Stewart Wilson Ultramarathon Cyclist

Season's review by coach Hoppo

2011-12-23T00:12:00.000-08:00

During the close season, Stewart trained hard and well. Maybe, in hindsight probably, starting training to early and to hard!

The consequence though is that Stewart started the season flying, notching up a win in his first race, followed by various personal bests around the country.

However it was always on the cards that this intensity and growing impressive string of results may not be able to be maintained throughout the whole season.

I believe this situation came to a head at the National 24hr Championships at the end of June, Stewart achieved yet another personal best in this race, but in doing so, had used what strength he had left in him.

In the following next couple of weeks he struggled with a 12hr in which he had neither the strength or the form to achieve what he was easily capable of, and then with various viral infections as he had pushed his body about as far as it would go.

It was a premature end to Stewarts season but many valuable lessons had been learnt along the way. As well as having racked up many impressive race results during the season, Stewart had learnt that he needed to listen more to his body, and when it was telling him that he needed to rest, he needed to take heed!

Also he learnt that possibly a later start to winter training and to gradually ease into the seasons racing might well be a more sensible plan. With this in mind, and with all these lessons learnt, also the fact that he is in excellent shape and with another years experience behind him, I look forward to him having a v.promising years racing ahead of him in 2012.

"you have two choices when you wake up in the morning: go back to sleep and dream or wake up and chase the dream". (Lewis Gordon Pugh)

2011-12-13T11:32:00.000-08:00

I have started to settle into winter training but it has taken a long time to get over the a tough season of racing. My last post was just before I set off to the National 12 hour Championships were I could have cycled for 12 days instead of the quick 12 hours that was required from me.

The shear amount of miles had taken its toll and although the 12hours was shorter than most of my competitive events , I simply had no pace to break into my usual top ten placing. When I finished I promptly threw the bike in the back of the van and set off on the family holiday for a well earned rest and some quality family time relaxing in Cornwall.

Unfortunately while away I picked up a stomach bug which has lead to me being unable to train properly, eat certain foods and has now created an intolerance which is still taking time to address. So my winter training has commenced at a much lower pace while under going various medical tests to resolve this sudden intolerance which is extremely frustrating.

Channeling the frustration into positive energy is often a challenge however this has given me an opportunity to review my diet in much more detail and obtain a far better understanding of my nutrition and use my training time more wisely.

Also the purchase of a team van for 2012 has taken on a life of its own being refurbished and embossed with sponsors will prove to be a great asset to the new season and provide a fantastic opportunity to promote all the excellent businesses that continue to support me.

Over raced .... may be

2011-07-27T04:54:00.000-07:00

My season has been pretty full on with events and after racing the national 24 hour followed by the Welsh 12 hour championships and then another 100mile TT, I finally needed a break.

Although my mind was willing my legs had simply had enough at the 12hr and even though I picked up my pace after a really slow start it was all over at 225 miles, my lowest mileage ever recored for such an event. Mentally I had to consider this race as a long recovery ride after a tough national 24 hour.

I simply do not like turning out to make the numbers up and a bad result really grates. My fustration finally boiled over when I raced the Bedford 100mile finishing just outside the top 10 on a windy and rain swept morning. I was so angry with my form that I peddled another 25 mile in temper.

It's not until you take stock of the season and that I realise I have raced over 1500 miles in just over 3 months and my passion (often obsession) with the sport forces me to neglect the recovery aspect which is so important if I want to do well throughout the season.

As part of my commitment to my training I sold one of the family cars so i could not avoid the daily commute by bike. To date I have commuted 3500miles as part of my training and there is plenty more of the year left.

My next key event will be the National 12 hour championships on the 14th August and then I will be taking a two week break with the family before returning to my 100mile TT's.

The 'devil's in the detail' and the results will come..

2011-06-29T04:23:00.000-07:00

June 2011

The season is fully underway now and the winter training and pre season races are really paying off. I travelled to South Wales to compete in a 100mile TT as part of my final preparation before the National 24hr and got a real taste of Welsh roads with tough climbs and some rough roads but finished a respectable 6th with a time of 4hr.23min which is a good 30minutes down on my usual standards but based on the course was a fantastic time. The lactic rush through my legs when I crossed the line was not the best of feelings especially with another 2miles to go to get back to the start headquarters.

The National 24hour was held near Eastbourne all around the South Downes and yes it was hilly again. Saturday was sunny with 21mph winds followed by rain & fog during the night and then brilliant sun of 32c to finish.

The course was on the open roads and based around 3 specific loops depending on the time of day. Fortunately the night time route was the easiest and allowed me to hold 21.5 mph during the dark hours and really gain some distance.

I only stopped for a break after 11 hours to take on board some food, check mileage and the pace I needed to sustain for the remaining period. I completed the 24 hours covering 444.45 miles finishing well inside the top 10 and scoring maximum world cup points. At the time of writing this I am still awaiting the official result.

My support crew where truly brilliant and without them on board I would never achieve the results I have had to date.

I must also thank David @ Iceni who has provided me all my water for the season which is so important and goes to show that the devil is in the detail with the right 'ph' levels to mix with my nutrition drinks.

During the winter I tend to use tap water with a sports fuel and when training over 5 hours I always get heavy sickness which really goes to show how important it is use such a great product. I can't tell you how many times I have seen long distances riders being sick just after 9hours from using the wrong sports products and not thinking about the detail - 'WATER'

But it not just about using the right water when racing, incorporating it within my recovery drinks has also proven to be a great advantage. I read recently that one of the contributing factors to England's world cup football failure was the 'ph' levels within the water and used within the nutrition drinks. How simple but how naive.

I will be racing 12hr, 100mile TT and 24 hrs over the next two months with a mini break in August.

Training hard and managing the polution

2011-05-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

May 2011

When packing in the training miles, managing the traffic is one problem but polution is also another factor.

Although I get a lot of miles in on country roads I still have to get the big miles on some pretty busy roads.

Often I commute from Towcester to Wolverhampton to catch up with family cycling on some of the busiest A roads. This picture just goes to show the polution I content with when out training.

On a 160 mile round trip this can be quite substantial and someting I can't say I enjoy.

Introducing one of my sponsors

2011-05-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

May 2011

A few weeks ago I managed to meet up with one of my key sponsor's - Mark at Times Square in Banbury to collect some pretty smart time pieces for the team.

When undertaking endurance events its imperative that not only is everyone keeping an eye on your distance but also managing your time with the correcting eating and drinking regime.

I have many loyal sponsors who have helped me over a number of years and with out all their help I could not compete at such a level.

Big thanks to everyone.

Heavy month of training & racing

2011-05-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

May 2011

This month has perhaps been the heaviest month I have had in terms of racing & training miles. I have commuted on the bike to and from all my events and also continued with my swim training to hold my core stability.

It has been matched by top 10 finishes in all my events, 10mile TT, 25m TT & 5om TT with times being on average 2 minutes quicker than last year over all the distances. Holding this form is going to be the biggest challenge and resisting the temptation to go wild or even over train will be difficult.

June will see me transfer from the shorter distances to the long 100m TT and my first 24 hour which will be the UK National 24hr and also one of my first world cup events for the year.

A sweep stake on my milage for this event has already taken place with monies raised going towards Prostate Cancer as part of the wear it blue day taking place 1st June. After loosing my father in 2005 to cancer this great to link my racing to this charity.

Before all this kicks off I will be completing the Great East Swim on June 11th. I will swim the 2mile event in Ipswich with my friend Paul Banks who I have coached throughout the winter.

I still believe that my swimming is great help to me with my core stability and stamina required for all my events, but it also helps with my relaxation and recovery from the hard miles on the bike.

2011-04-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

April 2011

My form is starting to return after a stunning ride taking 6th at the 50 mile Circuit of the Dales time trial in Lanacashire out of 120 competitors.

This was a tough hilly race with high winds and sharp showers but just as much as I hate the sheer pain this event brings, I also love the terrain and that feeling of being at one with my sport in such a great part of the country.

The return of form after a terrible start to the season has given me a great boost and restored the confidence I needed for my forthcoming events. I will now train and race without any breaks for the next 4 weeks before I finally settle down to competing in the BBAR - Best British All Rounder event which involves,

50m TT, 100m TT & 12 hour events . I will soon be into racing the 24 hr events and thats when the real work starts.

My coach Chris (Hoppo) Hopkinson has been superb, patient and most all supportive in steadying the ship over the last few months and managing my impatience. I can feel a good season approaching.

New seasons gets started with a win .....

2011-03-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

March 2011

After recovering from a flu virus in January and listening to coach 'hoppo' by taking a rest I finally started my season with a 2up time trial win with my new team mate Jason Gurney @ Baines Racing.

Its a great set up and the kit looks brilliant with all my loyal sponsors on board for another challenging season.

My win was followed by a respectable 7th in Matlock on another wet and windy day and then a solo ride against other two man teams in Ashby coming just inside the top ten.

I have a few more hilly events during March and April before I start moving onto the longer endurance based events and getting back into what I really enjoy 24 hours +

24 hours...... say no more

2011-01-31T11:44:00.000-08:00

January 2011

The winter training is a real tough grind and when you just wonder whether it is really worth all the effort a nice national award arrives for the UK 24 hour.

Its just a great prompt to get the years entry forms sorted and train even harder.

Thanks for all your support.

Winter is here and the indoor training has commenced early

2010-12-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

The lab tests are over and the 1000miles on the fixed wheel wearing a 22lb weight jacket is complete. The long miles have put the base back in me for the winter slog.

The early arrival of ice and snow has meant that I have had to turn to indoor training and endless sessions in the gym. A combination of circuit training, body pump classes, swimming and turbo training sessions on the bike is helping me through the bad weather. Its simply not worth risking the icy roads and picking up an injury or a virus.

I have already been invited to the compete in the Montello 24 in Italy and have been asked to compete in Race Around Ireland in September in a two man team with the aim of setting a new course record. It seems that the season is already starting to come together.

Allsports have published a calendar for 2011 which is distributed world wide and the picture in this blog will appear in the month of April.

Big thanks to Sarah Brooke photography for allowing the picture to be used.

I must also thank Iceni Mineral Water, JBS Flooring, Baines Racing, Times Square, Aspex sports glasses, Allsports International for supporting me for the 2011.

Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year

Bicycle Dreams Trailer NPT

2010-12-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

Winter madness has started

2010-11-04T12:14:00.001-07:00

The winter training has commenced with long steady miles on the fixed wheel bike, 250miles per week and a return to the gym twice a week. It takes a good few weeks to get back into the routine and to help with this I have agreed to a series of lab tests.

This involves one initial visit to the lab to establish my maximum heart rate, output wattage and then for the following three visits I ride for 3 hours at 120heart rate averaging 21.5 mph on a set course followed by a 40mile time trial. A total of 100 miles are covered for the duration of the test.

The picture shows the thermostat pill I have to swallow 2 hours before I ride so they can measure my core temperature and my bodies reaction against a number of sports supplement products given to me at specific time intervals to identify which works best for me. My first test was just horrific with heavy sickness and climbing off the bike after 3hrs 30minutes totally drained. My second test went far better with the first 3hours at the set pace and then 40mile time trial at 24.5 mph. I have my final test this weekend which will give my results for the new season.

My Coach reflects on the season and also a sad loss to cycling

2010-10-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

2010 I feel was a very successful if not a very unusual season. Everything from acts of God such as the volcano eruptions grounding all flights to torrential rain , family Bereavement and horrendous winds tried to stop Stewart gaining the results he was capable of this year.

The season started off well with some early season form at the Matlock Hilly 25 followed by a couple of other good races leading up to the Montello 24hr in Italy, unfortunately the Icelandic Volcano put paid to that race and we had to content ourselves with the Kraftwerk 12hr being the only really long distance event early season. Despite strong winds and torrential rain he managed to finish off with 260 miles, a new personal best. I'm sure had the conditions been more favourable he could have gone even further.

Stewarts season continued in the same vain with him not getting one decent weekend of weather throughout the season, yet still he managed to keep turning in the personal bests.

The highlight of the year has to be qualifying for RAAM at the UK 24hr with 427miles, an excellent ride.

Throughout the season he has manged to better his previous best at all distances attempted with the exception of the 50 mile and that was only because the course he was going to ride it on was cancelled because of a rider fatality on the course the previous week.

I feel that Stewart has matured as a rider this season and I look forward to bigger and better things in the near future, hopefully even RAAM. Roll on 2011.'

On a sad note Jure Robic died while out training on the 24th September . Jure was a true inspiration to ultra marathon cyclists winning RAAM five times and setting many world records. RIP

Chris 'Hoppo' Hopkinson

Long season is almost coming to an end

2010-09-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

16 September 2010

I did not get to race the national 12hr due to a family loss and just slipped into the family holiday in France taking the bike with me. This was a much needed break in the sun with my family and social cycling in the Pyrenees.

I raced a 25mile tt on my return to open my lungs and get my legs fired up once more, finishing in the top 10.

I followed this with a 50mile tt in Derbyshire in terrible wind and rain which felt more like autumn than summer. I finished 1hr 57min slightly off my normal pace but considering the weather was not too bad at all.

This weekend will be my final race of the season - 50mile tt in Thirsk, North Yorkshire which I hope to finish the season off with a PB. One last blast of sun, dry warm weather is surely not a lot to ask for?

Qualification to Race Across America Complete - YEEEHHHH

2010-07-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

26th July 2010 - Happy Days

I qualified to solo Race Across America, coast to coast - San Diego to Atlantic City - 3500miles.

This is the toughest endurance race in the world with the intense heat and distance being the main challenge togther with strict times limits.

To obtain qualification you must complete over 425 miles in 24hours which I achieved at the UK 24hr, finishing again in the top 10 despite the high winds and rain on the Saturday with Sun arriving on Sunday together with 427 miles. The message is book your weekend break whenever I race as I am yet to have a perfect weekend. This season is starting to bear the fruits of success with top 10 finishes in all key events and I still have the national 12hour race in two weeks before setting off to the South of France to catch the sun and enjoy the mountains on the bike.

Big thanks to all my support crew who made my race a success

The sun shines but not on me .............

2010-07-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

12th July

Travelled over to Norfolk to race the National 100tt championships and for the 1st time in a year I did not finish the event, climbing off at 54miles with not an ounce of energy and legs that felt like concrete posts. The 12hour race from the weekend before had taken its toll and my recovery training in the week just didn't get the rubbish out of legs in time for the weekend.

Had a great break camping with the family who sat back in the sun while watching me train on the turbo.

This week i will be finishing off my night training in preperation for the UK 24 hour race.

Sun Burn & Broken Fingers

2010-07-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

June - July 2010

4th July - I broke my fingers on the right hand a few days before my 12hour race. I decided just to go ahead and within 100mile I heard the bones crack again and hung in for another 145mile coming in 5th on a very hot and windy day. Not only did I have sore fingers but my kit was so thin that I picked bad sunburn on my hips and back. Big Thanks to Dave at Iceni for supplying all my water which on such a hot day is just priceless and to Simon who crewed for me all day and travelled across at 3.30am for a 6am start.

June - Cancelled Race. I was due to race on one of my favourite courses in Bristol but the event was cancelled due to a fatality the weekend before in a 25mile tt. When you chase fast courses you also increase the risk of anything happening. Fast courses are normally on flat dual carriage ways with some traffic - enough traffic to cut through the air and reduce the drag you incur. The only problem is that not every driver keeps their eyes on the road and you can never close the roads for such a small event. My thoughts are with the family.

June - I rely so much on my bike computer to help me monitor my cadence, mph, distance etc for my races and it does not help when it fails. Guess what? It did just that at a 100mile tt and I promptly went into overdrive and paid the price with my legs reminding me how I had got it all wrong on a warm windy afternoon 4hr.04minutes later. Ouch. Still, there are plenty more in the calendar and so long as I get good weather it can only get better.

'lights on but no ones in'

2010-06-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

Anfield 100 - 31st May

My coach tells me that everyone is allowed one bad race in the season, just one event that does not go well.

That event arrived on bank holiday Monday after getting up early to travel north for a 7am start time. The race was not a total disaster finishing in the top 20 but I was way off my usual pace and should have finished in the top 5. I can only put this down to getting over a chest infection and perhaps still being run down after Vienna.

This weeks training will focus on power and speed to get my legs back on form for my next 100 mile event on the 12th June.

Thankfully the weather is great which makes my training just so much more enjoyable.

I must thank Mark Henderson at Times Square, Banbury for helping out with watches for all the team. When undertaking long distance events time is imperative and everyone has to be working to the same time.

Times Square

Castle Quay Banbury

01295 267 999

Vienna - Kraftwerk 12hour

2010-05-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

This was a great race to be part of, with the event taking place on a 5.3km circuit on the outskirts of Vienna. It was a crazy well organised race on a challenging short circuit which gave you moments when you felt like a lab rat going round in circles.

There were 95 solo riders and the same number of 3 man teams racing which made the pace pretty frenetic at times. The idea of this race was to get some real pace in my legs over a longer distance.

Thankfully i did not get caught up in any of the early crashes caused by the erratic pace set by the team riders on fresh legs and stayed in the lead pack.

Vienna - Kraftwerk 12hour

2010-05-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

The weather quickly changed with high winds of 29mph and torrential rain which made the event even tougher and more dangerous with so may riders on the course. I finished 10th overall clocking up 260miles in the 12 hours and got the speed I needed back in my legs for the next big races in the UK. On the down side, since getting back I have had a bad chest infection which has forced a rest this week . Hopefully back on the bike next week to get ready for the Anfield 100mile TT.

Icknield 25mile TT and Charlottleville 50mileTT

2010-05-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

9th May 2010

Mental stress is a hard to manage!!!

After not being able race in Italy I quickly booked in two events - Icknield 25 mile TT which was cancelled on the day due bad weather and then raced the Charlotteville 50mile TT the following weekend which I struggled in and just got in on 1hour 58min. A lot better than I thought and on reflection should be happy.

I had been away sitting exams the week before the 50mile TT and dealing with mental stress is alot harder than phyiscal stress and I was taken back how much it effected my race. When you are physically tired you just rest but when you are mentally it gets you all round

Vienna next - lets hope the sun shines

Italy - all the preperation and no plane to catch

2010-05-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

17th April 2010

Volcanic ash stopped my defence of the European Title in Italy. Gutted

After the long months of training and pre race preperation the volcanic ash stopped me getting to Italy. I can not express my fustration at not being able to race. There was simply no way I could get there on time after the flight cancellation late Thursday afternoon.

The trick is how I manage the energy without going out and going wild on the roads to get the tension out of me.

This is a real blow as I have now missed two world cup events this year and need to hold my form for Vienna.

Nothing I can do but move on to the next race.

Lancashire Hilly 50 mile TT

2010-05-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

11th April 2010

Yep - another hilly event to test my fitness and strength.

I love this event for its sheer challenge and it takes place in possibly the most superb areas of the country with hills and rolling roads that would struggle to find on the continent

Yet again I faired well finishing inside the top 10 and taking a good chunk of time of last years.

Felt strong and ready for Italy.

A5 Rangers Hilly 31mile TT

2010-05-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

20th March 2010

The good form continues - Happy Days

On Saturday I raced the Hilly 31mile TT and won the N&DCA trophy in the relentless rain and wind which is typical for this weekend.

It even got better when I raced the 10mile TT the following day and won the Mike Lunn trophy for most improved time taking nearly a minute of last year - big thanks to Allsports who help with my nutrition and also the Iceni for the right mineral water.

Lancashire next....

Matlock Hilly 25mile - it was hilly again

2010-05-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

6th March 2010

I raced the Matlock Hilly this weekend and as per usual it was a true lung buster of event. It opens with a 5 mile hill climb and then takes you through some beautiful scenery.

I showed great form finishing 4th behind some handy local riders. Pretty pleased and happy to be out racing.

Big thanks to Darren @ Roy Pink Cycles for setting up the bike.

Bring on the Hilly 31mile next week.

This Season's Goals - were off

2010-05-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

i wi

The plan for this year is the defend the NDCA hilly 31m title which is a local event that I always support before travelling off to Italy for the European Championships in the foothills of Montello. I will go head to head with the World Champion over 24 hours in his back yard and that will not be an easy one.

I will then move onto the Kraftwerk 12hour race in Vienna. This is just one crazy race on a 5.3km course which makes your feel like a lab rat going round in circles. All the rules are thrown out the window with regard to drafting and style of bike used. There will be solo riders mixing with team riders and the pace is frenetic. Later in the season I plan to ride the UK 24hr & 12hr before setting off to France, Ireland and possibly Brazil.

February - putting things into perspective

2010-05-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

I had planned to race the Sebring 24hour in Florida this month but financial support has just been hard to get and when you have think about funding your support crew as well it becomes a real challenge. My mother keeps reminding me things happen for a reason and they sure do at some point.

Sadly my father in law passed away this month and cycling took a back seat while I focused my energy on supporting my family through this difficult time and like my father, Paul lost his long and determined battle against cancer.

The month has been a real emotional roller coaster and put life into perspective quickly.

December / January - Winter Blues

2010-05-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

The weather is the coldest I have ever known it and I can not recall snow like this for a long time.

Did we ever have a great summer and a lousy winter ?

This really is a tough time training and resisting the risk of training on the roads and incurring an injury is hard to control. Much of my time is now spent either on the turbo trainer with Faithless blasting out, at the gym, attending body pump, circuit training or in the pool. Generally as much cross training as possible to get my fitness back up, after all I will be racing pretty early in the season.

Did I mention that I have given up alcohol, chocolate, biscuits,fizzy pops, caffeine and crisps in my attempt to keep my weight down through the winter. Its a challenge alone with the temptation over Christmas so great.