CycleFit - Jules and Phil Etape Blog May 2008

JULY 2008 - PHIL'S STORY

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Blog 6

'THE MASTER OF THE UNPREPARED'

DIARY OF A BLAGGER

Mark 'GPM10' Neep tonight called me, not for the first time, 'The Master of The Unprepared' Which I am almost certain is a backhanded compliment with special emphasis on the backhanded bit. And he is absolutely right in the sense that the pattern of my life when I think about it is someone who apparently revels in being chaotic and consequently ill-equipped for things, anything - final exams, seminars and of course bicycle races. In sum it is clear I am a 46 year old man who has made a habit out being woefully unprepared for life's big events.
Thus when it was first agreed that we would ride the 2008 Etape, I subliminally knew all this an swore it would be different this time. I would meticulously measure, refrain, reason and doggedly apply myself to fitness just this once. Well I am six days away from the Etape and regular blog readers will conclude, as I reluctantly must, that I have spectaularly failed in every single respect. Sure I have had a run of bad luck, but in truth no more than Jules or many other people I know. So I am on the blag one last time.

TOUR DE MONT BLANC AND MIND GAMES

My trip last weekend to GPM-10's Tour de Mont Blanc was the equivalent of cramming and as such a very high risk strategy I have been paying for with apathy and lethargy ever since. The highlight was being dragged up Col Petite St Bernard by GPM10's Sam Humperson at two clicks above my red-zone. I have known Sam for many years but his riding and racing has taken off from where I remember, he really is very classy in the hills now. More than that he knows me and knows my riding style. He knew that to stand a chance at the Etape at this late stage I needed a quality session that would both test my present form and possibly tip me onto another level. Every time I moaned in low animal tones that I had to drop off Sam would insist that I cling on. Eventually I had to play mind-games with myself to absorb the pain. First I stared at his back wheel to put my eyes out of focus and put myself in a kind of trance. Then in this zone I tried to get all my senses to retreat into the background - the brain is an expensive organ to run metabolically, so I tried to turn it off, both to dull the pain and then save energy for my legs. The last trick was to just try to hang on for five minute sessions at a time. I managed eight before we eventually reached the top. Always blagging always busking, coping on the fly. When will I learn?

Unlike Jules' TDMB trip the preceding week the weather for our TDMB was wall-to-wall 35 degrees burning sun. See what I mean about Jules' own ration of bad luck? It was a great group where virtually everyone was riding the Etape. My room-mate was Dr David Hulse who is the team doctor for The Tour of Britain. It was a fascinating weekend of discussions about bio-mechanics, performance-enhancing drugs, saddle design and replacement knee-surgery (his old job). David is a top man and a true 'Doctor' who restores faith in the profession because you know how much he cares before you know how much he knows. But one of the secrets I will take away from being his roomie is 'fructose'. Most energy products contain little or know fructose for some reason. But fructose can be absorbed into the body without the use of insulin, so it can be absorbed by the body as well as glucose thereby doubling your uptake of fuel. We tried some experiments whilst on the Tour using honey (which is high in fructose and glucose) and Nuun re-hydration tablets (top-tip from GPM and CycleFit staff). The subjective results were impressive and sustained over the couple of days I was trying it. Sam gave our new preparation a name on top of Col Roseland - 'Honeynuun'. It seemed amusing at altitude. The caveat for the Etape must be that some people have some intolerance to high intakes of fructose - the result can be a slight vindaloo effect down the back of the legs when you are climbing. Ahem.

We were also joined on TDMB by Robert Mackey - Robert is a New York Times journalist and occasional commuter who as far as we can establish lost a bet twelve months ago that he could turn himself into an Etape star within the year. And bloody hell he has. He was remarkable on TDMB and finished with beans still in the tin. His daily blog about the transformation from commuter to etaper is compelling and heartfelt. We wish him well and have an appointment this Friday with him at the Etape Expo to see if we can resolve a painful right foot that has been troubling him of late?
Robert's Blog

BON CHANCE MY FRIENDS

And that my friends is all I have to say on the matter. I wish you well on the day and hope to see you out on he course. Maybe we can share a bidon and energy sachet on some godforsaken slope? I will be on my Pink Peril CDA which I have reviewed this month for our newsletter. It is a bike that I first conceived especially for the Etape when we decided to ride. It is an immensly personal bike and very pink. I do take a little pleasure in being one of the few of the 8,000 who has decided to wear steel on the day instead of de-rigour carbon.
We will be at the Etape Expo in Pau and are there to make you coffee, chat, fiddle with your bike and cleats and generally enjoy the anticipation with you. As to the day itself there is a notional plan that GPM-10 and CycleFit will ride to the base of the Tourmalet in formation. I am the only one who has no idea how they will fare in that particular enterprise. And in this there is at least symmetry with my racing career - I could be out the back in fifty metres or at the sharp-end where I had no business with people who were out of my league. I am back again in the blagging business.

Bon Chance...

JULES' STORY

MORE MACHINE THAN MAN

Just over a week to go to the big day and I can report no accidents or injuries since my last installment. Training has been consistent with the regular 30 mile commute 3 to 4 times a week plus an extra one hour of riding added by my weekly visit to Putney Chiropractic ( www.putneychiropractic.co.uk ) where Craig has been diligently (and successfully) realigning my skeleton to improve strength in my left arm and most importantly left leg.

Two weeks ago I made my annual pilgrimage to the French Alps for our Cyclefit Etape Training Weekend hosted by GPM10. I arrived in Geneva tired and run down, took a shuttle to Chamonix and picked up the GPM10 van and made my way to Champax catching up with the group having a coffee at the top of the Col de Forclaz. It was a little surreal seeing familiar faces so far from home and in the middle of nowhere.

I was in bed by 9:00pm and awoke early feeling rather Mahatma (glandy) and a little Burt (Lackluster) From the hotel we had a sunny but cold descent before the two hour climb to the Col de Grand Sant Bernard. It was a totally unpleasent experience, especially after the snow tunnel and I groveled over the Italian border for a much needed spag bol and hot chocolate. The descent was even colder and we had full winter kit on, the road works at the top made descending a little tricky but once in the trees the road twisted and snaked its way down the valley with the temperature gradually rising.

For once we had a tail wind up the valley from Aosta to Pre St. Didier allowing the group to ride in formation to the hotel.

It always seems that in the Alps you get on your bike and start climbing immediately with no warm up and the second day was no exception, this time the Petit St Bernard. Up through La Thuile it was beautiful if a little chilly, it started drizzling and turning on to the plateau at the top I hit a head wind and snow, I could hear the ice sizzling on the power cables. Very bleak and natures ferocity spurred me on to the summit café and another well earned chocolat chaud. Immense.

Off the top freezing, freezing, freezing; a big fast descent with exilharating views, snow capped mountains and big clouds down to Bourg St Maurice lunch and then the climb up the Cormet de Roseland. Last year it was 38 degrees at the base of the climb, this year 15 degrees if we were lucky and raining, a nice climb up through the woods and then a hard grind above the tree line to the illusive summit….no café here just the welcome sight of the GPM10 support car with warm clothing and a ‘Grany' bar.

A group headed down in the rain, icy water ran in to my overshoes, my brake blocks were wearing down to the limit as we met Mark at the turn off to the new chalet he was using. I was instructed to wait for the car as he lead the first group half way up the Saisie.

Half an hour later when the car arrived I was a shivering, quivering wreck, for the first time I climbed a mountain in June in woolly hat, gloves, leg warmers and waterproof and stiil did not get too hot!

The Chalet was delightful, with the guests mincing around in complimentary dressing gowns and slippers and enjoying the hot tub, unfortunately the chalet was full and staff had to stay above the bar in the village, nothing complimentary there except the peanuts.

It continued to rain all night and in the morning we continued to climb the Saisie but opted out of the Aravis and the Colombie due to the weather, riding instead through Megeve and climbing up to Chamonix , after a few hours it was possible to forget the rain and keep plugging away. The usual steak and chips in the town square was forgone in favour of a hot shower back at the Hotel Eden the final destination of our circumnavigation of Mont Blanc .

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27814066@N08/sets/72157605665922340/

500km and a few thousand metres of climbing, the TDMB was part of my preparation of the Etape. I can go the distance on the day, it just depends how fast I want or think I can do it. We have a game plan for the first 70km then it's a case of not using to much on the Tourmalet and eating and drinking enough to tackle the Hautacam

For the following week I was wasted, I rode Friday and felt awful. On the Sunday I rode with Frome Wheelers (very old school without any Rapha or carbon in sight) in Somerset and felt pretty good considering I had a hangover. On the big climb of the day (about 7 minutes) I sat behind the leader considering whether it would be rude to go past as I was a guest, I sat there pondering and then remembered everyone riding away from me on the Saisie without a backward glance; at the same time he dropped to an easier gear and I preceded to roll past; sorry Keith.

On Tuesday evening I returned to Crystal Palace, after last minute adjustments (new shoes for Darren and cleats for me) four of us rode down to South London: Warrick Spence, Darren Barclay and young Steve our mechanic (he's got potential). I finished the race with fuel in the tank but opted out of the sprint until I have a bit more punch, so definitely an improvement in fitness since last time.

This time I had:

A white saddle and brake hoods

Less chub

More training

I started at the front, near enough

I didn't care I was over 40

I new the corners better

On Tuesday Phil is joining me as we race-tune our body's to a peak for Sunday as we become more machine than man; and knowing Phil having been out on his bike three times this year will try and break away on the second lap!

On Wednesday we are having a hair removing evening and makeover…….its a man thing. We'll be taking photos for Rapha' next catalogue, not that we have been commissioned or anything.

See you out there

Link to January Blog ..more
Link to February Blog ..more
Link to March Blog ..more
Link to April Blog ..more
Link to May/June Blog .. more
Link to July Blog ..more
Link to Etape Aftermath Blog ..more

info@cyclefit.co.uk

www.cyclefit.co.uk



	No Hope and Bob Hope Phil spends some 'alone time' in the Alps Jules on Grand St Bernard Jules at Palace. The rest is a blur. Phil fails GPM Doping Control - he is OUT! Jules and Scott compare crutches Fatty eyes up the '99 Barolo at SICI Top Table	JULES AND PHIL'S 2008 ETAPE BLOG JULY 2008 - PHIL'S STORY Link to January Blog ..more Link to February Blog ..more Link to March Blog ..more Link to April Blog ..more Link to May/June Blog .. more Link to July Blog ..more Link to Etape Aftermath Blog ..more Blog 6 'THE MASTER OF THE UNPREPARED' DIARY OF A BLAGGER Mark 'GPM10' Neep tonight called me, not for the first time, 'The Master of The Unprepared' Which I am almost certain is a backhanded compliment with special emphasis on the backhanded bit. And he is absolutely right in the sense that the pattern of my life when I think about it is someone who apparently revels in being chaotic and consequently ill-equipped for things, anything - final exams, seminars and of course bicycle races. In sum it is clear I am a 46 year old man who has made a habit out being woefully unprepared for life's big events. Thus when it was first agreed that we would ride the 2008 Etape, I subliminally knew all this an swore it would be different this time. I would meticulously measure, refrain, reason and doggedly apply myself to fitness just this once. Well I am six days away from the Etape and regular blog readers will conclude, as I reluctantly must, that I have spectaularly failed in every single respect. Sure I have had a run of bad luck, but in truth no more than Jules or many other people I know. So I am on the blag one last time. TOUR DE MONT BLANC AND MIND GAMES My trip last weekend to GPM-10's Tour de Mont Blanc was the equivalent of cramming and as such a very high risk strategy I have been paying for with apathy and lethargy ever since. The highlight was being dragged up Col Petite St Bernard by GPM10's Sam Humperson at two clicks above my red-zone. I have known Sam for many years but his riding and racing has taken off from where I remember, he really is very classy in the hills now. More than that he knows me and knows my riding style. He knew that to stand a chance at the Etape at this late stage I needed a quality session that would both test my present form and possibly tip me onto another level. Every time I moaned in low animal tones that I had to drop off Sam would insist that I cling on. Eventually I had to play mind-games with myself to absorb the pain. First I stared at his back wheel to put my eyes out of focus and put myself in a kind of trance. Then in this zone I tried to get all my senses to retreat into the background - the brain is an expensive organ to run metabolically, so I tried to turn it off, both to dull the pain and then save energy for my legs. The last trick was to just try to hang on for five minute sessions at a time. I managed eight before we eventually reached the top. Always blagging always busking, coping on the fly. When will I learn? Unlike Jules' TDMB trip the preceding week the weather for our TDMB was wall-to-wall 35 degrees burning sun. See what I mean about Jules' own ration of bad luck? It was a great group where virtually everyone was riding the Etape. My room-mate was Dr David Hulse who is the team doctor for The Tour of Britain. It was a fascinating weekend of discussions about bio-mechanics, performance-enhancing drugs, saddle design and replacement knee-surgery (his old job). David is a top man and a true 'Doctor' who restores faith in the profession because you know how much he cares before you know how much he knows. But one of the secrets I will take away from being his roomie is 'fructose'. Most energy products contain little or know fructose for some reason. But fructose can be absorbed into the body without the use of insulin, so it can be absorbed by the body as well as glucose thereby doubling your uptake of fuel. We tried some experiments whilst on the Tour using honey (which is high in fructose and glucose) and Nuun re-hydration tablets (top-tip from GPM and CycleFit staff). The subjective results were impressive and sustained over the couple of days I was trying it. Sam gave our new preparation a name on top of Col Roseland - 'Honeynuun'. It seemed amusing at altitude. The caveat for the Etape must be that some people have some intolerance to high intakes of fructose - the result can be a slight vindaloo effect down the back of the legs when you are climbing. Ahem. We were also joined on TDMB by Robert Mackey - Robert is a New York Times journalist and occasional commuter who as far as we can establish lost a bet twelve months ago that he could turn himself into an Etape star within the year. And bloody hell he has. He was remarkable on TDMB and finished with beans still in the tin. His daily blog about the transformation from commuter to etaper is compelling and heartfelt. We wish him well and have an appointment this Friday with him at the Etape Expo to see if we can resolve a painful right foot that has been troubling him of late? Robert's Blog BON CHANCE MY FRIENDS And that my friends is all I have to say on the matter. I wish you well on the day and hope to see you out on he course. Maybe we can share a bidon and energy sachet on some godforsaken slope? I will be on my Pink Peril CDA which I have reviewed this month for our newsletter. It is a bike that I first conceived especially for the Etape when we decided to ride. It is an immensly personal bike and very pink. I do take a little pleasure in being one of the few of the 8,000 who has decided to wear steel on the day instead of de-rigour carbon. We will be at the Etape Expo in Pau and are there to make you coffee, chat, fiddle with your bike and cleats and generally enjoy the anticipation with you. As to the day itself there is a notional plan that GPM-10 and CycleFit will ride to the base of the Tourmalet in formation. I am the only one who has no idea how they will fare in that particular enterprise. And in this there is at least symmetry with my racing career - I could be out the back in fifty metres or at the sharp-end where I had no business with people who were out of my league. I am back again in the blagging business. Bon Chance... PC JULES' STORY MORE MACHINE THAN MAN Just over a week to go to the big day and I can report no accidents or injuries since my last installment. Training has been consistent with the regular 30 mile commute 3 to 4 times a week plus an extra one hour of riding added by my weekly visit to Putney Chiropractic ( www.putneychiropractic.co.uk ) where Craig has been diligently (and successfully) realigning my skeleton to improve strength in my left arm and most importantly left leg. Two weeks ago I made my annual pilgrimage to the French Alps for our Cyclefit Etape Training Weekend hosted by GPM10. I arrived in Geneva tired and run down, took a shuttle to Chamonix and picked up the GPM10 van and made my way to Champax catching up with the group having a coffee at the top of the Col de Forclaz. It was a little surreal seeing familiar faces so far from home and in the middle of nowhere. I was in bed by 9:00pm and awoke early feeling rather Mahatma (glandy) and a little Burt (Lackluster) From the hotel we had a sunny but cold descent before the two hour climb to the Col de Grand Sant Bernard. It was a totally unpleasent experience, especially after the snow tunnel and I groveled over the Italian border for a much needed spag bol and hot chocolate. The descent was even colder and we had full winter kit on, the road works at the top made descending a little tricky but once in the trees the road twisted and snaked its way down the valley with the temperature gradually rising. For once we had a tail wind up the valley from Aosta to Pre St. Didier allowing the group to ride in formation to the hotel. It always seems that in the Alps you get on your bike and start climbing immediately with no warm up and the second day was no exception, this time the Petit St Bernard. Up through La Thuile it was beautiful if a little chilly, it started drizzling and turning on to the plateau at the top I hit a head wind and snow, I could hear the ice sizzling on the power cables. Very bleak and natures ferocity spurred me on to the summit café and another well earned chocolat chaud. Immense. Off the top freezing, freezing, freezing; a big fast descent with exilharating views, snow capped mountains and big clouds down to Bourg St Maurice lunch and then the climb up the Cormet de Roseland. Last year it was 38 degrees at the base of the climb, this year 15 degrees if we were lucky and raining, a nice climb up through the woods and then a hard grind above the tree line to the illusive summit….no café here just the welcome sight of the GPM10 support car with warm clothing and a ‘Grany' bar. A group headed down in the rain, icy water ran in to my overshoes, my brake blocks were wearing down to the limit as we met Mark at the turn off to the new chalet he was using. I was instructed to wait for the car as he lead the first group half way up the Saisie. Half an hour later when the car arrived I was a shivering, quivering wreck, for the first time I climbed a mountain in June in woolly hat, gloves, leg warmers and waterproof and stiil did not get too hot! The Chalet was delightful, with the guests mincing around in complimentary dressing gowns and slippers and enjoying the hot tub, unfortunately the chalet was full and staff had to stay above the bar in the village, nothing complimentary there except the peanuts. It continued to rain all night and in the morning we continued to climb the Saisie but opted out of the Aravis and the Colombie due to the weather, riding instead through Megeve and climbing up to Chamonix , after a few hours it was possible to forget the rain and keep plugging away. The usual steak and chips in the town square was forgone in favour of a hot shower back at the Hotel Eden the final destination of our circumnavigation of Mont Blanc . http://www.flickr.com/photos/27814066@N08/sets/72157605665922340/ 500km and a few thousand metres of climbing, the TDMB was part of my preparation of the Etape. I can go the distance on the day, it just depends how fast I want or think I can do it. We have a game plan for the first 70km then it's a case of not using to much on the Tourmalet and eating and drinking enough to tackle the Hautacam For the following week I was wasted, I rode Friday and felt awful. On the Sunday I rode with Frome Wheelers (very old school without any Rapha or carbon in sight) in Somerset and felt pretty good considering I had a hangover. On the big climb of the day (about 7 minutes) I sat behind the leader considering whether it would be rude to go past as I was a guest, I sat there pondering and then remembered everyone riding away from me on the Saisie without a backward glance; at the same time he dropped to an easier gear and I preceded to roll past; sorry Keith. On Tuesday evening I returned to Crystal Palace, after last minute adjustments (new shoes for Darren and cleats for me) four of us rode down to South London: Warrick Spence, Darren Barclay and young Steve our mechanic (he's got potential). I finished the race with fuel in the tank but opted out of the sprint until I have a bit more punch, so definitely an improvement in fitness since last time. This time I had: A white saddle and brake hoods Less chub More training I started at the front, near enough I didn't care I was over 40 I new the corners better On Tuesday Phil is joining me as we race-tune our body's to a peak for Sunday as we become more machine than man; and knowing Phil having been out on his bike three times this year will try and break away on the second lap! On Wednesday we are having a hair removing evening and makeover…….its a man thing. We'll be taking photos for Rapha' next catalogue, not that we have been commissioned or anything. See you out there JW Link to January Blog ..more Link to February Blog ..more Link to March Blog ..more Link to April Blog ..more Link to May/June Blog .. more Link to July Blog ..more Link to Etape Aftermath Blog ..more info@cyclefit.co.uk www.cyclefit.co.uk