Ground Zero

Now after two weeks off the bike I'm ready to start getting fit again.

I did a small ride with Jane yesterday and and when I got back Ironbike had offered me a free entry to the race for next July!

I think the pain of this race has almost gone :-)

How do I get fit for this race though?

thetford round one

Paul's report:

The weather forecast said 6°C with 29mph SW winds. It was at least 8°C if not 10°.
A bit chilly perhaps but not cold.
I had unfortunately put two layers on regardless, so hot but not, not sweaty. Their were salt marks on my arm warmers when I finished.
This wasn't helped by the fact that the wind was 29mph at least. I even felt it in the trees at times. There were a couple of descents I pedalled down in a smaller gear than I know I've ridden up in the past. And one ascent into the wind just became speed sapping rather than a hammer grind. But as it was a southerly wind I think that's why it wasn't so cold.

The course was very good, I wasn't. Lapped on the fifth lap. I only just got through in time for a seventh lap too (five minutes to spare - they let one guy through with a second to go though) so could have been two laps down on the leaders.
Mainly dry with lots of singletrack. This was good but for the 'two hour' boys behind us bad I imagine.
They usually set off 15 minutes after the 'four hours' which gives a good time for everyone to spread out.
Today though we had two minutes silence for remembrance then a memorial poem was read out. Then the 'four hour' ladies went, then with a two minute gap we went and the 'two hour' lot left 5 minutes after us. This meant they were on us about half way through lap two having passed those behind while we were still in bunches - hard work and annoying
.
I had one off incident. Whilst riding in a chain of about six of us, I was in about fourth following hard when I guess we caught up with a slower rider with nowhere to pass and all came to a very sudden stop. The only place I could see to avoid the rider in front was the floor so I chose that option. Soft without roots I'm not sure I didn't just bounce back up again and carry on. In fact I'm not actually sure I hit the floor, feasibly I somehow stuck my foot out and kicked myself upright again from a very acute angle.

I faded from what was only a reasonable speed anyway during lap five and just kept hanging on for lap six, but about two miles into the final lap I saw two guys ahead I knew were on the same lap as we'd yoyoed earlier and was sure one was a veteran.
Having just had a gel, some Clif Bloks and some energy drink I chased, caught and passed them then kept going hard to the end because one of them gave chase - the bugger. He finished less than 100m behind me.

Another great day and though there is a semblance of mud on my bike, it's not too much.
With race numbers going up to 935 I am no. 3 for the series. Lets hope I'm top ten at least then.

Results: timelaps 10th excellent, well done.

Ibiza

The obligatory sunset beach pic! :-)

Just back from a nice week biking and hiking in Ibiza. I love riding the stiffee.

We went to see a local race in Cala Bassa and met up with Art the friendly kiwi ex-pat from Can Trull where the night races are organised and Juan Ferrer the organiser of this race and owner of the big specialized dealership in Eivissa. Juan offered to take us out to show us the riding on the west of la Isla Bonita. Some new trails for us at Xmas! Hurrah!

Now is a very scary time for me, I'm going to take two weeks off the bike! A week is the most I've stayed of the bike for many years.

I feel that I need a good rest for for my tendons and other connective tissues, so no running or hiking either.

over the hill gang

Roger couldn't make the Tuesday mtb ride and because I'll be on the mtb (btt) in Ibiza all of next week :) I went for a road ride with the over the hill gang.



Today's ride was out to Heaven Farm near Danehill.

Yet another beautiful day. The back roads were a bit greasy from the fallen leaves, but no one was being heroic today and we had a nice steady ride. A 100 km in around three and three quarter hours.

I find chickens around my feet a little unnerving.

Sunday Ride

I keep thinking it's the last, but autumn keeps squeezing out one more day of great riding.



A bit cloudier today and the sun took longer to burn through, but the trails are still bone dry and hardpacked. We barely saw any mud and the roots were just on the right side of grippy :) Even the bridleway past High Ashes farm had a dry route through it! Normally only dry in high summer.


Me, Paul and Jane took in three and three quarter hours of the Surrey Hills' finest singletrack, with the obligatory 'burn up' across Deerleap on the way back, where Jane attacked us both on the last section. I just about managed to get back on before Westcott.

And just as I think my courgette plant has given it's last, it produces another :)

Autumn in Surrey

Today was the invitational ride for the swrc, the idea is that we invite non members to try a club run. Me, Jane and Roger opted to guide an mtb ride. The road rides had a response, but we had nobody. We hadn't really expected anyone to turn up, Cobham isn't a great place to start a mountain bike ride. It seems that most mtb'ers like to ride to the 'trailhead' as it were :)

So me and Jane rolled back over through Cobham common and up onto Polesden Lacey(Roger had remembered that there was a Surrey league x country running race this afternoon and was most expeditious in zipping off home to get changed). From what was a freezing cold morning emerged a beautiful warm sunny day....again! This month has been fantastic. This area has lots of Beech trees and a good deal of the ride was spent crunching through crispy leaves and beech nuts. We spied a few fungi en route but without our SoCal fungimeister with us to identify them, we let them be.

We did spot this sign for the lco:)

On the road to Camilia Botnar

According to the oldsters in the club it's the social season, which means rides with tea stops......hurrah!

So me and Jane set off for the Camelia Botnar garden centre in thick mist and a chilly 14'C.

We've had lots of nice weather like this for the past month, chilly misty mornings, with the sun arriving to burn through and reveal beautiful blue skies.

Today was no exception it was so warm, that we sat outside at the café. Jane ate all of the little rocks of sugar and felt a bit giddy until it kicked in at Col du Colgate!

Now my legs hurt :-)

The Sugar loaf from the

Today we got back to the Sundayrider's winter walks in Wales. Today was the not often visited trek to the summit of the Sugar loaf via the route for the Three Peaks Challenge.

After spending the summer walking and running in Ibiza, the lco was much faster than last year. Jane was of course mostly running some 'hill repeat sessions' to 'earn' next month's golden figure :-) Ramón had cold hands.

The weather was mainly cold with icy rain on the summit.

Jane wins!

Jane took 1st place in the Dorking and Mole Valley AC winter series opener.

Another trophy :-)

Sunday ride

The mighty Dinsdale came for a Sunday ride today.....hurrah! and she brought cake....hurrah! That she'd made for Greg's birthday....err ...oops!

Happy Birthday Greg :-)

It had rained heavily during the week up until Thursday and even a bit last night, so we thought it was going to be a muddy one. The trails were surprisingly dry and the sun came out for the whole three hours. We kept to the well drained sandy areas over at Holmbury and then up over Leith to do some of the singletrack. on the way back we came through Denbies vineyard, where the grapes are almost ready for harvest.

Jane was flying and super strong today.

JD was strong and steady and getting stronger toward the end of the ride, she took 3rd at the 24/twelve a couple of weeks ago.

Ramón was suntanned.

Paul is at the Trans Wales this week, good luck!