The swine even catches up with the bike

The long weekend had some great days to offer. But despite being pestered by one or two of the seven telling symptoms of this swine flu doing its rounds, I got on my bike and now have to deal with the consequences...
I guess it's bed rest and fluids on my agenda for this week, but if anyone has some better suggestions to get me back on my bike as soon as possible, please don't hesitate to speak.

Getting serious

All the hype and excitement about the Tour de France has surely inspired me to start taking my training for the Coronation Double Century more seriously. Yes, that is the equivalent of more or less two Pick 'n Pay Cape Argus Cycle Tours which I attempt to conquer. Two!

However, I need some advice. Up until now, I've focused on shorter, more regular distances, largely during weekends. This means that my training has been restricted to two days per week; weather permitting and not excluding the fact that it's just too tempting to rather spend my mornings snuggled up in bed, watching how those skinny cyclists attempt to tame the Alps on television.

And on top of that, I've not trained with any of my team members at all! I assume you all are familiar with the fact that the Coronation Double Century is a team effort and that you cannot enter on your own?

Maybe I need to organise a get-together, as I sense that my team is getting behind the curve...

Does anyone have some tips for us or tell us where we are going wrong? Should we start training together more regularly and how should we juggle shorter versus longer distances? Or does one switch to longer distances only at some point? And would spinning during the week help at all?

As I've mentioned, any thoughts and comments are welcome!

Best,
Mike

Entries for the 2009 Coronation Double Century open in August

Entries for the 2009 Coronation Double Century Cycle Challenge, which takes place in the picturesque Overberg on 21 November, open next month.

The Double Century is a team event over a distance of 205km, with twelve cyclists per team. Teams have 10 hours and 30 minutes from their official start time to complete this grueling race.

Entries for the event, which is sponsored by Coronation Fund Managers for the third consecutive year, open mid August.

“The Coronation Double Century is all about excellence, team work, performance and dedication for the long haul. These are some of the values that we at Coronation ascribe to. As such we are proud to be the title sponsor of an event that is all about team work and performance,” says Karl Leinberger, chief investment officer at Coronation Fund Managers.

To participate in the 2009 Coronation Double Century, register your team at http://www.coronationdc.co.za/. Only the first 2500 cyclists (roughly 200 teams) will be accepted. Groups can pre-book a team and will only be required to confirm their team members’ details 30 days before the event.

Online entries open mid August 2009 and will be on a first-come-first-served basis. Teams can enter in one of the following five categories: Male Racing, Female Racing, Mixed Racing, Tandem Racing or Social. No new team entries will be accepted after 23 October 2009. To enter online, you will need a valid credit card.

For event-related queries, please contact the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust Events Office on (021) 685 6551 during office hours.