Winter cycling

As I sadly waved me Cannondale off to its new home, I'm left with just the two bikes at the moment - my Genesis single speed, which got a run out to Gargrave with the kids last weekend, and my Dolan winter bike.

This is now all Ultegra-ed up, as Rick and I moved the group set from the Cannondale onto it, so with shiny new bar tape, a new ebay saddle and posh gears, it's quite a nice ride.  I do feel slightly conspicuous as the only bugger still riding around with mudguards on though.

The last couple of rides I've done have therefore been on the Dolan, as my new bike hasn't arrived yet (it's actually en route as I type, so possibly next weekend I'll be out on it), but in both cases I was rather glad of my mudguards!

The weather really doesn't seem to be able to make its mind up - on Wednesday I went out for a whizz round the Burnsall loop in shorts and sunnies, then twenty minutes after getting back the sky went black and we had the most mahoosive hail storm. Then yesterday, despite promises of dry, cool weather I was in a rain jacket all day.

I went over Langbar to meet Rich at Ilkley.  Since the arrival of little Betty he's hardly been out at all, and has just nine weeks before the White Rose.  We decided to do the first bit of the WRC to see how his climbing legs were - "slow but steady" would be my verdict.  I didn't hammer it up Norwood but felt pretty good all the way - I times myself at ten minutes for the climb.  Rich was three minutes back, not a bad effort for a man who's done no riding all year.

We then followed the WRC route through Fewston and down the A59, but then we turned left back to Otley rather than heading north towards Greenhow.  Rich managed the climb ok, then we stopped at Dunnies for a "pie dinner".  The mileage (only about 20 or so, but lumpy) hit Rich after the stop, and we were pretty slow back to Ilkley.

I left him there and headed for home up the valley to give a decent 50 miler with a good bit of climbing in it.

I've got just two weeks left at work now, so the focus once I've finished will be on getting lots of miles and climbing in.  I've been invited to do London to Paris in July which is three 100 mile days on the bounce - so stamina and a bombproof arse are the order of the day!

Back again!

No, not dead, and not actually lying on the sofa eating cake - just distracted and haven't got round to updating this thing.

The India trip pretty much wiped out two and a half weeks of training so I decided pretty early on the Peaks wasn't going to be a goer this year.  I'm sure I could have beaten the cut offs, but that's more or less what I did last year - so the decision I have to make at some point is whether to give the 3P a proper go next year or use my last year of "god for age" to do London marathon again.  Don't need to decide for a while, so in the meantime I shall worry about things bikey.

The big news os I'm changing my job.  The bigger news is I don't know what to - I've agreed with work that the role they have in mind for me later this year isn't really for me, so as from the end of April I'm on garden leave, with the purpose of finding something else to do.  This is less tragic than it sounds as they'll pay me for a year if required, so I think I'll be having a good summer with lots of bike rides and the occasional peruse of the job pages.

I'm also eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new bike - I've sold my Cannondale so I am now "summer bikeless".  I've swapped all the Ultegra bits off my 'Dale onto my Dolan so I have a far posher winter bike, but with the (hopeful) end of the wintry weather I'm itching to get out on something light and carbony.

The new bike is from German internet dealer Rose Bikes, but is a last-year's-model branded Red Bull.  They have an amazing configuration on their website, but this is a pre-specced bike, with full Dura-Ace Di2, Dura-Ace wheels etc etc.  After a fair amount of faffing (paying in euros is soooo tricky) I hope it's being built this week, so should be with me w/c 16 April.  We shall see...

On the activity front I've been running a bit, and cycling a bit.  Today's trip was an Easter Sunday special - couldn't be arsed to get up at 7 to get to Ilkley for the club run, and Herb is sulking cos his best bike's poorly, so we went for something "flat" and easy - which turned out to be anything but.

Basically we rode to Wetherby along the north bank of the Wharfe then came back the other side, but the return proved to a lot lumpier and windier than we expected.  Herb bonked majorly after 40 miles, so despite a stop at Dunnies for sustenance I ended up on the from for pretty much the whole way home.  Apart, of course, for the last mile when a bloke came past us so Herb's competitive instanct kicked in and he was off and chasing.

A good ride, harder than expected, but a metric century (64 miles) and just over 4 hours of riding - roll on May and my new bike!!

A week of curry

Just back from a few days working in India, so multiple curries and no exercise at all has been the order of the day.  Seems that I may have brought a little intestinal present back with me, so this may be another weekend off - which will be the longest I've done nothing for ages.

Back to it this week hopefully - possibly a quick blast on the bike if my insides'll let me, and maybe a run round the ressie with Lily later.  She's in the N Yorks county xc finals, so needs to be on tip top form by the end of the month.  I like to think that our one lap of the reservoir with the dog last weekend had something to do with her third place in the area finals...

It's been ages!

Sorry, occasional blog-readers - been a bit busy.  Firstly with sone skiing (it was awesome, apart from the losing Lily bits, which were a bit scary).  M & L proved to be excellent skiers and had a brilliant time.  Both of them managed a series of red runs and on our last day they both got down a black run.  Now given that lots of people spend years getting up the courage to even look over the edge of something with black lollipops down it, I think that the girls done good (even if it was pretty benign).

Me and Arr had some fun on a few steeps and powdery bits, so you could definitely say I'm "keen on skiing" again.

Since we've got back I've eased myself back into stuff - a few runs each week, the occasional bike commute, and a desperately cold 50 miler with the club last weekend.  Tomorrow's my "putting something back" day when I'm going to lead the C group - but all the way I shall be thinking of my new bike that I've ordered from Germany that I'll be riding this summer.

Roll on April...

Well that was January (and a bit of February)

A month on from my new year resolution to get fit, and what's happened.

Well I've stuck with it.  I've only had one rest day a week, if that, and have cycled into work once a week.  I've been to the track and I've started running off road (a bit).  I've hardly drunk any beer and I've eaten properly.  And I've eaten tons of fruit.  Oh the fruit...

I ran for 88 miles and I cycled for 270.  I did three spin classes.  Like a girl.

Not sure if I've actually lost any weight but whatever weight I am has moved about - trousers that were a tad tight are now a perfect fit.  I feel far fitter on the bike, and have toasted The Herb up some hills a few times.

I'm starting to enjoy feeling fitter again, which is a good sign - but as I said last time February's going to be a challenge.  Edinburgh this weekend to see Stuart Lancaster's new look England take on the Scots, where pies and beer will be consumed.  The back to it next week, but two nights away including dinner with some journalists (finishes at 9 though, so hopefully a sober night).  Then off to Morzine - given how much your legs hurt when skiing I'm assuming it does you some good, but I think I'm going to take my spiky things and maybe get at least one run in, if only a couple of miles.  But again - beer will be drunk.

Then it's back home and back to work, but the following weekend K and I are off to Keswick for our anniversary.  I have a pass out for a run up Skiddaw (which I've never been up) and I'm wondering if I might manage a swift ride up Whinlatter and back, but that might be pushing it.

Key objectives for the opportunities I do have will be to get a longer run in each week.  Once I'm back from France I should hopefully be able to do something longer after work - maybe a run home once in a while.  Bike miles will also be tricky, so I might have to try and get the motivation to add a few extras in on the way home from work once it gets a bit lighter too.

I started Feb with a very steady four miler after work in the dark last night, then tonight, despite a few cry offs (Hinsley, The Herb and Sue) Rob T and his daughter Sophie came along.  Rob took over Sue's mantle by kicking my arse, but he did spur me on to a slightly quicker pace than of late.  We did 6x800m off 200m recoveries - my reps were 3:01, 2:58, 2:58, 3:00, 2:59 and 2:53 - pretty happy with those despite Rob disappearing further into the distance every lap!

And soon it'll be March!  I have entered the Coniston 14 in March, so whilst I won't expect to set the world on fire respectability might be nice.

Another chilly week

It seems to have been blimmin' chilly for about a week now, but to be honest give me cold and still over warm and windy any day.

Last week panned out pretty much as planned - firstly a bimble round Hyde Park, which turned out to be decidedly brisk.  There was some sort of time trial/race going on, so all the usual iPod laden joggers had been replaced by gnarly looking dudes, some of whom were in vests and shorts.  I was miling at low 7's (and below 7's by the end) and was overtaken by about half a dozen guys all looking steely eyed and determined.  Still, got me back in time for the footy.

The Thursday saw me and the Herb, along with our new training bud Sue, at the track for a slightly longer efforts session than of late.  A decent warm up then 5x1k off 200's.  Sue's first time on the track, and as expected she gave us a mild kicking - lapping probably 3-5 seconds quicker than me (and a lot quicker than Herb who was suffering a bit and looked even more Forrest Gump than usual).  My reps were all between 3:45 and 3:50, which is respectable, but not the 3:35's I was running a couple of years ago - still, not bad and there's more to come I'm sure.

Steady 4m Friday, then Saturday saw me and the girls at Cas for our last practice session in the big fridge before Morzine in a couple of weeks.  It's great to see how far they've come, especially Lily who had effectively never skied before.  She's verging on the "overconfident" so it'll be interesting to see how she goes over there.  Maisie is more in control, so I think she'll cope better when it steepens up.

Sunday I'd planned to go out with the club on the long training ride, so drove down to Ilkley instead of riding, but a change of plan (well a lack of a clear one, really) meant I went with the usual group instead.  Having driven down, of course I'd managed to forget helmet and battery, so a helmet less, lightless ride was had over to Kirby Overblow and back via Castley - a nice 40 miles in perfect, if slightly icy conditions.

Today was back to work, and all the systems conked out, so The Newmanator and Bobby T set off for a Reverse Tomes.  The problem with Rob is that even though he's not at his fittest, he can't seem to stop pushing, so the result was a (for me) very fast run up the hill to Morton, then a PB time overall of just under 40 minutes for the 5.25 miles.

Spin class tonight, which is definitely feeling easier.

My main challenge now after a good January is to keep it up through Feb.  Rugby this weekend, then two weekends of skiing and then a trip to Keswick with K for our anniversary means that cycling opportunities will be limited to commuting, unless I can scab a ride on the Saturday before skiing.  Running at weekends will be equally limited, along with doing nothing when we're skiing for a week.

Brrr...

Did the hilly five miler from work yesterday with the Newmanator and its inventor and inspiration, Chris Tomes.  The route, henceforth known as The Reverse Tomes, is the run up through the Mortons to the top of the moor, then back down through Riddlesden to a flat couple of miles on the canal.  It's a Reverse Tomes as the first time I ran it we went the other way round, which is a flat couple of miles then a stupidly steep climb up and then a ridiculously easy run back down to work.  The Reverse Tomes gives a long climb with a few steep bits, then a short steep descent, good for leg speed, then a flat finish that you can run hard or easy.

Anyway... the three of us set off after a bit of a debate about clothing.  I went for pertex, Tomes went for a gilet and The Newmanator went for a t-shirt.  Win to me - sleet and a stinking headwind on the way up left me slightly concerned for Tim's welfare.  Nevertheless the little trooper made it and we enjoyed a speedy descent and a reasonably brisk couple of miles back.  A good, but chilly lunchtime.

Then today it was that perfect combination for a ride into work - wet AND cold.  Obviously there's just a touch of irony in my use of the word "perfect" - it was bloody awful.  The Herb and I distracted ourselves by alternately talking about how "it's much worse when it's windy" and trying to make each other fall off by not paying attention and swerving into each other's way.

Separate rides home, and I was quite pleased with how strong I felt considering I've only had two days off running or biking in the last 20.  I suspect there was some wind assistance but I actually got home quicker than we went in - a very unusual "negative split" for a bike commute.

London tomorrow - hopefully a pootle round a park or two, then track Thursday if I can get back in time.