going clipless

so this is it kids, i've done it. the transition has been long, but the results worthwhile; i've gone clipless.

it's a funny old thing, learning to ride a bike again. twice this week i've been in my new shoe/pedal outfit, cycling along with training peep Paul ready for the inevitable fall. fortunately my fall happened on dirt, and fortunately he was able to break it so i escaped with more bruised ego than knee.

the fall didn't just occur from my learning to use clipless, but from my rather adventurous decision to - on the same day - learn how to complete a single leg dismount. what was i thinking, i know, but why make life 10% harder when you can make it 15%, right?

ok, so what's a single leg dismount? in the short, it's what the cool kids do (them, and the elites). it's when you're cycling along, and rather than coming to a full stop and then getting off your bike; you swing your leg over while still in motion, then jump off your bike. it's speedy, saves time, looks hot.

though this picture explains the process, these peeps don't prove the hot theory.



by the end of the session, i hadn't mastered the technique. it was a lot to take in. single leg dismount WHILE clipping out. my brain wasn't coping, need to get back to this one. i did manage it once, but it was a pretty laboured affair. really should have attempted to master it before the clipless thing, but no turning back now.

so how much better is clipless? i'd planned to re-visit one on my timed circuits this weekend but london weather drove me indoors; so hopefully soon i'll have a definite answer. the science is on my side; i should be faster. i feeeel faster (and a bit more hardcore). i also repeat the mantra when coming to a stop "remember clip out remember clip out remember clip out." have yet to commute into central london (stop, start, stop, start) so that will be the real test.

in other news, my weather induced indoor brick session today was a smashing success (thanks for everyone's thoughts + experiences). three of us overtook the spinning room at the gym and cycled 10 minutes, then jumped on the treadmill for five, and repeated this four times at race pace. it was tough, particularly as my quads were screaming from my 10k run the day before, but felt effective. ideally these times should be longer, but these are some of our first dedicated brick sessions, so something to build over winter.

so what did i manage this week?

monday: rest
tuesday: rest
wednesday: yoga (1.5 hrs)
thursday: 45 minutes outdoor brick (cycle/run x 4)
friday: rest
saturday: 10k run (average pace, 59 mins)
sunday: 1 hour race pace indoor brick (10 min cycle/5 min run x 4)

next week i've got the "PLEASE LET ME PB" 10K race (i'm sure it has another name, who cares what that is). two weeks after, my first duathlon (what's the short name for a duathlon? a duo?)

time to start praying to the running gods.