Life In The Saddle

Over the last few years, I have restarted running. Not Forrest Gump style—with hour upon hour spent pounding pavement; but rather the occasional trail run of between 5 to 15 kilometres in length. I have noticed several benefits from building multi-sport cross-training into my routine and lifestyle; both for cycling performance and sporting enjoyment. Does running help your cycling? I believe it does—it opens new doors, it strengthens muscles, and it increases variety. Muscle Strength and Conditioning The first notable benefit is improved muscle strength and a more rounded muscle profile. If you are a dedicated cyclist, you will have built up your cycling specific muscle groups; the problem is you may have neglected the other muscle groups in your body in the process. Secondary 'non-cycling' muscle groups play a key supporting role—they stabilise movement. If you neglect building up these muscles, then you increase the risk of injury. By cross-training through other ...

Life is short; and the wild is a vast and beautiful place. Bicycles have allowed me to explore and embrace many new wild places and adventures; but this year I came to the realisation that I should also turn to some new exciting sports – to widen my wild horizons. Open water swimming is my most recent endeavour… Living on an island has always given me a fond association with the sea and open water. I was never much of a swimmer and never liked the confinement of swimming pools, but I have always been a keen sailor and sea kayaker. Now, living just a stone's throw from the beach, I decided that open water swimming could present a great cross-training sport. With the cycling season coming to a close in autumn, I knew that if I was to dive into the world of open water wild swims, I would need some kit – namely a good swimming wetsuit, and protection for my extremities. I opted for the great value Zone3 Vision Wetsuit , wetsuit booties , and wetsuit gloves . Kitted up… I headed...

Life is nothing if not a series of challenges. Challenge keeps you alive and kicking: pushing boundaries and training hard, so you can kick down doors that would otherwise be left firmly shut. One of the hardest parts of a challenge though, is gauging where to set the bar. Too high, and you won't achieve. Too low, and it isn't truly a challenge. The #WildWight was an adventure challenge of a new kind; for both myself, and for my trek buddy Fraser. It was ambitious… 114 kilometres of fast walking over two days, with a lot of elevation. I have done long treks, but nothing quite to this level. It was achievable, but unfortunately on this attempt it proved to be a bar too high… We began at 06:30 at Ryde Pier. The sun was coming up, and a strong westerly wind was immediately in our faces as we turned onto the Coastal Path that we would follow for the duration of the day. Past Quarr Abbey, through Wootton, and onwards to East Cowes. The time past quickly as we chatted abo...

This weekend I took on our self-made #WildWight challenge, and my shoe of choice for the ultra-distance trail run/hike was the Topo Athletic Hydroventure trail running shoe. The Hydroventure is the world's lightest fully-waterproof trail running shoe. It uses a single-layer eVent waterproof membrane with a breathable upper mesh and lining, for a lightweight shoe that doesn't feel at all like most rigid and bulky waterproof trail running shoes. On the sole, the Hydroventure features a multi-directional lugged traction rubber outsole, with a full-length rock plate to protect against stone bruising. An EVA mid-sole then helps to provide cushioning, and a 3 mm heel to toe drop gives a stable and reassuring step. We covered 33 miles in one day on our #WildWight challenge, and despite hot conditions the Hydroventure performed very well. The breathable material allowed my feet to remain dry and comfortable, while the sole provided traction on a real mix of on and off-road te...