last post of 2012

This past season has been fantastic. I would just like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have helped me out this year. Especially the team and the Dave Rayner Fund. This year I have learnt so much and had a great experience thanks to them.
  My next blog entry will be the start of 2013 as now I'm rest till then. So see you in 2013 and thanks for reading.

    The past couple of weeks has pretty busy, with trips to Tuscany and other parts of Italy for races. Its been a long season, starting in February and now there are only five weeks left. It's mainly flown by with all the important races I've been fortunate enough to do, but now these last couple of weeks are dragging. I have got all my training programs for gym work and on the bike for winter when I get back to England. Thankfully it's all nice and easy until I return back to Italy in January to start the speed work.
   Good news is that when the season finishes I might actually be able to see some sites of Italy as I've booked a trip to Rome for a couple of days with a mate of mine from England.
   My plan was to have a good last month , but now I have a virus. So for the last month or so I'm just going to take it as it comes and then a whole month off... woooo.
    This has been a great year of racing. I was told that this year was only to be used as experience. Considering that I have do better than my expectations. I'm 21 next year so it;s the start of the make it or break it year's. Counting the ends for this season to end, but counting the days for next season to begin.

Capodarco

   The past 10 day have just been racing and laying about. The most important race I did was the Gran Premio Capodarco, which is comes with the fraze, Who ever wins Capodarco become a professional. It was certainly one of the hardest race I've done.
The other races have been a mixture of international and national race dotted around the country.
  I have now started this new diet which isn't a whole lot of fun, but I guess you have to do it in this sport. It all depends on what I'm doing jurring the day for what I can eat. If I got out to do hard training breakfast consists of a caffe latte, one glass of fruit juice and a slice of toast, then take food on the ride. For lunch mainly carbs with a bit of protien, yogut in the afternoon or fruit, then for dinner protien with veg or salad. When I do nothing breakfast is coffe or tea with a glass of fruit juice and fruit and yogut to eat and maybe a small slice of toast if im still hungry. Lunch is an even mix of carbs and protien, then dinner is protien, with veg or salad again. I'm dying for some chocolate....
  Now I have atleast a week without a race so its just rest for abit now.

new news

  In the past two week life has been pretty quite here in Italy. Obviously I have sent most my time training, but have the Olympics to watch in the afternoon has keep preoccupied as well. Training these days mainly consists of one day a bit fast, then the rest just getting hours in on the bike.
  Racing has been on a Sunday, so Monday has been a rest day. Gives me a chance to recover from racing, and now since there are no more stage races, there's no need to go out on the bike. I spend the more lying in and doing hour and a half of gym work. The afternoon is sent in the sun at the bar.
  Tuesday is about 130km training with a couple of hills done at max heart rate minus 15. Usually on a Tuesday I try and cook something from Jamie Oliver or try to cook something new. Then head of to the piazza.
Wednesday is a late start with an hour and a half of gym work done before I go out on the bike. Then 90km done on the bike nice and easy. Wednesday just normal cooking because frankly, can't be arsed.
  Thursday is the distance day. nice 5/6 hours on the bike. After that there's not much of the day left so I slumber of to the piazza again with my mates.
 Friday is a rest day so in the morning I do another hour and a half of gym work, then I try and clean the house. I would like to say I clean the house every Friday but I don't.
Saturday I'm now trying 3hours30mins, as I seem to go better in stage races so trying a bit more the day before a race to see if it changes anything. Generally get 90km in with a hill.
 Sunday is race day. The past races it.s been going well with gaining experience and getting stronger.
The next couple of week got quite a few races coming up so I will keep you formed, also new diet is kicking in so i'll tell all in the next blog entry.

In the past two weeks I've have been trying to get a bit of form back, which isn't easy. I've been slowly getting it back though and have now been selected to do another stage race. This means I get my first experience of a team TT, which is a lot harder than you think. It's a short stage race of only 4 days but apparently it's hard, but should be good fun. Cycling still going well in general as well but these days with it being 40 degrees it means early start.

On the other hand my cooking has got a lot better with me whipping out a Jamie Oliver recipe every other day. Apart from that not alot really has happend. just a lot of nights at the bar and afternoon eating ice cream.

This week has been another week with little training. Now its started to be about 40degrees on a daily bases the hours of training come down and it just racing, then recover. Most of the time its been a mixture of gym work and going out for three hours, with one day of distance training. Wednesday was a good 5 hours on the bike.

starting training

This week finally started training again after a nice rest week. On Tuesday manage about 120km with hills done at max minus ten. Before I went out on the bike I tried the new gym routine, nice hour and abit before training doing exercises on the gym ball. Found it much better...
Wednesday a nice 3 hours nice and easy without any hills, Makes a change. Managed to get about 80km in after a lazy morning but still doing the gym exercises. Thuraday managed 160km with a 10km hill, but since we started early could be arsed to do the gym exercises. But the main thing on Thursday was Italy V Germany. It was a great game and afterwards went to San Benedetto to celabrate. Today has be a rest day, waking up late, doing gym excerises, going for a massage, and then clearning the house. Im starting to become a bit of a clean freak now.
Also about three times a week I've been cooking a Jamie Oliver recipe, mainly to try and learn how to cook, and to get new ideas because I've ran out. Cant follow them to the letter because some of them are proper fatty so I have to interpretate then which working 80% of the time, have made a few mistakes.
.......Anyway tomorrow gym and 40km and then Sunday of to Tuscany to race, just hope I dont hit a tree this time.

rest week

Frankly this week has just been taking it easy and getting adapted to the heat which has come along. Every day this week I have pretty much done the same thing. Get up at 7, do an hour of core excises etc, get 4 hour easy riding in, and go to the beach. Just a week of recovery for the baby giro really. Fortunately now its hot no one seems to stay in so I have plenty to do on a night. This week the has been a five a side tournament near me so I've been watching most night.. its better than you think.

stages

Sorry its been so long but I' ve been a bit busy.
The Baby Giro has been one of the best experiences I have had. Racing at a world class level for the stages I've done has been amazing....
The first stage of 150km went right past my house and was a nice break in with a 7km hill and a 5km hill. Helping out team mates and finishing with the first group was the aim of the day, and it went well.
The second stage of a 75km crit was too nice but I didn't get dropped.

The third stage along the beach was the TT. Finally manage to use Garzelli's TTbike and it flew, just a shame I messed up every corner....
The forth stage was the long one. 212km with 4 7-9km climbs all at 10%. I surprised myself that day and alot of others. I finished with the leaders. Killed myself doing it but I was pretty happy with what I'd done, and so was my director of sport.
The fifth stage was one of the hard ones.180km with 1 10km climb and at the end a 16km climb, and the bit in between was just up and down all day.
The sixth stage was 160km with the first bit of gravel roads, 4 bit to be exact. This day didn't go well. I manage to finish in a group but not the first one, and a team mate arrived out of maximum time.
Finally a rest day, but don't see how 80km was a rest day.
 the seventh stage. It ended up that this was the worst stage yet. 160km with another bit of gravel road. Unfortunately on the gravel road I punched twice and had to wait 2mins for the team car. Then afterwards going down hill the bike gave away and I hit a tree head first, didn't even hit the road. Ended up waking up in the bike of the ambulance with a light in my eye and a neck brace on......Baby Giro Over...but shit happens, I'm only 20 got another two years yet at under 23.

getting towards the giro

After a hard week of training and finishing the prep for the baby giro the race on Sunday went well. I was my first international race with the astana and katusha delletanti teams turning up. Today the TT bikes turned up and it looks pretty good just got to have the legs to use it. Tomorrow a nice easy day then Wednesday I leave to start the giro. First stage Friday....

end of may

Tried one of the stages of the Baby Giro the other day. All it consists of is uphill and downhill, and when we did training on it, hailstones. Sunday  manage a to get in 160km in with the lads with another 15km hill, this is getting tedious. After all them kilometers I was aloud a big ice cream and finally a trip to the beach, hopefully first of many.
Monday got in two hours nice and easy in the morning. Spent most the afternoon sitting in the sun with another ice cream and getting a massage. But I also did finally manage to clean the house, and get 1hour of gym work in.
Yesterday manage 150km in with another 15km hill. Got back about 2.30 so there wasnt much left of the day so spent it watching TV lying dead on my bed.
Today manage 3hours going slow. I was planned to do sprints but frankly theres no way, espescially considering the fiver hours I have to do tomorrow.

Training Training Training

Tuseday, 4 and a half hours with a 16km hill on a slightly cold day. Spent the afternoon falling in and out of sleep at the bar with an ice cream in my hand. Wednesday, 3 hours with sprints from behind the car and a couple from a standing start. Its only 3 hours and its not constent riding but its a bloody pain in the arse. Thursday, 7 hours and a 14km hill. Wasnt the best day my legs where still abit stiff from wednesday, but needs must....
Today a nice two hours on the bike a bit of gym work and a massage. Tomorrow an early start as we are going to ride one of the stages of the GiroBio, just to have a look at the hell i'll be going through in two weeks time.

Last Game Of The Season

Saturdays race was a good one, 180km of a sprinters paradise. After 120km I went with the break which seemed to be the good one. There was 30 in the break, me and one team mate where there. It all got pulled back together with only 20km from the finish and ended up as a group sprint. Spent the night recovering with a beer and the champions league final...what a game.

Yesterday a nice two hours turning the legs over. The afternoon was spent watching a local siera b team win the last game of the season....ASCOLI...


Today a nive 3hours on the bike with a few hills and a afternoon of gym work and ice cream. The next couple of days are looking like hard training. Tomorrow 130km with a 20km hill and all this week is training for the Baby Giro...cant wait.

Yesterday manage only 110km with the lads but we did a 10km hill pretty much just trying to drop each other. So long for recovery, and only a measly 100gms of pasta and veg for lunch. Saying that a T-bone stake and a salad on the night soon sore the legs recover. Spent the afternoon doing core exercises and at the bar with a mate.
Today got 130km in with some of the lads, but then it started raining so we came home. Managed a 7km hill which wasnt too much fun. A three Banana and protien milk shake for lunch went down nicely. Fortunetly tomorrow got a rest day, might have my first lie in for about a month. the weather is windy and cold so no beach volly ball just yet but its getting there, so it might just have to be some gym work.  Friday got about 60km in the morning, then got to find something to do for the afternoon.
Saturdays race is a nice 160km flat race and then suday if im still standing its a 180km hilly one....fun

Sundays race was a wet windy and cold 140km. Did feel so good during the race, maybe all the training for the Giro was abit much this week. Fortunetly this week im not doing so much, so its should go better for the next race on Saturday.
Yesterday I managed to find the only good chinese resturante in Italy, that I've tried so far.Apart from that not much really happend on a wet monday.

Tuesday 4hours with a 20km hill, Wednesday sprints from behind the car moto pacing, today 5hour15 with a 7km hill and 20km hill, tomorrow 3hours with a 7km hill then a bit of moto pacing, Saturday 2hours slow, then race. Booom, i'll be lucky if I can walk next week.
Starting to get towards summer now, my tan lines are well set in and after today im a red robyn at the moment.... This week havent really been arsed to do any gym work just bits here and there, probs will get some in tomorrow.

Fridays race went well considering it had been two weeks since my last one. Now training for the baby giro, tomorrow two 20km hills and the same on thursday....cant wait lol. Had a good weekends training, on saturday 3.30 hours and sunday 4.30, had to do it by myself like since the other guys where stil racing. gym work has been going well, finally managed 800 stomach crunches on saturday and going to try the same this week. Other than that went to the cinema to watch Avengers, went for a pizza, and went to in Sam Benedetto.

Past couple of weeks recovering a little have be ok but two weeks without a race is killing me. Friday is the next one, not sure how it will go after going slow for abit. Next week start the trianing for the baby Giro, can't wait, its still more than a month away, but still. Think the main aim is just to finish the thing, should be a great expierence though.
The other day had a good catch up with Jon batman and Craig Anderson, who are over at il sasso for a few weeks. Just good to have a bit of northen banter, and a pizza. Anyway finaly starting to get to beach weather so can't wait to try and get rid of these stupid tan lines and pratice some volly ball.

So far after my cold I've been giving 3hours nice and easy to do, to rest up abit and to get myself ready as its looking more likely i'll be doing the baby giro. Cant say I mind, a nice sunny bike ride in the morning then going out in the afternoon and gym work. Gym work is mainly trying to do as many abdominal workouts as I can, and then the rest. Had a good weekend going out with my mates in San Benedetto and watching the last of the football....next race is friday..i think...so will see how it goes.

Finally starting to feel better after my cold, been out on the bike this morning for two hours in the sun and now got the hole afternoon to spend at the bar. The past couple of days watching flims and playing on the xbox have dragged for so long with it been raining and my cold. Anyway it gave me time to try and fine a new hobby as this year I've found that since my hobby has now become my job, I now need to find something to do with my spare time appart from spending time with my mate and playing xbox. Not found anything, but today is said to be the start of summer so now its beach time so I doubt i'll have alot of spare time anyway....

Yesterday was a nice rest day with 1 and a half hours of gym work, shame it was pissing down but watching films and playing xbox all day isnt so bad....
This morning couldnt tell if I had the start of a cold or my hay fiver was playing up. Found out pretty soon when I went out with the lads to do some sprints and a hill flat out....got a cold. 3hours this morning with all that wasnt fun, and im giving tomorrows 5hour ride with 4 hills a miss like. Looks like a Sunday in bed, smacked out my head on Vitamin C, and covered in tissues watching shit TV....

This morning been out with the lads for five hours on the bike. We did a few cheeky 7 km climbs and 160km overall. Had my massage this afternoon and now time to do two hours of gym work....busy day....anyway got to go to a birthday meal tonight so not all bad.

well yesterdays race had more hills in it than I thought, but still its the first time I've finished one of these races comfortable, So not a bad trip to Tuscany..
Now dont have a race till next Tuseday, so today I've pissed around on a bike for two hours done a bit of gym work, lost every game on FIFA and now time to go to for drink with the lads.....

Yesterday wasnt the race I thought it was. Instead it was 130km crit pretty much, no worries one of the team won so well done to, Gian Marco Di Francesco how was first, Graziano Di Luca 3rd and Davide Censori 8th.
Anyway today a nice rest day, got 30km in and now ready to go to Tuscany tomorrow for another race.

Today in Italy its been pissing down all day so im resting as its ment to piss down tomorrow when I have to race up north in Emilta Romangna. Still looking forward to a 160km race with a few hills though.
Managed to finaly get myself an Xbox but then I've quicky found out how shit I am at playing FIFA so spent the afternoon in the bar...cant wait for the sun to come out so I can fianly got to the beach on my days off...