Lone Biker 2018

A Cyclocross Podium!

So it finally happened. In my 9th season of cyclocross I got a podium. I am not ashamed to say that I felt rather emotional at my 2nd place in the Doonbank Trofee B Race. Years of travelling all over Scotland , breaking and running with bikes through Somme like fields of muck finally brought some success.
The day was set up brilliantly for success. The highlight of my day was actually watching my daughter in the U12 fun run race. At age 6 she gamely pedalled her frog bike through 4 laps of the juniors course with a big smile on her face.
The course at Rozelle had been changed up by Ayr Burners and it was a belter. The weather and the course changes made it a faster drier race which I prefer (I'm no runner and I am now back to having no pit bike) as it suits my cycling.
I think the Super Quaich A and B race formats have been a success. Lets face it, for the most part in the seniors and A races we are going to pick a winner from 1 of 3 people and those 3 generally make up the podiums. At times in the seniors you can get a bit disheartened when you've trained hard, eaten right, prepared properly and mid race you know you are going to come in the high 30's or 40's position wise.
The B race however gives you a chance at success. I actually find myself racing harder because I know my place has a value and my racing is worthwhile, I'm not just going to be a course obstacle for Lines, McDonald, Wardell etal.
Key as always to success is a good start and I made sure I pushed myself as high up the grid as possible. I've watched too many similar ability riders stay away from me simply because they had a better grid position. I fired off then from the start and got myself in the top 10 early on.
The last few months I have actually taken a break from cross. I kind of felt I'd lost the love for it a bit. I changed my diet completely and training regime and targeted Doonbank as a return. I managed this return 20lbs lighter and definitely more toned and stronger for ditching turbo sessions for HIIT workout sessions and it paid off.
On the first lap I felt strong and the fast start didn't leave me burst. Over the course of the first half of the race I pulled myself up to 5th position. I always feel stronger towards the end of a race and in a sport that is fast and furious I took my time to reel in 3rd and 4th place to move to second with 2 laps remaining. I was never going to catch 1st but on the second last lap pushed hard to consolidate my position and then played it sensibly in the last lap to keep my second place.
I crossed the finish line in 2nd place in a B race pumping my fist like I'd won the world champs and promptly pulled my brakes, stopped and cried into my hands. I've won small mountain bike races before but this was my greatest race. I finally managed to coincide preparation, fitness, bike and body for success after 9 years of hard hard slog.
It may be the last podium I get in CX but I will be forever proud of it.
Thanks to Ayr Burners for a great course , event and day and thank you to the Super Quaich for giving us also-rans the chance at glory.

Body Coach Graduation

Despite my active status in the sport, particularly cycling, department I have always been ashamed of my body tales of which I could tell you go back to being a teenager but truth of the matter is Ive never really liked my body and in particular the chunky bits. Over the years it’s been self-inflicted at times, while at times there were mitigating factors but I have been overweight and hated myself. I detest a photo of me on holiday at the pool. I suck everything in when a photographer takes pics at cycle events. A bad looking phot can have me feeling ashamed for days.

That was until now. For the first time in years I am quite proud of how I am looking. If I rewind a little to 2000. You may or may not see in the photos a scar on my lower back. At the age of 20 I suffered a prolapsed disc in the L4,5 region which resulted in chronic sciatica and eventually a microdiscectomy (basically spinal surgery to remove a piece.)

For the year and a half I waited for my surgery I could do nothing physical at all and as the metabolism of youth faded the only comfort I got was eating.  And boy did I eat. Even after the surgery (which was a success) I continued my eating patterns till my eureka moment.

Walking down the street on a February day with no jacket on I was soaking in sweat. I looked at myself and thought “You are disgusting!”

I went to my nearest weight watchers that night to find I was just shy of 20stones.

Weight watchers helped me shift 4 stones or so but there I hovered for a few years till I found cycling which sharpened things up but I was still overweight.

I tried intermittent fasting which had limited success but I overate on the other days. I was fit but still ashamed of myself in lycra. I wanted my daughter to have a fit dad not a fat dad by the pool and that stubborn fat that won’t leave needed a fight.

So that old adage of trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results took a hit on the head. My eating was healthy but portion sizes ridiculous. In between meals I ate shit and my brain would tell me I hadn’t. Id get bored and go to the fridge.

A change was needed.

I signed up to the bodycoach 90 day plan with Joe Wicks and never looked back.

First of all I was cycling 10000km a year but clearly my training needed something else and his HIIT workouts hit the spot, if you pardon the fun. Quick, hard and intense they were easy to fit into my day and around my cycling. I was meant to do 4-5 a week. Ill admit to only two or three as I race my bicycle and still needed to fit that training in. I have to say my work with Physioflexx Physiotherapists on 3 years of pilates was the best base for this training I could have hoped for to make sure I avoided injury and had good form and core.

The food was a life changer. Planning amounts for meals clearly made a difference and for the first time I changed my eating habits to lose weight and was never hungry yet didn’t over eat. I have totally ditched sweets and crisps and don’t miss them at all and learned to cook a whole range of meals I never dreamed possible. I learned what type of meals I should be eating and when which has really supported my exercise.

So the benefits? Well I have lost 18lbs (8.5kg in new money). I am 12 and a half stones. Something I haven’t been since I was 13 or 14 years old.

I feel fitter. During the process I actually won a race on my mountain bike and placed 8^th in Cyclocross race. You can cycle faster when better muscles are driving less weight.

I’ve lost 6 inches from my hips and waist. I’m starting to actually look good in clothes and bought a pair of jeans for the first time in years that don’t have to have a big saggy arse.

Other benefits include feeling more energised, better skin, shhh pooing better and my dry eyes aren’t as dry.

The Bodycoach is the best thing I have done for my health and body and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

The journey hasn’t finished yet though. There is still muffin top to lose. I want to look good for those Florida holiday pics next summer and as 2019 brings my 40^th birthday I want to continue to prove age is a number and get better every year.

Doon n Dirty XC 1st Place

So it happened! I won a race. Last year I did this race and came 4th so it was great pleasure I found myself atop the podium at the end of this one.
The 3 lap race had a long hard climb followed by a great descent in each lap. On the first lap I powered ahead of the pack on the climb and never saw another competitor until I lapped one. At the finish line I collapsed in a heap, lungs bursting but feeling absolutely over the moon, especially as the second place rider has been a Scottish XC champion.
The race took place in Craigengillan Estate in Dalmellington which will make a great trail centre with a bit of development.

July went by in the blink of an eye...

I have been lax in my blogging of late but probably because of the sheer amount of cycling I managed in May, June and July with the brilliant weather we had but July was the stand out month for cycling.
Firstly I headed off to the family holiday in Mallorca at the start of July. Mallorca is my favourite place to cycle. Beautiful mountains, amazing roads and stunning climbs.
I was in Puerto de Pollenca the same hotel as last year so was able to make great use of the Sport Hotel Villaconcha's amazing cycling facilities and bike rentals for the first week of my holiday.
I was out everyday that week but the highlights were:

1. Sa Calobra out and back. My second visit to the famous climb and still had my jaw dropping. What a climb and road.

2. Col de sa Batalla

This was a climb I had never done before and do get to it involved a beautiful cycle through a lovely valley before a spectacular climb.

3. Cap de Formentor
This is one ride I have now done multiple times but even though its a dead end its the most beautiful dead end in the world. This day was different though as it was the first time it was closed to cars so it became like the worlds best cycle track.

Once again I loved this place. No trip here next year as we are off to Florida but I am coming back ASAP.
The cycling BIG wasn't over for July though. There was lots of cycling on usual routes but at the end of the month on a super day I went for a big one. I had never broken a 200km day and I went for it racking up 230km. What a day that was.

 August had its moments but more of them in another post.

Kintyre Ultra MTB

The Kintyre Ultra is my new favourite race. Like being a parent I cant tell you why its so good because everything about it seemed to be insanely hard but I will make an attempt.
The cold but not uncomfortable morning started with waves of riders starting from just outside Tarbert on a fire road climb. This gave me a chance to feel good about myself. being in the second from last group I was able to overtake a lot of riders on my chosen steed for the day my Giant XTC 29er which proved to be the best choice for this ride.

The race then took its first real technical turn as we turned onto what was the walkers path of the Kintyre way and the challenges began. The previous months of rain and snow left it boggy and I sunk a few times before finally hitting fire road again and blasting down to Skipness where I passed my support van for the day (cheers mum and dad(see van in pic)). The weather at this point was very gray. The sunshine never really came out and even at sea level the normal stunning vistas of Arran on the east or Islay and Jura on the west never appeared leaving it difficult to tell exactly where you were till Campbeltown.

There then followed a section of road past the ferry terminal at Clonaig before heading offroad onto the Kintyre way again for what was the hardest section of the day with many "hike a bike" moments and I was glad to see the water stop at Clachan before the sweet relief of tarmac all the way to a bowl of soup at the stop in Tayinloan. Again I looked pro as while in the food stop my crew hosed my bike down before the journey continued.

The second half of the day involved some huge climbs on fire road back into the clouds with sections of more ride-able single track interspersed. 

The fire road climbs suited me and my bike perfectly as I reeled in more riders to eventually find myself alone on the hills.

The last food stop of the day at Lussa Loch saw the clouds start to thin as I started to catch some of the runners on the Ultra Marathon. Another long section of fire road descended back on to tarmac for the last 6 miles and I went for it.

I tucked into as TT a position as possible on the mountain bike and skelped it to Campbeltown as the sun appeared and I passed  a few more riders from both the Ultra and the Sportive to take 12th place on the day.

I was so pleased with the result and my performance coming in at 7 hours 54mins.

This was a great course. If the clouds had buggered off I know the scenery would have been awesome. It was never warm but never cold enough to be uncomfortable. The organisation was superb and the organisers and marshals a smiling cheery bunch at every stop. The other competitors were also great company  and this I think added to the joy of the day.

It was the hardest race I have done but its not called an ultra for nothing, but even at that I am already thinking of next year.