Tuesday 27 August 2013

update of sorts

With birth of new offspring imminent sportives are on hold (banned) and no firm plan is in place to do next big challenge other that vague definitely doing something bigger next year. Meantime fitness achieved must be maintained as does weight loss.

Loss so far 38 pounds, dropped from 17 stone 9.5 pounds to 14 stones 13.5 pounds.

Tuesday 27 8 13

So far slow ride 5 miles on R200 as Boardman speed machine was found to have canvas for rear tyre. Not happy.

Monday 26 8 13

managed to get an ascent of the Bonsai Mountain with lil t in carrier. Even with him on my back I only managed to burn off 345 calories in 1 hour 15 mins.

Sunday 25 8 13

72 mins on x trainer

Saturday 24 8 13

Mucked out stable

Friday 23 8 13

Mucked out stable

Thursday 22 8 13

32 mile bike ride v hilly to Knighton and back 1 hour 35 mins no data as GPS ran out of juice!

72 mins on x trainer

Achieve target weight at fat camp

Wednesday 21 8 13

2 x 5 mile fast rides

1 spinning session.

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Back on it

Back on the bike Monday 5 mle ride in slow time 15 mins 56 seconds av hr 62 max 72 must be ft or dead Tuesday 2x 5 mile recovery rides Really sore left knee. Its better than it was but still excruciating.

Monday 12 August 2013

Been there done that!

Well the W3P2P went as planned, started, did it, finished and all is well in my world except there is a missing challenge looming. Details of this epic trek and bike ride are blurred at times as we went a pretty frenetic pace, except when eating bacon sarnies, and once we were dropped at the right start point the timetable went pretty much as the one in my diary which reads

1am Snowdon
4.30 am bikes
8.30 am Cader Idris
12 noon bikes
8pm Pen-y-fan
11 finish aim for

actual timings match planned, started 1am in Llanberris and got to Snowdon summit at 2.30 am.

 Stats for Snowdon section
Peak height 1085 metres
Llanberis path is 5 miles long and has 3199ft or 975 metres of ascent.
Graded by Mountain Rescue as a hard mountain walk and guidelines of 3 hours 15 in daylight are given as time taken to summit.

We took the Pyg Track down again a walk graded by Mountain Rescue as a hard mountain  walk over rugged terrain (big rocks, streams, dead climbers) and this was a descent of 2372ft or 723mtrs, time again given as a guide of 3.5 hours in daylight.

Our totals were 3 hours 10 minutes climb descent combined. Calories 1580 av HR rate 112 peaked at 152.

Pen-y-Pass to Cader Idris

This was a fast ride of around 50 miles, very cold at 4.30 am ish when we set off but we made Cader Idris by 8am. Combined timings for whole bike route listed below but calories used 2100 av HR 126 max HR 157.

Cader Idris stats

This was nasty and rated a moderately difficult climb to the summit, nasty in so far as the legs were starting to get tired, that we had to walk past a closed cafĂ© that should have sold us breakfast and that to get to the top involved a tortuous route through boulders and a climb/descent before the peak. Distance was 6 miles there and back and the total height gain was 3218 ft or 981 metres. Rewards were aplenty, found "new" route to the peak without losing height or extra peak bagging, the views were fantastic as it was a clear and sunny day, Spotty the Bernese Mountain Dog ate my share of ships biscuit (flapjack) and when we got down after 3 hours toil (guides state allow 5 to 6 hours) we had bacon sarnies, coke and 4 cups of tea. Totals 1257 calories average HR 108 max 139.

Cader Idris to Pen-y-Fan

A long slog on the bikes via Llangurrig |(I think) Rhayder, and Built Wells. Stats for bike ride as  a whole and includes a few mins extra for stops.

Total distance cycled 144.44 miles in 9 hours 47 mins 6 seconds average speed of 14.76 moh max speed of 37.26mph calories used from Cader to Pen-y-Fan 4000, ascent on bikes 7640 ft descent 7391 which is proof that our Downhill all the way mantra was inaccurate.

Bonked big time on section after Builth and before Brecon and had to be saved by cakes and sweets. Average HR was 114 max was 170 but the max was achieved when feeling ill not through exertion!

Bike used was a Boardman Team 3 racing bike, alloy frame and it behaved perfectly, faultless performance, no punctures, barely a sore bum. (Could not sit on bike for 3 days after)

Last bit, assault on Pen-y-fan

We had been blessed with fantastic weather all day, sunshine, not too hot, bit of a stiff headwind between Rhayder and  Builth but all was good. As we prepared for Pen-y-Fan ascent descent the weather turned nasty. Light drizzle in car park and a bit of a breeze turned into gale force winds near summit and horizontal armour piercing water droplets. The torch could not penetrate the murk and we were reduced to snails pace to keep on path and not walk off cliff edge. Height gained 2402ft or  732metres. 5 miles, time taken 1 hour 40 mins in dark, guides state 3 hours in daylight and its rated a moderate mountain walk. Calories 1310 hr average 134 max 155.

Finish in car park to cheers and a much needed bag of fish and chips at 11pm.

Totals 22 hours start to finish.
Calories used 10247
Average HR 118.8 Max HR 170
Total ascent 16459ft
Total Distance 167 miles

In all a good effort and a great challenge.

Go on do it, you know you want to!



Tuesday 6 August 2013

Monday 5 August 2013

Nearly there

Training has fallen by the wayside as its now around 48 hour to go, the weathers foul and instead of getting out on the hill or getting some miles in on the bike I am map reading, packing and hoping for good weather from 00.01 hrs 8.8.13 to 24.00 hrs 8.8.13

Start Snowdon 00.01 hrs 10 mile walk, then 50 miles on the bike to Cader Idris, 6 mile walk then 90 mile on bike to Pen-y-Fan for last 4 mile walk.

Easy

Friday 2 August 2013

Final push

Last few days to train before a rest and then the actual event so today 60 miles in 3 hours 44mins 59 seconds av speed 15.9mph max speed 38.16 mph ascent 2545 ft descent the same calories 3634 av hr 113 max 156

really sore left knee

Sorted final details of event for the 8th 8 2013 which go along the lines of load car, drive to Snowdon, start, finish as soon as possible, come home. What can possibly go wrong?

Thursday 1 August 2013

Good enough but not good enough

With demands made by work, toddler, critters and pups training has been limited of late which is not the time to be soft as next week the real man test starts.

Today (yesterday) 1 hour x trainer pushed it sore left knee and acute cramp in calf.

Wednesday 1 run anticlockwise 20 mins 11 seconds not best ever time but good enough, 1 ascent of the North Face Gulley and back 36 mins and that was dawdling, getting lost in the gorse bushes and getting soaked due to dire weather. Sore quads