- NAME Grant Tod
- AGE 32
- LOCATION Glasgow, UK
- YEARS CYCLING I have been cycling on and off for 3 years. I bought a cyclocross bike about a year ago and have doing more distance than anything by way of commuting to works and weekend rides. The commuting side has averagly during the summaer months been about 60 mile and at weekends do mainly rides of approx 30 miles.
What is your current weekly exercise program ?
Spinning classes on Tuesday and Thursday, each of which is an hour long. In winter cycle to work once a week (approx 25 mile round trip) depending on weather, but to be honest last couple of months have been terrible. Pilates on a Wednesday night. A weekend cycle of around 30 miles
What are your fitness/training goals ? Why are you taking the “100 mile bike challenge” ?
I have always had an aim to make an achievement of hit the 100 mile mark. I have a few reasons for wanting to do this; to do a charity event of just over 100 miles, would like gto do john o’groats to landsend, do the tour de etape and britian to Paris. Also it is my aim to join a cycling club in 2010, which will probably be the Johnstone Wheelers.
Which sports person inspires you the most and why?
Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins…just the way they are so up for it all the time..so professional in the way they train etc…
Related posts:
- Michael Andersson Starts 100 Mile Bike Challenge and begins Century Training
- Mike (Regie) Butler starts training for his century bike ride challenge
- Rica Mendes Starts 100 Mile Bike Challenge and begins Century Training
- Lee Sole Starts 100 Mile Bike Challenge and begins Century Training
- Sam Cotton Starts 100 Mile Bike Challenge and begins Century Training
Hey Grant – welcome and thanks for taking up the challenge of riding your first 100 mile bike ride. I'm really looking forward to helping you to achieve this goal. I have sent you an email with details of your 1st training ride. I hope it goes well. When you have done it please post the results and the information as detailed in the email here. Then we can work together on a specific training program for you.
Going to do my first training ride tomorrow. Will report back soon
Hey Grant – have fun. hope you have a wicked ride.
Well…did the first training session today. The various bits of info you were looking for as follows:
Cycle duration: 1hr 35mins
Distance: 19 miles
Conditions: dry day, but pretty wet roads, slight breeze, cold day (max 3 degrees), misty
Feeling after ride: not tired at all, not out of breath, feeling good and to be honest could have went further, but it was getting cold
Type of bike, cyclocross (Kona Jake) with hybride tyres
Hope this help.
Cheers
Grant
Hey Grant – really well done. A good ride. Im really glad you felt “not tired” and “good” at the end. That is EXACTLY the feeling we want at the end of the ride. I want you to ride within yourself in these endurance sessions.
The key is to build up your psyychological comfort zone of being on the bike for longer periods. Dont think about speed or distance at this stage.
Cold at this time of year is a nightmare and you really need to plan for it. The main thing is to keep head hands and feet walm enough. I wear the following…..
ski gloves rather than cycling ones. They are bit cumbersome to change gear but hands stay walm.
On my feet I wear socks then cycling shoes then over the top of cycling shoes I wear 2 pairs of thick ski socks with holes cut in the bottom to allow my cleets to attach to the pedals. then ontop of that I wear my neoprene waterproof booties. So in total I have 5 layers on my feet. there is nothing worse than cold toes !!!!!
On my head I wear cycling thermal cap then baseball cap over that.
Hope this helps. its better to be too warm than too cold. legs and body are generally not a problem provided you wear something windproof.
I have emailed you with a training schedule for next week. Let me know when you plan to do the sessions and hope it goes really well.
Hey look did the first 50mins no probs. Stopped for 10mins had something to eat & drink. However on the way back the crank came off and could not finish. Will get bike fixed and be back out fir another couple of times. Regret however will not have enough time this week to redo tonight's ride. Does that cause a problem?
Damn iPhone playing funny things with your name. Sorry mate
Bikes are an ongoing nightmare arnt they. Last year working as a bike messenger was so hard on the bike. It was a continuous battle to keep it roadworthy. And tyres – amazing how quickly I was going through them!
Don't try and do an extra session or anything like that. But next time do the time schedule for this first session again. It just means that you wont do the 3rd session this week. But we can roll that forward to next week.
The main thing and most important is that you rode your bike today. Regular riding is the key.
How did you feel getting back on the bike after taking a rest and how about eating then riding ?
Hi Luke,
Yeah I felt fine and the food did help until the mechanical issue…lol
However, the mechanical saga continues and to be honest gets worst. I now need a new left crank and it is looking very unlikely that anymore cycling will be done this week/weekend
Does ths mean that I do this weeks worth of training when the bike is sorted (i.e putting me a week behind already)?
However, on a positive note I had an intensive 1hr spinning class and to be honest felt awesome throughout it and to be honest could have done another hour. have been told at the gym that they are going to start doing the odd 2 hour classes early new year.
Cheers
Grant
Thats bad news about the bike. You dont need to miss the session. Do them indoors in the gym on a static bike. Its a bit boring but just as beneficial. Do the sessions exactly as you would outside. take the same breaks etc
Fantastic about the spinning class. really well done
Hi Luke,
Firstly, merry christmas and hope you had a good time.
Good news, the bike should be fixed early part of next week and get back out on the road as long as the snow is away.
One thing I have done is bacome a member of my local cycling club, Johnstone Wheelers.
Will drop another note once I have been out the bike.
Have a good one
Grant
Thanks & Happy Christmas to you. I just got back from visiting my parents who live in rural France. VERY COLD but beautiful !!!
Thats great news about joining the bike club – It will really give you the lift and confidence you need. I look forward to hearing about your first ride with them.
Hope you are back on the road soon.
Brill…where in France?
My wife & I were in the south of France for the 2nd year in a row.
They are in Limoges which is central France. I wish it was South !! There was 6″ of snow and the house was FREEZING !!
Ah…we were just outside Carcassonne in a village up in the mountains…the cycling was fab. For all the fun we make of the French, they are certainly more caring of cyclists on their roads.
Also enjoyed cycling parts of the canal du midi with my wife
I agree – I love cycling in France. I spent 6 months this year rock climbing in Fontainebleau which is 60km south of Paris. I cycled there and then used my bike to get around the climbing areas.
The French are just so relaxed about cyclists. So refreshing from riding in London!
Whats the news on your bike ?
Hi Luke,
The bike has been patched up lets say using the existing crank (maybe a couple of months wear still left in the bad boy), which gives time to get a replacement part (LBS finding it difficult to a get a new one).
However, I regret to inform you that have I have done sod all over the festive break as have the cold and a bad chesty cough…typical
However, the plan is to starting cycling/spinning during week-commencing the 11th as away to Dublin next week.
Also, an update on my prospects:
1. The 100 mile cycle with the local cycling club is in August and that is what I want to aim for.
2. I have done the pedal for scotland (Glasgow to Edinburgh) for the past 3 years (55 mies), but this is the first year they have introduced a 100 mile route and fancy it big time. This is in Sept.
Hope all is well with you.
Cheers
Grant
Hey Man – I'm with you 100 % regarding doing nothing over Christmas. It has been a real struggle to get back in the saddle. I have been putting it off for days !!
Finally did 2.5 hours today and it was no fun at all. I really felt it !!!! BUT tommorrow will be easier and then things will be back to normal. I HOPE!!
first spinning session of the year done yesterday..hard going, but the worst is over..lol
Just gagging to get out onto the roads
Hi Luke,
Sorry not been in touch of late, really busy with work and things.
However, have been putting miles into the old legs. Summary as follows:
I have done the three rides you wanted me to do , 50mins, 55min & 60 mins with great success, especially when I had not been on the bike for approx 4 weeks.
For the last three weeks I have done at least one spinning class a week.
Was out with my new cycling club a couple of weekends ago and covered approx 50 miles with a cheeky stop in the middle.
Ended up the weekend there on my own due to work commitments and covered 40 miles in just under 3hours and still had plenty in the legs to go much further.
This coming week, spinnning tomorrow for an hour and then another 30min on thurs. Also going back out with the club next Sunday for another 40 – 50 miler.
And started the old diet up about two weeks ago, which I did last year and lost 1 1/2 stones. The one I follow is “The Cheat To Lose Diet”. I am on week 3 out of 3 of the introduction period. Bascially: 1st wk: Low Carb; 2nd wk Low GI & 3wk High GI (the one I am on just no). Thereafter in a week it 2days low card, 2 days low gi, 2 days of high gi & the best bit a cheat day. I will continue this for a good while and loose another 2 stones.
The great thing of this diet is 1. you do not starve and 2. you do not loose energy for the bike.
Hope to hear from ssoon as to what my next key plans are.
Oh yeah forgot a key thing..I have lost 7 lbs to date…yipee
Grant – I'm another coach-ee here on 100milebike. Have you heard from Luke in the last two weeks or so?
Grant – got your message over on 'my' page. I sure hope he's away exploring, and not laid up in a hospital somewhere! I'm a bit worried…