Life is not a Practice

Autumn but 20°C. Out all afternoon on my race bike through Allgäu. Rode to Eggenthal and then via Wildpoldsried to Kempten. Max picked me up with the car at McDonalds.

82km and 970 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=zgifgdrhhgmdjnjd

Alison, Max and I hired a sailing yacht this afternoon and went out for an afternoon sailing on the Forgensee.


Picture is by Max - you can tell - it is "artistic".

I love sailing. I love the combination of relaxation and sport. Always have, always will.



At http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=dusnftmighbausdi you can see our track. As you can see we practiced lots of gybes and even more tacks. 11 kms in 2hrs 20 mins.

Great fun! And in the evening I went spinning.

More photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6056014088141952449

Out on my own with my race bike enjoying a sunny evening after an afternoon of rain. The Jochpass road was closed for an old timer race so I rode the first part up the old pass (extremely steep -see the profile at about 40kms) and then was told by a marshall that no more cars would be coming so rode up an empty Jochpass - just me on my own enjoying the scenery. Just as I reached the top they opened the pass again for traffic. The picture shows me reaching the finish line of the race. Just the cheering crowds are missing.



63kms and 925 mters of climbing
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=iwbitzeuddqypgtg

I wrote in my last post that the new indoor cycling bikes at the fitness studio seem to want less from me in a training session than my sports watch suggests I should be doing. I talked about this with the trainers and they suggested an FTW Test to calibrate the bike to me (or the other way round).



Today we did the test. Four minutes producing 75 Watts of power followed by four at 100 , four at 125 and so on until you can not do any more. You have to remain sitting and there is no motivating music. I managed 40 minutes and reached a power of 275 Watt before giving up.

The bike then told me that in future I need to give in an FTW value of 253 at the start of each session. Until now it has been suggesting 200 based on age, weight and six hours training a week.

Who would have thought that getting fit could be so technical.

And who would have thought that you would have to cycle so hard just to run two old 100 Watt bulbs.

Edit 12.10.14: I could still feel the effects of this test two days later.

Today I was in Nesselwang spinning again. The bikes are very high tech - http://m.indoorcycling-shop.com/item/49432d544b494337422d3031 - but this evening the colors kept me in a zone below where my personal training program says I should be. If I carry on training at this level, then after 5 hours I will have zones 1 and 2 finished but no training in zone 3 at all.

Apparently we can correct for my real level of fitness by doing a test. We are going to do it on Thursday. I am excited to see what the test results are.

Sunday afternoon and still missing 45 minutes in Zone 3 so once up the Alpspitz as fast as possible and then straight down again to go to spinning in the new studio in Nesselwang.

12km and 580 meters of climbing
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=siiqgmplzsmtzien



With todays ride I reached the 4000 kilometer mark! 4000km cycled in 2014. And so many hours of fun.

In the studio they have spinning bikes with so many lights, dials and displays that you almost forget that you are also working out. Great fun.

After spending the morning "brunching" in Rückholz with Alison, I went out for a race bike ride.



I was planning to cycle through Tannheimertal and back through Pfronten but the temperature was so perfect and the weather so nice that I changed the plan and cycled down the Geichpass and back via Reutte.



76km and 720 meters of climbing. Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=enbfjueohztedvty

For Hermanns 50th birthday we said we would take him to the Roßbergalpe. Today was a bank holiday so Hermann, Heidi, Alison and I walked up to the Grüntenhütte and then, after a beer, on across the shoulder of the Grünten to the Alp.



We left in mist but soon came out in to sunshine and enjoyed views across the clouds to the surrounding mountains.



The lunch at the Alp was fantastic as always.

More photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6035783557911106593

Another rainy Tuesday so once again there were only two of us. We did the same route as on the 21st - 12km with 580 meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=kfoubesghzjabsgp - but a little faster. Just once up the mountain and back down but at least we were out biking.


A not very good photo looking down on to Nesselwang from the mountain. It was dark, cloudy and rainy so a good picture was too much to expect.

A warm and sunny Sunday morning so Heidi and I were race biking. We had both been at parties the night before - Alison and I at two from mid afternoon to midnight - so needed to cycle off alcohol and food.



Over 70 kilometers through the warm and sunny countryside. The route was mainly on cycle paths or side roads.

71kms and 970 meters of climbing
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=snxlnfhwiajjgmzv

It was Thursday night but no one wanted to bike - or they had other appointments or ...

So I was out on my race bike and did a quick tour up the Ellegg and back down.

32kms and 490 meters of climbing.
track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=vtirhzpzzvmcwpzn

A picture taken as autumn sets in here in the Alps

Out with the race bikes - just the two of us. We took a wrong turning in Seeg and ended up pushing the bikes through a wood. At one point I took a wrong turning and we did a complete circuit of a clearing - watched by a hunter up on his seat.



Luckily we have good lights because it was pitch black when we got back.

At the end of August you need warm clothes and good lights but if you have them then life is good.

38km with 500 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=excczuguysujgwsh

Almost no biking this week - except Thursday night. So this evening Heidi and I braved the rain to cycle up the Alpspitz. Actually it turned to drizzle as we passed the Explorer Hotel and started again when we got home.

12km with 580 meters of climbing.
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=kfoubesghzjabsgp

Alison and I are spending my birthday weekend in Flumserberg in Switzerland. Yesterday we drove here stpping off for lunch in Vaduz (the capital of Liechtenstein).



Today we caught the cable cars up to the Prodkamm at 1939m and then walked along the ridge to the Maschgenlücke where we stopped for a coffee. Alison also bought some local cheese.


From left to right - Ziger, Leist and Sächsmoor.

From the hut we walked up to the summit of the 2074 meter high Ziger where the view was there one minute and gone the next as the clouds passed by. We then continued on up to the summit of the 2222 meter high Leist.



From here we had amazing views down on to the Walensee and in to the surrounding mountains. The sun was shining and we ate some of Alison's cheese.

We then returned to the Maschgenkamm for coffee, cake and enjoying the views and then caught the cable car down to Tannenboden. There we saw the "Floomzer" sommer bobsleigh so caught another lift back up to try that.

Then it was just a gentle walk back to the apartment in Tannenheim and a swim in the pool next door.

In the evening we went to Rappenswill for dinner by the lake.



All my photos are at https://plus.google.com/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6061488741284750049?hl=de

Thursday evening and there were only three of us out cycling in Group 2 - Bettina, Karin and I. We originally planned a gentle ride round the 7 lakes but once we got in to the Wertach Valley, Bettina changed the plan to the hanging bridge tour.



Group 1 rode up the Alpspitz and got soaked but we stayed dry. Afterwards we visited Suzi for food and drink as it was her birthday.

24km and 430 meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=nssizyajygemjqtm