Started a blog in Norwegian, for those understanding that language :)
http://big-man-changing-no.blogspot.no/
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Simple cod recipe
Thought I would share a simple cod recipe that has become the most used fish dish at home.
Ingredients for two portions:
- Cod filet, 400g
- 1 red onion
- 2 carrots
- 10 Amandine potatoes
- Sunflower (or other) oil
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
4x10 Intervals
So today was Tuesday yet again which means 4x10 min interval with Geir Iden at Sprek og Blid Åsane. I was not sure I would do this workout today as my legs was still sore from the workout with Truls Berntsen on Friday. However, Truls convinced me it would be ok :)
The first interval was terrible, and I had problems keeping HR just above 82% and it was much harder then normal. However, the remaining 3 intervals went good, well, as good as they can go :). I managed to keep HR at 85% and for the last interval we did a 3 minute sprint keeping HR at 89-90%
After the workout my legs felt better then before the workout so I am glad I went :)
Monday, November 26, 2012
Sone 1 on the TacX at home
My legs was still sore from my workout with Truls on Friday. However,
I really felt like having a workout today after the birthday party for
our daughter involving cake(s) :).
As Janicke was at the gym, going for a quick walk was not an option tonight, so I got the TacX back up from the storage room. Not a big problem as it takes no more then 2 minutes to set up :).
As you can see below, it is a bit tight at the moment living on 45sqm but we make it work :)
I am glad I am suppose to keep the majority of my workouts in HR zone 1 as that was more then hard enough for an hour today. However, after an hour on the bike I am glad I did a workout tonight, now I am ready for a the 4x10 interval session with Geir Iden at Sprek og Blid Åsane tomorrow :)
As Janicke was at the gym, going for a quick walk was not an option tonight, so I got the TacX back up from the storage room. Not a big problem as it takes no more then 2 minutes to set up :).
As you can see below, it is a bit tight at the moment living on 45sqm but we make it work :)
I am glad I am suppose to keep the majority of my workouts in HR zone 1 as that was more then hard enough for an hour today. However, after an hour on the bike I am glad I did a workout tonight, now I am ready for a the 4x10 interval session with Geir Iden at Sprek og Blid Åsane tomorrow :)
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Made it to Saturday spinning
After Yesterdays "boot camp" training with Truls I was not sure I would make it to his spinning class today, however, I did not feel to bad this morning I had a good workout.
The spinning class Truls leads each Saturday is an interval session, doing 4x12 min in the low end of zone 3, (82-85% of max heart rate). However, following the plan that Truls has laid out for me I should now only do one interval session a week and I will do that on Tuesdays with Terje in Åsane, following Geir Idens Bergen-Voss class.
So today I only followed the group through the 1st interval and then I did the usual slow and steady zone 1 pace for the rest of the class.
Now, sitting at home watching some TV in the evening, I can feel that tomorrow my legs and buttocks will be quite sore and apparently this is telling me that I pushed hard enough during the "boot camp" workout Yesterday.
No pain, no gain! Right?
The spinning class Truls leads each Saturday is an interval session, doing 4x12 min in the low end of zone 3, (82-85% of max heart rate). However, following the plan that Truls has laid out for me I should now only do one interval session a week and I will do that on Tuesdays with Terje in Åsane, following Geir Idens Bergen-Voss class.
So today I only followed the group through the 1st interval and then I did the usual slow and steady zone 1 pace for the rest of the class.
Now, sitting at home watching some TV in the evening, I can feel that tomorrow my legs and buttocks will be quite sore and apparently this is telling me that I pushed hard enough during the "boot camp" workout Yesterday.
No pain, no gain! Right?
Friday, November 23, 2012
Boot camp with Truls
So today I had my second PT session with Truls Berntsen at Studio nord Sprek og Blid Knarvik. As I was stepping up onto the treadmill for my warm up, he waved me off it an up to the second floor where we do some free weight lifting. As I got up he warned me that today would be though and I should be prepared to be exhausted, and man was he going to be right!!!
Truls had set up a workout with 10 exercises that I was to perform non stop as one set, then do 5 sets, seemed easy enough. The exercises was simple basic ones like push-ups, side lunges, sit ups with weights, side steps, high jumps, and burpee's. All put together in a workout to drain every ounce of energy from me!
After 4 sets I was not sure I could do another set, and without Truls there I would have called it the day! So I did do a final fifth set, well, at least I tried :) and before the final 10 burpee's I gave up, for about 10 seconds, and then I did them anyway, at least sort of and definitively NOT as graceful as it should have been :)
I finished the session with a 20 minute cool-down on the thread-mill.
I went straight home and made myself a nice smoothie to fill up a bit energy. Not sure I look forward to the spinning class tomorrow, I am afraid Truls will have to carry me from the car and in on to the bike :)
Anyway, thanks for a great workout and fantastic motivation Truls :)
Truls had set up a workout with 10 exercises that I was to perform non stop as one set, then do 5 sets, seemed easy enough. The exercises was simple basic ones like push-ups, side lunges, sit ups with weights, side steps, high jumps, and burpee's. All put together in a workout to drain every ounce of energy from me!
After 4 sets I was not sure I could do another set, and without Truls there I would have called it the day! So I did do a final fifth set, well, at least I tried :) and before the final 10 burpee's I gave up, for about 10 seconds, and then I did them anyway, at least sort of and definitively NOT as graceful as it should have been :)
I finished the session with a 20 minute cool-down on the thread-mill.
I went straight home and made myself a nice smoothie to fill up a bit energy. Not sure I look forward to the spinning class tomorrow, I am afraid Truls will have to carry me from the car and in on to the bike :)
Anyway, thanks for a great workout and fantastic motivation Truls :)
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| Just a coincident that I am a bit more read in the face compared to Truls :) |
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| Not sure he was impressed with my push-ups :) |
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Maki Sushi with salmon
Yesterday they had SALMA salmon, http://www.salma.no/, on sale at our local grocery store. This is perfect fresh salmon to use for sushi and I decided to try out making Maki Sushi for the first time, so I ended up buying Nori, wasabi, and sushi rice as well :)
I used a recipe I found on the SALMA home page:
http://www.salma.no/oppskrifter/ra/maki-sushi-med-salma,
and the results can be seen in the image below. I truly enjoyed preparing the sushi and it ended up tasting fantastic, amazing what good ingredients will do you you :).
I am already looking forward to having leftovers for lunch tomorrow and it is definitively not the last time we have sushi at home :)
I used a recipe I found on the SALMA home page:
http://www.salma.no/oppskrifter/ra/maki-sushi-med-salma,
and the results can be seen in the image below. I truly enjoyed preparing the sushi and it ended up tasting fantastic, amazing what good ingredients will do you you :).
I am already looking forward to having leftovers for lunch tomorrow and it is definitively not the last time we have sushi at home :)
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| Homemad Maki Sushi :) |
Saturday, October 27, 2012
The solution - hopefully :)
So, today I stepped up and got myself a membership at the gym,
Sprek og Blid in Knarvik. Maybe this is the solution to get through the winter!!!! Time will show :)
Friday, October 19, 2012
The inevitable
So, what I had decided should absolutely NOT happen this winter,
inevitable happened anyway! As soon as the summer/fall season passed and
evenings started to get cold I parked the bike and stopped exercising.
Well, I did not stop all together but had a few interval sessions using
the TacX Flow, however, as usual, getting out the door is the hardest
part of any exercise, and when I was suppose to do exercise inside the
house the sessions are getting longer and longer apart!
I still do not want to "throw the winter away" so I need to get my act together and figure out a way to get through the winter, as I do not want to start the spring season on the road in worse shape then I was this fall! One example: I have gained 6 kilos the last 5 weeks, which is terrible to think about knowing how hard I worked to loos them in the first place!
I still do not want to "throw the winter away" so I need to get my act together and figure out a way to get through the winter, as I do not want to start the spring season on the road in worse shape then I was this fall! One example: I have gained 6 kilos the last 5 weeks, which is terrible to think about knowing how hard I worked to loos them in the first place!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
4x4 Intervals - Dalesvingene - Starting to hard
Despite the weather, rain and 9 degree Celsius, I decided to do
today's interval session outside. This would be the first ride starting
at the new apartment at Meland, and I wanted to see how the stretch from
the house to the main road would be as it is not asphalt.
I changed tire (I still had my indoor tire on the bike) and put a bit less air-pressure in the tire compared to what I normally do.The ride back and forth from the house was no problem at all, at least today. I am not sure it was necessary to use a lower air-pressure and I will try using my normal air pressure next time.
As the new apartment is at Meland, at the top of a hill, there are several route options for my interval workouts. Today I decided to do a 4x4min workout, and for that Dalesvingene is perfect.
Being very eager today, as it had been a while since I had my last outdoor ride, I started out why to hard during my warmup and first interval. As a consequence the lactat buildup was to high after the third interval up Dalesvingene and my legs were all out of juice. Next time I will make sure I keep cool during my warmup and hopefully finish 4 good intervals :)
I changed tire (I still had my indoor tire on the bike) and put a bit less air-pressure in the tire compared to what I normally do.The ride back and forth from the house was no problem at all, at least today. I am not sure it was necessary to use a lower air-pressure and I will try using my normal air pressure next time.
As the new apartment is at Meland, at the top of a hill, there are several route options for my interval workouts. Today I decided to do a 4x4min workout, and for that Dalesvingene is perfect.
Being very eager today, as it had been a while since I had my last outdoor ride, I started out why to hard during my warmup and first interval. As a consequence the lactat buildup was to high after the third interval up Dalesvingene and my legs were all out of juice. Next time I will make sure I keep cool during my warmup and hopefully finish 4 good intervals :)
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| Warmup was to hard on todays workout. |
| Interval | Time | Speed(km/h) | AVG HR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:45 | 11.3 | 183 |
| 2 | 4:57 | 10.6 | 183 |
| 3 | 5:13 | 10.0 | 182 |
Good feeling when I see results from the workouts :)
I must say that it is nice when I see results from the workouts
I put in :) together with changes to the diet .
It also gives a tremendous energy boost to keep going :)
From the top at 150+ I have now reached the lowest weight I have been at for the last 20 years.
Not 150+
Not 140+
Not 130+
Not 120+
It also gives a tremendous energy boost to keep going :)
From the top at 150+ I have now reached the lowest weight I have been at for the last 20 years.
Not 150+
Not 140+
Not 130+
Not 120+
 |
| At one point the scale at home showed --:-- I was 150+ and the scale max was 150! |
Saturday, September 1, 2012
TacX Flow installed and tested :)
September is here and so is the wet and cold weather here in Bergen. I
have picked the TacX flow up from storage and set it up in the apartment
again. As long as I put it away under the stairs when not in use I have
my wife's blessing to use it in the living room :)
For the last 3 days I have had a couple of easy rides on the Flow and today I decided to do a 4x4 interval session. This felt much harder then the 4x4 sessions we did out on the road this season. I guess this is because on the flow I have to work harder throughout the whole session, no resting time while rolling down hill :)
Between each interval I stayed between 130 and 150 watt. Next week I will do a session to find my FTP (Functional Threshold Power) in order to get the most out of my sessions on the Flow.
Here is a good article in norwegian:
Sykkelmagasinet - Sykkelrulle guiden
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| Have permission to use it inside as longe as I store it away when not in use. |
For the last 3 days I have had a couple of easy rides on the Flow and today I decided to do a 4x4 interval session. This felt much harder then the 4x4 sessions we did out on the road this season. I guess this is because on the flow I have to work harder throughout the whole session, no resting time while rolling down hill :)
For the intervals I used the following watt settings:
- Interval - 300 watt
- Interval - 270 watt
- Interval - 270 watt
- Interval - 280 watt
Between each interval I stayed between 130 and 150 watt. Next week I will do a session to find my FTP (Functional Threshold Power) in order to get the most out of my sessions on the Flow.
Here is a good article in norwegian:
Sykkelmagasinet - Sykkelrulle guiden
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Hard day on the bike
Today was a hard day on the bike and I was still suffering from the though ride from Tuesday.
Kristoffer and I decided to try a new route today starting at Seim and going across an old small road towards Hjelmås. The road started out with brand new asphalt but that only lasted for a short distance. They where laying out new water pipes an thus had dug up the road and had not finished laying the asphalt. So for the next 3-4 km was quite bumpy. Once we got to Hjelmås I was amazed that I had not got a flat tire especially after my experience during Bergen – Voss 2012.
From Hjelmås we took mostly side roads for the rest of the trip and as we got back to the car I was glad we had chosen the shorter route of 38.5km instead of the longer 58km route we had considered.
Tomorrow I will try to recover a bit and not go out on the bike at all.
Ride stats from www.strava.com
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
New personal best around Bøvågen :)
Today I went for a ride with Kristoffer and as usual when riding
with him, I pushed harder then when I go out riding alone, to keep up with him :).
For today's ride we choose the 53km ride from Hilland around Noranger,Bøvågen and back.
I had a fantastic day on the bike and finished the 53km in 1h 51min giving an average speed of 28.6km/h.
Last time I did this ride was back in April, and back then I used 2h and 31min so I was a whole 40 minutes quicker today. I also felt like I could continue riding when we got back home while in April I was exhausted!
It is good to feel that all the effort on the bike is starting to pay off :)
Thanks for the ride Kristoffer :)
Ride stats at Strava.com
For today's ride we choose the 53km ride from Hilland around Noranger,Bøvågen and back.
I had a fantastic day on the bike and finished the 53km in 1h 51min giving an average speed of 28.6km/h.
Last time I did this ride was back in April, and back then I used 2h and 31min so I was a whole 40 minutes quicker today. I also felt like I could continue riding when we got back home while in April I was exhausted!
It is good to feel that all the effort on the bike is starting to pay off :)
Thanks for the ride Kristoffer :)
Ride stats at Strava.com
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Climb session - Kvamskogen
Early this week I decided to do a climb session from
Tysse to Kvamskogen. This is a 12km climb with a total elevation of
about 400m, see profile below:
As usual for my Sunday ride I got up early at 06:00 and had a good
breakfast of fresh pasta, ham, and cottage cheese. As I got in the
car to drive to Bjørkheim where I would start today’s ride it was
raining and foggy.
The climb up to Kvamskogen was just as long and hard as I remembered, however, this time I did not have to stop every 15 minutes because my legs was out of juice. I only made one stop to take a picture of the waterfall close to the top, and yes, the stop was to get the picture nothing else!
As the picture below shows the weather was improving as I was climbing and the nice scenery going up the valley almost gives an energy boost to get to the top.
At the top of Kvamskogen the sun was shining and it was getting warmer. I finished the climb in 54min 08s and I am recording this my personal best. The plan is to test myself against this time early in the spring to see how much I have improved during the winter. Hopefully having a couple of these tests lined up will keep me on my toes and help me push myself to work hard throughout the winter :)
Descending down towards Tysse again took my straight back into the rain. Going at 60km/h I quickly got cold. However, the rain was not to heavy and the ride down does not take to long so I knew I would warm up soon. As I reached Tysse I got caught up in the peloton of a mountain-bike race, “Sykkel Rett Vest”, and I stayed at the back of the peloton for 4-5km until they turned off my route.
I was on the bike for 1h and 53 min today and I know for sure it will not be the last time I drive to Bjørkheim for a climb session up to Kvamskogen.
Sykkel Rett Vest - PDF information
Sykkel Rett Vest - Resultater
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| Elevation profile: Bjørkheim - Kvamskogen - Bjørkheim |
The climb up to Kvamskogen was just as long and hard as I remembered, however, this time I did not have to stop every 15 minutes because my legs was out of juice. I only made one stop to take a picture of the waterfall close to the top, and yes, the stop was to get the picture nothing else!
As the picture below shows the weather was improving as I was climbing and the nice scenery going up the valley almost gives an energy boost to get to the top.
 |
| Weather was clearing up as I got up to the waterfall "Fossen bratte" |
At the top of Kvamskogen the sun was shining and it was getting warmer. I finished the climb in 54min 08s and I am recording this my personal best. The plan is to test myself against this time early in the spring to see how much I have improved during the winter. Hopefully having a couple of these tests lined up will keep me on my toes and help me push myself to work hard throughout the winter :)
Descending down towards Tysse again took my straight back into the rain. Going at 60km/h I quickly got cold. However, the rain was not to heavy and the ride down does not take to long so I knew I would warm up soon. As I reached Tysse I got caught up in the peloton of a mountain-bike race, “Sykkel Rett Vest”, and I stayed at the back of the peloton for 4-5km until they turned off my route.
I was on the bike for 1h and 53 min today and I know for sure it will not be the last time I drive to Bjørkheim for a climb session up to Kvamskogen.
Sykkel Rett Vest - PDF information
Sykkel Rett Vest - Resultater
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
4x8 Intervals at Trengereid
Terje and I are now back on schedule with our Tuesday night interval sessions and as usual we went to the climb in Trengereid.
We changed the session slightly today as instead of stopping at the roundabout in Trengereid we rode for a full 8 minutes taking us to the entrance of the short tunnel going towards Gullbotn.
For the first interval I had an average HB of 179 which I though was to high for me to manage to keep the same speed for the next two intervals. However I did not do to bad although I struggled during the 3rd interval :)
Back at the car this felt like one of my best interval session and I hope we manage to get in this ride every Tuesday for the next months.
We changed the session slightly today as instead of stopping at the roundabout in Trengereid we rode for a full 8 minutes taking us to the entrance of the short tunnel going towards Gullbotn.
For the first interval I had an average HB of 179 which I though was to high for me to manage to keep the same speed for the next two intervals. However I did not do to bad although I struggled during the 3rd interval :)
- First interval: 7min 58sec, average HB 179
- Second interval: 8min 05sec, average HB 181
- Third interval: 8min 32sec, average HB 183
Back at the car this felt like one of my best interval session and I hope we manage to get in this ride every Tuesday for the next months.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
"Nordhordland rundt" - for the first time
As I did not get out on the bike Yesterday as it simply got to
busy I decided to get in more km this morning and take the ride
around Nordhordland for the first time.
I had the alarm on at 05:15 and had a good breakfast and relaxed for about an hour before I got on the bike at 06:30.
The weather was fantastic, 14 degrees, still and clear sky. As I arrived at Straume bridge I had to stop and take a picture:
As
I passed Austrheim and turned southbound again it had started to get
a bit more windy and I got the wind head on, this is when it is a
huge disadvantage starting early and alone, there is a lot to gain
from having someone to "hide" behind so you do not need to fight the headwind alone.
Anyway, it did not get to windy so the ride back through Lindås went smoothly.
As I passed Seim after about 70km I had ran out of my energy drink and had no bananas left. Therefor, towards the end I started to run low on energy and thus my average pace declined. Even so I finished the 83.2km in 3h and 40 minutes with an average speed of about 23 km/h which I was quite happy with :)
As I parked the bike at home it felt good to have done “Nordhordland rundt” for the first time, and it will definitively not be the last.
Ride stats at www.strava.com:
http://app.strava.com/rides/10473626
I had the alarm on at 05:15 and had a good breakfast and relaxed for about an hour before I got on the bike at 06:30.
The weather was fantastic, 14 degrees, still and clear sky. As I arrived at Straume bridge I had to stop and take a picture:
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| 08:00 at Straume bridge |
Anyway, it did not get to windy so the ride back through Lindås went smoothly.
As I passed Seim after about 70km I had ran out of my energy drink and had no bananas left. Therefor, towards the end I started to run low on energy and thus my average pace declined. Even so I finished the 83.2km in 3h and 40 minutes with an average speed of about 23 km/h which I was quite happy with :)
As I parked the bike at home it felt good to have done “Nordhordland rundt” for the first time, and it will definitively not be the last.
Ride stats at www.strava.com:
http://app.strava.com/rides/10473626
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
4x4 Interval session
First ride on the bike after the Bergen - Voss attempt. Before going out I put a new tube in my tire and while doing so I might have figured out what went wrong on Saturday. If I am not careful while putting on the tire after changing the tube then the tube might get squeezed at the valve. At least that happened while i put in the tube in peace and quiet today and I can only imagine how I could have messed it up in all the stress on Saturday!
Anyway, today I had no problems!
It got a bit late before I had a chance to take a ride today, so instead of a long ride I decided to do a 4x4 interval session in the small climb up towards Sæbø.
This was one of my best 4x4 sessions so far. I managed to keep more or less the same speed through each interval which I was quite happy with. I now plan to make this session a 1 time a week event :)
Anyway, today I had no problems!
It got a bit late before I had a chance to take a ride today, so instead of a long ride I decided to do a 4x4 interval session in the small climb up towards Sæbø.
This was one of my best 4x4 sessions so far. I managed to keep more or less the same speed through each interval which I was quite happy with. I now plan to make this session a 1 time a week event :)
- 4 min 12 sec, 11.8 km/h, 169 bpm
- 4 min 09 sec, 11,9 km/h, 167 bpm
- 4 min 39 sec, 10,6 km/h, 163 bpm
- 4 min 06 sec, 12.0 km/h, 174 bpm
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| Elevation and Heart Rate |
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Hiking to the top of "Peparen"
I had plans for going out on the bike today to ride of some of the disappointment from Yesterday. However after a couple of meetings regarding the new house it was already passed 20:00 when I got home and I had decided to not do any training today after-all.
However, as i finished reading a goodnight story for Simen, Kristoffer, my neighbour called and asked if I wanted to join him on a hike to the top of "Peparen" and that was just enough of a "kick in the but" for me to put on my boots and join him.
The trip from home to the top and back is a 55 minute to 1 hours hike. However on the way down from "Peparen" we detoured and took a longer route back walking through the area where Kristoffer will be hunting deer in the fall.
We ended up with a nice 7.25km hike for 1 hour and 32 minutes, not to bad on a day where I had abandoned the though of getting any exercise done.
A big thanks to Kristoffer for inviting me out today. Today's hike has made me realize that I should do some hiking in addition to my bike riding in order to vary my training a bit.
However, as i finished reading a goodnight story for Simen, Kristoffer, my neighbour called and asked if I wanted to join him on a hike to the top of "Peparen" and that was just enough of a "kick in the but" for me to put on my boots and join him.
The trip from home to the top and back is a 55 minute to 1 hours hike. However on the way down from "Peparen" we detoured and took a longer route back walking through the area where Kristoffer will be hunting deer in the fall.
We ended up with a nice 7.25km hike for 1 hour and 32 minutes, not to bad on a day where I had abandoned the though of getting any exercise done.
A big thanks to Kristoffer for inviting me out today. Today's hike has made me realize that I should do some hiking in addition to my bike riding in order to vary my training a bit.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Bergen - Voss 2012
Finally the big day was here, and it was a perfect morning, sunny and 12-13 degrees. I had a good nights sleep and a good breakfast of ham and pasta at 06:30. At 07:25 we set of from home. Janicke and the kids were driving me downtown Bergen to the start area outside Grieghallen. We arrived at 08.00, 35 minutes before my group was starting.
I said goodbye to the family and they drove of to get to Gullbotn in order to cheer for me going up the climb from Trengereid.
I meet Terje 10 minutes before start and we both felt good and ready as we rolled out from the start area at 08:37.
The group we had signed up for was a 06:00 group from SPV. I knew as we started that I would not be able to keep up with them all the way to Voss, but was hoping to keep with them until we reached the climb from Trengereid to Gullbotn.
However, it quickly became clear that they started out in a much higher pace than I was prepared to, so Terje and I let them go already at Fjøsanger. As we where riding through the roundabout at Krambua I got to close to the edge of the roundabout and almost fell, but managed to keep up.
My legs felt very good and Terje and I got into a good rhythm, we agreed to ride alone up from Nestun to Midttun. At Midttun the group starting three minutes behind us would most likely catch up with us and we would than get into that group and ride with them towards Trengereid.
However, this is where my problems started!!!!
Midway in the climb towards Midttun I got a flat tire. I told Terje to go on and not wait for me, no reason for both of us being held back. I changed my tube and got on the bike again. Two groups passed me as I was changing the tube but I manged to join the next one as I got to Midttun.
Despite the disappointing start I now felt good and I had no problem keeping up with the group. However just before the Janus factory I got a second flat tire. I stopped and changed the tube again, using my second and last spare tube. As I got back on the bike a small group that had dropped off passed me and I joined them for the next 5 minutes but got a 3rd flat tire just before I got to the old Hjelle bakery shortly before coming down to Arna. I was all out of spare tubes, however, a guy stopped after 5-10 minutes and gave me one of his spare tubes.
I changed the tube again, got back on the bike again, for 2 minutes before the tire was flat, again!!!!
This time I called Janicke and asked her to pick me up. I had lost all hope getting to Voss. However as she picked me up she said there was a G-Sport shop down in Arna so we decided to go there to see if I could get a new tube and help to fix the tire there! As we got to the shop they had just opened, but with my luck they was all out of tubes! We then decided one more try and Janicke drove me to the first feeding station up at Gullbotn as BoA bike shop had a technician there that might be able to help.
At the BoA bike stand I got a new tube and the technician quickly checked my tire. And 5 minutes later I was back on the bike. I decided to still ride to Voss although all hope of a good time was now gone.
However, 10 minutes later I was more or less in tears, I had got another flat tire just before getting to Bjørkheim. Now all motivation was gone and all that was left was bitterness thinking about all the time and effort I had put in this spring preparing for this ride. I called Janicke and she picked me up at Bjørkheim. Before leaving we got some ice-cream for the kids and let them stand along the side of the road cheering the other riders passing. I will admit it was a bit hard to watch as I was thinking about them cheering at me when I arrived a t Voss :(
As we drove home we stopped at XXL and bought 2 new tubes and a new tire. Today's ride changed from being the height of the season to be the first training ride before Bergen - Voss 2013, so although I was very disappointed, I was very clear that I was going to go home and keep training for next years race.
Terje and Beathe:
Terje and Beathe both finished the race, Beathe did it in 6 hours and 21 minutes and Terje in 6 hours and 51 minutes which I think was impressive from both of them, congratulations :)
I said goodbye to the family and they drove of to get to Gullbotn in order to cheer for me going up the climb from Trengereid.
I meet Terje 10 minutes before start and we both felt good and ready as we rolled out from the start area at 08:37.
The group we had signed up for was a 06:00 group from SPV. I knew as we started that I would not be able to keep up with them all the way to Voss, but was hoping to keep with them until we reached the climb from Trengereid to Gullbotn.
However, it quickly became clear that they started out in a much higher pace than I was prepared to, so Terje and I let them go already at Fjøsanger. As we where riding through the roundabout at Krambua I got to close to the edge of the roundabout and almost fell, but managed to keep up.
My legs felt very good and Terje and I got into a good rhythm, we agreed to ride alone up from Nestun to Midttun. At Midttun the group starting three minutes behind us would most likely catch up with us and we would than get into that group and ride with them towards Trengereid.
However, this is where my problems started!!!!
Midway in the climb towards Midttun I got a flat tire. I told Terje to go on and not wait for me, no reason for both of us being held back. I changed my tube and got on the bike again. Two groups passed me as I was changing the tube but I manged to join the next one as I got to Midttun.
Despite the disappointing start I now felt good and I had no problem keeping up with the group. However just before the Janus factory I got a second flat tire. I stopped and changed the tube again, using my second and last spare tube. As I got back on the bike a small group that had dropped off passed me and I joined them for the next 5 minutes but got a 3rd flat tire just before I got to the old Hjelle bakery shortly before coming down to Arna. I was all out of spare tubes, however, a guy stopped after 5-10 minutes and gave me one of his spare tubes.
I changed the tube again, got back on the bike again, for 2 minutes before the tire was flat, again!!!!
This time I called Janicke and asked her to pick me up. I had lost all hope getting to Voss. However as she picked me up she said there was a G-Sport shop down in Arna so we decided to go there to see if I could get a new tube and help to fix the tire there! As we got to the shop they had just opened, but with my luck they was all out of tubes! We then decided one more try and Janicke drove me to the first feeding station up at Gullbotn as BoA bike shop had a technician there that might be able to help.
At the BoA bike stand I got a new tube and the technician quickly checked my tire. And 5 minutes later I was back on the bike. I decided to still ride to Voss although all hope of a good time was now gone.
However, 10 minutes later I was more or less in tears, I had got another flat tire just before getting to Bjørkheim. Now all motivation was gone and all that was left was bitterness thinking about all the time and effort I had put in this spring preparing for this ride. I called Janicke and she picked me up at Bjørkheim. Before leaving we got some ice-cream for the kids and let them stand along the side of the road cheering the other riders passing. I will admit it was a bit hard to watch as I was thinking about them cheering at me when I arrived a t Voss :(
As we drove home we stopped at XXL and bought 2 new tubes and a new tire. Today's ride changed from being the height of the season to be the first training ride before Bergen - Voss 2013, so although I was very disappointed, I was very clear that I was going to go home and keep training for next years race.
Terje and Beathe:
Terje and Beathe both finished the race, Beathe did it in 6 hours and 21 minutes and Terje in 6 hours and 51 minutes which I think was impressive from both of them, congratulations :)
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