2018 Targets

ugo.santalucia

Slowbike wrote:

homer wrote:

You don't win friends with salad ... You don't win friends with salad

But you might with Pizza... plenty of non meat options that are extremely popular. Steak is the lazy choice... give it 20 years and we'll laugh at the days when people's diet was based on eating dead animals

slowbike

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

homer wrote:

You don't win friends with salad ... You don't win friends with salad

But you might with Pizza... plenty of non meat options that are extremely popular. Steak is the lazy choice... give it 20 years and we'll laugh at the days when people's diet was based on eating dead animals

Ok - you didn't get the reference then ... Homer Simpson hosts a BBQ - suckling pig on a spit - Lisa turns up with a Salad (she's vegi or vegan) - Homer starts the chant as quoted - and ends up with everyone joining in (including Lisa) doing a Conga line ...

eating dead animals? I still enjoy it - I am choosy as to where it comes from though - eg pork products from the UK - local if possible.

drhaggis

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

homer wrote:

You don't win friends with salad ... You don't win friends with salad

But you might with Pizza... plenty of non meat options that are extremely popular. Steak is the lazy choice... give it 20 years and we'll laugh at the days when people's diet was based on eating dead animals

I'm sorry, but I'm not eating live animals. I like my steaks static, thank you very much.

Jokes aside, baked fish is nice & healthy. Squid can be prepared in various forms, even if you're not into this basque way of preparing it in black sauce. And not being vegetarian does not mean you can't eat salads with your side dishes, or lentils/chickpeas/beans once or twice per week.

I understand, but not share, the arguments of people going vegetarian, and I could survive in such a world, partly because I do adore my veggies. But hell will freeze before I go vegan.

wolfsbane2k

ugo.santalucia wrote:

yeah, I know what you mean... it's hard to snack on porridge if you can buy a double Snickers bar

And it's doubly bad when you are trying to avoid bread as well. I used to buy a basic sarnie such as egg & cress or cheese and onion rather than a choc bar, given that the calorie content is about the same - and there isn't much difference in the price between the two nowadays!

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

homer wrote:

You don't win friends with salad ... You don't win friends with salad

But you might with Pizza... plenty of non meat options that are extremely popular. Steak is the lazy choice... give it 20 years and we'll laugh at the days when people's diet was based on eating dead animals

Last week I went for a beer and dinner with a friend, and had the first steak I've had in about 9 months, because all the veggie food on the menu was appalling, but the beer was awesome.
It really did nothing for me - even though it was a perfectly cooked piece of sirloin. I was so surprised.

slowbike

Sirloin - take it or leave it ...

Bacon ... hmm ...
Slow cooked pork ... hmmm ....

ugo.santalucia

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

It really did nothing for me - even though it was a perfectly cooked piece of sirloin. I was so surprised.

I am still partial to a nice burger, if there is nothing meat-free on the menu which inspires me... but I haven't had a steak in well over one year.

Most importantly, I don't eat any more processed meat, which is the root of all evil

wolfsbane2k

ugo.santalucia wrote:

partial to a nice burger, if there is nothing meat-free on the menu which inspires me... but I haven't had a steak in well over one year.

Most importantly, I don't eat any more processed meat, which is the root of all evil

Aye, a good burger is very very good. But so many are nowhere near good...
With you on processed meat. I miss proper German peppered salami with a passion though.

sgt.pepper

DrHaggis wrote:

Jokes aside, baked fish is nice & healthy. Squid can be prepared in various forms, even if you're not into this basque way of preparing it in black sauce. And not being vegetarian does not mean you can't eat salads with your side dishes, or lentils/chickpeas/beans once or twice per week.

Don't think that's the case anymore I'm afraid. Most fish is now filled with microplastics.

mtb-idle

MTB-Idle wrote:

MTB-Idle wrote:

I had two targets this year:

- Ride the Flanders sportive - Done
- Ride the Cingles de Ventoux. That's coming up fast and given that I'm currently not riding due to a crocked back I'm a bit concerned about this one right now

Rode the Cingles successfully on Saturday. Man, that is a beast of a ride but great to tick the box.

It was my commuting buddy Nick's 50th birthday and 15 of us spent a great long weekend in a farmhouse just outside Bedoin. About ten of us completed the Cingles with others riding various combinations depending on how they felt.

Being in a big group and all wearing bespoke team kit definitely helped.

Well, I completed my two main targets in the first half of the year but it went massively downhill after that (no pun intended) and I'm only at 6,300 km of my unwritten 3rd target of 10,000 km which I have ridden for the last nine years.

Firstly I suffered a bad break of my wrist whilst MTB'ing in Les Gets in early July. I know I have mentioned this a few times but this is the worst injury I have suffered in over 20 years of avid cycling so perhaps I'm lucky but it lead to 14 weeks off the bike which I found really hard.

Secondly something which has had a much more profound effect on my me is that my mate Nick tragically took his own life in September. I'm still struggling to come to terms with this especially when I look back at the great times we have had together on two wheels over the last few years. It doesn't help that work has been an utter bastard this year too and some days I leave it feeling like the Michael Douglas character in Falling Down.

So I'm really looking forward to the New Year and trying to put all this behind me and try to start afresh.

ugo.santalucia

Sgt.Pepper wrote:

Don't think that's the case anymore I'm afraid. Most fish is now filled with microplastics.

... and some with mercury too...

There is the alleged benefits of Omega 3, but those are limited to oily fish like mackerel, sardines and to a lesser extent salmon... things like squid, prawns, tuna or cod are no more healthy than eating corn or cardboard

slowbike

MTB-Idle wrote:

Secondly something which has had a much more profound effect on my me is that my mate Nick tragically took his own life in September. I'm still struggling to come to terms with this especially when I look back at the great times we have had together on two wheels over the last few years.

There are no words that'll make it better - but you can't see us sitting here in stunned silence so we have to write something.
Sorry isn't right though.

Perhaps we could all raise a glass this weekend for those who struggle with their life.

MTB-Idle wrote:

So I'm really looking forward to the New Year and trying to put all this behind me and try to start afresh.

Tashman

Slowbike wrote:

MTB-Idle wrote:

Secondly something which has had a much more profound effect on my me is that my mate Nick tragically took his own life in September. I'm still struggling to come to terms with this especially when I look back at the great times we have had together on two wheels over the last few years.

There are no words that'll make it better - but you can't see us sitting here in stunned silence so we have to write something.
Sorry isn't right though.

Perhaps we could all raise a glass this weekend for those who struggle with their life.

MTB-Idle wrote:

So I'm really looking forward to the New Year and trying to put all this behind me and try to start afresh.

Seconded on those thoughts Slow.

mtb-idle

cheers guys

drhaggis

On a more cheerful note, at least for myself, I've hit today, on the commute back home 5 million meters ridden in 2018. I know this pales in comparison to what most of you do, but I'm actually chuffed.

cruff

Second cat
Sub 21 minute 10 mile TT
Race win
10000 miles for the year

Other than the last one, they're all pretty difficult to achieve at 45, but hey ho - you gotta have goals

slowbike

DrHaggis wrote:

On a more cheerful note, at least for myself, I've hit today, on the commute back home 5 million meters ridden in 2018. I know this pales in comparison to what most of you do, but I'm actually chuffed.

ha nice one - I think I should hit that for the whole of the year - but not there yet ...

slowbike

Cruff wrote:

Second cat
Sub 21 minute 10 mile TT
Race win
10000 miles for the year

Other than the last one, they're all pretty difficult to achieve at 45, but hey ho - you gotta have goals

well done (in a non-patronizing voice)

cruff

Slowbike wrote:

Cruff wrote:

Second cat
Sub 21 minute 10 mile TT
Race win
10000 miles for the year

Other than the last one, they're all pretty difficult to achieve at 45, but hey ho - you gotta have goals

well done (in a non-patronizing voice)

Ummmm

Well, this is embarrassing...

This is the 2018 goals thread... These are my 2019 goals...

I haven't achieved any of those yet (3rd cat, two second places and two 3rds and 21:24 is my best 10 - though I'm on just shy of 9500 miles, so should at least get the last one this year)

Maybe I should also add 'learn to read' as one of my goals :P

slowbike

Cruff wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Cruff wrote:

Second cat
Sub 21 minute 10 mile TT
Race win
10000 miles for the year

Other than the last one, they're all pretty difficult to achieve at 45, but hey ho - you gotta have goals

well done (in a non-patronizing voice)

Ummmm

Well, this is embarrassing...

This is the 2018 goals thread... These are my 2019 goals...

I haven't achieved any of those yet (3rd cat, two second places and two 3rds and 21:24 is my best 10 - though I'm on just shy of 9500 miles, so should at least get the last one this year)

Maybe I should also add 'learn to read' as one of my goals :P

hah ! ok - retract the "well done" - or rather - modify it to be a patronizing voice

I haven't got 1 cat, let alone 2 ...
No chance in hell of a sub 21 10 but I ride a sporting course - I do want to beat my PB though. The local fast courses are dual carriageways and I'd rather not ride those - despite anything else, I rather suspect a lot of the speed is tow assisted as there is a fair amount of traffic!
Race win? Well - not on a bike anyway - unless it's against my son I don't have a racing licence and no intention of getting one - there is a local popular circuit, but I'd probably end up taking out the peloton - so safer to stay away
10k miles for the year - don't have time for that atm.

bigmat

Cruff wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Cruff wrote:

Second cat
Sub 21 minute 10 mile TT
Race win
10000 miles for the year

Other than the last one, they're all pretty difficult to achieve at 45, but hey ho - you gotta have goals

well done (in a non-patronizing voice)

Ummmm

Well, this is embarrassing...

This is the 2018 goals thread... These are my 2019 goals...

I haven't achieved any of those yet (3rd cat, two second places and two 3rds and 21:24 is my best 10 - though I'm on just shy of 9500 miles, so should at least get the last one this year)

Maybe I should also add 'learn to read' as one of my goals :P

I thought you were leaving it a bit late! They all sound like good targets for me for next year, although I'll raise you to sub 20 for a 10. Not sure about 10,000 miles though, don't think I have ever done that. My sole target for the remainder of this year is to make it to 5,000 miles which, after the year I've had, would be some sort of minor achievement.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

NitrousOxide wrote:

NitrousOxide wrote:

Return to The Mendips cat3s I did in November 2017, but this time on the Cube and hopefully climb "Draycott Steep" rather than only having time to descend that bonkers 1.2 miles with 725 feet of climbing. Didn't take either bike to CP last month. hired a mountain hybrid to do some local cat4 hills, hope to get some cheap Advance train tickets to take Cube to Mendips this summer

Climb at least one cat2/1/HC hill, at the moment I fancy Bwlch y Groes. Still hope to do this, but I've yet to book it and find something that doesn't cost too much for a few nights stay near Dolgellau, feeling so mentally fatigued considering it's near mid summer. The extended winter and consequent extended SAD has a lot to answer for this year!

Go sub 8mins for Harvesting Lane, means improving by ~15secs. Yes, bagged this one recently, on one of my few trips up Harvesting Lane cat4 this season so far. 7mins 41secs, improvement of 32secs https://www.strava.com/activities/16253 ... /4821/5282

Go sub 14mins for Bell Hill To The Top, means improving by ~30secs. Yes, on my first of trips over there this season, this one while pushing hard from the start of the ~15.78 mile combo with River To Hilltop. Improvement of 1min8secs to 13mins22secs https://www.strava.com/activities/15494 ... /5017/5819

Go sub 9mins for Old Winchester Hill To The Top, means improving by ~40secs. Not yet, but I have improved segment time to 9min12secs https://www.strava.com/activities/16130 ... /3065/3617

Go sub 58mins for River To Hilltop + Bell Hill To The Top combo, means improving by ~3mins. Really please with this one, one single attempt this season so far and improved by 7min7secs to 54mins dead! I continued pushing past the summit, it was my best "full hour of power" (247W) until Saturday night https://www.strava.com/activities/15494 ... /2578/5818

Make good use of the Elite Direto and it's power meter for improving my fitness and power. Training to power from January to mid April indoors has helped me find some good improvements, no doubt about it, plus it's also made me reduce my average cadence considerably from ~95rpm to ~75rpm when I want more power to attempt a segment PB

That should keep me busy.;)

Not a lot of change on the above besides taking another whole 1 second off my complete Harvesting Lane segment time in September to 7min40secs, thanks to a lovely strong tailwind rather than improved power output (309W vs 296W)!
https://www.strava.com/activities/18566 ... /1645/2060

I also had another goal of 400,000 feet of climbing for the year, which I apparently hit around 20th November, including the virtual climbing on the turbo Jan to mid Apr and from around the start of Nov. Just under 320,000 feet of outdoor rides as of this morning, ~50,000 more than this time last year in my first year of frequent fitness cycling.
Considering I had ~5 weeks where I was forced off the bike through bad health and then had steady weeks after each bout of illness, 400k outdoors should be possible next year.

Looks like I'm on target to break 6000 miles by the end of the year including ~800 virtual miles so far, which will be ~33% up on last year.

Bit gutted the pipedream trips to The Mendips and especially Bwlch Y Groes didn't happen on the Cube this year, mental tiredness and consequent indecision plus cost of booking the trips including accommodation got in the way, probably due to the extended winter thanks to Beast Of The East and how that dragged my Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms further into the summer months than normal.

wolfsbane2k

NitrousOxide wrote:

lots of stuff north of Portsmouth

Oi, stay your side of the solent dude - we don't need more of you lycra wearing types clogging up our roads :roll:

Nicely done sir, I'm so far off any of those times it's embarrassing.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

NitrousOxide wrote:

lots of stuff north of Portsmouth

Oi, stay your side of the solent dude - we don't need more of you lycra wearing types clogging up our roads :roll:

Nicely done sir, I'm so far off any of those times it's embarrassing.

Thanks, I often have to remind myself that I've made good progress this year while pushing my heart and legs to my limits up hills, even though at ~79Kg now I'm ~6Kg heavier than at my lightest in 2017 (far less willpower to avoid excessive snacking in the evenings and way too many 6-packs of cold cross buns while at work) and I didn't get to try my first outdoor cat2 climb.

ugo.santalucia

NitrousOxide wrote:

Bit gutted the pipedream trips to The Mendips and especially Bwlch Y Groes didn't happen on the Cube this year, mental tiredness and consequent indecision plus cost of booking the trips including accommodation got in the way, probably due to the extended winter thanks to Beast Of The East and how that dragged my Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms further into the summer months than normal.

There is an Audax in mid July, called "Barmouth Boulevard 200" which goes up Bwlch Y Groes and the Hirnant pass on the way back... it's an amazing route. Starts from Corwen, which is a bit of a dump, but you can stay in Llangollen, which is a lot nicer (and close to the Horseshoe pass if you want to make a weekend of it)

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/17-945/

N0bodyOfTheGoat

ugo.santalucia wrote:

NitrousOxide wrote:

Bit gutted the pipedream trips to The Mendips and especially Bwlch Y Groes didn't happen on the Cube this year, mental tiredness and consequent indecision plus cost of booking the trips including accommodation got in the way, probably due to the extended winter thanks to Beast Of The East and how that dragged my Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms further into the summer months than normal.

There is an Audax in mid July, called "Barmouth Boulevard 200" which goes up Bwlch Y Groes and the Hirnant pass on the way back... it's an amazing route. Starts from Corwen, which is a bit of a dump, but you can stay in Llangollen, which is a lot nicer (and close to the Horseshoe pass if you want to make a weekend of it)

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/17-945/

Thanks for the link, Ugo, but as luck would have it Saturday 13th July is my final work shift before nine days off and I've absolutely no chance of getting it as an extra day!

rhodrich

Didn't really set any targets for this year, but I'm currently at 10,105km for the year, which is above the total for last year 9,962km, but below that for 2016 and 2015 (10,776km and 10,632km respectively). Given it's the Xmas party season, and I'm either WFH or trainw*nkering it at the moment, it's unlikely I'll get there

However..... if one adds running to the mix, I'm at 10,931km, vs 11,025km and 11,087km for 2016 and 2015, so there's a possibility I might make it over the line (but it'll be tight, as I'll only be cycling maximum 4 days next week). Not sure if adding running distance is acceptable though?

MissedTheBreak

How on earth anyone has time to get to 10,000+ km’s in a year is beyond me so well done!

ugo.santalucia

MissedTheBreak wrote:

How on earth anyone has time to get to 10,000+ km’s in a year is beyond me so well done!

Going to close the year at 13,000. Have you tried cycling to work? I do about 40 km a day... it takes me 90 minutes, the same commute by car would take around 60... you don't need a lot of time after all

MissedTheBreak

I do commute, 30km a day. Even if I did that every work day I’d only get to about 7000?

ugo.santalucia

MissedTheBreak wrote:

I do commute, 30km a day. Even if I did that every work day I’d only get to about 7000?

... then you have 3,000 left for leisure riding... obviously you need your priorities right, if you are a family guy, you are probably screwed...