February training

February
• Month Training: 61:15 hours - plus 9 hrs commute (40 hours on a bike)
• Monthly Road Miles : 318 miles
• Hours to date : 270 hours
• Mileage to date : 1786 miles (London to Ankara, Turkey)

Meteorologists have just declared January the warmest January since earth began. I suspect they will declare February a drought and issue hosepipe warnings. My forecast for Feb was that the weather would “probably” remain miserable. There was snow on the first of Feb and floods on the 28th. In between, plagues of locusts, and frogs. I am sure I saw Noah this morning.

Where did February go? A week in Spain with work and the training camp in Malaga (see separate blog) broke up the month but even so it felt like a short month. Significantly more training hours than January. Riding intensity is higher (this means it hurts more) especially on the static bikes. Surprisingly, apart from riding in Malaga, I only rode one training ride outdoors in Feb. The turbo sets are getting easier to complete and doing a couple of big back 5/6 hours days to back days seems OK but this isn’t even the first 2 days of the RAAM. Swimming and running have almost entirely dropped off the training plan.

It was great to be with the Rapha Condor Team in Malaga. Supportive as they were, it would have been nice if they had lied and told us the RAAM looked easy, they didn’t.

Planning for the RAAM is ramping up. The riders have it easy. We pitch up, ride when we are told to, eat when we are told to and sleep when we are told to. Somewhat mysteriously in the background a whole lot of stuff seems to be going on. Cars are being hired, menus worked out, kit getting assembled for shipping, flights and hotels booked and I can only assume all manner of minutiae being sorted. All we have to do is peddle. How hard can that be?

On top of this, the team are organising the 2nd Hoedown for the 10th July see www.hoedownatsundown.com. This is one of our major fundraising events (book now for friends and family!!). We are hoping for over 300 people. For the RAAM team it’s our end of event celebration / party but more importantly it is hopefully a big fund raiser for the Prostate Charity so, if you are around on July 10th come along with friends and family.

I have also just read the RAAM rules, 55 pages of them. Guns are actively discouraged but alcohol results in instant disqualification. I have a nagging suspicion the rules would be the other way round in a European race! As the rules include rules on cheating, spying and sportsmanship I can’t help imagining the trip will be like something from Wacky Races. Our support team even look like the Ant Hill Mob

Just over 100 days to go till the start line on June 12. Sir Steve Redgrave is doing the RAAM this summer too. Fortunately in an 8 man team so not directly in competition. Still, this will be my first experience racing against a five time Olympic champion however indirectly!

Set up my Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/adamndenton so will hopefully manage to get some cash for Prostate Cancer.

Crocus and snowdrops just out so spring must be on the way. The weather really can’t be as bad in March can it?