More Brutality At The Velodrome

L runs with MD while the two less dynamic old men in the family (Doggo and I) take a gentle amble down the paper shop.

I’m actually keeping my powder dry for tonight’s SQT session at Derby Velodrome. It is only my second Sunday night session with the big boys (and girls). Quite noticeably I am the only one without my own bike. I might as well have ‘novice’ stamped in big letters on my forehead. My father again turns up to watch the carnage unfold.

The 'warm up' is once again impressively brutal, I am proud to say I hung in there while others fell by the wayside. The survivors come off the track to find several bodies collapsed in chairs and one girl flat out on the floor hyperventilating muttering ‘I’m warm, I’m warm’. So that's the warm up sorted, now to get slaughtered in the Keirin.

L, clearly not prepared to be outdone, gets her road bike out and bikes over to meet us. I’m impressed. She’s not so impressed when her lights die with quite a few miles still to go. I tell her to cycle on the pavement with no lights like everyone else does.

Afterwards, a few recovery pints are required and we head to the Horse and Jockey and then to the Park Tandoori for a Takeaway Curry.

(Sunday 24^th January)

Gym Balls

My opponent's back seems to be ok so I attempt to book squash for next week but fail as they’re booked up. Perhaps I was wrong and everyones New Year's resolutions haven’t already crashed and burned.

L is apparently sat at the office on a gym ball which conjures up quite an image. If you 'google' there are plenty of images of appropriate (and inappropriate) uses for gym balls, a lot of them rather intriguingly indecent. Luckily she also has a gym ball at home and today is Friday.

I’m on the bus today and after work I head to the velodrome for a Watt Bike session. For once my personal stalker is nowhere to be found. 5k warm up, ramp session to 315 watts, 5k warm down, brisk 5k to finish. Knackered after that lot.

L warns that if she’s not around when I get home she’s either taken the boys our for a walk or she’s upstairs draped over the gym ball. I’m hoping for the latter. 

(Friday 8^th January)

Still Limping Along

L gives me my birthday present early. Some new cycling shorts which I can now wear in today’s sportive. L doesn't make the start line but comes to support with the boys. Who weren’t going to get to come but now do. Again it’s bloody windy. What is it with the weather and my bike at the moment?

This is the Rutland CiCLE Tour Sportive and I’m doing 57 miles, there are two longer and one shorter options. We start from Normanton on the South Shore of Rutland Water, which is the other side to where the duathlon starts. We still end up parking at Sykes Lane though and I have to bike round. This turns out to be 2.4 miles and I’m knackered before I even start. L points out that this is a good warm up, that I skipped sex for. Not that I recall being offered any.

It takes me 1 hour 33 minutes to reach the one and only feed station at Owston. Shoot me now, as some folk would say. At least they have some decent snacks and real tea, L would approve. I stash some cheesy biscuits in my pocket for later, for the boys.

It’s a tough ride. As well as being windy, the course is hilly. Full of silly little hills that they appear to have gone out of their way to find. At least my new shorts are nice and snug.

I reach the finish, having done 57.58 miles in 3:44. Not exactly quick.

After we get back in the afternoon L heads over to Derby to visit her brother in hospital whilst I listen to the match. After a 4-4 draw with Huddersfield last week, this week’s game finishes 3-3 as free scoring and free conceding Derby draw again, this time at Millwall. Somehow they continue to limp towards the play offs.

I then head into Nottingham and meet L at Peacock for another night on the OP and the Northern Stout.

(Saturday 25^th April)