Didn't really post anything about my saturday ride. Managed to get out, so although with the really cold weather and freezing winds I wasn't missing out on my only opportunity to ride with the guys this month!
https://www.strava.com/activities/1929700270
Good usual crew out with 1 extra, getting him trained up! 6 of us out so quite a good attendance considering the cold. Fairly plain route along mostly main roads, the first half into a headwind. I'd totally layered up - shorts, leg warmers & tights over the top! Didn't overheat apart from
a hill I smashed up on the way back in. Felt good to stretch the legs! With Matt out much of the ride was keeping the group together while he was doing long pulls on the front. Did some myself too and quite glad how my legs held out. Sustained power from towing the chariot must be helping me as I've got good stamina even without much base riding/volume.
I don’t want to get preachy but there is a lot of evidence to support the fact your gut needs a minimum of 12 hours doing nothing to repair itself and function properly. It takes discipline but it has made a massive difference for me - much improved sleep quality and energy levels for a start.
Oh I'm not saying there isn't and I certainly know very little about nutrition and the way the body works, much less about the optimised sport science side of things. I find it interesting, at the end of the day body weight is a huge part of cycling. But I also know we're all very individual, while also understanding my enjoyment of cycling doesn't stretch as far as drastically changing my eating habits to dictate my bodyweight. To think within the last 8 years I've gone from ~115kg and quite unfit to ~76kg and being relatively fit through my enjoyment of cycling (and a cleaner lifestyle) is enough for me. I can understand those who take it further, but at the moment that's not me, life is too busy and draining enough already!
Vegetarian for the past, I guess, 5 years now. Absolutely not the reason you always feel hungry
@Roady 
You cannot be vegetarian 4/5 days a week, you either are or you are not
<snip>
Haha I only say that because my other half is - I'm not. But I eat like a vegetarian for over half of the week as it's easier with mealtimes (quicker for those evenings we're time pressured). But that does probably mean more of a calorie deficit than I'm used to, coupled with some higher intensity rides (towing the chariot), just means that I'm hungry. Also explains that although I'm seriously down on mileage compared to the last few years) my weight hasn't really increased.
Ed Laverick who won Welsh HC champs and was vlogging all the time about leadup to the national HC at weekend posted a few worrying things IMO. Not eating bread at all for a month and posting pics etc of eating bags of salad etc. Just absolutely no reason to that and does not serve as a good source of perceived information to people who may be watching his content!
His blogging and whole season this year was towards HC's and the Nationals as the end of his 'season'. He was recovering from injuries from the previous season so wasn't part of the JLT race squad for much of 2018 while he recovered. His diet wasn't great, but mostly worked for him when he was concentrating on maintaining power:weight for those short HC efforts. So low weight probably more important than endurance. Race weight he'd be heavier and I dare say would have a much better diet!
He won though right?
Nope,
think he said he came 4th,
17 secs behind the winner. Said it wasn't a climb that suited him - wasn't long enough. Guess it favoured more of a power rider. 500W for 2.5 mins from him,
when longer climbs he was doing 400W for 10 mins+.
No. Far from it as he was ill and bent over a toilet the entire night before it apparently....
He didn't really explain what caused it did he? Didn't say he'd changed his diet etc, so it could well have been nerves!? Was the end race of his season after all. Still quite an impressive performance considering how much being sick will take out of a body on the extreme like his.
