Race Around Ireland 2010

RAAM 2012

2010-11-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

I have a new blog for the Race Across America in 2012 which will be a personal diary on my training and adventures from now until the race.There is link to the blog here.

Race Around Ireland 2010

2010-10-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

Ballyvaughan

This was the second year of the race around Ireland. I don’t know has any of the other riders written about the event. Six finished in the solo division this year, the German winner, a Belgian and Italian, three Irish and four finishers last year of which only the winner was from Northern Ireland. Its a new and unique race and I have concluded that a few people may indeed enjoy reading about what it was like to race on a bike around Ireland. Even so, my story as well as any other riders is unique. I believe some account of such an epic race and challenge is important-certainly for myself and I might as well share it if someone wants to read it.
It is important to note that this story is about my trip and experience in cycling around Ireland and how the race went for me. I am sure that any of the other riders, whether solo or team have compelling and interesting stories to tell. The race and challenge is different for everyone as riders face different challenges throughout the race. The race is easy for nobody where undoubtedly all riders equally suffered low and high points as I did. In fact, many of the racers surely had a much tougher time in the race than me and eventually had to withdraw. The type of athletes that enter the race around Ireland don’t give up easy. I know Wyatt van Wendells (my ultra-cyclist friend from England) and what he must have endured to get as far as he did and I know what it must have took for him to stop and call it a day. The guy is a champion cyclist and person and he inspires because of who he is and due to his philosophy in cycling and in life.

Wyatt van Wendells and me

Philosophy
That’s the great thing about ultra cycling Sure, Im competitive as anyone is, and I like to do well but ultra-cycling is a sport and pastime which humbles you and which keeps you firmly grounded and appreciative in a sport where you are truly up against yourself. I really like that aspect of the sport. You learn to realise and acknowledge that yes you can actually fail, no matter how tough you are, that no, you are not a machine, that yes, you can and will get weak and tired and may feel that you will not be able to or want to go on. If the weather is consistently cold and wet your immune system can go down and you will get sick no matter how tough you are. These are the realities of the challenge. It’s not just about been tough, anyone can be tough. The much tougher task is in implementing and following a long term consistent training strategy that results in been prepared physically for the challenge. Do that and the toughness will be there during the event.
I finished the race within the time limit but with harsher weather in the south it would have been a much different story. I look for races that will really challenge me mentally and physically so that I can learn more about myself and be better. A challenge that I am unsure will I be able to complete where I am fully prepared to accept failure if I am not up to it. Ironically I am actually looking to see if I will fail. If I do, its because I was’nt ready and then I can go away and ensure I am better ready next time. Failure is good if it is accepted and leads to development and constant improvements. Consistent failure which is dealt with correctly is the way forward. To not be able to go on and finish, accepting the outcome and to come back from it again and again is crucially important. Without failure and an acceptance of the concept of it there can never be any personal development, improvement and personal success. I believe its only when one is willing to face challenges wholeheartedly and be fully prepared to accept the outcome of possible failure repeatedly can one truly be capable of moving forward physically and mentally. Entering races which offer a much higher possibility of failure and not been afraid to push those boundaries and see what happens also provide a much higher possibility to learn and improve. Although I have been doing all sorts of endurance training, marathons, triathlons, Ironman’s, adventure races etc. over the last 20 years I learned and incredible amount from the race around Ireland. This information will be used so I can make adjustments and improve for next year. I would certainly like to do better and finish in high a position as possible but the ultimate challenge is against myself in seeing what I can do and giving my best effort.
There were so many questions going into the race around Ireland that tantalized my curiosity. Will I be strong enough over 5-6 days? Have I trained correctly for the race? What will my physically condition be after two days without much sleep? Will I be able to cycle up steep hills after two days-will I be able to cycle up Patricks Hill in Cork after 1000 miles and what will I be like by the time I reach the Wicklow mountains? Will I be able to stay awake? When I hit my lowest points will I be up to the challenge? What key decisions will I make during the race when physically exhausted and tired? When it really comes down to it will I be up for the challenge?

Training
Although I have been cycling since my mid-20’s and doing a lot of long distance cycling over the years I had been training for the race around Ireland specifically for the last two years. I spent five weeks this earlier this year and four weeks last summer training in Europe, in France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and Andorra. While in France I cycled many of the climbs of the Tour de France in the French and Swiss Alps and Pyrenees on the morning of the race. I would join the thousands of cyclists who would cycle up the famous Col de Tourmalet and others to watch the race come through in the early afternoon. The climb was absolutely incredible with half a million people on the mountain waiting for the Tour to come through. The climbs from southern France up to the border with Andorra would take me three hours as would the climbs in southern Spain from Granada up to the ski station in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The climbs in Switzerland were equally as tough and it was always nice to be able to stop for lunch at a cafe on top at over 2000 meters. Earlier this year I returned to one of my favourite cycling areas in the Black Forest in Germany to stay with a German family for two weeks whom I had befriended the year before.
Four months before the race I spent a good few weeks cycling 100 miles every day. In mid June I cycled 500km in the Gaelforce 24 hour and in early August I followed the race route around Ireland from Youghal to Kilkee in 5 days covering 190. 190. 160. 160. 150 miles respectively each day. After this I did’nt do any cycle longer than 100 miles for 6 weeks before the race as I reduced the mileage and concentrated on short sharp hill workouts and a midweek local race over 1 hour where I would consistently cycle at the front of the bunch for as long as I could for the duration of the hour. The reduction in mileage along with the increase in intensity allowed me to recover and absorb fully the high mileage I had done in the previous months while at the same time I got much stronger from the mid-week race and increased rest. I was cycling a lot harder and faster but resting more. There was no loss of endurance despite the significant drop in weekly mileage. In fact, my endurance would have increased due to the increase in strength and speed over the shorter distance due to the fact of the often misunderstood concept of a cyclist's endurance been intricately linked to the cyclists overall strength. The increased strength and power would benefit greatly my long distance speed. The last few weeks before the race I cycled no more than 150 miles per week. With the reduction in training I found myself needing very little sleep and did some night time repetitive steep hill workouts keeping my heart rate under 150. As a final test and because I was eager to know my form I did one easy 100 mile cycle with 3,500 feet of climbing at an average of 20 mile an hour in 5 hours one week before the race where my average heart rate was 149 and I felt really good.

The Crew
Considering the driving of the two vehicles, cooking food, map reading, supplying food, etc. crewing was in itself a tough job. Brian had done support for me during the Gaelforce 24 hour in Westport, Co. Mayo in June and Darcy had driven 850 miles with me around most of the course at the beginning of August in 5 days. I had also done the tough section of the route from Limerick to Tralee, through the Kerry mountains and down to Mizen Head a few times with Kila, Brian, Darcy and Joe so although the guys had no experience in crewing over a long period they all had some involvement throughout the summer. Cathal had crewed with me last year for Caroline and he was brilliant. My younger brother Brendan would join us on the Wednesday in Limerick. He was a masseuse and had supported me consistently over the years. Considering I had never done a race longer than 700 miles the whole experience would be new to us all. My attitude was although I had trained well and would like to give a good account of myself I had no idea how the race would pan out but was looking forward to the big adventure. Before the start I enjoyed chatting with friends taking in and appreciating the atmosphere of the great occasion.

Darcy, Kila, Joe, Me, Brian and Cathal

The Race
The 2nd Race Around Ireland began on Sunday 12th Sept at 8pm. In an event which requires extensive crew support for a full week including logistical and financial support it can be a challenge itself in making it to the start line and so I was delighted to be starting and in a very happy and relaxed mood. Many adventure racers have to look after themselves with logistics and support in races abroad as do many of our top mountain bikers who find it hard to even have someone there to supply them with fresh water bottles etc. in long events such as marathon mountain biking. It was compulsory for all riders in the race around Ireland to have crew support as we would be cycling at night up to 23 hours a day. A follow vehicle would follow me around the course, lighting up the road at night and keeping me safe while supplying me with constant food, liquids and support. A campervan would also be used to supply regular hot food and rest for the crew and I during the trip around Ireland. It was great to be able to cycle without having to carry anything unlike adventure racers who carry their food and essential gear with them while on the move. I was delighted to actually have the opportunity to race around Ireland non-stop with a support crew of 5-6 people. It was a big commitment for the crew in taking a week’s holidays from work to support me on my endeavour. I was disappointed not to compete last year but learned a lot from doing crew for the ladies winner and World Cup winner. Caroline van der Bulk.

The Start
The riders departed at five minute intervals from Navan and I was the second rider away on Sunday at 8.05pm after Leslie Holton. A garda motorcyclist escort led the riders from the start for the first few hundred meters so as to give us a clear run through the traffic until we crossed the bridge leaving Navan. I followed the escort through the town and down onto the main Navan-Dublin road. When the motorcyclist crossed the junction and me following behind, to my amazement a car immediately pulled off and into my path. I was cycling downhill to the junction and was thus travelling at a fast speed. I swerved to the left as much as possible and the car slowed at the last moment but it was too late and I clipped the corner of the car and went down hitting the ground on my right side. My only concern was the bike and full of adrenaline I jumped to my feet, had a quick look of the bike and re-attached the back light which had become detatched. The bike seemed fine and so did I although Cathal told me later that I said to him I had hurt my chest. Little did I know that the accident would have a huge influence on my performance in the race. I was keen to get moving so remounted the bike and cycled on. At the next immediate junction the motorcyclist this time stopped to block the traffic to my right allowing me safe passage. On the road out of Navan the follow vehicle pulled up alongside to check on me and we all realised how lucky I was. A few hours up the road, I got a puncture on my back wheel close to Drogheda which was just as well as my wheel was buckled since the crash and the brakes had been constantly rubbing against the wheel. I was angry with myself for not checking this when the crash happened. We changed the wheel as Tim Veermans from Belgium passed and asked me were we ok which was nice to hear. With the wheel changed I immediately felt myself moving quicker and was keen to get moving up the road. It was’nt long before I spotted the flashing lights of Tim’s follow vehicle which provided a nice point for me to focus on. I rode up to him just before the Cooley Mountains and we cycled over the mountain road together on a lovely mild night as we chatted away and rode down into Newry. Tim was a very easy going guy and like myself was of the attitude that in such a long distance tough race as this we were only competing against ourselves. As we could only cycle together for 15 mins I gestured for Tim to go ahead and I kept his follow vehicle in sight. Close to Newry Tim took a wrong turn and so I went ahead for a while. He caught me before time station two and we cycled together again for a while. We seemed to be fairly equal and this time Tim indicated for me to go ahead as he was happy to let me lead and do the navigation at this early stage as he got accustomed to the roads in Ireland. At time station two I cycled straight on and as Tim’s crew stopped to go to the toilet he continued with me using my crew as safety support for night time riding. This was fine with me until his crew returned but the marshalls sped up the road and got him to pull in informing him he had to wait for his crew.

Hospital Visit
At about 0330am my right hip and leg started to become very sore from the fall I took after the accident and became increasingly worse. I eventually stopped and informed my crew of the problem. Morale was low as it was really sore and I could not continue unless it improved. Looking back now I was not at all in a positive mood. I was really upset with how events had unfolded since the start and now I had this problem with my leg and just did not see how things could get any better. It was frustrating, my morale was really low and I was contemplating the fact that I may not be able to continue. My crew were very good and ensured that I go to the hospital and not make any rash decisions. They informed Race Hq and we were given a four hour window to get to the hospital and back to where I left the course to continue in the race. I would be refunded the time I lost at the hospital. So we drove to Coleraine hospital 20 mins away. After explaining to the bewildered nurse that I had been in a accident with a car in Navan some 8 hours previous and had just started a 1350 mile race my blood pressure was taken which was fine and I was given some painkillers free of charge. I did’nt get a chest x-ray as my chest seemed fine however thinking back I did feel a sharp pain in my upper chest when I took a deep breath. It was fairly ok though and although I may have had a broken rib as indicated by an x-ray after the race I don’t think it affected me that much and was not too sore. I immediately took the painkillers which did the job and we returned to where I had stopped cycling to continue in the race. I had lost approximately 3 hours and 30 mins due to the trip to the hospital. Race Hq said they would give us 2 hours 30 mins in lieu of time lost which I was happy about. I was now the last rider on the ground in the race and with my leg feeling much better and morale a little higher I was keen to make up lost ground. It didn’t take long until I caught Wyatt van Wendells, my good English friend who had trained with me for a weekend some months back in Cork and Kerry. Wyatt is a great character, full of passion for life, a DJ, author and recently new father. I had a quick chat with Wyatt before moving on, keen to move up the field. It was a nice Monday morning when I went straight by TS 3 at the giants causeway where Leslie Holton had stopped for a brief period. I was now in eight position out of eleven riders and hoping to move up the field. Ivan Park, an adventure racing friend cheered me on from the side of the road as I cycled towards Londonderry.

Bad Weather
The weather turned increasingly bad over the next 30 hours with heavy rain and strong winds up to Malin Head and down to Donegal, Letterkenny and Sligo. Race director Alan Heary decided to extend the time limit for the race by 12 hours giving us 144 hours in total, until Saturday night at 8 p.m. I would also have the extra 2 hours 30 mins for the time I spent at the hospital. I liked cycling in the bad weather as long as I could keep warm. The rain and wind kept you awake and focused and as a big rider I felt strong in tough conditions. Cycling up hills and into strong headwinds suited me fine. I had made good time during the bad weather and by Sligo I had caught up to Valerio Zamboni from Monaco and came close to Tim Veermans again from Belgium. Valerio and I exchanged places several times and his crew cheered me on when I passed him as he slept on the bog road heading for Ballina in Co. Mayo.

Valerio Zamboni and me before the race

Tailwinds to Galway
From Clifden we had the wind with us for the first time all the way into Oranmore as the weather cleared up. I put on my time trial helmet and made great time down the main Lettefrack-Oranmore rd with the wind at my back. I passed Tim Veermans on the road into Oranmore as he was taking a sleep break and I was now in 5th position. My aim was to finish the race but similar to other riders I was obviously naturally competitive and concentrating on other riders provided a great focus and incentive in moving forward in achieving that goal of finishing. I was unsure of my ability during this race but wanted to do my very best in achieving as best a place as I could in the race. It’s a balance between been realistic and conservative in achieving what you feel you are capable of and pushing the boundaries of your physical and mental limits and believing you can and will do it. It was important to maintain that subtle balance. I was enjoying the race at this stage and happy with how things were going despite the initial setback. I was enjoying the rivalry and on the road friendship with Valerio and Tim and morale was high at this stage. However, my situation was about to deteriorate again.

Diet
I generally stopped at each time station for a few minutes where my crew had hot food prepared, noodles, pasta, rice, chicken, soup, potatoes, cereals etc. I ate regular food, no gels or high energy bars, food that was easy to eat and not too dry. I just kept eating a constant supply of good food. On the bike I ate ham and cheese sandwiches, cakes, soups and coffee while riding at night. If the follow car seen me wobble on the road they would pull up alongside and give me a shot of coffee from a flask, soup, sandwich, the odd mars bar, buns etc. On route it was good to stop at a restaurant on the side of the road where the crew would have a dinner ordered or me.

Brian, Brendan and Kila

Problems
After Galway my situation deteriorated badly. Im not sure when but I started to feel what felt like a blockage in the middle of my chest. It was very sore to swallow food or water and when I did I got a terrible pain in the middle of my chest. I could’nt drink any isotonic or protein or I would get sick so I stayed on water.I did'nt realise I was suffering from gastroenteritis which is an inflammation of the pathway responsible for digestion. It was’nt too bad but the constant pain when I swallowed was annoying especially since I had no clue what it was. I thought I may have got something stuck in my windpipe while maybe eating too fast. I was still taking painkillers for my leg which can be heavy on the stomach and with all the food I was taking and my broken rib it must not have been good. As I cycled down the coast of Co. Clare in the very early hours of Wednesday morning my right leg which was injured in the accident became increasingly sore and my hamstring swelled out. My speed slowed and I had to go into the middle chain ring as my leg movement became more restricted. I eventually pulled in close to the sea at Ballyvaughan deciding that unless I treated my leg it would only get worse with a long way to go in the race and I would seriously lesson my chances of finishing. I told my crew and decided to treat my leg by immersing it in the cold sea water for 5 minutes and then reheat it in the campervan and massage it. We did this consistently over the next 3 hours, immersing my leg in the cold sea water and then heating and massage. I must have been some sight wading out into the sea repetitively and shivering in the early hours of that cold, wet and windy morning. To my dismay I seen Tim Veermans pass me by which was demoralising as I had worked hard over 30 hours to make up the time.

Dipping my legs near Ballyvaughan

Moving again
I took an hour sleep break to complete the recovery process and got back on the bike as it got bright and headed towards Kilkee. We reckoned I lost approx 6 hours from the time I stopped at Ballyvaughan until the time I got underway again. After such a long break along with the effects of the sea water it took me 2-3 hours before my legs got going again. During those few hours my morale was low, after working hard to make up time I had lost I was now back down the field, hours behind Tim and Valerio again. However, the swelling had gone down significantly and once my legs got going I felt good and was moving well again. It was a good decision we made to stop. The swelling continued to go down and my right leg never bothered me for the rest of the race. Thinking positively I said to myself that it was still early in the race and I could make up the time again. After Kilkee it was good to be moving towards Limerick. It was a nice cycle into Limerick with a nice long climb before the descent into Limerick. I was joined outside Limerick by Conor, one of the many local cyclists who cycled with me throughout the trip around Ireland. Reaching Limerick was a nice milestone as we were now entering familiar territory close to my home town of Cork. We headed down the coast to Tralee and over the tough Slieve Mish climb on Wednesday night. I spent the night cycling nonstop towards Killarney arriving at the entrance to the gap of Dunloe early on Thursday morning. I felt good and although it was sore to swallow and I was suffering from heartburn, indigestion and chest pains I was used to it at this stage and it wasn’t that bad.

Great weather down South
The weather down south was good. The winds in the Blackvalley in the Gap of Dunloe can be strong and in your face and with the climbs the going can be very slow but throughout Thursday the winds were very kind, the weather sunny and other than the tough climbs and passes the ride was good. I never listen to music when cycling but the guys in the follow vehicle boomed out some great sounds as I began the climb up Molls Gap from the Black Valley. It got me going and with the wind behind me I put the gear into the big chain ring and sprinted to the top like a man possessed. In such a long race over many days there are always highs and lows of varying degrees. I had a lot of lows since the start of the race but sprinting up Molls Gap I felt powerful and was on a high and the guys enjoyed it. I got sunburnt a little during the day and enjoyed the climb out of Waterville. After a long hot day my feet were burning and I felt I would soon get blisters so I got the guys to put flat pedals on the bike and I cycled in a pair of joggers for the next 24hours to give my feet a break. We were diverted out of Sneem onto the Kenmare road and onto the Caha pass and down into Glengarriff, Co. Cork. Onto Bantry and a right turn down to Mizen Head at night with no winds I moved along at a very brisk pace as the first of the four man teams passed me approaching Mizen Head and gave a roar of support. I arrived at Mizen Head at 0100am in the early hours of Friday morning feeling good.

Ring of Kerry

From the lowest to highest
After checking with race HQ at Mizen Head I was only two to three hours behind Valerio at this stage but was about to hit my lowest point in the entire race. It was very cold in the early hours of Friday morning cycling towards West Cork. I was really cold and my chest was getting worse. I was also extremely tired and was struggling to stay awake not having slept longer than an hour since Ballyvaughan in Co. Clare. I was miserable and felt really bad and morale was low. It was my lowest point in the race. Cathal suggested I take some caffine tablets but I decided to take a 90 minute sleep break in Skibereen. I went into an immediate coma of a sleep and when my brother called me it took me a while to figure out what I was doing. My brother helped me get ready as only a loving brother can and I was very happy to have him there. It was amazing as I felt like I had been asleep for 12 hours as I felt incredibly rejuvenated and recovered after a mere 90 mins sleep. My chest felt much better and it was now much easier to swallow. I left Skibereen on a cold but beautiful Friday morning feeling I was finally recovering from my ills and I felt I was getting stronger physically. I had been on the road four and a half days and a lot had happened in that time. I was increasingly frustrated and dismayed with my situation since the start of the race and it undoubtedly had affected my mental state more than I had probably realised. The accident, the hospital, starting over and working hard to make up lost time, the bad weather, the constant cycling, the lack of sleep, my leg swelling up and losing time again, the constant pain in my chest and not knowing what the problem was and the combination of everything happening together since the start. Heading out from Skibereen I felt an incredible urge to release the emotional tension which I felt at that point. I’m not one to hold back what comes naturally and so relenting to the urge I let myself cry for a while as I reminisced on the race since the start in Navan. It was a really strange feeling as I was’nt crying out of sadness or because I was in despair. It felt like a mere acceptance and acknowledgement of what had happened since the start before a transition into a stage where I felt I had recovered somewhat and was capable of moving on, and so I did. I did’nt see it as a big deal but definitely a needed emotional requirement for me to express. So as I sobbed to myself I began to feel increasingly better and stronger and my speed increased in tandem. In a period of two hours I had gone from feeling really low and dejected on a cold and miserable dark morning to feeling strong and positive departing Skibereen and cycling towards Kinsale on a chilly but bright and sunny Friday morning.

The Road to Cork and Patrick's Hill.
I continued onto Clonakilty and turned right onto the rough coast road from Timoleague to Kinsale, the road surface nagging at every blister and sore spot in the body. This is a popular route among Cork cyclists and triathletes who stop in Kinsale for coffee and a scone before heading back to Cork on their Sunday morning spin. Out the back road from Kinsale and onto Ballincollig, Sean O Leary a popular Cork cyclist was waiting eagerly for me at the Ballincollig roundabout. Sean guided me up Kerry Pike and into Cork City as he rang other local cyclists I often cycled with on Sunday’s in Cork who were also keen to cycle with me for a while. It was nice that the guys would want to come out and cycle with me and it was great to be going through my home city on a lovely Friday early afternoon. As I cycled through the city and towards Patricks Hill nobody knew that I had cycled 1,000 miles in a race over the last few days which I chuffed at. I liked the fact that the race was a low key event but more exposure would have been beneficial in raising money for our charity The Jack and Jill Foundation. However, I was delighted that we had raised nearly 2,500 euros so far. Cycling through Cork I felt great and was on a high. My older brother Jim was waiting to cheer me on as I took the left turn onto Patricks Hill, dropped into the lowest gear and sprinted as hard as I could up Ireland’s steppest hill. I never would have imagined I would be able to cycle in a straight line up the hill and it felt brilliant to be able to do so. We passed Collins Bks and onto Old Youghal Rd. As the route passes my house in Mayfield my mother and the neighbours were all out to cheer me on which was brilliant. My mother had a big stew prepared for us which we scoffed before a big hug from my mother and we headed for Youghal.

Cycling up Patrick's hill with my brother Jim running

The Last Night
As I cycled through Youghal I got a big roar from my good friend Harry Keating. Onto Dungarvan and the climb at Mahon Falls, team Youghal passed me just before the climb and I could see the headlights of the follow car flashing ahead as it got dark on Friday night. We spent Friday night cycling down to and through Wexford where the climbs were not too steep but long and boring. My crew were great supplying me with constant coffee, soup, sandwiches and snacks throughout the last night. It was a beautiful mild night. I felt good mentally knowing there was only a few hundred miles left. My brother Brendan was in the follow vehicle and now and again the car would pull up alongside when I was dozing off or wobbling on the road and just chat to me for a few minutes and give me some strong coffee to keep me awake. I felt great going into Saturday morning knowing I was on the last day and the final run in. After the tough but really enjoyable climb at Mount Leinster it was a straight run up to Aughrim in Co. Wicklow. It was now Saturday early evening and although I had until 22:30 to finish the race due to the time lost going to the hospital the crew wanted to get me in before 20:00. With only 64miles to the finish from Aughrim I was on a high and feeling strong.

Mount Leinster

The Last Climb with Brendan and Joe in support

Friendly Support in The Wicklow Mountains
Shortly after Aughrim there were four more climbs at Aughavanagh, Shay Elliot, Sally Gap and Blessington before a flat ride onto Navan. I climbed them all as fast and as hard as I could and was surprised at how easy I found the climbs. Sean Murray, a good friend from Blessington drove passed me before turning around and passing me again. He went on to gather up a group of good adventure racing friends including Chris Caulfield and Brian Keogh and they all took turns in riding with me until I crossed the main Dublin-Blessington road giving me a big cheer as I passed. At this stage it was raining but I was warm as I was working hard and going fast. I was averaging 20-25mph crossing Kildare on the road to Navan. Another good friend Richard Nunan joined me in Kildare and was happy to stay with me as long as possible. When he pulled off I still had 30 mile to go and although this might seem like a small distance in a 1350 mile trip it was still nearly another two hours on the bike. I had been pushing myself very hard through the Wicklow mountains for the previous few hours as I was on a high, envisaging the finish and cycling with friends enabling me to cycle faster. Now, back on my own again and as the weather got worse and it got dark,it also got colder and I slowed as the tiredness of the near six days on the bike was apparent. I was soaked and getting colder and still had 20 odd mile to go. I pulled over shivering and miserable. I told the guys I knew there was’nt long to go but I had been punishing myself over the last few hours up and down big climbs at a ridiculous pace considering I had cycled 1300 miles and I was absolutely shattered and I had to slow down and get some warm gear on. I put on extra gear and the guys gave me some pizza before moving on, counting down the miles. At this stage the race organisers were driving up and down the route on the Trim road into Navan cheering me and I thanked them as I passed. I finally entered Navan and the finish 11 minutes before 10p.m. finishing with only 40 minutes to spare as the sixth of six official solo finishers and qualifying for the race across America. I and the crew were congratulated, Alan Heary presented me with my medal and some pictures were taken. I then went to the campervan and slept.

Cycling with Chris Caulfield and Sean Murray in Wicklow

Joe, Brian, me, Brendan and Kila

It was an amazing adventure, one I was delighted to be able to undertake and complete. I learned a lot and look forward to preparing for and competing in the third cycle race around Ireland next year. Raising money for the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation was a great incentive in training for and doing the race. I love kids and it is a charity I will continue to support in the future. You can still donate to the charity where any contribution is greatly appreciated at www.mycharity.ie/events/capperman which is easy to use and very safe.

At the finish

Thanks to everyone who has donated to the Jack and Jill Foundation.

Final Thoughts
The race across america beckons, a 3000 mile adventure. Its a big step up from the race around Ireland especially the logistical and financial challenge. I would love to do it next June for the 30th anniversary but its nearly too late for that already as I would need to commit now and get training. With no finance and overall professional management support team its not possible at the moment. Getting an excellent crew would not be easy either. Nothing is easy I suppose,I have to make it happen.I have some ideas but I dunno-someday !

The organisers, Emmet who did the route, Lorraine and Alan Heary.

You can see some of the route on the map in the backround.

12 hours before the race

2010-09-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

Its 12 hours now to the start of the race around Ireland.Im the second rider off at 20:05. The crew and I are all staying at Cathal's house in Celbridge. The crew consists of Cathal, Brian, Killa, Joe and Darcy.We will have a 4 berth camper van and the follow car.Two in the car and three up ahead in the camper van at the next time station resting and cooking food etc. We registered yesterday morning and did a load of shopping afterwards.The buzz and crack all day with the team has been great and everyone is looking forward to this big adventure.
Im delighted to be here and taking part in such an awesome event and challenge.To have the opportunity to cycle around the country with a support crew and friends is fabulous.And to be doing it for charity is brilliant.We have raised over 1500 euros and with the sponsorship cards yet to come in we are hoping we can make 2500 euros for the Jack and Jill foundation.
I really have no idea how I will do in the race.I will do my very best and of course it would be nice to finish but the race has been such a hugh success for me already.I have learned so much in training for this race over the last two years and I have had such an amazing time in doing so while training on the route and roads around Ireland,training in the Alps and Pyrenees in France and Andorra,the Sierra Nevadas in Spain,the Black Forest in Germany and Switzerland. I have met some wonderful people and made many new friends in training for this race both at home and in Europe.And I have been inspired by people's generosity,kindness and support.
I have no fears of the course as I have done my best to prepare.I would be delighted to do well in finishing the race.However,not finishing would be a humbling experience,character building and offer a chance to reflect on the experience.It would take nothing away from the amazing 2 years training for the event.In a sport like ultra cycling it is really about the journey along the way and not just the race itself.
I went for an hour cycle last nite when it got dark from Celbridge to Kilteel and back and felt really good.Im gonna have some breakfast now and go out for a spin for an hour from 0830-0930.When I come back I will help the guys load up and organise gear in the car and campervan.Most of the crew will go up to Navan in the car for the crew meeting at 14:30.I will go back to bed until 1700 and Cathal will drive me up in the campervan at 17:00 for the start at 20:05. Really looking forward ot it.Thanks to everyone who has donated to the charity and for everyone who has been so nice,friendly and supportive along the way :)
Our charity page is www.mycharity.ie/events/capperman and the race can be followed on www.racearoundireland.com

Final Fitness Test

2010-09-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

I have'nt done much training since last Saturday.Ive been out everyday and did an hour or two cycling at night but just short spins of 20-30 mile some repeated climbs.Im down to about 80 kilos and with the new bike I am going well up the hills.
I decided to do a final fitness test this morning as Im unsure where I am.I see no need to do the power test I usually do over 4 minutes.I know where I am there and although useful is too short a test to give me an appreciation of where I stand for the 1350 mile race.I can do about 400 watts at now 80 kilos which Im happy with.However,the key is to be able to produce as high as wattage as possible aerobically over 1350 miles.Doing a 10 mile time trial is a bit too short also and I dont want to go too high intensity with only a week to the race.So I decided to do a 100 mile out and back route which I mapped out on ridewithgps on the Youghal to Dungarvan road.The aim was not to go all out but to stay aerobic for most of the ride except for the few longish climbs on the far side of Youghal and before Dungarvan. This would give me a good appreciation of what speed I can maintain over a longer distance aerobically and be a much more appropriate test considering the distance Im racing.I was also eager to do a last longish spin before the race.
I did the 100 miles in 5 hours,my average heart rate was 139 so I was riding well within my limit averaging 20 miles an hour.There was 3400 feet of climbing.Im very happy with the result and it puts me more at ease before the race although I know no matter how fit I am this race is going to be very tough.My heart rate rose to 150-160on the climbs but I wont allow that to happen during the race as it burns to much calories and glucose which I will pay for over a long distance.I will be keeping my heart rate under 145 for the whole race.This way I will burn less calories and save my leg muscles.I believe after a few hundred miles it will be difficult anyway to get my heart rate over 140bpm my legs won't be strong enough over the distance to go harder.The limiter is ones legs and not lungs.I am interested to see what my average heart rate will be over the whole race.It could be well under 130bpm. Im just continuing to rest now.Will write a last post before the race and that will be it.The Dungarvan 100 miler I did today is below which has gradient, heart rate, distance,graphs etc.throughout the whole route.Just click on view details.The great thing about the gps 705 is others can view and download my routes,follow them and compare data. This is a test I look forward to doing again in the future.

Killavullen Loop

2010-08-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

Highest heartrate reached was 186bpm racing up Killavullen hill.It is recorded as 211bpm on the garmin log which is obviously incorrect.I could probably reach just over 190bpm.My resting heart rate is really high at the moment-well over 50.Raced hard last Thursday doing 24 miles in 55 mins and did a time trial the day before also.With two weeks to go I will probably just do maybe one more time trial mid week next week and also test my power output against my weight doing my usual test on the indoor bike over 4 minutes.Other than that I will be doing mostly easy aerobic work to bring down my resting heart rate and rest.Ive lost another few pounds and am really getting lean now.Im very happy with my progress,really looking forward to the race.Did the spin below with two very fit young friends today,Kevin-a jockey and Cathal a secondary school teacher.Two great guys in their early twenties-great company.

Taking it Easy

2010-08-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

Ive had a rethink as I often do.Ive done enough training,After doing the 850 miles in 5 and a half days I obviously have no problem with endurance.My strength is also good and Im grand on hills especially with the new bike.Ive been tired mentally and physically over the last few days.Sunday I was going to cycle to Killarney,do the Mangerton hill run and cycle home.A session like this is usually no big deal as I do it often.On Sunday morning I was tired and so drove down with the bike in the boot.I was going ok at the start of the hill run in third position but around half way up I didnt feel good.My chest felt really bad and I was getting really weak.I stopped and walked back down and drove home after the presentation.It was good to see a few friends there anyway.Ive done nothing since Sunday.Last Thursday it was raining throughout the race and I got cold afterwards as I stopped for a while.I was a little bit sniffly and chesty since then.I feel fine now.I aslo went to the sports doctor again today.I had my testosterone levels checked twice and both times they were very low so I wanted to have a good chat with the doctor.He said my levels were low but he has seen Munster rugby players with lower levels due to their training also and he's not concerned.I will get them checked again after the race and again a month later.He checked my blood pressure etc. and said I was in great condition.Ive been tired physically and mentally the last few days with no interest in getting on the bike.All the training has certainly been mentally draining especially. Ive probably peaked a bit soon and it would have been a good time for me to do the race a few weeks ago.Im not gonna do anymore serious training sessions but just rest,keep down the weight,do a few short sharp sessions to keep up my strength and and few 4-6 hour easy spins in the next few weeks.
I booked a camper van today for the race.I lost 500euro last year on the campervan as I withdrew from the race but I got the credit back for this year which is great.A few of my friends have been doing some good work for us in trying to get companies to donate some money for Jack and Jill and two good friends and their family in Newbridge gave me 100euros last weekend which is really inspiring.

22 days left to the Race

2010-08-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

Everything is going very well in preparation for the race both with the training and the crew.My longest spin has been 115 mile in the last few weeks.I have been out most days on the bike but have taken a day off here and there when I felt tired.I started doing a bit of running again a few weeks ago and have been getting out regular enough just doing 4-6 miles on grass mostly.I burn a lot more calories when running and Im trying to lose another two kilos before the race.I have got aerobically fitter since I started running as Im able to keep my heart rate at a constant 142-80% for me,something which is much harder to do on the bike with undulating roads,winds etc.The running also allows me some time off the bike as I want to lessen the chance of getting injured at this stage.
Im running a mile at 6 mins 55 secs at 142bpm which Im happy with.My best has been 6mins 20 secs which hopefully I can come closer to in the next few weeks as I lose more weight.My aerobic capicity won't be a huge issue during the race anyway as after a 2 days when Im getting tired it won't be physically possible to get my heart rate up to 140bpm consistently-my average heart rate will be very low which cuts down on the amount of calories I burn which is vital so its important in that sense alright.The abilitly of my muscles to maintain strength over the 1350 miles is the much more important physical factor and the ability to keep my muscles fueled correctly and the ability to keep moving despite fatique and sleep deprivation.
My resting heart rate has been around 50-55 over the last few months which is somewhat higher than my usual resting heart when training a lot.However,after the runs at the higher aerobic level and one very hard 2.5 mile run specifically my resting heart rate suddenly dropped to 38-42 in the last week and has levelled off at that which is great.
I purchased a new carbon fibre Lapiere bike and a good set of wheels.I got a great deal at Hennessy's bike shop in Fermoy where I always go and used the bike to work scheme also.It has a triple chainring which will be great for the steep hills.
I raced in the Glounthane circuit this evening to get in a good fast workout and test out the new bike.It was three laps of a 8.5 mile circuit.I have been doing no racing but want to do a few in the next few weeks to really beast myself while backing off on the mileage.This will ensure I maintain if not increase my strength and power slightly but lose no endurance while also having more time for rest.The high intensity is great for burning calories too.The race was under an hour but very hard and fast throughout.I was only interested in beasting myself so I went to the front of the pack from the start and pushed it hard.It was a flat course with only a few gradual inclines which suited me.I stayed up the front for most of the race taking a minute or two break now and again in the pack when needed before driving it on at the front again.It was a great workout,I really enjoyed it and felt really fresh afterwards.
My last main workout will be on the Conor Pass in Co. Kerry early next week.I will spend three seperate days going up and down both sides so I can cover as much climbing as is possible in the three days that is close to the 70,000 feet of climbing in the race.It's a nice longish climb from both sides with some nice steepish bits.I won't be pushing this workout to the limit.I will cycle approx 12 hours a day for the 3 days but will stay well within my limits and resting every night.I want to get as close as is possible to the 70,000ft in the 3 days in the easiest way possible-mad and all that may sound.
Crew prepartion is going well.The 5 guys are enthusiastic and looking forward to the race.Hopefully we will have a campervan for the race.So much depends on the crew and I told them so much depends on them getting me around the course.
The fundraising is slow as always but we are keeping at it.The guys all have cards and I have given a few to friends also who volunteered to take them.Hopefully as the race approaches and if there is any media on the event it might help people donate.The Jack and Jill have advertised it also.

The Rustic Cafe-Lismore

2010-08-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favourite spins and a great incentive to stop for lunch at the lovely Rustic Cafe,Great staff,beautiful location and a lovely lunch and read of the paper before heading for the Vee.

Cork City Training Route

2010-08-11T06:58:00.001-07:00

This is a good traning route in Cork City and around its country suburbs.It was part of the Tour of Ireland cicuit stage from Bantry which inluded some of this route includin Patricks Hill.There are some nice gradual medium climbs -1km-3km and some short sharp climbs also.It is a great workout if you don't have much time but want good quality and also if you want to work on your hills and climbing ability.There is over 2000 ft of climbing in approx 15 miles.As one gets stronger you can increase the number of laps or the number of times a week you do this workout.I vary the workout by sometimes going all out for the full lap and other times going as hard as possible on the hills but easy in between.Click of View detials below the map and you can look at the route in detail on my garmin page.

Training Trip around Ireland

2010-08-06T19:19:00.001-07:00

I went off last Saturday from Youghal at 0600am following the race around Ireland route which I downloaded on my garmin edge 705.My friend and crew member Darcy dropped me down and would meet me at the Giants Causeway in two days time to support me on the remaining cycle around Ireland.I followed the route on the gps track which was very easy to follow.Last year I had done this carrying the printed directions of the route which meant I had to stop regularly to check the turns etc. which was a nightmare.Last year doing this without support I returned home wrecked and demoralised. I remember standing on the bottom of a hill somewhere in Co. Sligo at 1130 pm at night in the rain and cold and looking at the map and checking the route.I had been cycling all day and I had missed a turn.I really felt miserable and said to myself "This is crazy" which is bad when I am saying it.I looked across the road and saw the glowing lights of a b and b in the distance and so succumbed and called a halt to it and booked into the b and b.I cycled onto Sligo the next morning and got the bus home,returning to the same location weeks later to continue the trip in a similar fashion.In the end I never competed in last years race due to problems in getting a crew together but learned a lot from taking part as crew member myself and it was great to help Caroline Van de Bulk achieve her fourth place finish.When things don't work out or quite go according to plan in life it's always good and enjoyable for me to help someone else achieve their goals.
This year I headed off on my training trip around Ireland much more confident.I covered 190 mile the first day to Aughrim Co. Wicklow passing through a nice climb at Mahon Falls in the Comeragh Mts and a lovely fast ride on fairly flat roads with the wind at my back all the way to the beautiful coastal town of Kilmore Quay in Wexford. After some lunch on a beautiful day I moved onto Drinagh Wexford,up to Mount Leinster and onto Aughrim.I arrived in Aughrim fairly late and didnt get a good meal before going to bed and no breakfast the next morning.I needed to get an early start to make Belfast by evening as I was staying with friends there and was keen to arrive asap.I took four hours sleep before mounting my bike again at 0430. I cycled through the Wicklow mountains on a wet and cold morning, onto Glenmacnass and Sally Gap down to Blessington,into Navan and up to Kilcock where I stopped for a big breakfast as I was starting to get tired since I had not eaten enough in the last 12 hours.After breakfeast though I felt great. After cycling over the Cooley mountains and down into Newry I cycled around the west side of Belfast and descended into the city on a beautiful Sunday evening.I was following my gps to my friend's house which was exhilarating, whizzing around the streets of Belfast.I was on a buzz noticing everything I saw in the city as I had spent the last two days cycling through the countryside.I could sense the history of Belfast through its buildings, neighborhoods,flags flying and people.After cycling in and out of numerous streets in the direction of the gps track I picked it up and the route guided me along a multitude of streets to the door of my friend's house.I had covered 190 mile to Belfast and felt good.It was great to meet up with friend's on route.They made me a lovely hearty dinner and I had a good breakfast the next morning before heading off again north.I plotted a route out of Belfast on ridewithgps and downloaded it to my gps which took me out the Crumlin road and back over the climb out of Belfast on a beautiful morning.I stopped on the climb to admire the view of Belfast.After about 13 mile I picked up the gps track of the race around Ireland route and headed towards the Giant's Causeway.Darcy had left Cork early in the morning and was waiting not far from the Giant's Causeway with some sandwiches in the early afternoon.He arrived at a great time as I was hungry and it was of course great for morale.For the rest of the trip Darcy would book the b and b in advance, have hot food cooked for me on the side of the road and basically look after me for the rest of the week.I cycled on to Derry over the Foyle bridge and down the long and undulating Windy Hill Road towards Limavaady and onto Malin Head.I covered 165 mile on the Monday and we stayed in a b and b near Malin Head in Caradonagh. I started cycling Tuesday morning at 8-8.30 after a good breakfast which was typical for the next few days. It always takes me a few hours to get going in the morning when I am generally at my weakest and get stronger as the day goes on.I felf tired Tuesday morning and it took me a good few hours to get going.I cycled up Mamore Gap slowly which at its steepest is 25% and onto Letterkenny.On the road out of Leterkenny I was tired and was in a dozy patch for a while until a guy cycled passed me.I immediately cycled up to him snatching the chance of some social interaction.I went from doing 13-18 mile an hour as chatting to Steve immediately got me out of my slump.We chatted away as Steve continued to cycle faster bringing us up to 20 mile an hour going uphill and into the wind.I did'nt really fancy doing a dual with this guy and told him I was tired.I was happy enough to just go along at a nice pace and chat away.He said he was heading to Donegal but at the roundabout turnoff he said he would go onto Sligo with me.Its a long drag uphill off the roundabout and he continued to up the pace.After the last few days I had no idea how hard I could go but I was able to stay with Steve no problem.He was a stone and a half lighter than me and was churning the big gears.He was a nice guy and obviously keen to see how strong I was which was fine with me although I wished it was'nt this day he chose to take me on.I like these cycling battles though that emerge between friends and fellow cyclist's you just meet,it's nice to test yourself and I love pushing myself against someone else as long as its friendly and healthy.There's nothing like friendly competitive rivalry to help you get stronger.My motto is that I always try to do my utmost to help and support anyone improve but will also always do my damnest to be ahead of that person too.If someone beats me up a hill or in a race I am delighted for the person as he or she must have trained very hard and that deserves respect.
I felt really strong and so went up a few gears and pushed it on up the hill.Steve started to lag behind and so I went down another gear and sprinted on.It felt great and my legs really felt good especially after the miles I had cycled in the last few days.It could easily have been me that was left behind and I often am left behind by stronger cyclists-There is always someone stronger.I eased up at the top and when Steve came alongside fraughting at the mouth he asked me my name and told me he was heading back.I cycled on rejuvenated and now wide awake from my meeting with Steve and the burst of speed.I have learned that when Im tired it is often a good idea to actually go into the big chain ring and cycle hard for a few minutes as this can be a good way of jolting you into moving again.I was now cycling a lot easier with Steve gone but still maintaining 18 mile an hour-much faster than when I was in my slump.There will be lots of ups and downs and slumps in the RAI and I and the team will need to find ways of maintaining as fast a relative speed as is possible.
I cycled onto Sligo and Ballina across a long boggy road in the mountains which was amazing.It was raining hard which was good in the sense that it kept me alert and I felt good.Darcy had booked a b and b in Castlebar and it was getting late so he picked me up in the van about 20 mile from Castlebar.I covered 165 mile on the Tuesday and felt good overall.We met some lovely people on the trip who were amazed and inqusitive about the race and what we were doing.Des and Oonagh Corcoran were really nice in Carragh House b and b in Castlebar.Their children are keen cyclists and they did'nt charge us for the night instead donating the money to our charity The Jack and Jill Foundation.
Wednesday morning I cycled onto Clifden and Oranmore,Galway covering 125 mile in the day.Again I was slow starting but as the day went on I got stronger and finished feelin good.We stopped in Clifden on a magnificent afternoon and sat in the sun at a cafe for a while before moving on.I had the wind on my back across the mountains in Connemara and all the way to Oranmore.We headed down the Clare coast Thursday morning which was beautiful although the wind was against me most of the way.This was a tough 80 mile section and with the undulating roads,winds and and nightime temperatures this section will prove a challenge for the riders in the race depending on conditions at the time of riding.It was a lovely route of 80 miles which finished in Kilkee.I was certainly getting tired and my mileage was dropping everyday,Darcy was tired too and his back was sore from sitting in the car for so long.I wanted to extend my limits but not push them to too much as I would take too long to recover and impede my training.So we called it a day at Kilkee,Darcy also had to get home and drive to Dublin the same night.I had covered 850 mile in 5 and a half days from Youghal to Kilkee which you can see here,here and here,The only mountains I did'nt cover were the Kerry mountains so I covered most of the climbing in the course.Im satisfied that I did 850 miles while resting every night.I will have to do 500 miles more in September and on less sleep.So I will have more time but will be more wrecked.I don't know can I do it but I feel this week was a good realization of where I am and what I need to do.I will be happy to finish the race in the 5 and a half days. It would be nice to do well and Im competitive but I really feel this is a race where we are all up against ourselves and no matter how strong or determined any rider is we will all have our own personal battles and struggles during the race.
Recovery has been very good and after a day off my legs were back to full strength.I tested my power output over 4 mins which was 390 watts average which is 10 watts higher than my last test so Im real happy with that and the recovery.I really enjoyed the trip around MOST of Ireland,Darcy learned loads and came up with some great ideas for the team set up,vehicles,food schedule,etc.
I will be doing real hard and fast training and really hard hill circuits over the next few weeks and I still have to get down my weight from 82 kilos.I will do it.I would like to do a 24 hour from Navan starting at 8p.m-the same time the race starts to see how far I can cycle on the course route.Crew member in Kildare Cathal Nolan has offered to do it with me this weekend and I will proably be able to get Darcy or Brian to come up also from Cork.
Must stay focused,not long left.
If you think what we are dong is worth a donation and would like to support what we are doing for the Jack and Jill Foundation you can support us on my charity page here.
Thanks to Darcy,Susan and Davy in Belfast,Des and Oonagh in Castlebar,Steve for getting me out of a slump and everyone we met on route.

6 weeks to the Race Around Ireland

2010-07-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

There isn't long left now and the next six weeks are very important as we prepare for the big adventure around Ireland.Training over the last few weeks has been good.I covered 550 miles last week and approx 400 the week before.I have done many consecutive days of 100-140 miles with some nice climbs in Cork and Kerry including the Healy Pass, Caha pass,Conor Pass,Molls Gap.I have always felt like I could do a lot more which is a good sign.My aim has been to increase the daily mileage instead of doing really long spins which I feel are detrimental to training if done to regular.I did a power test today in the gym over 4 mins and managed 380-400 watts for 4 mins which puts my power per kilo between 4.6 - 4.8 at 82 kilos.I will probably lose another kilo or two before the race but am more interested in getting my power output up as the gains are far greater.Hopefully I can get it up to around 420-430 and my weight down to 79-80 kilos in the next 4 weeks which will bring my power per kilo up to 5.4 watts per kilo.This will significantly improve my ability to climb the hills quicker at the same intensity.I will improve this by doing very very hard short workouts between 30secs and 4 mins and by losing weight.Any gains made in strength and power have significant benefits for my long endurance speed-Its not all about cycling miles and miles!
Tommorrow I will leave from Youghal and do the Race Around Ireland route in a week or so.I have the route downloaded in my garmin which will sit on the stem of my bike and all I have to do is follow the route on the gps.I am staying in Wicklow tommorrow night and Belfast Sunday in friend's houses who have been kind enough to look after me and Monday near Malin Head somewhere. My incredible friend Darcy will drive up to meet me Monday afternoon with fresh clothes and support me for the rest of the trip from Donegal.We will stay in Darcy's parents house in Limerick and other than that we will stay in a b and b when we need to.Im really looking forward to it and hope to do 150-200 mile a day basically starting early and just keep going for 12-15 hours everyday stopping at the odd cafe and enjoying the trip.1350 miles in a week is a bit of a jump from 550 miles so Im keen to go easy and just get around without putting to much effort into the hills.I will be keeping my heart rate under 150 all the way.
Trying to raise money for the Jack and Jill charity has been slow and dissapointing.Despite several requests I have received very little response accept from good friends and mostly foreign friends.It's a little dishearting although I understand people are very busy these days and there are so many people doing things for charity and our case is no different.Hopefully as the race gets closer people might support the charity.The Jack and Jill will also post details of the race on their site which will be helpful.Donations can be made on our charity page on www.mycharity.ie/events/capperman

Training with my new Garmin Edge 705

2010-07-27T12:02:00.001-07:00

My new garmin is great.I can download and keep track of rides including distance travelled,height climbed,heart rate.The power ouput meter would be brilliant which I will look into.Im just waiting for Emmet Roche to finish the RAI route in the next few days and then I will download it to the GPS and do the route in a week hopefully.

Please support us and Jack and Jill !

2010-07-20T16:18:00.001-07:00

We have received some sponsorhip cards from Jack and Jill to help in raising money for the charity.We would be delighted if anyone would like a sponsorship card to raise a little money which I can send on to ones address.Alternatively if anyone would like to make an individual donation one can contribute easily on www.mycharity.ie/events/capperman or can send a donation to my address at 49 Avonmore pk,Mayfield Cork from which I will contact you to acknowledge your contribution and personally thank you.I would very much appreciate and am really hoping for your support,
Donncha

Training with Wyatt for the Race

2010-07-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

Wyatt Van Wendells of Dutch Origin from England.I had invited him over for the weekend for some training as he is also training for the Race Around Ireland. He lives in Leeds but works for Heart Fm in Colchester as a radio presenter.Wyatt is on air between 6-10 a.m.He travels home to Leeds on the weekends to his family where he works as a DJ.Wyatt has cycled the length of Britain.Like myself he enjoys the challenge of long distance cycling and adventure. We did 100 miles and nearly 6,000 ft of climbing on Friday in around the ring of Kerry,75 miles Saturday from Kenmare over the Caha Pass,onto Bantry for lunch and back over the Healy pass and another near 4,000 ft of climbing.Sunday we did 20 miles around my favourite loop in Cork city and over 2,000 ft of climbing up Faggot hill,Kerry Pike,Bakers Road,Patricks Hill and Gordons Hill.Wyatt and I both picked up tips from each other.Wyatt has the Garmin 705 Edge for the bike which is brilliant.As soon as the route is finalised in the next few weeks it will be possible to download the route around Ireland into the Garmin.I will buy one in the next few days online.It will be great to be able to follow the route with the Garmin mounted on the bike. Wyatt's pics are here where he has posted some nice pics of our training in Cork and Kerry counties. I dropped Wyatt off at the airport and did another 40 miles around the country roads to Bweeng in north Cork and back.There is'nt much time left now to the race and the next six weeks are so important.Nearly everything I do and think about now is focused on cycling and from tommorrow I will be spending as much time on the bike as posssible.

Checkin up on World Cyclist Charlie

2010-07-11T16:42:00.000-07:00

I was just browsing Charlie's blog to see how he was getting on.I met him a few months back in Offenburg while I was training in the Black Forest Germany.I wrote about meeting him here He is in Jordan at the moment and has some great pics on his blog which you can see here.He put up a pic of me which he took while we were having a coffee on a beautiful day in the square of Offenburg town.You can see his bike and all his gear in the picture. He has been cycling around the world since 2007 and will finish in 2013.He is off to Africa next and he has a year to get around Africa when he will meet friends in Morroco who will take him on their boat to the Carribean for the next part of his trip.While in Africa, he will call in on his parents who live in Zambia.His girlfriend in South Korea flys in to meet him now and again.Hopefully some day I will meet up with Charlie again.
Regarding training Ive only got back to full strength a few days ago.I was absolutely wrecked for nearly two weeks and never felt so drained.I was going around like a zombie no matter how much I slept or ate.I got a blood test done which was fine.The doc told me to do nothing for a week-no training-only walking.I ate constantly and did nothing for another three days and put on two kilos in weight and finally felt ok again.I got the doc to do a testosterone and cortisol test the results of which I will get in the next few days.Going on an exercise for a week after cycling 500km and eating only ration packs for the week really messed up my recovery and resulted in me not been able to train properly for 3 weeks. Still,the break has done me well and dont believe I have not lost any strength or endurance.I did a fitness test on the indoor bike yesterday and compared it to the same test in Feb.In feb I was 88 kilos and did 4 mins at 300 watts.Yesterday I did 375 watts for 4mins at 82 kilos and then did 2 by 10 mins at 300 watts. My power output in Feb was 3.4 watts per kilo and now I can do 4.57 watts per kilo. In the next 6 weeks I will drop my weight to 78/79 kilos and get my wattage up hopefully to 400 watts which will increase my power output per kilo to 5.1 watts.This increase in power to body weight ratio will make a huge difference in climbing hills.
Today I did 50 miles with an extra 3 kilos on the frame of the bike and I wore a small daysack weighing approx 4 kilos. I felt really strong and recovered.
Ive changed my training program.Im convinced long cycles are a waste of time and are just non-productive.Unless doing a race long distance cycling over 200 miles is not the most productive way to improve.Ifs far better to split the mileage up into segments,take the recovery in between and go again. So I will not cycle over 200 miles in one workout between now and the race on Sept 12. What I will do is begin by doing 50 mile in the mornings-eat rest and recover and do another 50 in the evening.This offers more opportunity for recovery and improvement and I can cycle the 50 mile faster which is key and lessen the chance of injury while still getting 700 mile a week. I can up this gradually again chopping up the sessions until I finally do 7 days of 200 milers as my last long week.This is 1400 miles in a week and the race is 1350 miles in 5 and a half days-so fairly close but the important thing is I am getting rest every night doing the 200 milers everyday ensuring rest and recovery and progression. Of course the 200 miles will be much faster than the pace I will be doing in the 1350 mile and this is key also. As I mentioned previously there is no point in cycling really slow and doing really long workouts over 200 mile where the speed drops low, is only grinding the body into the groud and actually makes you slower.It also impedes your abilty to take on enough nutrition and recover.Better to chop it up and keep the speed up as high as possible,take the recovery,get stronger and go again. When it comes to doing the 1350miles the strength will be there and so will the endurance be there and my average speed will be much higher. Now all I gotta do is do it.

A Very Sleepy Week

2010-07-03T15:27:00.000-07:00

Ive been wrecked since last week and have been sleeping lots.The body obvioulsy need it.Falling asleep during the day and going to bed at 8p.m and sleeping straight through until the morning. After finishing the 24 hour cycle on 19 June I went straight to Wicklow for a 96 hour exercise with work which was'nt great for recovery along with the fact that I was on army ration packs for the week.I could of done with a few steaks,pots of pasta,some spuds etc. etc. but it wasnt to be.
Got home Friday after the exercise. Did a 110km charity cycle for sick children on Saturday from Kilmallock to Cashel and back.The pace was handy but pushed it out on the way back with another guy from Kilmallock cycling club.Felt strong but the day after the tiredness and sleepiness hit me bigtime for nearly a week.Nothing in the legs Monday and Tuesday and was very tired so after a mere 10 mile both days I went back home and decided to do no training for another few day until I felt ok.I felt really good today after lots of eating and sleeping over the last few days. I cylced to the Vee in the Knockmealdown mts,did a hill run and cycled back home to Cork-90 mile round trip.I felt good. I really have to get focused now as there is only 8 weeks of training left and I have so much to do.Im looking to build the weekly mileage now but doing 50 mile in the morning and again in the evening but at a nice pace-18-20 mile an hour.I can do 150-200 on the weekends which will get me up to 800-900 mile in a week.Im going to do a 700 mile training ride with the crew in a few weeks on the race around Ireland course from Kilkee around to Navan.I must get my weekly mileage up to over 1000 miles before this and I need to lose another few kilos.I have to really watch my food intake.I also need to plan regular massages on my legs,back and neck muscles.

Gaelforce 24 hour cycle-future traing plans RAI

2010-06-25T18:00:00.001-07:00

I finally managed to do a 24 hour cycle.The gaelforce provided a great opportunity to test myself on a 25km loop over 24 hours to see where I was at in my training of which I wasnt too sure at all.I hadnt done much cycling in the last 2 weeks and practically no cycling in the last week.I had a small twinge on the insertion point of my tendon on the side of my right knee and so was keen to rest.Looking back on my training I had been doing a lot of hard sessions and pushing big gears hard consecutively.I havent been getting any massages either.I had been working in Wicklow for 2 weeks close to the mountains and so for the week before the 24 hour I did some hill running on Lugniquilla,Table Mountain,Camara hill and Keaden during the week.This gave my knee a rest but still got some great 2-4 hour workouts.I burnt a lot more calories also during these sessions and lost a little weight during the week.I did no training in the two days before the 24 hour cycle,arrived in Newport Co. Mayo on the Friday night and stayed in a B and B in Newport.I registered for the race Saturday morning and went back to the bed in the B and B until 12.I felt well rested and strong before the race.The race started at 2p.m. and the aim was to cover as many 25km loops as possible in the 24 hours.I had drove the course the night before and it was a tough course.Much of the course was narrow roads with a significant amount of gravel in the middle and on the side of the road with many potholes.As a result one had to really concentrate throughout the race to avoid braking on the gravel and falling. There was some steep short climbs in the first half of the course.
My friend and crew member Brian was there to provide me with a constant supply of food and drinks throughout the 24 hours.
We started with a one mile run with the mountain bikers along a track before the cycle.I was towards the front getting on the bike and got off to a quick start.The first few laps naturally felt easy and I kept the intensity low doing the first few laps in around an hour. Brian supplied me with fresh water bottles each time I entered the tranistion to record my time.Beautiful weather and scenery. The 25km loops were great because the laps were not too long. Drivers were not allowed to drive behind the rider as in long distance races-It would have been a hindrance to cyclists with the narrow roads and looped circuit.By half way stage I was a lap up.Having Brian there to provide me with hot food such as pasta with tuna and chicken made a significant difference in how I felt and was great for morale.
It was only dark for about 3 hours as it got bright again around 2.30am. I rode conservatively at night due to the road conditions.I took no sleep breaks throughout the ride.On the 13th and 14th lap there was no sign of Brian with a change of water bottle and some food.I went to the back of my car which was just inside the tranisition area and quickly snatched and scofffed at whatever I could lay my hands on before heading out on the 15th lap(Brian said it was like a bear had rumaged through everything)I felt really sleepy on this lap and contemplated taking a sleep break on the side of the road for 30 mins.I also contemplated asking one of the marshalls standing at one of the crossroads could I hop into his campervan on the side of the road for a quick snooze.I was barely moving at 9km per hour and felt really bad with 8 hours left to go in the race.All sorts of thoughts went through my mind as I slowly wobbled towards transtion.I really could'nt see how I was going to feel any better and decided I would need a sleep break if I ever made it back to transition. When I finally made it back in a very slow lap time of 1hr 25 mins Brian told me later I had looked dreadful and since he had slept through my last two laps he thought he had ruined the race for me.My lower back was really stiff and sore from the constant rattling on the bike from hitting bumps and potholes.I sat down in the large tented area where one could check lap times and placings and Brian gave me some tea and some fruit and fibre which was brill.After a few minutes Keith Heary in second place came into the tent and went out on the course.This gave me a great incentive to go out and catch up with him and so after a few minutes rest and more food I felt much better and continued on the 16th lap.It was'nt long before I caught Keith.I had only been introduced to him before the race.We cycled the lap together and chatted away and I completed the lap in a much faster time than my previous lap in 1hr 7 mins.Keith took a break and I proceeded directly into my 17th lap.Its amazing how things can change in long distance racing and the decisions one has to make during key moments when one is struggling.These are the decisons we make that define us. Within one hour I had gone from been absolutely wrecked and demoralized to feeling strong and confident.I was keen to push it on and get as many laps as possible hoping for 20.However I did slow on lap 18 and Keith passed me bringing the gap back to 1 lap again.He called it a day after 17 laps and I did one more very slow lap in 1hr 37 mins to bring my total to 19 laps and 500km(the laps were a little over the 25km).
My recovery has been very good and I had no problems with niggles etc except the usually muslce stiffnes in my rhomboids and neck muslces which I need a lot of work on-massages etc.
My friend Brian really enjoyed the experience and has been enthusiastically drawing up plans of my projected pace timings for the Race Around Ireland, food plans etc. which is brilliant. My next big training event will be in appox 4 weeks time when I will do half of the Race Around Ireland route. Kilkee-Limerick-Tralee-Sneem-Mizen Head-Youghal and onto Wexford,Wicklow and Navan - 700 miles I will do it in two 24 hour legs with 3-4 hours rest in between with the crew.

Training Week

2010-06-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

My bike was in for a service and we collected it from the shop on Thursday evening and drove to Limerick with three crew for the 24 hour cycle. I had a new bottom bracket on the bike and as I started to cycle it came loose and basically fell apart.I should have had it fixed the week previously.So we had no choice but to head back to Cork.With the vehicle we had there wasnt room for a spare bike and thus I had not brought one-disaster-bad prep-bad luck.So the 24 hour still hasnt happened. There is a 24 hour on June 19th Gaelforce in Galway on a 20km loop if I can get off work which hopefully will be ok.Its starts Saturday 2p.m. I will have crew support also for it which will mean I can stay on the bike for the 24 hours without stopping and have a constant flow of food and liquids.It would be a great opportunity to do some serious mileage.
So instead last Friday morning I did thirteen 10 mile time trials on an out and back loop with a short recovery between repititions. This is one of the sesssions I focus on in training. Look at this previous post here and scroll down to see my key training sessions I do.I did the first ten mile in 26 mins 20 secs and the other 12 all in around 29 mins which is an average of just over 20 miles an hour. I was very happy with this session as it keeps me very focused on what I have to do and lets me know exactly where I am at.I want to build this workout to twenty by 10 mile time trials and do this two to three days in a row.This will really improve my strength/speed endurance over the 1350 miles. On Saturday I drove to the Vee in the Knockmealdown mts. and parked in the car park on the top.I cycled down to Clogheen and went as hard as I could the five miles to the top.I did it in 20mins 26 secs and was able to stay in the big chain ring for all of the climb.I felt strong despite yesterday's workout.Its not too steep but rather a gradual climb.I did it again in just over 22 mins and then cycled down to Cappoquin onto Lismore and back up to the top which is approx a 6mile climb from the Lismore side.Sunday I did the Carraountohil hill race which is approx 12km up and down starting in the Brida valley.I was late arriving but managed to come in at the back of the race only a minute or two after it started and so set off without a race number.I moved up the field gradually and found the going tough(as you do when you run up mountains) for the first 30 minutes. I had no idea how many runners were in the race or were ahead of me.Felt strong on the second half of the climb and by the time I reached the top of Caher I realised there wasnt too many ahead of me.I was happy to reach the top in eight position. Im not good on the downhill and wasnt keen to push it and risk injury.So I was happy enough to take it easy on the descent and just enjoy it.It was a beauftiul day and I thoroughly enjoyed the workout.Monday I went to Dingle with some adventure racing friends - Paul Mahon, Colm Hill and Adrian Hennessy-all very strong.We were a good bunch aging between early forties and early twenties but all on a fairly similar fitness level.We did the bike and trek legs of the Dingle adventure race taking place next week.We cycled up the Conor pass as hard as we could each of us determined to beat the other in a great friendly and competive spirit.I was inspired by the guys strength, determination and tenacity.We dropped the bikes at a hostel and trekked up Mt.Brandon.We really pushed it on the bike on the Conor Pass and ran fairly hard on sections of the trek up Mt.Brandon.Another great days training and a great inspiratinoal buzz training with the guys.Legs are a bit sore today.

24 hour cycle for Jack and Jill charity-Please support us

2010-06-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

We are doing a 24 hour tommorrow night start around 8 p.m. again from Limerick.I have 3 crew members which is brill so will be able to cycle non stop for the 24 hours without having to worry about the crew been tired etc. Its approx 360 miles from Limerick to Tralee, Sneem, Mizen Head,Kinsale and Youghal. Hopefully I will make it most of the way in 24 hours but we will see.Im unsure of where I am at the moment and so this will be a good test and tell us a lot.I havent done anything over a 100 miles since the 230 miles I did on May 14th but have been doing some hard hill workouts and some running.Im a little leaner at 82kg but hope to lose another few kilos in the next 2 months which will make a nice difference in power output.
We have raised 600 euro so far which is great.The crew has come up with some good incentives for raising more money including a bike spin around Cork City and I hope to do a tea/coffee morning in conjunction with the Jack and Jill in Kildare. We also hope to approach clubs and companies etc.Hopefully as the race approaches people will become more aware of the race and this will increase chances of raising money.I have sponsorship cards been sent also from the Jack and Jill Foundation which I can give out to the crew and family and friends etc. So we will just keep at it,will hold another quiz in August again and promote it a bit more this time. If you are reading this please make a small donation to the Jack and Jill for our efforts in cycling and driving 1350 miles around Ireland on Sept 12th. When the going gets really tough during the race,and it will,raising awareness and money for the Jack and Jill Foundation is what will motivate and inspire us to keep going.Any donation you make makes a difference in helping us to make a difference. You can make a donation quite easily at mycharity.ie/events/capperman However it will require you to take about 5-10 mins of your time in making the effort to go through the process.
Thank you for any support in advance and I hope I can support you if you plan to raise money for any charity.

The Quiz and Training the last few weeks

2010-05-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

We raised 250 euros at the quiz which I was very happy with.Its a good start and some friends have donated some money to the Jack and Jill charity through mycharity page here which brings our total to 450 euros so far.
Training has been going fine.Ive been working on doing repetitive 10 mile time trials with little recovery in between.I do these time trials between Castlemartyr and the Midelton roundabout which has a nice hard shoulder.These sessions keep me focused as Im up against the clock.My aim is to keep under 30 minutes consistently for the 10 mile repeats.I did 7 repetitions during the week all between 27-29 mins.This is a little faster than 20 miles an hour which would be the 30 mins.The intensity isnt too high.My aim is to be able to consistently cycle at 20 miles an hour for as long as possible which will extend my strength endurance. Im not really doing any long spins now in a single session-I mean over a 100 mile.I just feel there is no need between now and June 3rd when I do the 24 hour.By doing really long spins at this stage I won't extend my endurance any further and if anything I will only impair any recovery I need from harder sessions or I won't be fully rested for the hard sessions.Since Im not going to lose any endurance by not doing any long spins in the next few weeks they are thus pointless.Im training to get as strong and as fast as I can over the next 4-6 weeks before I up the mileage again.Somedays I can do 50 miles in the morning and evening-again focusing on keeping the speed up and other days do short and longish hills hard over a few hours.Without the long daily rides I am rested to go really hard when I have to and I get the rest I need from the hard sessions which is imperative. When I do ride a 24 hour after after a few weeks of this training Im sure the endurance will be fine,in fact it will probably be extended due to the shorter training.Ive started doin more running to try and lose more weight as I burn a lot more calories when running and also to get more easy aerobic training.I usually just run on forest trails for an hour or two.
I done a one mile aerobic mile test this morning running a mile at 142bpm which took me 7 mins.I have been doing this test since my early twenties and it lets me know how aerobically fit I am. Despite all the training Im still not as lean or as fit as I was last year or in 2008 when I was running a mile at 142bpm in 6 mins 15sec. The more aerobically fit I am the faster I will be able to get up the hills.Im really watching what I eat now so I can lose a few kilos which will bring that time for the mile down which will impact directly on my cycling speed.
Im keen to try my best effort on the 10 mile time trial and might give it a go in the morning if my legs feel good.My best was 22.40 a few years but I believe I am a few minutes away from that at the moment.It would be great to be hitting that time again before the race and would certainly benefit my long distance cruising speed.My aim is to get as close as possible to that time in the next 4-6 weeks before piling on the mileage again.
Any donations to the Jack and Jill charity provide us with added incentive in preparing for this big adventure around Ireland.You can make a donation here to our charity which is greatly appreciated.

Training for RAI

2010-05-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

My crew who supported me on my cycle from Limerick to Mizen Head yesterday.My friend Darcy drove behind me for the first 13 hours on his own,feeding me and keeping an eye on the route.Brian and Kila joined us just outside Sneem.Darcy drove home for some well deserved rest and the guys drove behind me from there to Mizen Head.It made such an incredible difference to have a constant flow of the food and drink I need the whole time without which I could not do a non-stop long spin such as this. Considering I weigh over 13 stone in addition to the distance and hills I cycle its a near constant eating and drinking process for me when I am cycling.I did this spin also last year later in the summer and was absloutely shattered when I got to Mizen Head.This time I was much stronger throughout the trip and felt really fresh when we arrived in Mizen Head after 230 miles and a lot of climbing.Today my legs were not sore and I wasnt tired,I went for a run and my legs felt fine.I am happy with the progress the team and I are making.The crew are supportive and enthusiastic which is brilliant.
Im happy with my progression but have much to do and must remain focused.The crew and I will do the same route again in approx two weeks time in addition to the Mizen Head to Kinsale leg and Kinsale to Cork City and Youghal. For this I will stay awake the previous night,sleep the day of the start and begin at night fully rested which will make a big difference. After that we will start training on the route from Youghal to Wicklow and after that up north.
The rest of my training will inlcude sessions such as:

Workout 1
Time Trials: 10-20 x 10 mile time trials in 30 mins each(20 miles an hour)sometimes split between morning and evening sessions e.g. 10 x 10 mile time trials at 5 a.m. followed by sleep and in the late afternoon 10 x 10 mile again. I can do this session on my own yet get distance and quality in one workout which is key (cycling slow all the time is a waste of time)I can drive to the location and have enough food and liquids in my car for the workout as i will be doing a 5 mile loop time trial of 10 mile.
Heart Rate-130-145

Workout 2
Hills: 20-50 x 3-5 min steep - steepish hills
Again I can get quality by working on differnt hills and ride them faster than during a long spin but at the same tme doing lots of repititions which results in lots and lots of poundage on the legs which is vital. Strength endurance(Although there will be ups and downs it is the ability to be strong for all of the 1350 miles in the RAI) is so important.If I am getting real weak after fifty 3 min hills which is only 2hrs 30 mins cycling up hills Im not strong enough.
Heart Rate-150-170 There can be a lot of intensity here which Im careful about.During the race I will never go over 150bpm which isnt to say I wont go over it in training so I can get extra poundage on my legs.

Workout 3
Long Hill: 10-15 x 5-6 mile hills.
Although there are not any long hills in Ireland compared to elsewhere these would be long for Ireland.There are a few long hills in the south which I can drive to and just concentrate again on doing repititions-concentrating on quality and not wasting time. These hills will take 20-25 mins and again are great for the constant poundage on the legs.Again I can bring food and liquids with me in the car.
Heart Rate- 140-145 Im keen to keep this aerobic which means although the hill is long it will be easy at this heart as it will mean I have to really slow down to keep my heart rate low.As a result there is not as much poundage on the legs but with the reps it does add up and it simulates what I will be doing in the race with loads of aerobic work in the 140-145 zone which is fully aerobic at 80% for me and important to get a good bit of training in this zone.I might go all out on one or two of these repitions though.

Workout 4
Short Sprints and Short Hills 10-20 in big gear x 30secs - 2 mins
I don't want to do too many of these(due to greater risk of injury) but any increases in strength that these workouts result in can also result in big improvements in endurance. So I will just add these in now and again as part of my training.A short race of 40-60 mile can be good where I am sprinting constantly.

Workout 5
Trial Running 1-2 hrs 130-180
Running is great for burning the calories for me especially when I do as hard as I can 3-5 x 2-3 min hill reps which included with a 15 min warm up and warm down is plenty for a high quality workout. Other than than I use running to get a great constant aerobic workout in the 130-145 zone.I usually cycle to Curragh wood just outside Midleton which has a great long uphill trail of 600m which I do my running reps on. I like to keep up the running also as I do the odd adventure race and find one or two runs per week is plenty to keep in touch.

Miles to Nowhere

2010-05-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

Ive cut back on the mileage considerably.I reached a stage similar to last year after a month cycling in Europe where Im not getting any faster by cycling up and down mountains and putting in substantial time on the bike.So this week on Thursday I took part in the weekly league circuit around the Marina in Cork for an hour.It was the first race of the summer and runs to July.I didnt have the quick turn of power as other cyclists.Towards the end of the race I went to the front of the race and drove it on for the last lap knowing I would'nt be anywhere at the finish without a powerful sprint.After happily beasting myself at the front cyclists sprinted by me for the finish.I enjoyed the race and will be happy to use this weekly session as a way to improve my strength,speed and power.Friday afternoon I went around the red course in Ballyhoura Mountain bike part in 3hrs 15mins.I did it with a friend and could have gone a little faster-we hope to break 3 hours for the loop.I drove straight to Mayo for the weekend and Saturday morning did about 30 mile along the Race Around Ireland route from Westport over a nice climb to Toomakeady and back.In the afternoon I did the Croagh Patrick hill race.I went up as hard as I could and took it nice and easy coming down.Did an easy warm down cycle afterwards. Running is a good way for me to lose weight and I need to lose another 3 kilos at least,bottom line.On Sunday I did a fast 140km with some adventure racing friends along the RAI route to Lenane and onto Kylemore Abbey over some nice hills and some strong winds.I beasted myself all day as the session was short and I was keen to cycle much faster than the slow miles I had been doing for the previous months.On Monday I cycled approx 45km with an adventure racing friend from Westport to Achill Island,met some AR friends there for an hours hill run and cycled back to Westport.The cycle out and back was fast and I was tired from the previous days training.Before we got back to Westport my legs were completely wrecked and my strength gone.These fast sessions had done considerably more damage than the two 175mile cycles I did last week which is important as shorter faster workouts that make you stronger have substantial benefits for your long distance speed.I aim to start racing as often as possible now for this reason.When I have become considerably faster I will add more distance again.I cant do all the miles and expect to do all the fast stuff too as I wont be rested enough to go hard enough for the fast training due to all the miles and if Im trying to do lots of miles also I wont be getting enough rest from the hard sessions. Its a catch 22 and something must give.There is a tendecy to want to do more miles with so little time to the race but I am confident that by cutting the mileage now and adding it again in about 4-6 weeks when I have become stronger and faster is the right thing to do.Despite this I am doing a 24 hour cycle on 14 May but wont do any more long mileage from now until then.It will be interesting to see performance over the 24 hours and will be a good indicator of my fitness level. I enjoyed the social interaction with my adventure racing friends on the weekend and I plan to incoporate my training with them in future when I can and take part in the odd race during the summer as long as it is complementary to the cycling training.
Today I didnt train and was tired all day.I went to bed in the late afternoon and slept for a few hours.I was eating non-stop all day as I was constantly hungry which is always the case after 4-5 days hard training.I bought some Viper recovery drink and a good protein powder-cyclone-for muscle recovery.I also take a gram of vitamin C a day and a multivitamin.
I am doing the Shay Elliot memorial race this Sunday in Bray.Its 140km and will be very fast and tough.I will find it very difficult to stay with the pace as I have yet to really race this season and will certainly lack the power on the short fast climbs and basically the speed for the whole race.Im not been negative here but simply know the pace this race will be at-there will be professionals and many top amatures at this race.However I will be ensured of a day of suffering and that can only benefit me so I decided to take the plunge.

Adventure Racing and Training

2010-04-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

I cycled to Wicklow Friday via Waterford,New Ross,Enniscorthy,Baltinglas,175 miles but no real climbing and I cycled handy so I wouldnt be too tired for the Total Experience Adventure Race Saturday.The race on Saturday involving kayaking,mountain biking,mountain trekking and mountain biking again was a lot easier than I expected.I raced with Eoin Keith,Chris Caufield and Beth McKluskey.We were out for just over 6 hours which flew and I really enjoyed it.We led from the start and there was nobody really to push us and we took it fairly handy along some of the course Our team was very strong,especially so on the bike.I was very happy that my legs were well recovered and strong after the cycle from Cork the day befrore.It was good to race with a team after spending the last few weeks cycling mostly on my own.I do miss the camardarie and fun from adventure racing.I really enjoyed the whole event,atmosphere afterwards and the camardarie amongst everyone present.I am keen to do another few events in the year which will be complimentary to my cycling training. On Sunday I cycled for home via Sally Gap,Laragh,Rathdrum,Aughrim,Kiltealy,New Ross,Waterford.I got on the bus in Waterford after 100 mile my legs were getting tired and decided I had enough done for the few days. Im very happy with my progress although I have such a long way to go.Next weekend I will try to do two 200 milers on Saturday and Sunday.I will see how I feel the bank holiday Monday and if I have recoverd sufficiently I will try another 200 miler on the Monday.I will start to do some really fast and hard cycling now during the week and any mid week races because I am at a stage where doing miles and miles does not make me any better.I must get stronger now over the short distance by doing very hard and fast workouts and my long distance cycling will then improve accordingly.
The amount of mileage I now need to maintain takes up a lot of time and its not going to be easy.I cycled 530 miles this week and need to keep increasing that progressively. If I can do 50 miles in the mornings and evenings it will be a good way of getting the mileage up outside of work and study hours.Where I cant get in the mileage during the day i will have to do it during the night.It may be useful to stop thinking of the days training as just in the day and think more of the 24 hours I have in the day as this is the way it is for the race and I need to get very used to cycling at night regularly and with broken sleep patterns.This is very important.I need to be getting up in the middle of the night and doing a few hours cycling and going back to bed for an hour or two and getting up again and going cycling.This is the reality of what I need to do otherwise I won't have a hope.
As always I also need to maintain my own focus knowing what I have to do and cutting myself off from the normal sterotypcial everyday thinking as this can affect my training.Its just the way it is,cycling 175 miles to Wicklow can of course be termed as crazy and one hears it all the time and I would agree certainly that it is crazy for those who are looking in from the outside but from my perspective and considering that I must cycle 1350 miles in 5 and a half days the reality is that 175miles is only but a fraction of the total distance and completed from a fresh rested start.This is the truth.Its very easy to start thinking I am good and doing well cycling to Wickow,etc. especially when people say its mad,its great and Im very strong and flying but the reality is there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done.I know the truth and I know what is needed.I plan to progress to doing 7 days of 200 miles which will be a good test. Next weekend trying to do two to three 200 milers will let me know where I am and I know where I need to go and so I will be able to monitor my progression as I go.My body can only adapt so fast and so there is no room for error.There isnt much time.In the middle of May I will do a 24 hour and try to cover up to 400 miles in one ride with the crew.This will be a good progression test and training session.When the race starts on the Sunday night of Sept 12th I will ride for at least the first 24 hours and take a big portion out of the total distance before my first sleep break.I wont leave nothing to chance to give myself every opportunity to succeed.

Training in Schwarzwald-The Black Forest,Germany

2010-04-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

It has been a great 10 days training here in Germany.Ive done a lot in the last 3 weeks and especially so in the last 10 days during which I covered 700 miles.A long way off the 1350 I need to be able to do in five and a half days but its a considerable jump from where I started and is considerable progression.My legs were dead this morning and yesterday and after looking back on my training diary over the last 10 days its easy to see why.I turned around after a few mile and put the bike back in the shed.Ive done a lot of climbing including two 130 mile rides in 3 days up the Kandel where Jan Ulrich used to train and the mountains in Shauinsland also near the beautiful cycling town of Freiburg.Thankfully I am passed the iniital stage where the chances of injury are higher.I have also lost about 4 kilos in the last 3 weeks.My progression over the three week period has been significant and I have avoided any injuries especially since Ive been pushing the boundaries on my progression and adaptation rate.As always I have been basically going on how I feel at any given time which is the way I like to train and can best guage how much quantity and intensity I do in training.I will do practically no cycling today tommorrow or Monday and might just go for a real easy forest run Monday.My body needs time to absorb the some 1000 miles I have done in the last three weeks.I could do with a few days off the bike also as it can be mentally draining.I hope to lose another 4 kg to 79kg but there is no rush and I wont lose the last few kilos until August as I dont want to be in a very borderline weight state until a week or two before the race.

Meeting World Cyclist Charlie from South Korea

2010-04-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

Today I met with Charlie who is spending seven years cycling around the World.What a great way to finish my training trip to the Black Forest,Germany in meeting this great guy who is an inspiration in living.I spotted Charlie outside a phoneshop in the main square in Offenburg which was bustling with people sitting in the cafes enjoying the afternoon in the sun.His bike had all the signs of a long distance cyclist laden with bags and so I approached him with an inquisitive smile and asked him about his trip.I offered to buy him a coffee keen to hear of his adventures and so we sat for an hour chatting about his three year trip so far and the four years ahead. Chanyang Lee-Charlie for short is 28 and is a computer graduate from a German university.He has a girlfriend at home in South Korea who meets him infrequently on various parts of his global bike trek.I listened to him talk about his adventures over the last few years,he spent 5 days climbing the 5000 meter road in North India.He spoke of the great hospitiality in places like Iran, Tajikistan and the Middle East.He lives on $5 a day and looks very healthy and happy living his dream.He carries a Canon camera´,gps and a 3man tent inlcluding all the gear he needs to survive.He has sold some of the pictures he takes and has a t.v. contract with a south Korean t.v. station and magazine.Over the next year he will make his way around Africa visiting his parents where they live in Zambia and will meet French friends in Morrocco whom he met on his travels who will bring him on a boat to the Carribean.We exchanged details and I offered him a place to stay if he ever makes his way to Ireland.His dream when he gets married is to take his family on a boat trip around the world.His website which charts his travels is www.7lee.com

Crew meeting

2010-03-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

Met up with Brian,Darcy,Pete and my brother Brendan this evening for a chat about the race and preparation.The guys asked me questions about the race and preparations.We will organize a quiz in our local pub in Sober Lane to raise money for the Jack and Jill foundation.I gave them an outline of how the crew operates during the race while crewing and when off.We set a date of Friday 14th May for a 24 hour cycle on the RAI route in the south which gives me some focus and incentive.It will provide an opportunity for the guys to practice following the route,driving at night,etc. and give me an opportunity to push myself over 24hours with the luxury of been looked after and fed while staying on the bike.We discussed many other points also inlcuding having a bucket and the availibility of ice so I can dip my legs in ice for 15 mins before sleep breaks which is imperative for some recovery.
It was great to have the meeting this evening as I leave in the morning for Germany enthusiastic about the training ahead.Its brilliant to know that while Im training my friends are working away at what needs to be done in organising for the race.It makes such a difference mentally. I told the guys that its a big team effort and I cannot do it without them. I have a new added incentive with my friends supporting me so wholeheartedly and am determined to do my best for the team in what will be a great adventure for us all.

The Third and Final round with the Sierra Nevada

2010-03-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

It was my last day in Spain and so I was keen to get up the Sierra Nevada (2250m) for the last time but also get a good few miles during the day.There was no strength in my legs yesterday morning and so I happily took the day off and visited Cordoba -When my body tells me I need to rest I gladly comply. Predictably then this morning I felt strong immediately when pushing the pedals.I cycled a tough 50 mile beforehand with some local cylists on a hilly route closeby.I said goodbye to the Spanish guys and swung onto the 22 mile more or less constant climb that would take me to 2250m. The road is steepish for the first half and after 3 miles I was already staring at the handlebars,moving at a mere 7mph and my heart rate at 170bpm(over 90 percent of my max). I was in my lowest gear and unless I got off the bike there was no way I could really go much slower my cadence lower than 60rpm.It was a hot day-much hotter than during the week and I was sweating profusely. This was ridiculous-unless I get lighter and increase my body to weight ratio there is no way I can do 75000feet of climbing considering the statistics that were apparent before my very eyes(fortunately I have weight to lose so it can only get better).God damn all those upper body muscles I built up when boxing for years.During the race around Ireland it will be important to stay aerobic-for me under 150bpm throughout the race.Going over that just burns too much glucose from the muscles and over a long distance it will not be able to be maintained for very long.Aerobic metabolism comes free and its much easier on the body.
I continued to climb at my snails pace not thinking of the miles to be done but rather of just getting around the next bend.I contemplated throwing my warm top,pump,tube,wallet and food into the gulley to maybe lighten the load just like the B-17 air force guys did in World War 2 during their bombing raids in an attempt to save fuel and get back to their airbase after carrying out air strikes in Germany.Ditch everything Cuttriss if you wanna survive I said to myself. Ah it was´nt that bad and I knew I would´nt die unlike the air crew in World War 2 whose faith was uncertain.I smiled to myself and kept ascending this mighty mountain.I got some relief as the air got cooler and my speed lifted to 8mph my heart rate still pounding away at 170bpm. After 1 hour and 30 mins I could see the ski resort up ahead.I looked up and the view was amazing.I was working hard but despite the tough going I really enoyed the feeling and gratification of taking on this worthy challenge. This is a big part of what it is about for me! It took me another 30 mins to arrive at the ski village.My thighs were pounding with the pain at this stage and my two water bottles were empty.I was after climbing 16 mile and it was another 6mile to the top.I was unsure whether to go on and in situations like this Im always keen to make the best decision and not just cop out when I could keep going.I pulled in at the ski village to regroup,fill my water bottles,and make a decsion.I drank a pint of coke and lemon in the bar which was sweet and after taking off my sweaty t-shirt and putting on my long sleeve top I felt good.I decided to continue and see how I felt.Initially it wasnt so steep and so I kept going only to turn the next bend into a wind and I found myself back at 170pm and 7mph again. The air was really cool now but I was warm.As I kept ascending I could see the skilifts and skiers below.The scenery was amazing with barely a cloud in the sky.Two stags jumped out of the forest onto the road which was a good excuse to stop and admire them as they descended down into the forest. I eventually arrived at the barrier blocking the road and the sign signifying 2550 meters.I stuck two kellogs bars into my mouth,put on some sunscreen and descended the 30 miles to Granada.It was a tough 100 miles today.
Its been a great 8 days training-350 miles and a lot of climbing.Im home tommorrow and meet with the crew tommorrow night and I fly to Germany Tuesday to the mighty Black Forest where I will train for 12 days. The Black Forest is one of my favorite places to train where the hills are long and steep.It won´t get any easier but I will get stronger.

Easy Training in the Sun

2010-03-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Ive been taking it easy the last few days as I needed the break after a few days of some tough cycling in the mountains.I cycled an easy 60 mile today.Met up with a few spainish guys on route as I do most days and tagged along with them for an hour or so.Although Im taking Spanish lessons every evening I could only manage a little conversation with them but it was enough to enjoy the company and we had some good laughs.I wore my heart rate monitor just to ensure I kept my heart rate under 150bpm.I did 30 easy miles yesterday and the day before I did´nt do any cycling but did a four hour easyish trek up the south side of the Sierra Nevada mts.The going was a little tough in the snow and it was a great day. The weather here is lovely and Im really enjoying the training.I have lost a few kilos.Im eager to beast myself up the mountain everyday but its important to be patient.Ive done 170 miles in the last week which is a lot more than the previous weeks especially considering the consideratble climbing I have done also.It is important to remember the best results come from the smallest amount of training that brings consistent improvement.

Cycling the Sierra Nevada

2010-03-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

Pain has a great way of making you remember especially when it is a long enduring pain.So just like I will never forget the A-397 which I cycled a few days ago I won´t forget the A-395 either which goes from Granada to the top of the Sierra Nevada mts in the beautiful Andulasia region of Spain. I had cycled 16 mile of the route yesterday parking the car at 1000m and continuing from there.When I got to the Ski resort I turned back as I was completely shattered and wanted to save myself somewhat for the rest of the week.So this morning I parked up the car at the bottom and headed uphill for 23 miles and nearly three hours-passing the ski resort a few hundred metres from the top.It is´nt as steep as some of the climbs in the Pyrenees but it is a relentless long climb.I was glad I was doing it at this time of year and could imagine how tough it would be in the summer months.The temperature here is warm at 22degrees in which I got sunburt a little yesterday.Towards the top the temperature dips to approx 3-5 degrees but I could´nt feel it as I was working so hard pedalling a mere 6-7 miles an hour at a 40-50 cadence for the last few miles.At this stage I was just staring at the front handlebars and wheel as I concentrated on just pedalling one stroke at a time.The road narrowed as I passed 2550 meters, snow now heaped up on both sides of the road.Ive been at this height sking many times but only always descending and I did feel a little bit lightheaded at this altitude with my heart rate pumping at about 170-175 beats per minute despite my slow speed.The road got gradually worse and so I had to walk with the bike always keen to see what was around the next corner and to get to the end.The road eventually stopped dead and all was left was snow and I could see the red markers indicating the red slope for sking and the ski lift below. Many skiers passed throwing a glance at me standing there in the snow in my cycling shorts with my bike.It was a fast descent as I tried to get as fast a speed as possible and managed 42 miles per hour.It was easy to stay ahead of vehicles for the 23 miles down as there were bends every few hundred meters.Tommorrow Im going around the other side of the Sierra Nevada to the Alpujarra´s some of which you can see here.

I will not forget the A-397

2010-03-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

I have been in Benalmadena since Friday.Got out for a 3 hour ride and covered a mere 26 miles on Friday evening as it was all hills. Cycled up from the coast where we are staying to the Mijas mountains which rise to just over a 1000m. Yesterday and today I drove south passed Marbella to San Pedro with the bike in the boot and after parking cycled up the A-397towards Ronda which looked like a good climb from the map.It was a 16 mile climb to the top and I was cycling uphill for nearly two hours.I was very slow and it was tough but I really enjoyed the ride.Today I drove up the same climb to Ronda parked up the car and cycled for two hours.Some great climbing again and beautiful scenery.Legs were tired so no point in doing much more.The friends are going home tomorrow and I will be going to granada which is nice and close to the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Pushing it to the limit with 7 euro and 70 cent

2010-03-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

Ran out of petrol tonight for the first time ever.A bad run of events but I had it coming.Got away with it too many times.I had actually pulled into O'Callaghans garage earlier in the day but got a phonecall from the driver of Jack and Jill who was at my house to pick up some printer catridges and I had to get back as I missed him earlier in the day.All the same I had many chances to fill-as always.Pushed it one time too many. Had left the house on empty later in the evening.Half way down the road I realised I didnt have my wallet.I said I would chance it and keep going due to the fact that I kinda thought the car couldnt be emptied of its fuel as I had pushed so incredibly low so many times and it still kept going. Well,I couldnt find me friends house easily where I was going for the first time which did'nt help. Passed the garage without stopping as I had no money and was basically waiting for the inevitable but when I did stutter to a stop I realised I had 7 euro 70 cent in me back pocket.Got the bus back to the garage and the bus driver let me off the fare due to pity.I told the Chinese manager at the garage(I love Chinese people) of my predicament and that I had only 7 euro 70cent and needed petrol.Without even making an effort to look for something to put the petrol in he said he had nothing but could sell me one for its cost of 7 euros which would leave me 70cent for petrol.It would have been a good sarcarstic joke which was a pity really.I actually had an urge to buy it just to see the look on his face when I went outside to fill the canister with me 70 cent worth and then skip away down the road.It would have been worth the 6.4 mile walk home.However,my Irish campatriot behind the counter convinced him to borrow me the canister if I gave him my insurance cert and vehicle registration which I brought along with me as a bartering tool which did the job.I thumbed it back to the car with a smile on my face even though it was only about a mile just to see was there any good samartians out there.After a few dissapointments I was picked up by a football player in under a minute who seen me with the canister and said he was often in the same situation.He dropped me off and after putting my 7euro 70 cent worth into the car I drove back to the garage, got my paperwork back for the canister and continued on my way.Happy memories and something learnt or a dreadful evening depending on your perspective!

RAI Provisional Route Announced.

2010-03-18T17:15:00.001-07:00

The provisional route is out for the race around ireland which offers a good incentive to get out on the route asap whenI return from Spain and Germany in mid April.I didnt do anything today other than cycle in town and back.Ive been getting my bike ready,packing and just preparing for my trip tommorrow.Im really looking forward to it.Im bringing my Olmo bike which is just a basic training bike but its fine,put a new speedo on it today and cleaned it up and packed it away nicely in the bike bag.Ive looked up some nice campsites at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains near Grenada where I will be training.I will be staying with my friends for the first three days in an appartment on the coast near Malaga.There is about 15 of them over on a 40th party so there will be some fun for the first few days.I wont be drinking but will meet up with the guys in the evenings when I come back from training.I rented a car for the 10 days in Spain which will be handy.Im back on 29th March to Cork and am off again the next day from Dublin to the Black Forest in Germany where the hills are steep and long and painful.Im staying with a friend there in Freiburg for 12 days and it is my favourite place in the world.It's brilliant for road and mountain biking and in the winter cross-country sking. This area of French and German Alsasce Lorraine is close to France where one can easily cycle to and onto the Vosges mountains beyond the fabulous city of Strasbourg-a great place to sit outside and have dinner on a summer evening.Not far south of the Black Forest takes you to the amazing Internationally cosmopolitan city of Zurich in Switzerland where you can hang your bike on the train which takes you to the bottom of many a painful climb over 2000m.Hope to get in some savage training and will undoubtedly have a blast of fun also.Will put up a post every now and again.

Training Tuesday and today and Crew Training

2010-03-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

I rested Monday because I was tired.I rest when tired and do not go by the axiom of resting one day per week.For me listening to the body is so important.When Im tired I rest and when I feel strong I may do a bit more. The main thing is consistency. I did 2 hours on Tuesday and today wearing all my green gear for Paddy's Day.Im getting serious now,no more alcohol-not that I drink much anyway.Four of the crew are going to the DCU information day Saturday which is a great boost of confidence for me.Knowing that you have a crew who are committed and willing to give up their time to contribute towards the team is so important for the cyclist's mentality. It really lets me know they are committed which is a great comfort when out on the bike training everyday. The guys will learn so much from the day and my friends from Cork will meet up with Cathal Nolan also from Kildare who crewed with me last year for Caroline Van de Bulk who won the woman's race. Cathal has a big van we can use which is brilliant and he is such a relaxed and cool headed guy.He knows whats needed for the race so I know I won't need to be worrying or checking on everything as the race approaches which again is extremely important for the cyclist's mentality.

Nearly run over again by a crazy Irish driver.

2010-03-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

I cycled to my house in Lismire today in North Cork near Kanturk.Its a 76 mile round trip.While cycling on the large hard shoulder towards Mallow I was nearly struck by a crazy driver in a Ford Fiesta displaying an L plate. What is frustrating when this happens is that often it seems that the drver has not even realised that I existed.The car passed by me with mere inches to spare.On a Sunday the road isnt busy and there was plenty of space to my right for at least two cars.Sometimes I imagine myself been rolled over by a car and the driver continues wondering what the bump was. What a sad way to die.I would prefer to go out with a bang,fighting in a war for the good of mankind or defending a person been beaten up.I suppose at least I would die doing what I love.Donal Crowley died that way on 5 Jan 1999 on the Mallow road close to Blarney. The only difference between his incident and mine today is that he was rolled over by a car while cycling on the hard shoulder. Such are the fortunes of life.I had met Donal only the week before he died on the Mallow road.I had stopped to fix a puncture and he and his son passed me.They offered me a good incentive to catch them when I fixed the puncture and a bit of company on the spin.I cycled at the front with Donal all the way to Mallow and back and still remember some of the things he said which resonated with me. Again this is one of the many aspects of cycling I love,the chance encounters,its far from been a boring or lonely sport when spending many hours in the saddle as many people believe.People are naturally intrigued by cyclists asking: Where did you come from, where are you going and then begins a conversation. I have made so many friends throughout the world through cycling.Mostly you never see or hear from people you meet again, other times you do.I love this also, the unexpectancy of these chance encounters. People arent afraid to talk to a cyclist, there is something about the long distance cyclist that is honest, a guy or girl out on the bike just putting in the miles, enjoying life and pushing oneself.Donal Crowley was a wise man with plenty of experience of cycling although he mentioned nothing of his background.I said goodbye to him and his son at the turnoff for Blarney and would never see him again. The following week I heard of his death and the prestigious career he had as a cyclist.Luckily today I got to live another day and saluted Donal as I passed the headstone which marks the spot where he died.
When I cycled in Europe last summer I got the ferry from Ringaskiddy to Roscoff. We disembarked from the ferry at 0600am and there was a long stream of campervans on the road heading south. It was the most dangerous part of the trip for me along with the same section on returning for the ferry. While the mainland European campervans gave me plenty of space a significantly high percentage of Irish campervans came extremely close to hitting me. I eventually had to cycle in the Middle of the road so the drivers would go into the other lane in overtaking me and not come so close. Well,after a few miles I didnt have to worry about Irish drivers anymore and had an amazing trip and didnt get a single puncture in a months cycling in France, Andorra, Switzerland and Germany.I got one puncture today and two yesterday. Still, theres nothing like the wind in Ireland and the rough roads which can only make you stronger. If you are ever on the Mallow road towards Cork keep an eye for Donal Crowley's headstone which is near an overhead bridge on a bend.

Training and Crew News

2010-03-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

I was out a few times on the bike during the week,nothing more than an hour or two.Did two hours today with Dean. He was tired and it was much harder for him than the last day.He asked me to write down a program for him while I am abroad training for 3 weeks which I was suprised to hear from him.we went to the bike shop and bought him a cylcing shorts before the spin.He needs his own gear as he is really small.A good friend of mine Harry Keating has offered to help him out too which is great.he needs cycling shoes etc. He cuts grass to earn some money so I told him he must pay me back when he earns some money.Most of his friends smoke and drink and are only 14 years of age which I was shocked to hear.I met his mother today and she said he loves sport and she is delighted.
Im off to Spain next week and so will miss the Dublin City University open information day for the Race around Ireland. Its more important for my crew anyway most who have not crewed before.Three of my friends are going up from Cork.Brian O Leary,Darcy and Pete, Cathal who crewed with me for Caroline last year is going also from Kildare. Im delighted the lads are going as it will give them a great apprectiation of the overall concept of what is required.Im going to do a 24 hour cycle in May in Cork and have the lads practice a bit of crewing.
Im going to do it on the Mallow road which is 20miles from Cork and has a large hard shoulder most of the way.I will start on a Saturday afternoon and cover as many miles as possible in the 24 hours.It will also be a good opportunity to raise more awareness about our charity Jack and Jill Childrens foundation.

My new 15 year old friend Dean

2010-03-05T10:44:00.000-08:00

I met Dean a few weeks ago after returning from a spin as he and his friends admired my bike.He has just turned 15 last month and only looks 12.He is small for his age and only weighs about 7 stone-42 kilos.He was mad for cylcing he said and would love a racing bike.He was on his sisters mountain bike as his was broken.His bike really was'nt worth getting fixed so i enquired about a second hand racing bike for him in Hennessy's Bike Shop in Fermoy.There was a good bike for his size for 300 euro but it was a bit much for his parents in these times especially since he had recently got an xbox for 300 euros.So today I set him up with one of my carbon fibre bikes to get him started.I lowered the saddle to its lowest point and it is just about ok for him although the top tube is a bit long for him as he has to reach forward slightly to reach the gears.I put on flat pedals for him,gave him a helmet,jersey,pump,spare tube etc.
So on a absolutely beautiful day in Cork city me and my new friend Dean went for a spin,me in my cycling gear and him in a tracksuit.He was excited to be riding such "a fast machine" as he said and was full of enthusiasm.I was inspired by his youthfullness and sense of wonder at merely goin for a spin with me as if we were heading off on some big adventure.We cycled for approx an hour as I took him up some steep hills in the northside,up faggot hill to the top of Cork and down Kerry Pike on the outskirts of Cork and back into the city via the Mardyke.We stopped at the Mardyke for a break and then cycled into the city and up York hill and Patricks hill before retuning home.Dean was full of beans as we say here in Cork throughout the ride.At 42kilos I wasnt suprised to see him fly up the steep hills and I struggled to stay with him initially.He would tire as the hill progressed and I would pass him but on the next hill he would be gone again with equal enthusiasm.He didnt complain once along the way of been tired or say anything about the cycle been tough.He loved it,he loved pushing himself and he loved trying to get up the hill before me.I felt a competive spirit and friendly rivalry with this young teenager with whom I was cycling with for the first time.I was inspired by my new friend who was cycling for the first time on a racing bike on what was his longest spin ever. What I love about cycling is the multitude of diverse people from all ages and walks of life you can get to know while cycling.Dean is in 2nd year in school and I asked him was he studying hard and he replied that he dos'nt need to study as he gets 80% in all his tests.I loved his carefree attitude to life and his spirit.
On returning I showed him how to change the wheels,put in a new tube etc.I gave him a pump, helmet, spare tube and a few other things to get him started and sent him on his way with his new machine.I told him he must try and save for a pair of cycling shoes, a cycling shorts and a few other things and if he keeps at it I will help him out.Im excited about this new kid-he could be a champion, who knows,Im excited to see what life has in store for him and what he makes of it,to see him develop and to see him confront the challenges.I feel priviliged to have an opportunity to maybe inspire Dean to get the best from himself and along the way he may continue to inspire me too.

Patricks Hill

2010-03-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

What a day today,it was the kind of day that I would like to be cycling all day.With work and university I didnt have too much time so cycled into university as usual in my jeans and mountain bike shoes and between classes from 2-3pm I did the Kerry Pike hill circuit with a few books in my backpack.Back to class from 3-5pm and I did another circuit and headed home finishing off with Patricks hill which is close to my home.I crawled up it but it was fine.Im lucky in Cork as I can do some great hill work in a few hours with some of the steepest and toughest climbs in the country.I can do a great combination of hill after hill in an hour or two.When I come back from my training in Spain and Germany I will be doing a lot of hill work and will start doing Tuesday night racing in Fermoy and the Midweek Marina 1 hour race in Cork also.

Training

2010-03-03T16:05:00.000-08:00

2 hours this morning-Glanmire-Carrigtowhill and up to Watergrasshill and back to Cork.

Aerobic Bike Test

2010-03-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately I didnt get much training done the weekend as I was away at a conference in London.I brought my running gear and went for a run in Brixton Park Monday morning.I felt really good and strong after doing nothing Saturday and Sunday.Forced rest is sometimes the best type.Before I left on Friday I did an aerobic bike test on the road. This test involves cycling up a longish hill while keeping my heart rate at a certain number.So I cycled up to Cork airport and down to Ballygarvan only a few miles outside the city.There is a hill that goes from Ballygarvan up a quiet backroad back towards the airport.The test involved timing how long it would take me to cycle to the top of the hill keeping my heart rate at 145bpm which is approx 80% of my max-fully aerobic-easy intensity. In the RAI I will never let my heart rate exceed 150bpm.The aim is to stay aerobic for the whole race so I dont use up excessive glycogen from the muscles which would increase the chances of getting a bonk and increasing fatique due to the higher intensity.After the first few days it will be hard to raise the heart rate above that anyway due to fatique so its more important during the first few days to keep the intensity low and let the body function fully aerobically.Obviously then the quicker one can get oxygent to the muscles the better and this is where the test comes in. It took me 12 mins 15 seconds to get to the top of the hill.The hill is steep initially and then has a gradual incline to the top.I was going very slow on the steep parts(barely moving) and slow the whole way at 145bpm. This is a great test because it is affected so much by my body weight.It will be great to see the time improve as I lose weight and get fitter.I will redo this test on the same hill at the same heart rate every week or two.Hope to get in some good consistency this week.

Training

2010-02-25T10:32:00.000-08:00

Did one hour today on the bike.Basically did a bit of a spin on the way home from university.I always cycle in with my mountain bike shoes on and if its dry somedays I will do a bit of spin on the way home.As today I usually cyle out to the Markyke on the back road towards Kerry Pike.Its a nice gradual climb and I turn left up a long steepish drag to Kerry Pike and turn right to bring me into the top of Cork City by Clogheen and onto Holyhill.I cycle down Blarney street and take a left up the very steep Baker street.This was part of the city leg in the Tour of Ireland.Down into Blackpool and up the Glen hill,Dillions cross and home.Its not even an hour but in my clothes and with my bag of books on my back its a nice strength workout.

Training

2010-02-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

40 mile this morning to Mallow and back.I don't eat breakfeast when I get up.Its usually at first light when I go cycling and Im keen to get on the road and just dont bother with a breakfeast.I was cycling for two and a half hours this morning and not having a breakfeast does not effect me negatively.I don't feel weak or tired or anything at any stage.Obviously the intenstiy is low.I bought a cheap heart rate monitor yesterday in Argos(its as good as the fancy and expensive ones for what I want).I will use it for checking my resting heart rate in the mornings and for correlating my heart rate with power output during my indoor workout next Monday morning.That will be a great test and true indicator of performance.I also have a test I have been using for years that lets me know where I am in regards to aerobic fitness.Its a great submax test running a mile and is a great indicator of how fast one can get oxygen to the muscles while functioning aerobically which is key.This test relates to my aerobic cycling ability.I like numbers as they let me know where I am and they are a great incentive when training on my own.My best incentive and most competitive friend is the stopwatch, the heart rate monitor and the measurement of power output and what they represent to me at any given time as I strive to be better.
My resting heart rate this morning was 50 which will drop as I get fitter.

Training

2010-02-23T03:56:00.001-08:00

Roads were fine this morning. Did 20 mile on the Mallow road to Rathduff and back.Got my first puncture in a while just outside the city on the dual carriageway which I sorted fairly quick.Wet morning,not too cold though and felt good.

Indoor bike test

2010-02-22T03:10:00.000-08:00

Frosty and ice here this morning in Cork so I jogged to the gym and did 3x4 mins at 300 watts on the indoor bike with 2 mins between reps. My legs were dead after the third rep as my wattage dropped right back.This is a great workout with high quality and always a good session to indicate my fitness level. The intensity was fairly high,I wasnt wearing a heart rate monitor but I'd say I was between 155-165 beats per minute.Since my weight is 88 kilos I am able to produce 1.55 watts per pound of body weight over 4 minutes.

2.2 lbs in a kilo 88kilos multiply by 2.2 = 193 lbs

300watts divides by 193 = 1.55 watts per pound

Whereas I was maintaining 300 watts for 4 mins a top pro could maintain well over that for an hour.In fact the likes of Graham Obree and Chris Boardman in breaking the world hour track record would have maintained well over 400 watts for the hour cycling. So I need to lose weight and increase power.My result here obviously is very poor however it lets me know where I am and gives me incentive to increase my wattage per pound body weight.All top pros use this simple test in varying ways. as one indicator of ability and fitness.
In a long distance race like the RAI especially with a lot of climbing,good power to weight ratio is crucial in a race that will wear you down and break you as time goes on.Vitally as important if not more important is not just a good power to weight ratio but the ability to be able to maintian as high a percentage of that power as possible over 1350 miles. How does a cyclist train for that? As always it depends and there are many ways. I have many ideas and workouts planned that will improve this important aspect.I will be doing the indoor bike workout regularly so I and anyone reading this can see my improvement from week to week.Any comments are welcome.

Easy Day

2010-02-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

Only did an hour on the bike today.I called out on my bike to see my nephew and two nieces in Waterloo where my brother lives.Its only a few miles beyond Blarney. I cycled out in my clothes which I like doing sometimes when the weather is nice.I felt good and the legs felt ok.Im hoping for a good consistent week of cycling this week and will try to get two hours on the bike first thing every morning.

A Spin to Youghal

2010-02-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

Did approx 60 miles today. Lovely day again,Cork to Youghal,Tallow,Curraghglass, Conna, Rathcormack and back to Cork. Legs were tired towards the end.I have a long way to go.Met a guy named Robert from Hungary who was cycling to work in Little Island.He was on a mountain bike and looked fit.Chatted to him for a while before leaving him on the turn off for Little Island. Legs could be tired tommorrow.

Training

2010-02-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

Did 40 miles this morning to Mallow and back staying on the main road due to the dodgy roads. Beautiful morning.I love cycling on cold bright sunny days.Had breakfeast in The Hibernian Hotel in Mallow,scrambled eggs, beans toast and coffee for a mere 5.90 euro read the Cork Examiner. The staff and people are so nice there.I do love the country.20 miles from the city and the differences are amazing.I weighed myself too yesterday-89 kilos -10 kilos to lose which Im not too keen to lose in this cold.No rush,I will lose it as the training progresses.

The Dreaded Icy Roads,Training and the Race around Ireland Team

2010-02-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful sunny morning today,headed out the back country roads of Cork to Carrig na Bhfear and Whitechurch.Got a wobble on an icy patch going down the hill into Carrig and then came off further down the hill where there was some serious ice on the road.Wasnt going too fast and just slid along on me arse.Took a much worse fall a few weeks ago when I ended up with some nasty cuts and bruises.Tommorrow morning I will stick to the hard shoulder on the main Cork to Mallow road.Its got a big hard shoulder all the way to Rathduff approx 12 miles out.I head out there sometimes in the mornings.I dont do any more than that during the week at the moment.As long as Im consistent Im happy enough and maintain my strength.I can add the endurance as time progesses.Im going to Malaga from 19th-29th March for 10 days training in the Sierra Nevada mountains.My mates are going there for a 40th for the weekend so I decided to make a training trip out of it and meet up with the lads for a few in the evenings.Im then off to the Black Forest in Germany on 30th March a day after I get back from Spain for 12 days training in the mountains there.The hills there are steep and long.When I come back from Spain I will do two hours every morning and 6 hours on Saturdays and Sundays from 6-12.I will include some hill running off the bike on the long spins.I need to lose at least a stone.Im currently approx 87 kilos at the and will get down to about 78 kilos.Im not in a rush though-I will lose about a stone in Spain and Germany.
I was in touch with some of the team and they are all raring to go.My brother Brendan and two to three of his friends Brian O Leary and Darcy are crewing.I was also in touch with Robin and Karen Robinson who are my friends in Navan.They are training abroad at the moment.Colin has done the Ras for the last two years.They are both masseuses and are well used to orgainizing for racing.Cathal in Kildare crewed with me for Caroline Van de Bulk last year and he was brilliant.He also has a big van which we can use.Ray Ryan from Cork is also on the crew and he has a van also which we can use.So I have a Cork crew and a Navan,Kildare crew-two teams-all I gotta do is cycle the bike.

Army Training and taking my racing bike over mountains

2010-02-12T07:55:00.000-08:00

Im doing PT with the sniper course in Collins barracks.Ive been beasting them every Friday for the last few weeks. There were eight of us this morning which was handy,put them into buddy pairs of the same ability.I had tested them 2 weeks ago in a run up the steps of Patricks hill-one of the steepest in the country.Its a lung and a leg buster.We did a good session in the Glen Park.Jogged down and did some upper body exerises including tricep dips, pushups and chins. Unlike the last few weeks where we were training for over 2 hours I decided to do some high intensity training. So we did a run up one set of steps,back down and onto another much longer set of steps to the top of the park.Total running time for the repetition was under 1minute thirty,the fatest been just over a minute.We ran off in pairs and did the last one as a group.Did 8 repititions and I stayed at the top of the hill for 3 of the reps to ensure they pushed it to the limit.Total training time for the main set was only 12 minutes.The troops found it very tough and a great workout.Its a great workout for pounding the leg muscles and the lungs.
I will be including this type of training along with cycling for the RAI.Sometimes on long spins I run over a few mountains with my racing bike.Ive been doing this type of training since last year and enjoy it.I wear my mountain bike shoes now all the time when Im cycling.The shoe is much wider and more comfortable for long distance cycling.There is no hobbling around and I can do the mountain running in the cylcing shoes. It is much easier also in my opinion to get hot foot or blister in cycling shoes with cleats as there is more pressure on a smaller area of the underneath of the foot.One of the Irish guys had problems with this in last years race.
So I may have invented a new sport and Im wondering what to call it. Maybe "bicycle mountrun" ? Certainly running over mountains with a racing bike is a lot easier and more comfortable than with a mountain bike like in adventure racing.It means I can move much quicker,add variety and fun to my training and shock the body with bouts of high intensity running up hills that really punishes the quads. When I get down the far side of the mountain and back on the road I can cycle off at a much faster speed than on a mountain bike.This means I can cover a much larger distance and Im getting great quality for the amount of time training and in long distance cylcing getting the most from your training time is key.

Race Around Ireland 2010

2010-02-10T07:27:00.000-08:00

Im competing in the cycling race around Ireland on Sept 2010.If you would like to know more about the race you can go to the RAI website here.I was very dissapointed not to have taken part last year.I seen the advertisement for the Race pretty late and didnt have much preparation done in regards to getting a well prepared team behind me.I had spent 4 weeks during the Tour de France cylcing in France,Andorra,Switzerland and the Black Forest in Germany and had such an incredible time.I lost over a stone in weight from cycling in the Alps,Pyrenees and the Black Forest where the hills are so steep.Somedays I was climbing for up to 3 hours.When I returned I had cycled the RAI route on weekends so I would be familiar with the route and get an appreciation of what the course was like.It was very tough,the surface and weather in Ireland makes it so much harder than cylcing in Europe.Anyway it wasnt to be but I believe that we can always find good when bad or dissapointing things happen in our lives.And so,I ended up crewing in the RAI for Caroline van ber Bulk from Canada who is the World Long Distance Champion.It was an amazing experience,a brilliant adventure and I learned so much.It was'nt easy doing crew.Caroline just kept going.She wasnt particularly a strong physical athlete especially on the flat.However she had great power to weight ratio and was extremely tough,she just never stopped moving only sleeping approx 8 hours total in the five and a half days.She finished 4th in a race where only 4 finished out of a starting solo list of 12.The weather for the 5 days was brilliant,no rain and no strong winds.It was a bit cold at night arouund the coast of Co. Clare but in general the weather was great.Caroline finished with only minutes to spare.We had pushed her hard over the last 200 miles running up the hills with her in the Wicklow mts.I will post an article on the 2009 race at a later stage.
Hopefully she will be back this year.
I have a great crew commitment of eight this year.Im registered for the race and I need to get doing some serious consistent training.If you are interested in following my and the teams training,my thoughts,and would like to support the team and our charity you are welcome.I will be raising money again this year for my charity the Jack and Jill foundation of which I will be posting more info.