On Islay there was a time when people rode bicycles as a matter of course. I know, I have asked many senior folks and when asked they get the glazed look of reminiscence and talk fondly of bicycle riding all over Islay. So we have history and we have a culture of cycling here on the outer edge of europe. This is continued till this day with VC Ardbeg, Port Mor Wheelers and Islay Wilderness Guide. There are even people talking about cycling as a viable form of very local transport.

Last year after the London to Paris race (that Brian Palmer and I did two years ago and then last year with David Harmon on fixed wheel) it was then suggested that we, David and I, should do it on tandem. It was to raise money for the Geoff Thomas Foundation. This then progressed to an all out tandem record attempt project. Plenty of which has already been written before. That being said, we never thought it would really get this far and now I have agreed to write about this journey, a voyage of fitness, disaster, tears, joy and hopefully, elation when the records, some of which are over fifty years old, start to fall.

The past few days have seen David and I in Snowdonia on a training camp. The purpose of a training camp is to do just that – train – ride and rest, sleep and eat. With new research and and practice the resting part of training is considered as important as the riding aspect. Nutrition has improved too. So we have strict diets, long miles and plenty of zzzzz’s. The diet is key with plenty of carbs for breakfast; porridge or muesli or pasta/rice, oat cakes and honey and fruit, lunch on the road in the form of dried figs, apricots,SIS bars and drinks as well as gels too. In the evening just vegetables (no potatoes or pasta) and protein. We measure everything we eat and everything we put out in the form of calories.

We need to keep on top of the weight to power ratio. And of course drinking plenty and plenty of water. the nice thing about a training camp is that you get looked after and why we have based ourselves in Snowdonia is because David’s mother in law lives here and does just that – superbly! All we have to do is concentrate on getting fitter and thinner! Away from home allows that to be even more pointed and concentrated.

Our day begins with a call at 0730 hours for breakfast, check our fantastic Focus bikes, prepare what we need to take with us, waterproofs and wind jackets, and then head out for between 7 and 10 hours. The riding is hard here, very hard, with long climbs and fast challenging descents. We ride together and often times without the need to talk, just at one with the magnificent scenery, checking our outputs on the Powertap computer (which is attached to the handlebars and reads data from the rear wheel) and pushing ourselves all the time. Our coach sends us a daily plan which, bar injury, we have to to stick too.

Returning as the sun goes down and beyond, sometimes, we clean the bikes, have a shower and then a supper and relax. We have had to nurse a few injuries this week, David crashed, I have a strained knee, so the ice and elevation comes into it’s own till bedtime. Unlike a lot of pro riders we also have our businesses to run so a couple of hours at the laptop finishes the evening till the the comfort of a warm and comfy bed draws us…..

We spend a lot of time of our off bike time discussed strategy, food intake and energy out puts with ourselves and the support team – thank goodness for skype! Without our sponsors, especially Wiggle – more of that later – we could not operate so it is although hard and concentrated, a great privilege. Next week we head for southern France and Stephen Roche’s Hotel to join the training camp where the Scottish pro team Endura will be giving us a hard time!

31

National Cross Champs

Over the last few weeks I’ve continued to build my training ready for the mountain bike season which for me will start a lot earlier this year as I’ll be heading to Cyprus at the end of February. I’ll be doing 3 UCI races to gain some extra points ready for the the start of the World Cup season. Normally the season starts around the end of March – April, so this will be quite strange as even though I’ll be racing early in the season, I’ll still be putting in some big mileage before the bulk of racing kicks off fully.

However, with training progressing well, I had a short term goal to get wound up over first and that was….putting in a quality ride at the National Cyclocross Championships before I could fully excited for the fast approaching mountain bike season. After a pretty disappointing National Trophy Cross season it left me missing out on a few ranking points which I needed for the gridding at the champs. When it came to the gridding I was hoping that I would have been on the second row, but I actually ended up being on the fourth row which was by no means the ideal position to start from, as the start straight was quite short and narrow.

This for me was a bit of a shame as my starts in all the trophies have been very strong when there’s space to move up, but I knew this would be one big scrap to the first turn and onto the course. The course itself was very fast, with a mix of twisting bends through parkland and a few tarmac sections to really stretch it out which would really suit my new Zipp 303 wheels.

Off the start I got boxed in and had to watch riders pass me on the outside until we got onto the course where I was able to move up through the field. However, I wanted to be up with the leaders in the first half lap as I knew they would soon start to make distance between the rest of the field. Unlucky for me I was sitting in about 27th with a big long line of riders all in single file averaging about 25mph, which made it really hard to move up, and by the end of the first lap 6 riders had already broke away from the main bunch and a podium was already slipping away.

I managed to pass riders and get myself up to 7th, but the gap to try and get with the leaders was to much and they were all taking turns at upping the pace at the front leaving it extremely hard to close the gap. For the rest of the race I continued to push hard, ending up finishing just over a minute down on the winner in 7th position. This was quite disappointing for me as I was in pretty good shape coming into this race and I felt that if I’d have been able to get to the front earlier in the race before the lead bunch got away, then I would have been part of the break and had a great chance of winning. Never the less I didn’t……so that’s tough, and that’s just how the racing goes sometimes, even though it can be a bit frustrating at times.

I can now look forward to the mountain bike season where I’m going to get an absolute corker of a Focus bike to race and hopefully get another chance to try and win a National title, this time on an MTB.

Race Report
www.new.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclocross/article/National-Cyclo-Cross-Championships—Day-2-0

Video

The official launch party for Team Wiggle Tandem took place on Thursday 21st January 2010. The announcement for their series of World Record attempts was released to numerous sponsors and cycling press during a two hour press release at the Charlotte Street Hotel in London. We have an exclusive video report of the presentation for you to watch.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Follow Team Wiggle Tandem on the Wiggle Athlete‟s Diary www.wiggleblog.com, or at the team‟s website, www.teamwiggletandem.com alternatively find the team on Facebook and Twitter

The official launch party for Team Wiggle Tandem took place on Thursday 21st January 2010. The announcement for their series of World Record attempts was released to numerous sponsors and cycling press during a two hour press release at the Charlotte Street Hotel in London.

Team Wiggle Tandem hit the road with London launch

What started as an innocent exercise in ‟blue sky thinking‟ between 2 cycling friends over a quiet, post ride coffee, finally broke cover in London last Thursday as Team Wiggle Tandem with an ambitious plan to revive one of Britain‟s great cycling traditions, record breaking.

In a 2 year project Eurosport cycling commentator David Harmon and wilderness trail guide Jez Hastings will attempt to fuse cutting edge cycling technology with the traditional demands of long distance record attempts to attack a number targets against the clock under the rules of the Road Records Association.

“We are painfully aware that neither Jez or I could hold a candle physically to some of the great record holders of the past but we feel that using advances in training and equipment we have a realistic chance of success,”

commented Harmon when asked about the team‟s chances during the official team launch at London‟s Charlotte St Hotel.

Beginning in late March the pairing will aim at setting a new benchmark of under 17 hours for the “Side to Side” from Pembroke in West Wales to Yarmouth in East Anglia before attempts on the 12 hour record and Liverpool to Edinburgh. An even more ambitious 2011 calendar could see Team Wiggle Tandem mount assaults on the End to End record and venture abroad to the legendary Paris-Brest-Paris.

“Breaking records is something that needs a well organised structure.”

Points out Project Manager Richard Gorman from Project 7 Racing.

“I was previously involved with Team CSC and this is a fascinating venture to bring my management skills to. Our sponsors and support staff have been fantastic and have really embraced the ethos of the project”

“Just like road racing, record attempts have so many variables that can effect the outcome; injury, equipment, mechanical support, time, budget and most importantly the weather,” continued Gorman, “it‟s wonderful that everyone involved in Team Wiggle Tandem under-stands and loves the fact that you just can‟t turn up on your bike and go!”

Team Wiggle Tandem will ride “Rocket 1″ a development tandem built by world famous constructor Terry Dolan, helping to develop and test new tandem technology including Rotor Q rings, electronics and Hope disc braking systems for an all carbon framed Rocket 2 for 2011.

“We are delighted to support this Hi-Tech duo who‟s aim is to rewrite cycling‟s record books! Breaking records takes 100% dedication and total commitment, not just from Dave & Jez but from the entire team,”

commented Jason Sims, Team and Sponsorship Executive for title sponsor Wiggle,

“Wiggle are 110% behind this project and wish them the very best with this amazing challenge!”

Team Wiggle Tandem will now travel to Snowdonia for early season training, following that up with a week riding with Team Endura in Southern France before putting the finally touches to their attempt to set a new standard for the Side to Side in late March 2010.

Follow Team Wiggle Tandem on the Wiggle Athlete‟s Diary www.wiggleblog.com, or at the team‟s website, www.teamwiggletandem.com alternatively find the team on Facebook and Twitter

Photos

30

New Year.

Turbo, turbo, turbo, turbo….everybody’s talking bout it! Yes the start of a new year brings out the best in us all and the commitment to sit on the home trainer for hours on end without loosing their marbles has got to be up there on the new years resolution! For me the start of the new year has continued to be a build towards the National Cyclo Cross Champs which have been postponed until 7th of February because of the weather. Fortunately I found myself in a similar position as team mate Ben Simmons and recovering from a cold at the time the event should have gone ahead, so I’m all too happy to be now fully recovered and on the road to getting in shape for the new date.

Last weekend (17th) saw me racing the final round of the National Trophy series in Rutland Water, where I was hoping I could score a few more well needed points, to better my grid position come the champs. Gridded nearly 66th on the grid, the biggest battle for me, and has been the case for most of the cross season…..getting from the back of the pack and try and put myself in a position where I feel I should be competing. Off the start I worked my way through the field and by the end of the first lap I had managed to come through in 15th. Unfortunately, due to muddy conditions, I had some chain suck coming out of a bend which snapped and twisted my chain, leaving me to loose most of the positions I’d just made up as I ran to the pits.

From then on it was a case of using my spare bike for the remainder of the race (which by the end was completely caked in mud and probably weighed 40lb), and try and pick off as many as I could before the finish. By the end of the race I came across the line in 21st nowhere near the result I wanted but, with getting over colds, bad weather, lack of racing and the elements on race day, it’s got to be a step towards a good race come the Nationals.

This week my training hours are going to start to increase, with a lot more road miles mixed with a couple of strength sessions as part of my base for the mountain bike season. I find that this time of year can be very satisfying. Sometimes riding all day watching the miles clock up on the Garmin, experiencing some breath taking views that not everybody has a chance to see, and at the same time getting a quality session in the bank. Good days work!

Final Trophy Report
http://new.britishcycling.org.uk/sport/

Photos

17

New Year’s Revelation…

Happy New Year everyone – I hope you have been keeping to your New Year’s Resolutions ! Its been pretty difficult through January with all this snow and ice to get out on the road, but I have made a few bike excursions (without incident) as I resolved: however my mileage on my trainer has more than quadrupled as a result, along with my trips to the gym! Several competitions were cancelled – notably our regional Cross Country Champs, and some of my National training camps have been cancelled or moved due to the snow, and the flooding that has followed on.

I started my new year with the customary Boxing Day run in Poole park – this will be my last year in the junior competition, and it was a little frustrating not to be running the adult race with my friends! I was the first girl home, but I think everyone appreciated getting out and having the Christmas cobwebs blown off!
Swimming training has been a bit patchy so far this year as we have had early start problems with the weather and the state of access to our training pool: the car park was like glass the other morning and cars were sliding everywhere! One of my friends has been out in Lanzarote training – I’m not jealous: just thinking about it warms you up doesn’t it!

This weekend saw the first step back into the normal routine with a South West Tri Academy training day in Newport, followed by the Cardiff X-Challenge cross country for Poole AC. The Newport sessions were run by coaches Will Newton and Andy Bullock (also to be seen starring in this months 20:20 Triathlon magazine) from British Triathlon with run, core stability and velodrome track sessions. The weather was relatively kind and we just got slightly damp outside, but it was nice to be back in the warm again. We were a large group this time but fortunately we had a couple of hours on the track: Which I used to my advantage – working hard all the way.

After the track session we had a presentation and I was awarded the South West series trophy. The parents also had a discussion about which races the academy will be targeting in the coming year: with a few more sessions like this one we should be going well in 2010. On reflection, I probably should have thought ahead a little, because when I arrived at the X-Challenge Event in Cardiff the following day my legs were like lead towards the end of the race!

I tried to stretch off and did a full warm, but I knew from the outset it was going to be hard work. The course was pretty flat, but I had heard reports of it being very boggy in parts last year. This year the organisers had laid plenty of bark chippings, and the course was so well taped-off so that you couldn’t possibly get lost, so it was looking good. As my race was the last-but-one I was expecting it to be pretty churned-up and went for long spikes, but it wasn’t abnormally muddy. Beforehand I was wearing my bright fluorescent pink Ron Hill Vizion windlite jacket around the race venue – I had loads of people ask me where I had got it from: hope the Wiggle stocks are OK !

I got off to a good start, but at the end of the first lap I was having to work hard. I pushed on – taking another two places on the last lap, coming home 16th out of 72 entrants. Two of my friends came in first and second with excellent runs, although I wasn’t disappointed with my result I think easing off on the training session the day before probably could have lifted me into the top ten. My coach agreed – but I am only bottom of the age group at the moment so I’m pleased.

It was a very full weekend; I enjoyed a well earned doze in the nice warm car on the way home.

Photos

30

Winter Update

16th January 2010

I haven’t Blogged for while and there is a good reason for that…it’s the only time of the year where I get to have some time off racing. This means I haven’t really got much going with regards to racing but have still been keeping my self busy with training and work.

I started a new full time job with Welsh Cycling at the begging of November as a Go-Ride Coach for Wales, my first ever proper job. I have always worked part time for various different people mainly with Welsh Cycling as a casual coach so when the opportunity came up to have a salary, laptop, phone and a vehicle I took it. So far I am really enjoying it although the weather has been a problem when it comes to coaching children on playgrounds, an ice rink would not look good on my risk assessment. So I have been busy with that but still managing to find enough time to train.

I have been mainly riding on my Focus Mares Pro cross bikes due to the snow and these machines are perfect for that. They are so much fun blasting along the canal and ploughing through the snow. I did have one incident where I was descending down a steep field which people had been using for sledging so was very slippery and that combined with a howling cross wind resulted in my going off course and somersaulting over the bars. No damage done though as the snow is a great cushion but I did look like a snow man once I got up.

I have also been riding on Newport Velodrome when it’s not shut due to the snow so that has been convenient in this arctic weather. I have also been on my turbo trainer but mainly use my rollers as I find these nicer to ride and is really good for your pedalling technique. So the only time the road bike has been used is indoors as the roads in Wales are very dangerous not just from falling off but also vehicles loosing control on the slippery roads.

I was due to ride the cross nationals last weekend but it has been postponed until February which has worked out well for me as I am only just getting over a cold. This weekend I am going to head up to the Revolution Track race in Manchester and also the final National Trophy Cross round in Rutland the following day.

I will be sure to let you know how they both go, take it easy.

Ben

Photos

Sometimes I really envy elite athletes. So far my year of being a Wiggle-sponsored athlete has seen me become very accustomed to the lifestyle of your average pro, being given boxloads of free kit and lovely Focus bikes to race on, having a blog and being recognised wherever I race as “that jammy git who won the 220/Wiggle competition.”

However that’s largely where the comparison between me and the elites ends. This is never more evident than at this time of year when elite athletes are encouraged – nay expected – to push off overseas to somewhere warm like Australia or Lanzarote to train. How nice it would be to be rolling carefree around some sunny roads instead of freezing my nads off here in the UK.

This was particularly noticeable on New Year’s Day when I took part in the Coventry Godiva Harriers 5 mile race around the icy paths of Warwick University. Given that parts of the course were as slippery as your average MP just getting round without busting another bone felt like an achievement. One corner was so treacherous that it had Commonwealth gold medallist and 5000 metre world record holder Dave Moorcroft standing on it to direct people safely round – how’s that for service! Despite the conditions, a nasty head cold and a crippling lack of talent I managed to get round in a shade under 30 minutes, urged on by my coach Dave Watson who encouraged me with shouted instructions like “stride out, which is easier said than done when you think every step you take is going to see you go flying and land on your arctic circle.

In truth this was a rare trip outdoors for me. I made my comeback after my broken arm at a 10k x-country league race down in Gloucester and managed to come in as one of the first six counters for my club, tucking my still fractured elbow into my vest for maximum sympathy and to make everyone who finished behind me feel doubly wretched. However apart from a couple of freezing forays out on my bike before the snows came, I’ve been mostly driven indoors to the pleasures of turbo training, swimming, weight training and circuits.

Regular readers of this rubbish will know I am no fan of turbo trainers. Don’t get me wrong, they are great for training but I wouldn’t put anything that makes you sweat spinal fluid in the category of “enjoyment”. That said I’ve just bought a new one which measures my power output as well as heart rate and cadence, adding a new dimension of pain as I cripple myself to keep my watts up and my breakfast down.

Hopefully the glaciers will retreat soon in time for the various x-country races I have coming up – I’ll take mud over ice any day. Having witnessed my cycling club’s Boxing Day cyclo-cross race I’m also keen to go out and have a go at that. It looks like a new and creative way to hurt myself so I’m anxious to give it a try. Either way it will be good to get out and train – its probably a good idea to spend less time in the pub now that I can recall the sequence of flashing lights on the fruit machine from memory.

This is, of course, the time for New Year’s resolutions. I’m not a big one for having “life goals” or anything like that because nothing says “you’re a loser” more than having a motivational phrase about being a winner. However I for have some plans for the season – 2 hours 55 or better at Stockholm Marathon, 10 hours 30 or better at Ironman Florida (where I have a BIG score to settle), 55 minutes or better for 25 mile TT, 22.30 or better at 10 mile TT, 36 minutes or better at 10k blah blah blah. I’ve also signed up for the very first Outlaw Triathlon, an Ironman distance race in Nottingham in August. That lot should keep me busy!

Apart from that I’ll be trying to live up to my usual resolutions of not breaking any more bones, resisting the urge to knock a policeman’s helmet off, and trying to look good naked. I’ll let you know how I get on.

19

Happy New Year

My training volume picked up this week and the lovely easy training days of December are already a distant memory. Due to the icy conditions I am sure I am not alone in having spent more hours than normal on the turbo and the treadmill this week. Unfortunately I’m not as tough as the mountain biking boys of Team Wiggle who have been out training in the snow as you can see from Lee’s recent blog.

January is always the month in the training programme where my volume increases and I get back into the habit of doing 2 training sessions a day, I’m really motivated at the moment and much to my surprise, really loving swimming which has to be a first! It is by far my weakest leg when it comes to triathlon and if I can find a reason to run or bike rather than swim I take it. I was a little bit scared I wouldn’t remember how to swim after 6 weeks out of the water. I had laser eye surgery last November which meant I couldn’t swim for a month. I then had a 2 week holiday in France over Christmas where I got to bike, run and ski but no swimming. It doesn’t seem to have hurt me, in fact I feel better in the water which will hopefully translate to some new PB’s later this season!

I leave a bike in France and despite the huge amount of rain we had in Nice, I managed to get out and do some wonderful rides and only got soaked once! In the December issue of Pro Cycling, Col Eze was featured as a ride which is also one of my personal favourites and one I do quite frequently as it is a great way to cut across to Menton to the start of Col de la Madone, a ride that was also featured in a Pro Cycling magazine Nov 2009 I think. Trek fans will recognise where the name of the bike came from J.

Riding in the Alps is always a humbling experience for me. My strength in racing is flat, windy courses so faced with a 10km climb with a 8-10% average, I am not really in my element. It is of course good for me and makes me stronger but it doesn’t make me happy until I crest the top of those mountains. I tend to drift off if left to my own devices and enjoy the views rather than pushing myself to the max, which is where The Dutchman comes in. Every climb we did over the break was used for interval training and he was right there next to me making sure I was putting in 110%. If it was a short climb of 5-7km it was 1km hard, 1 km easy. Anything longer than that was 2km hard and 1km easy. Trust me, there was no enjoying the views this time!

So back to work, back to training and fine tuning the race schedule for the year. I am mixing it up a bit more this year and sticking to my Olympic and Sprint distance triathlons, some early season duathlons and also a few more sportives including the Fausto Coppi in Italy which will no doubt hurt a lot given my current climbing fitness! I’m busy recruiting my merry band of domestiques to help me out there. www.faustocoppi.net

Be careful out there on the ice! Happy Training.
Cx

With crunching reality 2010 is upon us and clearly Skadi, the Norse goddess of Winter is no great lover of tandem attempts as she’s made damn sure the country has received the very best arctic weather direct from Scandinavia. There comes a point when you just have to shrug your shoulders and accept that you are just not going to get out training on the roads much..if at all.

Thank goodness then that I am now fully aware of just how precious those training camps coming up in February and March are going to be to the success of Team Wiggle Tandem. They say that every mile on a bike during winter is like depositing a pound in the bank and all I can say is that after my recent ramp test with Marc Laithwaite at The Endurance Coach Ltd in St. Helens the balance sheet is looking a little light.

Dripping sweat and with heaving lungs I packed at just under 380 watts sustained for 2 minutes as my debt of carbon dioxide climbed above my intake of oxygen. Is it enough? I don’t know is the honest answer to that but it would be true to say that another 2 months will see a significant increase in power to weight ratio as kilos come off and miles pile on but what was far more interesting than my current condition was the insights into my metabolism the test highlighted.

Historically I had always trained early morning on just a dual shot of strong coffee and no food for either breakfast or on the ride. I have also always been a big gear masher. Both of these things seem not to be in favour in modern cycling but the fact that even during warm up I was burning almost exclusively carbs and no fats seems to confirm that the espresso preparation technique was probably right, I just turn excess carbs to fat and then don’t burn it off unless I force my body to do so.

Jez and I are also switching over from heart rate zone training to training based on power metres which for those of you who have never used is rather like riding a turbo on the road. If you set a target wattage you stick to it and there are none of those micro-recovery freewheeling moments on the road and that too should see a healthy effect on both weight and strength.

Next up is the launch in London at the end of the month followed immediately by our first dedicated week on the new Dolan Super Tandem. In London at least I’m sure we’ll let our hair down..well I will..even if Richard and Jez can’t!

Dave