Time For A Rethink

Today we head off to the Derby Velodrome (or Arena if you insist) for the second Cycle Derby Sportive and their first spring one. I had packed shorts and short sleeves for this one but as soon as we arrive the wind blows us off our feet. Time for a rethink. On go the arm warmers, the long trousers and the full fingered gloves.

L is not sure she can manage 50 miles so downgrades to the 30 mile route. She’s not the only one, faced with some challenging conditions many don’t fancy it and the 100 mile route seems sparsely attended.

All the way around the roads of South Derbyshire and Leicestershire the swirling wind never seems to be behind us, always either in your face or blowing sideways. Luckily there aren’t many hills, the few that do come seems to be centred around Swithland in Leicestershire. A place I have un-fond memories of from our orienteering days.

The first stop on my 50 mile route (correction 53 mile route) is on the roadside somewhere just outside Barrow upon Soar, we have done 21 miles but the food stocks aren’t great. They only have energy bars and they are running out fast.

My pace is less than I would have liked but I can’t find anyone to pull me along. In fact I often end up with a group behind me using me as a shield to the wind.

After 43 miles we are somewhere near Breedon on the Hill and a much better stop with plenty of sausage rolls and cheesy pastries. Just 10 miles to go but still the wind hasn’t changed direction.

When I roll across the finish line, it isn’t there. In fact the whole event village is nowhere to be seen, having been blown off Pride Park. They have all moved into the Velodrome foyer where they dispense hot soup and medals.

We celebrate our survival in the evening in the Barrel Drop before eating at the Crafty Crow and having a final night cap at the Hand and Heart.

L thanks me for a very exciting weekend. Which is odd, as it included cycling.

(Sunday 12^th April)

Traditional Summer

Back on the bike today and boy was it chilly. Our traditional summer seems to have finally arrived. I needed full arm warmers and fingered gloves today.

(Wednesday 20^th August)

In Reverse

The weather seems to have gone in reverse, there’s snow falling in Scotland but also in Devon and it’s not exactly warm on the bike today, even with my arm warmers etc on.

Then it rains on way home. Don’t you just love the summer? I tell the dogs we're skipping the park as it’s too wet. So we stay in and bark at each other.

L gets soaked on her way home from the gym, not having taken a coat. She’s such a teenager.

(Tuesday 14^th May)

In Need Of Better Kit

It’s the middle of June, nine days from midsummer’s day and it’s positively chilly on the bike this morning. I employ arm warmers and make a mental note to put the fingerless gloves back in the drawer as my fingers are positively freezing.

Meanwhile, L reads the clock wrong, gets up too early and manages a massive 50 lengths in the pool. Just shows what you can do.

In the news, wind extinguishes the Olympic flame on the Hebrides... not surprised but it didn’t blow our camping stove out, so they obviously need better kit.

Tonight, as the weather looks like it’s going to be dry, although not exactly sunny, we try and book tennis. That is if I can get anyone to answer the phone at the tennis centre. Which I can’t.

So we simply turn up and attempt to play. This confuses them a bit. Partly because they have a tennis tournament on... the Aegon Trophy I think, no that was last week, this week’s it’s the Aegon Challenge. Not to be confused with the Aegon Classic that’s going on in Birmingham and in London or the Aegon International that's coming up in Eastbourne. Don’t you love ‘brand’ awareness, making you aware of the brand but totally unaware of what is actually going on. We used to have the Nottingham Open, that we understood.

Anyhow, that’s all on the grass, so we should be able to get a hard court but apparently these have all been booked for practice by the players, who haven’t turned up... Hope they’ve paid. They make us pay for non attendance.

We get a court and it’s relatively pleasant, for saying its tennis. I’m not a huge fan, not since they made the courts smaller or so it appears since my childhood. 6-4 6-2. I think. I ran out of legs a bit in second set, what with the cycling today.



(Tuesday 12th June)