Bit of a running during my holiday

I am back in Hungary at the moment, I will spend 2 weeks holiday here. It is nice and warm now so I really enjoy the good weather. :)

It seems like I will be off the bike while I am here but I decided to keep going ahead with some running progress. So I went for my first running session for long time. It was brilliant to run at the familiar places at my home village. 

I've run only for 20 minutes today and covered only 3.75 km, which isn't much in deed but I haven't run for long time. But I really felt good and I am sure I will increase the intensity and distance during my running as long as I am here.

This could be tough in deed because the amount of food I have in the family home is incredible! :)

2 weeks bike free holiday in Hungary

I'm getting ready for my tomorrow morning flight back to Hungary. We are going back to spend our 2 weeks holiday, we haven't been home for 10 months at this point. This 2 weeks time will be a little break for me from all the bike training which isn't the most optimal situation in the middle of the racing season, but I have plenty of running sessions planned already. Hopefully it will keep my legs going for the time while I am off the bike.

After I'm back from holiday I hop back into the XC season with full power and see how the rest of the season  goes for me. :)

High5 Zero Sport & Zero Extreme sports drink

During training and racing the proper hydration is one of the most important thing. I have tried many different sports drink previously but for some reason they all have that very sugary, sticky taste that I don't like. I feel they make me even more thirsty and they stick on my lips also. This could be very annoying. So they don't quiet work for me...

But I have been testing something different lately and it seems like I could come accross with some very good product in deed. The High5 Zero Sport and Zero Extreme sports drinks. They are fizzy tablets that I just drop into a bottle of water. They have great flavour and they don't give me that sticky taste. They also have added magnesium that is very important for the muscles during excercise.

The Zero Sport has citrus flavour, while the Zero Extreme has berry flavour but intrestingly it does remind me for the taste of the energy drinks rather than berry. The Extreme also has a small 65mg caffeine kick (a cup of coffe contains about the same), so it gives a bit of a boost also. 

They are fizzy tablets but even if they remain fizzy a bit during the bike ride they are still easy to drink and they are taste great too. They don't have strong colour or smell so the bottles can be cleaned easly afterwards. 

They being sold in tubs, each tub contains 20 tablets, each tablet makes a 500ml serving. 

So this small tube makes 15 litres of drink which I think is certenly good value for the cycling season.

I still have few of the sample saches left but after they gone I will get the tubs and stick to them for the future. I also interested to try the other flavours as well.

I have tried them only during training spins and I am ipmressed so far. Based on that I can't wait to test them out in race conditions and see how do they work. :)

Brilliant Easter weekend road spin

After yesterday's mountain bike spin I decided to have a road spin this morning and test out the  new road bike for the first time. I have done 3 hours on the mountain bike yesterday with good few climbs so I just wanted to have a short enough road spin on the flat this time thats why I headed towards Howth.

I got through the city centre in no time because it was empty due to the early hour and the Easter Sunday as well. After I got to the coast road that leads to Howth I got into some nice pace and just enjoyed the speed and lightness of the bike. When I got to Howth village I turned right and started to only little climb of the day that leads up to the top of the half-island.

From there I've had a fast downhill bit back to the harbour and I hit the coast road again heading towards back home. 

Today's spin was 50km long and took me 1 hour and 50 minutes to get it done. It was great to try out the bike and even this short spin was enough to get my first impression: the bike is excellent! :) 

For the next time I want to take it up to Sally Gap and see how does it work up in the mountains. But before that I have lots of mountain biking to do! :)

Brilliant Easter weekend mountain bike spin

Today I visited two well known places on the bike. Most of the mountain bikers in Dublin know these places but for some strange reason I never been there before. One of them is The Hellfire Club and the other one is Massey's Woods. But let me go from the start! :)

This morning I met my friend Attila in Rathfarnham and after a short conversation we've decided to go and have a random spin up in the Wicklow. The weather was nice but not as nice as it was during the week. It was a bit coldish and windy, the sky wasn't clear at all. 

The first place on our route was Threerock just as usual. We climbed up on the road and from the lower carpark we hit some of the know singletracks. From the top we had a quick decend on the new trail and after we cycled some of the less common tracks also. It was great but both of us wanted to get out of there and get something else done. So we hit the fire road that leads towards the Wicklow Way and after we got to the trails we started to climb on it. By that time the weather got better also. We got the Wicklow Way's short stage done very quickly and we turned on the Dublin Mountain Way.

I never cycled that trail either and I have to say: it is great. I really did like it with all the water drains accross the trail, with all the big drops and of course with the board walk!! The board walk is so much fun to ride! :)

Our next destioantion was Massey's Woods. This place was absolutely new for me. This is a huge forest park with many wide and narrow trails. They are super fast trails and very enjoyable to ride. No rocks or roots on them, they are fast and smooth tracks.

Nice place to ride in deed! :)

The other great place is just accross the road and it's called Hellfire Club. Strange but true: I never been here before. After we left the carpark we started to climb the fire road but after couple of hundred meter we seen the BEST STEEP CLIMB around Dublin. Of course I didn't want to miss anything, so we climbed this mad thing all the was up to the top. It is not technical (except a short section with roots close to the end) but it is super steep. The gradient hit  even 38-40% at some places! This climb will be on my list if I want to ride some serious uphill trails. 

After we got up to the top we cycled back to the carpark and at theat time it was time to get home. Todays spin was great, we have done 45km on the bike in 3 hours time. The total elevation was 1000m this time, so we had plenty of cimbs along the way.

The profile of today's spin

And here is the map also

It was so nice to visit and explore different places, especially because they are so close to the city. I am sure I will ride often on these trails, they are great! :)

Trek Madone 4.5 - New sponsor bike has arrived

Finally it's here! :)

I am just after getting my new sponsorship bike today: the 2011 Trek Madone 4.5 carbon road bike. I will be able to use this excellent machine for the full season and will have the chance to test it out as much as I can in every possible condition.

I race XC mountain bike for long time and that will remain my priority, but I have a bit of a road cycling history also. I like to ride on the road just as much as I do like mountain biking. And I have to say: I really looking forward to some road events this year on bike like this!

Basicly the bike has factory set up with minor changes. I have fitted my own saddle, handlebar and pedals. The rest of the bike is as you get it from the shop. It has a full carbon fibre frame, carbon fibre fork, Shimano 105 groupset, Bontrager SSR wheelset and Bontrager stem, seatpost and tyres. The pedals are SpeedPlay, the saddle is Fizik Arione and the handlebar is BBB Ergo alloy bar.

The frame and fork has matte finish that makes the bike look very nice and with all the black parts are creating a attractive look.

After I got the bike built this morning and had my first short test ride on it I have to admit it: I can't wait to give it a proper test ride up in the Wicklow. The plan is to get up to Sally Gap on Sunday morning and get the first real impression of the bike. 

I would like to say a big thank you to John Clarke and ThinkBike for the bike and for the opportunity to represent my club on a bike like this.

Refurbished XTR front shifter

I went over to my good friend and team mate Richie Felle's place yesterday to pick up the used XTR front shifter that he offered to me before. He has raced a season with this shifter on his race bike and he has no use for it anymore. All it needs just a bit of a work to get it back to 100% order.

When I collected the shifter it was already taken apart so it saved me a bit of a time in deed. So I just checked all the parts in the bag and the first thing I seen is: one of the screw is missing that hold the bottom cover plate in place. But everything else was there and they were in good condition.

After I have checked all the parts I realized all they need is just some cleaning and lube and they will be absolutely perfect for long time. The most "problematic" bit was the inside mechanism of the shifter, all the springs and inserts were quiet dirty, the previously picked up dust got built up inside.

Just a quick weight check on the scale and let's get the things started! :)

All the loose parts on the scale (1 screw is missing)

It took me about 20 minutes to clean the inside, the outside shell, adjuster bolt and spring, and all the hiden spots. After all this the shifter was ready to be put together. 

The refurbished Shimano XTR  SL-M970 front shifter ready to be fitted on the bike

It is ready for action and I can't wait to get it fitted on the bike, possibly I will have some time this week to do some work on the bike. Thank you Richie for this sweet bike part, I know it will serve me very well! :)

Serious muscle pain

I usually don't have muscle cramp or any other muscle pain on the bike. The Magnesium intake is very important, so I pay attention for that. My biggest muscle issue is in my neck and I usually get very painful and stiff neck when I get some draft or I have a bad night sleep. 

100% natural wheat & levander herbal heat pack

This issue could be quiet serious and certenly very disturbing during the cycling season because the whole one side of my neck is super stiff. Usually I can't turn my head to that side and it is very sour and painful for couple of days. I prefer to use more natural solutions rather than syntetic products to get rid of the problem as soon as possible. I use wheat & levander herbal heat pack and it seems like a good solution. 

It is a long shaped bag type fabrique filled with treated wheat grains and levander. After it is heated up in the microwave, it holds the temperature for about 25 minutes. Just to be placed on the muscles and that's it. 

I really hope it will help fast enough to get rid of this neck problem because I can't even get on the bike. So there is couple of days forced break for me but after this time I will be back on the bike with full steam! :)

Threerock trails are sign posted

I haven't been up on Threerock for a while so it was time for my regular spin up there. On the way  up I climbed on the singletracks and some tarmac road as well. When I got up to the top I have seen this little "centre" with a big information sign that says the Coillte - Dublin Mountain Partnership Ticknock MTB Trails are ready and there will be a official opening on the 8th of May. The riders even can take a seat if they prefer a short brake during their spin. Great stuff!

The Biking.ie will organize an event called Dublin Blitz for the day, for more details click here.

So I cycled around Threerock on the new trails and I have to say I was pretty impressed with all the markings and sign posting. They are everywhere, they are clear and accurate in deed. If somebody is not familiar with the place they are very useful.

The directions are clear and honestly: I think it would be quiet difficult to take a wrong turn or get lost with these signs on.

I also like the way they are making the purpose of these trails obvious for walkers and everybody else who is not on the bike.

Some of the caution signs are even point out some of the faster and bit more tricky sections of the trails. I think this could be also very handy information for everybody who's visiting the trails for the first time.

So, I have to say I am very impressed with the trails and the way they have been designed and developed. I think the Coillte and the MAD MTB put a massive amount of work into this project and I think we all can only thank them for everything! :) 

I am a bit disappointed because I am not around for the official opening ceremony in May but I am sure there will be plenty of events up there in the future. 

Just a short "funny" story:

I was cycling along the trails and I was thinking: "...these markings are great! I am sure they will make couple of things easier. Finally we have a trail system for us, mountain bikers!..." and then I've heard runners coming up and talking:

runner 1 : "Oh, sh...t! We are on the cycling trails!"

runner 2 : "Ahh, don't worry about it!

runner 3 : " ha-ha-ha"

And they kept running along the trails...

Obviously ther is no need to get sensitive about situation like this but it shows for sure it will take some time before people will realize what are thoose trails are for. I hope it will happen sooner rather than later. Until then we share as we did before! :)

Ozone Elite Products

I think the pre-race warm up is very-very important, but sometimes for whatever reason there isn't enough time to get it done properly. The cold temperature is also a factor that makes me use warm up creams or oils before race. I find these warm up products very useful beside the warm up before a race. 

I have tried many different things but I settled with the Ozone products for good few years now. I am very happy with them.

Thermogel Forte: I find it very effective, even a small amount gives long lasting, well known warm feeling. It speeds up the blood circulation in the muscles and skin within couple of minutes. The cream is not sticky and it does gets through the skin quiet fast. So it works great and it is easy to use as well. 

Refreshing Oil: This has been designed to be used after the race. With alcohol and menthol is is refreshing the muscles and because it is not greasy I can get changed immediately.

The smell of them is so special and since I use them this familiar smell is part of my race days. It fills the car and everything else. And when I get home from a long race day this smell reminds me of all the buzz and excitement that comes with racing. Great! :)

I don't see too many riders use similar products or get a proper warm up done before the race. I think these things are important and from my own experience I can tell: they help a lot to handle the intense XC races. :)

Easy recovery spin in the rain

After two days of racing in Killaloe I needed the well deserved resting on Monday and Tuesday. But this morning I needed to get on the bike and cycle a bit just to get the legs moving again. Intresting enough but after the weekend I was pretty tired but I could not point out any particular "issue" except my lower back pain.  I've been very tired in general. Since I was back I did cycle in and out to work but that was it, nothing more on the bike...

This morning I just wanted to have a short and easy recovery spin done so I went to the Phoenix Park. The weather was not the best: it was very wet and I got rain couple of times on my way. I felt good on the bike, my lower back and my legs were fine after the two resting days. However I still feel a bit tired... But I think it is ok and I am sure after the short 26km easy spin around the park my body will get back to normal and I will be stronger in the next couple of days. :)

Lough Derg Stage 3 & Stage 4 - race report

After the tough racing yesterday we still had two more stages for today before we finish the event. I had a very good rest last night and I felt super exctited about today in deed. Got up early enough and after a good breakfast we were on our way to the start/finish area that was in a different location this time The place was very close to the town, so it was only 2 minutes drive before we got there. 

Quick check on the stages and some preparation and I was all good to go for today's stages. The goal was to gain some time and get better position in GC. I have started today from the 11th position in overall.

Stage 3 (Sunday)

This stage was possibly the hardest one so far. It was 27 km long and it was all about pure streinght and speed. The savage fire road climb kicked in right after the start. The pace was insane from the beginning so the peloton got broken within couple of minutes. I was able to get away in the second group but after few kilometers the speed was a bit too fast. This was the first time I actually started to feel the tiredness from yesterday... I knew I have the time trial still ahead of us, so I did not try to keep up with the pace of this group. I did ride about half of the stage on my own but I was able to manage a nice and fast, steady pace  through the mix of long fire road climbs, steep technical decends, extremely muddy sectors and super fast fire road downhills and I came 10th on the stage.

This stage was successful for me because with my result I came up to the 9th position on GC. After I crossed the finish line I got back to the van and started the short rest and some mental preparation for the last test of the strenght: the time trial.

Graph of the Stage 3

Photos:

In the hall of the hotel

Somewhere on the fire road climb

After the stage

Stage 4 (Sunday)

The last stage was really special for me because I never raced any off-road time trial before. I could get good rest and I was recovered in time before this stage. Of course I felt a bit of a pain here and there from the previous three stages but I still had a good bit of energy left to get this stage done on the proper way. 

The stage was a 6 km long time trial that run on the well known NPS course, and it was full of heavy and technical climbs and even more technical decends. Two riders been started in the same time as a pair and there was a 30 sec time gap between each pairs. This made everything even more exciting I think.

The profile of the course suited me very well because of the climbs so I started to ride very hard from the start. I could loose my "partner" right after we started and I even managed to catch one more rider who started before me. I really felt good on this stage and I did give everything I could to gain as much time as possible.

After the super fast stage I finished 8th place and I crossed the finish line for the last time during this race.

Graph of the Stage 4

Photos:

Ready for the last stage

Before the start (photo: Racing 795)

After the start of the time trial stage

Close to the finish

Crossing the finish line

It's done! I finished my first stage race and I have to say it was the BEST race I have done since I'm racing. With 3:46:04 overall time I finished 9th in GC out of 68 riders so I am very happy and satisfied. When I started the race my goal was to finish in the first 15 and because I did get better position my goal was accomplished and it was even more sweet. :)

The event was very well run and organized. It was brilliant to taking part of a such a fantastic race, thank you!
It was a new experience for me to race over stages but it was surly a great experience. I really liked it and I am sure I will be here again next year! :)

I would like to say thank you for John at ThinkBike for supporting my journey and for the van for the whole weekend, it was very important.

And the biggest thank you for my very good friend Csaba for the brilliant shots and the incredible amount of help over the 2 days, he made everything so much easier! :)

My race in numbers:
2 days, 4 stages, 72 km total distance, 1857 m total climb, 2498 kcal burned, 53 km/h max speed, 1 puncture

Lough Derg Stage 1 & Stage 2 - race report

I am over the first day of the Lough Derg stage XC race in Killaloe. I've had a great race day, we had to complete 2 stages today. After we arrived to the race village I have collected my race pack that cointained my race number, timing chip, stage itiner decals and a lovely looking t-shirt. Once the final prep was done I was ready to go and start the race.

The content of my goodie bag

Stage 1 (Saturday)

The first stage was 23 km long and it has started at 10:30am sharp. I was able to start the stage from the first row so I was pretty happy about that. The start was a slow start until we got out of the town centre. The peloton was behind a Gardai car and two motorbikes and after about 2 km they gave us a signal and let us start racing seriously. The stage started with a quiet long but not too steep climb that has done some serious selection. I could get into my own climbing pace and from that point I was able to ride with my own speed. 

The stage was generally not difficult I think, only some of the steep downhill bits were tricky because of the loose rocks. Otherwise it was a mix of farm roads, fast fire roads, rocky singletracks. 

I finished the stage in the 5th position in the international field (racers from Belgium, Holland, Denmark, England, US, Poland, etc...) so I was very happy!

So after a quick meal I was resting with less preassure on me and got ready for the next stage of the race. 

Graph of the Stage 1

Photos:

The view from the start/finish area (bridge on the Shannon)

The bikes are ready for action

The lead out crew

Richie & me before the start

Relax after the first stage

Stage 2 (Saturday)

I was relaxed before the start of the second stage of the day at 14:30pm. I was standing in the 5th positin in GC and I did have enough impression about the competitors speed and ability from the previous stage. This stage started from the same location and with the same lead out. 

The afternoon stage was only 16,5 km long but it was savage! Straigt after the start the it was serious, basicly the first 10 km was nearly constans climb with some crazy gradient at some places. I was holding the 5th position again and than...I got a rear puncture. :( 

Of course I did replace the tube as fast as it was possible but it was on this fast donwhill stage so many-many riders passed me. After the forced stop and the quick repair I was on the way again and did everything I could to gain time before I get to the finish line. It did work more or less but in the end I did not have enough time to get back to front. 

I came 19th on the stage, so I was not too happy. But hey! This is part of the mountain biking also, and I have one more day with two more stages ahead of me!

Graph of the Stage 2

Photos:

Richie & me ready for Stage 2

Off we went

On the steep tarmac climb

I was a bit wrecked after the day...

Now, after a lovely meal and a good bath I am ready to get some proper rest and get ready for tomorrow. I feel good after today and I really looking forward to continue the race tomorrow.I am holding the 11th position in GC and I will do everything to get couple of places ahead by the end of tomorrow! :)

Checklist for Lough Derg stage race

This is the last day before the 2 days race over the weekend. I started to get the gear ready for the race yesterday but I am off work today so I've had more time to get the things organized. 

Of course the first step was to get the bike washed and checked to make sure it will work on 100% during the 4 stages. Once it was done I could move on to the next step: collect all the requested items on my checklist. Well, this list is actually longer than I thought:

Maintenance:

spare tyre, spare tubes, spare gear cables, toolbox, mobile workshop stand, shoxpump, cable ties, quickseal puncture repair kit, CO2 refills, trackpump, small preassure washer, insulation tape, rubber gloves, spare spokes

Clothing:

jerseys, bibshorts, baselayer, vests, jackets, arm warmers, knee warmers, gloves, glasses, spare lenses, helmets, shoes, socks

Nutrition:

waterbottles, gels, bars, oranges, bananas, nuts, drinks

Other stuff:

camera, GPS, chargers, first aid kit, beanbag, polifoam

...and more!

At this stage I have the van loaded and I just need to double check some of the most important things to be sure I have them. So we can say I am all prepared and the last thing is to have a good sleep tonight and we head down to Killaloe at 6:30am tomorrow morning. Can't wait!!! :)

First crash of the season...

I went to the Phoenix Park this mornig to get some easy and flat recovery spin just before the weekend stage race. The weather was mild but wet and damp all morning. As soon I got to the park and started my regular full loop training, the worst thing happened... the first proper crash of the season!

The result of the crash...proper size bruise on my left leg.

I admit it: it was my own fault alltogether. I was way too fast in the bend and the front wheel went and I came off the bike just in a fraction of a second. The bigger issue was that I was doing about 30km/h speed so it took a little while before I stopped. Then I left a long scrape mark on the road also.

"This is just great..." This is exactly what I don't want to have just 2 days before the race. Well, lucky enough I didn't hurt myself badly: bruises on left leg and both elbows but nothing serious.After a quick handlebar adjustment and check I was back on the bike and finished 2 more full laps in the park as it was planned before. 

It is not nice to have a crash but it is even worst when it happens on tarmac road. I think in some cases it could cause more serious damage than off-road crashes. This time I was lucky and I am sure this crash shouldn't hold me back to have a savage race in Killaloe. 

Tomorrow I will get the gear ready and than I am all ready for the weekend! :)

Lough Derg '11 stage race preparation

I have been waiting for this event since I've first seen it in this year's racing calendar. It seemed far away back in the winter but now there is only couple of days left before I taking part of the Lough Derg Challenge 4 stage XC race in Killaloe.

Of course I will use this short time to get everything ready and prepared. As a first step I've already completed the online registration and reserved my accomodation, so two of the most important things are done. But the biggest part of the proper preparation is still ahead of me: need to get the bike and gear sorted out and I have million other stuff to get ready with for the weekend also. 

Luckily my friend Csaba will be my "support team" for the race, thank you for that in advance! :) I never had anyone to do serious support during races so this will take a huge preassure off my shoulders during the weekend. I think I will need it for sure!

So we will get the thing rolling in the next couple of days and make sure everything is gonna be 100% for one of my most important race of the season.

Bontrager XR1 - Team Issue Tyre

I got a nice set of new tyres for the bike recently, this time the Bontrager XR1 Team Issue tyre was the choice in 26x2.00 size. My previous set of Hutchinson tyres served me for a long enough time and because they got pretty worn out it was time to get the bike refreshed on the wheels.

I know the tubeless system is very well used and popular but I still prefer the good old tyre and tube setup. Many people told me to give a shot on tubeless but I am still not convinced.

I think for racing the most optimal choice for me is something with low profile running surface to get as good rolling resistance as possible. Now, of course they aren't the best for deep mud but I am ok with them so far. Also one of the most important thing to get the rolling weight reduced if I need to shave the bike's weight off, so obviously the light weight tyres are preferred by me. 

Good bit of weight difference between my old and new tyres.

I have previous experience with these tyres fitted on the bike and I am happy with them so far. The climbing ability is great on the rear wheel and the control and cornering is excellent on the front. They are allright for punctures also and they are super fast for racing in deed! :)

These tyres are recommended to anyone who prefers light and fast rolling set of racing tyres.