I was listening to the weather forecast on BBC Fivelive this morning and the weatherman mentioned heavy rain and gales across France tonight which we should escape. Jokingly he said "I hope this doesn't turn out to be my Michael Fish moment". Well my meteorological Beeb friend, your colleagues in the website weather department did that for you yesterday.
I looked at the "fluffy-white cloud, yellow-sun peeking out and ABSOLUTELY NO WIND" forecast for this morning and decided that despite:
a. A late night at a quiz in Bath that resulted in a 3rd place finish, and I really hate losing quizzes, and got back from at 1AM
b. A long tiring week at work
c. Continuing neck pain and general back-grumpiness
d. Lots of other stuff I need to do
I would go on the ACG ride, and plan the route across exposed and potentially muddy (BUT ONLY IF RAINY) territory. So fellow ACGers, I'm sorry, I trusted the forecast and they got it horribly wrong but I take all responsibility.
I also took you to the most expensive cafe in North Somerset, even though it has the best views and the nicest teacups. I think the girl serving has either yet to take her GCSE Maths or else didn't want to rely on the calculator. I have eaten the same food there before and it's been cheaper. Next time it will be two crumpets for a pound at Brean Down.
The overall aim had been to devise a route that we hadn't really done before, and I think I succeeded in that. We could of course have cycled across some fields or a building site and there would have been less mud and fewer holes. I was very drained of energy today so Knight of the Realm pasted me on all the hills, and my lack of concentration showed when crossing the A38. In my torpor, I forgot there were two lanes of traffic. So I got to the middle easily enough, before suddenly realising that there was a long line of traffic approaching, necessitating some careful wiggling across on my part.
We wound our way through Axbridge, puddles, Cross, puddles, Max mill Lane, a bit of tarmac but mainly puddles, Banwell, potholes, Puxton, some tarmac, mainly mud and puddles, Sandford, a bit of sand but mainly ford, and then Wrington.
Finally as we approached the cafe we spotted another cyclist some 100 yards in from so Knight of the Realm and I set off in pursuit. Very juvenile, our "hare" was ambling along minding his own, elegant business, when two childish middle-aged men (it could only be men, women are far too sensible. But who wants to be sensible all their life?) zoomed past pretending they were Thor and Cav.
I really had intended to stay out today after the ACG ride, as the forecast for tomorrow is shocking. Take your hills when you can and all that. Bet that forecast comes true mind. With immaculate timing the first spots of rain descended as we clipped in back towards Wrington. By the time I reached the decision point at Langford I was as wet as half of the 1981 Cabinet so this boy decided he was for turning, very fast towards home. Up the A38, through the lights, Sandford again and Winscombe then home.
A boat would have been more useful, the potholes and grime were lost as the roads transformed into rivers and we all pedalled as fast as we could towards our respective homes. A bit like abandoning the Titanic it was woman and child first, ie Skip and me, and after a relatively short 32 mile ride, the sun predictably appeared just in time for me to wash the bike. Everyone did get home as we all met up again later at Skip's fab banquet in Axbridge town hall. I had intended to stay for the dancing but tiredness and babysitters were calling. I'd also never seen any of the ACG in clothes not of the du Pont hue before. Very disconcerting.
One pleasing note was my decision to don my wedding suit for the banquet. Not only did I look different to all the other chaps, smartly penguined up I may add, but it also still fits me. In fact it's a bit loose, and that can't be bad after 12 years.
A slowish ride as we slowed for potholes and muddy roads, but yet again a fun one. Oh well, I bet if I plan Sainsburys and recycling trips tomorrow, the weather will be fab.
Here's a wet Charlie (you may need to cut and paste into your browsers):
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25688586
An interesting random speed spike shows that for a second i hit 60mph on the bike. I hope it's not a glitch, I like to think I could sprint if I had to!
Saturday 27 February 2010
Monday 22 February 2010
In these shoes? I don't think so!
Hopping around like a crazy, lycra-clad grasshopper with my foot feeling like it has been crushed by one of those things at a scrapyard. It felt like it must be broken, but as usual, it was just a man-thing-cramp.
Skip needed to get her miles in before her first event, as did I. The only difference being that my event is at the end of March, whereas hers is in a fortnight. So we headed off around the levels on a similar route to Friday, before climbing Brent Knoll (where I was gasping at the top) and Banwell Castle (where I had to race and beat I may add, a 7-year old on a BMX bike). I was exhausted and by the time we got to Winscombe lights I was jumping up and down as Skip headed off towards Axbridge. I didn't catch her until she stopped.
What should I expect, I was 1.5 miles short of 50 miles, and apart from a couple of cake-bars (honestly full of low GI carbs and very healthy), I had barely eaten since breakfast. It was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon by this stage so it was no surprise that I had cramp, but in the foot? Having said that I had felt pretty tired and we did a pretty good time.
A big lesson for me-eat, eat, and eat or else risk looking a numpty in public.
Here's Charlie's take:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25230211
Skip needed to get her miles in before her first event, as did I. The only difference being that my event is at the end of March, whereas hers is in a fortnight. So we headed off around the levels on a similar route to Friday, before climbing Brent Knoll (where I was gasping at the top) and Banwell Castle (where I had to race and beat I may add, a 7-year old on a BMX bike). I was exhausted and by the time we got to Winscombe lights I was jumping up and down as Skip headed off towards Axbridge. I didn't catch her until she stopped.
What should I expect, I was 1.5 miles short of 50 miles, and apart from a couple of cake-bars (honestly full of low GI carbs and very healthy), I had barely eaten since breakfast. It was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon by this stage so it was no surprise that I had cramp, but in the foot? Having said that I had felt pretty tired and we did a pretty good time.
A big lesson for me-eat, eat, and eat or else risk looking a numpty in public.
Here's Charlie's take:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/25230211
Friday 19 February 2010
Doctor's orders
I don't know, maybe you do, technically is a chiropractor a doctor? Either way, the week of training I had planned, turned into a week at the chiropractor. On Monday morning I could barely move, my back was in spasm and thoughts of a century ride this week rapidly gave way to "will I ever ride again?" Nothing too dramatic then.
A trip to the chiro on Monday, as I said in my last post, with the message "you will need to rest for a couple of weeks". In desperation, and primarily in the hope of getting rid of the pain, I let him do ultrasound, acupuncture as well as all the usual tortures and clickings. I even went to Marks and Spencer and bought a compression vest which I wore for the next two days. It helped actually, and when I returned to said chiro I was much improved. Not healed, but improved. His parting words to me today were twofold:
1. I'm not going to bother talking to you about a maintenance plan
2. There is no point telling you to stay off the bike because you'll only ignore me.
Don't you just love a pragmatic man?
Still, I didn't want t overdo it, and although Skipper (complete absence of y) was hesitant about dragging me out and doing me further injury, she agreed to meet me down in Axbridge for an "easy spin" on the flat.
[As an aside, there was a documentary on the other night all about the making of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. If only there were more public-spirited creatures like that in this country, there would be less crime, fewer lost children, more happy flying doctors etc. I ask you, in the 60s and 70s while we were making Doctor Who and Match of the Day, they were doing Skippy!. I used to love it.]
Back to the ride. We headed off via Cheddar, Wedmore and the Panborough road, narrowly missing some OAPs (Old Age Pedestrians) on the high street in Wedmore, before sailing across the levels towards Glasto. Just before we got there we turned into a headwind, I tried to make out that it was wind noise caused by our terrific speed, but Skip was unconvinced, particularly as we were crawling along at that point. Just before Glasto, a cry of "stop, I have a plan" caused us to stop again (was she doing this to watch me constantly unclip?), as we skirted round the edge of town, and onto a road I'd never ridden before.
We ground through the wind through Shapwick and Burtle before turning for home through Blackford, Rug Hill and down the Clewer road. We didn't race, I actually couldn't even had I wanted to, as I was feeling distinctly sore and needed to get in Skip's slipstream most of the time. Which is where it nearly went horribly wrong. As we crossed into Cheddar I hadn't noticed she had slowed down. A brief clash of tyres ensued, more unclipping on my part, but thankfully no spill. Very thankfully I was doing about 15mph at the time, and I would have been hard-pressed to explain that one. Imagine, "oh, you weren't looking where you were going, crashed into the person in front, unclipped?"
Blushes spared, we headed home, in a respectable time too, given the wind and what felt like hard work. I thought Skip looked quite effortless today, I'm a bit sore, hopefully tomorrow will be fine. Otherwise that vest will be coming out again. Actually that might not be such a bad idea.
Here's Charlie
http://connect.garmin.com/player/25050268
A trip to the chiro on Monday, as I said in my last post, with the message "you will need to rest for a couple of weeks". In desperation, and primarily in the hope of getting rid of the pain, I let him do ultrasound, acupuncture as well as all the usual tortures and clickings. I even went to Marks and Spencer and bought a compression vest which I wore for the next two days. It helped actually, and when I returned to said chiro I was much improved. Not healed, but improved. His parting words to me today were twofold:
1. I'm not going to bother talking to you about a maintenance plan
2. There is no point telling you to stay off the bike because you'll only ignore me.
Don't you just love a pragmatic man?
Still, I didn't want t overdo it, and although Skipper (complete absence of y) was hesitant about dragging me out and doing me further injury, she agreed to meet me down in Axbridge for an "easy spin" on the flat.
[As an aside, there was a documentary on the other night all about the making of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. If only there were more public-spirited creatures like that in this country, there would be less crime, fewer lost children, more happy flying doctors etc. I ask you, in the 60s and 70s while we were making Doctor Who and Match of the Day, they were doing Skippy!. I used to love it.]
Back to the ride. We headed off via Cheddar, Wedmore and the Panborough road, narrowly missing some OAPs (Old Age Pedestrians) on the high street in Wedmore, before sailing across the levels towards Glasto. Just before we got there we turned into a headwind, I tried to make out that it was wind noise caused by our terrific speed, but Skip was unconvinced, particularly as we were crawling along at that point. Just before Glasto, a cry of "stop, I have a plan" caused us to stop again (was she doing this to watch me constantly unclip?), as we skirted round the edge of town, and onto a road I'd never ridden before.
We ground through the wind through Shapwick and Burtle before turning for home through Blackford, Rug Hill and down the Clewer road. We didn't race, I actually couldn't even had I wanted to, as I was feeling distinctly sore and needed to get in Skip's slipstream most of the time. Which is where it nearly went horribly wrong. As we crossed into Cheddar I hadn't noticed she had slowed down. A brief clash of tyres ensued, more unclipping on my part, but thankfully no spill. Very thankfully I was doing about 15mph at the time, and I would have been hard-pressed to explain that one. Imagine, "oh, you weren't looking where you were going, crashed into the person in front, unclipped?"
Blushes spared, we headed home, in a respectable time too, given the wind and what felt like hard work. I thought Skip looked quite effortless today, I'm a bit sore, hopefully tomorrow will be fine. Otherwise that vest will be coming out again. Actually that might not be such a bad idea.
Here's Charlie
http://connect.garmin.com/player/25050268
Sunday 14 February 2010
I'm just too tired to blog today..........
It's a pathetic excuse, and the tiredness is all of my own making. After a great ride with the ACG (where we seem to have not just a slow and a fast group, but now a medium group-a bit like Tony Blair promising a "third way"- will this soon become like the proliferation of boxing titles?) I decided to cap the ride off with an ascent of Shipham Hill. Then I thought I'd round it off by hitting the "50 miles for the day" mark. I ended up doing just shy of 54 miles, and my back is killing me. I think I have pulled a muscle, as well as aggravating my ongoing neck/shoulder problem.
So I had lots of stuff to blog about, but I'm off to lie down on the floor of the living room for an hour. Fortunately, the dozen red roses and box of chocs arrived for Mrs M-a-M while I was out, so the brownie points are in the bag. Hopefully I will be better tomorrow, because I had planned a recovery ride!
Here's Charlie, as you will see, we were pretty quick, mainly down to the efforts of our newbie M from YVF, purveyors of yogurt, as well as Skip, the Doc and Knight of the Realm. Don't worry M, I'll get you a proper nickname soon:
http://connect.garmin.com/player/24663156
PS 24 hours and a visit to the chiropractor later, and I have torn a back muscle with some verterbrae out of alignment. The C was perplexed: "this is a twisting injury, you don't get them from cycling". Then I remembered. Cycling to work on Friday, I had fallen off at the Congresbury lights (you guessed it-track -standing, clipped in, doh!), and twisted as I fell. Yesterday's ride has aggravated the injury. Two weeks rest he said, we'll see I said!
So I had lots of stuff to blog about, but I'm off to lie down on the floor of the living room for an hour. Fortunately, the dozen red roses and box of chocs arrived for Mrs M-a-M while I was out, so the brownie points are in the bag. Hopefully I will be better tomorrow, because I had planned a recovery ride!
Here's Charlie, as you will see, we were pretty quick, mainly down to the efforts of our newbie M from YVF, purveyors of yogurt, as well as Skip, the Doc and Knight of the Realm. Don't worry M, I'll get you a proper nickname soon:
http://connect.garmin.com/player/24663156
PS 24 hours and a visit to the chiropractor later, and I have torn a back muscle with some verterbrae out of alignment. The C was perplexed: "this is a twisting injury, you don't get them from cycling". Then I remembered. Cycling to work on Friday, I had fallen off at the Congresbury lights (you guessed it-track -standing, clipped in, doh!), and twisted as I fell. Yesterday's ride has aggravated the injury. Two weeks rest he said, we'll see I said!
Sunday 7 February 2010
Up, up and away...
Do you remember in the seventies, there was an advert that had a song with this lyric? The rest of it was "in my beautiful, my beautiful, ballooooon...", for some reason the title seems apt, but I can't for the life of me remember what they were selling. The power of advertising, eh! If you know, leave me a comment and let me know.
Today was a day for the hills. Again. Old favourites like Cheddar gorge, Redhill via Blagdon, and of course the compulsory Winscombe Hill, as i live near the top of it I don't really have a choice. But also some new ones. Tickenham Hill (up) and Naish Hill (fortunately down) and the final killer, the hill up to the coast road at Portishead (which I don't know the name of).
It was another impromptu ride, with JT (she put her foot down and said I can't refer to her as "the former England captain, only nicer", DM (I'd like to call him Boots, but it's just too obvious) and initially J, heading out of the Square and up the gorge in the damp, drizzly and cold morning. J's purpose was to use us as an excuse to get out, and she was happy to be left behind, although I felt a twinge of guilt that it happened so soon.
We piled up over the top of Charterhouse, and with a small amount of faffing, took the decision to plunge (yes plunge) down the sharp hill into Blagdon. I don't like going down that hill. The top bit is about 8%, straight and easy to garner speed on. You then hit the bottom, which twists and turns, cars parked all over the shop, junction with a main road at the bottom, and the eye-watering 16% gradient for good measure. Heresy it may be, but I'd rather go up it. Still DM liked the directness of it, we cut through Blagdon, skirted the reservoir, and on through the muddly (this is not a real word, but it kind of feels right), pot-holed roads near Butcombe, up towards the best named road in Somerset-"Row of Ashes".
Whilst climbing, we were passed by two younger people (they must be, they were quicker than us) on bikes, whirring away with little effort, as the sped upwards. We dropped down to the Walled garden for our coffee/tea and cake-dainty cup for DM, not sure if his finger was suitably crooked.
DM then headed back to Axbridge, but just before he did, we had to slow down behind a long line of cars warily following a very skittish horse. JT said it was something to do with breeding, although the speed and intolerance of some of the motorists didn't help.
We passed Cadbury's leisure, still with their signs of fatties and aliens, which I think is hilarious, but apparently all the the PC brigade are up in arms about. But then, they are probably not the target market for the leisure centre. We whizzed along the flats through Yatton and Nailsea, my coffee and cake doing their job, oh how I was to pay for it later. From there we cut across and climbed Tickenham Hill, with some of the cars passing close enough to pat us on the back. Or something. Down the other side (Naish Hill) we had the services of a very kind "Doctor on call" car, waiting behind us and shielding us from the maniacs as we held onto the brakes of the 17% descent into Clapton.
Up the final hill to the coast road above Portishead, and JT headed off for her lunch at t her parents, leaving me to grind out 15 miles back via Clevedon and Yatton to the base of my lovely Winscombe Hill. So tired was i by this stage that I wimped it and went the long way round with the slightly shallower gradient. I then completed the ride with the "garden dismount" aka falling off on the grass before you can unclip, but happily it was a) a soft landing and b) unobserved
A really good ride all in all, not the fastest, but over 50 miles on the clock, with plenty of hills to boot, and as ever, great company. Hope your lunches were good.
Here's Charlie:
http://connect.garmin.com/player/24144329
Today was a day for the hills. Again. Old favourites like Cheddar gorge, Redhill via Blagdon, and of course the compulsory Winscombe Hill, as i live near the top of it I don't really have a choice. But also some new ones. Tickenham Hill (up) and Naish Hill (fortunately down) and the final killer, the hill up to the coast road at Portishead (which I don't know the name of).
It was another impromptu ride, with JT (she put her foot down and said I can't refer to her as "the former England captain, only nicer", DM (I'd like to call him Boots, but it's just too obvious) and initially J, heading out of the Square and up the gorge in the damp, drizzly and cold morning. J's purpose was to use us as an excuse to get out, and she was happy to be left behind, although I felt a twinge of guilt that it happened so soon.
We piled up over the top of Charterhouse, and with a small amount of faffing, took the decision to plunge (yes plunge) down the sharp hill into Blagdon. I don't like going down that hill. The top bit is about 8%, straight and easy to garner speed on. You then hit the bottom, which twists and turns, cars parked all over the shop, junction with a main road at the bottom, and the eye-watering 16% gradient for good measure. Heresy it may be, but I'd rather go up it. Still DM liked the directness of it, we cut through Blagdon, skirted the reservoir, and on through the muddly (this is not a real word, but it kind of feels right), pot-holed roads near Butcombe, up towards the best named road in Somerset-"Row of Ashes".
Whilst climbing, we were passed by two younger people (they must be, they were quicker than us) on bikes, whirring away with little effort, as the sped upwards. We dropped down to the Walled garden for our coffee/tea and cake-dainty cup for DM, not sure if his finger was suitably crooked.
DM then headed back to Axbridge, but just before he did, we had to slow down behind a long line of cars warily following a very skittish horse. JT said it was something to do with breeding, although the speed and intolerance of some of the motorists didn't help.
We passed Cadbury's leisure, still with their signs of fatties and aliens, which I think is hilarious, but apparently all the the PC brigade are up in arms about. But then, they are probably not the target market for the leisure centre. We whizzed along the flats through Yatton and Nailsea, my coffee and cake doing their job, oh how I was to pay for it later. From there we cut across and climbed Tickenham Hill, with some of the cars passing close enough to pat us on the back. Or something. Down the other side (Naish Hill) we had the services of a very kind "Doctor on call" car, waiting behind us and shielding us from the maniacs as we held onto the brakes of the 17% descent into Clapton.
Up the final hill to the coast road above Portishead, and JT headed off for her lunch at t her parents, leaving me to grind out 15 miles back via Clevedon and Yatton to the base of my lovely Winscombe Hill. So tired was i by this stage that I wimped it and went the long way round with the slightly shallower gradient. I then completed the ride with the "garden dismount" aka falling off on the grass before you can unclip, but happily it was a) a soft landing and b) unobserved
A really good ride all in all, not the fastest, but over 50 miles on the clock, with plenty of hills to boot, and as ever, great company. Hope your lunches were good.
Here's Charlie:
http://connect.garmin.com/player/24144329
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