Christmas Eve

Out with Ali and Cybi today. We parked near Chatsworth and did some geocaching. Stopping at Edensor for a me lunch as Ali was running late with you n energy. Lovely day finished off by seeing a rainbow over Chatsworth House itself.

A day of geocaching and new pals

Yesterday I met Lou and Benny. I've been chatting to Lou on Twitter after a colleague of hers who knew me when I worked in Sheffield wondered how we didn't know each other. Both in sustainable transport, bikes, dogs and geocaching. So yesterday her and her dog came over to The Peak for some geocaching. I had warned them it would be muddy as everywhere is.

We met up at Eyam and headed out to two caches I had yet to find by a quarry. It took us to a lovely place that I wouldn't have even known was there. Then on towards Foolow. Lou got some geocaches I had found previously on the way there but the aim was the one in Foolow that I had failed to find previously. This time I found it, after a long search by both of us! It was a clever container. Then it was up the hill, finding another new one to me and onto one with a high difficulty rating. I think due to this we made it harder than it needed to be. The dogs looked on while we chambered round a cliff!

From there we dropped back to Eyam via a few caches for Lou and went to the Tea Rooms for the all important cake. Getting home my endomondo had recorded 10.8miles. No wonder both me and Cybi were tired!

Torq 12:12

Saturday and we had borrowed a monster truck (pickup) from Ali's work packed with bikes, camping kit, clothes and if course the dog. We really would have struggled to get everything in the mini. I also had some concerns about the lack of riding I've been doing and also how the boy would cope with us both riding. We got down to the site and managed to grab a trackside spot stretching back with room for all the garage bikes crew tents for then they arrived on Sunday morning. The night was really cold but the boy slept fine at the bottom of the tent.

Sunday morning and the gang arrived and set up our luxury pit area, complete with a kitchen. Meanwhile I tried to get mine and Ali's bikes and kit sorted. I was on my lovely kinesis ff29 which the lovely garage bikes built me which was flawless and perfect as always. We had lots of us racing, two solo females, one solo male, one female pair and one female team. Supported by our lovely pit crew of Al, Daz and Vikki. All to soon we were setting off on the first lap.

The course was mainly singletrack and although there wasn't much climbing per lap it all seemed to be on spongy stuff. The first couple of laps I seemed incapable of riding the singletrack, it's been a while, but riding solo I had lots of time to get used to it again. There were lots of speedy people on the course and I was finding riding on my own hard. But then I saw a flash of orange near the end of the course and caught up with Hannah. So the next lap I had company which made it more enjoyable. The next lap Sarah was heading out on a double so I had company for a lap, her and Ali then discussed stopping as Ali's knee was hurting but Sarah was determined so the second lap of the double was done.

After the seven laps I stopped, lack of sleep recently and lack of motivation kicked in. But the others carried on. With Sarah and Ali finishing third in the female pairs.

Impressive riding by everyone and thanks to @garagebikes for everything.

Our Boy Cybi

A bit less cycling recently as we have adopted a dog. He is lovely but keeping me very busy with walks and training.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyll gogerychwyrndrobwll llantysiliogogogoch 400

One day I would like to ride the PBP Audax but first I need to do a 600k, the first step was to ride a 400k. Having managed the 340k, by the time I rode to and from the Audax last month, although feeling very sore at the end I had entered this 400k starting from Poynton. 

I found it hard. I was feeling strong all the way to Colwyn Bay, after leaving Forte's Restaurant and realised I had a puncture, unfortunately I couldn't find the cause and I should have sent longer looking as new tube punctured as well. Found the culprit this time, it took a while, tiny bit of glass. New tube and on my way but by this point the weather was very very wet, one stop to top up air in the tyre, I was hoping it wasn't another puncture and as it turns out it stayed up for the rest of the ride so I was happy. My memories of the way to Holyhead were all of the grim weather, getting to memsec he tried to ply me with rice pudding but I was keen for proper food and returned to the pub I had passed with a number of bikes outside. Here I had the poshest meal I have ever had on the Audax and patched my tubes, thanks to another rider lending me a proper puncture repair kit, as silly me only had park patches which didn't stick in the damp.

Here I joined up with Louise for the night section and we were both so happy that the rain stopped as we left, I had treated myself to a new set of gloves! We soon were joined by Steve and the three of us had a very enjoyable ride through the night to Abergele, McDonalds being a very welcome sight. Leaving there was hard, all my layers on and feeling cold not that it took long to warm up. On this section I started to fall asleep on my bike, my eyes struggling to stay open and was a bit wandering on the road. Steve and Louise were lovely and stayed with me, I was eyeing up grass verges for a nap. I had perked up by Chester Services which seemed to have lots of tired cyclists sprawled all over it. Another feed and it felt good to have less than 60k to go. I was surprised one again to go through a sleepy phase and was glad when that passed.

We finished at 9:30am, my first 400k completed. I'm already thinking about a 600k need to work on the staying awake though.

Cambridge 300k Audax

I was a little worried coming up to this audax as I had a pretty bad cough. But fortunately it seemed better. Ali was off to Rome with her mum and sister so I was riding to and from the start. This was ten miles from Ali's mum. The weather forecast wasn't good but u rode to the start in reasonably nice weather but just before the start the rain came. Not far along the road I was stopping to put rain legs on. I got to the first control and was feeling strong. Not far after this I met up with  Noel and we worked out we were riding at the same pace. Onto the first cafe and I decided to get a slushy. It had also stopped raining so waterproofs to come off.

For the rest of the ride we were swapping places with two lads. There was  section which was pretty hilly, nothing long but some steep bits and was ready for food when we got to the Windmill cafe. After that we were on the fens into a headwind. I was struggling on this section and was glad of a tow. The last control and some sweets and I started to feel better if sore. Back at the finish and there was soup. I didn't hang around too long as I knew I had to ride back. The ride back wasn't as bad as I expected.

Total distance was 212miles, furthest I've rode in one go.

Shaftesbury Spring 200k Audax

I had cleverly managed to coincide a trip to Cambridge with an audax that started 25miles away. I had rode the 160k route a couple of years ago, riding to and from the start, but this time I was down for the 200k and Ali kindly gave me lifts to/from the start.

It was a lovely day and I set off in shorts, knee warmers, long socks, base layer, Jersey and showerproof. It almost felt like summer. Within four miles I was fixing a puncture, annoyingly I didn't find the cause, I also swapped out of winter gloves at this point. Having had to stop so early I was now at the back of the field. But I caught a couple up before long. Only then I had a rear wheel puncture, I've never punctured on an audax before, then two! This time I found the cause, my rim tape had developed a hole over one of the spoke holes. Some electrical tape to cover that and I was on my way.

The first cafe stop was at a garden centre and I had cake before heading out back to HQ. Unfortunately I was now riding straight into a headwind. Back at HQ I had beans on toast before heading back out into the headwind. In total it was 100k right into a headwind. I didn't see many people while riding. Swapped places once or twice with a few till about 30k to the finish when I met a guy who was struggling to navigate as his garmin was playing up and he didn't have a routesheet holder so was having to get it in and out of his pocket. Soon it was lights on after a lovely sunset. It was nice to have company in the dark and the miles flew back.

Back at HQ a day Ali was already there. Then back to her mum's for pizza. A lovely day, even with the headwind. I'm sore now though.

Sunny (s)miles

A lovely day today and I had a risk assessment for a family ride to do. Sometimes things just work out right. It was so nice I even added some extra miles to my commute on the way home.

Racing at Channock Chase

A couple of car loads headed down from Garage Bikes to race the winter event at Channock Chase. With someone in most races we had a fab day, not sure cake is the best pre-race prep but I did enjoy my race and I finished 11th. Was very odd racing for only 15km!

The day after I got to see more of Cannock, always nice to ride somewhere new.

Thanks to @Rocketdog for the photo.

Anglesey run

No snow this year but very very wet. Ali talked me into the sensible decision of dropping down to 10k with her. We had a lovely run staying together the whole time,  Ali kindly waiting on the descent.

Once again we stayed at the same b&b and had a lovely time.

A Hopey New Year Audax

Yesterday's audax made me feel very slow and I was sore at the end. It started seven miles from home so I rode to the start. Usually it had a rolling start and I left at about 9:15am. It felt like I was being constantly being overtaken and only for the last few miles did I ride with anyone. Still good miles in the legs and I rode 82miles with 2000m of climbing.

Running

I haven't been doing much and the half marathon, which is actually 15. 5miles is only a couple of weeks away. So today I went for a longer run. It took me an hour and a half to cover 6.5 miles. All I can say it was muddy and hilly and my legs were tired.

I met Ali st Hassop station cafe for lunch and hot chocolates.

Christmas Break

It's been a lovely Christmas break made up of mountain bike rides, food , snuggles and bubbles. It's felt like a proper hliday.