This weeks training - a tale of split personality & substance abuse

This week winter arrived like an unwelcome guest on the doorstep with its bags all ready for a long stay. Peering out of the curtains on Monday morning we had snow on the ground and a grim looking sky, so I decided this week I'd give the road bike a well earned rest and use my mountain bike. In the end we were lucky as Scotland got the worst of it, but we had our fair share of rain, sleet and snow.

"by eck it's cowd owt tha naws" - as they say in Derbyshire

I have to say it is quite tough to get yourself motivated when its dark and cold and it's pouring down outside. I have a sort of schizophrenic mental battle some mornings. I look at the car and get a nice warm feeling. Then I think hmmm that's not going to get me 1000 miles to John o'Groats.... But just one day in the car won't hurt?????.... Come on Brian its only weather, get on your bike.... Yes but I can put the heater on in the car and have the stereo on, precious!!!!..... No, I'm going on the bike and there's nothing you can do about it......Oh yes I can, precious says get your keys and get in your car.......NO NO NO I'm going on the bike....AARRGH!...Gollum, Gollum.

I need to sack my stylist

I went on the bike btw

I've been trying out a secret potion to help me with my training. Actually its not a secret at all. I don't know if you have been watching any of the 'Great British Food Revival' series? Well every week they have a couple of well known chefs extolling the benefits of a particular British food that has lost favour with the British public. It's really interesting and just shows how we have lost touch with the traditions of homegrown produce. I think it is a great advert for British food and makes you realise how important it is to consider where we buy our food from. Anyway I'm digressing!
One week Antonio Carlucci, who is some famous Italian bloke according to Rosemary and who loves British food apparently, was preaching the virtues of the sadly maligned beetroot. He showed us fantastic ways to cook and prepare an amazing variety of beetroots I never knew existed. It all looked delicious. During the programme he visited Exeter University where they have a superb sports nutrition lab. They were testing super concentrated beetroot juice on athletes and had concluded that beetroot has serious stamina enhancing properties. It is to do with the naturally high levels of nitrates in beetroot. When digested it is converted into nitric oxide, which is well known for assisting in building your stamina levels.
Apparently cycling teams, premiership footballers, rugby clubs and sports teams around the world are now using beetroot juice shots to help in training. So I thought, if it can help pro athletes, it's got to be able to help the useless lump of lard that is me. I bought a months supply!

Beetroot shots.....Turns your wee pink :)

I've been on it nearly a week and I am not sure if it's made any difference yet. It's hard to tell. So I decided to video my ride to work on Friday to see if I could see any marked difference to my speed. What do you think?

I think I'm gonna have to get better brakes
(track - Ace of Spades - Motorhead available on iTunes)

My Mega raffle is being drawn on Monday 19th Dec. Nick Craig has very kindly agreed to make the draw. So if you would like some tickets please get in touch this week (details at the top of the home page)

Or if you would like to make a donation you can click on the this link Justgiving