How many times have you seen boxers say how they’re “100% ready” and in the “best condition possible”, I’m not sure if they truly believe that in addition to bigging themselves up. They can compare their condition to previous fights, but they can’t directly compare it to their opposition’s until they step into that ring and start fighting.

I have trained really hard this last year, harder than ever before. With me not being a cyclist – or an athlete for that matter – I have had to start completely from the ground up and I’ve put a lot of effort in. I’m in the best condition of my life but I still can’t really say if I’m ready or not until I get on the bike and start riding.

I should manage the first week or so as I’ve done that in training. It’s once I get into the second week and beyond that I will start struggling. That said, I haven’t experienced the heat and high altitude so that could throw a spanner in the works. There are also lots of other variables such as food, water and energy foods that all need to be similar, if not the same, to what my body has been used to over the past year.

“Four weeks, for 120 miles, 7-9 hours and no rest days! 28 days on a push bike is a long, long time”

I am mostly worried about the multiple days. Four weeks, for 120 miles, 7-9 hours and no rest days! Twenty eight days on a push bike is a long, long time. However I’m also looking forward to so many things. I’m desperate to get going now as I have been really feeling the pressure this month, it’s started making me a bit crazy! I feel sorry for Rob who has been on the receiving end of my wrath, sorry Rob!

In short I guess I’m as ready as can be but no, I don’t really feel ready!

ONE WEEK!!!

Lakes take 2

That weekend finally came and I found myself stood at the bottom of Hardknott exactly a year later, sh*%ting myself again. It’s just a hill but I’ve spent a year thinking about it, and I had mentally decided that if I can’t even do this, how will I cycle 3200 miles across America. I had to get up it…

Before I go into detail about the hill let me tell you about the previous day! The video below sums it up nicely…

This sums my day up well!

A video posted by Shane Prendergast (@rideforthechild) on Aug 20, 2016 at 9:54am PDT

As you can see in the video you should never ride through puddles as you can’t be sure that there isn’t a hole under the water! In hindsight riding through knee deep water on a road bike is a good sign to turn back, but I carried on regardless!

The weather was, quite frankly, abysmal. I know it rains in the lakes but this was taking the biscuit. There were severe weather warnings up near Hardknott and once I started to climb it’s access point, Wrynrose Pass, I understood why. The wind was so strong up there and the water was literally gushing from the sides of the hill out onto the roads. I was blown off twice and there was no way I was going to be able to climb hardknott today… The illusive hill strikes once again, I was frustrated that my hopes of climbing it were slowly fading away, I felt defeated. I only had one day left in the Lakes, I said a prayer for good weather!

Last one. Walking down Wynrose Pass. Too dangerous to cycle down. So windy and rainy. #rideforthechild

A video posted by Shane Prendergast (@rideforthechild) on Aug 20, 2016 at 2:25pm PDT

The following day the weather was CLEAR! I had arranged to meet my training friend Garry and we set out to Hardknott Pass, finally ready to face my fears. If you’ve not been, the Lakes are incredibly hilly and it’s difficult to gain any momentum. We had a 20-25mile hilly slog to the single track that leads to the start. I rode past the warning signs that stated how the hill is dangerous for automobiles, It didn’t say anything about a pair of chicken legs and a push bike though!

The climb itself is brutal. It can be split into three sections:

• Steep first section, past a cattle grid and up some 25+% climbs, with a few hairpins
• Middle section is flat-ish, around 8% average, so still a battle, but enough to help you recover
• The final section is horrendous. The climbs are 30+% with the steepest hairpins

I’ve obviously been training for this and I managed the first section ok, it’s tough but I’ve been climbing hills like that for quite a while now a year. I took it really steady for the middle section, I certainly wasn’t going to break any records, my ultimate goal was not to stop. I was gaining some energy and my breath but but I couldn’t help but notice this beast of a hill getting closer and closer, before I knew it I was onto the final section.

It is really hard, most people would struggle to walk up it without stopping. It’s that steep you could reach forward and touch the road on the hairpins. Not only were my legs in bits but my arms were also struggling pulling on the handlebars. I was reaching my limits at the top, but I’m delighted to say I made it! So too did Garry who deserves a special mention as he hasn’t trained half as much as me, but seems to be able to do anything that’s thrown at him.

Exactly a year ago this week I started cycling – and my training – with a trip in the lakes. I could barely do 40 mile and stood at the bottom of this beast – Hardkott Pass one of the toughest climbs in the UK – and thought how the hell does anyone cycle up there. I left with my tail between my legs and sh%^^ing myself. Exactly a year later, with so much hard work, I’ve done it!! I felt like Rocky when he runs up those steps….. COME ONNNNNNNNN!!!! #rideforthechild

A video posted by Shane Prendergast (@rideforthechild) on Aug 21, 2016 at 10:50am PDT

I have honest had nightmares about this hill. I’ve been seriously concerned that I might not make it up and it would leave me struggling a bit mentally before I went to America, but it’s done now.

ONE WEEK TO GO!

My mileage is creeping up now and, having already completed 230 midweek training miles, I set out early Saturday on a two-day 260 mile return trip to/from Scarborough. The first day was pretty uneventful, I managed the ride with a decent speed and time, but I couldn’t help notice my tailwind was picking up a little towards the end. I checked the weather forecast before bed and you couldn’t have placed the wind direction any worse for the next day. It was pointing in the exact direction I was cycling towards and I knew I was in for a rough ride.

“At the worst point it took me 1h 20 mins to complete a 9 mile climb”

There are a few climbs out of Scarborough, then it’s mostly flat past York and Leeds before roughly 20 miles of hills start at Wakefield and end after Huddersfield. These climbs weren’t particularly difficult, but the wind is so much worse when you’re higher and more exposed. Strava tells me that at the worst point it took me 1h 20 mins to complete a 9 mile climb.

Think this sums up today quite well! This particular climb – the highest and hilliest point of the whole ride – took me 1h 20 mins to cover 9 miles. Absolutely f%ck*d

A video posted by Shane Prendergast (@rideforthechild) on Jul 10, 2016 at 11:02am PDT

The wind is not only tough uphill but the descents can be really problematic too. At the highest point I was having to actually pedal downhill, as the wind was pushing me backwards. Also, when I do actually pick some speed up, I have to be careful of side winds. They can easily blow you off the road or even worse into the path of traffic overtaking you. When it’s particularly difficult I position myself in the center of the road (only my side of the road of course) so that I have an allowance either side. Drivers are usually pissed off behind but I would rather do this than risk an accident.

I have to admit I was in a bad way at some points. I knew I had it in me to complete the ride, but it wasn’t pretty and I knew I would be hurting after! I had to stop far more times that I normally would to get food and I was desperate for sugar boosters towards the end. Mentally it took me to a place I have never been before and I’m glad for that as I can deal with it better next time, character building at its finest!

I’m currently riding longer distances/higher average elevations than I will encounter in America so on paper this ride should be tougher than most. However I’m not factoring the heat and multiple days, but then again I can counter that with support vehicle and team. I’m getting stronger but I am praying for the winds to be kind to me in America!

#sixweekstogo

The ride was a 2-day 260 mile, relatively hilly, route which started and finished in Scarborough, with Sedbergh being the midpoint.

260 mile practice route

We were up early Saturday morning at around 5am, I had forced myself to get up at 5am each day that week so my body was adjusted and I felt decent. Rob said he felt ok too but his eyes told me differently, he said it was the hay fever. We got a few photos then I set out towards Whitby, Rob planned to shower and ensure he had everything before setting off within the hour.

Just heading out from Scarborough to Sedbergh. 140 miles to go!

A photo posted by Shane Prendergast (@rideforthechild) on Jun 24, 2016 at 10:02pm PDT

The first 40 miles up the East coast towards Whitby were really hilly and it wasn’t the best warm up. Rob caught me at the 20 mile mark and gave me some food and water (fuel). It was a great feeling having someone out on the road with me, it can get lonely constantly cycling 100 miles and it takes some worries off my mind (mechanics, food, safety).

“It was a great feeling having someone out on the road with me, it can get lonely constantly cycling 100 miles and it takes some worries off my mind”

I like to stop at the halfway point and get some proper grub down me, so the first challenge was to find somewhere suitable to eat (I should probably add that we were in a small hatchback, in America we will have an RV so can cook etc). We originally planned to stop at Guisborough but I was feeling good and at 45 miles, it was too early for me. I said I wanted to go nearer the 65 mile mark. We stopped at a couple more points along the route refueling, but then we had our first problem…..

#rideforthechild Team vehicle. Practice day one going decent. 40 miles left but they’re hilly! A photo posted by Shane Prendergast (@rideforthechild) on Jun 25, 2016 at 4:25am PDT

With them behind me, I stopped to go to the toilet behind a bush but as soon as I had started I seen the Corsa shoot past! I got back on the bike and instantly knew that we might have an issue as he thought I was in front and, with him following the same roads, he wouldn’t stop until he reached me. In the end we had to resort to text, he said there was no way I could have come this far and I informed him I was behind, and to wait while I catch up.

Yorkshire Dales

When I caught up we had passed Guisborough and I was getting a bit hungry. I said to Rob to shoot ahead and find somewhere to eat and then wait for me by the road. The problem was there was nothing for another 30 miles, thankfully Rob was on the ball and I had plenty of snacks to keep me going. Things will be easier with the RV but I guess this taught us to plan ahead and study the route and services available along the way, be it for fuel, supplies, water etc.

Last section of Buttertubs Pass. Tough climb!

A video posted by Shane Prendergast (@rideforthechild) on Jun 28, 2016 at 9:35am PDT

Next we headed through the Yorkshire Dales and Rob got to experience some ascents and descents. I knew there was a big climb coming up but I didn’t think it would be quite as steep as it was. It was called Buttertubs Pass, just over a mile long with some significant parts at 25%. We shot down the other side reaching speeds of 40mph and then agreed Rob should go ahead to find the hotel room at Sedbergh. I had a 15 mile descent into the town and it was a good job as my legs were feeling it after that climb. I made a mental note that I would have to start tomorrow with a long climb!

Arrived at Sedbergh and just done his warm down. 125miles today so a bit shorter than expected! #robsupport A photo posted by Shane Prendergast (@rideforthechild) on Jun 25, 2016 at 8:44am PDT

We watched the football, ate and had a couple of beers before an early night, I felt decent but I’m not too sure about Rob. He was tired and we agreed that I would get up and go at 5am and he would sleep a little more and catch me at around the 40mile mark. I guess when we’re in America our bodies will soon get used to the routines.

I set out at 5-30am and I was a little fatigued, the 15 mile climb was an even worse warm up than yesterday! I was thankful to see the back of the Yorkshire Dales, they’re really beautiful but also torturous roads for knackered cyclists.

Although I didn’t know exactly where it was, I knew I had one big climb this day, it wasn’t as big as yesterday it was still a decent size. It wasn’t until around 40 miles that I had a phone signal and found out that Rob was up and just behind me. I doubt we will be able to use mobile phones in this manner in America so it’s important we have a plan in place, with Rob stopping at intervals and me passing so that we always know where we both should be.

I passed through Masham and I had a very pleasant surprise when I was passed by swarms of riders. I had found myself in the middle of The Ripon Revolution, a sportive with 100’s of riders. This was great for a few reasons, it takes your mind off things and I could slip behind riders into their slipstream, ultimately using less energy. Not long after Rob caught up with me, gave me some fuel and we agreed to meet in the next town for lunch which was 12 miles – 45 mins or so – away. However we had forgotten one small detail, the whereabouts of this next climb.

Some whopping climbs after masham! #rideforthechild

A photo posted by Shane Prendergast (@rideforthechild) on Jun 26, 2016 at 7:22am PDT

It turns out the climb was literally 3 miles after Rob had left and it was a bloody long one! Pott Bank to the summit of Trapping hill was perhaps 5 miles long and it was tough climbing. Having eaten my remaining banana I was running on empty towards the end and unfortunately Rob had gone up the hills without thinking and headed straight to the next town. I was really struggling with the last 6 miles to the meet point, so much that I asked a rider would he slow down a notch so that I could slip behind him and conserve some energy. He very kindly obliged and even gave me half a banana, thank you if you ever read this! I guess in hindsight I should have told Rob how much climbs drain energy and I had been lax not carrying enough supplies. We agreed that in the future Rob would wait at the top and bottom of every climb to check that everything was ok.

“In hindsight I should have told Rob how much climbs drain energy”

The remaining 60 mile was relative straightforward, a few smaller climbs and then a flat 50 mile past York and finally onto the dual carriageway to Scarborough (seems a bit mental how I now class 60 miles as “relatively straightforward”). We had a few more fuel stops and then I told Rob to head back home with 22 miles remaining.

I think Rob enjoyed it but it was always going to be a little bit boring spending 8 hours in a small hatchback. When he’s got the RV – and of course in America – he will be a lot more occupied. I guess he now has a good understanding of what it will be like and we identified some issues which can easily be resolved.

It has to be said that the RV support role shouldn’t be underestimated, it’s a massive job and Rob did great. I’m massively thankful for him sacrificing his life to make this trip work and I can’t wait for our adventures! Thanks Rob!

Overall it was a good trip. From a cycling perspective they were two tough rides, 125mile/8200ft and 132mile/7000ft, I managed good speeds and, most importantly, my legs felt decent. As I previously mentioned I had got up early throughout the week to prepare myself for this weekend but it’s tough with work etc and I was really, really sleepy by Sunday – I guess I won’t have this issue in America.

Getting excited now – EIGHT weeks to go!!!!!

Practice weekend complete. A hilly 257 miles later we have arrived back in Scarborough. Blog post to follow. #rideforthechild A photo posted by Shane Prendergast (@rideforthechild) on Jun 26, 2016 at 9:11am PDT

First and foremost my back pain has GONE. I did my first 100 mile last month and, although it was hurting a little throughout that ride, it has now magically disappeared. Well not entirely magically. I’ve been working on putting things right for a while but that ride seems to shock it into adapting, if anyone has an explanation as to why it stopped hurting so quickly after that 100 mile I would love to know.

“My legs and core, two fundamental muscles groups for cycling, were not in good shape at all”

I am by no means an athlete now, but looking back to when I first started 8 months ago I was really, really weak. My legs and core, two fundamental muscles groups for cycling, were not in good shape at all. While my legs just ended up being tired, my back ended up being sore for multiple days. I told my trainer and we got straight to work on core and back strengthening exercises. When they didn’t improve things we made the decision to come off the bike for a month and focus on swimming, a sport that would keep my endurance levels up while strengthening key muscles.

While I could see the logic in this, it completely filled me with dread given that I only had 7 months left to train for America. However, this was probably the best thing I have done since I started the process, I ended up really enjoying swimming and it played a huge part in strengthening my core. It’s also worth mentioning that I was still hammering the core and strength exercises. I was squatting, planking and stretching multiple times every day religiously.

In addition I was also seeing a Chiropractic, he did various procedures including some spine alignment as this was encouraging pressure on one side of my body when i was in the saddle. He did a lot of pushing and shoving my muscles and I always felt better after his sessions. He provided lots of expert advice and answered any questions I had (I had many). Many people have asked me if it’s a waste of money? I guess it depends on your circumstance but I spent perhaps £200-£300 on the sessions and, while that’s a reasonable amount of money, I followed his advice and I’m now cured. That, to me, is worth it.

When I got on the bike again some five weeks later I immediately felt stronger, not only in my back but also in my legs and upper body. My trainer started upping my mileage carefully to avoid any re-injury and I was soon hitting 50 miles with no pain after. Fast forward to after this 100 mile ride and I’m now banging out 4/5 hours in relative comfort compared to before. Of course it still gets tired and achy but it’s 10x better with no pain.

I’ve broke many limbs and had tons of injuries but this back episode was possibly the most frustrating. It affects all aspects of life, sitting or standing, work or in bed, you really can’t avoid it. And with no plausible explanation and getting progressively worse, it’s incredibly disheartening as well as painful.

You tend to forget the bad times quite quickly when things are good, but I’m so grateful that this pain has now gone. It’s a massive massive, massive relief. For anyone reading this with back pain I would suggest you get checked out by a recommended professional and follow their advice on how to fix it. I can’t speak for all cases but I think, like many other scenarios, the key to making things better is to persist with what’s required however boring or laborious it might be.

16 weeks to go and I’m back to normal.

This weekend that all changed as I entered and completed my first century. It was the Lionheart Sportive, a 100 mile hilly course (6600ft elevation) which starts and finishes at Longleat. I was representing one of my chosen charities CLIC Sargent.

Despite the fact I have been training hard for 6 months I was really, really anxious the night before and I couldn’t sleep until about 3am. My legs were aching from a 2 hour ride that day and I was really concerned that I might not complete the 100. One thing I have learnt since I started this process is that the mental battle is the toughest.

I was up at 6am and rode to Longleat at 6-40. It’s really hilly here and even the 8 miles to the start line took me 45 mins. I was due to start at 8:12 but I jumped in with the first group at 8am instead. It was immediately apparent that most cyclists were of a good level, if this was the first group then the last group must be super fast. I had decided beforehand that I was going to stick to my own ride and not get drawn into a race, something that’s easier said than done. From the start line we proceeded around the grounds, past the safari entrance and then climbed out of Longleat. It’s not an ideal warm up and I had to constantly remind myself to take it easy.

Coming out of Longleat I got excited and dropped a group to catch up with the next. Five mins later and they overtook me on the next climb, giving me a smirk as they went past. I had learnt my lesson – pointless showing off here as 99% of people are better than me.

The first 18 miles until the food station went really quickly. I hadn’t had much breakfast because of nerves so I was looking forward to getting some food down me. There would be 4 food stations along the way (18 mile, 32, 50 and 71). There was tons of food and drink on offer in addition to bike and medical assistance should you need it.

The course was pretty hilly but things got interesting after the 2nd food station where there was a timed climb named King Alfred’s Tower. I had been freaking out about this climb but in all honesty it wasn’t all that bad. It was about 1.5 mile with an average gradient of 7% – the max gradient was 20% at the end. I was blowing a little but it’s no bigger than many climbs around the peak district.

At the 50 mile mark you have to decide if you want to turn off for the 100km route. I have done 50 miles many times before so naturally I was feeling really good. I set out and despite a few aches I was doing well. At the start of the day I really wanted to achieve a 15mph average – something that would have been brilliant for me on such a hilly course – but in reality I expected to ride around 13-14mph. To my amazement I was at 15.5mph, something I don’t always achieve on the flat.

Everything was going swimmingly, but I knew that after 70 mile I was going to places I haven’t been before. When I stopped at the feed station at 71 mile I felt really tired. I stocked up on food quickly and set out, wanting it over and done with… At 80 miles I was fucked.
The sugar gels and energy bars – which had done their job so well the last few miles – were now not working, I was just exhausted.
It’s a huge mental battle at this point and even though I knew I would never stop, my brain is screaming at me to pull over. Miles seem to take hours and each climb feels like 20% with your legs feeling like lead. I remember looking at my Garmin and I knew there was a sneaky 500ft of elevation somewhere. Coming into Longleat grounds there were people applauding you and the adrenaline is going, but with only a few miles left this elevation still hasn’t come. BAM, and then it comes, right before the finish. It was really, really tough on my chicken legs.

Crossing the line was a bit weird. I was that tired I didn’t really know what was going on. Some young lad but a medal around my neck and I refueled with a bean hot-pot and some bread. Naturally I was chuffed, but it was a brutal demonstration of how hard America will be.

However I felt pretty good, I had a bit of a pain in my knees and naturally I was tired bit overall I’m very happy with how it went. I’ve now got 100 miles under my belt – I know I can do it! Many of these cyclists will be resting tomorrow but I will be out again, slogging away. It was the longest distance and highest elevation I have ever ridden and I was really chuffed with my 14.9mph average. I wasn’t so chuffed with the 8 mile ride home, that was really really hard.

A massive thanks to the organisers Human Race and all of the volunteers/staff. That was my first ever cycle event and I wasn’t sure what to expect but it far exceeded my expectations.

I’m just in the local pub now and, in addition to walking a bit funny, I’ve eaten two main meals. The girl behind the bar thinks I’m mental!

Will stick the video online soon, thanks for reading!

First and foremost swimming is a fantastic physical exercise. In my opinion it’s much harder than cycling and running. Swimming requires the constant use of many different muscles such as arms, legs, core, shoulders and neck. Although in good shape, my first few swims left me aching from head to toe, I was using muscles that I never realised existed.

Like any sport, the harder you go the more you blow, this is especially the case with swimming. With so many muscles involved it is incredibly tough when you pick up pace. Generally speaking if you’re tired at running or cycling it’s just your legs or your lungs. With swimming so many different muscles are getting hammered. If you can blast out the lengths at swimming you are a fit person.

Strokes and technique are massively important in swimming. I started off with breaststroke, but tended to keep my head out of the water constantly. Apparently proper technique says that your head is supposed to submerge under the water and you take a breath each time you come up. Whilst this looks quite easy it’s much more difficult in practice.
Last week I moved onto the fastest and most common stroke, front crawl. If I thought breaststroke was hard this is even harder. The whole “breathing after four strokes” routine while performing a tough activity is much easier said than done. I am seeing improvements but initially I struggled to do one length without feeling totally deprived of oxygen. Of course on the bike I can breath as much as I like, exercise in the water is a whole new experience. It’s important to make sure that you exhale fully, just like you would out of the pool. I wasn’t doing this and I noticed that the further I swam front crawl the more I was gasping for air. It’s increasing constantly, but I’m now managing around 4 lengths of front crawl before I switch to a different stroke to catch my breath.

On a more practical note swimming is not as accessible as running or cycling. Pools generally only open to the public at specific times, some of which can be tricky to fit around your daily schedule. I hate getting up early, but I now swim at 6-45am three times a week, something that leaves me asleep on my work desk around 4pm. Swimming doesn’t require much equipment other than goggles and a towel, but it is a bit awkward getting yourself dry and feeling fresh if you’re going to work after.

On a personal note swimming with no aids renders me deaf and I have to swim in silence. Having exercised without sound for a number of years that’s not really an issue for me. However it didn’t help when I was lay on a piece of foam and the lifeguard was whistling at me as they needed to be removed out of the pool! The changing room is also bit awkward as people do often try to make conversation and I have to explain that I’m deaf.

I think that swimming is going to increase my core strength and help overcome the back pain I’m experiencing on my bike. It’s certainly going to improve my fitness levels, I swam over 80 lengths this morning and I felt shattered after.

It may be a novelty, but I could honestly see me swimming for many years in the future, I’m actually quite excited about going each day. I’m praying that my new training schedule is going to strengthen my back so that I can jump back on my bike and ride 120 miles with no pain!

If you’re looking for a whole body workout that is tough then I can’t recommend swimming enough!

Shane

If you have been reading my blogs you will be aware that I have been experiencing some back pain. For those of you who haven’t – my lower back is causing me problems at around the 3 hour mark. It’s like a cramping pain that gradually gets worse as time goes on.

I only started cycling in September so I knew there was a good chance I would pick up some problems throughout the process of preparing my body for my ride. However this back pain has got worse to the point where I’m struggling to increase my milage, and therefore unable to progress further on he bike.

Two key points to mention

• It’s not a medical condition having had two professionals check it out.
• It’s not my bike fit having had two people – including one injury specialist at the velodrome – set my bike up

Physically I’m feeling really relatively fit, although I am still a long way off the required levels to ride 120 miles for 28 consecutive days. The problems appears to be with my flexibility and my core strength, both of which are lacking.

Each ride was getting worse and worse so my trainer took the decision to take me off the bike for a while. Throughout that time I will be performing a lot of daily stretching and core exercises to help enable my body to endure longer activity in the saddle. My biggest concern was maintaining my fitness levels and my trainer’s answer to that was swimming! I’m now swimming 4/5 times a week, it’s fantastic and really tough (more on that in my next post)!

Naturally this new training plan had me extremely worried and anxious. However I’m saying really positive and keeping in mind I’ve still over seven months left to train and prepare myself.

I have had my fair share of injuries over the years but this back is by far the most frustrating. My legs – and body in general – feel great when I’m riding, but the lower back ache gets progressively worse to the point where I just have to stop to allow it to subside. I feel really sorry for those people who are experiencing back pain in everyday life, it’s an awful and very frustrating experience.

“It depends how much you want it. But one thing’s for sure it’s going to hurt”

Yesterday I went to see a Chiropractor and towards the end of my session I asked him how does he foresee the rest of my training and the actual ride going? His reply was “It depends how much you want it. But one thing’s for sure it’s going to hurt”.

Most people would feel quite disheartened at that statement, but it has just completely spurred me on to train even harder in order to make it easier. Nothing will stop me completing this ride and I’ve seven months left to sort it……

I’m lucky enough to have a Transition Cycle Coaching to help me with my training. If you’re training for an event (especially if, like me, you have no idea) I would highly recommend recruiting a qualified person to help. It has relieved me of almost all of the pressures of training,  all that’s left to do is nail the sessions!

I normally train 5 days a week, however the two rest days are equally important to help my body recover and repair. My training is currently split into three main categories; road, turbo trainer and strength/core exercises.

On the road

The bulk of my riding is done at the weekend. I generally ride twice, one long and one short, the short is generally 50% less than the long one. For example I might do 3 hours on a Sunday and 1.5 hours on a Saturday. The rides are determined in hours, there is no focus on speeds or distances yet. The main objective is to build me up to a level where I can sustain the required 8+ hours in the saddle.

Bearing in mind that I only started cycling in September, I started with one hour rides and have progressed to 4 hours after 3 months. As the duration has increased so too has my fear of long rides. To perform and exercise for over 2 hours regularly is no easy feat and it really does take some practice. Although I like the challenge, I’m genuinely quite scared at the prospect of my long weekend ride. As I get fitter and become more accustomed to the endurance levels I’m hoping this will pass.

On the turbo

Apparently an hour on the turbo is worth two hours on the road (because you are continuously peddling I presume), especially if you’re doing it right. Training on the turbo can actually be really fun and utilising it properly means it’s a very important aspect of my training.

My turbo sessions are dictated by my HR (heart rate) levels. I am allocated a HR to maintain over a period of time. Sometimes these HR’s will be high and I’m cycling at pace, other times they’re lower but I have to maintain a certain cadence to resemble a hill climb.
For example my strength turbo session involves me riding at 160-170HR and 60-70 cadence for ten mins. If these figures don’t mean anything to you it can translated to…. cycle hard uphill and maintain it for ten mins.

One of my favorites turbo sessions is the ‘sweetspot’. It basically involves me riding at about 90% effort for a period of time. However my trainer accompanies this effort with a higher tempo beforehand which means the burn in my legs is very real!

My turbo sessions typically last around an hour but they are really challenging. Many people ask me do I not get bored training in my basement for an hour. To be honest when you’re riding in these zones you’re in very loud company with your brain screaming to stop peddling. When you’re in the rest period you don’t really think about much as you’re in good company with relief. The warm up (20 mins) and warm down (5-10 mins) is pretty boring though.

Strength/Core Exercises

Unfortunately I have learnt the importance of core exercise the hard way. I have been having a real hard time with my lower back and – although it’s not resolved yet – I strongly suspect it’s because my core simply isn’t strong enough to cope.

I’ve now bought a mat and I practice pilates, stretches and exercises almost every night. I have also started in incorporate 100 press-ups into my routine in the hope of building some small guns for America.

A general core session might involve planking, ab cycles and sit ups. The duration/reps of each are continuously increasing. At the time of writing I do 45 second plank, 30 second ab cycle, 14 sit ups, then repeat the plank and ab cycle again. Those five activities make one set and I repeat 4 times.

Core stuff is boring, so boring that I find it very hard to maintain daily. Now that I have a mat in my room I can watch TV or listen to music whilst I’m working out, this has improved things.

For the strength I do squats, lunges, wall chair etc. The first few months was very intense with strength work at the gym, I wrote about that here. Now that my legs are a bit stronger strength exercises are incorporated into my turbo sessions/rides. Generally speaking I will do one strength session a week which might consist of 20 squats, 20 lunges and 30 second wall chair for one set, this will be repeated 5 times.

My training sessions are constantly changed and/or fine-tuned as my fitness levels increase. I can’t even begin to explain the important of this as I’m constantly set new goals to achieve. Left to my own devices I’m sure these goals would have been either too low or high, both of which would have prevented me from reaching optimum levels for America.

I knew the training was going to be hard but I didn’t realise how life-consuming it would be. A 3 hour ride on a Sunday amounts to a lot more than three hours. That main problem for me at the moment is the tiredness. Because it’s all new to me I’m shattered after, I can eat as much as I want to refuel but I’m always pretty exhausted. That, combined with food , kit preparation, route planning, bike maintenance, etc, etc means that you don’t have much time left, or can’t physically manage, ‘normal’ life things. I have a new found admiration for athletes who do this thing continuously.

Whilst it might sound like I’m complaining, I assure you I’m not. I’m really enjoying pushing my body to limits it has never experienced before and – above all – I’m not losing focus of the children I will be helping at the end!

Cheers for reading and make sure you check out Transition Cycle Coaching!

Since I’ve started cycling I’m often asked if I fancy going out for ride with individuals or groups.

As a deaf person this is a bit of a dilema for me. Yes I would love to go out and ride with everyone, but the hard truth is that when I take my aids out, I can’t actually hear anything. I guess most people take conversation during exercise for granted, unfortunately a ride with me would be a silent one, which is probably a bit weird for most cyclists.

As much as I try to socialise and do things that are difficult with my hearing, it’s very comfortable and hassle-free to just do things alone, which I guess is why deaf people frequently become detached from society.

When I first started cycling I went out with my local club, the Macclesfield Wheelers. As much as I loved the feeling of being part of a group the whole experience was quite frustrating for me.
I had informed them beforehand that I was deaf, but to be on the safe side I wore one aid because I wouldn’t have been able to communicate at all otherwise (bit awkward for a first meeting). In case you’re wondering, the reason I can’t wear them all the time is because they’re not waterproof. So the sweat or rain can potentially break them, at over 2k a piece it’s not really worth it.
In a group you usually you ride in a line, taking turns at the front then dropping to the back, in order to break the wind for each other. I was really nervous about my turn as I knew I wouldn’t be able to hear the leader barking instructions from behind.
I’m pretty sure I missed a turn a few miles in and this prompted the leader to swap tactics, making the back people accelerate to the front. I appreciated the fact that he adjusted the ride for me, but at the same time it makes me feel bad on the group having to adjust their social events to accommodate me.
I didn’t go to another Macclesfield Wheeler’s ride after my debut as I figured it was easier for all parties for me to just train on my own, something which makes me feel much more comfortable.

You can’t hear? What nothing? So what about the….

Once cyclists are aware of the fact that I’m deaf the next question is generally…. So if you can’t hear then what about the traffic/cars/cafe/shop/etc/etc?

I’ve been deaf for a number of years so a silent world is something that I am used to. Every night when I take out my aids and go to bed I hear absolutely nothing. When I’m on holiday and fancy a dip in the sea it was initially quite surreal, like somebody pushed a mute button, with so many people around me but absolutely no sound. Sometimes for effect in film scenes, the camera focuses on an actor and mutes the sound whilst the people around him are still making noise/moving, it’s exactly like that.

Naturally my observation skills have improved tenfold over the years.  I can often spot when trouble is brewing, or perhaps romance blossoming, much faster than my friends. I compensate for my lack of sound by being very observant (lip reading, facial expressions) and constantly aware of my surroundings. On the bike observation is paramount, as without it I’m much more exposed to an accident than a hearing person would be.

The biggest problem when cycling is trying to maintain safe positioning on the road, as I don’t know when someone is behind/about to pass me. If I see a pot hole I have to quickly look over my shoulder and see if I can move out slightly. Admittedly sometimes I have taken risks without looking but I have improved these past few months. Another problem is the shock of seeing a vehicle passing you closely without hearing it. It’s very easy to start wobbling and potentially crash into an unsuspecting vehicle (just one reason why you should always overtake wide in a car).
A few times I have been on small country lanes and looked behind to find 3/4 cars stuck behind me. I have no doubt that they were blasting their horns a while as when I move over to let them passed I often get the finger.

I am constantly looking around when I’m cycling, so much that my neck/back is often aching after a few hours in the saddle. I never take risks when I’m not 100% certain that it’s safe.
Some people might think that it’s dangerous to have deaf people cycle or drive on the road as they’re a danger to others. My personal answer to that would be that for what I lack in hearing I more than makeup elsewhere. I debate as to whether a hearing person cycling/driving with music is more dangerous as they usually – unconsciously – rely on hearing and now can’t.

Other scenarios such as stopping at a shop or cafe are a real pain. Unless they’ve encountered a deaf person before it can be really problematic placing an order. There’s generally a lot of pointing and hand waving and sometimes as a last resort I will just ask for a notepad or type on my phone. Simply answering if you would like brown or white bread is something you should never take for granted. That said, I am very lucky to be able to pop my aids in when I get home and the world comes alive with sound again.

On a more positive note deaf cycling is incredibly tranquil. It allows you to think really clearly and having cycled both with and without sound I definitely prefer the latter (providing it’s safe).

Hope you’ve enjoyed reading a bit of an insight into the deaf cycling world. If you’ve any comments, questions or suggestions then don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Shane