Four am is the long night of the soul. I was in pain and crooked, got dressed and paced the room. Getting up hurt so much I was slow to lie back down. Two hours to more morphine. Did not want to take breakthrough meds in case they used it as an excuse to keep me. Two paracetamol and a sleep and I felt much better.
Have had breakfast, started crossword and await ward round
Resting in Seomra 3 a few hours after theatre. Going for rib and CXR and then home (?). Looks like this is the only view of the tour I’m going to get.
My form is good and I’m well on my way to getting addicted to prescription meds
Sitting on a trolley in A & E. Last training before France. Fell and smashed my head and broke my collar bone. Have had 10mg of morphine and am still in pain. Thirsty, cold and in pain. This is shit. I will be here for several hours. X ray, dressing +/- admission. Can not see me making cycle.
Silver medal achieved but it hurt. 6 hours and 53 minutes. The dartmoor challenge took place on a brilliantly sunny hot day- 25° C for most of it.
From the start I made good progress my heart rate was high but I do not feel I pushed too hard but then bang. My heart rate peaked at 178bpm as I crested a steep short hill just after half way. After brief descent I turned right with a group of about ten and started the double climb towards Princeton. I began to struggle and then I was out the back. The rest of the day was pain!
The start of the hil was steep and at times I despaired. I wondered if my fast time was disintegrating before my eyes. I constantly was tring to calculate what my finish time was likely to be. I had forgotten what the total distance was, I had forgotten what my times were from last year and I even forgot what the silver medal time was. This was all due to fatigue, heat and the sun.
Sitting on the Innis Mor ferry looking out at St Ann’s head. On my way to Plymoth for the Dartmoor challenge. My friend Paddy is talking on the phone to his daughter Irene who is in Kathmandu! Technology eh!
Looking forward to the cycle and the weather forecast is good. In the last two weeks I have completed the Wicklow 200 and the tour de Burren. These long sportives have meant that I have not trained during the week as much as I would like but I suppose it will help my stamina. My weight continues to creep down although a class reunion last weekend didn’t help. If I remain careful with my diet I might just get to 87kg for les etapes.
Seven hours is the target!
Time is running out. 6 weeks to go and 3.6Kg to lose!
Training is going well and my main feeling is disappointment as my opportunities for training are almost gone. I am improving all the time and I am really enjoying it. My commitment has been incredible given that I have ben working on my own in the office.
I am on call from Friday evening to Monday morning so no training this weekend. Next weekend is the Wicklow 200, followed by Burren, then Dartmoor, the ring of Kerry and finally les deux etapes!
Preparation continues a pace. Yesterday I completed my sixth Wicklow 200. I arrived at 06:00 at the shoreline leisure centre and was lucky enough to meet Hugh and Brendan as I drove in. We parked up next to each other and got on the Road. My hope was to stay with them as best I could and hopefully knock 15 minutes off my time from last year as an indicator that my Goal of a Silver medial in Dartmoor is realistic.
The weather started bad, then got worse and then got worse again. Making my way across the exposed Sally gap I couldn’t help but feel that a simple puncture would lead to hypothermia if I had to get off in such an exposed spot. Crosswinds then buffeted us as we skirted Blessington lake. Finally we turned off for Donard and the Treelined narrow road offered respite from the wind until we arrived at the stop in Donard. Loo, water, two cups of tea, chicken stuffing sandwich, Ricecrisy bar and back on the road- I was shivering as we pulled out but soon got comfortable on the bike. As always with Wicklow you can never predict which section will prove the most difficult. From Donard to the foot of Slieve Maan I felt fine but the Kms went by painfully slowly. I feel a headwind was to blame. Slieve maan was difficult but at least it was predictible. Off the bike at the top, run into tent for refill of water and a Power bar, back on the bike and descend– Icy cold wind hitting my arms- It caused a physical pain which was repeated on the descent of the Shay Elliot a few Kilometres later. Then it was a pleasant treelined undulating road to Rathdrum. The pace was high as we sought to get the Millage done. Stop in Rathdrrum- coffee, Chicken stuffing sandwich, Power gel and Rice crispy bar. Back on the road for the final 60km.
Always on Wicklow you feel the Cycle is over on arriving at Rathdrum- it is not. A fast and hectic ride with groups of tired, strong and grumpy club cyclists ended with myself and Brendan Sprinting to the finish in the company of a club cyclist from Clonmel. Another Wicklow in the Bag- Tired and wind blown- I collected my medal, drank a recovery Drink, ate some Pasta, dried off, got changed and got on the road from Cork occasionally glancing at my medal and cert on the passanger seat. The ink of my name and the typeface were running from the rain and will remain as a reminder of conditioms on the day. A Steak teriakai and beansprout dinner in Portlaoise hit the spot and will remain in my memory as one of the great post ride feasts
My time was 10 mins slower than last year but the effort I put in was great and I cannot but feel that I am much stronger than last year. I will have to enter Dartmoor unsure of where I stand and ready to put in a strong effort for 6 1/2 plus hours 🙂 My weight loss has been remarkable- due intirely to my diet as my training remains as it has done since feb. I will rest tonight and be up at 06:30 for the gym
Shed not a Kilo til May be out
Two weeks left in the month and training is going well but so is eating. I did some serious gym work during my week off the bike.
I spent the weekend on the beautiful kaurst hills and windy coast of Clare. Saturday was a great spin- I felt I was flying and I knocked ten minutes off my spin from three weeks ago. As I powered (?) Up the Corker hill I was cheered by a crowd of German sightseers who had gotten off their tour bus to photograph Galway bay.
Alas my weight is unchanged. I am committed to continuing. I am up at 6: 30 for the gym…
Lots of things that couldn’t be done have been done
Preparation continues a pace. In the last few weeks I have begun to increase my hill work. Three weeks of training ended yesterday with my weekly session at the gym.
I have enjoyed my spins up the mountains. Pushing bigger gears this year in the hope of preparing my legs for the long climbs that are ten weeks away.
My friends ,and etape veterans, Hugh and Brendan came to visit at the weekend and both feel that I seem to be in better shape this year. I am pleased with progress but feel that weight loss in the next six weeks will decide how well I go this summer.
Reviewing last years ride I am puzzled at my GPS readings. I felt great on the day and believed I went well. I suffered on the Tourmalet like everyone but I survived it and arrived back at my hotel fresher than most. My avg power and heart rate for the day was much lower than similar spins that summer. In fact my power was down on all spins before and since. I plan to leave a question on one of the bike forums to see if anybody out there can explain this.
Now I am off to Old Trafford for two big games in five days and some much needed rest.
Confessions of a Velophile 