..for a change. Typically I've dealt with results here and maybe some vague planning, but never much in the way of thinking about it. However, that's about to change.
I am currently in the situation that I actually know where I'm going to be for the next three years. While this sounds somewhat restricting, for me it is in fact rather liberating. t means that I can plan for longer term things, such as touring, training, holidays, etc. So, the question that I'm currently pondering is what to do with limited time resources to maximise what I can see on my bikes. I'll hopefully deal with shooting in a separate post, so those of you not interesting in cycling can look away now :D
Given my location in the middle of Europe, there are many options available to me. In general, the choices that appeal to me are:
touring; multi-day and long distance. Probably reasonably light, and should allow me to see a lot of different things;
Racing; this would be a lot of fun. However, it requires being a member of a club and learning a lot of etiquette, techniques and generally speaking in German, which isn't the best at the moment...
Audax; similar to touring, but long continuous distances, probably again with some light kit, but without having to think of a tent, sleeping bag etc.
Right now, the most appealing is the audax. Touring requires a large time investment for the same distance, though would be a lot easier to do. Audax, while challenging in terms of being on the bike for 22 hours in a given day, would be much more rewarding in terms of distance covered and where I could go. There are some places that are quite close, such as Salzberg (130 km), which are easy to get to. There are also some slightly further away places, such as Prague (350 km) and then there are some quite far away places such as Berlin (630 km). This is something that I think I would quite enjoy as it would allow me to leave after work on a Thursday or something and arrive at a city sometime on the Friday to enjoy it that night and the Saturday and then take a leisurely train home on the Sunday.
Right now, Salzberg should be pretty easy to do. I think nothing of heading out on a Sunday morning for a 120 km spin at a decent pace, with climbing involved, so if my only concern was getting there, I'd have no issues. When I introduce time constraints, and the possibility of cycling back the next day, it becomes a different story, but should still be quite doable.
The last issue which arises is what kind of training to do over the Winter. Each of the above situations will require slightly different approaches, apparently, so I'll have to start deciding now on what to do. Unfortunately, I know nothing. This shall have to be rectified. I also need to learn how to stick to a plan, so we'll see how that goes. This is all dependent on work not leaving me home after dark and half asleep, of course. Hrm.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Fame and fortune!
Well, neither, really. Though DURC did get a nice showing on the new Trinity TV site
The Sports Round-Up Episode 1 from Jessica Pitcher on Vimeo.
There are a few scenes in at the start, then our 10 minute segment starts at about 13.30 or so. I think it looks pretty good. The range looks about as nice as it ever has, which is impressive. This is certainly something that DURC could do with pursuing over the year as matches tend to be a bit more interesting to film than a quick training session.
And no, my name has not been changed to Mike Madigan. Some day Trinity media will get my name right. Maybe. It could help if I was still in said college, of course :P
The Sports Round-Up Episode 1 from Jessica Pitcher on Vimeo.
There are a few scenes in at the start, then our 10 minute segment starts at about 13.30 or so. I think it looks pretty good. The range looks about as nice as it ever has, which is impressive. This is certainly something that DURC could do with pursuing over the year as matches tend to be a bit more interesting to film than a quick training session.
And no, my name has not been changed to Mike Madigan. Some day Trinity media will get my name right. Maybe. It could help if I was still in said college, of course :P
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Long Sunday spin
I'm just back from my first spin out with a group. Well, I say group, but there were three of us. Still, first time going for a spin with people!
The plan was to meet up in town and then head down south towards Bad Tolz and loop back up for a spin, from town, of about 100 km or so. I'd have another 30 added onto that for my return trip to Garching, so it was going to be a long day :D
We started off properly at about 10.15 or so, and made the way south. Glorious weather all the way, for a Sunday in October! Lots of sunshine, not so much wind, not too warm :) It's mostly a really nice flat road surface, dedicated to running and cycling for a good distance, and then giving way to some very...interesting climbs :D The worst was a 12% drag upwards, right after a 12% descent. That involved some very rapid gear changing :D
After going a little off course with a 'diversion' around road works, which required going basically off road through a forest, we started to pick up the pace a little bit on the way back up. I left the lads off in Munich and started to make my way slowly back to Garching, where, upon drinking a half liter of cola and eating a snickers and a twix, it occurred to me that I haven't really done much in the way of distance cycling in quite some time. I'm quite glad that I didn't decide to do any long trips over the last while; I'd have seriously suffered on them! Still though, I made it back in one piece. I just need to work on getting the distance into the legs, which I should hopefully get round to over the winter.
That's about it on the cycling front, I've been trying to get back into things after my holiday, but it's a bit slow going. I'm slightly worried about the running, as it's been two weeks since I've gone out now. We shall have to see :P
The plan was to meet up in town and then head down south towards Bad Tolz and loop back up for a spin, from town, of about 100 km or so. I'd have another 30 added onto that for my return trip to Garching, so it was going to be a long day :D
We started off properly at about 10.15 or so, and made the way south. Glorious weather all the way, for a Sunday in October! Lots of sunshine, not so much wind, not too warm :) It's mostly a really nice flat road surface, dedicated to running and cycling for a good distance, and then giving way to some very...interesting climbs :D The worst was a 12% drag upwards, right after a 12% descent. That involved some very rapid gear changing :D
After going a little off course with a 'diversion' around road works, which required going basically off road through a forest, we started to pick up the pace a little bit on the way back up. I left the lads off in Munich and started to make my way slowly back to Garching, where, upon drinking a half liter of cola and eating a snickers and a twix, it occurred to me that I haven't really done much in the way of distance cycling in quite some time. I'm quite glad that I didn't decide to do any long trips over the last while; I'd have seriously suffered on them! Still though, I made it back in one piece. I just need to work on getting the distance into the legs, which I should hopefully get round to over the winter.
That's about it on the cycling front, I've been trying to get back into things after my holiday, but it's a bit slow going. I'm slightly worried about the running, as it's been two weeks since I've gone out now. We shall have to see :P
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