Pau to Hautacam Google Earth flyover

Courtesy of Lee's blog, this a nice flyover of the route. It would be great to get hold of the Google Earth route they used that we could up load to our Garmins. The nearest I have found is on Mapitpronto, but this route is only 95 miles long, somewhere 10 miles are missing, also the climbing stats are bonkers (18000m)! Anyone who has found a better Google Maps plot of the Etape route, please let us know.

Even better profile maps of the two climbs

Courtesy of Clive ("Datameister"), this is a great Spanish web site profiling famous Alpine and Pyranean climbs.

Rides on 11th April

Tim, Paul and Mike went out for 8.5 hours on Saturday doing the usual course but hill repeating at any hill over 50m except for Bison that we did once.

We also spent quite a bit of time at Aldbury where Mike and I did hill repeats as Tim mendede his puncture and discovered "Brother of Bison" a 1km 7% hill that's good training.

Overall we managed 2,700 metres of climbing which is about 82% of the etape and although most of what we did is not as steep as in the etape and it was clear that the asdcents make the whole ride much much harder.

I found the attached map of tourmalet on a blogsite that puts our climbs into perspective in that seemingly the last 11km of tourmalet climb is all at 9-10% which is steeper than anything we do apart from Bison. Gulp! {Paul write-up}

Simon had a different start point, from the nouveau riche settings of the Grove. I had to get back by 1200 on the Saturday to avoid being charged another day (which would have been an expensive mistake) and after a late start due to a mysterious overnight puncture having left my bike in my car, we only did 45 miles. However, the good news was the months of training are starting to pay off. Those who came out just after Xmas, may remember by colleague, Jeremy, the national standard mountain bike. He whipped me up all of the hills an left me for dead after 30 miles. This time did feel different, I might claim I beat him in the sprint finish and up the last climb, although that was my only victory of the day and he will possibly and reasonably claim, he was not trying at these points. The point was that I did not feel off his pace and I think he had to actually try to make sure he beat me. The other colleague who (who commutes on his bike, but has not done any training this year) was left trailing some distance behind and he was 30 mins faster than me in the Sportive last year. This all made me feel reasonably positive, particularly as my knee was giving me some pain.

Knee pain

I would welcome any thoughts on a recurrent knee problem. In the Easter weekend entry, I mentioned I had picked up a problem with my left hip, which I guessed as ITBS (Iliotibial Band Syndrome). This is fine now and has not re-occurred. Over the last two weekends though, I started to feel some minor pain on the outside of my left knee. It feels like the pain is towards the end of the tendon that joins the top of the tibia on the outside of the knee. Having looking in Wikipedia, the symptoms do seem consistent. On both rides, I could still have kept going, but was worried about more damage. Having applied Ibuprofen gel to the area and started ITBS recommended stretches, the pain has gone away, in the first case after 3 days (and a 67 mile ride) and second time, after 2 days (after a 45 mile ride). Has anyone else had a similar condition? What was the diagnosis and what did you do about it, any feedback would be welcomed. I really don’t want to stop training if I can. Here are the web references on ITBS I have found helpful:

http://www.drpribut.com/sports/spitb.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliotibial_band_syndrome

Paul, kindly responded in email, which I have added to this point. Thanks also to the Datameister for his sagely advice, of the 4 Ss: Stretch, stretch, stretch, and just in case you haven't done enough, stretch again.

The article below gives some useful insight into cycling specific knee pains and how to cure them. I took a few points from this and other sites that seemeed to have a similar message being:

(1) What gives you extra leverage also puts additional strain on the patella so decrease the leverage by:
- I have gone back to the 172.5 cranks that I am used to and not the 175s my bike came with
- I have added a sram 11-28 cassette so I can have an easier granny gear to do a higher cadence
- Raised the saddle and moved it back
- Tried to stay at higher cadence lower gears and steady on the climbs
(2) Changed the cleats to point the toes out a bit more
(3) Stretched the quads when we stop for puncture breaks/ waiting to re-group

Seems to have made a difference as I felt OK on Saturday's 106 mile / 2,700 metres of climbing epic and could even run out for the Harpenden Arms on the Sunday

http://www.cptips.com/knee.htm

Training log

The entry below is a simply training log for us all. Each time we ride, all you need to do is enter a new line and enter Y in your column and it should automatically add up the total mileage and climb. Be careful adding the row as this could bugger up the formula.

Click on the link if you have problems:

http://www.editgrid.com/user/omnisdjw/ev2008

EditGrid Spreadsheet by user/omnisdjw.

Rides over 5/6 April

There was a bit of a split of riders this weekend.  Paul, Tim and Robin, plus some new invitees (two of whom were too hot and sped off on their own) set-off at 0645, but were immediately hampered by Tim having two punctures early on.  Andy M, Mike and I set off at 0800 intending to do the same route as last week (well at least Andy and Mike were, I had plans of getting back a bit earlier).  The weather was much more pleasant but still not that warm but at least there was not much wind this time.

After 50-odd miles we had ascended Ivinghoe for the 2^nd time and stopped for a food break. Tim then appeared behind us with the early group.  At this point we all split up again, my left knee was hurting make a complementary pair with Paul whose right knee was giving him problems.  Robin also decided to return home, so four of us set off back to Harpenden.

 This left Andy M, Mike and Tim to press on, Mike and Andy did 91 miles and Tim did 104 miles when adding on his trip to Harpenden from home.  Well done, the first ton of the year.

Rides over w/e 29/30 March

There was a big turnout on the 29^th, another windy day and fairly cool but not bad.  Five of us set out from Chef Peking at 0810 and joined up with Andy C just past Kinsbourne Green.  We decided to up the distance yet again this time, but via a slight variation on our old route.  The start was the same via Flamstead, Potten End Hill, Felden Lane, Bovingdon, Whelpley Hill, Berkhamsted, Ashridge College, Pedley Hill and up Ivinghoe Beacon for the first time.  At this point though instead of descending directly to Dagnall, we went via Little Gaddesden and back to Pedley Hill, then up to the top of Dunstable Downs and then back to Invinghoe for the 2^nd time.  We then did this loop another twice before returning back to Harpenden after the 4^th ascent of Pedley Hill.  One advantage of this route is that we do actually pass a shop (in the Petrol station on the edge of Dunstable).  This at least allows a refill of water.

I had a blow out on our first lap going past the bottom of Bison Hill which blwent off like a rifle shot.  I was fairly shaken up initially, but was okay after I had finally fixed the puncture.  Fortunately even though there was clear tear in the side wall of the tyre, I did a crude bodge with an old patch which seems to have held well, saving at least temporarily the purchase of a new tyre which is only a month old anyway.

The wind down the main road from Dunstable back to Invinghoe was horrendous, this is mostly downhill but felt like a climb into the teeth of the gale.  Also the first part of Invinghoe was into the wind make this a more the usually punishing climb. 

Andy C broke off after 60 odd miles and headed home and we lost Paul and Mike going up the last ascent of Invinghoe, so Tim, Andy M and I pressed on home as the weather was closing in.  The three of us got back for a coffee around 1430, a rather slow 6 hour ride of 84 miles but over 6000ft of climbing, 80% of the Etape distance but only around 60% of the ascent.

I gather Andy M and Mike got out on Sunday for a shorter ride.  Paul and Robin then started the Wednesday night club with an inaugural 25 miler just before it got too dark.  The aim is to have regular a 1800 start from the Harpenden Arms.