The UK wash up - kind of.

In my last post I mentioned there were a few trip photos left over. I'm going to insert them in the final trip blog, attach a couple of words and that's the UK in the rear view mirror.

Before i get to that however, on the 30th of  November I'm doing a ride in Taupo in NZ. It's almost 160 k and quite hilly.Tailor made for big blokes .

Big Brend from WA is heading over with yours truly. Nearly 10% of big Brend has disappeared . He was nigh on  a hungy when we started and is currently a svelte 91. Reasonably pleased with himself it has to be said.

My brother Mike (who still lives in NZ) is also doing it with a couple of his mates

The weekend just gone Mickey boy just annihalated K2 - a hilly 200k ride - advertised as the toughest ride in the Southern Hemisphere!

Excellent , him and Brend peaking and me milling about out the back - where glory is in very short supply .

Which brings me neatly to my point. 

Whilst it's far too late to have a real run at this particular ride I'm going to follow a program for the final couple of weeks and blog about it. The thrust is really just a very average cyclist trying to get a little better. 

If I look on strava ( like Facebook for cyclists) it doesn't make for pretty reading. Since 2009 when I first started riding until a month or so ago I've never really got above around 600th to 700th  (and quite often worse)  of the 1800 odd who are on strava and do most of the cycle segments around Perth.

If I'm honest I'm probably not entirely happy there.  My thought is that I might chart exactly where I sit, set a goal or two and "nike" it. 

Brend's big on intervals. Up until a matter of weeks ago I'd done zero intervals on my bike. Ironman training through 2011 without a program or a coach was just cranking out lots of ks and trying to average 30kph or a smidge over. I have just discovered cycling intervals through Brend and have found out that intervals can change your life. I've gone up a few hundred spots on strava and are hopeful of picking off a couple more stragglers.

It makes sense in hindsight but when you train at 30kph as soon as someone puts it up to 35 or 36 during a group ride you are uncomfortable within seconds never mind minutes.

Anyway, I followed some average cyclists blog for a little while in 2009 and quite enjoyed it. 

I can't promise anything new, insightful or particularly revealing but i am going to blog about the next two or three weeks until we've done the Taupo ride , see if it's fun to do - or a bit of a chore - seek to make it mildly interesting ( I need to give some thought to photos as they are fun to work from in a blog but there are only so many training and sunrise photos people can cope with) and we can go from there.