Here Endeth the First Lesson

So in the end it was not to be for our first attempt at a long distance record. It is bitter, bitter pill to swallow when you finally have to make that call but it does come and it comes to just about every rider who attempts distance records, often more than once in their riding career.

It came at 230 miles. Although the decision was made quickly it wasn’t a problem that suddenly reared its head but the return of long standing physical problems that we hoped were behind us. We didn’t have the perfect start to the day inexplicably dropping the chain off the inside ring on the very first hill of the day, It had never happened before and it could have easily unsettled us but we took a deep breath, reminded ourselves that there was over 360 miles to go and popped it back on.

In the end it was purely a matter of whether Jez could continue at record pace suffering again from ‘Hot Foot’, an affliction that has plagued him all year and feels like someone driving a kitchen knife up through his sole with every pedal stroke. The switch to super-stiff, mouldable Bont shoes has without doubt helped but after 9 hours riding it had returned strongly enough to know that the last 1/3rd of the schedule would slowly, inexorably slip away.

There is no shame in making that call, it’s not ‘packing’, it’s knowing when to stop battering yourself and go back to the drawing board to iron out those problems that have stopped you. Even so it was a very emotional few minutes when we knew our last stop…was our final stop.

In preparation the whole team was faultless and brilliant. In execution we learnt more than we could possibly imagine about riding long distances against the clock, often quite surprising details that would never occur to anyone who had never attempted a distance ride against the clock, but will be all too obvious to long distance time trialist or record rider. For example, it doesn’t matter what the current wisdom is on hydration is, every time you have to stop for a ‘comfort break’ you lose minutes. Equally, wearing a skinsuit makes having to stop an absolute, there is no way to relieve yourself off the side of the bike, pro rider style, its impossible! There are probably a dozen tiny but vital tweeks to make and next time we’ll nail it.

Until then Team Wiggle Tandem is far from crawling away and licking its wounds. Jez and mechanic Suzanne Duncan-Gilbert will now turn there attentions to the Three Peaks cyclo-cross race and as you read this Peta McSharry is ready to take on the world at the World Master’s Road Race Championship in Austria this week. I will be training with the great Sean Kelly over the course of the Vuelta and the rest of the team will be adjusting the plan for the next 3 months efforts.

Ride safe

Photos

Follow Team Wiggle Tandem on the Wiggle Athlete‟s Diary www.wiggleblog.com

Or at the team‟s website, www.teamwiggletandem.com

Alternatively find the team on Facebook and Twitter

Riding across the backbone of Wales, across the Cotswolds and central England and finishing with the open prairies of East Anglia taking in 380 miles across the widest part of the UK David Harmon, Eurosport’s Cycling Commentator and Jez Hastings, a wilderness guide, will attempt to make the Side-to-Side record in under 17.5 hours. They will be joined at the hips, literally, as they pedal in unison on their state of the art tandem, Rocket 1.

Every second will count as the timekeepers start the clock at 4am from Pembroke Castle on Saturday 21 August and stop it once the team touch down at the Britannia Pier in Great Yarmouth. Contending with regular traffic along the route, Team Wiggle Tandem may not receive any outside assistance. Where you’d see a team car assisting riders in a road race as it drives along side them, David and Jez will only be able to pick up musette bags (food bags) from crew who are posted on the roadside, they will need to make all their own navigational decisions as their support vehicles ride behind them and keeping an eye on the clock they will need to judge their pace to stay within the record time, yet ensuring they don’t blow up before they reach their destination.

With two delayed attempts due to injury and unfavourable weather conditions, Harmon and Hastings have been chomping at the bit to get underway with the attempt since March. Fitting the attempts between a busy commentating schedule has been tough, however the changeable weather patterns this year have seen the riders and team wait with baited breath until the very last minute to make the decision to go ahead with the record attempt.

As the team gather in Pembroke in Wales, weatherman Ian Michaelwaite has given the thumbs up with a South West South wind of around 8mph, whilst a good westerly wind is what is needed the more southerly wind is a far cry from the Easterly head wind the team would have faced earlier in the year.

Whilst the attempt is scheduled to start at 4am, the riders have a few hours either side of this time to make a start should the wind turn behind them. Their progress can be tracked on Map My Tracks once they get underway, with the route link and updates being posted on Twitter under WiggleTandem.

Roadside support would be an added bonus for the team, with their proposed route and schedule posted below. Cheer them loudly if you see them along the way and overtake safely if you happen to be caught up behind them.

For further information:

Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/WiggleTandem
Website: http://teamwiggletandem.com
Routemap & schedule: http://www.teamwiggletandem.com/side_to_side.html

Getting close to ……

It has been a long game this record seeking team. we have been beset by injury the weather and luck but now after 8 months it really looks like we are the cusp of something big. It is a wee bit like looking into the crater of a live volcano. All being well we will survive.

miles have been munched, training digested and kit to get us there has never let us down. The Focus bikes, the dhb clothing and footwear are beyond reproach. The shorts and three quarter bib knickers are without doubt some of the most comfortable I have ever worn. The dhb eVent jackets have been tested to beyond their promise and even after the filthiest winter and wet spring and summer( after all, I do live off the West Coast of Scotland) they are still as waterproof as the day I went out in the first downpour. I am really impressed and would highly recommend these to everybody!

I noticed this week having organised and done the Ride of The Falling Rain, our local Islay sportif, that I am fitter than ever before. The L2P was a great success for us and ironed out all sorts of niggles and gave us others to consider too: the dreaded Hot Foot for me and more miles to be ridden for David. We ride like a team now, silently communicating, knowing when to push and when to ease back on Rocket 1. We lived together for a whole month training , eating and laughing together.

We know what cheeses each other off and there were certainly times when we both could have easily walked away from the whole project. However, it was the team that kept us together, the faith that all the members and sponsors had put into us. The belief that two ordinary guys, with the correct support and vision could do the extraordinary. It is extra-ordinary. Extraordinary, because of the amazing togetherness that a small and highly skilled team can achieve fantastic things, extraordinary that as Wiggle Athletes we are followed and supported globally (thank you), and extraordinary because we are still able to go for the S2S record for a third time (having lost the first attempt to injury and the second to the weather). We still feel good rather than worn out and that is all due to all of the above. We are a team and we are getting closer to breaking the record….soon…. 19-21 August 2010

Team Wiggle Tandem ….preparing and all that…

…so we are nearly nearly at the first attempt. It is exciting and scary and amazing at the same time. I am now based at David Harmon’s house where we live as teamsters fettling the tandem, spending time together as ‘the Wiggle Bros’, eating, laughing, sharing stories. It is very important for us to spend time like this as we are completely reliant on each other to break these incredibly hard records and to get to know each other so well because, at times, on the attempts we are going to go through some very hellish moments. We will be totally reliant on each other and will have to accept the bad times as much as the good!

We have just ridden the Verenti Dragon Ride on solos – a decision made just before the off due to weather although it did not rain in the end. The good news was that David’s Achilles held up – which was great for us all and we are now riding race pace sessions set by our brilliant coach Colin Batchelor of Total Cycling Coach fame. These are all taking place using the the tandem – Rocket 1. The shadow of the worry of a long term injury plays on all our minds but thanks to team mate and magical remedial masseur Peta McSharry, she has rebuilt him and he is going strong now!

In order to make this whole thing work we have to have a highly competent back up team and they have been busy too: negotiating with councils on routes, checking equipment, building spare wheels – the boys at Dolan are famed for their wheel building prowess, (we have four pairs), Ken making sure the new BioRacer skin suits are on their way, checking the service course is all correct and of course the back room boys at Wiggle are doing sterling work keeping up with the demands and yet more demands and indeed just keeping us all happy…(thank you SO MUCH – Jason).

We are in constant earshot of the weather forecasters and have our own allotted team forecaster from the Met office updating us on daily changes. This is important and we will NOT go if there is any hint of a headwind…we may have to play the long game. Lady Luck, hopefully will be on our side

And so to the riding: we now just have to get lots more hours/miles on the tandem together. This is paramount to our success and for our sponsors too. After all it is they, as well as the team as a whole, who have put their faith in us. Riding together we are good, smooth and can hammer out a good pace for a steady time. We have have to be confident that we can do this for 17 hour though. If you say it quickly enough it does not seem too much! Tearing across two countries, Wales and England, connecting two seas, it will be a test of courage, will and wit for all concerned. It is a big, scary challenge, which all being well and with a lot of luck , will see us with our first record in the bag at the end of the month. Just in time for David to head off to the Tour de France

As I write it is raining – we have to get these final miles in before the taper begins…..so here we go – on with our dhb eVent waterproofs – time is miles!

Follow Team Wiggle Tandem on the Wiggle Athlete‟s Diary www.wiggleblog.com

Or at the team‟s website, www.teamwiggletandem.com

Alternatively find the team on Facebook and Twitter

Where Eagles Dare….

I remember, as a younger version of myself, and racing in Belgium – when I lived there, that one of my pastime escapes was to read. Alistair McLean’s book – Where Eagles Dare was a fave and it became a good ‘escape’ read.Even if you only watch the film it is still brill! www.youtube.com

The music was great as well as the story It came into my mind today as I was out training. The cold and icy wind was really attacking my progress and I was feeling somewhat cheesed off about it. training long miles, in fact any miles, is hard and mentally draining. Today was no different. But as I came over the brae and saw the the windswept and snow sprinkled hillside I felt better. The tune came into my head as did an eagle. Really! This occurrence kept me spiritually going for the duration of the ride. Physically the things that keep me alive, yet alone going, is the equipment and clothing.

I have pounded my Focus bike for over a 1000 miles per month since the autumn, (7 k in all) and the Finchdean wind jacket is surely an item that could not be dispensed with here during this icy spring. I love my dhb 3/4 bib tights, their roubaix lining and well cut shape serves several purposes; keeping me warm, well insulated and happy too. I cannot rate them highly enough. The eagle was still soaring overhead as I turned away from the head wind and started to fly too towards Gruinart. I had a 30 min Zone 4 to complete before heading downhill and into the headwind once again. Zone 4 with a trail wind really pushes up the speed and I have to be careful not to over cook corners.

I am training on wee roads more suitable to MBX or Cyclocross. I long for fine mainland tarmac and smooth surfaces. My Speedplays are serving me well, I know why they are so very popular and married to the dhb rc carbon shoes I am comfortable and feel good progression through the contact points. I love the simplicity and the design of them. They are so easy to use although setting them up takes sometime to do properly. (Well worth doing so and if you do have ‘funny feet’ or a leg difference then it is definitely worth getting somebody to help set them up.

The best clothing for this time of year is my much used and sported Wickham event wind jacket. It is spring and still there is a coldness in the air. (Today I used gloves again). the jacket is comfortable on and off the bike and I am happy with the cut and shape too. The three rear pockets bulge with SIS gels and Bars, my waterproof and toolkit. The zipper pocket (a fourth compartment) holds my phone. I can travel and train up to 9 hours and be able to carry enough nosh /stuff to keep me going.

The eagles flap very slowly over the ridge at Ballinaby and eventually catch a thermal which they use to navigate Loch Gorm and eventually toward Rock Mountain. I am also now on that route. Mine is not so direct and I have to turn , once again, into the wind, head down and change gear, push on push. I climb and climb up to Rock Mountain. As I reach the top in the fresh spring air and head for home, I look backwards. The eagle has flown….. but the tune stays with me….

I was really really looking forward to training with David in Nice. We had been invited to join a pro training camp based at the great Tour De France, Giro D’italia and World Champion, Stephen Roche’s hotel and it meant we were to have some quality, dry hard miles in the mile Alpes Maritimes. Fabulous! Sadly David was still carrying his injury from the crash he sustained in Snowdonia. Luckily enough our team soigneur and remedial masseur, Peta McSharry, had also come out to administer health and well being and ride with is as well. You will, if you have been following this crazy story, know already that David’s Achilles did not magically self fix and after a wee ride out at the start of the camp it had become obvious that the injury was much more serious than we all thought.

The riding therefore has become solo this past week and after the hard rouleuring in Nice which also took us to Monaco, Italy and of course San Remo I have spent five days in the Corbierres. That is the region between Toulouse and the Mediterranean. It has been dry but very windy. I have been tired but sleeping well, being looked after by great hosts, who ate well and enjoyed laughter song and great conversation . They are professional musicians and dancers. Great food, good company and a fantastic time. My digs are in their 16th century gatehouse overlooking the river Orbieu.

I used to live in this region so know the roads well and can pick and choose whether it will be hard, hilly, rolling or whatever our super team coach, Colin Batchelor, has set us. Road surfaces are excellent and traffic very little. Days start cloudy but by afternoon the sun is shining a well warm 14C, so very comfortable indeed. I have been doing 5 plus hours a day- originally it was supposed to be up to 12 but what with David’s injury and the first attempt postponed, Colin has pulled us back on the miles.

Do I head west and the rest of team wiggle tandem head home? I ended in a fabulous part of France, quiet roads, stunning scenery and great food. What more could an cyclist require? It was hard being without an eqippe and I was tired but got out and rode – rode well and successfully. Measuring my wattage output and energy usage. It was good. It was also good seeing my dear French friends – to be able discuss weight/food issues with them. As dancers they share the same passion for weight/food balance so it was no surprise to them that we still had lots in common!

It was nice to be able to be part of a different nature too with kingfishers, early martins arriving, montagues harriers and egrets too.

Soon it was time to get on the train and all too quickly to leave the relative warmth – 14degrees – and head for the snowy hills of Scotland and eventually Islay and home. The Endura boys were heading south to race in Murcia, Spain – the big time for our young Scottish pro team. It’s been a long time for all of us but a worthwhile journey all the same.!

Follow Team Wiggle Tandem on the Wiggle Athlete‟s Diary www.wiggleblog.com

Or at the team‟s website, www.teamwiggletandem.com

Alternatively find the team on Facebook and Twitter

On Islay there was a time when people rode bicycles as a matter of course. I know, I have asked many senior folks and when asked they get the glazed look of reminiscence and talk fondly of bicycle riding all over Islay. So we have history and we have a culture of cycling here on the outer edge of europe. This is continued till this day with VC Ardbeg, Port Mor Wheelers and Islay Wilderness Guide. There are even people talking about cycling as a viable form of very local transport.

Last year after the London to Paris race (that Brian Palmer and I did two years ago and then last year with David Harmon on fixed wheel) it was then suggested that we, David and I, should do it on tandem. It was to raise money for the Geoff Thomas Foundation. This then progressed to an all out tandem record attempt project. Plenty of which has already been written before. That being said, we never thought it would really get this far and now I have agreed to write about this journey, a voyage of fitness, disaster, tears, joy and hopefully, elation when the records, some of which are over fifty years old, start to fall.

The past few days have seen David and I in Snowdonia on a training camp. The purpose of a training camp is to do just that – train – ride and rest, sleep and eat. With new research and and practice the resting part of training is considered as important as the riding aspect. Nutrition has improved too. So we have strict diets, long miles and plenty of zzzzz’s. The diet is key with plenty of carbs for breakfast; porridge or muesli or pasta/rice, oat cakes and honey and fruit, lunch on the road in the form of dried figs, apricots,SIS bars and drinks as well as gels too. In the evening just vegetables (no potatoes or pasta) and protein. We measure everything we eat and everything we put out in the form of calories.

We need to keep on top of the weight to power ratio. And of course drinking plenty and plenty of water. the nice thing about a training camp is that you get looked after and why we have based ourselves in Snowdonia is because David’s mother in law lives here and does just that – superbly! All we have to do is concentrate on getting fitter and thinner! Away from home allows that to be even more pointed and concentrated.

Our day begins with a call at 0730 hours for breakfast, check our fantastic Focus bikes, prepare what we need to take with us, waterproofs and wind jackets, and then head out for between 7 and 10 hours. The riding is hard here, very hard, with long climbs and fast challenging descents. We ride together and often times without the need to talk, just at one with the magnificent scenery, checking our outputs on the Powertap computer (which is attached to the handlebars and reads data from the rear wheel) and pushing ourselves all the time. Our coach sends us a daily plan which, bar injury, we have to to stick too.

Returning as the sun goes down and beyond, sometimes, we clean the bikes, have a shower and then a supper and relax. We have had to nurse a few injuries this week, David crashed, I have a strained knee, so the ice and elevation comes into it’s own till bedtime. Unlike a lot of pro riders we also have our businesses to run so a couple of hours at the laptop finishes the evening till the the comfort of a warm and comfy bed draws us…..

We spend a lot of time of our off bike time discussed strategy, food intake and energy out puts with ourselves and the support team – thank goodness for skype! Without our sponsors, especially Wiggle – more of that later – we could not operate so it is although hard and concentrated, a great privilege. Next week we head for southern France and Stephen Roche’s Hotel to join the training camp where the Scottish pro team Endura will be giving us a hard time!

The official launch party for Team Wiggle Tandem took place on Thursday 21st January 2010. The announcement for their series of World Record attempts was released to numerous sponsors and cycling press during a two hour press release at the Charlotte Street Hotel in London. We have an exclusive video report of the presentation for you to watch.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Follow Team Wiggle Tandem on the Wiggle Athlete‟s Diary www.wiggleblog.com, or at the team‟s website, www.teamwiggletandem.com alternatively find the team on Facebook and Twitter

Life in the Trench

Sunday 21st Nov saw me riding my first cross race in Wiggle colours.

Dundee, famous for it’s cake, cold weather and outside velodrome hosted the event. Over 100 people took place and battle was fierce. The velodrome, being tarmac, took centre stage with both start and finishing straights leading to some epic battles every lap.

It has, you may have noticed, been raining biblically over the past week and the ground was not going to let us forget it – despite a sun kissed departure of the gladiatorial throng. The mud was harrowingly sticky and deep – more suited to marine commando adverts than silth like honed athletes. By lap two all were well spread.

Having got caught out in the ‘Tunnel of Mud’ at the top end – bitten by a submerged root that had me doing the first bog snorkeling of the day – I then spent quite a time chasing the lead group and getting back on.

In fact, by the time I had made contact the field was so spread out that lapping was taking place. Pushing on, pushing- sometimes literally, was the only solution and at times it was a lonely slurp of brown sticky goo that was my only companion sitting between me and the bid for victory.

It was never going to happen. cowbells donged and supporters shouted. The rain held off and the mud got deeper and thicker.

The boys at the front were storming and chasing was the order of the day.It is about training – we have bigger fish to fry – but it was good and it was testing and most of all it was great fun!