Adam's cycling training journal

written 7 october

This was the Hakodate Challenge Run.

I left home before 6:00 and rode to Ono for the start. It was about 7 degrees - cold.

There was a huge field today, about 40! It's good to see cycling becoming more popular around here.

We started at 7:07, slowly because I hadn't trained at all in 3 weeks. As the 5 of us passed the other groups of 6 who had started before us, some joined onto the train and by the time we reached the Nakayama pass and tunnel we were about 13.

It took 5 minutes longer to get to the tunnel today compared with June!

From here to Esashi we rode at a steady pace, but it was slower than before. It was really fun though to ride in a group, usually it's a solo ride. I rested out of the wind and gave things a 'hurry up' when the pace dropped a bit.

By the time we reached Esashi there were only 6 of us again. There were some more hills and that number halved. Hisanari had mechanical trouble, which is a shame.

The three of us rode together to the bottom of the last hills. One was at his limit for most of the ride, but kept going! Good for him. As for me, my legs were feeling a bit strained from the sudden high pace ride and did the hills alone at 'my pace' - slowly. Then a 13km descent to the finish, finishing just inside the 3 hour goal I had set.

It was a fun ride, and everyone had a good time.

Road bike to Esashi and back.
Distance = 105 km
Bike time = 2hr 59min 33sec
Ride time = 3hr 00min
Avg speed = 35 km/hr
Max speed = 65 km/hr
Avg HR = 162 BPM
Max HR = 183 BPM
2008 total = 11743 km

written 7 october

Today I went with Ito san. We met at 9 and went at a reasonable pace to the Trappist Monistery past Kamiiso. It was a nice day, cool but not cold at all.

As I did in June, we followed the narrow path which goes around the building, past the cemetery then up to the grotto among the pine trees. It is a beautiful place, well worth the steep climbing.

Then we cruised back and had a coffee at the Old New Cafe.

Road bike to the Trappist Monastery.
Distance = 55 km
Bike time = 1hr 55min
Ride time = 3hr 20min
Avg speed = 28 km/hr
Max speed = 50 km/hr
Avg HR = ??? BPM
Max HR = ??? BPM
2008 total = 11603 km

Not related to cycling at all, I promise.

In no particular order.....


http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=K4aoCMIasZY
I love how they actually overtake the news crew at about 1:25. Makes you feel safe, eh!


http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=tM8WOGgH8Sc
Ah, the tranquillity!

I'm still undecided about the third one. Will get back on this.

written 4 October

Again, this week I didn't ride my bike at all. It is suddenly a great joy to be able to study, plan lessons and veg out in front of the internet with all the extra time and unused energy I have!

Peter, John and I got on our mountain bikes and ripped the trail up beyond Shin Nakano Dam, around behind KG Country Club, emerging somewhere near the Trappistine Monastery. There had been a lot of rain in the last week and it was warm enough to bomb them directly at full speed.

Actually it wasn't so warm but we had dressed well. It has been an unseasonally cold week and in the higher parts of the forest the leaves had started to change colour. Not long now!

I am writing this about a week later. After the ride, for about six days I had a sore throat. Not a cold, no coughing, no itching but just pain when I swallow. I didn't think a great deal of it until Michi mentioned that I had the same sore throat after my last mountain bike ride. Bizarre! I have no idea why this happened.

Mountain bike to Shin Nakano Dam, up the valley, turn right, down, then out near Yunokawa.
Distance = 50 km
Bike time = 3hr 30min
Ride time = 4hr 00min
Avg speed = 14 km/hr
Max speed = 40 km/hr
Avg HR = ??? BPM
Max HR = ??? BPM
2008 total = 11548 km

written 4 October

Today was the Speed bike shop Sunday Ride, and about 40 riders went to Onuma for a barbeque. Peter and I were a little late, and joined the group at the bottom of Shirotai. Some climbed, some went around on the flatter road.

I climbed, really fast initially, in fact, at a sub-20 minute pace but I decided not to hold it and the second half was with Fujisawa san and others.

People gathered at the top and I ride up and down a bit, escorting the more leisurely paced riders up. The descent was really fun, without pedalling much I got up to 85km/hr.

When we arrived at Onuma we did nearly two laps. 'We' varied in number, depending on the pace. Sometimes it was 15, sometimes 3. After the really high pace last week is was great to ride at a comfortable 43km/hr and have short recovery stints afterwards as needed.

The barbeque was much bigger than last year, surely cycling is getting more popular in Hakodate. And rightfully so, it's a wonderful place for it!

Peter, Fujisawa san and I left the bbq a little early and rode steadily back.

In the last week I rested a lot, not riding at all. The next semester at university starts soon and I spent a bit of time planning for that. I spoke with coach Ross in Australia, who suggested that at some time this Autumn it would be good to take a few weeks or a month off riding completely, to refresh mentally and physically. Although I have decided to do the Challenge Run on the 5th of October now feels like a good time for that.

Cannondale to Shirotai, Onuma, 2 laps, home
Distance = 96 km
Bike time = 3hr 30min
Ride time = 3hr 55min
Avg speed = 27 km/hr
Max speed = 85 km/hr
Avg HR = 137 BPM
Max HR = 189 BPM
2008 total = 11498 km

written 16 September

The hotel we stayed at had a great buffet and we ate very well at dinner and breakfast time. Unlike last year every hotel has had a buffet, so we could eat lots of the food that we wanted to. Last year we often just had a set menu which is not as good.

The criterium was at Morenuma park. There was only 1 second between the first two riders and because of bonus times it was actually possible for the first 5 riders to win the overall prize. So with this situation it was always going to be a fast race.

But I had no idea it would be that fast! Even though I had warmed up well and braced myself for the pain of riding on saddle sores I only managed to complete 5 laps before losing contact with the main group. I caught up with a succession of struggling university students and tried to make a small group but they fell behind too. I was always going to be lapped but I wanted to do my best!

Michi had caught the early train from Hakodate to see the race and I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't finish but we could watch the last few laps together.

The final average speed today was 46.3km/hr. Abe san and Kazu both managed to finish, an amazing effort. That was so much faster than last year, when the overall result was already decided. On this day it came down to the final sprint, with the short Japanese guy beating the really tall Dutch rider with skinny legs by a matter of centimetres. What a race!

So that was the end of the Tour for 2008. As a team effort, we did really well, finishing in 12th place. Everyone finished (up to the 5th stage). Kazu got some good training and Abe san had some moments of glory. As for me, the first day was really satisfying, it was a great feeling to recover from it and do well on the 3rd day but with a fairly flat course I didn't have enough speed to really make a difference or show my strength (unlike last year).

But it was a great experience and I really appreciate it. I didn't feel as exhausted as last year, either.

Stage 6 - Moerenuma Park
Stage place = 64 (-10 laps) out of 22 laps
Overall = 59/79 (+62.48)
Distance = 32.5 km
Bike time = 0hr 46min
Avg speed = 42.2 km/hr
Max speed = 62 km/hr
Avg HR = 173 BPM
Max HR = 186 BPM
> 180 BPM = 3.5 min
2008 total = 11402 km (including warmups)

This was the last road stage, and with the first 5 riders being separated by only 11 seconds it was likely to be well contested.

As the start was just outside the hotel lobby we didn't have to do much after breakfast. And since it was a downhill course without a parade no-one did a warm-up today either. So I just drank lots of water and visited the bathroom often.

Once we started at 9:30 the pace was pretty comfortable as people warmed up. Then the attacks began again in earnest. Abe san tried to bridge across to one but they were going too fast. I remember feeling a little tired at this point, a little apprehensive about any hard climbing ahead.

A small group was a little way ahead and one of the race leaders signalled for a rest break. Of course some riders ignored him as they wanted to keep racing but after 10 minutes of ever louder protests at each additional attack the whole peleton stopped for a pee break! I was riding near the front at that time and drank a lot so I was ready to stop too.

The little climb after that was really slow, about 13km/hr. We rode at a comfortable pace for an hour or so to the feed zone, where I got my bag and put the bottles and gels in my pockets really quickly!

Then the climbing began. For some reason the Dutch guys wanted to race each other up it and the field stretched out a lot. I did OK, lost a little ground but wasn't so worried because I suspected that it would all get together afterwards. It did.

We went through Yubari, along almost the same roads to Ebetsu. The Hot Spot with 25km to go was blisteringly fast. I reached my limit and lost the wheel in front of me, sadly, and I found myself in a group of struggling uni students. This was just before the day's final climb and I was bracing myself for another slow ride to the finish when we saw the main group spinning lightly up the hill. Grateful, we hopped back on.

From there to the finish we caught the breakaway (somewhere!) and the pace went mad as people countered the many attacks. This was with a headwind, and we were doing over 37km/hr the whole time. At 2km to go there was a 3 man breakaway which stuck and they sprinted for the top places. The rest of us finished a few seconds behind.

It was really cool being part of an active peleton getting ready for a bunch sprint but as I am not a good sprinter (yet!) I felt like there was no contribution I could make. Those pro riders are such a level above out team and the uni students, there really were two classes in the race.

After it finished I saw some friends from Hakodate and Niseko but didn't have a lot of time to talk. We drove to the big hotel complex in Gateau Kingdom where we stayed the night in luxury (lovely room) and pain (nasty saddle sore!).

Stage 5 - Shimukappu to Ebetsu
Stage place = 52 (+0.13)
Overall = 51 (+11.08)
Distance = 177.4 km
Bike time = 4hr 15min 22sec
Avg speed = 41.7 km/hr
Max speed = 81 km/hr
Avg HR = 146 BPM
Max HR = 188 BPM
> 180 BPM = 5 min
2008 total = 11295 km

written 16 September

After the morning's time trial, I took it easy and watched the GC leaders push themselves to the limit. Amazing stuff.

We had lunch, I drank lots of water and rested.

The next stage started at 1pm and no-one did a warm-up because of the ride in the morning. The 5km parade through Obihiro was enough.

Once the race started it was amazing! There was a tailwind and many attacks, and we were often riding along at 55 or 60km/hr. The strength of the riders at the front, creating that speed is amazing.

There were quite a few up/downs from the 40 to 60km mark and the pressure to stay connected with the group was pretty high. As we were doing about 65km/hr down a long straight hill one rider rode over a small hole and lost control. As he fell he took out the guy behind him and they both slid along the road, losing lots of skin I imagine. Again, without even looking back we just continued, thanking out blessings.

Finally after a 10 man group attacked during an 80km/hr descent the leaders decided to let them go, so the pace relaxed at last. Time to drink and refuel.

The pace gradually increased and suddenly we were at the bottom of the Tour's biggest climb. I was ready, refueled and towards the front of the group. I was also ready to fight!

Although it was not a steep climb it was amazingly fast, often over 30km/hr, so drafting was important! There was no relent in the pace for the whole 11 or 12km. I managed to stay with the front group, alternating between standing for speed and sitting to keep it. That worked well.

Finally the KOM sign but the actual top was a further 1.3km ahead, something that I knew but not all did. We zoomed down the mainly straight descent but sadly the groups joined together again. Oh well.

The pace was 'on' from there to the end. One great memory for me is feeling dismay at seeing the road ahead end in a long steep hill, which changed to relief when we took a right turn to avoid it! A real Malcolm moment.

I rode in the main group fairly close to Kazu but I couldn't see Abe san. Hopefully he hadn't been dropped. The road followed the railway line which I had used 3 days ago.

We caught the escape group and there was lot of frantic riding as people prepared for the 1.5km hillclimb finish. I didn't have any sprinting legs and did my best, finishing just ahead of Abe san, behind the main group.

I was really happy to have been able to ride well today. But the main hero was Abe san. Apparently he had been in the 10-man breakaway and had been really active in helping it stay away. As a Hokkaido rider he got a lot of media attention which is fantastic for him as he is a top class rider.

This night we stayed at Shimukappu in a resort area. The restaurant was a huge buffet with a great view of the surrounding forest. But it was a 10 minute walk from the room!

Stage 4 - Obihiro to Shimukappu
Stage place = 57 (+0.53)
Overall = 51 (+11.08)
Distance = 110.4 km
Bike time = 2hr 40min 04sec
Avg speed = 41.1 km/hr
Max speed = 81 km/hr
Avg HR = 153 BPM
Max HR = 184 BPM
> 180 BPM = 7 min
2008 total = 11118 km

written 16 September

This was the time trial, a 1.6km flat course, straight there-and-back. I prepared well for it but found that I couldn't get my heart rate very high again (just like yesterday) and decided to ride conservatively.

The next stage was later in the afternoon and with a small gap between the top riders it was going to be a hard ride. I was quite concerned about my recovery from Thursday and keeping up on the climbs.

Stage 3 - Obihiro
Stage place = 84 (+0.25)
Overall = 54 (+10.11)
Distance = 1.6 km
Bike time = 0hr 2min 43sec
Avg speed = 35.3 km/hr
Max speed = ?? km/hr
Avg HR = 170 BPM
Max HR = 178 BPM
> 180 BPM = 0 min
2008 total = 11009 km

written 16 September

All of the teams stayed at the Prince Hotel in Kushiro last night. It's a pretty nice place with a big restaurant on the 17th floor. We ate rather a lot of good food at the buffet, had a massage then a team meeting.

My legs weren't sore at all but I felt really tired. I guess riding 215km with only 4 small water bottles is not a good idea.

I shared a room with Uchiyama san and we woke up to a rainy day. The race goes on whatever the weather, so we all got ready, delaying our departure so that we would arrive at the start area just before the start.

The rain had stopped but it was still cloudy at 9 o'clock. I wore a windproof vest and armwarmers just in case. Sure enough, after we started the rain did too!

The first 40km was dead flat, and there were many attacks and breakaway attempts. As we were riding along a perfectly straight road, a rider near the front of the group crashed, starting a chain reaction of falling bicycles and riders. I saw and heard it happen and braked enough to avoid the people in front of me but was knocked over by the people behind me.

Body - fine. Bike - well it works, so keep going. The road was littered with bikes and bodies but I didn't hang around. It wasn't a dangerous crash, we weren't going that fast.

We caught up with the main group which soon after slowed down to let the breakaway get ahead and people recover. The main hill was at a reasonable pace.

My front brake was a little bumpy and my rear wheel was a little buckled. The descent was fast but the road had gentle curves so no problem.

At the feed zone I got a bottle and some more gels and took a little time putting them in my pockets. By the time I had finished the main group had sped up and it took me (and the dozen or so others who I rode with) a few minutes of hard riding to catch up. Just before the steepest hill, too!

I didn't have the legs to stay with the front riders up that hill, even though it was less than 2km long. I did my best and descended quickly afterwards, joining a group of about 25 which finished about 7 minutes behind the winner.

We all finished. Abe san did really well and won the Under 23 category! Kazu got really caught behind after the feed zone and rode the last 30km alone. Tough guy, he never gave up.

After the finish we had to ride about 15km in the cold rain to the hotel, which was not pleasant. I felt pretty low on energy and was concerned about getting a cold. But after arriving at the hotel I had an onsen, some good food and lots of rest and felt better.

Stage 2 - Kushiro to Ikeda
Stage place = 66 (+7.15)
Overall = 53 (+9.50)
Distance = 150 km
Bike time = 3hr 41min
Avg speed = 40.6 km/hr
Max speed = 73 km/hr
Avg HR = 148 BPM
Max HR = 182 BPM
> 180 BPM = 1.5 min
2008 total = 11008 km

written 16 September

Tour of Hokkaido - Stage 1

Yesterday when I finished work I zoomed home, got changed, picked up my bags and got a taxi to the station. Then I got a train to Minami Chitose (where I spent the hour there at a factory outlet centre) thence Obihiro. When I arrived there I immediately went to the opening ceremony which had started about a half an hour ago.

I hadn't missed much! There were some speeches, we were introduced to the audience and finally we were free. It was good to see the team again. We drove to the Washing Hotel, had dinner at the buffet, I had a massage and went to bed at about 10.

This morning we got up early, had a great buffet breakfast, got the stuff ready and rode around the river paths with the team (Kazu san, Abe chan, Uchiyama san, Miwa san and I) to warm up.

I was really nervous at the start, which was good because it mean that I was ready. As the Hokkaido team we got to line up at the start of the bunch, in front of the TV cameras and crowd.

At about 5 minutes before the start, there was a big earthquake! The ground moved slowly but quite a lot, and all the trees and power poles were swaying. It lasted for a couple of minutes and felt quite uncomfortable. Like being on a swaying ship.

Then we started! There was a group of citizens in front of us and one of them wasn't very fast, so the 5km took about 15 minutes.

I love the sounds of the end of the parade. The motorbikes with red flags go ahead a bit, the red flags go away and they are replaced by green flags. There is a flurry of clicking as people changed gears, some cheers and suddenly we are all doing 45km/hr, chasing the first breakaway attempt. Yeah!

This was a really long day, the longest race I have ever done. I will spare you the blow-by-blow account. In summary, although the course guide showed lots of hills, they weren't very steep nor long. I stayed out of the wind really well and saved energy. The pace was fast but reasonable.

The pace up the first of four hills was pretty fast too. The descent afterwards was really uncomfortable as there were gaps across the road at 10 metre intervals, making it difficult to drink or rest.

I had drunk all of my water and was getting a little thirsty when we reached the feeding zone. The two bottles were very welcome.

Then the road headed up and I saw the first attack ahead, so increased my speed in anticipation. Good idea. I just struggled to stay with the first group which itself split into two. So fast! I was riding really smoothly but my heart rate surged up to 194 BPM. I took it a bit easier after that and stayed with the second group.

The descent following that was awesome, a really smooth road with beautiful winding corners. A lot of fun! Then another few painful km uphill and the KOM point. The next descent was really long - 45km. As we were flying along, trying to catch up with the group ahead my legs started to feel crampy, but I somehow managed to save them by drinking regularly, eating a couple of powergels and pedalling smoothly.

We caught the group with about 10km to go but there was still a group of 5 ahead. No rest! The two hills just before the finish were very taxing, I got dropped on the first one, managed to work with a handful of others to catch up just at the start of the last one and simply could not keep up with the finishing surge. Those guys are strong!

With no need to red-line again I rode the final 2km at my pace and finished just after Abe san, about 2.5 minutes after the winner. Extremely satisfying, it was a long day. Everyone finished OK but Kazu had broken a pedal just before the feed zone and did the last 80km alone.

Stage 1 - Obihiro to Shibecha cho
Stage place = 39 (+2.26)
Overall = 39 (+2.26)
Distance = 211 km
Bike time = 5hr 20min
Avg speed = 39.4 km/hr
Max speed = 75 km/hr
Avg HR = 155 BPM
Max HR = 194 BPM
> 180 BPM = 26 min
2008 total = 10858 km

written 16 September

I left in the afternoon, a little later than planned. It was beautiful and sunny, and I enjoyed warming up on the way through the traffic to Kamiiso and then to Kamiiso Dam. There I did some intervals on a slight decline.

From a sprint start,
2 minutes at
180 BPM and
110+ RPM followed by
5 minutes' recovery,
3 times.

My heart rate did not go very high on the first interval, the second one was fine (mostly 184ish) and again the third was a little lower (about 180). Then I went home before it got too dark!

Cannondale to Kamiiso Dam, intervals, home.
Distance = 47 km
Bike time = 1hr 35min
Ride time = 1hr 45min
Avg speed = 29 km/hr
Max speed = 70 km/hr
Avg HR = 139 BPM
Max HR = 188 BPM
2008 total = 10647 km

Today is the Pinarello's 8th birthday! It was, of course, raining and so I took it for a ride because I didn't want to get the Cannondale dirty.

I took it easy and went to Onuma, met Hisanari, did two thirds of a lap to make sure he was warmed up then did some intervals.
From a sprint start,
2 minutes at
180+ BPM and
110 RPM followed by
5 minutes' recovery,
3 times.

These hurt! I was able to maintain my speed after the initial sprint but found that my legs were pretty 'full' and I didn't feel like I was really powering along. I found myself concentrating on relaxing through the high cadence and being efficient, which was good but wanted to be more explosive, with a higher HR. Maybe if I psyched myself up more before they started...
My HR was generally between 180 and 185.

Hisanari did the same, at his pace. For a 15 year-old they were pretty tough! He did his best. After that we finished the lap at a comfortable recovery pace, chatting. He's really looking forward to the Tour of Hokkaido's citizen races next week.

After he went I was just about to go home when I saw a large group of riders who had come from Hakodate on an organised ride. It took them 2 hours! I did a lap with them, which was nice but I found myself alone when I increased the pace to 36km/hr.

After that, I was just about to go home when I saw a couple of people from Hakodate I know - Dan and Tomoko. They had rented bikes and were going to a hot spring. What a great thing to do together on a Sunday. We had a nice chat and finally I rode home!

Road bike to Onuma, 3 laps, home.
Distance = 98 km
Bike time = 3hr 10min
Ride time = 3hr 25min
Avg speed = 31 km/hr
Max speed = 65 km/hr
Avg HR = 141 BPM
Max HR = 185 BPM
2008 total = 10600 km

I left home in the mid afternoon as I had some things to do in the morning. It was cloudy, humid and warm, not spectacular but better than rain.

Recently these Saturday rides have been with Malcolm, Peter, Hiro or a combination of the above but today it was just me. So I went at 'mypace' to Shiriuchi and back. The wind seemed to change a lot but with a cadence of at least 90 RPM I was able to keep an average speed of 37km/hr (not including the warmup/down). Not bad.

On the way back I stopped at the Meihou bike shop and bought a couple of tyres (Michelin Pro Race 3) and a new tube.

Road bike to Shiriuchi.
Distance = 83 km
Bike time = 2hr 25min
Ride time = 2hr 30min
Avg speed = 35 km/hr
Max speed = 55 km/hr
Avg HR = 148 BPM
Max HR = 168 BPM
2008 total = 10502 km

I had work this morning so after lunch I had a quick spin out to the bottom of Shirotai and back via Kamiiso.

After yesterday's ride I had a farewell dinner with Lee, who's going back to the States next week. Even though we ate lots of food (pasta, bread, salad) I probably drank more wine and less water than I should have. Today my legs felt OK but I was pretty irritable. It's interesting how a poor recovery can affect your mood!

Anyway, I just rode today. No sprints, tricks or intervals. When I got home I drank quite a lot of water and had a good night's sleep. Also I put on some new cleats on my shoes, the old ones were really worn out!

Road bike to Nanae, Ono, Kamiiso, home.
Distance = 35 km
Bike time = 1hr 10min
Ride time = 1hr 20min
Avg speed = 29 km/hr
Max speed = 55 km/hr
Avg HR = 136 BPM
Max HR = 166 BPM
2008 total = 10419 km

Today's big news is that the brake pads I got yesterday are the wrong size. Back to the drawing board.

I left a bit late in the afternoon and took my lights as I knew I would be back after sunset. Just before I left I ate a small bowl of muesli which turned out to be a bad idea.

After warming up I did the following intervals.
From a sprint start,
3 minutes at
185 BPM and
120 RPM followed by
5 minutes' recovery,
4 times.

During each interval I could feel the muesli riding in my stomach, I wanted to get rid of it somehow but it wasn't possible. It was good to have my heart rate monitor. A couple of times I could really focus on spinning quickly, powerfully and noticed the heart rate in the high 180s. But it took some concentration!

When these finished I was past Toi, so I continued around through Esan, at around 150 BPM and a decent cadence. On the hills I tried to keep my speed up.

It was pretty dark when I got home, a pretty good situation. I could enjoy the sunset on the road and didn't have any problems with dazzling sun when riding through the traffic in town.

Road bike to Toi, Esan, Minami Kayabe, home.
Distance = 100 km
Bike time = 3hr 00min
Ride time = 3hr 12min
Avg speed = 33 km/hr
Max speed = 64 km/hr
Avg HR = 151 BPM
Max HR = 189 BPM
2008 total = 10384 km

Today's big news is that the brake pads and shoe cleats I ordered a few weeks ago finally arrived. Pretty exciting stuff. I will install them in the next day or so.

It was really really humid today, it wasn't so hot, about 25 degrees or so but it was extremely sticky. OK if you're cycling but wearing light wool pants at work was quite uncomfortable.

I went to Toi and while it was a great tailwind on the way there it rained for the whole way back and I got a little wet. Warm rain though. My legs felt a bit dodgy at first, recovering from yesterday's intervals but then they were fine.

Road bike to Toi.
Distance = 51 km
Bike time = 1hr 30min
Ride time = 1hr 30min
Avg speed = 34 km/hr
Max speed = 54 km/hr
Avg HR = 143 BPM
Max HR = 165 BPM
2008 total = 10284 km

Today's big news is that my new heart rate monitor strap arrived! I will be very careful not to put it in the washing machine in the future.

I forgot that I had a 5 o'clock commitment instead of the usual 6, so I spent a half an hour veging out watching youtube.com instead of riding. Therefore I didn't ride as much as I should have.

Anyway I warmed up by riding towards Toi then did the following intervals.
3 minutes at
180 BPM and
110 RPM followed by
5 minutes' recovery,
4 times.

During each interval my breathing was really heavy and I had a bit of heartburn, it was a bit uncomfortable. Need to eat more veggies! Been eating lots of rice and pasta and bread and muesli recently. That feels like the reason for it...

Road bike towards Toi.
Distance = 45 km
Bike time = 1hr 33min
Ride time = 1hr 35min
Avg speed = 30 km/hr
Max speed = 53 km/hr
Avg HR = 138 BPM
Max HR = 185 BPM
2008 total = 10233 km

After the ride yesterday I didn't get a really good rest, but slept deeply. It has been really humid in the last couple of weeks, I'm looking forward to it drying out, even thought it will be cooler.

Hiro and I met at 8 and rode slowly to Future Uni then along the hills to the day centre near the start of Hakodate Shindo. From there I did some intervals.
From a sprint start,
3 minutes at
185 - 190+ BPM and
110+ RPM followed by
5 minutes' recovery,
4 times.

These were not so long and I didn't do so many but crikey they hurt! Without a heart rate monitor I couldn't know my HR exactly but measured it to be about 190 BPM at the end of two of them.

Hiro did the same too. When we had finished we rode to Onuma but it was really hard for Hiro to ride strongly, he was still recovering from the intervals. And he got a flat tyre!

At Onuma, Hisanari joined us and we did a really fast 5 laps. That's 70km. We only stopped a couple of times to fill up the water bottles and I really enjoyed riding with Hiro and Hisanari. There were lots of other people riding or walking around the lake and it was fun watching them zoom past!

I was getting pretty tired at the end of the 5th lap, so after sprinting up the little hill, we cruised back to Hisanari's parents' place. Then we rode back to Hakodate, taking the hilliest course available! I felt really good, tired but still had energy. I know I should have started taking it easier before the Tour but I wanted to make up for last week's terrible Sunday, when I could only manage 42km or so.


Road bike to Onuma, 5 laps, home.
Distance = 154 km
Bike time = 5hr 10min
Ride time = 5hr 50min
Avg speed = 30 km/hr
Max speed = 75 km/hr
Avg HR = ??? BPM
Max HR = ??? BPM
2008 total = 10188 km

Yesterday it rained all of the morning and I had stuff to do in the afternoon so I didn't get to get on the bike.

This morning I met Hiro at 8, we rode steadily to Onuma and met Hisanari after doing a lap. We did two more laps together, the first nice and slow, the second a lot faster with a great surge for the second half.

We stopped to have a chat with Hisanari's parents, stopped to get some water, stopped to get some sports drink from my favourite shop (which has 15 varieties of Belgium beer at extremely reasonable prices...). I love Saturday rides! Finally we stopped at the wonderful organic cafe and had some tea and blueberry cake.

For all of the breaks it was a pretty good ride, we rode at a good pace and I was pretty tired when I got home. I wonder how I will feel tomorrow after another long hard ride with intervals?

In the late afternoon Michi and I went to Obachan's place and we picked most of the basil that we have been growing. It filled two shopping bags and after we chopped it into paste it filled two large cereal bowls. I'm really looking forward to eating the pesto sauce!

Road bike to Onuma, 3 laps, organic cafe, home.
Distance = 105 km
Bike time = 3hr 35min
Ride time = 5hr 00min
Avg speed = 30 km/hr
Max speed = 66 km/hr
Avg HR = ??? BPM
Max HR = ??? BPM
2008 total = 10034 km