Not A Running Injury

On the bike again and still with a bike computer that doesn’t like mornings. I really must get some new batteries for it as it’s still only working on the way home from work but not on the way there.

Our lunchtime pub trip is cancelled due to my colleague’s injury. He wasn’t even running, he fell down a slope while out walking on holiday last week. So he hasn’t even got a medal and a t-shirt to show off.

(Wednesday 20^th April)

Disliking Mornings

Today’s weather stayed dry for me for once as I bike into work. Oddly, for some reason, my bike computer is only working on the way home at the moment and not on the way in to work. It’s done this three times in a row now. I’m sure it’s because the battery is going flat but that doesn’t really explain why it dislikes mornings so much.

The sofa has arrived at the yuppie flat in Manchester, I just hope it’s pre-built. A photo confirms that it is and that it is also very cushion dominant. Not sure there’s actually room for a person on there.

Squash is off. Opponent accuses L of passing on her cold. I think he’s just worried I’ll beat him again. 

(Thursday 14^th April)

Phase Two

Phase 2 of the training weekend is today’s Thoresby Cycle Fest Sportive, which I’m doing on deliberately tired legs. I’m on the 50 mile route, L’s on the 34 mile.

We drive up to Thoresby Hall for the start, leaving the boys at home due to the expected hot weather.

I start off and quickly get my head down, using my aerobars (I need the practice). I whizz past several folk although the downside is the aerobars make pothole dodging difficult and there are a lot to dodge. Then 20 miles in, I find one particularly large one unmissable. I disappear down it. At first I think I’ve punctured both tyres but it just turns out to be the rear one. Good job, as I only have one spare tube. I’ve also knocked both my rear brake and my bike computer out of alignment and it takes another 10 miles to get both functioning correctly again.

That takes me to the feed station at Halam, just outside Southwell. It is a well stocked feed station, loads of cakes and a cup of tea, much better than the Kilo To Go ones. Although they don’t have any bike spares. So I can’t get another tube and therefore have to make sure I don’t fall down any more holes on the rest of the route. It is a route that seems to cover the northern most sections of the Great Nottingham Bike Ride, so I’ll be back on these roads next month.

Overall it’s all very well organised and there are other races on during the weekend as well. These include the Unicycle & British Open Penny farthing Championships and also some Paper boy racing. I really wished I’d entered the latter. They’ve even erected dummy doors to post newspapers through.

L does her 34 Miles in 03:12, I do my 50 in 03:42 but if you take off my puncture stop and the fact I had a leisurely cup of tea, perhaps I could have caught her.

We get home to the news that all the remaining 17,000 Play Off tickets, that went on general sale this morning, sold in 54 minutes. Wow. Sadly my brother didn’t get the four he was looking for.

Later we take the dogs down the local pubs for a beer, as we need to rehydrate for tomorrow. Sadly the Wheelhouse has taken the Abbot off, so we move across to the Wollaton Pub which has equally dull beer but better food. I drink the Black Sheep.

(Saturday 17^th May)

Some Repair Job That Was

The temperature seems to have dropped so not only do I have to transfer a lot of items from my best bike to my non-best bike, I also have to dig out some warm kit. All this sorting out makes me late and even then I’ve forgotten my tyre levers. So hopefully I won’t get a puncture.

Also my bike computer isn’t working but worst of all, the bike, that has just been repaired, won’t shift on to the large chain set, so I can’t get into the higher gears. Some repair job that was and I can’t adjust it because they've also chewed up the adjusting screws.

So I pedal to walk on the small chain set, at times spinning my legs madly like a teenager. At least it was a good cardio workout I guess.

(Wednesday 30^th October)

Why Does Everyone Think I’m An Expert?

Due to injury, L considers changing her entry for the Coll Half Marathon. There's a 10k option or there’s a half marathon walk. I’m more than happy to scrawl ‘I bloody walked’ all over her race t-shirt for her in marker pen.

In the end she decides to reduce her Coll run to the 10K. Mainly because the walking group will be full of fit and fast 80 year olds.

I cycle to work, after noticing that my front wheel is back to front. It must have been back to front for years because when I put it in correctly the bits for the bike computer don’t line up. So I put it back the wrong way again.

 

My fellow cyclist, L, confesses to cutting someone up this morning. That’s her new psycho fingerless gloves for you but I’m glad to hear she’s being more assertive, just wait until we get those pedals off and the drop handlebars on. In fact she does seem to be interested in the idea of nice lightweight ladies racing bike, if only for cosmetic reasons. She’ll have to sit on Santa's knee for that.  

As I cycle home and head to the pool, I get another puncture. Somebody really doesn’t want me to swim. The problem is I don’t want me to swim either, so they’re wasting their time really.

It’s close enough to home to walk back to the house, where in an effort to not arouse any suspicion to the dogs that I might be home, I chuck the bike over the back gate and drive off in the car. I think I’ve been rumbled though; there were definite overtones of whining as I pulled away.

L warns me that the pool is very hot, even by her standards. It might just have to be a quick one then. If it’s that hot, I might need the kiss of life later.

I survive the warmth and then afterwards I get in another discussion on swims, bikes, runs and triathlons in general with somebody in the changing room. Why does everyone think I’m an expert?

(Wednesday 7^th August)