Rain

How much beet depends; one small beet might be enough for some people, while others will need to eat more. The amount of time taken to get rid of all the red also varies, as well as the time between consumption and the start of the red/brown urine. Back on topic, USN Cyto Power does contain colourants (I don't know which ones specifically), so that could explain the red urine.

Exact same thing happened to me. I was convinced that my kidneys were failing until I remembered about the beets.

Was Frank ever really on the list?

I like Sagan's victory salutes. He's only 22, riding in his first TdF and winning stages. What does it matter what he does as he crosses the line?

Why would someone use a GU sachet while training at Kyalami?

The way I see it it doesn't matter if they're male or female. Some women can lead the bunch just as well as men. There's no reason why they should just sit in the bunch when they're perfectly capable of leading.

Kind of like a number plate, but on the rider? That actually sounds like a good idea. I've also passed numerous large groups while training that take up the entire road and have no consideration for the drivers. They ride 3 or 4 abreast on single lane roads and force drivers to either stay behind them or risk an accident by overtaking into oncoming cars. It just gives all cyclists a bad name, and we all suffer as a result of those who can't abide by the rules.

I actually like the taste of wheatgrass, even though I don't drink it everyday.

I'd say it's more about confidence than skill. Relax and accept that fact that you might fall and get hurt and don't worry about that. Before the downhill starts take up a comfortable position that enables you to control the bike in case it starts to drift or wobble. Then just let go (figuratively, not literally) and resist the urge to use the brakes until you're past 40km/h (unless you really need to brake).

I drink Game if I have to, because I find that it's quite bitter. Maybe I should switch to a different flavour. But I haven't had any problems when drinking it.

When I get hurt, I wash everything out with water to get rid of the grit and sand, wipe it down with diluted disinfectant and leave it to dry. If the wounds are seeping by the time I go to bed then I wrap them with some paraffin soaked gauze and bandage them up to prevent everything from getting stuck to the bedding. I learnt the hard way when it comes to using the paraffin soaked gauze, because the first time I fell I didn't use it; I just used some normal gauze and bandage. Next morning I woke up and the bandages had stuck to the wounds. Fortunately they came off after soaking in warm water, so I didn't have to rip them off and open the wounds again. As soon as it stops seeping I stop using the bandages and just let it scar over. It does leave permanent scars, but I don't care about those.

To me nothing could taste worse than KFC! I think it's just the look of the juice that gets me. Considering everything that went into it, it must taste pretty decent.

Just looking at that is making my stomach turn. But at least it's got good stuff in it.

I heard about this on the radio. I hate hearing about cyclists being killed, because I know that it could have been me. Condolences to the family, I can't imagine how tough it must be.

I also trained more than usual and lost about 1.5kg. Although I didn't really eat as much Christmas food as I usually do.

Relax anything that you aren't using so that you don't waste energy unnecessarily. Like Andymann said, if you can't wiggle your fingers then you're holding on too tight. While climbing rest your hands on the top of the handlebars to open your chest and lungs up. I always imagine that I'm playing a piano so my fingers 'dance' on the tops. As stated before, sit for as long as possible. Even though standing is usually faster, it wastes more energy in a shorter space of time, so it's hard to sustain. Rather sit and try to force yourself to remain seated until you reach the top. If you can, head off to Suikerbos and do those climbs - that's seriously good hill training. Depending on where you live you could also try going to Kyalami race track a few times a week next year and training there on the Mineshaft. But the easiest way to improve your hill climbing is to actually climb the hills.

I've considered stopping too, but I'm not sure if I will. I might if it starts to affect me more, but for now it still seems to be fine. Although I have been put on some medication by my doctor, so I won't be donating for about a year anyway.

Regardless of whether you did it in 2 hours or 3 hours - well done for doing it. It's 50km more than what I did today!

Exactly. Always follow The Rules. Besides, have you ever had physio or a massage with hairy legs? Pulling tape off hairy legs is no fun either...

If you do use an indoor trainer, make sure that you position it in front of a TV or put together a nice collection of music that you enjoy listening to. Indoor trainers are extremely boring, but still better than nothing when you can't go out to ride. If you get some new movies or series then watch them all on the trainer. It certainly makes the time go by faster. I have noticed that it wears my back wheel out a bit, so consider using an older tyre when using the indoor trainer.

Thanks for the update.

Fortunately not, it just shot into my mouth and spat it out quickly.

I also ended up with a bee in my mouth coming down the mineshaft. When I went passed she was surrounded by a few people, but nothing was happening. I just hope that she recovers and gets back on the bike.

Same here. I used it for carbo-loading once and felt really bad the night before the race; to the point where I thought that I'd have to pull out.

+1