Cycle Slam D-104

Firstly thanks to the anonymous star who kindly sponsored me on Sunday evening - the www.virginmoneygiving.com/AndyNeill doesn't let on who you are - but many thanks anyway!!
Secondly a big thanks to my lovely wife, Linsey, who cooked some super chops for tea with mash & gravy after my tuesday session on the turbo - fabulous!! - you always come up trumps!!
Finally, here's the link to some of the pictures taken by http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/ on the photoshoot:
http://bournemouthdailyecho.newsprints.co.uk/search/bykw/p/u/0/1/Andy%20Neill - there's 8 & a couple are quite good - thanks again Sam & Jack!!
Short & sweet tonight
Cheers
Andy

Cycle Slam D-106

First the headlines: FA Cup: Liverpool 2-1 Man Utd - cracking result - 2 Manchester teams knocked out of 2 cups in 1 week - happy days!!
Now back to the cycling! - I squeezed in a 22 miler yesterday afternoon on my own - I worked on staying in my top box as much as possible to keep building on the power in my legs - cadence dropped abit, but i still averaged 77 & got my average speed upto 15.7 - not too bad for January!
This morning Jack & I had a trip out - similar route to Saturday, covering 21.5 miles - The Met Office App said it was 4 degrees but 'feels like' minus 2 - and it was right!! Jack did well in the cold & I got cadence back up to 82! Jack carried out one of his famous 'Jack Attacks' just before Holt - I was practicing staying on his wheel when he had a drink, when he put his bottle back on his bike, he had a slight malfunction & it fell to the road; I swerved to avoid the bottle, while Jack slowed to stop to pick it up & guess what - we came together & fell gracefully onto the verge!! No major damage thankfully!
So January to date I'm over 160 miles for the month - so good start for the year - in May - I'll be doing that in 2 days!!
In case you missed it Liverpool 2-1 Man Utd!!

Don't forget www.virginmoneygiving.com/AndyNeill

Cheers

Andy

Cycle Slam D-109

Cracking week - 2 x turbo sessions, met Lawrence Dallaglio & Andrew Flintoff & it's still on Thursday!!
I booked a half day on Tuesday in readiness for the Cycle Slam meeting & squeezed in 52 minutes on the turbo - I completed the www.3LC.tv Road Race DVD up until the cool down (had to go & get Sam & Jack from school) so i was pleased with that - the last 7 minutes is a minute by minute build up to a 130+ cadence for the final 60 seconds - hard work!
I drove upto Stamford Bridge for the get together for just after 7pm - it was great - met some riders particularly doing Stage 5 - we had stickers that were different colours depending on the stage - & had good chats with both Lawrence & Freddie - great guys! They both explained about their foundations & what the fund raising is for & we also heard an emotional speech from a gentleman whose got through cancer himself, but whose wife and daughter both have had it too - unfortunately his wife died after the 3rd bout - but his message was that it's funds like we're going to raise that really helps!www.virginmoneygiving.com/AndyNeill
Good night - plenty of beers going round (i was driving so not much for me!) & well worth the trip!!
Back on the turbo tonight & this time got to the end - a full 62 minutes - all in my top box - so i was really pleased with that

Cheers

Andy

Cycle Slam D-113

Cracking game of indoor cricket for Parley on Friday - Wimborne got just 275 (it's U10 indoor & you start with 200 because when you're out you lose 6!) & Parley mustered a hearty 372, with Luke & Harry batting last scoring 95 off their 4 overs!! Well done team & well done Luke! :) We had a lovely get together afterwards with all the team & parents at the Christchurch Ski Centre - nice food & good company!!

Up at 6 this morning for the trip to Richmond Park & first ride out with fellow slammers - we got away at about 8:40 & did just over 45 miles in a loop towards Guildford & back - met some good folk & it was a nice atmosphere -I've got abit of improving to do to get my speeds up - but overall I was pleased & great to start to learn how to ride in a group! I got back in time for Luke's Wimborne ftty league match - he took a couple of knocks from a huge defender, but as ever, played really well although the team went down 2-0 - I was really glad I got back for it though!

Next up is our first meeting which is Tuesday night - looking forward to that - although the venue is interesting - Stamford Bridge!! aaarghh!

Happy Days!

Andy

Cycle Slam D-118

Nice picture in the Daily Echo today - here's the link http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/9475589.Colehill_cyclist_s_Olympic_dream_comes_true/?ref=rss
We had a super photographer here on Saturday who took loads of pictures with me & Sam & Jack but for reasons that I can't imagine, they put one in of me & my bike!!! I have requested any copies of us three
together - so here's hoping!!

Good to know that I've now found the spell check button on the blog, so I'll no longer be having 'busty' days, just 'busy' days!!

Good turbo tonight - Jack had a session too, as did Linsey this morning - what a family!!! 2 degrees when I got home tonight was really just too cold!!

Cheers

Andy

Cycle Slam D-121

It's been a bust few days but I managed to get out in the searing 6 degree heat this afternoon & clocked up 30 miles - It was a bit cold for Sam & Jack, so I was lonesome today - The last 4 miles knocked my average, but I my cadence was 82, so overall I was pleased!
On Thursday I had my Bikefit at http://www.primera-sports.com/ in Charminster - a chap call Paul stuck various monitors to me & the laptop turned me into a stick man & checked how good my riding position is - we ended up moving the seat up just over an inch & adjusting the angle of the saddle - great job from Paul & a great price too - thanks, Primera!
Also on Thursday I popped an email to the Bournemouth Echo http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/ & within an hour I had a call from Harriet Marsh who was interested in the story! Suffice to say we had the photographer round this morning at 9:30am (Sam & Jack were delighted!) for some pictures in the sunshine with me & my training pals! Hopefully we'll be in the Echo & maybe the Avon Advertiser soon!
I also send an email out to all those lucky people who've strayed into my contacts list of my home laptop - hopefully it will generate some more interest & my sponsor pot will continue to grow!! If any of you who got the email are now reading this - HELLO! & your next visit is to www.virginmoneygiving.com/AndyNeill - don't ask, don't get as my Mum used to say!! Thanks for looking!!

Keep Pedalling

Andy

Cycle Slam D-125

That's what it's all about!! A night ride in January is quite unexpected but it's so mild Jack & I headed out this evening for our 9.25 double loop of Colehill & it was great (Sam was feeling abit under the weather, so he stayed at home - but we did miss him!). We got a decent average of 14.5, not bad considering the traffic lights & Middlehill hill x 2 - we climbed 680 feet in that 9.25 miles - really proud of you tonight, Jack! Great cadence too - got my highest average of 86!
Details have come through of training rides with other 'Slammers' - starting this weekend in Richmond Park at 8:30am - We're busy this weekend, but hopefully I'll be there for my first one on Sunday 22nd!

Keep pedalling!

Andy

Cycle Slam D-127

Out on the road today - hurrah!!
Sam & Jack & I headed out this morning for an extension of one of our favourite routes that we did a few years ago with the Menigitus Trust - we aimed for 30 miles, but we weren't counting on Sam's puncture after about 25!! Happy Days - it was his back tyre too so my hands weren't very pretty once we'd replaced the inner tube! It's quite a hilly ride & we did 28 miles together back to the Stocks Inn & then Sam & Jack took the 2 mile route home & I carried on for another 8 miles for a total of 36.4 today! Total climbing, according to Endomondo was 2,642 feet so a healthy & challenging workout!! Thanks fellas!! After all the adjustments on the speedo - it recorded the miles at exactly the same rate as before - I think i need to make contact with the makers!!

Haggis for tea - cracking!!

cheers

Andy

Cycle Slam D-130

Happy Birthday to Luke who was 10 a couple of days ago - As a fabulous extra birthday present he got a letter yesterday to say that he's been accepted to the South Dorset U10 cricket squad!! Well done Luke - we're all immensely proud! Training starts later this month & matches start in April!!
Back to the cycling & I had a good turbo session yesterday - 40 mins including 6 mini sessions in top gear at 100+ rpm. The dvd has arrived from http://www.3lc.tv/ (a company that Mark Cavendish works with) for training sessions for the road on the turbo - we had a look at it tonight for a few minutes & it looks great - i'm looking forward to cracking on with that soon!
Can't wait to get back on the road though & hopefully the weekend will see us clocking up some miles!
Exciting day on Tuesday on Twitter as I exchanged tweets with former Arsenal & England footballer Lee Dixon @LeeDixon2, whose cycling the whole of the slam with Lawrence & Freddie. We've got our first get together on January 24th & it'll be great to meet everyone then!

Cheers

Andy

Cycle Slam D-134

Happy New Year!!
Another wet & windy day outside so 40 minutes on the Turbo this morning - I continued the routine of song at cadence of 100, change to a harder gear for the next song interspersed with 4 mini sessions in top gear - get upto 100 rpm & hold for 10/12 seconds - good stuff - legs felt it - but then that's the idea!!
So no mileage count yet on the 2012 miles in 2012 target - can't really count the turbo......
Great to see Liverpool win at home the other night - does that mean I need to do a turbo session before every home match to make sure they win??!!

Cheers

Andy