Fate Intervenes

Today L, Daughter and myself run the Orston Spring Dash 10km in the Vale of Belvoir. It is a 10k in name only as it’s actually 10.2k long but , apparently, as it’s a ‘mixed terrain’ race they’re still allowed to call it a 10k. Who knew...

I’m also not sure that anyone mentioned the dreaded words ‘mixed terrain’ to me when this was put on our race calendar. There are apparently some muddy tracks which isn’t exactly what I want when trying to avoid further injury ahead of Windermere next week.

However the route isn’t too bad, not too muddy, as they take us on a loop from the village of Orston through Flawborough and Thoroton then back to Orston.

Daughter sets an impressive new PB but then we all do for 10.2k. I guess she’s referring to her time at the actual 10k point. I limp round in 50:23. L is equally disgruntled with her time but soon cheers up when she sees the impressive cake selection.

In evening we get the bus to the Horse and Jockey in Stapleford. For once we actually check the bus times and leave in plenty of time as we always miss the bus and end up waiting half an hour for the next one.

Then fate intervenes. A couple of lads come off their motorbikes on the Nottingham Ring Road while clowning around. We are just about to help them out when one of them jumps on the back of a bike of a third rider and leaves the scene abandoning one of the bikes in the middle of the road. 

Being upstanding citizens we call the police, who seem to be already on the case as one of the bike is stolen and turn up immediately.

The upshot is we miss our bus and end up waiting half an hour for the next one...

(Sunday 12^th May)

'Entertaining' New Cycle Path

The council have redone the pavement and the cycle path along our stretch of the ring road. Unfortunately they have seriously messed up. The new cycle path is not straight and the grass verges jump out at you at the side road junctions forcing you into the path of the pedestrians and down the curb because the dropped curbs are aligned for pedestrians but not for cyclists.

The idea is, I think, is that pedestrians and cyclists share (never a good idea) the same crossing points over the side roads but if they’re sharing the crossing points then there’s not really any point have a dedicated cycle lane on the rest of the path. They might as well make that shared as well.

The other problem is that the crossing points are set so far back from the ring road that motorists cannot see down the cycle path without driving on to it. Nor can they see down the ring road for other cars without doing the same. As I said, a total mess and frankly dangerous too.

I’ve been avoiding it and riding on the actual ring road but it would be much better to have a usable cycle path.

My other problem this morning is the wind but a least it's stopped raining. I just hope its going my way this evening.

My opponent has another cold for squash tonight, not that this seems to slow him down at all and I don’t win a game tonight.

L runs to the pub and meets us there.

(Thursday 17^th November)

Not Thwarted Today

On the bike today, complete with a few gearing problems. Looks like I might have to get it looked at again.

Last night I was thwarted over the Timothy Taylor’s Ram Tam but rather conveniently we’re due in that very same pub for lunch today. So I get a second crack at it and no one drags me next door this time.

I’ve taken a punt and booked squash, even though I don’t know what injury my opponent has planned this week. As it turns out, he doesn’t come up with anything, so our game looks like it’s on.

There are some real nutters about tonight. As I drive to squash there’s a guy pulling wheelies behind me on his motorbike. Well actually its moped and he looks pretty stupid but clearly he doesn’t think so. I wish him to fall off but unfortunately he doesn't.

Then later when I head home, after a not very successful match, I pass a chap walking up the ring road, on the road, against the traffic. Everyone was having to swerve around him. It was a good job it wasn’t dark. Death wish.

(Thursday 19th May)