AMR London to Paris 2007 Route 3 Photos

My photo's from the the Action Medical Research 2007 London to Paris ride can now be found on the web here.

Biggest Weekly Mileage

Just completed my highest mileage week ever with over 460 miles. I rode from Norwich to London to join up with the Action Medical Rearch's London to Paris ride. The Norwich to London leg was also my longest single day ride at 135miles.
Those miles took my cycling miles for the year to date through the 4,000 mile mark up to 4,250 and also took my total training miles year to date through the 5,000 mile mark.

Mid Year Review

It's been a few weeks since I commented on by training miles of the year to date. Best I make ammends. We've just started week 30 and I've covered 4,583.5 miles (7,374.9km). That is far enough from Norwich to get to Banf, Orlando, Dominica Republic or even Mumbai.
Those 4,583miles are make up of 95 swimming, 3,797 cycling and 691 running. (153, 7375 and 1112km respectively).
That works out to an average of 3.3miles swimming, 126.6miles cycling and 23.8miles running per week.
This week is going to be a bumper week for the biking. Going to clock up over 400 miles in the next 5 days by riding from Norwich to Paris. Tomorrow is from Norwich to London with two others from Velo Club Norwich. Then I'll be joining up Action Medical Research's 4 day ride to Paris via Dunkeque, Arras and Compaigne.
Will tell you about that when I get back.
Oh, and yes, for the cycling followers amongst you, that does mean I'll be in Paris watching the finish of Le Tour de France.

Two Good Bike Rides Today

A spur of the moment opportunity and I managed to tag along on a bike ride with Ben Nicholson and Chris Guy. They have a scary amount of road racing experience with them and are amazingly comfortable on their bikes. They are also pretty quick. Heart rate trace to the right proves it. Our route.

I'd then agreed with Andrew Bolden for a report of last Thursday's ride with VC Norwich but didn't get away from work quite in time to make the meeting point at the designated time. Would only have been 5-6minutes late. I gave chase over the route we did last week, but after an hours riding and 20miles on the clock I figured that either they'd gone a different way, or were flying. By the time I got home I'd covered 35miles at an average of 20.2mph. Don't often get through the 20mph average barrier too often so very pleased with that. My route.

Dame Kelly Holmes

Managed to meet Dame Kelly Holmes on Tuesday evening.
I congratulated her on her two Gold medals at the Athens Olympics and her work since at promoting sport.
I also thanked her for twice selecting me in a works "Inspiring through Sport Award". Was able to have a photo with her (though Dave Barkhouse has possibly been able to take one of the worse photo's of me ever). Even managed to get Dame Kelly to sign my Swiss Ironman Sponsorship form.
Guess I ought now read her new autobiography.

What to do after an Ironman

Since completing the Ironman I've been wondering what to do next. In fact that pondering started even before the Swiss Ironman.
Some friends had been talking about New Zealand Ironman, and I'd been entertaining the thought but was enjoying procrastinating over the decision.
Earlier this week 11 other members of Tri-Anglia entered Ironman Austria, which filled in 18 hours.
I got my entry in for the Vitruvian Triathlon and the Amsterdam Half marathon.
I then got a text from Gareth Walker
"Well I've registered for New Zealand. What date are you looking to fly out? I'll put my holiday form in on Monday."
That'll be the procrastination over then. I've now got an entry.

Great riding today and a great evening

Rode at lunchtime with my friend the infamous Chilli (Paul Childerhouse). Nice social ride for the first half then pushed it along quite hard for the second half. Bit of wind and some small hills.
Was going to call it a day at that and watch the Tour highlights on IT4 at 7pm as I don't have the ability to record it for later viewing. That was until Andrew Bolden convinced me to join the VC ride at 6.30pm with the promise of food at his afterwards whilst watching le Tour highlights on EuroSport at 9pm. Made for a great evening. Thanks Andrew.

First proper ride...

16.56miles, 50:42 mins, 19.8mph average, 29.2mph top.
Gate to Gate on the usual Mulbarton route - anti-clockwise - solo.
Got to 20.2mph average at the 10mile point. Was windy and would have averaged 20mph if it hadn't been for traffic. A blue van turned left in front of me on the Newmarket road forcing me to slow from 23mph. Found a lorry on a bend in a country lane that caused me to stop - usual traffic lights and a learner not quite being as considerate as they could have been. Learner I'll forgive, the lorry - well that just happens, but the van - I'm blaming him for my average not making 20mph.
With some speed work though we should be able rectify that.

First run since....

... the Ironman. Felt great to start. Then hurt at the 3 mile point. Was nice again after 4 miles. Later in the afternoon my knee was aching though.
Overall - feels good.

Wow! How exciting?

After the prologue I got to marshall on Quarry Hill in Tonbridge on the first catorgarised climb of this years tour. It was brilliant. The atmosphere was great. And having David Miller in the break away group really gave the supporters something to cheer.
Being thanked by the spectators afterwards was the iceing on the cake.
But today - what an exciting finish to the third stage. The breakaway almost stayed away. The chasing peloton closed on them in the final kilometer. Would they stay away? Would the peloton catch them and set it up for a sprinters finish? The answer was neither. In the final kilometer the yellow jersey on Fabian Cancellara's back shot forward closed the gap on the breakaway and try as the sprinters did they couldn't catch him.
What a wonderful, wonderful finish to what has so far proved to be an excellent tour.

Prologue win for CSC

First blood for CSC, as Fabian Cancellera the World Time Champion wins the 2007 Tour de France Prologue ahead of British favourite Bradley Wiggins.
A great day out for us spectators. I watched with Peter Mann and Simon Kenan-Jones who I met riding London to Paris in 2004.
Yesterday's opening ceremony was pretty good too. Though there was some room for improvement - perhaps we'll remember for when we next get to host the start.

Team CSC for le Tour de France 2007

Meet the 9 riders of Team CSC that will be riding in this years Tour de France that starts in London on Saturday.

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