Forecast for next week

Here's our own personal forecast for next week, courtesy of Stephen Davenport at MeteoGroup UK

The expected band of showers and isolated thunderstorms has come into the UK from the west but is fizzling before it reaches the south-east. However, that other plume of scattered but locally heavy showers/thunderstorms is developing ahead of it, affecting France today (Friday 2 July) then both France and Belgium tonight. A few could just clip Kent and Essex, too.

Sunday should both be dry, though, with some sunshine -- in fact, quite a lot of sunshine, with a high of 27 or 28 deg C but freshening winds for a time towards the Channel coast – temporarily strong through the Straits of Dover but lighter in Belgium. Maximum on Monday more like 24 or 25 C with cloud increasing to bring a scattering of sharp showers – about a 50/50 chance of catching at least one of those. Probably becoming drier and brighter by the end of Monday. Relatively light west to south-westerly winds Monday.

That band of showers on Monday is the one that was originally looking more likely for Tuesday – instead Tuesday now looks drier with occasional sunshine. Still a small chance of a passing shower, though. Similar temperatures Tuesday, with a maximum of 24/25C in London, 22/23C in Calais and 24 to 26C Brussels/Bruges. Light west to south-westerly winds on the whole, moderate through the Channel.

Wednesday – still looks like there’s a band of showers coming eastwards but again tending to fizzle as it moves across SE England. I’d still expect the odd shower, though, and perhaps more pertinently rather a stiff cross-wind – a fresh south-westerly for a time.

Just a reminder why I'm doing this...

You’ve heard from me for months so perhaps the best way to leave you is with a word from a Right To Play volunteer coach called Matthias in Benin, west Africa:

“As teachers and parents we have the mission to give children the appropriate knowledge to encourage their full development. But this cannot be achieved without a happy environment, without role models that lead children back to a path they have strayed from because of the violence and difficulties of their surroundings. And we cannot succeed without the sport and play activities that give children the chance to relax whilst learning. Right To Play games are an invaluable and clever channel that allow children reach that state, and the children on the programme are more empathetic, better in school, healthier, and more confident. But best of all, they are happier and hopeful for a better future.”

You can still sponsor me at: http://www.justgiving.com/mapman

A huge thanks to everyone who has sponsored me - hopefully by reading things like Matthias's comments you realise how important Right To Play's work has become.

July already!!

Tomorrow I catch the train down to London - we have to register at St Pancras at 7:00am (!!!) Sunday morning, and then it's over to Brussels, catch the finish of the Rotterdam - Brussels Tour de France stage, party, a good night's sleep, and then off at 9 the next morning.

Following my progress
I should be posting here on this blog, and also on facebook - though I never seem to have much success there!

In theory, you should also be able to follow my progress (almost!) live. You'll see posts headed "Cyclemeter cycle" - this is coming from a little GPS I'll be carrying with me. Click on either "Google Maps URL:" or "Shortened Google Maps URL:" in these posts and you should see where I am, give or take ten minutes or so. To keep it updated you need to keep pressing your browser's 'Refresh' or 'Reload' button. There should be new data every five minutes or so.

I'll keep you all updated!

Horrible, horrible

Terrible ride - too hot (it was 28C out there), legs felt as though they were peddling through treacle. The only consolation was that I climbed about half the length/height of The Muur in one climb and didn't really have to get out of the saddle. Completely knackered at the top though!

I'll have to be a LOT better next week

Cyclemeter Cycle 26 Jun 2010 10:30:19

Finished Ride: 26 Jun 2010 11:26:57
Route: Damflask - 1 Circuit
Google Maps URL: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/6ac7/f540/4bad/dd56/Cyclemeter-Cycle-20100626-1030.kml
Shortened Google Maps URL: http://j.mp/aPGCAX
Ride Time: 56:35
Stopped Time: 0:00
Distance: 10.26 miles
Average: 10.88 miles/hr
Fastest Speed: 26.33 miles/hr
Ahead of Worst Ride: 0:17
Climb: 1201 feet
Calories: 588

http://www.cyclemeter.com

Cyclemeter Cycle 26 Jun 2010 09:20:19

Finished Ride: 26 Jun 2010 10:29:12
Route: Don Valley circuit
Google Maps URL: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/6ac7/f540/4bad/dd56/Cyclemeter-Cycle-20100626-0920.kml
Shortened Google Maps URL: http://j.mp/doLa53
Ride Time: 1:06:52
Stopped Time: 1:58
Distance: 13.69 miles
Average: 12.28 miles/hr
Fastest Speed: 23.69 miles/hr
Behind Worst Ride: 11:18
Climb: 584 feet
Calories: 611

http://www.cyclemeter.com

Fantastic morning!!

Time for my last big training ride

Sent from my iPhone

Road rash!

Another quiet week - just about 30 miles, but with a bit of climbing thrown in.

Mark Cavendish had a rather spectacular crash at the end of yesterday's stage of the Tour of Switzerland. He's not having the best of build-up's to this year's Tour. Fortunately, nothing appears broken but he is "covered in road rash".

'Good' video at: http://tinyurl.com/38dsu3v

Nice though it would be to meet Cav at the end of Stage 2 of this year's Tour de France, I'd rather having to be talking to his team-mates because he is otherwise engaged on the podium.

Cyclemeter Cycle 12 Jun 2010 09:12:06

Finished Ride: 12 Jun 2010 10:03:05
Route: Damflask - 1 Circuit
Google Maps URL: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/6ac7/f540/4bad/dd56/Cyclemeter-Cycle-20100612-0912.kml
Shortened Google Maps URL: http://j.mp/b7wYKl
Ride Time: 50:52
Stopped Time: 0:00
Distance: 10.89 miles
Average: 12.84 miles/hr
Fastest Speed: 26.08 miles/hr
Ahead of Best Ride: 10:07
Climb: 587 feet
Calories: 666
http://www.cyclemeter.com

Dead England flags: 0

Going up The Wall

School holidays and a social life have meant I haven't exactly been training like a pro over the last few weeks. I've only managed 16 miles a week for the past three weeks, but I've certainly been feeling fitter. The London Eye and the Natural History Museum were the highlights of a few days away with the kids in London last week.

I was sent the Rider Manual for the Right To Play ride when I was down there, which gave me something to read on the train & Tube. You may remember I mentioned that I mentioned the possibility of a section on pavé on the route... ...now we get the detailed route I see it's just 'any old pavé' - this is serious stuff.

We're cycling up the Muur van Geraardsbergen or Kapelmuur - more often just known as The Muur ("The Wall"). It's the huge, next-to-last cobbled climb on the Tour of Flanders; the climb that in April Fabian Cancellara blasted past Tom Boonen to ensure he won the De Ronde. Imagine (seriously) cycling up the Hovis advert hill and you get some idea. I guess I should expect at least one puncture....

Suitably 'inspired', I took off on a ride earlier tonight with plenty of climbs - the road around Damflask Reservoir provides suitable training, both for the hills and a road surface that is a close approximation to cobbles.

300 metres of climb (The Muur is a 92m climb) and 13 miles.

I noticed cars are already making their feeling known about England's chances in the World Cup, and saw 3 dead England flags en-route.

For those of you blissfully unaware of The Muur, you can read about it in Wikipedia or even watch the terrifying YouTube video

Cyclemeter Cycle 6 Jun 2010 19:53:34

Finished Ride: 6 Jun 2010 20:56:58
Route: New Route
Google Maps URL: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://share.abvio.com/6ac7/f540/4bad/dd56/Cyclemeter-Cycle-20100606-1953.kml
Shortened Google Maps URL: http://j.mp/anDveQ
Ride Time: 1:03:16
Stopped Time: 0:00
Distance: 13.08 miles
Average: 12.40 miles/hr
Fastest Speed: 32.15 miles/hr
Climb: 1079 feet
Calories: 839
http://www.cyclemeter.com

Dead England flags: 3

Travel Road Show

There was a roadshow on campus today, mainly about non-car means of getting to and from the University.

Just like to say thanks to the bike shops that came along; I needed some new bidons from Brussels- London, and got a new plastic bidon from Langsett Cycles, but spanking TWO aluminium ones from Edinburgh Bike Coop - which was nice!

Thanks guys - and snubbed noses to 'certain' bike shops that chose not to attend and give out freebies.

Have to see now how I get on with a bidon you can't squeeze...

We know where you are!

Getting the hang of this electronic thingiemiggie.

When I'm out riding, you should now see a new post starting:

Cyclemeter Cycle...

Click on the URL there under either "Google Maps URL:" or "Shortened Google Maps URL:" and you should see where I am, give or take five minutes or so. To keep it updated you need to keep pressing your browser's 'Refresh' or 'Reload' button. There should be new data every five minutes or so.

If anyone's actually reading when I'm cycling I would be very interested in any feedback

Hopefully you should be able to follow me in 'real time' through Flander's Fields....

5 days in a row!

Just got home - now managed five days in a row.

Not very impressive, especially when those days have been: 8, 8, 56, 17 & 8 miles

A grand total of 97 miles - just about the same distance as I have to cycle on the last day from Dover to Greenwich.

Stretching the legs

Felt the need to stretch the legs this morning after yesterday - a beautiful day, in complete contrast to yesterday. In short-sleeved top and shades. *

Rather than slog into the Peak District, I went along Sheffield's valley bottom - advantages: it's relatively flat, with good surfaces; disadvantages: traffic and built-up with few of the stunning views - but the traffic isn't too much of a problem on a Sunday morning. 17 miles in just over an hour - so I'm thinking this is where I should be doing my training!

Bike, legs and bottom** felt quite good ;-)

Here's the route


* Yesterday, I was amazed at the amount of money people invest simply to do a 25 mile 'fun' ride. There was plenty of carbon from Specialised, Scott, Bianchi, Tifosi, etc etc on display, all clad in their Rapha tops, wearing their dark, dark shades. What's that all about? Especially when the weather is so bad all the cars had headlights on!! To be fair, there were also plenty of families on cheap bikes - but surely a BHF fun ride isn't the place for Italian-style Sunday morning lycra poseurs!

** I have been known to buy a nancy-boy gel saddle cover on long rides before now. My new bike's the first without an exceptionally comfortable Terry saddle. My delicate bum could never cope with a Brookes!

Hard, hard, hard...

That was a hard ride - cold, wet and windy. It started in rain, and just continued for the next four hours. It was just like January

Good news - I got round, bike was good and most things worked OK - though the Cateye bike computer complained about the wet and the cold, and I've found it's pretty hard to try and blog whilst on the move. Was wearing my winter cycling jersey and a Roubaix jacket over that. Soaking wet but kept me (fairly!) warm.

Bad news - I forgot my overshoes, so started out with wet feet, and it just got worse as there was standing water all over the roads.

Legs feel tight afterwards, which isn't good. Think I need a little spin tomorrow....

Some stats:
Route map: http://j.mp/9ieLcD
Started: 8 May 2010 08:40:31
Ride Time: 3:55:20
Stopped Time: 22:47
Distance: 55.43 miles
Average: 14.13 miles/hr
Fastest Speed: 30.49 miles/hr
Climb: 1506 feet

In the pub

Good news - over halfway in under two hours; in pub having tea
Bad news - it's cold, wet and I forgot my overshoes. Can't feel my toes
Sent from my iPhone

Belvoir BHF Ride

It's cold, it's very grey, it's far too early but I'm still setting
off late.

Suddenly, even watching the plastic scousers doesn't seem that bad.

Sent from my iPhone

Big day tomorrow

Forgoing the siren call of the last match of the season (last match ever?) at Edgeley Park and the dubious pleasures of Stockport County v Tranmere Rovers, I've signed myself up for a British Heart Foundation ride in the Vale of Belvoir. 60 miles and a ridiculous 8am start!

It's a good shakeout both for me and the new bike (still not got my fancy-dan new bike computer to work. Hopefully the good old Cateye will suffice). I'll try blogging on the phone as a tryout for my Somme re-enactment.

Speaking of which, we're told that we ARE still on course to meet that naughty Manxman Cav.
Here's an article on his latest misdemeanours, together with a Friday afternoon picture of the boy for the girls (well, she is a rather attractive blonde !):
Cav gets pulled!

Last week: a staggering 28 miles
This week: even better - 16 miles (plus tomorrow!)

Fat old man on a bike

Right To Play have just sent me training schedules for the next few weeks:


Here's an example:


Week 6, Intermediate standard
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: TURBO - 30 mins easy gear, spinning and working hard to rev. without a high power. Save your legs but work your CV fitness and burn some calories
Wednesday: NO FRILLS 2 hours Zone 2 steady pace
Thursday: NO FRILLS 1 hour Z3/4
Friday: Rest
Saturday: HARD AEROBIC 2 hours Z2/3 pulse, constant paced hard session
Sunday: ENDURANCE 3 hours Z3

Yeah - right guys! Well, at least I get into Zone 5 on my Rest Days. Sounds like I'm going to be doing this against superfit teenage students. Great!

Also sent the route profiles - the distances have gone up too: 142km (88 miles), 125km (78 miles), 155km (96 miles). The only saving grace is the climbs - 80m on the first day, 150m on the last, and we never seem to get above 20m between Bruges and Calais. Let's just hope the wind's kind to me. As I have to climb 100m in less than 1km every time I go to work, and everyone else doing this lives darn sarf, I'm just hoping it will be a tortoise and hare thing when it comes to the hills ;-)


Perhaps this wasn't such a great idea after all....