http://www.lukegrose.com/ en luke@lukegrose.com Copyright 2012 2012-04-28T22:28:30+00:00 http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/why_mountain_biking/ http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/why_mountain_biking/#When:22:28:30Z I’m always keen to try a new sport or give an endurance event or race a go but for some reason I had never really considered mountain biking let alone given it a shot until Andy and I started talking about completing a British based endurance challenge. Now that I’ve been dragging myself up muddy hills and flying down rocky slopes for a few months I don’t really know why I didn’t start earlier and feel that I’ve missed out on many years of off-road, mud spattered fun. Five things I love about jumping on my mountain bike and heading out to a wild trail... Awesome training- mountain biking is a great workout giving your aerobic system, arms, legs, back and core a really tough time as you climb, descend and roll over roots and rocks. Great for building strength and endurance whilst having fun. Exploring– now that I’m more confident in my riding ability I’ve started to be more adventurous in my training rides. The beauty of a mountain bike is that you can ride almost anywhere on almost all terrains (generally at a faster pace than on foot, although not always), which means an opportunity to discover and explore areas that you might not normally have access to. Reward – for me there is nothing more satisfying than reaching the top of a long, steep climb that has well and truly depleted my body of all its energy and strength. When all I want is to collapse off the bike, the promise of the inevitable fast, adrenalin inducing descent is more than enough reward to keep me on my bike and take off down the hill... So much to learn– I’ve only been riding for a couple of months and there is so so much that I have to learn and improve upon. Learning to ride competently is just the start... Focussing on improving on the following will ensure that I don’t get bored of mountain biking for a while - bike fitness, technical skills, choosing the right line, bike maintenance, race tactics, endurance riding, navigation...etc. After the JOGLE off-road event in June I am pretty confident that I will continue biking... Fun - mountain biking offers the perfect mix of a tough physical workout with a heavy dose of adrenalin and fun. 2012-04-28T22:28:30+00:00 http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/training_ride/ http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/training_ride/#When:18:44:15Z So, apparently it is possible to fall off a mountain bike whilst pedaling ridiculously slowly, up hill. My sluggish and unspectacular tumble, which takes the fall count to 3-1 in Andy’s favour, wasn’t a result of a particularly technical or steep ascent, rather it was the inability of my energy sapped thighs to negotiate a couple of inconsiderately placed tree roots and rocks. With just under two months to go until we head to John O'Groats for the start of our off-road adventure I'm sure there will be more falls in training to come... Last weekend (15 April), Andy and I did our first training ride in and around the Surrey Hills, the mountain biking haven of the South. Heading out from Dorking, via Nirvana Cycles where we collected a route map, our plan was to get a half day ride in to assess our respective fitness levels & pace, practice navigating whilst riding and test ourselves over new & varied terrain. The route we chose was the appropriately named ‘Killer Loop’, which provided a solid test of our navigational skills, our riding ability and most importantly our fitness and endurance levels as we hit the many trails littered through the hills and forests around Leith Hill. There were some killer climbs but the reward of long, fast, and at times technical descents was more than enough incentive to grind out the climbs. We covered just short of 40 miles (about 11 miles more than the ‘Killer Loop’ due to a couple of detours), across a combination of muddy, dusty, sandy, grassy and wet trails and at the end of our ride we both felt strong and would have been ready for another 110 miles (to hit our required daily quota of 150 miles which we will need to ride on our trip). The ride was awesome but it did highlight a few things to me… 2012-04-21T18:44:15+00:00 http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/wild_mtb_-_training_adjustments/ http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/wild_mtb_-_training_adjustments/#When:22:24:13Z Despite having to fit our pretty intensive training schedule around full time jobs we are both hitting our targets and progressing well. Training currently consists of time on the bike (usually long off-road rides at the weekend), running (both tempo pieces and interval training), weight training and general cross training, including spinning sessions, swimming and time on the erg. After spending 12 months living on an erg in the build up to the Atlantic Rowing Race I never thought I would be jumping back on the 'horse of pain' but I'm actually beginning to remember how I got so addicted to the rower and even enjoying it a little bit. What my training has shown me though is that mountain biking is hard. It saps the legs. It is much slower than road biking and hills hurt...a lot. Squats and lunges to strengthen the thighs, hamstrings and glutes are a must. What I've also decided is that I want and need to cut my weight, which will make hill climbing and general riding easier. I currently weigh 80kg (12.6 stone) and I am planning to get down to a lean fighting weight of 75kg (11.8 stone). This is going to be a tough ask but something I'm going to train hard to achieve as I know every kilogram of weight will impact speed. So in terms of increasing speed I am all for decreasing weight but I definitely draw the line at shaving my legs... WILD MTB BLOG 2012-04-11T22:24:13+00:00 http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/wild_mtb_-_end_to_end_off-road/ http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/wild_mtb_-_end_to_end_off-road/#When:21:34:58Z Our project to cycle from one end of Britain to the other unsupported and off-road is now well and truly underway. It’s extremely exciting to have a big, bold challenge lined up. Although we’ve both been involved in smaller projects and races over the past six months, I can’t wait to get stuck in to this muddy and energy sapping journey that will provide a real challenge and an opportunity to learn a new skill. When we initially discussed doing a challenge this summer, Andy and I were seriously considering running from John O’Groats to Land’s End. The problem, aside from having very sore feet, was the timing. As we both work fulltime it wouldn’t have been possible to take the time away from the office to complete the challenge, so in true weekend warrior style we elected to attempt something we could complete using our annual leave... ...and our mountain bike adventure was born. Neither of us have ever done any bike touring, let alone any real long-distance mountain biking, and according to those in the know our aim of riding 150 miles a day for eight days cross-country through Scotland, the Lake District and Dartmoor is ambitious to say the least... That said, our training has started in earnest and we are confident that after the next five months of intense preparation and learning to ride our brand new shiny Cube bikes we will be in a strong position to mash out the daily mileage required, recover effectively, and get up the next day to do it all again. At this stage there is a lot to learn, notably mountain biking technique and bike maintenance, but there are lots of other skills to refresh as we progress. Please follow our journey here and on the Wild MTB blog as we prepare for an exciting and wild mountain biking adventure. 2012-02-07T21:34:58+00:00 http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/runners_need_g3_race_series_race_2/ http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/runners_need_g3_race_series_race_2/#When:21:41:54Z The second race in the Runners Need G3 series certainly lived up to its reputation as a tough cross country race. Dragging myself out of bed early on a bitterly cold Saturday morning to cycle across to the frost covered hills around Newlands Corner was hard, and ensured that my hands, feet and head were anaesthetised before the race had even started.  Any feelings or thoughts of the cold were soon dispelled however, as the first of the many climbs ensued. The route, as ever, was challenging and enjoyable as 300+ competitors raced through the trails of the Surrey Hills, however this race had one key difference from a lot of the other races I have done in the area... At around the 6km mark what only can be described as a monster of a hill came in to view. This hill was incredibly steep and I would guess that over 95% of the entrants (myself definitely included) were reduced to walking, stumbling or crawling up it - I don't think I've ever seen so many people walk in a cross country race before.  Once at the top the rest of the race seemed to be relatively 'easy' in comparison, but the burn in my legs did not go away... As always the Runners Need G3 was extremely well organised and great fun. Next G3 race 3 March 2012. 2012-02-05T21:41:54+00:00 http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/cross/ http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/cross/#When:21:46:41Z Ahead of my mountain bike tour planned for this summer (blog and details coming soon), I have just bought a new and exciting toy... The Cube LTD Pro 29 is a sporty, fast hardtail with all the advantages of the larger 29er wheels combined with the agility of a 26-inch bike and is the perfect machine for mountain biking marathons and long-distance touring. The first piece of the jigsaw is in place...all I need to do now is learn how to ride a mountain bike! RELATED ARTICLES: EPIC EVERY DAY FUTURE CHALLENGES - MTB TOUR BUY CUBE LTD PRO 29er HERE 2012-01-19T21:46:41+00:00 http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/runners_need_g3_race_series_race_1/ http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/runners_need_g3_race_series_race_1/#When:21:05:37Z The first of the Runners Need G3 race series 2012, touted to be the easiest of the three, supplied a punishing mix of draining climbs and fast descents, which on a crisp January morning was an enjoyable yet challenging first race outing of the year. The picturesque Surrey Hills, covered in a heavy frost (I even replaced my trusty vest with a longsleeved shirt) provided the backdrop for the 10km cross country route (apparently the actual route was closer to 11km, and after the final long climb of the day it certainly felt longer than 10km).   Despite the race being extremely well organised, with friendly volunteers, a great atmosphere...and even homemade cakes at the finish line, I was quite disappointed with my performance. The race highlighted that there is a lot of work to be done to get to the fitness level I desire and need to be at given the schedule of challenges and races that lie ahead this year. I am early in to a new training programme which I hope will be effective and over the next few months see some tangible improvements. I will be sharing details of my new training plan soon... Runners Need G3 Series The three races series, all starting and finishing at the same venue (Newlands Corner, Guildford), offers three individual, hilly cross country routes (c. 10km) to negotiate, open to seasoned club runners and novices alike. Next Races: Runners Need G3 10km 04 February 2012 - 08:30 Runners Need G3 10km 03 March 2012 - 08:30 2012-01-15T21:05:37+00:00 http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/epic_every_day/ http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/epic_every_day/#When:11:58:47Z   I recently discovered a new and interesting concept, EpicEveryDay, which inspired by difficult personal circumstances, was founded to motivate and help others to do something ‘epic every day’. The model is simple; 1.      Epic create motivational lifestyle clothing & gear, which can be purchased online 2.      Profits from the sales go to the Epic Adventure Fund – Epic aim to fund 12 adventures per year 3.      People submit their Epic adventure, explaining how they would use the $2,000 fund 4.      Winners of the Adventure Fund document their adventure which is placed on the site as motivation and a reminder to do something epic every day. Epic doesn’t necessarily have to be an extreme challenge in an exotic place, it doesn’t have to be climbing the highest mountain, cycling across the largest continent or trekking to the South Pole. It could be... ...but adventure and epic means something different to everybody. For me adventure can be anything that takes you away from the everyday and allows you to experience life, no matter how big or small the challenge.   If you are planning a challenge make sure you submit your adventure. Hopefully funds will be given away every month beginning June 1 2012. -------------------------------------------- A summary of some of my 2011 mini challenges and advenutres can be found here. Lots more coming in 2012, starting in January with the Runners Need G3 Series and Tough Guy. 2012-01-08T11:58:47+00:00 http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/tough_guy_2012/ http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/tough_guy_2012/#When:19:13:12Z UPDATE 22 January: Less than a week to go until we head to Mouse Manor in South Perton to take on the world famous Tough Guy course. A week of cold showers coming up in an attempt to prepare for the icy water obstacles and guaranteed muscle numbness that will ensue as we make our way around the Killing Fields. The layer of ice that greeted us in 2011. Why are we doing this again? After our near hypothermic states and the cold induced pain of last year’s Tough Guy, I am still trying to work out why I want to put myself through the race that is described as the ‘safest most dangerous event in the world’, AGAIN. The eight mile course, littered with over 75 challenging obstacles, steep hill climbs, icy mud-filled swamps and some good old cross-country running, is the brainchild of Mr. Mouse, a former Grenadier Guards trained soldier in the British Army. Tough Guy 2011, with Henry Topham and Rob McKenzie, was my first experience of the punishing course and we loved it. Shorts and vest was definitely the wrong choice of kit, but other Tough Guy ‘wannabe’s’ wearing gorilla costumes and thongs were definitely made to suffer more. As Tough Guy novices we were Ghoon squad members positioned towards the back of the 8000 or so other competitors, which ensured that getting round in a quick time and more importantly keeping moving was practically impossible as we waded through the icy water and obstacles of the Killing Fields, dragged ourselves through the Vietcong Torture Chamber Tunnels, launched ourselves like lemmings from the Death Plunge and crawled under barb wire to complete the Stalag Escape before encountering the infamous Underwater Tunnels and the particularly painful Torture Chamber (a partially flooded, muddy tunnel complete with hanging electric cables to add to the fun). After three hours of battling through the unique and crazy course in bracing conditions the three of us had survived and successfully claimed our status as 'Tough Guys'. Not everyone was so fortunate – around a third of entrants failed to complete the race; hypothermia and broken bones being the main culprits. It was tough, it was painful and it was cold. My legs were cut, I had the mother of all brain freezes and my body was numb, BUT...it was so much fun and I can’t wait to do it all over again in a couple of weeks. To sign up for this years race click here. 2012-01-07T19:13:12+00:00 http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/yorkshire_3_peaks_-_28_december_2011/ http://www.lukegrose.com/index.php/news/view/yorkshire_3_peaks_-_28_december_2011/#When:19:35:11Z The Yorkshire 3 Peaks on a gusty, damp wintry morning in God’s Own County was the perfect antidote for the softness caused by too many nights out, too many mince pies and too much mulled wine in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Growing up in the Yorkshire Dales, I have climbed the individual peaks of Pen-y-Ghent (694m / 2,277ft), Whernside (736m / 2,415ft) and Ingleborough (723m / 2,372ft) many times and I never tire of running or walking the highest points in Yorkshire. I first ran the 24.5 mile (39.2km) Yorkshire 3 Peaks route a couple of years ago, during perfect summer conditions, although still managed to lose my way (and one of my trainers) across the notoriously muddy bogs of Horton Moor.  So when Henry Topham asked if I was keen to run the route with him on his birthday I couldn’t wait to give it another go... So teaming up with Henry and Martin Smith (both Old-Giggleswickian’s), the three of us set off from Horton-in-Ribblesdale just before sun-rise to attempt the circular course which weaves its way up, over, round, down and through the impressive landscape of limestone, sandstone, peat covered fells and glacial till. The route heads out of the village of Horton-in-Ribblesdale to the first and smallest peak of the three, Pen-y-Ghent, where we were joined by a fourth Old-Giggleswickian (Henry Meredith), who had a quick canter up and down the peak as part of his training for the Rome Marathon. We made steady progress up Pen-y-Ghent, despite being slightly slowed by the strong head winds on the steep ascent, reaching the first trig point in just over half an hour. From here, a quick yet blustery descent allowed us to make up some time lost due to the strong wind, before leaving Henry M as he made his way back in to Horton. The remaining three of us continued our winter dash across the wet, extremely boggy and at times treacherous long haul to the second peak (Whernside). Navigation across this largely flat stretch can be difficult during the winter and finding stable footing became particularly challenging, which I found out the hard way, sinking waist deep in to a bog. After a few more comical slips and falls by all of us, we reached Ribblehead Viaduct and the start of our second real climb, unscathed but damp and mud spattered. Still in good spirits and making good progress (just over two hours in so far), we began the long climb up the side of Whernside. The climb isn’t particularly challenging, however the bracing winds we experienced earlier in the day had followed us and picked up in strength, bringing with it hailstones and bitterly cold conditions. Making our way across to the trig point through the snow lined plateau the wind continued to strengthen slowing our pace immensely, as we battled to keep our footing and forward momentum. Descending from Whernside was not only a relief in terms of getting some protection from the wind and cold but also meant we only had one more peak to go. After a quick refuel and a stretch we cracked on making quick progress across to our final climb, Ingleborough. Initially we climbed gradually towards the summit before ascending a steep zigzag path up the sheer side of Ingleborough. Once at the top, all we had left was a 4-5 mile descent back down Ingleborough, through limestone outcrops and a few fields to reach the village of Horton. The final face-plant of the day went to Martin as our battered legs and bodies coped with the uneven ground as we moved towards the sanctuary of the car and the promise of a curry later that night. We finished the route in six hours. Not bad given the conditions but we will be back for more and a quicker time.          A great way to end 2011. 2012-01-01T19:35:11+00:00