Life In The Saddle

Autumn has well and truly arrived here in the UK, and for me that means three things: Trails, Travel and Cross-Training. What do all of these things have in common? They all often feature a pumping soundtrack... To be more specific: My autumn mountain biking means I spend more time exploring trails, but also more time washing down mucky bikes. My autumn travel this year, came in the form of a week-long, 700 mile exploration of Mallorca . Then, my autumn cross-training, has come about because of some recent medical tests , which suggest that resistance training, rowing and running could be of huge benefit to me. Whether it's washing down bikes, lifting weights, or relaxing after a Mediterranean century ride though, they're all activities that are often improved with a nice bit of background music. Enter the FUGOO Tough! FUGOO is an American brand, which has focussed all of its passion and enthusiasm for the great outdoors, into producing the ultimate portable Bluetooth s

Zinc and magnesium are two minerals that are vital to our day-to-day health, and also critical to endurance performance. Zinc plays a significant role in regulating healthy hormone levels within our blood stream. Magnesium is vital to the synthesis of protein, and to other reactions within the body's metabolic system, which ultimately provide energy to your muscles. A deficiency in either of the minerals could cause health issues and sub-optimal performance. In this blog post, I thought I'd talk through a few reasons why it might be useful to monitor, and perhaps supplement, your zinc and magnesium intake. Zinc – Vital to maintain normal testosterone levels  Zinc is found in every cell within your body, and after iron, it is probably the most important mineral. It is vital to your immune function, as well as your thyroid function and the maintenance of healthy hormone levels. After recent blood tests demonstrated that I showed some concerning deficiencies in Serum

Ride 1127 kilometres (700 miles) in seven days. Climb many Mallorca mountains. Finish with the 245 kilometre, 4500 metre ascent, TransTramuntana4500. The Mallorca1127 Challenge : my finale to the 2015 season. Day 7 - The TransTramuntana 4500 Finale! My 700+ mile week came to a close on Saturday, with the almighty TransTramuntana 4500 event. Including the ride to and from the start, it would be a 250km+ day, with 4500+ metres of ascent. One way to finish off the legs, before flying home! An early alarm, solo breakfast, and spin to the startline in the rising sun, saw start to another great Mallorca day. Lined up with 600 other participants, we prepared for the off… The race went from the gun. For the first hour or more, climbing to the top of Puig Major, I clung to the front group; eager not to be dropped, and left to ride the 235km route solo. When we began our descent to Sollér, our front group's early pace-setting became evident. The police were forced to neutralise

With under a week before I do a bit of island hopping, to Mallorca, I thought I'd share with you my ride plans for the Mallorca1127 week. For those that haven't read my first post in the Mallorca1127 series, have a read here . In essence though, I'm looking to ride 700 miles in seven days, including a finale ride in the TransTramuntana 4500 event . It is set to be a big week of exploring and climbing on the Mediterranean island! Day 1: The Mallorca167 Route I kick-start things with the little brother to the Mallorca312 route , a great event that I rode back in March. The Mallorca167 heads out from Playa de Muro, up to Porto de Pollenca, then takes in much of the Tramuntana mountain range, before heading back to base. It should provide a great first day in the saddle! Day 2: Sa Colobra and Cap Formentor On my second day, I plan to head out on a 164km route, to the famous dead-end climb of Sa Colobra. After ascending and descending the mountain, I'll then