Looking forward to following the L2P 2012 team

Glad the blog is back in use and I can start following you guys in the lead up to L2P 2012. I really am go to miss the event this year but wish you all every success in your training.

For all the first timers in the team you are going to love it - a really memorable time, meeting great people, wonderful cycling and very professionally managed from start to finish.

If anyone is ever in the South of the country and wants to meet up for a training ride then please let me know. I need all the time in the saddle I can get as I have my own challenge this year:

http://journeytoironmanaustria.blogspot.co.uk/

Happy training!

Hello team!

Very excited to think that in 101 days we will be arriving in Paris - bring on the champers!  Hope everyone's training is going well.  I have been along to the first 2 HotChillee training rides, if anyone has the chance to get along to one I would highly recommend it - they are fab.  I stayed safe in Group 4 for the first ride then stepped up to Group 3 for the second... could keep up on the flats but really need to work on hills!  I'm doing LEJOG at the end of this month so I am hoping that once I have conquered Cornwall and Devon, and the Scottish highlands, I should be ready for anything...

I notice our justgiving fundraising page is looking a bit sparse, let's spread the word and get the donations flooding in! www.justgiving.com/250years

Training and Diet

I took part in the L2P last year which was a great step into the unknown for me having never cycled or taken part in an endurance event before. one of my big concerns was eating bfore, during and after each day. We have a nutritionis who comes into the office, primarily to sell his gear so I would pay little attention to any actual products he mentions, but I asked him for his advice on nutrition for L2P and he trew in his tuppence worth on training. His thoughts are below.



First of all, always train in a way that replicates the movements of your chosen sporting event. For example, it’s not much use to you doing leg extension and flexion in the gym on the machines, because this does not replicate the movements of cycling. Instead, you would be better doing weighted squats and single leg squats. This is because a squat is much more similar to the cycling movements that take place in your legs. Obviously, spending a lot of time on the bike itself is the best replication.


You also want to replicate the intensities of your sport. So cycling involves lots of repetitions of varying intensities. If you are doing strength work – do several sets (4 or 5) of 20-30 repetitions. Any more repetitions than this and you might as well do cardio. Any less and it doesn’t represent the endurance nature of your sport. London to Paris is a long distance event, so obviously you need to get used to being on the bike for many hours. I strongly recommend choosing a gear that allows you to peddle at at least 85 rpm because grinding the peddles will only tire you out after the first 10-20 miles. Gradually build up your mileage between now and the event and make sure you factor in plenty of recovery time especially between intense training sessions.

Balance and agility is very important on a bike. You may be dodging potholes or water-bottles and your core strength is essential. Probably one of the best balance exercises you could do is to try to balance on your knees on a stability ball (the exercise balls that look like a beach ball). You may need to start by holding on to a rail or something, but over time, you should be able to balance for 60 seconds un-aided. Do three sets.


Vibration is also something that you have to cope with on a bike. The imperfections on the road surface will transfer through your bike and be absorbed by your muscles. The more you can absorb these vibrations, the longer you will last. If you have access to a Powerplate, these are a great way of training for vibrational strength. You can use the Powerplate as a platform from which to do your squats and core exercises.



Your shoulders and triceps and forearms are holding the weight of your upper-body for long periods of time. So press-ups and dips are also good exercises to strengthen this area. Again, you can do these on a Powerplate for extra effectiveness.



Now for your nutrition. First of all, you must balance your blood sugar levels and get plenty of vitamins and minerals. This is a daily requirement, regardless of your sport. Next, specific to your sport, you need to make sure you get the right fuel before, during and after:



Before: Eat foods rich in lean proteins and complex carbohydrates – but give your body a couple of hours to digest it properly. Just before your exercise (within 10-20 minutes), have something like a banana or a pear to give you some simple healthy sugars.



During: Your training is going to be at a moderate to hard intensity for quite a long period. This means you need a mixture of carbohydrates, water and a little protein. Too much protein will be difficult to digest, but a little bit will help you get through the training without feeling starving and lethargic at the end. There are some excellent sports drinks on the market and also some very crap ones. The best sports drink I can recommend (although I would say this because I now sell it), but I honestly do think it is the dog’s danglies - is Prolong by Herbalife.

Here is the link… http://theboosthealth.com/herbalife-24-prolong.aspx I would just point out though, that I am showing you the most elite products on the market – so they’re not cheap. If you want me to give you some cheap options, just send me an email.

Being on a bike is quite advantageous in some ways, because your stomach can cope with digesting more food than it can, say if you were running. I tend to chop up a couple of protein snack bars in to bite-size chunks and put them in an open food bag. I can then snack on these while I ride, combining them with my sports drink.



After: Once you have finished your training, you have about 30 minutes before your metabolic window begins to close. This basically means that the best time to get nutrients back in to your muscles is within 30 minutes of finishing. Get this right and you will recover in half the time. Again, you need lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, plus a small amount of simple carbohydrates to get your energy levels quickly back up. You can do this with whole foods, but you will not recover as quickly as you would if you use a recovery shake.

I hope this helps some of the newer cyclists.