“WHITE BOXERS”
NEWSLETTER No 31 – November 2024
Hi – we hope this first quarterly offering finds you well – and that you can find the mudguards and lights you put somewhere safe after surviving last winter 😊
News from the front –
Our big news is that after successfully running both THE BEAST and THE BOXER sportives on the same day this year, we now intend to make this the only event we organise each year.
Chris felt that the new event, with our 2 x most popular routes, needed a new name. After much deliberation, and suggestions from the team, we have settled with RIDE TO THE LAKES SPORTIVE (which seems to aptly describe what happens on the day).
This new logo will appear all over Facebook and cycling event directories and online entries for next seasons event on 17 August 2025 are open.
Coaches Corner –
It’s now November and as winter is setting in (if it ever really left), it’s a good time to sit down and look back on our achievements for the year.
If you remember back to February’s edition of the coaches’ corner, you’ll know we spoke about goal setting. For most of us, our key events have been and gone, so now it’s time review our goals, decide whether we’ve achieved them and start the planning process for next season.
Met all your goals for the year?
Great! Looking back at your goals you can ask yourself a few different questions. How easy was it for you to achieve your targets for the year? Ideally your answer would be something along the lines of “hard, but manageable”. If not, take this into account when planning your new goals for 2025, do you need to make your goals a bit harder to help push yourself over the coming months?
Haven’t reached your goals?
Don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world. Take this time to have a think about what’s happened in the last 10 months. Has something happened in that’s been out of your control, such as injuries or illness. Or were you maybe a tad optimistic on what goals you could achieve within the timeframe you’d given yourself. Either way, we can use that looking forward for next year.
What’s next?
Fairly similar to how we did our goal setting back in February, we’ll pick our process and outcome goals on what we want to do next year. The main difference now is that based on the outcome of our goals from this year, we can make a more informed decision on how much we want to push ourselves and what is realistic for us to achieve.
And seeing as we’ve got the whole of winter ahead of us. We can be a bit more specific with the riding and training we do over the coming months to help achieve our goals. For example, if the distance/duration of your event was your biggest struggle, then trying to find some time to do longer rides is going to go a massive way to helping. If the climbs were more of a struggle for you, then maybe heading to the gym to do some strength exercises or doing some hill efforts would give you more of an advantage. The key being to focus your time where you most need it.
As always if anyone would like any advice or guidance, please do feel free to reach out to me for a chat.
Ben Barlow
Apogee Performance Coaching
https://apogeeperformance.myportfolio.com/
Xmas Gift Ideas 
A couple of different ideas for you –
Get someone to book your place in either The Beast or The Boxer on 17 August next year for you.
Gift vouchers / entries are available by contacting us @ [email protected]
Also a local publisher sent us a brilliant book about the training regime of Peter Ward MBE, who was at the top of his racing game 60 years ago. It is a fascinating look at the world of cycle racing before the equipment we take for granted today, like breathable waterproofs, GPX, Zwift, mobile phones, indoor trainers, carbon fibre, pro pelotons, team buses ect ect. Peter shares his notes on training, diet, bikes, clothing, race tactics and many other topics.
Get a copy with 15 % discount code – KOS20 @
https://www.pendle-press.co.uk/product/king-of-sports
Team Rides –
The TOP DOG EVENTS team have been busy since the last newsletter on adventures in UK and further afield.
Peter (finish area feed station)
Has been busy cycling in Portugal, on a tour going North to South, end to end through the interior, 690 miles over 11 days, 49000 feet of climbing
Chris and Lynn – Event Organisers.
Spent a memorable 10 days on the Isle of Arran, a mixture of road riding (they ran out of time to explore the off-road forest trails!) walking and exploring.
The island is only around 55 miles in circumference, and the “String Road” through the centre makes for 2 x brilliant, leisurely half island rides of around 35 miles each, North and South.
Goat Fell is the highest point on the island and ascent via Glen Rosa and The Saddle make for an interesting day. Not among Scotland’s tallest mountains, but the sea level starting point ensures every inch of the 874 meters is climbed.
We stayed at the brilliant SHA hostel in Lochranza throughout and cannot recommend it enough. We saw the big five of Red Deer, Otters, Eagles, Seals and Red Squirrels during our time on the isle. And as we literally ran out of time to do all we wanted, so will most certainly be returning ASAP.
Steve (broom wagon) and wife Emma.
Steve and Top Dog supporter Emma (his wife) have been out and about far and wide.
Enjoying a last bit of summer sun in the Galloway Forest, hitting the Gravel tracks and enjoying a bit of Scottish sun…No really… it was sunny and warm.
They then headed off somewhere slightly warmer to explore Greece on foot and bike.
What a brilliant team – it is little wonder that we share the mission of organising cycling events that we would want to enter and ride in
Have a great couple of months – winter riding and training, eating and drinking lots over Xmas and New Year, bag a place on one of the rides on 17 August 25 – and we ll see you then.
Chris, Lynn and All @ Top Dog Events Limited