Sam Weller's April Foolery not to mention my own!

April foolery indeed! SJ and I spent the first day of this week with a character from last year. Yes, Monday was spent in the company of Chris. Not Chris Hodge (aka Mr Orange) - he's away in Bulgaria, badger baiting or something. Not Chris Edwards (Mr Potato Head) - he's safely away in Newbury, with the rest of the Berks! (Pun, Ha!) And no, not Aunty Chris - that's just silly. Our evening was spent with 'killer' Chris (aka Chris PT). This Chris was the guy who provided SJ and I with personal training sessions for a few weeks last year before mysteriously disappearing. We weren't sure what happened to him, but remembered his sessions were fun although left us feeling crippled each time. Anyways, Chris PT got back in touch and we had another session. And we left feeling crippled. It was fun doing all sorts of exercise (including boxing, running, sit-ups etc) at Morton Stanley Park and we plan to have another session next week.

Tuesday was my first cycle of the week. I took Florence out for a lap of the TTT 20 route in the morning and have now cycled 100 miles on this new machine! Was a good cycle and I completed this in my quickest time (which is still 1 hour and 11 minutes). I wore my heart rate (HR) monitor today just for fun and it revealed that my average HR (AHR) was 142 and my maximum HR (MHR) was 179. This basically means that my heart was working out at about 70% of it's maximum and reached over 90%. Wow, how cool. I might record my HR the next few times I cycle the TTT 20 route and see (hope) I can reduce my AHR and quicken my time.

Wednesday's April Madness was clear to see and feel. Despite only being 4 days into April, the weather had gone mad. Last week (for my wedding) we had glorious sunny weather, on this day we had rain, sleet and snow! So bad was the weather, I decided not to take Florence out as was previously planned. Florence has no mud-guards and is a fair-weather bike. Instead I did a solo run around the Studley Triangle. It felt strange not having SJ running beside me (she was at work).


No exercising on Thursday, however another goal was accomplished! SJ had raised a total of £1,500 for her chosen charity (BackCare). SJ pledged to raise this total for her bond place in the London 2012  marathon. Big, big thanks to all those who have supported and sponsored SJ - that's one weight off her shoulders. At time of writing, SJ has just 16 days to go until another weight is lifted and she runs said marathon. For those who would like further updates about SJ's progress or for those wishing to donate to her cause, please follow this link:  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/sarahbigrun. Well done SJ!


On Friday, SJ laced up her new kicks and took me for a run. We ran the extended Studley Triangle. For such a miserable looking day, we soon heated up.

Saturday saw me complete the Sam Weller's April Foolery audax (as pictured above). This was a 204k cycling event, scoring 1.75AAA points. Started this audax at 8 a.m in Tewkesbury. This was the first 200k I had ridden this year, and my first as a married man. (Some of the random pictures on this blog are choice cards sent for my wedding). The first stage wasn't too bad and led to Bromyard where I stopped to eat beans on toast washed down with a mug of tea. The second stage was quite fat and flash initially but soon reverted to undulating again. The weather was pretty awful and waterproofs had to be used. The second control was in Ludlow, a very pretty area. Had just a shortbread biscuit, apple and cup of tea here before heading off. This next control was very long (77k) and very hilly in places. Stopped about halfway through this stage just to eat a hot cross bun. Yum! Got to the control at Wormelow Tump feeling pretty whacked and decided to stop for quite a rest and more food. At this junction there was just one cyclist ahead of me. Whilst I sat down and ate a bag of crisps, sausage roll and boost bar, I saw about another 5 cyclists come into the control and promptly leave. With just 50k left to go, I remounted my cycle and sped off towards the arrivee. This last section was still undulating but mostly descending I think (check the profile below). Felt pleased once I reached the arrivee, at last a 200k under my belt and the necessary AAA points for April.

During this audax I covered 126 miles and it took 10 hours and 3 minutes. Strangely, Mark Rigby (the organiser) was able to validate brevet cards at the finish and return them straightaway instead of having to post them out. Great stuff.


Weekly totals: Ran 7.2 miles; Cycled 147 miles.

Honeymoon, part 1

Had a wonderful wedding day and a great honeymoon. Our honeymoon is in 2 parts, the first part took place at Studley Castle and Weston Super Mare and the second part will take place sometime in the future in China and Hong Kong. Although only recently married, this did not stop SJ (my wife) and I from exercising.

Indeed, SJ and I ran on the second day of our honeymoon. Our run was in sweltering heat. God had blessed us with perfect weather for our wedding and this summer like weather continued for the whole duration of our honeymoon. The run started from Kewstoke, where we were staying, right beside the sea front. Almost immediately we were running through a very undulating track through Weston Woods. The woods were hard work but the tree cover provided nice shade from the hot sun. My thoughts only momentarily turned to cycling as we passed an awesome BMX track created in these woods. Once out of the woods we ran a little on the road, passing the old Weston pier before crossing a jetty over a lake. After the lake we ran across Weston's sea front passing the new pier all the way until we ran out of sea front. Strangely, I got wolf whistled when I removed my top. We stopped and downed a bottle of water here before embarking on our return journey. On our return, we ran across the beach front until we reached the pier then essentially ran the same route back that we initially followed. A great run, but I was somewhat whacked by the time we finished.

Midweek proved to be pretty awesome on the exercise front. First off, I took Scotty for a lap around the Breadcrumb Trail. Crossed over naughty fields to reach said trail. The ground was rock hard and the weather had continued to be kind and warm. At one point I was suspended momentarily in the air - my camelbak had become caught in a tree. After hovering for just a few seconds the elastic cord snapped! Grr, much menace. Mark Weaver keeps all his tools and kit in a separate bottle in his 2nd bottle cage - this may be the way forward?! After the trail I visited old trails that lead near to Studley Castle. Didn't quite make it to the top of Thistle Fall Hill but hey, so what. Passed through the 'bird park', down the big hill and thought about my honeymoon as I caught site of the Castle. Returned home feeling jolly after my morning out. Better yet, my wife came home early too. SJ took me for a run. We ran the extended Studley Triangle. We didn't do too bad considering it was still real hot. Am pleased it's SJ running the London marathon and not my good self!

The last adventure of the week really sealed the fact that I'm glad SJ is running a marathon and not me! I accompanied her (on Queeny, my bike) on one of her long runs. SJ ran, without stopping all the way to Alcester. From Alcester she continued to Oversley Woods and ran around them. I'm sure she won't mind me pointing this out, but let me tell you, when she first started running, a run around the woods would be more than enough for her. After the woods, she ran back to Alcester via Kinwarton and then ran some more all the way back to Studley! SJ didn't even moan or groan! I felt tired and I was on my bike! Well done SJ and thanks for the little tuck stop on the return route!

Oh, and married life is awesome!

Weekly totals: Ran 11.3 miles; Cycled 38 miles.

Wedding week

Started my last week of being single cycling around the Forest of Dean with my buddy Chris Hodge. We had stayed over from my stag weekend, the others returning to work. The others were Rob, Aid, Ron, the Meekon and Mr potato head. Chris and I cycled 2 laps of the Verderers route before we headed home. This day was also my day of birth.

Tuesday came and I took Florence out for a spin around the TTT 20 route. It was a beautiful day with nice clear blue skies. I was only a minute off my quickest time too.


No further exercise took place this week, but something wonderful happened! I married the beautiful SJ! Yup, I am a married man and SJ is now my wife!

Weekly totals: Cycled 33 miles.

Hen and Stag

Started the week with a good old run with SJ. I think she was pleased to run again after partying last weekend at her hen do. We ran the 678 route in Worcester. The first half of this run was in daylight which made a change - the seasons are changing for sure. We sprinted the last section back to SJ's yard and then enjoyed a nice big steak! I have a photo that SJ took during her hen do and strangely enough, it is a picture of a collection of bikes! How cool.

The first cycle of the week was on Wednesday. I took Florence around the TTT 20 Route and shaved 5 minutes from the time she did her debut ride last week. Completed the ride in 1 hour and 11 minutes, which was the fastest time I completed this ride on Cayo my road bike. Time trials aren't really my thing but this is fun and for sure I hope to beat this time.


Woke up Thursday with a bad head. My neighbours were complete menace - they were banging and shouting from 1 a.m. and then started to play disco tunes until 5 a.m. Grr! Maybe I should tie them up with inner tubes, beat them with bicycle chains and spray them with oil?! I decided to try and brighten my mood by taking Florence for a lap around the TTT 20 Route. Completed the lap slower than Wednesday's time but what do you expect after little sleep?! It was good to get out, even if visibility was real poor due to the fog. Feeling slightly better, I washed Queeny and Cayo, removed Scotty's slicks and replaced with Rocket Rons on my return home. Chained all my bikes up and looked forward to my stag do - cycling in the Forest of Dean!


On Friday I headed down to the Forest of Dean to meet up with Chris Hodge, Ron, Dave Meakin, Robin, Ade and Chris (potato head) to celebrate my stag do. We all shared a wonderful log cabin located at Whitemead (I think) that Chris Hodge had researched and had a wonderful time. The whole weekend was spent mountain biking around trails in the forest and celebrating my last week as a single man. This blog has been posted late - maybe I'll add some photo's to a future blog once 'the others' have downloaded some to Facebook.


Weekly totals: Ran 6.1 miles; Cycled 85 miles.

The Bicycle Stable

 THE BIKE STABLE

Bike 1 'Cayo' Focus Cayo Ultegra 2009

Bike 2 'Scotty' Scott Scale 20 2010

Bike 3 'Queeny' Scott USA acquired in 2011

Bike 4 'Florence' Revolution Track 2012

The Cotswold Corker March 2012 / Naughty girls

Good start to the week with a blast around the Deer Route with Ron. Scotty is still fitted with slicks and am thinking about swapping these back to my 'Rocket Rons' at the end of March. Have been real happy with my slicks but now that Winter is nearly over, I think I will swap tyres and start cycling more off-road routes.


Rollers continue to scream when ridden on. Ron's rollers have the same issue (we have the same rollers). We think the bearings have gone in these Tacx rollers. Am hoping Ron's research provides a solution to the screaming soon.


Very cold cycle on Tuesday morning. Took Cayo for a lap around the 'TTT 20' route. Visibility was very poor, a misty type fog covering the landscape. It must have been below freezing in the night and was only just above freezing when I cycled. Ice particles could be seen forming on my jacket.

Wednesday was a great day. I went running with my favourite two girls, namely SJ and Cody Menace. We ran the Handlebar Route. Both girls were on good form this day. Cody was quite zoomy from the start and ran pretty well all the way around. Ground was quite muddy and slippy in parts but it felt so good to do an off-road route after what seems like quite some time. Felt kinda strange being in my off-road trainers. On the way back, SJ and I sprinted from the bridge to the top of the field. SJ is going to have no problems nailing her London 2012 Marathon!


Friday saw me complete The Cotswold Corker (permanent) audax again. The first major hill (Bushcombe Lane) still remains unbeaten! Grr! Like the last time I battled this hill, I made it to the top without pushing my bike or walking. However, just like last time, I put a foot down (car menace) before reaching the summit. As usual, I got lost again, but this time in a different place. I took a wrong turn before Bisley which added a hilly 10k or so to my journey. On route I spotted a group of about 15 deer and 3 birds of prey which was nice. The only other bizarre detail I must add was just past the last control heading towards the arrivee. I saw an adult female walking on the other side of the road but heading in the same direction as me. She looked a little odd from behind because she was wearing a trilby hat and I could see she was holding something. This something was a gun! And this gun was firing shots! Just as I levelled with her she turned around to face me and I swear, for a moment, I thought she was going to shoot me. This female appeared a bit retarded and just said 'alright'. I replied 'alright' and sped off. I think the gun was a toy or replica, but it spooked me all the same. Cycled 112k (69 miles) during this audax.

When I reached home, after the audax event detailed above, I was pleased to see the post man had been. I had a packet containing my Paris Brest Paris (PBP) 2011 medal which was engraved with my finish time (77 hours and 14 minutes). Also included in the packet was a PBP DVD (the 17th edition, i.e. the event I cycled in 2011), my brevet card from event and a magazine listing all the results. The results magazine made a good read and records all entrants, their countries and finish times etc. The magazine also recorded two participants who were given red cards (denied homologation). Marco Oro received his red card as he covered part of the route in a car and Denis Moran received his for riding under different identities. Shame on them!

Saturday was full of naughtiness. My dearly beloved SJ went to London for her Hen Party celebrations. SJ (and her sister) got kicked out of a theatre for being loud mouthed. How naughty! I cycled 20 miles by completing the TTT 20 Route, on Florence my naughty bike. Florence is a fixed speed / single speed track bike, fitted with a flip-flop hub. I have set her to single speed. If I wanted fixed speed, I would just need to remove the rear wheel and spin it round 180 degrees. Simples. Florence's debut ride was pretty neat. Hard to explain how she rode, but here goes... She was like an automatic, in that no gears were present and because of this the handlebars seem bare with no cables sticking out. Weird at times, trying to shift gear leavers that do not exist. Hills required more effort and could feel my heart pounding. Descents were mostly free-wheeled - provided opportunity to get my breath back. Was real pleased that no hill beat me and that I managed to climb that nasty hill at the end of that undulating road to Astwood Bank. How cool is that?! I cycled this route on Tuesday (on Cayo, my 2x10 speed carbon road bike) in 1 hour and 16 mins. Todays cycle on Florence (a single speed Revolution 12 Track bike form Edingburgh Bicycle Cooperative) took 1 hour and 16 mins too! Florence's ride was way more intensive and fun!

Weekly totals: Cycled 125 miles; Ran 3.1 miles.

Rain drops and Snowdrops

Another one of my killer migraines hit me at the start of this week. Am hoping this is not going to be a regular occurrence. Ibuprofen plus Paracetamol did nothing to dampen the pain. I took the prescribed Sumatriptan for the first time and this made me feel like I was tripping.


Had planned to cycle my first 200k audax of this year on Tuesday but decided against that after the migraine issues. Instead I took Queeny for a jaunt around the Bread Crumb trail. Prior to going to the trail, I cycled through the doomed Woods of Doom. The woods weren't so much fun, felled tree's were scattered everywhere and it was hard to follow a clear path. When remnants of the old path were found, they were seriously mud clogged - it appears horses are having a better time that mountain bikes in these woods. Later, during the same day, I went for a run with SJ. We ran a kind of loop starting from Studley which passed through Mapple Borough Green (and past the village hall where we plan to have our wedding reception). Once past the hall we continued on to Ipsley, then to Washford before reaching home again. This was about half the distance of our last run and despite no major niggles I still felt whacked. SJ felt fine throughout but I still felt achey and tired up until the following day.

The following day however, was not a rest day. In the morning I cycled a variation of Ron's 1 Hour Loop on Cayo - my road bike. I finished the route by missing out the Coughton Ford and instead climbing 'that undulating road' that leads to Astwood Bank. Is nice now the weather is slowly warming up.


My cousin, aka Agent Aid, phoned on Thursday to inform me that he had purchased some rollers with magnetic resistance which should be delivered following day. He has only recently gotten into cycling but it appears the bug has hit him. This conversation prompted me to get my (non magnetic) rollers out. I cycled 1 mile before I stopped. My rollers are still real noisy and the noise does my head in. I might change the position of the rollers around and see if that helps. Anyone know where rollers can be fixed/repaired?!


Friday saw me complete the loop I cycled on Wednesday - a variation of Ron's 1 Hour Loop. Am now going to call this the 'TTT 20 mile Trek', as I have made it my own and cycle it frequently. This route is essentially a box that starts and finishes in Studley, passing through Wootton Wawen, Alcester and Astwood Bank. Is a nice route and has a nice selection of undulating and fast sections. A perfect 20 mile route to cycle before my late shift at work. Completed this trek in my fastest time to date - not overly fast but still a personal best for me, in a time of 1 hour and 11 mins.


Had planned to run over the weekend but bad weather put pay to that! Did no further cycling either. My brevet card was returned in the post from the Snowdrop Audax that I completed a few weeks back. Below are a few official photo's from said event.

Weekly totals: Cycled 64 miles; Ran 7.1 miles.

The SJ half marathon killer...

Parked the bike next to a tree and had a whole week off from cycling. Didn't even use the rollers. Trust my bike will be okay...

I managed to go out for a run with SJ. Only 1 run, but boy what a run it was! After a period of at least 2 weeks (probably more) I joined SJ for one of her training runs. She's gotten speedy and was raring to go before I had even tied my laces. In fact, she would have quite happily seen me run in my slippers. One out Doo Little door we zig-zagged along the roads of Studley, heading in the Alcester direction. It was a lovely day, sun shining bright for a change. Once the zig-zagging was complete, we headed for Alcester passing Coughton on route. My niggles started after about 3 miles (and perhaps I should have stopped running here) but we didn't stop until we had reached Alcester Town. SJ managed to get a shop keeper to provide us with cold water which was nice. After a stretch, we were off again. We ran past Alcester to Haselor then cut through a field that lead us up to the Dovecote and back into Alcester. I was really feeling whacked at this point. The route home from Alcester was painful and I had to complete this section with periods of walking. As for SJ, she was fine and kept asking if I could go any faster! We ran 13.1 miles in all - 1/2 marathon distance! I think my gps unit had gone a little wonky (according to the map it had) and we probably ran more like 12 miles, but it felt harder than a half marathon and I'm sticking with those figures!


Think next week might be a week on the bike and a week away from running....


Weekly totals: Ran 13.1 miles.

Snowdrops

Would like to start this weeks blog with an update on SJ's (my fiancee's) marathon training. She ran a route stretching over 15 miles last week (and got her first blister) and has covered distances of 30 plus miles in a week. Is fair to say SJ has been training hard for her run in her first ever marathon -The London Marathon 2012. Good going SJ! Fundraising has gone well for SJ too, she has currently raised £1,112 for her chosen charity, the BackCare charity. Thanks so much to all those that have sponsored her and supported her in any way. If you would like to check her website out, please visit this link: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/sarahbigrun


My training started out well this week. I took my road bike outside for the first time this year and cycled a familiar route with the usual goons. I felt like I was on a new bike, not because my bike felt new, but because my bike just felt different. The seat post is still stuck tight inside the frame and despite my increased weight and cycling with a loose seat post clamp, the post will not budge. We cycled a nice loop of 20 miles following Ron's 1 hour loop but extended the end to pass through Alcester and climb 'that undulating road' before passing through Sambourne to reach home.


My second cycle was a repeat of the route from the night before. This time however, it was day light and I was cycling by myself. Am real pleased I fitted a mudguard but my poor bike would have been happier with a clean too.


Refrained from doing any further exercise until the weekend. When the weekend finally came, I hooked up with Chris Hodge, Sarah M, Ron, Dave Meakin, Clive, Simon and Andy for the Snowdrop Express Audax. This audax event was the one that I completed as my first back in 2010 (along with Ron, Clive, Andy and Simon) and is now an annual affair for us all. I missed out on last years event due to sickness, and I started this one feeling not so great.

Was awesome hooking up with folk, some of whom I had not seen since 2010, at the start in Hartlebury. 8 of us started out together and largely stuck together for the most part of the first stage. This first stage wasn't so bad, the rain had not started and no major hills were encountered. Clive decided he would split from the group here and meet us at the second control taking his usual short cut. Then there were 7.

The Upton control was a welcome stop. I ate a tasty muffin and Kit Kat here, nicely washed down with a cup of tea. The group suffered more losses here, as Andy and Simon sped off to avoid getting the chills. Then there were 5.

5 soon became 6. Jimmy no mates joined our group. Jimmy was a cyclist who had (I guess) been dropped from an earlier cycling group for his bad jokes (''there's a low bridge coming up, you better duck''). Anyways, we cycled as a group of 6 all the way to the next control in Evesham. The weather took a turn here and started to rain. I was feeling happy though, especially because I had thoughts of SJ and passed the place where I proposed to her! Once at the control, we had a good feast again! I devoured an egg and beans toasted sandwich, plus a big chunk of chocolate cake and of course, a mug of tea.

When we left the control, the heavens had opened and it was cold (about 4 degrees Celsius). Passed the 'proposal spot' again and cycled on. Slowly lost feeling in my wet feet but no real bother. This last stage felt a little more undulating than the previous two, but no major hills. The steepest incline came with about 3k to go. We all made it safely to the top, and then pssst, I had punctured. The group, except Chris, raced on to the finish. Then there were 2.

Chris and I messed around for a while trying to sort this puncture problem out. The new tube I was going to use just would not inflate and my rim tape was all wonky. We fixed puncture after a few minutes and cycled off, believing the end was just around the corner. The end may have been just around the corner, but I was navigating and in my usual badger style, took the wrong corner. I safely led Chris and I (plus a group of say 6 more) safely to the Arrivee, but added a further few miles. At the Arrivee I left Chris to get my brevet card stamped. There there was 1!

Weekly totals: Cycled 120 miles.

Muppet theme

Was so great being 1 of 4 muppets to go out in -8 degrees Celsius last week and battle some big hills. With that thought in mind I used The Muppets to inspire my training this week. Indeed, I purchased the first 24 episodes on DVD and span on my rollers watching the same. By the end of Monday's spin, I had seen 4 episodes.

Tuesday was run night. SJ and I ran a great run of just over 10 miles. We ran a similar run to what we completed about 2 weeks ago but in reverse with a few additional twists. From Doo Little (my abode), we ran to Arrow Vale Lake and considering it was about 6pm we couldn't believe how light it was. There was a full moon out tonight and it was illuminating our icy, slushy path. Yup, the track we were following was still largely covered in crunchy icy snow. We felt fine by the time we reached the lake, so on we ran all the way to Redditch Town Centre up a big lengthy hill past the college and then had a brief respite as the track descended to the buss station. From here we still felt relatively ok and ran what seemed like a never-ending hill that finally reached to the top of the Slough. We were starting to feel a little chilly now but felt ok, especially as we knew these last 2 miles were downhill and led back to Doo Little. Reached home and wow, the only pain or problems we experienced were swollen feet. A big fat kebab and a hot bath later and we both felt fine.

Cycled on Wednesday. Had always wanted to cycle the Breadcrumb Trail in the snow and this was my chance. Most of the snow had gone but what was left was crunchy icy snow, covering about half of the trail. Reached the trail by cycling across naughty fields first, much effort required as the snow proved to offer resistance. The main road in Alcester leading to the Breadcrumb Trail was still closed to motorised traffic. Once I had completed my circuit around the trail, I spotted another cyclist just entering the woods (I think he was taking the regular route and avoiding the awesome trail). Went home via the Dovecote and Coughton Ford. The downhill track leading to the Ford was great, my bike smashing through lots of iced puddles making explosion like sounds. Once past the Ford, I spotted the same cyclist I saw in the woods - he was cycling on the main road - not a good idea in rush hour traffic. I continued my journey home through the country lanes. It was sub zero by the time I reached home and hence decided not to go out cycling again that night, as was previously planned.

Ron joined Audax UK (AUK) this season and we were both glad to see we were awarded with AAA points for last weeks Cotswold Corker. Ron had just received his first Arrivee magazine and AUK handbook. Bigging myself up here a little, but am pleased to blog about my fame in said publications. 

The AUK Hanbook 2012 records 7 awards that I received. I was 1 of 438 AUK members to be awarded a 2011 Super Randonneur award (for completing a series of 200, 300, 400 and 600k events in the same season) and 1 of 322 to finish the PBP. The Randonneur 5,000 award was gained because of the 50 points I gathered for riding events totalling 5,000 km in a season (awarded to 110 members). I was 1 of 396 members to receive the Brevet 1,000 award for cycling 5 x 200k events in one season. I was 1 of 141 members to be awarded the Brevet 2,000 award for cycling 20 x 100k events. My name was included as 1 of 45 members in the AAA Roll of Honour for obtaining 20 AAA points (currently have 34 AAA points). Name also included in the AAA Super Randonneur list, as 1 of 14, for completing a SR Series composed of AAA events in 2011. My final acknowledgement was where I appeared as 1 of 306 members on the Randonneur Round the Year (RRtY) Roll of Honour for completing a validated BR or BRM event in 12 consecutive months. 2011 was a fantastic season and will most probably be my best season ever.

Arrivee magazine (Number 115 Winter 2012) welcomed me as 1 of 120 New Super Randonneurs. Perhaps my most pleasing entry in the magazine was for being 1 of 250 riders who earned 12 AAA points or over in 2011. I earned 27 AAA points for climbing 27,150 metres and was at position 51 in this list. This achievement amazed me as my hill climbing is far from great.

Had my eyes tested this week and am glad to report they are fine. Have not suffered with any headache this week (as yet) either which is great. And, I have not vomited - bonus!

Took to the rollers again on Friday. Span my usual distance whilst watching more episodes of The Muppet Show. Have now watched up to episode 6. Last week had concerns that my rollers were packing up because they were as noisy as an Aston Villa vs Queen Park Rangers football match. They are still real noisy...

Had planned to run on Saturday but my new shift pattern left me feeling tired and sorry for myself. SJ ran about 6 miles in my absence (and Cody 3 miles). Made my self better by listening to 'the girls' stories over a bottle of wine and DVD.

Sunday was back to work. Ugh, I feel like I live there at the moment. At least I'm able to think about stuff when I'm working ... and I have been thinking about completing another Super Randonneur (SR) series this year. This is only thinking at present, the thought of having to complete a 200, 300, 400 and 600k audax this year is quite mind boggling. However, my thoughts are as follows: Complete the 200k Sam Weller's April Foolery - this is a Black Sheep event that I have not rode before (maybe new this season). Of all the rides I have ridden, the Black Sheep events are highly rated. My 300k event would be the Rough Diamond - Mark Rigby, the organiser of Black Sheep events said that this was his favourite 300k event. The 400k audax would be Brevet Cyrmu, another Black Sheep event. I rode the Brevet Cyrmu event last year and got seriously lost adding about 30k to my ride. I'd like to ride it again, ensuring I navigate better and get a photo of the longest place name in Wales which I managed to bypass last time around. Sadly, my thoughts are not thinking of completing a Black Sheep SR series (like last year). All the Black Sheep 600k events are seriously hilly affairs. This time around I am thinking of completing the 3 Coasts 600. The 3 coasts 600 has <2 AAA points (as opposed to the 8.25 AAA points of the Black Sheep Brian Chapman) and sounds awesome, as it's name suggests passes 3 coasts. The 3 Coasts 600 also includes cycling England's longest continual downhill road back to the headquarters. Thinking is dangerous, huh?!

Would like to end this blog with a photo SJ has given to me. She reckons I see far too many 'birds on bikes' and wants this one added to my blog. Maybe I'll get my bird back on her bike soon ....

Weekly totals: Cycled 58.5 miles; Ran 10.4 miles.

Conquering the Cotswold Corker (nearly) !

I did not cycle last week but heard stories from Ron and Dave Meakin about their recent exploits. Ron has been putting a lot of miles in, and as usual, is training for his week (hmm) away in Spain. Despite Ron's falls, cuts and grazes (including a head over heels accident by Ginger Tom Farm last week) he is never fazed and continues on like a soldier. Caught up with Dave last week when SJ and I were invited over for lunch. We had the best gluten free sticky toffee pudding ever, and the cook - Rachel, Dave's wife, is making our wedding cake! Dave is cycling lots too and has been doing trips around the hilly Malvern area. Ron, Dave and I (plus Mark Weaver) hope to meet up towards then end of this week and all have a crack at the Cotswold Corker together. This'll be fun I'm sure, what with Mr Weavers XTR gear, Ron and Dave's hard training schedules and my over indulgence of cake!


After hearing such stories I felt motivated (or fearful) at the start of the week. So much so, that I got the old rollers out and went for my first spin this year. This was also the first time I had been on my road bike this year. I forgot how hard spinning was. Spinned for my usual 20 miles but at a lesser intensity (and hence a little longer) and this time I was watching a Regina Spektor DVD (live in London) rather than listening to my iPod. Is better having something to visually focus on. Felt better for getting on my road bike at last, but the same night I was sick. Very sick! I threw up at work and then threw up some more once home. I doubt the two are related, but I like to report it all the same because 'I'm sick man'!

Tuesday was spent in bed.


A trip to the Dr's on Wednesday confirmed what most folk already thought - the Dr was treating me for migraine. I was prescribed some Sumatriptan tablets and told to take them alongside Paracetamol and Ibuprofen next time my head goes wonky. Dr also said I should get my eyes re-tested. Vision Express offer 1/2 price appointments for NHS staff but Tesco's offer free appointments for all! Have not been able to find a slot with any optician yet though....


Took to my rollers again mid-week. This time I spun to a Radiohead DVD (the best of) which was nice. Slightly higher intensity compared to Mondays effort.

Later that evening, Cody and I hooked up with SJ. We ran our now quite familiar run in Worcester - the 678 Route. It was bitterly cold, sub zero. Cody was kitted out in her fur coat, SJ and I just made sure we were wearing gloves and buff's. We all felt fine once we started running and had warmed up. During the first quarter of the route, Cody had a fright and jumped about 2 feet to the right. A random guy was zipping up his coat and the noise spooked Cody. If she were just a foot nearer the side she would have landed right in the river. It was a dark and spooky night. Started to feel the chills on the return leg and SJ was feeling a pain in her spine. SJ commented that if I reported her pains, I should also report that I am fat and slow!


On Friday, I hooked up with Ron, Dave Meakin and Mark Weaver at Winchcombe Library car park. We had all planned to conquer the Cotswold Corker Audax together. What a day we had chosen - it was -8 degrees Celsius!

We all layered up pretty well, I was wearing 3 pairs of gloves, 3 pairs of socks, 2 buffs and my Merino wool jersey. Warmed up pretty well and pretty soon as we started to climb Cleeve Hill, our first hill. Got to the top with minimal effort really and descended a 25% gradient to take us to Bishops Cleeve, our first control.

From Bishops Cleeve we made our way to the foot of that dreaded Bushcombe Lane Hill. I had never previously conquered this 25% gradient hill. I had tried to beat this hill twice on a road bike with little success and only last month on my mountain bike (where my chain slipped off and I had punctured). My gearing was still out on this occasion and my chain kept slipping off largest cog and into the spokes. However, Mark kindly fixed my gearing issues and I felt ready to tackle the hill. We all tackled the hill and were climbing really well with no major issues until a few yards from the summit where we had to stop because a broken down car was blocking our path! Grr! We helped sort out said car, remounted our steeds and made it to the top. I consider this a victory, as I swear I would have made it to the top if the car incident had not occurred and I did not push my cycle any distance. Not sure how Ron and Dave felt as they were toying with the idea of cycling to the bottom and starting over. Maybe the real proof will be there when I repeat this audax again, maybe next month?! Awarded with a nice descent back into Winchcombe for our second control.

After Winchcombe we hit the second biggest hill (some argue this hill was tougher than Bushcombe) that took us to an info control in Guiting Power. We had to name a pub and found the Hollow Bottom and the Farmers Arms but decided not to stop for a swift pint. We stopped at the next control, a beautiful Market Place, in Northleach


Pleasant cycling took us from Northleach control to the info control at Daglingworth. The sun came out at 11 o'clock as I had predicted (still bitterly cold though). Once past the info control I could feel my energy levels sapping and a strong desire to reach control ready for my lunch. If I remember correctly, I think it was at about this point that Ron's chain snapped. Ron's chain snapped 3 times in all (as I predicted) and each time was fixed with relative ease using Marks tools and know how. Mr Weaver should be invited more often! Finally reached the Bisley control, where I got a stamp from the Post Office for my proof of passage. Then we went to a pub for a well deserved lunch. I had beef curry with rice, naan bread and chips and washed this down with a mug of tea.


Much menace from Bisley to Andoversford control. Menace in the form of a chain snap and repair for Ron. Theory is, Ron's waxy chain lube would freeze and hence snap chain. More menace in that my navigational skills had gone 'badger like' again and I had gotten us lost. This poor navigating only cost us an additional 7 k or so but it was a hilly addition. The other bit of menace was the hills. With place names like Upper Hillcot ('up a hill clot') and a route sheet saying climb to 288m what could we expect?! My energy levels felt low during this section (despite a good lunch) and I would lag behind my companions at times. Smile on my face as we reached control!

From Andoversford I suddenly felt fine again and my energy levels had returned. This last section was super, it was mostly downhill and led to the finish. I think it was during this section that Ron's chain snapped again. I think Ron took this section a bit more leisurely than he would have done due to chain issues and Mark stuck with him. I raced after Dave, my 'second wind' enabling me to chase him to the end. The end was in Winchcombe and just at the end the road was frozen over. Woo hoo, we all completed this corker and I celebrated by eating a pickled egg, the receipt of which was used as proof of my last control!


Cycled 108.88k (67.5 miles) during this audax in around 9 hours.


Had plans to run some more in the week with SJ. However, it snowed bad. Real bad. So much so, that the snow prevented any further training taking place...

Weekly totals: Ran 6.4 miles; Cycled 107.5 miles.