52

Dedication Is Paying Off

Nothing much has happened this week just training hard, sleeping and eating. I have seen some improvements on the track and in the pool so the dedication is paying off.

This year we have been doing more swimming. Last year I was missing the lead pack in some of the races so this year I’m hoping that wont be the case. Its been raining here for the last couple of days but it hasn’t stopped our group from going out on the road and getting the miles in.

I don’t mind the rain because its still warm 22C but I hate cleaning my Focus Cayo Lightweight when I get back. If you want to keep the baby running smoothly then the grease monkey work has to be done. I have plans to run the Runaway Bay Sports Super centre 5k in two weeks, I ran it last year so it will be interesting to see how things compare to last time

I told a friend of mine how we had two glass bottles thrown at us when out riding the other day. He said he would rather dodge glass bottle’s than train in the UK at the moment. I’m sorry to hear about how tough the winter has been this year, Keep your head down and train hard then the good things will happen this summer.

Stu.

11

41 Days Left

41 days left. As I write this blog I have just 41 days until I hit the big four zero. It seemed such a long way off when I arrived at the top of Mont Ventoux at the end of the 2009 etape du tour, but now it’s just over a month away. I’m not usually one to get “hung up” about my age. I barely noticed turning 30, but for some reason 40 just seems really old to me! Luckily for me cycling is one sport where age is not much of a barrier.

On the start line of last year’s etape there were a large number of over 60 year olds (well that’s what I judged them to be). Many of them appeared to have no problem in producing a faster time than I managed. This makes me feel a whole lot happier. I still want to be completing these challenges for many years to come and I’d like to think that I could continue to improve on my performances for a few more years yet.

The good thing about predominantly being a sportive rider is that I can just challenge my own ability on any given event. I have set myself some tough targets as far as finishing times are concerned, but at the end of the day, if I don’t achieve these targets, I’m the only person who will be disappointed. I think that this is what makes sportive riding so popular. The pressure is largely “off” and relaxed and this encourages a pleasant and cordial atmosphere between competitors. The detractors of this type of event will argue that the lack of competitive edge means that riding sportives is a bit of a “cop out” but I disagree.

I love competing in road races. The thrill of riding in a fast moving bunch (assuming I’ve managed to not get dropped) is exhilarating. If I’ve summoned the energy for an attack, or even better get into a break then the feeling is fantastic, but there is never any time to enjoy the moment. It’s pure adrenaline. The more relaxed atmosphere of a well organised sportive is a real treat. Couple that with the sense of achievement upon the completion of the event and often the stunning scenery on the way round and it’s Good Times AL!

Whatever your level of ability from elite professional to complete novice I recommend that you ride a sportive this season. I’ll guarantee, at the very least, you’ll have a cracking day out!

Until next time, when I’ll be considerably closer to 40, ride safe

Rich

51

Training Improvements

Things seem to be ticking along quite nicely at the moment. The improvement in weather and noticeably longer days are really making a difference. My motivation is high as I have my eyes on the UK 24hr Solo Championships, being held in May. It is a really big race for me as not only is it a chance to prove myself against the very best in the country it is also the best means of getting a ranking spot for the World Championships in Australia later in the year.

This year I have given myself several training goals, such as improving power and efficiency but also to reduce my body weight. I can’t say that I have been particularly heavy over the last few years, but there is some excess weight that could be shifted. This showed up on a DEXA body fat scan I had done last September at Aberystwyth University, who have state of the art Sports Science facilities. Back then I was at a peak weight and from then up until Christmas I just tried to maintain my weight and not gain too much over the holiday season.

Since the New Year I have made a real effort to bring my weight down and it is working well. I have done simple things like cutting a few foods out of my diet; alcohol, ice cream and little things like not adding sugar to hot drinks. I have also starting taking Torq raw L-Carnitine which is supposed to help burn extra fat when exercising. Everything is working well as I returned to Aberystwyth University this week to get another DEXA scan and retest my power output. The major news is that I have dropped 3.8kg and 4% body fat. The DEXA scan is really the ultimate when it comes to body analysis; a series of very low dose x-rays to measure bone, muscle and fat densities on the body.

The benefit is that you can see exactly where the weight is on the body and also make sure that no muscle loss is happening. I also had a ramp test with full breathe analysis and I have also seen an increase in my relative VO2 max, so its all good news. I’m now lighter and powerful than I was at Mountain Mayhem last year – a good sign of what is to come I hope.

This time of year is also very exiting as the new season products start coming through. This year I am extremely lucky as I have a number of companies who are supporting me. To help my training I have been provided with a Cyclops Powertap SL wheel system and PT300 indoor bike. Moving to train by power was a big learning curve but it has had a very positive impact and I really would not want to train any other way. Time will tell if it is making me quicker, but I think I know what the answer will be!

I have been using Crank Brothers eggbeater pedals for a number of years and really love the way they work predictably in all conditions. During 2010 I will be using Crank Brothers Eggbeater 4ti pedals on my Focus First Extreme race bike, Eggbeater SL on my Focus Raven training bike and Candy SL on my Verenti road bike.

Nutritional products are very important to me, especially at this time of year when the training loads are at their highest. I am very lucky to have support from both High5 and Torq. Certain products such as energy drink are very personal, so I am pleased that I can stick with something that really works well for me; High5 Energy Source 4:1.

Over the next few weeks the events season starts for me, although the early races will be used as training for the UK 24hr Champs. First up is a road sportive called the Daffodil Classic and the following weekend I will be entering the Mawddach Gold Rush, which is the first MTB race. Later in March I will be undertaking a charity ride for Sport relief, riding from Holyhead to Cardiff.

Anyone wanting to keep up to date on my day to day training and racing can follow me on Twitter.

46

The Big 3-Oh

Growing up in the ’80s, if you’d have told me I’d spend part of my 30th birthday hunting through charity shops looking for a Margaret Thatcher outfit, I’d have told you to take the loopy juice out of your cuppa. However, last Friday, that’s exactly what I found myself doing. The reason? I was staging an 80s themed fancy dress party to celebrate my 30th birthday and the Boy Wonder and I had decided – for pure comedy kicks – that we’d go as Maggie T and Ronald Reagan.

The masks arrived, we promptly put them on (terrifying the cat and our next door neighbour in the process) and I soon realised the mask alone was never going to do Mrs T justice…hence the reason I found myself dodging mothballs in some of Oxford’s finest charity shops until finding the little beauty of a suit you see here…

The party was great fun – thanks to all who came and made such a top effort with costumes – we had a truly entertaining evening.

After the madness of my birthday weekend, I’m now settling into my 30s – time to let it all go now, right?! Errr, nope, not quite… Training is going really well at the mo, I’m even Tweeting about it ;-) I’m doing exactly what I wanted to do this winter: consistent quality training with fire in my belly and a head full of hopes for the season ahead.

A visit to Wiggle HQ earlier this week meant picking up some superb goodies. I was blown away by Exposure giving all of the Team Wiggle athletes their own personalised Exposure Toro Light and Exposure Joystick.

These will come in extremely useful and I know for a fact there was one Ironman triathlete at my party on Saturday night who would not have made it home without his Exposure lights (Hanno biked from Oxford to the party in Swindon and back home again – all in one night – and still came in fancy dress!). That certainly qualifies as a top effort in my book!

Happy training
EK

More 30th Birthday Photos

51

You Can’t Flog A Dead Horse

It has been a very up and down week. Mid week after a couple of hard days my glands starting swelling so I took a day off and just did aerobic training for a couple of days. I went to see a doctor and with a very bad examination he put me on antibiotics. By the end of the week I was fully recovered in-time for crit ( bike race ). I felt great and was the strongest rider in A Grade.

I had an average power of 315-watts for 1-hr this included a dead turn on each lap and lots of change in pace so I was very pleased. My biggest surprise was Michelle keeping up the whole way. She has plans to do some bike racing this year.

I ran off the bike and found I was flying and set new PB’s. It just goes to show that rest after a good stint of training is the way forward and I will continue to do this in the future. Michelle would always say to me you can’t flog a dead horse so have rest when you need it.

The Gold Coast is a great place to train but for some reason the drivers have a problem with cyclists. I have travelled all over the world and this is the worst place for aggressive drivers. Some of the best cyclist and triathlete in the world train here so I don’t under stand why they have a problem with us.

Just recently I was doing an easy spin and a driver decided to throw two glass bottle at me they smashed and sprayed my legs. He narrowly missed me and I dread to imagine what could have happened if I was hit. I will continue to come back here but I will make sure from now onwards that I don’t ride from 4 p.m. onwards.

50

Wales Cycle Challenge

Wales Cycle Challenge

On March 21st I will cycle solo and non-stop from Holyhead to Cardiff for Sport Relief. Riding the full length of Wales, a total of over 200 miles over hilly terrain. I have never cycled that far on the road before, so it will be a new experience for me.

Setting off very early on the Sunday morning from Holyhead I will head across the Menai Bridge before riding through Snowdonia and going on to cycle through the heart of the country, hopefully finishing in Cardiff while it is still daylight.

I have chosen to ride for Sport Relief because of the incredible work they do at both a local, national and international level.

If anyone would like to donate and support my ride, please visit my Sport Relief page.

Someone will also be updating my Twitter page through the ride, so to keep up to date, visit my Twitter.

10

Structure=Positive Effect!

Hello again. Well that’s January out the way. Judging by the Facebook and Twitter comments most of us cyclists are pretty fed up with the weather interrupting our early season base mileage progress. There have been pockets of good cycling conditions and if you were lucky enough to have been off work on these days then your training will not have suffered too badly. I’ve managed a couple of longish rides in the New Forest and supplemented that with a good selection of track and turbo sessions.

I’ve found that making these sessions more structured is having a very positive effect. On the track our coach is keen to stress the impact and focus of each drill and exercise we are doing, whilst on the turbo, I’ve been using a coach based program that does much the same. I’m finding that this means that I can make a large majority of my training sessions really count. Previously I think I’ve wasted many sessions by not having a target. With time being my largest constraint to training it’s important to make every session valuable.

The pro riders meanwhile have no such hassles. A large majority of them were racing in Qatar last week. The last couple of winners of this very flat six day race have been sprinters so it was really refreshing to see a two man break stay away on the second road stage and gain enough time to not be caught for the rest of the race. I’m not sure what odds you could have got on Wouter Mol from 2nd string outfit Vacansoleil taking the overall victory, but I sure they were a lot longer than it being Tom Boonen or Tyler Farar.

(more…)

51

Playing Catch Up

I would just like to say congratulations to Wiggle for winning mail order company of the year. I have had many bike sponsors over the years and Wiggle have by far been the best. The most impressive thing for me is I can be anywhere in the World and they can send equipment out to me within a couple of days. They totally deserve their win and will continue to win because they are so committed to providing the best products and service to athletes all over the world. Even the Ozzie’s down at the local criterium that I race at on Saturday morning talk about how good Wiggle is.

I would also like to congratulate Michelle Dillon my coach and fiancee for winning 220 magazine coach of the year. Michelle works very hard to get the most out of all her athletes and has a real passion for coaching and its great to see she has had recognition for this. So thank you for everyone that voted.

I’ve just had a great week of training and the weather here has been fantastic. This week we were joined by Mark Statham who is an age group athlete hoping to go to the World Champs for his age sometime in the near further. I was very impressed with his commitment to all the training sessions. I have huge respect for age group athletes as you go to work and juggle family life around your training. You guys are special and could be great at anything you put your minds too.

Its very hard to stay hydrated all the time here on the Gold Coast but if you don’t you can really pay the price as I found when I failed to keep hydrated on my rest day. I have a rest day once a week and decided to go to the cinema and have a look around the shops but forgot to take a water bottle with me. I just sat at the coffee shops I just enjoyed the day and lived on caffeine which we all know it can make you even more dehydrated. So when i got home in the evening it was time to try and play catch up on the hydration but its was too late and the following day I struggled to stay with the pace at crit ( bike race) and the run off the bike was a night mare. The only reason for this was dehydration. I was fully rested and did not feel tired just thirsty on the warm up. So even if you have a rest day make sure you keep sipping on the electrolyte drinks with water and stay off the coffee.

So I have the great pleasure of spending my Birthday out in Australia doing what I love and training hard. With an added bonus of spending it with some great people who I just want to say thank you for making my birthday a great 21st. Michelle (the best coach) and some great training partners Stuart and Bex and we were also joined by Spike and Erin both from NZ.

On my birthday day the rain was definitely pouring down as we set out on the bike only to turn around after 10 minutes. So we ended up swimming first and then the sun must of remembered it was my birthday and came out and made it gorgeously hot for the long ride. My legs were not happy to be out but I certainly was.

Then I got to talk to the famo back home which was great, they had also sent me over a moonpig card which was lovely and just having the opportunity to talk to them over skype was perfect. Technology eh!

They had also put up all my birthday cards that I had received back home and put them on the living room table along with 21 big balloons then they took a picture of it and put it on facebook which was such a lovely thought and I loved it!

On the evening Patrick (the saint and the kindest man I know) arranged a fabulous dinner at the Hyatt country club along with his partner Dee who is also a fabulous person. WOW I AM SPOILT, not only by spending my birthday meal at the Hyatt but with the great people too. Great food (the biggest chocolate cake ever) ,the best company equals a great 21st bday night. A quick thank you to my Australian family Patrick, Dee, Michelle, Stuart, Bex, Spike, Erin, Liz for making my 21st a such a great day in Aus.

OK so now I have spoken about my birthday and the celebrations I had I will tell you a little bit about training. I am training very hard out here so when I had a late night at 9.30pm on my birthday so we had to start training a little later than usual. The next day we had to get up an hour later lol the life of a triathlete.

Last week I had Crit and Well I not only have the great advantage of training with Michelle and Stuart, I also was joined by Liz Blatchford and the 2009 World Champion Emma Moffatt. For those who don’t know Crit is a bike race were go go around a loop which takes about 2 and half minutes per lap to get around it . It also contains a dead turn so the power gets put down and a small bridge where there is a slight hill, you go around this loop for 50minutes and then the organizer put up a flag that says 3 laps to go and then it’s a race across the line, its a lot of fun and a great workout.

I have got some really exciting news coming but it will have to wait until my next blog, I don’t want to bore you to much.

xxx

50

Three Weeks In

So Im three weeks into training here in Australia and things have really changed in a short space of time. I’v lost body fat and gained muscle through training hard and eating healthy and feel so much stronger. I have changed a couple of things this time. I have hit the track a little earlier and kept off the running machines. The running machines I use in the gym out here have a top speed of 20 kph so I was always limited to how fast I could run.

I have also found out that my running times on the road are so much slower than on the treadmill, I should have learnt this by now but you learn something new every year. I will still use the treadmill during the winter but only at the beginning just to prevent injury and get me back into running fast.

So now its all about running reps on the road with the heat, wind and rain which has taken me to a new level. So far its been myself and Jodie Stimpston training together, Jodie really has the eye of the tiger and will be a major contender for a position on the Olympic team in 2012. Its been a long time since Iv seen someone not complain and be like a dog at the door for the next session lol.

We have had some new additions to the Team Dillon athletes training camp which is nice. Training as a team means we can all push each other and shout out words of encouragement during those intense session. I have just planned my first three races of the season which will be Mooloolabah & Sydney World Cup. Then on my way home to the UK I am stopping over in Florida for the St Antonys triathlon.