http://www.justgiving.com/Dave-Paul-Calais-NiceI’m not an athlete.
I’m 48 years old, a bit overweight, and the sort of person who feels inadequate as soon as he staggers into a bike shop.
BUT, I’ve always dreamed of cycling from Calais to the Med – a desire that was rekindled when I read ‘French Revolutions’ a few years ago.
So, here I am – on the eve of my Grand Tour – looking back on the fact that I’ve gone from occasional bike-to-work fair weather cyclist, to someone who now considers nasal hair an unwanted weight penalty, and a 30mph head wind a useful training aid.
I shall be doing an average of 60 miles a day for two weeks – it doesn’t sound much, and for the first 2 days it probably isn’t. It’s the last 12 days I’m worried about…
And how did I prepare? Well I read all the fitness guides, and was almost put off any kind of training – I just don’t have the time or frankly the ability to devote to some of the more punishing regimes.
The key for me was enjoyment. If you want to get better on your bike, try to find routes and reasons to go out that are scenic, rewarding and above all achievable. If you find yourself unable to drag yourself up that nasty hill – don’t become consumed with anxiety and guilt, just stop. It’s not a crime! But rather than give up and push your grid the rest of the way, take a minute – have a drink and a few carbs – then get back on the bike and see how far it takes you. You may have to stop again, but that’s OK. The amazing thing is, every time you do that hill it gets easier – and pretty soon you don’t even think about it.
Another big step for me was riding with someone else. If you’re leaning into horizontal sleet, and you’ve lost all the feeling in your extremities – and you’re about as far way from home as you’re going to be – if there’s someone else there to share a joke with, it’s OK. If you’re on your own, it really ain’t. As my training increased, my pal Dave (the person accompanying me to France) suggested we tried a Sportive to see how we were doing. I was privately horrified, but in the spirit of machismo, I reluctantly agreed. It was brilliant! A whole group of people hurting at the same time – and offering support and encouragement…I can’t tell you how good it feels.
Other stuff I’ve learned – the arse-bike interface is VITAL to your continued comfort on a long ride. Don’t trust the reviews, don’t think more cash means better results – the only way to be SURE you have the right saddle is to try them out – and then just put the hours in until you know it’s all OK. If you rub, chafe, ache - or in my case, lose any feeling in the posterior and upper hips – you know you’ve got the wrong saddle and it’s time for a change.
It’s the same with bike adjustment – spend time getting the bike to fit you (rather than the other way around) and I reckon you can add around 30% to the miles you can comfortably achieve in a single shift. By reducing the reach of my bar stem by 20mm, I managed to totally rid myself of a nagging shoulder ache and stiff neck that happened after every 25 miles. It’s not, as they say, rocket science.
Anyway, it’s almost time to head for Dover… I’ll keep you updated!
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