To each his own but I’ve had some good mojo from quitting drinking.  It goes back about 4 years…was drinking too much, too often, too quickly, two at a time, to excess etc. etc.  Finally got my noodle around quitting and just up and did it one day.  No baggage, no meetings, no mind fuck – I’m just a fella that chooses not to consume alcohol.

My life has seen a dramatic improvement on all levels since – work, family, fitness, happiness – all of it.

This winter I’ve been working hard on getting seriously fit for spring riding.  My FTP has climbed from 240 to 292 and I’ve dropped 10 pounds.  Tomorrow is supposed to be +5 centigrade and sunny in Toronto – can’t wait to hit the open road!

This is awesome. I still enjoy some alcohol, but know that it would be better but too. I can tell it does nothing healthy for my body.

@Harminator

@RobSandy

Sounds perfect. I had 10kg to lose in 11 weeks so a more radical (read unsustainable) approach was needed. After Keepers’ Tour I’ll be more relaxed but also keen to keep up some of the good habits. Cutting midweek drinking is a nice idea but one I struggle with esp. after a long day at work.

@ped

Sleep is totally underrated. The Scientists are still trying to understand the powers behind its magic. I heard an athlete recently talk about trying to out-sleep his rivals in order to get an edge.

Awesome photo. I’m betting on Sep for some results this spring.

I have heard the same things about sleep… Wish I followed the recommendation though. Recently I’ve gotten less sleep for the sake of working out. For my life is worth it.

haha, that sounds just like the Istanbul traffic. It was bad enough before everyone had mobile phones, but now they have them and the police do nothing about it is like riding whilst every car drive is drunk. They just swerve all over the place and its a bloody death trap. Its also the case that traffic lights are optional when there are no cameras on them and the majority dont.

VMH and I were just out of bed yesterday and she was complaining about being tired. I was dancing around, playing with the dogs and listening to music. She asked how I never feel tired in the morning and just wake up, no alarm, no snooze button.

“Clean living!” I told her. She laughed, since I’d had a few drinks the previous night. Life is good these days, so no reason not to be a happy fella. But, I’ve always just gotten up. It’s never going to be fun, so why bother hoping? Just get goin’ and make it happen.

If you go through life expecting to be shafted you will never be disappointed when you are and you will always be happy and pleasantly surprised when you are not.

“Clean living!” I told her. She laughed, since I’d had a few drinks the previous night. Life is good these days, so no reason not to be a happy fella. But, I’ve always just gotten up. It’s never going to be fun, so why bother hoping? Just get goin’ and make it happen.

@PeakInTwoYears

@Chris

@frank

@Owen

@Harminator

@Chris

Didn’t the man on the right win that race?

There’s a lesson there.

Amen brother.

A word of warning to KT attendees; if @Frank sees you riding the footpath down the side of the Trouée d’Arenberg, his granny will drive her car into you later on in the ride.

, his granny will drive her car into you later on in the ride.

I’m curious about what happened here. I’m more curious about how the photo was taken from nine feet off the ground.

(And belay the short jokes, Frank. This post is a short joke.)

The camera was a go-pro fixed to the top of @Marko‘s helmet.

Most of us just assumed the camera was perched on top of Frank’s lofty seatpost.

FFS, if you look this happy up a hill while dropping the field, there’s something wrong.

Those knee-warmers are a rule violation by themselves, even without PED abuse!

Ah fark, that Clean Livin’.

Yeah, my alcohol tolerance declined significantly since my days as a waiter in Italian luxury restaurants. Half a Chianti before the shift, and half a Montepulciano after and used to made it back home in one piece on the bike. These days a pint puts me to sleep but my FTP is twice as high, so I guess there’s a cosmic balance here.

And here I was hoping to vent on PEDs. Raced a Granfondo this weekend behind the queen stage of the Intl Tour of Arad, and apparently both that stage and the opening 20km climbing prologue were won by a 38-year old Masters racer who made Continental riders and UCI 1.1 race winners look like fools, climbing up a 15% grade with ease next to a young talent at ~6W/kg. A month ago he couldn’t even stay in the pack with the Masters pack (~Cat 2-3 equivalent), suddenly he’s dropping U23 racers like flies.

Well, I hope the 38 year-old is appropriately proud of his “performance.” Must make him feel extra special.

@PeakInTwoYears

Thank you all for clearing all that up. And for a Patrick O’Brian reference, which always improves one’s day!

Love. That. Movie. Always a favorite. Weird editing at the end though. No minimum drinking age back then, that’s for sure.

1. Soup for lunch. Make sure it’s really hot, so it takes ages to eat. if it’s moderately healthy or home made it wont be very calorific but will keep you full.

2. Eggs for breakfast. Me and my son have regularly started having boiled eggs for breakfast. Takes roughly the same time to prepare as a bowl of cereal but has loads of protein and really fills you up. The size of bowl of cereal I have to eat to get me through the morning contains about 800+ calories. 2 boiled eggs and 2 slices of toast contain less than 350.

@RobSandy

Sounds perfect. I had 10kg to lose in 11 weeks so a more radical (read unsustainable) approach was needed. After Keepers’ Tour I’ll be more relaxed but also keen to keep up some of the good habits. Cutting midweek drinking is a nice idea but one I struggle with esp. after a long day at work.

I know what you mean, but I always found 1 drink leads to two…especially with wine.

A concession I make if I’m feeling weak is a whisky.

Sounds perfect. I had 10kg to lose in 11 weeks so a more radical (read unsustainable) approach was needed. After Keepers’ Tour I’ll be more relaxed but also keen to keep up some of the good habits. Cutting midweek drinking is a nice idea but one I struggle with esp. after a long day at work.

@ped

Sleep is totally underrated. The Scientists are still trying to understand the powers behind its magic. I heard an athlete recently talk about trying to out-sleep his rivals in order to get an edge.

Awesome photo. I’m betting on Sep for some results this spring.

And I’ve dropped 9kg already and felt my power on the bike increase dramatically. And, as I haven’t really done anything that dramatic, lifestyle wise, it’s very sustainable. I still eat cake when I want, and have a bacon sandwich in the morning when I want, I just moderate.

I’ve been upping the training this month to peak for TT season, and I’ve had to eat more but I’m still losing weight! The hardest bit is getting started with a new regime. Once it becomes a habit, it’s easy. Especially when you can feel the benefits stacking up.

Yeah, my alcohol tolerance declined significantly since my days as a waiter in Italian luxury restaurants. Half a Chianti before the shift, and half a Montepulciano after and used to made it back home in one piece on the bike. These days a pint puts me to sleep but my FTP is twice as high, so I guess there’s a cosmic balance here.

And here I was hoping to vent on PEDs. Raced a Granfondo this weekend behind the queen stage of the Intl Tour of Arad, and apparently both that stage and the opening 20km climbing prologue were won by a 38-year old Masters racer who made Continental riders and UCI 1.1 race winners look like fools, climbing up a 15% grade with ease next to a young talent at ~6W/kg. A month ago he couldn’t even stay in the pack with the Masters pack (~Cat 2-3 equivalent), suddenly he’s dropping U23 racers like flies.

Thank you all for clearing all that up. And for a Patrick O’Brian reference, which always improves one’s day!

And thank you for spotting it.

Pass the salt.

See?  It’s not so bad.  Might even become a habit…

Thank you all for clearing all that up. And for a Patrick O’Brian reference, which always improves one’s day!

@Owen

Ah, the bike wasn’t mine, it’s one of the Pave rentals, so snark away !

As for the white kit, I tend not to go for it myself but given the choice between white and black and the fact that I would be mostly wearing it in Dubai, it was the lesser of two weevils.

Fair enough. If one’s name isn’t Italian and one weigh more than 65 kilos it is my reasoned opinion that one will generall look like a tool in such matching equipment.

@Chris

@frank

@Owen

@Harminator

@Chris

Didn’t the man on the right win that race?

There’s a lesson there.

Amen brother.

A word of warning to KT attendees; if @Frank sees you riding the footpath down the side of the Trouée d’Arenberg, his granny will drive her car into you later on in the ride.

, his granny will drive her car into you later on in the ride.

I’m curious about what happened here. I’m more curious about how the photo was taken from nine feet off the ground.

(And belay the short jokes, Frank. This post is a short joke.)

The camera was a go-pro fixed to the top of @Marko‘s helmet.

Ah, the bike wasn’t mine, it’s one of the Pave rentals, so snark away !

As for the white kit, I tend not to go for it myself but given the choice between white and black and the fact that I would be mostly wearing it in Dubai, it was the lesser of two weevils.

@PeakInTwoYears

I’m curious about what happened here. I’m more curious about how the photo was taken from nine feet off the ground.

(And belay the short jokes, Frank. This post is a short joke.)

That’s me on the ground at left so I can answer the first part of the question.

For some reason that part of France has curious traffic rules where cars coming from the right, even if they are turning on to the road, have priority over traffic which is basically just rolling along in  a straight line.

Frank and I were on the front, him on the right, me on the left. We were aiming straight ahead and she was coming around the corner.

There was only room for one bike to go to the right (Frank’s) so I threw myself left, hit the kerb and rolled. Blew a tyre but I was fine.

And before @The Pressure makes a note, I was wearing a helmet under protest only because the Pave guys insisted.

I was going to make a snarky comment about white bike vvitte kit, but upon learning it was worn by someone who’s legitimately fast I won’t. Glad the worst of it was a blown tire.

Full disclosure: my #1 is all white and you won’t catch me in matching kit. I don’t pretend to be quick enough.

Sleeping properly is also essential

I’m a big fan of clean living.  I was sometimes known as Ken Clean AIr Systems in my yoof, being one of the few who did not smoke.  Booze has never really agreed with me.

I’ll add plenty of laughter and plenty of shagging to the clean living recipe too.

Essentials.  Going without booze is a good thing.  Not laughing or shagging is very, very, bad.

@the Engine

I’m fucked aren’t I?

Not as fucked as @Harminator will be when all that free Malteni is available! One Pint Screamer?

This is as far as I got through the comments, then I read “free Malteni” and headed for the fridge.

That’s me on the ground at left so I can answer the first part of the question.For some reason that part of France has curious traffic rules where cars coming from the right, even if they are turning on to the road, have priority over traffic which is basically just rolling along in  a straight line.

Reading this makes it sounds like in other parts of France they have sensible traffic rules, not in my experience. Having said that there is some semblance of order, unlike Cairo. I saw my first proper MTB there in 84, being ridden by a mad yank engineer who told me tales of pot holes that swallowed whole vehicles, donkey-cart v tram collisions (I still have nightmares about that one) and ‘letting’ a policeman have a go on his bike after requesting one at gun point.

I’m curious about what happened here. I’m more curious about how the photo was taken from nine feet off the ground.

(And belay the short jokes, Frank. This post is a short joke.)

That’s me on the ground at left so I can answer the first part of the question.

For some reason that part of France has curious traffic rules where cars coming from the right, even if they are turning on to the road, have priority over traffic which is basically just rolling along in  a straight line.

Frank and I were on the front, him on the right, me on the left. We were aiming straight ahead and she was coming around the corner.

There was only room for one bike to go to the right (Frank’s) so I threw myself left, hit the kerb and rolled. Blew a tyre but I was fine.

And before @The Pressure makes a note, I was wearing a helmet under protest only because the Pave guys insisted.

I’ll add plenty of laughter and plenty of shagging to the clean living recipe too.

My immediate goal is to lose the excessively hot summer lard, and then to get ready for Maui in June, where I have a date with a certain volcanic mistress, Ms Haleakala.

Still gigging with my bike, lights and all, no case queening there.

The horizon line makes it look like all that took place on a small asteroid.

@Chris

@frank

@Owen

@Harminator

@Chris

Didn’t the man on the right win that race?

There’s a lesson there.

Amen brother.

A word of warning to KT attendees; if @Frank sees you riding the footpath down the side of the Trouée d’Arenberg, his granny will drive her car into you later on in the ride.

, his granny will drive her car into you later on in the ride.

I’m curious about what happened here. I’m more curious about how the photo was taken from nine feet off the ground.

(And belay the short jokes, Frank. This post is a short joke.)

Perhaps the driver was making a statement about the witte kit.

As for the apparent height of the viewer – its steep country: look at the horizon line. Even a metre in front of you is three feet down.

@frank

@Owen

@Harminator

@Chris

Didn’t the man on the right win that race?

There’s a lesson there.

Amen brother.

A word of warning to KT attendees; if @Frank sees you riding the footpath down the side of the Trouée d’Arenberg, his granny will drive her car into you later on in the ride.

, his granny will drive her car into you later on in the ride.

I’m curious about what happened here. I’m more curious about how the photo was taken from nine feet off the ground.

(And belay the short jokes, Frank. This post is a short joke.)

@Owen

@Harminator

@Chris

Didn’t the man on the right win that race?

There’s a lesson there.

Amen brother.

A word of warning to KT attendees; if @Frank sees you riding the footpath down the side of the Trouée d’Arenberg, his granny will drive her car into you later on in the ride.

, his granny will drive her car into you later on in the ride.

My life has seen a dramatic improvement on all levels since – work, family, fitness, happiness – all of it.

This winter I’ve been working hard on getting seriously fit for spring riding.  My FTP has climbed from 240 to 292 and I’ve dropped 10 pounds.  Tomorrow is supposed to be +5 centigrade and sunny in Toronto – can’t wait to hit the open road!

@Harminator

@frank stop it. I’m a married man.

It’s not my first time either. I’ve ridden some secteurs and a few cobbled climbs. Enough to know that a Big Day means full body suffering. The training is an effort to be able to stay with the group as long as possible. Rule #10 and all that.

Don’t worry about me – I always carry a map of the way home.

And some lights.

And a banana.

@brett will teach you about bananas.

@Harminator

@Chris

Didn’t the man on the right win that race?

There’s a lesson there.

Amen brother.

No – but it’ll feel like it

@Chris

Didn’t the man on the right win that race?

No, that was K-B-K… a short fat sprinter won that.

 On the downside I’ve completely lost my tolerance for alcohol which is a completely unfamiliar problem.

But the Keepers Tour says

 all meals, transport to rides and events and unlimited supply of all selections of Malteni beer and fantastic French wines. [are covered]

This can’t end well..

@Chris

Didn’t the man on the right win that race?

There’s a lesson there.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/67270707/the-addictive-white-powder-thats-killing-you

@frank stop it. I’m a married man.

It’s not my first time either. I’ve ridden some secteurs and a few cobbled climbs. Enough to know that a Big Day means full body suffering. The training is an effort to be able to stay with the group as long as possible. Rule #10 and all that.

Don’t worry about me – I always carry a map of the way home.

And some lights.

And a banana.

Article and sentiment and perfect timing. Clean linen should do it. Thanx

Didn’t the man on the right win that race?

The lottery has been my back up plan since the announcement of the 2015 dates and because I am an optimist I have stuck to the training schedule as though it was a lock. This of course is not a chore in southern Florida where a cold day means Lycra arm warmers til 9 am.

The objective that got my attention after 25 years of just “training for life” was the 200 on 100 ride a few years ago. It’s early summer date meant that the winter (I was still living up north) could not be squandered and the focus had to stay sharp through the spring. The big difference was that the post ride recovery session was never going into serious mode like it will in Belgium! If I hit the jackpot I am more worried about bellying up to the bar and knocking back one Trappist malt laden brew with the serious bent elbow boys whose names end in ent and ank and anni…

Good luck, I’m sure you will float over the stones and probably float to your bed too!

It’s not my first time either. I’ve ridden some secteurs and a few cobbled climbs. Enough to know that a Big Day means full body suffering. The training is an effort to be able to stay with the group as long as possible. Rule #10 and all that.

I’m fucked aren’t I?

Not as fucked as @Harminator will be when all that free Malteni is available! One Pint Screamer?

I’m fucked aren’t I?

Yes.

@Harminator

Looking forward to meeting you. And all that training will do nothing to prep you for your first secteur of cobbles!

Those 2 on the right in the photo must either a) have got a ribbing b) suddenly felt a bit out of place (or both).

Oh totally. Disgraceful.

Sounds like you’re going to reap the rewards. Have a blast.

I’m staring down the first races of my life this summer. I have no expectations of placing, or evening doing well, but like academics, I’m managing to be average with little effort (or I’m enjoying it so it doesn’t feel like effort). Good for you, @Harminator! I sincerely want to want the level of dedication you’re exemplifying. Either these races (first one is in a week and a half) will inspire me to buckle down, or reinforce my longstanding embrace of ‘good enough’.

Thanks – fixed.

Life is all about balance, you now find yourself in the position of having to “sharpen up” again, only this time you need to get to hostelry and start some serious training on the multitude of very strong flemish beers that are going to spank you if you do not get back in balance.

I recommend immediate membership of the Belgian Beer Board

https://www.facebook.com/groups/119614471394145/?fref=ts

In the meantime, I am off for a beer or five and possibly a late night curry to prep me for tomorrows ride!  (insert suitable winky emoticon)