs when I weighed myself after my ride.
Best to weigh yourself before the ride. I lose around 1kg on a 2 hour ride through sweating. I put most of it back on rehydrating.

You're a bit lighter than me. I'm 53, 182cm. 79.6kg this morning before breakfast. 70km ride today for me.

Cheers from Feilding, New Zealand :)
 


Here I am on the left at the finish of one of our club Thursday night races.
I could've taken him on the line...but why not boost his ego?!
 
Originally Posted by Nigel Doyle

Best to weigh yourself before the ride. I lose around 1kg on a 2 hour ride through sweating. I put most of it back on rehydrating.

You're a bit lighter than me. I'm 53, 182cm. 79.6kg this morning before breakfast. 70km ride today for me.

Cheers from Feilding, New Zealand :)
Hi Nigel.
I weight myself every morning and then (needlessly!) after a ride too.

You're obviously a bit more solid than me - its probably all muscle with you
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70kms is a good effort. You're got some great riding country there and so much less traffic than up here. I'm jealous.

Paul
 
Hi Paul

I'm trim but still got a bit of fat around my waist. I'd really like to get to about 76kg. I seem stuck on 80kg. I'm in Bike Manawatu. Think our club races get back into action in a couple of weeks. I try and do as many as I can.

Did you do Taupo in November. My time was 5:06. Reckon if I had started in group 2 rather than 3 I could have done a better time. They were dawdling a bit at times. It was my first time riding around the lake after doing the mountain bike race the previous 2 years.

Cheers
NIgel
 
Up early AM (I guess 5.55 is early, certainly is for me) for a short one as my wife has to work and I have more boy minding duties.

Went up and over the hills to the Waitakere water treatment place and then basically retraced that home.
26kms.

Yesterday I replaced the 38 for my 34 on another bike in the light of a club ride that's happening tomorrow.
I need the 34 for Mountain Road...which winds its steep way up the 400 or so metres to the top of the Waitakere Ranges

Hope I don't have to stop and embarrass myself
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Originally Posted by Nigel Doyle
Hi Paul

I'm trim but still got a bit of fat around my waist. I'd really like to get to about 76kg. I seem stuck on 80kg. I'm in Bike Manawatu. Think our club races get back into action in a couple of weeks. I try and do as many as I can.

Did you do Taupo in November. My time was 5:06. Reckon if I had started in group 2 rather than 3 I could have done a better time. They were dawdling a bit at times. It was my first time riding around the lake after doing the mountain bike race the previous 2 years.

Cheers
NIgel
Hi Nigel.
Yeah, for most of us guys its the gut that is the last to go. I probably look like a piece of string with a knot in the middle.
A good friend of mine who's maori (and generally slim and trim) put weight on his butt - but basically has abs all the time.

Bike Manawatu has some good riders and races right? I've just finished reading Josh Kench's book and he talks about riding up to a race.
Good on you for doing the club races.

Re Taupo - I've never done it but wanted so since the '80s.
5.06 is very good
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People I know lose time the second time around so no doubt you'll crack 5 hours.

Paul
 
Hi Paul

Yeah Bike Manawatu has some very good riders. I've got Josh Kench's book. I wonder what happened to him. I haven't heard anything about him in the last couple of years. His Facebook page hasn't had any activity recently.

I did 115km today. Rode from Fielding to Pahiatua via Saddle Rd and back over the Pahiatua track. I'm buggered. Stiff head wind most of the way back. Looking forward to tomorrow's rest day. I was 79.1 kg before breakfast. 77.1kg after the ride. No wonder I'm drinking so much this afternoon.

Cheers
Nigel
 
Originally Posted by Nigel Doyle
Hi Paul

Yeah Bike Manawatu has some very good riders. I've got Josh Kench's book. I wonder what happened to him. I haven't heard anything about him in the last couple of years. His Facebook page hasn't had any activity recently.

I did 115km today. Rode from Fielding to Pahiatua via Saddle Rd and back over the Pahiatua track. I'm buggered. Stiff head wind most of the way back. Looking forward to tomorrow's rest day. I was 79.1 kg before breakfast. 77.1kg after the ride. No wonder I'm drinking so much this afternoon.

Cheers
Nigel
Hi Nigel.
Hopefully JK is still riding and has some events planned. I must confess at times when I read the book I thought - this self centred long distance riding is all very well but a better idea is - get married and have kids.
Its all very well re counting that he did RAAM in the nursing home but much better to have a loving wife and kids to visit
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I'm seeing that with some other club racing guys - they're putting having a family on hold or not having one because their club racing (and they'll never be the next big thing) is so important to them.

That's a good long, hard ride you've done. I've looked at that route on Strava after others in the area have done it. Must've been a drag into the wind...

Hopefully the 2kgs will stay away.

Paul
 
A beautiful day for a ride and I got to the shop on time so all was going well....for a while at least.
We headed off on to the new (to me at least) NorthWestern motorway bike path.
A couple of kms into that I heard a bang or clonk from my back wheel and then it started rubbing really badly.
I told a ride guy and stopped. One rider stopped to see what was wrong and I told him and said I'd just ride home.
A spoke had broken. I twisted it around another one, adjusted the wheel and the brake and rode home - slowly - it was still rubbing badly.
This is the second spoke I've broken on this wheel. I'm going to fix it and sell them - cheap.

Anyone wants some Equation wheels?

16kms.

What to do?

I grabbed 'rello and headed out a more normal route taking in some smaller but decent hills and returned home.

34kms.

Not my worst day in the saddle but....
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Hi Paul

Bummer about the broken spoke. I've broken a spoke a few times while out mountain biking. I just wrap the broken one around another one and keep on going and do the planned ride. With disc brakes wheel rubbing isn't an issue. I upgraded my Mavic Aksium wheels on my road bike in December for some Token c55a carbon alloy wheels. No lighter but they're areo wheels. No difference at low speed but I think the bike is faster on the flats at 35km/h or more.

Rest day for me yesterday although I did ride my old bike a couple of km's to the veladrome in Feilding and watch some track cycling in the afternoon.

Today's weight before ride 78.3kg so I'm very pleased to have kept the weight off. I'm eating a lot of fruit lately especially when I feel hungry. If I can get from my usual 80kg to 76 or even 75kg that's a 5% reduction. That should give me a noticeable improvement in climbing hills. Interesting was yesterday I picked up about 5 kg of milk just to see what 5kg felt like. Certainly a lot extra weight carry around.

My kids are adults so I'm fine. I'm sure if I was younger I couldn't do the amount of training that I do now. I certainly have no plans to do any ultra distance races. 160km is plenty for me although I would like to do Taupo quicker next time.

50km for me this morning keeping my heart under 140.

Cheers
Nigel