Aiming for Progress in 2013

I have decided to take a more structured approach to my cycling in 2013. When I bought my first road bike and started racing two years ago, I never really put applied any sort of plan to my preparation  Although I was consistently riding my bike to work and doing random interval sessions, I knew I could do better.

I'm planning on leaving the citizen class behind and moving on up, so I think I need to focus on these four things;

• eat a healthier diet
• commit to a preseason training plan
• attend more races
• join a cycling club or team

Eat a Healthier Diet

In the past I used cycling as an excuse for eating excessive. I knew I could eat or drink pretty much anything because of the amount of calories I would burn while cycling. Needless to say that isn't the way to improve.

My wife randomly picked up some Vega One samples and a couple coupons at Douglas College in the fall. We both really enjoyed the products and decide to do some more research on vegan principles and plant-based nutrition.

I signed up for Thrive Forward, an online program to help me learn more about plant-based nutrition. It starts very basics and I have started using some of the things I learned already. I've lost some weight and generally feel better. I don't really crave all the unhealthy things I was eating before.

It seems unlikely I will switch to a complete plant-based diet, but I'm willing to keep an open mind and continue experimenting.

Commit to a Preseason Training Plan

My training has been relatively haphazard so far. I've experimented with different things and read a lot of information, but haven't really put a lot of it into practice.

I found the skeleton of a training plan on the internet that is flexible enough to work with my work schedule and family life. While it's not perfect and probably not the best, I race bikes for a hobby and personal enjoyment. I have to face the fact I'm far too old to become the next Ryder Hesjedal.

This is what my week of training will look like. I can only squeeze in about 7 - 10 hours of training time each week and this plan seems to work for a number of reasons. I work a graveyard shift Monday, from midnight to 8:00am. Generally I feel terrible, so its a good day to take off. I enjoyed the boot camp class I took before Christmas so I signed up again. It can't hurt to continue work on my core strength. Two interval sessions each week should help with my racing ability. Saturday and Sunday I work during the day, so I can squeeze in some longer rides to and from work to build my endurance. 

Hopefully this will give me a good starting point for when racing starts in the spring.

Attend More Races

This is a bit of a challenge. Most races are held on weekends, which I normally work unless I'm on holidays. I do want to try to attend some of the weekday criterium races. I have Tuesday and Wednesday off work, so there isn't really any excuses not to try and attend these. Maybe not every single one, but I could start with a couple per month.

The World Tuesday Night Championships at UBC is very popular, although pretty far from home. In the past races were held on Wednesday evenings at Mission Raceway. Hopefully those will be back for 2013.

Join a Cycling Club or Team

This could prove nearly as challenging as attending more races. My work schedule prevents me from participating in many of the group rides clubs and teams offer. It would seem strange to join a club or team and never participate in any activities.

I would like to find something local, with others interested in racing, and maybe with weeknight activities. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

I'm hoping I can improve my cycling in 2013 and have more fun and maybe even post some good results.

 

Rapha Festive 500 - 2012

Rapha Festive 500 - Ride Map

This year the Rapha Festive 500 had a bit of an extra challenge for me, I had to manage riding the 500 kilometres along with working six of the eight days. Also, my wife wanted to give the challenge a try. Add in three kids to look after and other holiday requirements, things were looking pretty daunting.

Festive 500 Planning.

I created a planning worksheet that would help us stay organized with cycling, work, and kids activities. Days off cycling would be needed due to visiting relatives and my work schedule. We would need to average 83.3 kilometres per day to complete the challenge.

The first ride of the Festive 500.

I rode my bike to work Sunday night at 11:00 pm in order to kick off the challenge after my graveyard shift on December 24th. I set off shortly after 8:00 am, tired but excited to start the challenge with a short ride home. After a short nap I was up to let my wife head out for her first ride.

The kids were excited to watch Mommy head out for the Festive 500. 

We had no commitments for Christmas Day, so I was allowed free reign for the morning. While most people were opening presents, I was swinging my leg over my bike and heading out into the cold. It turned out to be my longest ride of the challenge, 114 kilometres. The weather was quite cold and I faced some pretty tough headwinds on half the route. Unfortunately the weather got worse in the afternoon when my wife headed out to ride. Freezing rain and a bit of snow had started just after lunch. She had to modify her planned route to a drastically shorter version. Even local hard man Ted Matson was forced to shorten his ride.

The Highway of Headwinds, otherwise known as Zero Avenue. 

Boxing Day was our first day off. After the first three days I had only totaled 141 kilometres and Noriko had 117.6 kilometres. Both of us were way off our expected distances. We both had our doubts about completing the challenge. However, we both wanted to keep going.

Thursday morning Noriko headed out for a ride in the morning and covered an impressive 85 kilometres. It seemed like we did a high-five at the door and I was heading off for a 90 kilometre commute to work. I got to see Burnaby Mountain, Science World, UBC, and, the always interesting, south Vancouver in just one ride.

There was still snow at the top of Burnaby Mountain. 

The volume of riding was taking it's toll on Noriko, but she managed to head over to Pitt Meadows and explore some of that area on Friday morning. My commute to work Friday afternoon was going to be shorter than Thursday's effort, but would include some gravel trails through the Delta's Watershed Park. I had time for a quick loop in Richmond before heading to work. 60 kilometres left me off the pace a little and I was beginning to worry that I wasn't going to finish.

Gravel trails in Delta's Watershed Park

Noriko decide Friday evening that she was going to abandon the challenge. There was simply too much distance to cover in the remaining time and it wasn't going to work with the commitment to the family and letting me finish the challenge. She still managed to cover 251.1 kilometres in four rides including her longest ride ever at 92.5 kilometres. I'm proud she was able to finish 50% of the Festive 500; not bad considering she hadn't been on her bike for about seven years and only started riding again earlier in the year.

I hatched a scheme that might get me back on track Saturday. After getting home from work at 1:00 am I was back up at 5:00 am to cover 50 kilometres on the way to work and then another 27 kilometres on the way home. I think this saved my Festive 500. Without this, I was never going to make it.

Cycling at 5:30 am in the cold rain.

Sunday I had switched to the afternoon shift, so we were able to have a relaxing family breakfast Sunday morning. It wasn't long before it was lunch time and I was on my way to work again. After a dry but cold 76 kilometre loop through Richmond, I only had 34.9 kilometres left to finish the Festive 500.

After 465.1 kilometres of solo riding, I would finally get some shelter on my final ride of the Festive 500. Fort Langley Cyclery traditionally hosts a New Year's Eve ride. They close up shop early and head out for a victory lap of sorts around Fort Langley and Glen Valley. We covered some of my favourite roads - Armstrong hill, Telegraph Trail, Myrtle Avenue, and the cranberry loop. It was the perfect ending to 2012 and a perfect ending to the Festive 500. 

Tail-gunning the Fort Langley Cyclery New Years Eve Ride

Another Festive 500 in the record books!

See you in 2013!