Test of mobile blogging

Ever since I got my new iPhone back in November, I've used it for internet access even when at home as it's so portable around the house (I could see that Apple were right in predicting big things for their iPad).

It works for most things, except complicated work - including blogging. Then I got tipped off about the BlogPress app, from which I'm writing now. It won't make for perfectly laid out posts but it will mean I can post more regularly in between uploading new Spinning rides and mixes.

Anyway, test over - I hope it works!

I need your help!

OK, readers - time to put this social networking to good use. 

 

Both my girlfriend, Cassie Abbott, and I have had friends and relatives suffer with cancer - in Cassie's case, her mother who will soon undergo chemotherapy.  According to Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation, 1 in 3 will have cancer at some point in their lives with almost everyone having some experience of it. 

 

Will you be the 1 in 3 ?  If not, who of your friends and relatives? Cancer Research UK has made huge leaps in increasing survival rates for cancer.

After only her first year of cycling, Cassie has decide to raise money by cycling the big one - La Marmotte.  I've done it twice and have seen grown men cry on the way; it is the hardest one-day amateur cycling event in Europe, maybe the world. She made the (crazy) leap to raise as much money as possible for a cause close to her heart.

Please donate whatever you feel you can afford - to borrow a catchphrase, Every Little Helps. Please help spread the word too - cancer's not fussy who it strikes, everyone may feel they can donate by visiting Cassie's Justgiving page.

Thank you so much for reading this plea, even if you choose not to donate.

Robert

Help us name our new arrivals!

Cassie and I have just this morning become proud parents... to a pair of kittens!

Any suggestions for names?  Paired names would be good, as they're sisters.

It's oh so quiet...

The problem with summer is that, just at the time when it's perfect weather for a bike ride, there are so many sporting events on TV - after the cycling Classics, the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de Suisse, it's now time for the World Cup which itself overlaps with Wimbledon and the most-watched sporting event on the planet, the Tour de France.

Yeah, you heard me right.  Cycling.  Tour de France.  The most-watched sporting event.  Thinking the Olympics or the World Cup has more?  For a start, they're only every four years; secondly, not everyone watches every single event or match; finally, don't forget there are millions that watch the Tour on the road - one million alone on Alpe d'Huez!

To top it all off, it's my 40th birthday this Monday, so I'll be running away for a long weekend with Cassie, to pretend that it didn't happen and I'm still "in my thirties"!

So, if I've gone quiet, you know where I am - either out for a long bike ride or watching football or cycling (or maybe even tennis)...

Personal coaching

After being asked many times about how a rider should train for a specific event, riding techniques, nutritional strategy, etc., and given some informal coaching sessions, I've decide to offer my services to a wider audience.

Whether you're after an intensive 3-month plan to get you at your peak for a specific event or personal coaching sessions to help you reach your peak on your own training schedule, I have knowledge and experience to share with you to meet your goals.

For a full breakdown of services and prices, please click on the "Personal Training" link on the right. Services and charges are adaptable to suit your needs, so please do email me to see what I could provide for you.

Train better, not more!

Life happens...

Yep, I've been away a while, I know. A few hours after making a New Year's Resolution to put weekly rides on my blog, I contracted a serious bout of gastroenteritis that knocked the wind out of my sails for most of January. A great way to spend the first day of the year... in hospital with two bags of IV to keep me alive! It's amazing how it can take so long to get up again from such a fall. I think it may have been the norovirus that's been spreading in the UK this winter - a week after I visited my local hospital, they announced they had an outbreak that's now spreading across the area... just call me Norovirus Rob!!

Along the way, I attended the only (so far) Kranking instructor course in the UK - although it's spread quickly in the US, Italy and Germany, it's yet to make an impact here in the UK. I think that may be due to the gym chains that make up a much larger slice of the market here than they do abroad. I think they'll likely be initially taken up by independent gyms or facilities that cater to athletes with a disability. Watch this space, as this will catch on faster than Spinning ever did!

So, I'm now back in full health, starting to train seriously once again and, as you can see, I'm back on the blog! For starters, if some of you had problems downloading the first of my mixed rides, I have made it available again for your downloadable pleasure!

Next ride coming soon...

The countdown begins...

It's Christmas week, so I've only just started getting into the spirit of things (unlike the shops, who seem to think it begins in August). I'm hosting Christmas this year, so I've been away from my blog lately, as my spare time has been taken up by painting, decorating and clearing out the house in time for the festive lunches and dinners as well as getting the necessary things in place - new furniture, Christmas tree, ordering food, etc. In case you're interested, here's the menu:

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Salmon patê on Melba Toast
Champagne
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Bruschetta (with tomato/garlic/basil)
Crostini (with wild boar ragû)
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Gnocchi with wild boar ragû and fresh parmesan
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Roast pork loin with prune and cognac stuffing
Roast potatoes with rosemary
Green beans & carrots
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Panettone with Marsala-infused custard
Accompanied with a glass of Marsala wine
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Mince pies with a shot of Amaretto
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Coffee / grappa / whisky to digest
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Hungry yet? Sounds complicated but it's all planned out and I can prepare a lot of it on Christmas Eve for minimal effort on the day itself - the hardest part will be toasting the bread for the bruschetta and crostini!

Busy weekend ahead

Aside from my usual classes, this weekend will see me volunteering at the Spinning Showcase at the Chelsea football stadium in London. Not sure what will be involved, probably moving bikes around and filling water bottles, but I'm sure it'll be fun and I'll get to hang around and soak up the atmosphere. Besides, I've done so many conventions this year (Miami twice, New York, Hemsby) that I can give this one a miss, despite it being on my doorstep. Definitely next year, though!

Also this weekend is the Ironman World Champs in Kona, Hawaii. For me and many in the UK triathlon community, the men's event has taken a back seat these past few years as Chrissie Wellington did us proud on her first year as a pro, repeating the performance the following year despite losing a lot of time with a punctured tyre. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be able to watch the online coverage on Saturday night, which has a cult following all of its own.

Go Chrissie - make it a hat-trick!

James Martin (again)

Just thought you might like to read this article from the Telegraph, neatly summarising what an idiot James Martin really is and how his apology was just a PR anodyne. One bit stands out, quoting his moronic utterances:

“Without fail a cyclist will rap on my window and make some holier-than-thou comment, before zooming off­ through a red light where he knows I can’t get him.”

They only rap on windows with holier-than-thou statements when you’ve done something wrong. And what do you mean by “can’t get him” – what are you planning to do? Bearing in mind your other comments in the piece, this sounds like a threat.

Unfortunately, despite the venom his comments have attracted, there are motorists out there with this kind of mentality. They seem to be intent on causing deliberate harm, without realising how serious are the consequences. Sadly, the law are likely to let off such motorists with a paltry fine. That's if they're caught, that is.

Let's be careful out there!

Injury update

If you've been following my Twitter updates, either directly or via this blog) you'll know that I've managed to injure myself and that I'm currently teaching off the bike and on crutches.

I was standing sideways on the stairs at home, talking to Cassie (my girlfriend) and my foot slipped off the last couple of stairs; I landed awkwardly, my ankle gave way and I heard a snap, followed by the most intense pain I'd ever felt, even more than when I fractured my shoulder last year. The good news is that I didn't fracture my ankle, the bad is that it seems I've torn my ankle tendons and sprained the ligaments in my foot. I say bad, as it will take a long time before I'll be back to my best, much longer than might have been had I fractured it...broken bones heal to become stronger than ever.

Oh well, at least it happened at the end of the cycling season - but it does mean missing out on a special ride on the circuit in London for the final stage of the Tour of Britain (Cassie's taking over that one), a cyclosportive on the South Downs and also means I miss out on the first Spinning Showcase in London. Considering I'd been hankering for a London version of WSSC for a couple of years now, it's disheartening to have to miss out. Hopefully, I'll be able to mooch around and soak in the atmosphere... and socialise afterwards, naturally!

I'll be back to training in no time, although running may be out for the rest of the year. We'll see...

PS - no, I was NOT drunk at the time!

Britain's attitude change

You may have heard the rants against a certain James Martin, Z-celebrity chef and anti-cyclist moron. If not, read this story first.

In a nutshell, he wrote in a national newspaper of his test-drive of a Tesla electric car (i.e., quiet); he had spotted a group of cyclists dressed in "fluorescent Spider-Man outfits, shades, bum bags and stupid cleated shoes. Twenty minutes into my test drive I pulled round a leafy bend, enjoying the bird song - and spotted those damned Spider-Man cyclists. Knowing they wouldn't hear me coming, I stepped on the gas, waited until the split-second before I overtook them, then gave them an almighty blast on the horn at the exact same time I passed them at speed. The look of sheer terror as they tottered into the hedge was the best thing I've ever seen in my rear-view mirror."

Until recently, this would have been the view of most of the country but, thanks to the efforts of British Cycling, the CTC, the London Mayor (bringing the Tour de France for last year's Grand Depart), other cycling organisations, as well as the success of British cyclists in track and road races, the backlash against James Martin was swift and merciless. A few choice responses on Twitter:

Robbie McEwen: "If you see smug chef James Martin either key his car or punch him in the face". He also urged anyone with computer skills to screw up Martin's website. Which someone almost did on Wikipedia; although it was taken down soon afterwards, someone posted a screen photo on Twitpic



But the best anti-Martin messages came from Bradley Wiggins:

"James Martin TV chef, The word cock springs to mind, stick to Ready Steady Twat mate"
"Meal suggestion for this Saturday Kitchen for James Martin, Spotted DICK!"
"Hey James Martin, How about COCK au vin this Saturday"

When he calmed down somewhat, Wiggo said that people like Martin should realise that cycling is fast becoming Britain's national sport. And he's not joking - aside from the sheer numbers of cyclists, it's also the one sport we're actually any good at on a regular basis! I'm looking for Wiggo to make the podium in next year's Tour de France and for a British maillot jaune in Paris in the next ten years.

PS - there's also a Facebook group in James Martin's (dis)honour!

Group exercise makes you happy!

Two posts in one day... making up for lost time! I saw this article on the BBC News website, which is very relevant to anyone wondering the purpose of group exercise and whether they'd be better off going solo:

Group exercise "boosts happiness"

Exercising together appears to increase the level of the feel-good endorphin hormones naturally released during physical exertion, a study suggests.

A team from Oxford University carried out tests on 12 rowers after a vigorous workout in a virtual boat. Those who trained alone withstood less pain - a key measure of endorphins - than those who exercised together. Writing in Biology Letters, the authors speculate these hormones may underpin an array of communal activities.

It has long been known that physical exertion releases endorphins and that these are responsible for the sometimes euphoric sensations experienced after exercising. They have a protective effect against pain. But researchers from Oxford University's Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology found this response was heightened by the synergistic effect of rowing together.

After 45 minutes of either rowing separately or in a team of six, the researchers measured their pain threshold by how long they could tolerate an inflated blood pressure cuff on the arm. Exercise increased both groups' ability to tolerate pain, but the difference was significantly more pronounced among the team rowers. This, they said, was a measure of an increased endorphin release.

As well as potentially improving performance in sport, the researchers speculated that this endorphin release may be the mechanism that underpins the sense of communal belonging that emerges from activities such as religious rituals, dancing or laughing.

"The results suggest that endorphin release is significantly greater in group training than in individual training even when power output, or physical exertion, remains constant," said lead author Emma Cohen. "The exact features of group activity that generate this effect are unknown, but this study contributes to a growing body of evidence suggesting that synchronised, coordinated physical activity may be responsible."

Carole Seheult, a sport and exercise psychologist from the British Psychological Society, said the findings were entirely credible. "Rowing is a sport which requires real team work and endorphins could well foster that process. But more generally we know from experience that exercising in groups is good for people at many levels, it's motivational, it's social. Groups sessions really do work."

Normal service...

...will resume shortly. It's been a hectic half-year so far:

* doubling the amount of classes I teach;
* attending ECA in New York and recovering from illness;
* WSSC in Miami, notes from which I have yet to read;
* training for and racing in the Marmotte, if you can call it racing when it's so slow;
* getting new kit for cycling - Sidi shoes, Dura-Ace wheels, 12-27 cassette (I know, what a wimp!);
* and last but not least, finding love (about time - it's been a long time coming!)

Sorry for the interrupted service but I'm also in the middle of putting together my case for the lawyers in my insurance claim for last year's accident. I also need to start mending parts of the house that have needed fixing for a while now, as well as mix some new classes.

And I just HAD to watch the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France - it's a given in my philosophy!

Hope y'all had a good year so far, here's to the second half...

Busy busy busy!

Can't believe it's almost the end of February already. Since my last post, my life has been turned upside down... for the much much better! If you followed my Twitter or Facebook updates, you'll know that a lady is involved and that she has calmed me down somewhat - although she's just as nuts about cycling and Spinning as I am!

Alas, this has left me with little spare time for anything else, including this blog. It will settle down but, right now, I'm in the throes of preparing for ECA NY next week... although I'm now cursing the bad timing of it, as I'll miss my better half and wishing she could be there with me (I'll be gone for 10 long days)

If I don't post before NYC, I may see you there!

Ciao for now, gang
Robert

Extra classes!

And at a brand new Spinning-only studio in Putney. The idea is probably one more familiar to those on the continent or in the US, this is a studio with nothing but Spinning... by which I mean that all instructors are "proper" Spinning instructors and include four of the UK's Master Instructors. There is no annual contract and classes are booked on a pay-as-you-go basis (a block of "tickets" may be bought to lower the cost).

It'll represent a new challenge for me, working with MIs that I know and from whom I can learn, and it's good to feel part of a close-knit team that is working together to the same end. That's not always possible in a gym that's part of a larger chain of health clubs, although I've been lucky with clubs at which I teach.

So, if you're in the UK or are visiting on holiday, book yourself a class online at the Pedal Studio website. Doesn't have to mine - all the instructors are excellent.

A new era begins!

It's only just begun...

...and I've already mapped out my activities for 2009! I thought, when I left my desk job, that I'd have to do a "proper job" at some point but it looks like I'll be so busy that I'll be getting complaints from my riders that I'm always going "on holiday" instead of Spinning with them! If you're interested or would like to join me on any of the following, here's my list for the year (so far - there may be more!):

February
ECA convention in New York in the last week, mostly Spinning with Josh Taylor, Jennifer Sage and Iona Passik. Will also do some Kranking at one of the gyms with Krankcycles.

March
I'll still be in New York for the first week, doing a bit of tourism with my mother, some more Kranking if I can fit it in. I've been to New York eight times for work, this will be the first time as a camera-happy tourist. This time, I won't go anywhere near the UN, I may get asked to do some work!

April
Spending the last week at FIBO, a fitness trade show in Essen, Germany. I'll be joining the Kranking family to demo the Krankcycles and, hopefully, become a fully-fledged trainer. Apparently, they'll be taking orders for the Krankcycles but Rick and I are planning on bringing back home two of the demo cycles.

May
On the first weekend, I'll be cycling in the Alps with Rob (who, usefully, owns a chalet in Valmenier). A season opener, first taste of the Alps.

The second weekend sees me in Hemsby, as I did last year, for Schwinn Revolution - 14 rides over the weekend and good endurance training.

Then I'll be in France and Italy with Jennifer Sage and a group of lucky riders, as we ride in the French Alps, catching the Giro d'Italia as it goes over the Izoard on its way to Sestriere, before moving to Tuscany and catching two of the stages in and out of Florence.

As soon as I come back from that, it's time to start packing and head out to Miami for the annual WSSC spinning convention. Aside from the heaps of ideas I hope to pick up, I'm looking forward to meeting my online friends on the lobby couch (apparently, it's the designated meeting area for us!).

June
Not definite yet but I've been asked to be a guest instructor in Jamaica, so it would be ideal to do this on the back of Miami, maybe spending 3-4 days of rest on the beach before a weekend of special rides.

July
Another busy month starts with the Marmotte on the first weekend.

Then, hopefully, it will be joining Jennifer for another week-long cycle tour in the Pyrenees, again catching a stage of the Tour de France.

Should a second cycle tour in the Alps go ahead, we'll have some days in between the two, so Jennifer and I can research some rides and ride the Ventoux (depending on how I feel after the Marmotte, I may attempt the Cingles de Ventoux)

The second tour would see us riding with another group in the Alps and Provence, catching what hopefully will be Lance Armstrong racing to victory and the maillot jaune on the Ventoux.

August
After a couple of weeks of normality, it's time to head out to France again, this time for a "proper" holiday. A couple of weeks at my mum's holiday home in Languedoc will end with me riding the Laurent Jalabert sportive - shorter and with not as much climbing as the Marmotte but that might make it tougher (no holding back if it's only 130km!).

September
I've got nothing penned in for the month, so I may look to ride one of the remaining races... just to make sure I don't get lazy!

October
There may be another Schwinn event, so that would keep me happy for the month.

Another possibility is to ride one of the autumn Classics in France or Belgium.

November
ECA Miami anyone? If anything, it'll be an excuse for some warmth on a cold month in the UK.

December
Rest! I think I'll need it...

An enforced but welcome break!

Yeah yeah, I know - it's been five weeks since I came back from Miami and you've not heard a word about it. I've been fairly busy since my return:

* I've done some translation work for MDA (the company that runs Spinning)
* I'm doing research work for upcoming cycle tours in Italy and France run by Jennifer, checking out a stage or two of the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France
* I've got myself an extra eight weekly classes starting in the New Year, bringing my total to 17 regular classes
* I've booked myself to go to the ECA convention in February in New York
* I tried and failed to garner more support for a ride in aid of breast cancer research, so it had to be cancelled
* I've got my new phone (the HTC Touch HD, better than the iPhone) so I've been playing around with it
* I finally sat down to figure out my digital mixing software (Ableton Live) and it was much easier than I thought, although I still prefer vinyl
* I've been studying sports science research for my own interest, including the use of cola to combat the effects of exercising at altitude
* and I've been planning all the activities I have in store for next year (see my next post!)

So I'm now enjoying an enforced rest, as the gyms are closed over the next two days. Back to normal on Saturday, though, with a nine-week program of recovery and endurance rides. Time to work on building those foundations, that fitness base!

I taught my last Christmas ride this morning and, after doing it eight times to different classes, I'm all out of jingle bells... until next year!

So, just in time before Santa comes down that chimney, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy Hanukkah.

Bienvenido a Miami!

You're not going to hear much from me over the next week, as I've just arrived in Miami Beach for a week of humid heat (a lovely change from the damp cold of London).

"On holiday AGAIN?" is what I usually hear but, as usual with me, my trip has a purpose - a 4-day ECA fitness convention. A mix of many fitness activities, lectures, workshops, etc. but I'm here mainly to get to know Johnny G's latest innovation: Kranking. The revolution in fitness caused when he invented Spinning... but for the upper body! I'll write more about it when I return but I'm getting goosebumps at the thought of being here at the start of the revolution, rather than joining it further down the line.

So it is work, of sorts - honestly! Mind you, I doubt I'd have been so keen to come had it been held in snowbound Minnesota... I'll also be finding time to take part in as many Spinning rides as I can manage and maybe a bit of retail therapy.

Right now, though, all I can think about after 19 hours of travelling is food and sleep.

Hasta luego, amigos!

Giro d'Italia 2009

Hot on the foot of the announcement of next year's Tour de France route, the rumour mill is already in top gear regarding the route of its Italian cousin, the Giro d'Italia. A notable newspaper as La Stampa has even gone so far as to publish a map of the likely route - they usually do so, with great accuracy, a few weeks before the announcement in December. It's a long way to December but... they must be confident of its accuracy!


NB - the rest days are down as 18 and 26 July but I think they mean May!

The 2009 edition of the Giro marks its Centenary, so the idea is to follow the original route while including a few classic stages, such as the Cuneo-Sestriere stage that in 1949 saw Fausto Coppi win after a 150Km escape (no, that's not a misprint - think of Lance Armstrong attacking that far in advance!). His greatest rival, Gino Bartali, finished 11 minutes behind him.

The 1949 Giro is probably the most famous among Italians, with arch-rivals Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali battling against each other against the background of a newly united nation (the Italian Republic was still in its infancy after the ravages of war). It's difficult to imagine the impact they had on the morale of a nation. Think of the effect of Lance Armstrong and the hope he gave (and still gives) to cancer sufferers... now match that with Greg Lemond's effect on the USA's interest in cycling. Now imagine the race being held in a post-Depression US and you start to get the idea!

How good were they? They completely dominated that year's Giro and Tour - all else being equal, nobody else stood a chance against them. Some will remember how Bernard Hinault and Greg Lemond tore up the field in the Tour, some hark back to Eddy Merckx and Luis Ocana. For the present generation, imagine Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador...

The 2009 Giro may well turn to be just as much of a classic 60 years after Coppi's and Bartali's exploits.

Chrissie does it again!

I didn't report on it at the time but Chrissie Wellington continued her unbeaten pro Ironman Triathlon career by thrashing the opposition at Hawaii - the event that acts as the World Championships of the long distance triathlon.

If you're thinking "Chrissie Who?", read my post last year of when she won this same event.

Where last year she was the surprise winner, this year it would have been a shock had anyone else won it. But she almost didn't! She suffered a complex puncture without a support vehicle to help her out, used up her CO2 cartridges trying unsuccessfully to inflate her spare tyre, and waited for almost 15 minutes before one of her competitors gave her one of her cartridges in a worthy show of sportsmanship.

Shame it's not an Olympic event - triathlon gets very little coverage anyway, so long distance tri (like Ironman) is mostly overlooked. Britain seems to rule the world in the sports that the media prefer to ignore, in favour of sports where we constantly lose... usually to Australia!