Progress Log, Week 6: getting the miles in.

Here are the stats for week 6:

12/02/2013
9hr 18min cycling
143.2 miles
My weight: 182.5lb
Weekly weight loss/gain: -1.6 lb
21.6 lb to go. My weight goal is 160.9 lb

Thanks to the miles I'm doing, the weight is continuing to come off and if I'm honest, if I'd been a little more careful with what I eat/drink, the loss could have been greater. For variety, I thought I'd try an organised event, a local sportive.

Amis Velo Pre-Valantine's Day Sportive

Colchester-based club, Amis Velo held a sportive ride last Saturday, with a choice of 30, 45 or 60 mile routes. I plumped for the 45 mile route, as I wasn't sure what the course or general pace would be like and didn't want to enter a sufferfest so early on in the year. I needn't have worried: the route was a very pleasant rolling one through North Essex and parts of Suffolk, keeping off the main roads as far as possible and while there were many obviously fit club riders taking part, there were a wide range of groups riding at different speeds, so it was not difficult to find one riding at a comfortable pace.

Chillly start at Boxted Village Hall 

Accompanied by brother Antony and Matt, an old work colleague relatively new to this kind of event, we passed a very pleasant 3 1/2 hrs and 56 miles, including the rides to and from the start. My strategy was to take it easy on the hills and to push the pace a bit more on the downhills and flats, hitching lifts with slightly faster groups where possible, and it worked a treat. There's nothing worse than running out of juice towards the end of an event and having to grovel over the last few climbs, so I was pleased to finish with energy in reserve.

Credit to Amis Velo for hosting a well-organised and friendly event and the free cake and coffee at the end was marvellous. In fact I enjoyed it so much, I might do another one next weekend!

Gadget of the week: Garmin Edge 200 cycling computer

I've used the Garmin Edge 200 for over a year now and while it has been very good at what it does, I considered it pretty much a very slick conventional cycle computer, happily without the usual wires and sensors. It uses a GPS signal and is able to upload files to sites like Strava to review the ride data and see the course and elevation profiles. I hadn't realised, however, prior to last weekend's sportive, that it was possible to download a route map which I could then follow on screen and navigate my way around. It's much more primitive than a full sat nav, but for riding a specific course, it works perfectly, displaying an outline of the road to be followed, the shape of the outline being recognisable enough to distinguish which direction to take at junctions. If you get it wrong, it will beep at you as well. Simple and all you really need. Note to self: RTFM* in future!

* read the manual