Fat Girl Fit

Be fearlessly unapologetically you

Category: Cycling, Events, Fitness

Women V Cancer – Ride The Night

At the weekend I took part in the Women V Cancer Ride The Night 100km event. I have done this ride before as a ride angel, that you can read about here.

This time round I was gifted my place on the event and having taken part before I quickly accepted the opportunity again for such a great cause. Participants taking part challenge themselves to cycle either 50km or 100km through the night. The 50km point is by Buckingham Palace and if you finish there the organisers have put on coaches to return riders to Windsor Racecourse and lorries to take bikes back too – I have not done this before so cannot comment on this element of the event.

All fundraising from the event raises vital funds and awareness for Breast Cancer Now, Ovarian Cancer Action and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust.

The atmosphere is amazing and the effort people go to is amazing! You don’t have to, but a lot of people dress up, add to their cycling kit with all the pink things and lights – there are lots of lights and some truly superb outfits – even from the doggos!

I knew quite a few ladies who were doing this ride as ride angels so also want to take a moment to give them a shout out. Events like these rely on volunteers and having been a ride angel on this event myself, I know how crucial that role is to support those taking part. Plus look at those halos!

I knew a lady who was taking part in the ride solo and we had done some mountain biking together and also a couple of road rides so I offered to ride with her. She was fab and managed to finish within the first 10 riders back to the racecourse – super proud of her!

Highlights

Highlights for me are:

  • absolutely the atmosphere at all stages of the event, beforehand, during and after
  • in with your event entry you get a pink hi-vis waistcoat to wear and a ticket for the pasta party so you can carb up ahead of the event starting
  • in the event village there were food trucks, face painting, music, dancers, kit to purchase and photographers to capture it all
  • the support along the route and at the finish – you can tell how much this event means to so many and heading out to London there were so many people by the side of the road cheering too
  • in addition to event day there is a lot that the company do by way of support including emails with training tips and advice
  • there is a facebook group you can join where so many share stories, hints/tips/advice and support
  • the feed stops were amazing with everything you could have wanted included more support from the volunteers there
  • marshalls who were out for the duration of the event in the dark and cold but always had a cheer and kind word
  • when we got to the Mall it was closed off as the Westminster Mile was taking place the following day and so riding up that to ourselves was fab
  • there is such a huge mix of abilities taking part so people are returning over quite a long time period but the organisation to allow people to leave when they were ready and not disrupt those riders returning was very well thought out

Not So Highlights

There are a few negatives as follows:

  • there could have been more toilets in the event village – as always there are queues before events take place (that nervous wee) but with so many people taking part and just over a dozen portaloos it definitely could have done with more
  • we found a few stretches of the route where we were unsure if we had gone wrong or missed a sign but we would eventually come across one – this is super hard as the organisers cannot put signs up everywhere but we were not the only ones who wondered if they’d made an error
  • some of the signs were a little late with instruction ie you would be on the left in the cycle lane and it would have an arrow straight forward and then it would show right and there were more than one lane of traffic to get across in busy areas
  • there was one part of the route towards the end where you were directed down a side turn that appeared to be to a closed gate but actually you were turning right to get on a cycle path but by the time we realised we were at the bottom so had to get off bikes and bump up the pavement
  • absolutely nothing to do with the event but there was a lot of speed bumps, pot holes on some roads – the joy of riding in London!

If you are thinking of taking part as either a participant for the challenge or as a ride angel I would definitely recommend both having taken part now as both.

I was gifted my place at the event, but all opinions are my own.

Category: Cycling, Product Reviews, Van Life

Transporting Your Bike

Do you travel with your bike? I don’t necessarily mean abroad/by plan, however, I have written a post about travelling abroad with your bike that you can find here.

When it comes to travelling within the UK, or the same country that you live, there are many options to consider, and the below are some that I have experience of to share:

Roof Bars/Racks

For our old car we had the Thule roof bars added to transport our bikes on the roof of the car. For this you need both the roof bars and then also the bike bars. We upgraded when we changed to carbon bikes so swapped from the system that leaves both wheels on to the one where you remove the front and connect to the front fork mount as certain frame clamps are not recommended for carbon bikes.

Just don’t forget your bikes are on the roof and go under a height restriction – it happens!

Wheel Bag

When we moved to the front fork mount we got some wheel bags so that we can store the wheel safely inside the vehicle. These tend to be padded, have internal accessories pockets if needed, carry handle and for double wheel bags also have extra internal padding to protect the hubs.

Tow Bar Rack

For our camper van we decided to invest in a tow bar and Thule tow bar bike rack so that we could maximise space inside the vehicle for when travelling. We did need to get the tow bar added by a specialist and we do not leave on permanently. I would say this rack is heavy and can be a little awkward – it can definitely be a one man job but easier with two people!

Inside Rack

We found this rack advertised for storing your bikes inside your vehicle shortly after we purchased our camper van. We thought that this might make a good addition for when we were travelling with the bikes without an overnight stay and so didn’t need the space inside the van. This rack is from Bike Inside and is so easy to use – you literally extend to the right length, secure in place and connect your bike to the fork mounts. It is super easy to store and there are options for different lengths, adapters, extenders and other straps and accessories.

Thule Carrier

To go with the transportation, and this is an add on for the Thule tow bar bike rack mentioned above, we also invested in the Thule carrier and this is an awesome piece of kit! It attaches and locks onto the tow bar rack, is waterproof, lightweight, packs down when storing, and you can add a bike rack with this too.

Chuck It In

There was no fancy technical way of saying this, but let’s face it, we all do it and it is always an option to literally just put your bike in your vehicle! I know I still do sometimes. We have a connector in our camper van to tie the dog lead too and sometimes (minus the dog) I use this to literally put my bike in and secure with the dog lead. No judgement here – it works a treat!

Trains

There are of course booking tickets on trains for your bike, however, I have never (believe it or not) used this so cannot comment.

As you can see we are big fans of Thule items – they can be a bit of an investment but the quality is amazing and we’ve found their stuff lasts forever (maybe not literally forever but for a long time)!

How do you travel with your bike?

Category: Cycling

Winter Cycling Motivation

There is no doubt about it, someone as definitely left the freezer door open in recent weeks. It’s that time of the year where I wake up and despite all best intentions, I can head downstairs and see ice on the decking, plants, grass, cars and think right what’s the plan for today?

Winter Cycling Options

There are always options, here are mine:

  1. Stay in bed – I mean let’s face it that is always an option #justsaying.
  2. Gravel/MTB – take it off road, especially if you are cautious of road conditions during the winter months.
  3. Road cycle – some people have the luxury or a summer and winter bike (I am grateful that I do) so swapping bikes is an option, if not you may want to look at swapping tyres especially if you have slick or race summer tyres. Just because it is winter does not mean you cannot ride if the conditions are ok. It does, however, usually mean there is more cleaning/maintenance required just because of the conditions but remember if you look after your bike, it will look after you.
  4. Turbo trainer – if you have a turbo trainer then this can be a great option and means you can continue with training from the comfort of indoors!
  5. Strength training/Yoga – because not all bike training sees benefits from just being on the bike and the off bike work has many benefits in itself to compliment the on bike training.

How To Stay Motivated

There will always be barriers, but there are almost always solutions too:

  • It is too dark! Good lights and visible clothing make all the difference, charge before your ride so they are ready and good to go.
  • It is too cold! Layer up! There are some amazing kit choices out there. I cycled last weekend and it was 2 degrees so fair to say it was chilly! I wore thermal bib tights, base layer, winter cycling jacket, buff, winter cycling hat, full fingered gloves and toe covers. Despite the temperature I was absolutely fine whilst riding – naturally any stopping time is when you can feel the cold more but layers that wick the sweat are great for these conditions.
  • I don’t want to go out! If you have a turbo trainer this is an option, there are may plans online if you are using certain programmes ie I use Zwift and there are many plans available including Active Off Season which is geared towards maintaining fitness during the off season/winter months by providing some structured sessions.
  • Do I need to? Make a note of what your goals are and what you need to do to maintain fitness or initiate the build phase. Having your focus goal in mind helps put in the necessary structure required at that time.
  • Don’t put too much pressure on yourself! This is easier said than done but there is no need to start the year thinking I have a century ride to do in six months time and so I should be doing that sort of mileage beginning of January – doing too much too soon could have a negative impact if you have not trained to build to that stage.
  • I’m too tired! Listen to your body – winter months are the time of year with more cold/flu bugs going round, and in addition to this Covid is still around, so if you feel low on energy or fatigued then pushing yourself too much is not productive. I mentioned above about strength training and yoga so you could use the opportunity to switch things up.
  • I want company! See if you can rope in a fellow cycling friend to join you – I do and makes a lot of difference. With the right clothing once you are out you will enjoy the ride and be glad you went.

I do have another blog post about winter cycling specifically around kit choices and bike set up changes that you can find here.

Category: Cycling

Zwift Racing Training Plan

I recently wrote a post about how I had completed my first season with the amazing ladies e-racing team, Aeonian, that you can read here. Following this there were so many learnings and I wanted to develop that ahead of the next league so I signed up to the Zwift Racing training plan.

This will be the third training plan I have completed with Zwift and so far I have found them all useful so would definitely recommend if there are specific objectives/goals you have and a training plan that would facilitate that.

What Is This Plan?

Zwift website explains this training plan as follows:

‘The Zwift Racing plan will prepare you for all types of Zwift races, particularly longer or hilly courses. There are even race simulations based on popular routes in Watopia, London, New York, and Crit City. On easier days, you’ll do cadence work to help get your legs ready for anything.

This plan was designed for beginner and intermediate Zwifters, but any racer can benefit from the workouts – especially if you have trouble with those fast race starts!’

As it explains, the sessions largely simulate races and whilst good they certainly take their toll! As all the plans, the intervals work off your FTP, and it is a race so expect a lot of hard efforts – there is a lot of red in some of the sessions!

There are also some easier sessions that focus on cadence, which I use for training so am very familiar with that. I actually wrote a blog post on the subject of my training with cadence that you can read here.

What’s Involved?

The course is 7 weeks long and has a total of 27 workouts, although I will admit I did not complete all as I swapped some out for actual races and for an endurance ride I had planned.

There is a lot of commentary on the sessions where you are given prompts to how races on the various courses can be ie where there may be an attack or the group likely to split, giving hints and tips as to how you should ride to try and stay with the group.

The sessions are named by the courses so you know what session relates to what Zwift course, including the number of laps that you should expect in the race and the session simulates.

The quick starts are included and are always a shock to the system but valuable for the races as I have experienced they are full on right from the start so good to practice the need for quick power!

My Thoughts…

I would definitely recommend this training plan if you are interested in Zwift racing. Before I joined Aeonian, I was oblivious to the many tactics involved in e-racing and the team have been so helpful in sharing knowledge and tips but having the plan added to that in my training also.

I did sadly get Covid whilst in the middle of this plan and whilst my symptoms were super mild with just a sore throat, I did see a noticeable difference in my energy levels and some sessions definitely felt harder than they should have been!

It also transitioned nicely from the end of the plan to the next league in Zwift racing, so now time to put what I have learned to the test!

Category: Cycling

100 Miles on a Turbo Trainer

When your work gives you the day off, your husband is working and the weather is rubbish, what should you do? Well I had the brilliant brainwave to jump on the turbo trainer and complete one of the long badge routes.

I got everything ready the night before, had my kit laid out and early alarm set. When I got up I packed all the nutrition in a Tesco bag (classy) and headed down to our gym to get started.

About The Route

I was doing The PRL Full route, which was 174km with 2,496m of climbing and it would get me the route badge and the bonus badge for riding 100 miles in a single ride.

I really want to say this was a great route but it wasn’t. Not trying to be overly negative but 11 laps of the London Loop including the Box Hill climb was pretty boring pretty quickly.

  • Lap 1 – went pretty quickly and I got a PR on the route
  • Lap 2 – I started to realise that this was going to get boring pretty quickly
  • Lap 3 – I had decided that I would get off the bike and eat some sandwich, which I did
  • Lap 4 and 5 – I was already super bored and all I could think was that I was not even halfway through
  • Lap 6 and 7 – getting past the halfway mark should have made it easier but all I could think was how many laps were left
  • Lap 8, 9, 10 – I got off the bike after every lap, I had to both physically and mentally

My Nutrition

Knowing that it was going to be a long day in the saddle I wanted to fuel with real food rather than just ‘bike/sports fuel’. Here is what I consumed:

I have tried and tested Torq for several years now so I know that it works for me. I also still giggle at a bottle of Coke that Performance Chef, Alan Murchison, refers to as red ambulance and so figured having a bottle handy would be a good idea.

What I Learned

Here’s the list:

  • The Prudential Full in real life is 100 miles. I operate in miles and so when the route finished at 108 miles, let me tell you those extra 8 miles count!
  • A spare change of bib shorts was a great idea!
  • My Premax warm up cream and chamois cream was amazing, as was the recovery cream post ride.
  • My Mimic saddle was brilliant!
  • My Wahoo Kickr was brilliant!
  • Laps were, as expected, dull and boring.
  • Having something to watch for the duration was a necessity to help with the boredom.
  • My power went down slowly and each lap gradually took longer and varied from the start to the finish by 16 minutes, which is quite a lot.
  • I finished putting out less power than I would on a warm up interval and it took everything I had.
  • I run Zwift through Apple TV and twice I got a notification from the TV as it was on for so long prompting it to turn off that I had to override – total judgement from the TV!
  • I put on gloves after lap 8 as the palms of my hands hurt from leaning on the handlebars (core work needed).
  • Getting off the bike several times, changing and walking around meant it took much longer than I originally thought but was needed.
  • Whatever way you put it that distance on a turbo trainer has a lack of natural movement and is tough.
  • My turbo fan is my best friend.

It sounds quite negative and that is not intentional but I am pleased that it is done and dusted and that I will not have to do it again! I am pretty proud of myself for having the mental strength to get it done, as it would have been so easy to bail.

For those of you that have done the route already – kudos! For those who are planning on doing it – good luck! And yes the pic in the post is clearly not from the session but honestly the last thing on my mind at the end was taking a photo.

Just two route badges left for me to complete – but not just yet ha ha!

Category: Cycling, Events, Fitness

A little 2021 Roundup

Not to sound like a broken record as I realise I added a round up at the end of last year, but it got me looking back at the year and you know what? Yes, there may have been fewer events but I had a blast!

2021 Events

As expected, most events were cancelled, rescheduled of postponed until next year, but I did complete:

  • Virtual Vatternrundan 315km (not the same as being out through the night in Sweden sadly – but I will be going back 2022 with all my fingers and toes crossed)
  • Ride Essex Dirty 58 miles off road

2021 Cycling Highlights

Looking back I was surprised that I have done pretty much an equal amount of road riding as I have off road. Considering I only got my first ever MTB towards the end of last year I am loving it! However, despite lack of events I wanted to maintain my training and have completed the following:

  • Women’s 30 day Cycling Challenge
  • I joined Aeonian E-Race Team and started racing in the virtual world
  • Breeze Champion for both road and off road rides as I was part of the inaugural Into The Forest champions to qualify and have led a few rides off road already this year
  • Level 2 British Cycling Coach qualification
  • British Cycling Trainee Commissaire qualification
  • 100 Women In Cycling award from Cycling UK
  • First try at bike packing on part of King Alfred’s Way and looking forward to more!

Other 2021 Highlights

I have had so many weekends away in the campervan and don’t think I will ever get tired of that. The flexibility of working mostly from home has meant I can balance the work/life balance so much easier.

I did finish the year with Covid but super mild symptom of a sore throat only so can’t complain.

I have my 2022 events set so I am hoping everything goes to plan and these continue to be in real life events.

On a more positive note, I will be going into 2022 as my third year as a Foher ambassador, which I am very excited about!

Category: Cycling

Cycling Christmas Gift List

Remember being a kid and checking through the Argos catalogue to list what you wanted to ask Father Christmas for? When I had a child my parents did the same, as a grandparent’s prerogative I was told. I remember one day picking up our son from being babysat and he proudly announced that he had started his Christmas list but instead of being a few items it was more like the whole of page 24 from the toy section! I am a bit like this when shopping for cycling kit – I want it all!

I am lucky to be supported by Evans Cycles this year and so I have spent a lot of time going through their website admiring all the things!

Top 5 Items (that could fit in a Christmas stocking!)

  1. Hiplok Z Lock Combo – £19.99 – if you are like me there are often cafe stops mid ride and these locks are nice an compact to fit inside a jersey/jacket pocket to take with you on a ride and use when stopping to make sure your pride and joy is safe and secure.
  2. Endura Merino Neck Warmer – £16.99 – I am a huge fan of a buff/neck warmer as they are easy to carry and can be used multiple ways.
  3. Bontrager Flare Front/Rear Light Set – £59.99 – this time of year more than ever it is essential to ensure you are safe and seen and you can never have too many lights!
  4. Topeak Survival Gear Box – £27.99 – you may have tools, you may prefer to use a mechanic for your needs but this is a handy little box to have with the main essentials for basic bike maintenance.
  5. Kalf Phone Case – £12.00 – I always cycle with my phone and a bank card in a phone case and this is such a handy little stocking filler too!

In addition to the above I am looking to get creative with a pair of cycling shoes and found these Pinnacle road shoes that I am going to plan on customising in some way – ideas always welcome! Also have a pair up for grabs so if you head over to my instagram you can see how you could win a pair.

And just in case anyone is feeling particularly generous or wants to know what would be on my Christmas list if I could pick anything cycling related, then it would be this stunner of a bike (husband hint hint):

Specialized Aethos Pro
Category: Cycling

My First Season/League E-Racing

One of my closest friends races. We cycle a lot together and know that one can count on the other when there’s a stupid idea being raised and the other wants company. We are generally responding as ‘are you mad? count me in’. I like friends like that.

When she was trying to encourage me to join a team to race on Zwift I would smile and nod but had no intention of trying it. However, I have seen her go from strength to strength with her cycling and she had joined a team that she spoke so highly of. So I joined.

The team I joined is Aeonian Race Team and I am so pleased! The season has just finished and I have definitely caught the bug from these ladies!

The Initial Set Up

I have written a post previously about my set up at home that you can read here. I was racing in the Zwift Racing League with my team, Aeonian Divas, and to take part you have to have:

  • Register a Zwift Power account – you will need to have completed 3 races in order for your category to be accurately worked out. The categories are based on your FTP and average power held from previous results.
  • Register a WTRL account – this is where the team is registered for the Zwift Racing League, categories are selected and time zone you are registered to race in. You can see results and league tables here for both the team and individual riders.
  • Equipment that transmits power data – I use a Wahoo Kickr smart trainer that has a built in power meter and cadence sensor.
  • Wearing a heart rate monitor – this is mandatory for category A but the use of this with power provides more accurate data but you will lose 50% of your points if no heart rate data is transmitted during racing.

What Was Involved

  • 1 race per week that have to have a minimum of 4 riders take part or the team will be disqualified
  • 8 events in total that included 2 team time trials and 6 races
  • Points are scored from FAL (first across the line on segments and overall) and FTS (fastest timed sprint on segments)
  • TTT (team time trial) can have up to 6 riders and 4 have to finish
  • Our team captain would receive all details each week and circulate the race pass to sign up to the events
  • Ensuring height and weight is updated weekly if needed

Full rules and regulations can be found here if you are interested in reading more.

What I Learned

  • There are so many tactics!
  • Drafting and riding in a line is more difficult than you would imagine in the virtual world
  • Just when you think you are nailing drafting with a team Zwift changes the set up and it’s like starting again
  • Listen to your team mates and their advice from previous racing as they know what they are talking about!
  • Despite it being a race you need to play to your strengths and remember you are part of a team so you may focus on segments, sprints, or finishing positions.
  • Having a DS (directeur sportif) is so useful – they can see overall where you are and provide advice, especially in the TTT where they can inform if gaps are forming or you are approaching teams to overtake.
  • Bike choice can make a huge difference depending on the course.
  • When you are awarded a power-up use them wisely (and don’t leave your apple tv remote out of reach as I did on my first ride so unable to activate the power ups during the race).
  • Find a team that are encouraging and supportive as I did – it makes all the difference! Aeonian have 69 ladies spread across all categories and collectively they represent 20 countries worldwide.

I am looking forward to continuing with racing and have set this as a winter goal of mine so I don’t lose everything I have learned!

Category: Cycling, Fitness

My Winter/Off Season Goals

Do you ever make winter/off season goals for yourself? I can’t say I do but this year I am changing that.

Like everyone else the recent year (and some) have meant events have been cancelled/rescheduled and that as afforded me the luxury of being able to do as much or as little as I want in terms of training. That is a huge bonus, however, there are some downsides and as I am looking at events for 2022 I was looking at areas to focus on in the coming months so have set myself some goals.

E-Racing

I don’t really have race mentality. I like to see celebrate success in others as well as myself but this year I joined Aeonian Race Team. This team are the most amazing bunch of ladies – super encouraging, supportive, helpful and they really empower each other.

Taking part in races has really thrown my out of my comfort zone but I can see the benefits already and it is something I am keen to continue with. So in some way shape or form I will continue with the racing and to push myself.

Climbing (On The Bike That Is)

I am not a climber. I can get up the hills but I am a lot slower than most others. I find if I ride in a group I set off trying to keep with others and pretty quickly suffer the consequence. It is something I noticed with the racing also, that I would inspect the routes and mentally be stressed in advance knowing if it was a hilly course I was likely to bring very little to the team.

I have a great set up at home so can use Zwift to help with this also. I will just let my husband know in advance when I am likely to be doing these sessions as I am a pretty grumpy climber also.

Weight(s) – Mine & Lifting

Yup that thing you are not supposed to say anymore as it is a bit of a taboo subject – I wrote a whole blog piece on this that you can find here. But for the coming months I want to drop weight – this will help with both of the above goals and quite honestly I am not comfortable with where I am right now so want to do something about it.

I am certain I had this as a goal previously but then life got flip turned upside down (see what I did there?) and it was not so much of a focus and Covid saw so many banana breads it was hard (but so good)!

Consistency With Strength Work

I have done many courses of different bootcamps, body transformations, strength work and none of them bad whatsoever, but I find then the next thing comes along and my focus might change and then before I know it I have not done strength work in several months on a consistent basis.

I will be taking this back to basics to have a regular workout – I don’t like to ignore strength work and have seen first hand, for me, how this has improved my health and fitness.

Tick Off Some More Zwift Routes

Like many other people I have been steadily working my way through the list of routes on Zwift. Every time I think I am getting closer there seems to be an extension (which I am not moaning about) and more routes get added. So looking forward to the new 8 Makuri Islands Neokyo routes and ticking those off and some of the longer ones that are left on my list too.

MTB Fun

There has to be fun as well right? I love the MTB and just making the ride up as I go. Winter season is generally slosh season and I am not a fan but for winter months need to suck it up and work on that.

Do you set winter/off season goals? If so what are they?