I Get Cross

DUB KAT

2012-02-16T13:12:00.000Z

YOU NEED SOUND

stereo skifcha from xgabberx on Vimeo.

From Ben Spurrier (benspurrier.blogspot.com)

HM The Queen

2012-02-15T13:12:00.001Z

I like Queen Elizabeth II. She reminds my of my Grandma who funnily enough copied my name, Claire.
My Grandma was definately a fan. I once worked at an event attended by the Queen and told my Grandma she instantly stopped what she was doing and asked me what the Queen wore. My dad met the Queen and I know she was instantly interested.
The Queen named her Corgi Susan and my Aunty has the same name, surely that is no co-incidence.
My Grandma didn't live in London but in Shropshire and wore wellies and heads scarves just like Her Majesty.She had hair like her and glasses. She wore the same clothes and read HELLO.

I love seeing the Queen in her Imperialist form from the 1950's and I like to see her using everyday items, like a mobile phone, camera, eating a sandwich.
She's got her own website stashed with facts. In my latest research I found out Princess Ann's dog attacked and killed a Corgi. The Queen has also clubbed to death a bird (to put it out of its misery) that got half munched by a dog when she was out walking.
Next, I'm going to write her a letter.

The Queen with Susan the Corgi

The Queen sitting

The Queen with her first Corgi, Susan.
An 18th birthday present

The Queen with her Leica

The Queen, aged 2, with Pet Parrot

Guns

The Queen with a stick

The Queen making a face

Un-Pro-Ness

2012-01-27T14:24:00.000Z

Two wheels, both off road. What happen. Sad face

Cycle Style

2012-01-27T13:51:00.000Z

This book has been at the bottom of my drawer for months. Its quite nice. It might be the third by the author.
It is a collection of postcards with quotes from the subjects. Its by Horst A. Friedrichs and features a chum of mine Nick Clements (pic 2) who writes for Men's File.

Costumes

2012-01-23T18:04:00.002Z

Is this a fox? Where are its back legs?

this is going to be done to my cat. It will scratch me down to the bone but I will try my hardest.

Games.

2012-01-21T12:05:00.000Z

I've decided out of boredom and no friends to play with, to catalogue by board game collection.
It all began with the discovery of Careers at my Grandma's. My mum and aunty showed me how to play, this now extinct game. We re-used game sheets, that had already been scribbled on by Susan and Janice. But half the cards and money for the game was missing.
So about 15 years ago, my sister and I went on newly discovered ebay, and we found a 1960's game of Careers, we mixed the two games together.
Then we just started buy more retro board games off ebay. I like their typography, their simplicity and 1960/70's designs. I enjoy nothing refers to computers, the internet within the games.

Careers (1st Edition) - Waddington's 'Careers', is the board game where players get the chance ro choose between fame, fortune and happiness. Each player decides on his own formula for success and then tries to be the first to accomplish his objective.
The careers one can complete on the way to winning the game are, Farming, Being the First to go to the Moon, Uranium Prospecting.

Scoop (1st Edition) - you work at a newspaper, you aim is to fill the front page (game board) with headlines and adverts before anyone else. When you get a story, you have to call the Editor and move this weird little card telephone (on our game, this is nearly broken). The editor will OK or reject your story. This is how you fill your game board.

Formula 1 (1962) - your a race car driver and you have to complete a certain number of laps of the board before everyone else. Go to fast through a corner and you could puncture of spin off etc.

Cluedo (1960 & Simpsons Ed. 2008)
My dad hates the Simpson's edition.

Totopoly (1970's, 3rd edition)
Originally created in the 1930's. We've never really understood how to play. It has a 2 sided board.
In the first part of the game players purchase and train their race horses. The final part of the game is the race itself. Its not for simple minds, its for adults. I'd rather learn how to play Poker and win money.

Sorry (1950's)
Played many times with my sister when I was under 10. The game sometimes ended with me walking off in a strop (as I felt I was being picked on) or all of the players falling about laughing yelling 'SOOOORRRRRYYYYY' at each other as luck created misfortune for others.
'Sorry' is a board game based on Ludo, but with a twist. Rather than movement being decided by a dice roll, it is determined by a deck of cards.

Games I'm searching for:
Play School - Pick a Pair
Go - The International Travel Game
Spy Ring

1959 vs. 2009

2012-01-21T11:59:00.000Z

When I was at university and it would get to the end of the month and my funds would run low, rather than go into my free overdraft. I hate adverse credit, despite a free overdraft being at no negative affect to my finances, I tried my hardest to steer clear.
Ok, back to the point in hand, Risk. I played Risk, which was free fun entertainment rather than spend £30 at a pub in Brighton.
FYI - this didn't happen often. Like once, every three months in my final year. No one really went out as much at it got close to dissertation deadline.

I like the idea of Risk, and the longer I went without playing it, the more little strategies I would think up, for when I'd next play.
Then I'd actual get down to playing it, after an hour comes the realisation of the commitment needed to play it. Hence why it only had bi-monthly outings.

So I looked up purchasing the game and it turns out, like every board game, its be totally revamped and made to look like something for Xbox, and loads of new rules have been added.
OK I appreciate, they need to extend the product lifecycle and introduce new things to keep users interested.
But I want the fun Risk, that I remember.
So off onto Ebay I went.

Images Via Ben Ward.

Round Up

2012-01-17T12:21:00.003Z

A customary - an end of CX year round up (2010/11 season, 2009/10 season)

The ViCiOUS VELO photo stories serve as a great recap too...
Derby by Us
ViCiOUS VELO do a Herne Hill Race by Gem Atkinson
National Champs by Cyclephotos.co.uk

My Best Ride:
Bradford - 6th
Full on sloppy mud carnage. I didn't fall off on the descent once.

Best National Course
Shrewbury - Sundon Sports Ground
Well, Shrewsbury is a newcomer and it has firmly knocked Bradford off its mighty thrown. Others that should be noted,Derby and Bradford was legendary, again!

Worst Course
Southampton - Rd 3
Not very interesting, not very hard. Just a playing field. This may not have been helped by my super fast start which then put my in the red before the end of lap 1.

Most Mud
Bradford - 6th. Fun though and I was jet wash duty. Go to the course it has the best atmosphere

Best B&B
Didn't stay at a B&B this year, there were lots of races within a 1hr 30mins drive. Booking in advance means you can get a room for just £19 with Premier Inn, they are spacious, good pillows and a great shower. Just don't buy it last minute for £80, thats just not worth it

Best Ride
Nick Craig at the Bradford Rd, he's still able to get on the podium. And for me Bradford and Derby I felt great. But I FINALLY got a medal (albeit a silver one) in the Regionals after plenty of years of misfortune.

Most improved
David Barnes & Delia Beddis
For David he had to compete against his nemesis and truly talented Dan Tullet. David was consistent and always 2nd. He picked up alot of medals along the way.
Delia has turned into a Top 5 super star, if she doesn't fall off and keeps her head (according to Andy). She battled twice this season for a 3rd place and podium. In the end, consistency at the sharp end of the field meant she was 2nd in the series overall.

Best Piece of Kit
Disc Brakes
You will stop, they are the future

Best Accessory
Rugby Studs in MTB shoes
Not easy to run on tarmac in but they grip in hard, in hard mud or gloopy stuff.

Worst kit
Any other brand of tyre
Sorry - I really do believe that Dugast Rhino's even on FMB carcusses are the best tread around.
Don't put thick clown make up on your face and race. You will end up with stinging eyes and mashed up skin

Best Rider
Ian Field
Finally he's got the jersey he's always wanted.And he's going to take the National Champs jersey to Belgium.

Worst thing about cross this year
It stayed too warm and there wasn't enough mud, but that's cross. You got to be able to cope with hot weather in September. That's not that bad is it, really. Warm weather is nice.

Best thing
Being in a great team of people who have the same aims and want to help and shout at you.
Plus a photographer doing a feature on the team.

Moment I remember
Liam Killen falling off on the final corners, in the final lap, of the National Champ
Playing CX in the dark park and a old man shouting at Ben.
ViCiOUS VELO riders racing £2,000 for charityby cutting their hair into shapes.

Next year
I promise to race in Belgium.
I will get into the top 5 more than once
I will continue to race the Eastern League
I will train during Christmas and not just eat chocolate. I'll eat chocolate and cycle

What worked
Tabata Tuesdays
Morning runs with 20 bikes lifts and afternoon rides
Bikram Yoga - 2 times a week.

The Results:
Muddy Hell - Herne Hill - 2nd dressed as a clown ( 2nd from the top right)
Rapha Super Cross 1 - 2nd
Rapha Super Cross 2 - 3rd
Rapha Super Cross 3 - 5th (too much hill)
Regional Championship - 2nd

National Trophy Newcastle - Did not attend
National Trophy Leicester - 6th
National Trophy Southampton - 11th - did a silly start, learnt to control that!
National Trophy Derby - 8th
National Trophy Bradford - 6th
National Trophy Shrewsbury - 9th (broke rear mech on last lap)

National Champs Ipswich - 17th (not very pleased with that.)

Shrewsbury - Rd 6 - 9th

2012-01-17T09:28:00.000Z

Tried to play it cool at the start of the race and not lead them all up the finish straight, as we turned onto Dave Mellor Off Camber Alley it descended into madness and all sorts of kids got in front of me, Delia fell over etc etc.
Got through that and back onto the tarmac to head into the back section of the course with Imogen Buick for company, just like at last weeks Champs.

Into the wooded section and the course had signifcantly deterioated from the mornings rock hard frozen landscape, we were no longer sliding our tyres on ice but through slushy mud. I felt better, falling off in mud is a slower process, it feels more predictable and it hurts less as the ground is softer.

I love the wooded single track section, that went on for what felt like ages, on the Dugast I was cornering on rails. I rode up to Emily Barnes, tried to get her to jump on my wheel but she'd disappeared went I came out of the next corner, (turns out she was on fast treads and had no grip). Through the singletrack and out the other side with a whole heap of time on my side and not feeling too shabby.
Onto the tarmac to return to the main part of the course. This was the hardest part for everyone, a series of banks, covered in what felt like grease and various turns along those banks.

Running it, was the best option, and I did. After 2 laps I saw Hannah Payton, up ahead and pressed on to catch her after 3 I was there, up into 6th. I had her wheel going over the Finish Straight and we got the bell. Then crunch and twange, oh dear, I thought I might have dropped my chain, I pedalled and more crunching. Looking down there is was, a mech wrapped around the cassette and the chain lost somewhere.
I remember saying "oh no" in this quiet whinning voice.
In front of the crowd there was no where to hide, I grabbed the bike and ran for it. Covered in mud it was so heavy and running with long studs in the front of my shoe is tricky.
After what seemed like forever I got back to the pits and passed me flew Imogen Buick, now I'm right back where I started, into the pits and onto the second bike, the back tyre then flatted somewhere and I was sliding about in the wooded section, I had previously enjoyed.
Back into the main grass arena, Imogen was up ahead and I tried to catch her before the line, just 4 seconds too slow.

Dave Mellor's Mud Alley

Despite the drama, it was a course I really enjoyed, despite the unrideable banks and all the mud. I would really like to take a trip there again.
The 9th could have been a 5th or 6th and that would have meant 6th overall in the series standings, instead I ended up 7th overall in the Trophy Standings with the first round missed.

National Champs - 17th

2012-01-10T18:08:00.001Z

Photo Cred: Stuart Nisbett. A strong start

Well, it didn't really go to plan and its not really because of any other reason than fitness. My form dipped because I just didn't do my racing, turbo and cross. Unlike Delia Beddis who slung in, 3 hard cross races of the festive week.

Photo Cred: Paul Sheers. I don't have a mullet

A good start with Beddis put up up at the front, the three contiental pros had slipped away and we weren't about to chase. Half way through the lap the strong Trophy riders started to move past, Robinson, Rowntree, etc. Beddis lept on the back. I think I spent too much energy in my start.
After the first lap, took a big gulp of air and wanted it to stop. Emily Barnes flew past me with a group of seven in tow and I hopped on the back and fought hard to stay there.

Photo cred: Stuart Nisbett. Working with Emily

Felt better and moved up to the front to keep the pace up, hoping to burn off a few riders from the group, which we did and also got attacked as well.
The group became Emily, Myself and the Buick sisters who were riding hard. We mixed it up with everyone taking a turn but into the final two laps something hit me (not actually hit me) and I really started to struggle, yo-yoing off the back. I just wanted to be out of the wind. The back is the worst place to be as you are the slowest out of every corner.
Thinking back, nothing was going through my mind, no thought of a plan or attacking, just sticking with them.
I should have attacked and perhaps had a mini burst which would have made everyone chase then we could have a rest.

On the final lap Imogen Buick attacked after the start, Emily reacted and I just couldn't. Then into the finish straight for the bell it really just ended, up the next short climb and I was in turmoil, I looked up and the gap was several bike lengths and then I just conceeded.
They left me and I continued to ride the final part of the course, knowing I couldn't contest for top 15 which annoyed me.
Emily did stick with it and as I entered the final 3 turns I saw her burst of speed and powerful sprint. Emily finished at the victor of the group.
Delia's ride was very strong placing her safely inside the top 10, in 8th position.

The Good:
A strong start
Fast over the hurdles, I made up several lengths on riders
Leading the group to give Emily a bit of recovery
Technical - e.g. I didn't fall off or make a mistake
My bike is working fine
Cyclephotos.co.uk Vicious Velo Photo Story

The Bad:
The freezing weather meant I couldn't get warm, even in my warm up, even with warm up cream
The lack of technical - I like technical because where others lose ground, I make it up. But when its not there my fitness or lack off shows up more
Not getting into the top 10 for the 3rd year running

Making it perfect:
Bring back the bridge at Ipswich
Add a dash of rain to make it alittle slippy.
Giving up and not attacking
Better British Cycling video that has more than 45 seconds worth of footage of the women's race

Results
1 Helen Wyman Kona / FSA Factory Team 43 m 45 s
2 Nikki Harris Telenet Fidea Cycling Team @ 1 m 2 s
3 Annie Last Milka-Brentjens Mountain Bike RT @ 1 m 2 s
4 Gabriella Day The Chainstay - Renner @ 2 m 14 s
5 Louise Robinson (v) Stourbridge CC @ 3 m 11 s
6 Isla Rowntree (v) Stourbridge CC @ 3 m 49 s
7 Hannah Payton (j) The Kinesis Morvelo Project @ 4 m 37 s
8 Delia Beddis Vicious Velo @ 4 m 44 s
9 Diane Lee www.Zepnat.com RT/Kuota/GSG @ 4 m 55 s
10 Bethany Crumpton (J) Halesowen A & CC @ 5 m 18 s
11 Rebecca Preece (J) Red Rose Olympic CC @ 6 m 16 s
12 Leona Kadir La Fuga - Sigma Sport @ 6 m 18 s
13 Sarah Naylor Ashfield RC @ 6 m 40 s
14 Emily Barnes (J) Rapha Condor CC @ 6 m 52 s
15 Imogen Buick (J) Moda-Diablo Racing @ 6 m 52 s
16 Anna Buick University of Manchester CC @ 6 m 56 s
17 Claire Beaumont Rapha Condor CC @ 7 m 29 s
18 Keira McVitty (J) www.buzzcycles.co.uk/Forme @ 7 m 55 s
19 Nikola Butler Inverse RT/Cyclaim.co.uk @ 7 m 55 s
20 Joanne McRae Look Mum No Hands ! @ 7 m 58 s
21 Nicola Hamilton Look Mum No Hands ! @ 8 m 13 s
22 Helen Clayton Lichfield City CC @ 8 m 30 s
23 Jessica Stone Malvern Cyclesport @ 8 m 34 s
24 Helen MacGregor (V) VC Lincoln/Pygott& Crone/B&O/SPS @ 9 m 7 s
25 Elizabeth Clayton (V) Lichfield City CC @ 9 m 23 s
26 Verity Appleyard XCRacer.com @ 9 m 45 s
27 Emma Johnson X RT/Elmy Cycles @ 9 m 52 s
28 Phoebe Sneddon Mulebar Girl @ 9 m 52 s
29 Sarah Woods (V) Wight Mountain @ 10 m 4 s
30 Louise Mahe Mulebar Girl @ 1 lap
31 Lynn Bland (V) Norton Wheelers @ 1 lap
32 Rebecca Keogh Solihull CC @ 1 lap
33 Louise Rickard (V) X RT/Elmy Cycles @ 1 lap

British National CX Champs - Women : Predictions

2012-01-07T17:47:00.001Z

Predictions are all about opinion and we all know that a predictor will try to pick something left of the field. I'm going to do that but not with the 1st placed riders, they are all too experienced to be phased but a National Champs. Lower down it's the overall and silver and bronze medals that will mix it u.

1st Overall
Who: Helen Wyman
Why: More experienced, more talent in her little finger than most, nice long legs to jump freely over the up hill hurdles. She's fast and this year while she let her other ex pat Brits beat her a few times, she was always ahead when it counted in world cups.

1st Vet
Who: Louise Robinson
Why: Previous silver medallist at the World Champs, Sydney Olympic Games MTB rider and former National Champ. This year the two National Trophy races she rode, she won and finished 2nd in the other. A simple walk in the park for the Stourbridge CC rider.

1st Junior
Who: Lucy Garner
Why: Earning the right to wear a rainbow gives one a huge confidence boost. Her first race back to cyclo cross in 2011, she chose a National to do it at and won it. Moving clear of the current Junior Champ, Payton. This is just another junior title for the World RR Champ.

So who else where else?
Overall:
1st - Wyman
2nd - Annie Last
3rd - Nikki Harris
4th - Louise Robinson
5th - Gabby Day

Day, always a strong finisher in National Champs has alot to contend with this year, her World Cup results have seen her figure at the sharp end of the top 20. She did crack the top 10 at the very difficult Koksidje course but top 10 placings haven't followed. Robinson looks to be fired up and ready to go and will take on Day.
The other Ex Pat Brit, Nikki Harris has plenty of form to be pleased about. A 5th place at the Euro's, a couple of World Cup top 10s and podium finishes in the GVA races. She's is very hot on Wyman's heels over in Belgium but when there aren't the same competitors around and riding in groups, out on her own Wyman will motor away.
Last, is a mountain biker, who found victory in extreme mud at the Bradford round of the trophy, her first National CX of the season.
Last has placed 11th in the CX Worlds in 2010 (a first lap crash, curtailed Wyman's performance). Last placed 2nd in the World and European MTB champs, that's a lot of calibre. The hottest MTB of her generation but one who is focusing on the 2012 games XC training not CX victories.

Lower down
6th - Lucy Garner
7th - Isla Rowntree
8th - Hannah Payton
9th -
10th - Delia Beddis

The rest of the top 10 is made up of the usual suspects from the National Trophy plus the addition of Lucy Garner finding 6th. Garner hasn't been seen at many races this year but she's has buckets of CX bike riding experience. Isla Rowntree, Payton in a three in previous races with Adela Carter (not entered) and that doesn't look like it will change, but with Carter not seen at recent races. 9th spot is open.
Beddis, a surprise contender to the podium in Bradford and regular to the top 5 at National Trophy level. She must keep her head and avoid an outright sprint for the line against a competitor and she'll safely conclude the top 10.

Stybar new Crux - Off the meat rack

2012-01-04T13:16:00.002Z

I note that Stybar's Crux isn't using a front brake cable stop attached via the fork crown but the standard headset mounted, does mean the fork is not the standard Crux. Or is this just personal preference or lack of his team mechanics knowledge?

Nice to see he isn't rocking a carbon frame, I thoroughly disagree with carbon frame for CX (sorry Sheerso).

Opting for canti's, rather than a disc or cable disc frame. But that's really got to be down to Stybar running Dugast on Zipps and Zipp not making a disc hubs. But with Avid making cable discs and Avid part of Sram I'd have like to have seen something.

I don't think he cares too much about that because there are rather lively rainbow stripes on the cotton side walls. Nice.

No SRAM Red chainset but Specialized priority OSBB system.
That said, I've got a pair of those babies and I like them. I'm sure my power output compares well to Stybar so he'll have a good experience...

There is a wee bit of bubbling at the top of the World Champ stripe on the seat stay. Therefore its all a load of stickers on a pink bike. I'm not saying its a resprayed Ridley. That is dumb, just noticing tiny insignificant things.

Pictures via Pez and CyclePhotos.co.uk

Backpacks

2012-01-04T11:12:00.000Z

Sandqvist £100

T Level - Roll Top £171

Mission Workshop - Advanced Project VX with Arkiv® closure

Chapman

Brooks Islington

Phillosopy - Morrison Backpack

Blog for 2012

2012-01-04T09:44:00.000Z

I've discovered a blog which I quite like reading.
It has nothing to do with cycling.
I found it when I was googling the enigma that is Mark-Francis Vandelli from the reality TV show Made In Chelsea.

LAST BEST WORK

Love my sweat

2011-12-21T13:15:00.004Z

I quite like it when I sweat. It shows that I'm either benefiting myself or really trying my best-est.
I am riding a race in South Africa next year and it will be about 35 degrees while I'm racing in the midday heat. I was thinking about trying some activities that would help me acclimatise. I've been gathering suggestions, from riding my turbo in the bathroom with the radiator all doors/windows shut, book some sauna time, to trying yoga in a 40 degree room.

Bikram Yoga is where I thought I'd start and then build up to actual really intense activity in the heat.
I signed up to a studio offering Bikram Yoga - called Hot Bikram Yoga, their studios are local to me in Balham and Clapham or I could go on the way home to their London Bridge studio.
I've never done yoga properly and generally cyclists are pretty inflexible as we just sit on the bike and performa a cyclical closed skill. Luckily, the yoga studio runs an intro offer and is focused on beginners as Bikram is quite unique .

Bikram Yoga, is a set of 26 postures you complete over a 90minute class.
A teacher leads the class in a room heated to 40 degree heat.
This style of yoga is less flowing, you try to hold each posture improving core strength. It was invented by Yogi Guru, Bikram Choudhury (pictured).

There are several studio's offering Bikram Yoga. I chose 'Hot Bikram Yoga' who run an offer. Go as much as you like for 20 consecutive days for £35.

My experience
It was SO hot.
I had to sit out some of the postures as I was rather hot
In later classes you become used to it and can complete them all
Sitting out is ok, everyone has to take time out
My core stability is seriously lacking - I couldn't hold even a basic form of a posture for the 30 seconds required.
You start sweating as soon as you walk into the room
You are drenched by half way through
Anyone can do it, but practise makes perfect.
It helps you clear everything your head is buzzing with.
Your hamstrings will hurt afterwards
Take a spare towel to wipe your hands and face plus a towel for your mat
Yoga mats are provided
Wear minimal clothing, shorts/vest.
Take a bottle of water - duh!

So...
I completed 2 classes a week for 3 weeks. My reach got better, balance and core stability improved. I lost water weight, not sure if it affected my general weight. It made me focus on drinking water as much as I could during the day and afterwards. It meant I cut back on one of my turbo's a week so you'd think my cycling would be affected....
I feel better for attending and I had a great result in Bradford and the Regional Champs. Not sure if they are related?

Random Stuff
Bikram's says his yoga can really improve ones physical self. Improve digestion, bone density apparently approved by NASA. All these rather random claims made by Bikram have been soaked up by Indian and Eastern yogi follows and in the West, celebrities taking up the style of Yoga has made it very popular.
What I can say is, I can feel my heart beating, I feel my limbs stretching and I've identified my right leg / right side of my core is weaker than the left. Its a workout, and its good prep for handling 40 degree heat in SA. That other stuff I'm taking with a pinch of salt!

I'm going to continue to go through the Christmas period.
It is hard work
I'd recommend it.

That's right multi-talented

2011-12-20T13:05:00.000Z

Photo Credit: Gem Atkinson

If I called you names, it was only to give you some fire in your belly to race with.

Bradford - Rd 5 - 6th

2011-12-13T17:40:00.003Z

Photo Credit: Andy Whitehouse

Photo Credit: Aussie Larry - Velo UK

Bradford National Trophy where its skill + fitness = result.

Was just a little off the pace to begin with, didn't get my foot in at the start so lost a bike length to the other contenders. I played it safe for 2 laps, the course had changed so much since I rode it in the practise session. Truly muddy and cut up, all the lines I has picked out in the practise were now just as slippy and risky as the rest of it all. I was perhaps too cautious. My skill was good to me though and I found myself pulling ahead through the turns when I was riding in the early part of the race for 6th against Alice Barnes and Beth Crumpton.

My skills have come on alot since playing about in the parks with Andy and Ben. I've learnt to place more weight on the outside leg, just because you can hear the grass ripping under you tyre doesn't mean brake, it means you're still gripping.

Before the start I was reminded by Vet Dougie Fox from Crawley Wheelers who said, "look ahead, look at the exit'. It is basic fundamental advice. He used to ride motorcross and its something he was taught there. "don't look at the tree as you'll hit it." I actually know about this piece of sage advice, but in amongst worrying about having a good start, not falling off, the big descent, the cold and the mud. You need to be reminded of the basics. Focus on those basics and everything else will follow.

So in the end, I was 6th. Happy with the result. Rode the descent every time. In my head I set the target to attack the running sections and get on my bike and pedalling asap. This is where I was going to keep a lead on someone because the mud is just mud and you needed to be careful otherwise you'll just fall off and lose more time. I was 2 minutes behind Hannah Payton in 5th. I still need to bring that gap down, I would have preferred it to be 45seconds to 1minute. Delia had a good battle and try for 3rd but just missed it, but racing against Isla Rowntree is pretty tough.
Delia has however found 3rd in the Trophy overall standings.

My second bike was a disc bike. I pulled to much on the brakes to behind with and realised I was slowly myself down way too much. D'oh! Once I got used to them I was more confident.
Dugasts didn't let me down. I rode a practise lap on my mud clinchers and they nothing, noticeably useless grip on an slight incline.

I doth my amateur cap to the main man. Nick Craig. Who rode an exceptional race to 2nd place. There is a reason why he's multiple National Champ and Olympic rider.

I enjoyed every second of the race, even though it was cold, challenging, exhausting and tough. That is exactly the way I like it.
If you missed Bradford. You missed out.

Photo Credit: A man called Bruce.
The child in the green hat looks so concerned for Jody Crawforth

Vicious Velo CX race, 18 Dec

2011-12-02T16:50:00.002Z

Vicious Velo CX race, 18 Dec, a photo by Andy Waterman on Flickr.

Youth races start at 11am
Seniors, Womens, Vets, Jnrs is at 1pm
Any bikes allowed.
You don't need to be a member to race. Anyone can have a go.

If your not there. Then you're only cheating yourself

Post by @muddysundays

Peel Park

2011-12-01T17:24:00.002Z

Photo: Andy Waterman - Bradford National Trophy 2009

A 56 acre urban green space in the area of Bradford, that is Peel Park. Complete with ornamental fountain and children's play area.
But more importantly it has a significant enscarpment that the Victorians built a terrace along the top of with set of steps leading up to said terrace.
So?
Well it makes for a very great epic suffering cross race.
Peel Park is the closest Britain is ever going to come to a proper International level cross race. It is the cross course to which all other courses try to emulate. Other parks whimper at its incredible powers to create a technically challenging course that will wear you down physically.

The steps are tall. The descents are vicious.
The wind on the top of the course is angry
The road climb is heart breaking
The sprint along the terrace is a crowd pleaser
A lady brings her candy floss van
A man brings his burger truck
There is always flithy northern mud that makes you slip and slide

Bradford National Trophy - you are my mountain.
Only 9 sleeps until we meet again.

Cheryl King has a good photo set from last year's race.

Derby - Rd 4 - 8th

2011-11-28T12:17:00.002Z

Derby National Trophy at the weekend, finished up in 8th. Happy with the ride. As some big players choose to use it as their Trophy season opener.
A photo story from the day can be found on ViCiOUS VELO team site

Set up was:
Mavic Krysium with Dugasts
Condor Terra-X frame with Dura Ace
44t chainring with 11-25 cassette

The course
The course is rammed with off camber turns and off camber straights. I enjoyed the course. It was the same as last year.
I did 3 practise laps with additional practise on 2 tricky bits. I watch some of the leading Vets ride the tricky bits to see how they coped.

Mental rehearsal
Then with that information in hand, I've been doing a mental rehearsal. Something new I'm trying this season.
Sit quietly in your car. 30 minutes before the race or while you warming up on the turbo. Work through the whole lap. Almost saying each bit out loud. Turn after turn. Where to be. When to brake and when to change gear. When to be 120% and when to ease off back to 90%.
I have found it incredibly useful. It worked at Leciester and at Derby. I didn't quite use it to my advantage at Southampton. I knew I had to be 3rd wheel at least into the wooded section, I just went
far to fast and cardivascular couldn't keep up. What it does is just make you be almost like a robot and you forget about you breathing being high etc. You just do what you head is saying.
Initially I used see the things in my head in black & white, now with more practise its become colour.

From my memory this morning.
My list in my head for Derby went like this:

Sprint from start
Move over to the left
Brake at the light green course stake. Turn
Do not be on the front through the tarmac
Through pits
Power through on exit
Off camber 180, choose high line then run wide
Off camber straight.
Stay high. Out of the saddle power
Don't brake for next two corners.
Aim to clip green stake
Easy gear. Into S - go wide to find green
Power on
180 tricky corner. High inside line
Ok to drift out
Power on. Gear down 2
Clip blue stake
Sprint diagonally up short bank
Along the top. Power and gear down
Out wide
Turn at dark green stake
Descend
Enter turn wide, let it drift
Power.
Don't not brake on approach to corner
Clip green stake and ride up bank diagonally.

And so on and so on

Fog

2011-11-25T15:45:00.000Z

When it got really foggy. I went on a off road ride. This is 7.42am. Overlooking the North Downs from Holmbury St. Mary.
The fog looks like a calm ocean.
I guess you really had to be there.

One day in Essex...

2011-11-22T13:19:00.000Z

... a World Champion downhiller, who is also a Brit and a girl, turned up to a local cross race. Tracy Moseley then rode around on her carbon Trek and went home.
I'd like to note the width of a her bars. What is that, like a 46cm.
I'd wish I'd gone to gunpowder park instead of staying home to find my MOT certificate.
Can you come to another, I'd like you to sign the article about you in Privateer.

Pic from Cross Crazy Gallery

Womens CX World Cup Rd 1 and 2

2011-11-09T14:48:00.000Z

On Cross Junkie's blog

Ok I'm decided, I'm going to watch the World Champs. Bit late to be deciding but I'm sure I can make it work.

The Winter

2011-11-09T11:21:00.002Z

Belgium Ride - Photographed by Kristof Ramon. See more pictures in Pave magazine

Pictures: Kristof Ramon
I don't hate winter, I embrace it.
It is this mid point in the transition to winter that I don't care for. While everyone is still trying to hang on to temperatures in double figures, I yearn for it to drop and stay low.
Yesterday it was biting and cold, today a little mild. If I wear leg warmers I'm too hot. Should I start in a gilet? Arm warmers aren't quite suitable anymore. Should I go with the 3/4 fleece-lined tights or stick with bib shorts and knee warmers? My glove choice is always off and I end up with sweaty palms after about 40 minutes. What I want is the cold. I really enjoy ambling along a lane, pulling my buff up around my face and snuggling in.
I have this pair of Endura bib longs that I've had for years. They fit really well, just by chance, I think because I bought them in a rush for about £10 in the sale. The Roubaix fleece comes right up my tummy like a security blanket. There are these foot loops too and they keep my the which cuffs in place and wrapped around my ankles.
And, you know what else? I love those moments when you stop at a traffic light, look across to your companion and see steam rising off their body.
How about that feeling of when your face is really chilly and your eyes feel a bit strange and you have to blink a bit. Then they go a little watery. That's the cold and that's winter.
I like seeing the fog and mist below me, stuck down a valley or a hill. I like to see a rolling view not blocked by the tree leaves. I like getting up in the morning and riding from darkness to dawn to daylight, watching everyone wake up.

When you finally get to your cafe stop or back home and walk indoors, that whoosh of warm air sweeps over you, cheeks turn pink, nose shines red like a beacon and toes tingle. Most people just take a moment to sit there in their baselayer and tights. I sit there smiling smugly.
"Yeh, I've just been out, in the cold. Now for something hot and well deserved. Maybe a mince pie or bit of crumble."

I find myself perusing winter clothing with great enthusiasm. In the summer I never normally pay attention but the winter presents itself with a real need to be dressed correctly, and as you'd imagine I have a fair collection of winter apparel. But, I want more. I get engrossed in technical features. Maybe I like the winter wear because you get all tucked in, covered up and look rather svelte. Christmas excesses disguised under a thermal wrap.
My winter rides are, as they should be at, base tempo for a couple of hours. However, as a cyclo-cross racer, this is my time of year, I ride like to ride at a fair old lick around Regents Park to keep my fitness up. I meet with my fellow female accomplice on Tuesday evenings for some covert cyclo cross in a dark park. We do a fair bit standing around, working out mini courses. Then we smash about like idiots and stop and decide what drill to do next. Thus my outfit must be breathable, not flap but also be comfy and warm.
For those that dread the season all I can say (and it's such a cliche): there is no such thing as bad weather just bad preparation.

Two Springs

2011-11-07T17:53:00.001Z

Went to Wales for 3 days. Went to ride the berm, drops and single track on a bike with front and rear shocks, a novel experience for me. The specifics are here, Andy was our leader.

All you need to know, is that I think I did ok. I smashed my toe on a sticky outty rock when I was ascending White's Level. It has gone a bit purple. Whilst I did 'go on' about it a bit more than I needed to, I'm rather pleased.
The Skyline cafe at the Trail Centre is HIGHLY recommended. REALLY good cake options. I opted for a slab of chocolate thing with biscuit crunch and bits of dried apricot, I love every second of it. Paul's Victoria Sponge was also extremely tempting.
I really like the strong colour ways on my Scott Spark Contessa. I've decided that its obvious. White, purple and orange = girl. Therefore, when I'm schooling the boys on the descents they know a girl has just chucked it past. Extra gutting.

Those who can't.... RUN

2011-11-03T15:38:00.000Z

Had a few meetings around the country and I feared it would have a negative impact on my performance at the National CX Trophy. But, it didn't. Solid 6th.
A minute off Delia in 5th, I felt I didn't really put a step wrong

This was the diary: Edinburgh from Thurs until Sat.
Came back on a 5 hour train journey.
Sunday early start to Leicester.
Tueday early start over to South Wales back on Wednesday evening.

Seriously lacking some bike time.

But on the flip side
Running shoes are small, my Skins running tights are compact and my Howies t shirt is warm but breathable. Happy days.
I took the time to do 30 minutes run from my hotel in the evening before meeting up with people for dinner and before my breakfast.
The weather was kind, but dragging myself from a four post, warm comfy bed in Wales was hard but I'm SO glad I did. On Wednesday morning I found a trail into 'Castle Nature Reserve' just ran and kept running. Soon I saw a castle then another castle in ruins. I found some steps and did 10 sprint reps before heading back from some scrabbled eggs at the Cawdor.
I followed each run with some work on my core. Come on six pack so me what you got!

Dismount / Remount

2011-10-25T17:47:00.002+01:00

Some folks on twitter asked me for tips on dismount/remount. I'm not a National Champion. Therefore I cannot garuntee that my summary of how to get on and off a cross bike is the best way. Helen Wyman or Ian Field or Paul Oldham would probably be a better person to give the best best advice. So this is NOT advice, this is the way I learnt to dismount a cyclo cross bike for a cyclo cross race. This is my way, broken down simply.
Note: Somewhere Andy Waterman has a video of me smashing into a hurdle.

Dismounts
Practice flat-out dismounts to clear a hurdle quickly. I go to the park and do this over and over again.
When I first started I didn't put an obstacle in the way, I just decided I would dismount when I was level with a tree.

- approach with hands on the brake hoods
- unclip your right foot.
- swing you leg over (practise swinging your leg really high, lean on your hands to retain balance)
- grab your top tube with your right hand, put your weight on this arm. Left hand stays on the hoods
- as your righ leg swings through, use this as leverage to twist your left foot out.
- I set my right foot downbehind my left.
- I place my left foot down as a large step to maintain speed
- the next stride will be with my right leg and it will power me over the hurdle
- i pick my bike up at a tilt / flicked out. This allows me to lift it lower (less effort).
- do not lift your bike from under the top tube, your wrist is flimsy. your weaker and your lifting it too high that way. Always lift from on top of the top tube.

Notes
Speed on the approach gets better with confidence. It takes skill and nerve. It takes patience to develop skill and nerve.
I used to play football for years, I'm used to smashing into people and skidding along the ground. As adults we grow more fearful as we know it will hurt, children have no experience of pain and thus are more ready to just start whalloping into barriers.

Look ahead not down. You'll get tangled up in your feet if your looking down at them.

Don't be delicate with unclipping or lifting. My bike is a solid thing. I use standard Shimano M520 pedals, none of this carbon nonsense. They are dependable and metal and can take a smashing as can my alloy frame.
Tell your bike your the boss and leap off it and tell them pedals your feet are coming out of them.

On the dismount, you can bring your right foot through and infront of the left foot. Ben Spurrier does it this way. But it doesn't feel right to me. Practise will help determine which is right

Don't come to a complete stop. Do not brake at the last minute.

Remounting after running section (e.g flat hurdles)
- move your right hand back to the hoods or top of bars
- Simon Burney's cross book says - avoid dropping your bike too hard, just in case it bounces out of control
- I move my hips inline with the saddle
- I leap with my left le. I'm not going super high, I'm trying to travel up and across
- my right leg moves into a little tuck to clear the back of the bike

- you need a leap of faith, you won't miss the saddle. Try to land on the inside of your thigh on the saddle as you pedal away shift back onto your butt.
- i look down intially just to spot my bike but then look up and ahead as I leap on
- as your right leg swings round, I feel it gives me more momentum to hop on. It pulls my body over and onto the saddle.

Notes
If you double skip, its no problem, its just slower. Just keep trying and getting your head around doing one jump.
If you skip, then your second jump is actually lower and less powerful than the first. So if you can get on doing that, then you can get on doing just one jump
It takes me now 2 steps to remount, I just started slowly and practise until it became second nature
Make a little loop 50m with turns either end in the park and just go round unclipping when your on the striahgt and try remounting before you take the corner.
I flick my bike outwards, make sure it is put down vertically as it could veer off.
Wwatch you tube clips, watch other races, watch the elite jump the hurdles.

The video below is one of me 3 years ago. I'd be doing cyclo cross in the local leagues and this was my first National Trophy. My approach and unclip is alot smoother. I just didn't pick my bike up.
On the remount I didn't launch myself into the air, my first jump with the left leg is quite weak.
I am the rider in blue.

Examples of what I trying to say.

Keeping the bike low on the hurdles

Greg Simcock - tilted the bike. He is driving his right leg over the hurdle. Look how the bike is quite low.

The rider in grey is lifting his bike too high. This might be because he's down the slope. Look how the elbow is nearly above his head.


The VCL rider should now just push with his left and hop on. The rider in grey kit should now extend his arms and move the bike forward. He has dismounted on the wrong side, the course is on a camber, he will now have to work against the camber and up hill, he will also have to jump alot higher than the other rider.

Lift

2011-10-12T19:56:00.000+01:00

I read in Simon Burney's CX book that one should lift your bike, as weight training, lift it in the same way as you would over a hurdle.

So I've been doing 20 min runs, coming back, nicely loosened up and bashing out 2 sets of 20 reps, each side.
I've been trying to keep the technique of the movement, working from a good solid core.
But unlike in a race, lifting the bike as high as a could. Just to work the muscles good time and trying to enable progression.

If I can handle 40 lifts, until my bike feels like a feather then a stupid hurdles every lap for 10 laps is a piece of cake.
I look like a flipping loser

When it comes to the crunch

2011-10-11T20:40:00.000+01:00

Meaning
When a decisive point at which one's future course is determined.

Origin

This isn't a particularly old phrase. The first citation I can find of the phrase in that form is from The Times, July 1960:

"Even the holders of Government bonds turn out to be chiefly philanthropic institutions and trade unions when it comes to the crunch."

What is 'the crunch' exactly? Crunch isn't commonly used as a noun, but it seems that the word was taken up by Winston Churchill, who was fond of using it to describe challenges; for example, he was reported in The Daily Telegraph as saying in 1939:

"Whether Spain will be allowed to find its way back to sanity and health ... depends upon the general adjustment or outcome of the European crunch."

Of course, Churchill was a widely reported and influential author and speaker and his use of language was much imitated. The phrase when it comes to the crunch directly followed from his earlier mode of speech.

2011-10-10T10:56:00.000+01:00

@GemAtkinson was there in spirit, or at least page 44

GOAL

2011-10-09T13:01:00.000+01:00

Rarely do I write about things I do outside of riding my CX or road bike or going to a bike related event. All those design things I leave to Benedict Spurrier and his team of colouring monkeys or the Condor Blog as it mostly relevant to that.
However I've completed another thing on my list in life. A book. I'm hugely pleased with the result ( i know big head!), thank $%!£ it stayed on budget, thank-you to everyone that assisted with providing their personal stories and to the photographers who gave me their time. Wilson Hennessy, Roger Stilman, Joe McGorty, Andy Waterman, Gerard Brown and Philip Sinden.
It was a pleasure to work with each one of them, from spending an afternoon with Joe pulling down boxes of fresh campag in the warehouse and seeing Joe's eyes light up to watching Philip make all the staff feel at ease with their portraits. To Andy and Gerard who capture bike racing in their unique style and Wilson and Roger who have taken still life to the next level. I was unsure about the coloured background for the historic frames but once they they mixed Hasselblad with magic touch they look even more vibrant even after 50 years. And to Roger - I have never more badly wanted an orange touring bike.
We blew up the covers to huge posters 2m x 3m for the London Condor store window. They look popping. Take a look if your in town.

These are my current goals, but I don't have time limit on them, somehow I've had a pretty good year; actually go to the tour de france; see the paris-roubaix up close; have a good cycle show and not get sick; go on holiday but not cycle; try mussels; race CX in belgium and get on the podium at the National Trophy CX.

To the Crunch

2011-10-04T21:06:00.000+01:00

Went to the crunch today.
On the journey I listened to Herve x Kissy Sell Out Mash Up Mix but on Crunch FM channels there was also Jaguar Skills (free downloads) and Electro Swing that I can recommend.
I got drenched in sodium, chlorides, ammonia, bit of glucose and some H2O
It took 42 minutes to get to the crunch. I didn't like the journey but I'd actually like to go again.

My directions to the crunch
Straight on a Tabata after the junction for Warm Up
8x 20sec - 100% effort, each effort followed by 10sec recovery
Go easy through the town of Zone 2 for about 5 minutes
Now do go to long interval lane and follow directions as below
2 min - at threshold
1 min - easy
90 sec - hard
1 min - easy
1 min - flat out
1 min - easy
30 sec - flat out
1 min - easy
1 min - flat out
1 min - easy
90 sec - hard
1 min - easy
1 min - flat out
Go easy through the town of Zone 2 for about 5 minutes
Turn left and do another tabata and really make it count
Have a 5 minute picnic
Repeat the long interval lane combo (as above) and nearly immediately after getting to the end of the lane, you'll arrive at the CRUNCH

The crunch looks different to everyone. This is what is looked like to an outsider putting their head around the door of my garage.

Not so shabby

2011-09-26T13:17:00.000+01:00

I rode my final road race of the season at Hillingdon. I only needed to get a point for 10th and I wasn't contesting the overall series win so this was just a see how it goes, get as much high energy work in as I could.
I went for an out of control long sprint from basically at the club house I wound the pace and opened a sprint on the bottom corner.
I started to fade at 100m to go. I always hold the sprint off until 200m to go. Meh, but I had nothing to lose and in the end 3 riders came past me just at the line.

Then I raced on Sunday. In a double header weekend. The cross was way more successful. But it was like an road race. The grass was hard and compact. I ran my pressure at about 38psi .
I got into a group on laps 2-4 but because it was flat the guys were just alittle bit more powerful and I was finding myself in and out of the saddle after every turn.
After lap 5 I had a good lead and I eased up, well could no longer hold the wheel of the group. My times went out from the 6.20 per lap to 6.42 and then I decided to knuckle down for the final lap and got a 6.33.

Having to dismount and sprint up stairs 21 times was good for the ol' technique though and my dismount to the steps I managed to refine to keep up the speed but not take more than a step before the stairs.

Rainbow

2011-09-24T10:57:00.001+01:00

She rode the Nocturne 2011 and various Tour Series races, National Road Races.
I've ridden cross against Miss Garner and she smashed me then. I cannot believe that I might one day turn up to a National Series race and ride next to somone that has a rainbow jersey. Such is the dumbness of the British Cycling scene for girls.
But at the same time, there is some serious talent, Armistead, Hannah Barnes and Garner. And they don't look like a horse, or an ugly butch boy under a helmet and glasses (if you know what I mean).
Chapeau to Miss Garner. May you lap me at a cross race whenever you want.

Strap it up

2011-09-21T14:29:00.001+01:00

I have S-Work road shoes for racing and S-Works MTB shoes for cyclo cross. I train in Specialized Pro shoes to keep the race shoes crisp and white. I've spent alot of time in my training shoes and feel fine. I did two rides in my race shoes and now the lateral side left knee super aches even on my road bike.
My cleat on that foot for that shoe must be out a few mill or something.
I decided to use this roll of Garmin edition Rock Tape (a brand of elastic therapeutic tape) as an experiment. So I can keep on riding. Seems to be working out fine. Just look like a bit of an idiot walking around with an argyle pattern on my leg.

I'm no orthopedist, chiropractor, or physio but I have visited all three for a torn shoulder issue that has plagued my bike riding for the last five ish year due to an accident with a car (their fault). After an hour and 20 minutes of cycling I get this pain in my left shoulder. Usually painful numbness. From neck to the rotor cuff. I'm going to try the tape through the cyclo cross season and see how I get on.
http://rocktape.com/how-to-use/

TdF Euro Watch

2011-09-20T17:35:00.000+01:00

Skoda gave me a Tour De France white watch when I went to watch some stages with them. I was going to post about all the loot I'd got my hands on but then I didn't. Yesterday I noticed the bezel fell off and it reminded me.

I feel pretty euro with it on. Like I should go out and smash 50km of sunflower littered Franco countryside.

First Win

2011-09-18T22:41:00.000+01:00

Took myfirst win of the Eastern Cross League for the season and hopefully I have started as I mean to go on.

Had a good start which took me up to 4th wheel going into the first bend. From here I wasn't really slowed down only lost ground to the faster vets.

Punctured with a lap and a half to go. But it wasn't a spectacular blow up, cruised back to the pit and collected by other bike but the pressures were off. Noticeably harder to control the bike riding at 45psi when I have been on 30psi front and 35 psi rear.

Thus lost a couple of places in those closing 8-10 minutes of the race. Just being gentle on the lap last through corners.

Note to self: prepare both bikes. I know this, but I won't forget every again.

I'd really like to ride to a top ten overall in the Vets/Womens race in the Eastern League.

Another good race and course. I do enjoy the league and how efficient they are with the results.

Lap times: 6:42	6:52	6:57	6:48	7:08	7:34

Lap times: 6:42

6:52

6:57

6:48

7:08

7:34

YETI

2011-09-18T22:14:00.003+01:00

I have made it a mission of mine to earn as much cycling related 'garb' as possible.
Amongst my collection I have a 'green jersey - esq Mark Cavendish balloon man' and an Eric Zarbel signed PMU foam hand.
Anyways that all pales to my aim to get a podium SKODA Yeti (a 3ft massive toy). I met a real big one today.

Cyclo Cross

2011-09-15T10:33:00.000+01:00

I saw this video ages ago and its a good race.Then I saw @crossjunkie's had written on his blog about womens raceing and reposted the video on his blog (http://crossjunkie.blogspot.com/). So I've been watching it, over and over and over again.

Firstly I like how Vos in the first lap sprints super hard from the front. Now that's how you start a race.
Secondly Vos comes out of the long descent onto the muddy climb and makes it look flat, while her competitors behind are already grinding away.

Vos, Kuppenagel and Ferrier-Bruneau then just solidly smash away and smash each other until they start to crack.

Done it

2011-09-12T12:35:00.000+01:00

Done my first proper cross race. It was muddy and then the sun shone. I was hot and the mud went to sticky heavy gloop.

Made mistakes on laps 1-3 by running the short sharp climbs when I could have ridden them.
I was riding them in the second half of the race but that was too late.
The leaders were always just 30 seconds away. I saw them at exactly the same place and junctions where the course doubled back every single lap.
I rode a 44t and I couldn't get enough speed. I think my smashing around on a road bike means I need to upgrade to a 46t.
I was consistent lap after lap and finished 3rd. But I think I should have been with Nikki and Delia, trying to at least challenge for 2nd. Need to improve my fitness on smashing into the wind.

From the Garmin data, I wasted lap 1. I let people get infront of me and slow me down, my heart rate never really trips above 180 not like the other laps. I should have been pushing through and taking risks, getting past these guys who think they are strong but can't handle a bit of twisty singletrack. Go head butt a tree.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/113650792

Budget

2011-08-31T15:42:00.001+01:00

I couldn't be bothered to faff about with finding a new stem mount. The answer is celotape.
It works ok until its rains and it kind of miss figures the display. I thought I'd ridden for 33 minutes but it was actually 13.

More Structure (fyi - dull)

2011-08-21T18:02:00.002+01:00

I went on a 2-3hr ride because I like cycling and I also later in the day was going to BBQ/house warming. It could not be missed, my life wouldn't be fun!
The other thing is - me knowing me, I must eat everything and pour 35ml-40ml measures of rum with my coca cola.
I just don't have control. But I'm not sorry either.
So, I go for a ride.

I have been structuring my rides to hopefully get the most out of them. Sometimes I ride the same roads and climbs again and again, it can get tedious. As I'm an inner city kid, it means I have less routes.
So to get over the tedium, I've got little goals to work to. Stops me slipping into a low heart rate, doing junk miles. This way I see it as putting a brick in the wall I'm building. Then it isn't a chore, it has a reason and can be evaluated.

The ride

Strength is the ability of the muscle to exert force at a specified pace and varies for different muscle actions. To strengthen the force that muscles can exert, slow-heavy loads are needed. Explosive power is high angular velocity at the point of impact, resulting in the immediate application of torque to accelerate.

In order to improve muscular speed and neuromuscular pathways I found a steady long climb, stayed in the big chain ring. Sometime during the climb, did a 20-second acceleration at fastest pace without interruption and without shifting gears. (Represented by the arrows).

The Anaerobic Stuff
To work on my bodies ability to deal with and clear lactate and get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
In cross or a crit an attack might last half a lap (cross) or couple of laps (crit). Lets say 3 minutes.
So I did 3 efforts at riding right up there in that uncomfortable place. Heart rate zone 4 and alittle bit zone 5. (Green circles)
5 minute recovery if possible.

To conclude
The 3 minutes efforts need to be closer. Didn't get my gearing right for first sprint, too easy. I will repeat part of the course so I can do more 3 min efforts and 3 more sprints.
I'm writing this down, here, because I need a diary I can look at when I'm anywhere. This is a good as place as anyway.

Jersey Pocket

2011-08-20T15:51:00.001+01:00

Ride: 29 miles with 3x3min above LT, 5 min recovery. Mid session 3x20sec power climb accelerations, 3 min recovery.
Jersey: something from Rapha
Contents (L-R):
Helmet peak - for bright sun or rain
Spoon - in case I meet Eddy Merckxx on a road made of porridge
Micro Pump
Analogue Stopwatch - techincally I wear this around my neck for accurate timekeeping
Inner Tube
Medium Goats Cheese Pasty - for sustainance on the climbs

Threshold

2011-08-20T11:18:00.001+01:00

This session is designed to keep your LT & AT & VO2max sharp. It also helps the cyclist break away quickly and settle into a fast rhythm. I've based this on something I read in Simon Burneys CX book, I need to make sure I have a solid base. Otherwise top end work and performance will soon crumble mid season.

I've got little time sometimes, so I've been doing a 20minute trail run in the morning with 5x 20second sprints uphill (as per slipppy CX climb).
After work - Warm up ride to Regants Park (10mins) then 3x 8minutes 95-104% Threshold. Currently 177-180bpm.
The park is roughly a 7-8 minute lap (for me). I did 5 minutes recovery. It is good as if you just look up the road, rather than watch the clock you can concentrate on keeping the right tempo.

2011-08-15T17:21:00.002+01:00

"Cornering in snow, jumping hurdles, dismounting and remounting, powering through sand, mud and ice - it must be cyclocross season"
- Simon Burney

23 days until the first cross 'race'

Blackberry Season: sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sour

2011-08-15T17:13:00.000+01:00

and I found a water fountain, made from stone built in memory of Margaret. Dated 1937.
Don't see that very often.

Bike Lights

2011-08-02T14:47:00.000+01:00

Read this in Elle Decor - which is such non sense "These tea light holders have a gritty industrial edge, but are tailored enough for an elegant table."
Recycled Tea Light Holder, $13; Elsewares.com

Those Tour things

2011-07-19T17:43:00.003+01:00

A review of those moments I predicted/wanted to happen / always happen at the Tour.

1. An angry Cadel rant. (Check Bianchista's blog)
CHECK!
2. Cav in green.
CHECK!
3. An incident of fighting.
CHECK! Cav and Thor in an early stage
4. Lance style killer look back
Not yet
5. John Herety talking on Eurosport
Not yet
6. Millar in lone break away
CHECK!
Well, there was some breaking away on stage
7. An off the bike fight
Not yet
8. A rider attacks and falls off
CHECK! well Thomas was in the breakaway and slipped on oil
9. Crying
Not yet - but Voeckler is close to it
10. Champagne
Got to wait until Paris

Stage 15. Photo story

2011-07-19T16:26:00.001+01:00

I went to the Tour de France. Here are some of the phots I took during stage 15, Limoux to Montpellier. I travelled by helicopter and during the race in a Skoda Octavia. My driver Tim Harris got me here there and everywhere. Thank-you.
Big George. He made a face because I shouted 'It's big George' then he smiled, but I'd put my camera down

Electro Campy. The Movistar bikes I think loo really smart

Big names

1 of 6 helicopters that follw the race

A clown

Crowd at the start

Crowd at Carcassonne

Coloured cars

Riders

The race

A TdF chopper

From the air

From a car

No you go first, I'm the Polka dot

Ah Jonny H. I clapped him, he turned back an smiled

Meat

Historic

Juicy

Peloton

More picking riders out of the peloton

Melee

Nice

Add caption

Limoux start

Clown

Vaugters

Richard's chair

Go on Tommy

The legend of Zabel

Look Shoe

2011-07-11T23:40:00.001+01:00

At the end of the my shoe rack, there will always be a place for my little red Look shoes. Overshadowed by all the carbon, the stiffened heel cups, anti-bacterial material, moulded soles, buckles and rackets. It will always be there, because the Look pedal system and shoe were there before them all.

I was digging through a box of bits today to try and find a spare pair of cleats. I came across this really heavy Time Pedal box, I looked inside and found my first pedals. These abusive things have a culmulative weight of 475g. Celeste and bolt blue with a hint of sparkle.

In the opposite corner of my bedroom is my pair of Look shoes. Original, dusty, still functional and not a retro remake.

Shoe Spec
Flimsey thin plastic sole (by my S Works shoe standard)

Two thin leather fastening straps

Padded ankle cuff

Perforated leather upper

Cardboard feeling ankle section covered with grey mesh fabric

There is a three bolt fixing underneath with some reminents of glue

No real reinforced toe section to speak off

No real cushy sole, no instep padding

Small peice of elastic that helps the shoe stretch and open as you put your feet in

Quite lightweight

Plastic moulded sole for grip

These arent the first version of the Look shoe, as Look didn't make the first version and the pair seen on Hinaults feet in 1985 were blue, made by Patrick.

According to the latest Rouleur, photographed by my dear friend Gerard Brown, the first pedals are heavier than mine topping out at over 500g. They are squarer and white.

My pedals are much rounder and use an allen key to make the adjustment. Both I inherited, shoes were new and the pedals well used. I took them as my first.

NB. Excuse the poor quality iPhone images. I'll take them to the studio (one day) and photograph it properly on a white background, rather than my cream carpet.

Inner city MTB

2011-07-07T12:57:00.001+01:00

Beastway MTB event. Inner city off road racing. Its every Wednesday.
The event allows both singlespeeds and cyclo cross bikes to enter.
Timing chips, lots of nice lovely fun time people. Hilly and relentless.
I rode there and back it was a 3hour 36 minute round trip inlcuding the 1 hour race.

I had a good time, despite leading from the second lap and puncturing at the start of the penultimate.
Excellent base training for the winter.
Back next week - unless it rains.

(oh and I had a little sit down, still getting used to not being able to bank like you would on a road bike)

That new lycra feeling

2011-07-07T11:57:00.000+01:00

Don't know why but I always forget about that new lycra feeling. Once again it happened. Slapped on a newly delivered pair of Vicious shorts and there I was, sort of sliding around on the saddle. Not in a slippy way just that feeling.
The brain goes, hmmm this feels different. Then the cogs go, oh yeh new shorts.
I like it

Planning and Plotting and Planning

2011-07-06T12:58:00.000+01:00

At the start of this month I began the training programme that will hopefully lead me to a place on the podium at cyclo cross National series. Better still prepare me for some cross racing in the homeland, Belgium.

I've chosen to use the theory of 'cycles' to plan and monitor training.

This is a marcocycle lasting 7 months. The macrocycle is split into mesocycles lasting 4-8 weeks.

Each mesocycle will have a specific objective.

Mesocycle 1 - General Preparation - build fitness, core strength, weight loss, re accquitance with handling and geometries of cyclo cross bike

Mesocycle 2 - Specific Preparation - specific skills (dis-mounting, climbing, cambered turns), improved speed, improved lactic capacity, plyometrics

Mesocycle 3 - Competition - maintenance of technique, further improvement of anaerobic lactic power

Each mesocycle is split into 1 week microcycles. Largely they remain fairly repetitive during the Meso 1. Though this will help me understand what elements of Meso 2 I need to develop, do in high volume, high intensity or maintain.

Blimey what alot of homework I've given myself. BRING IT

New Old Bicycle

2011-07-01T12:34:00.001+01:00

My around town mash up bike was stolen, no thanks to my sister. It was green and had Ultegra hubs built on Open Sport rims, cut down black flat bar, mudguards and 8 speed gears. It was known as 'The Sticker Bike' owing to the high percentage of bicycle brand stickers I littered all over the frame. So now I have an opening, many enquired within.

After my experience of track (a few weeks back) and at the same time successful first fixed ride ever, I'm now ready for fixed around town.
Ben's hand me down a steel lugged Carlton frame and it has been selected as the finalist to replace ye' ol' sticker.

The build is shaping up like this:
Silver moutasche bar
Silver Condor front brake
Keeping the original centre pull brake
Silver Sugino chainset (because it was free)
Silver slightly deep section wheelset (don't like, would rather shallow box section rims, but beggers can't be choosers).
Condor flat chrome pedals with black straps and Gold detailing (freebie so no colour option)

To complete I need to decide on a few things. These are the options
A Saddle ...
Brooks Swallow in black
Brooks Colt Purple
New a racer style e.g. Selle Italia Flight

Finishing the Handlebar...
Bar tape
Track Rubber Grips
Brooks leather bar tape, black
Oury BMX grips?

Of the build experience I must say. I have enjoyed it immensley, cleaning it up, taking apart and fiddling about with bits. Whacking it a bit. Figuring out what the unusual eyelets and guides are for.
Gives you a sense of personal achievement. Is this why boys take apart electrical items, even if they are only semi-broken?
The purpose of the bike is it is to be ridden, dropped and skirt the criminal underword. Flirt with bike theives daring them to steal it while locked outside the Prince Regent.
I've only had it for a week but to me its got a personality and thus it would be greatly missed if the shonky old thing was stolen. I must really like bicycles, huh!

Evening all

2011-07-01T11:20:00.004+01:00

Daylight until 9pm.
Warm.
Dry ish trails.
Perfect reason for evening cross riding.

Ride
30 minutes out and back on the road.
A 1 hour loop off road. 2 climbs with a sharp stinger at the end (that I ran).
2 descents that felt slightly alien and some across the fields and flat trails for aerobic in between.
1 puncture.
1 slightly overgrown trail (versus the winter) so little bit of stinging nettle roulette.

This 
This video NEEDS sound, to be anything interesting.

Things I want to see at this years tour

2011-07-01T10:03:00.003+01:00

1. An angry Cadel rant
Extra star points
If his dog is anywhere near. He uses a dog to hit the cameraman.

2. Cav in green. I met the chap, nice. I massively enjoy his tweets. Smiley, not rude, very long eyelashes.

3.An incident of slapping, fighting or headbutting on a bike while the peleton rides past French school children making the shape of a baguette in a field.

4.A lance style killer look back. The death stare must come on the mountain.
Extra Star points
If a Schlek does it to Contador. Lance is on the side of Alpe d'Huez eyeballing everyone else.

5. Actually catch John Herety on Eurosport talking the Tour.
Extra star points
Herety wearing a t shirt with my face on it or the words BOOM

6.Millar in a lone break away and him time trialling to the line.
Extra star points
Millar wears that beret on the podium

7.An off the bike fight
Extra star points
Riders fight in cleats

8. A rider attacks on the climb but then falls off and has to ride themselves back to the group.

9.Someone crying because they have won, either as they come over the finish line or whilst they stand on the podium. I want to see real tears, people, not a meek sniffle.

10.A champagne related incident on the podium
Extra star points
Its a British rider. Cork in the eye of that funny tiger cuddly toy they always give away.

And Sparkle

2011-06-29T18:03:00.000+01:00

Baby wipes are a staple and always in my race bag. Especially in the cross season. They are handy to for wiping your face post race, pre podium. Sprucing up your bike pre race when you don't have time to splash a load of water all over it.
The number one rule of pro euro cycling - ness. Is a gleaming clean bike at public events. Am I right?

Got some of these new Muc-off wipes to try. Not ideal to rub them on your face becayse they are beaded and ideal from removing serious grime. I found they are handy for getting in nooks and crannies.Good for removing built up brake dust in headset gap between fork and frame. They leave a good sparkle, minimal fuss and grime on hands. Tough rags that don't tear even when sufficient elbow grease is applied or forced against chainrings.

Summary: last minute, corner cutting, cleaning device.

Its all Kindle

2011-06-23T14:23:00.000+01:00

Today this man sat next to me on the DLR. The dinky monorail broke so I looked over his shoulder for a full 30 minutes.
That's right I was within 30cm of a Kindle being used.

Kindle in the morning

2011-06-23T14:22:00.000+01:00

The 08.06 serivce from West Dulwich to Farringdon

Track

2011-06-20T17:06:00.001+01:00

I decided if David Barnes, aged 12 can do it. I'm sure I could figure it out.

Had my first go, ever, at riding the track. It was also my first go at riding a fixed wheel bike. At the begining of the session there was a tumble and 4 riders went down like skittles. My life flashed before my eyes, there was frantic wracking of ones brains, me trying to grabs a handful of ghost brake.

I knew I couldn't stop pedalling and I was on the blue, so it was a long way down.

Then I just suddenly pressed on the pedals and went up the track. It was a eureka moment.

After all these years of thinking track wouldn't be a good idea. What an idiot. It was super fun. We practised moves. Chipping off the front and riding to the top of the track and then using the speed to get back on.

Practised a standing kilo start with an 88inch gear. I wouldn't have a clue how Mr Edward Clancy gets going on a 115 inch gear. OOUUSH.

I did a couple of flying laps to see how fast I could go. 21seconds was the best I could manage.

I enjoyed it and I'd go back again.

Thanks to Martyn Frank, Coaching Revolutions for the four hours of track time and very good coaching.

Martyn trying to get out the photo

Start of my kilo. Need to sort out my technique ASAP!

Who ever said

2011-06-16T13:29:00.001+01:00

white and pink don't go together, i think this is smart.

Its been parked in bermondsey for a little while.

Bob 'Rcing Driver' Beaumont says
"Its a Triumph Herald. made from 1961 to 1972ish. the early ones were 948cc a bit gutless. They did a sporty version called a Vitesse with a 2000cc 6 cylinder engine. This one looks like a 1200cc one! They were quite common in the 60's but rarish now.
Dad. "

#Justsayin'

2011-06-15T16:17:00.000+01:00

I like beas of bloomsbury. I always go there. its an addiction.

Weekend with Lulu

2011-06-15T14:36:00.001+01:00

Andrew Diprose (The Ride Journal) and I were looking through old stuff from Monty's first years when he started Condor .I found a photograph with 'weekend with Lulu' written on the back in blue ink.This is what was on the front.

After 3 hours of going down memory lane my fingers had that weird oily, dirty, grubby feeling. #oldvintagestuff

Euro Fans

2011-06-07T14:40:00.001+01:00

I put my hand up and said I'd do it. Basically nearly every day someone inside the Rapha Condor Sharp machine gets an email or a letter from someone inside the Western / Southern Euro Zone requesting team cards.

So far they have sent me
1. A coupon for french money
2. Stamp addressed envelopes
3. Envelopes where they have written postage paid
4. a 2 euro coin
5. 4x 5 euro notes
6. some kinda of weird mugshot
7. someone has asked me for a CD ROM of the team
8. a spanish chap told me he had the biggest collection of team cards in spain
9. hand written letters confessing love for Rapha Condor Sharp

Yeh right, like Mr Postie will accept that

Racing Through the Dark

2011-06-07T11:38:00.000+01:00

I first Wikipedia'd David Millar (properly) when his signed jersey turned up at in a marketing office I was working at and the then Finance Director refused to frame it and put it on the wall. That was back when Saunier Duval-Prodir was a team.
I thought it was the best thing ever. He was a real cycling star and a British star. It had been signed in this awful thick black marker pen onto a lycra jersey. The ink had gone everywhere. It still has never made it to the wall of jerseys in that vast head office despite Millar's detailed explainations of his mistakes and his reasonings.
I always paid attention to Millar's results at various Tours from '06 because he's a Brit and on the British Channels they highlight the placings of the Brits plus he also places pretty high prologue's.
He came into Condor last year to pick up a few items but it was a Saturday. So I missed the visit.

I first heard Millar speak at a charity gala at Christmas '10. He was their dressed in a kilt and sporron, glasses etc. He spoke extremely well and I was surprised, not sure why, because I hadn't formulated any for thoughts about the man.
Last night at the launch I was invited, not that he knows who I am. I was chatting to head of the RC club Charlie Pearch and Millar walks over. He greets him like an old mate and I'm briefly introduced. I can barely see the top of his head.
And that was it.
I wasn't able to buy the book on the night. So have pre ordered. Quite looking forward to it now. I don't normally get excited about books as I've always got something to read.
Earned myself a very nice cap, musette and branded bottle. In my musette was a packet of Shot Blocks for some reason I decided to eat them on the way home and then I couldn't go to sleep.

I'm basically a celeb magnet

2011-06-07T09:54:00.000+01:00

Actually that is so far from the truth its not true, but since I got shockingly bad at cycling for whatever reason. Too much cake, virus, too much cycling, these cycling super stars keep cropping up.
So 2 weeks ago I chatted to Victoria Pendleton. Last week I had a Pizza Express with the Rapha Condor Sharp boys after their win at Peterborough and Russ Downing sat next to me.
Last night I attended the launch of the David Miller new book at the delightful Paul Smith store on Floral Street.
There were a fair few names there as you'd expect and Philip Diprose's wife (The Ride Journal) basically grabbed Cav and forced us to have a photo. I was embarassed but I'm glad she did it.
Then Graham Bell from Ski Sunday popped up and I grabbed him too.
I could get used to trying to get my photo taken with people rather than cycling.

Gold

2011-06-04T13:32:00.000+01:00

I was given a present. Well, more that someone was given a sample and its not to their taste. They are tasteless by my standards.
Here are some points I'd like to raise about my new favourite bike thing:

1. Do you have a bag that you can see your face in?
2. All that glitters is gold
3. But proper riders don't ride with saddlebags? Well, my girl back is small and I can't fit anything in my jersey pockets. How else should I carry my wedge keys and gas for inner tubes?
4. Sometimes something is so ugly it becomes beyond ugly it becomes cool?
5. This is going on my bike asap
6. Shall I ride with it at the Tour Series, that is going too far isnt it?
7. Is gold bar tape is too much I'm not Cancellera. (I'll do another post about that)

Hoggenberg

2011-06-03T09:18:00.000+01:00

The only way to get better at things you hate is to ride it and hate it but try your best. I was lantern rouge last night, I've never been that in my whole life. Pic by ViciousKev

Fat

2011-05-27T17:49:00.001+01:00

I don't reckon I can race the Peterborough Tour Series stage. I'm gutted I've been fighting this cold to make it to the opening round.
Can you see how you can see the bone on my left foot but my right is swollen so much you can see it.
Check out how the ankle just blends into my calf without shaping inwards.
I can't get it in my shoe, the more I walk on it the more it get worse.
Note how I also have wrinkles around the base of my toes.

Cake

2011-05-26T13:57:00.000+01:00

I'm sick so not going to eat cake. Boo.
But look at this! Got it from this site http://www.uglymely.com/2011/05/hot-cupcake.html

Un Reem and Reem

2011-05-26T12:35:00.001+01:00

Scarponi - pigeon helmet with your pigeon chest?

Contador is boring but least he knows how to accessorise. Mighty SICK shoes

Pity me, NOW

2011-05-26T11:56:00.001+01:00

I guess this post is me getting my excuses in early. But seriously. I'm flipping sick AGAIN. I had a week in Barca and I've come back sick. Couldn't finish the race at Palace on Tuesday so thats the 2nd race that I've DNF'd at and out of 3 races completed so far. I've finished 1!
Sugars.
Due to someone else not being able to make the Peterborough round of the Tour Series that means I've got to ride it. I'm not really ready for it.
So I need to know as many cold and flu remedies as possible ASAP.
So far I've had a Berocca. I'm drinking cough medicine by the litre, I've had a strepsil and some coffees and trying to do a litre of water a day.

Ooops I just sneezed all over the desk.
ERGH

WANT

2011-05-23T14:54:00.000+01:00

You can get it from Prendas

Talking to Victoria Pendleton (The actual chat)

2011-05-23T10:31:00.000+01:00

So we do our intro's and then there is an awkward stubbling silence. No one wants to go first.
So I jump in with a silly starter.

Cycletta involves as Cycling Weekly Club Challenge. If there are 5 or more riders from your club they'll take the average ride time and the best time wins.

So Miss Pendleton - if you could invite any celebrity in the world to enter you Cycling Weekly Club Challenge team which 5 would you pick....?
The question caught her slightly off guard. She asked me what the criteria of the competition would be and I personally didn't know the event inside out and her PR person has overlooked that media tie up.
We're all just stumbling about for words. None of us really understand the question.
I then feel embarassed putting such a friendly lady under pressure.
I turned the shade of the colour below. If you want to be exact thats CMYK ref 40, 67, 33, 80

She recovered well, going for the safe option of choosing her team mates. Mr Hoy, Crampton etc. And too be fair probably the most logical she could sit on their wheels and get a good ol' toe.

Next came questions that were proper all about advice on cycling, does she really tell people to cycle in the gutter (as per the Cycletta website), how exactly does she think Cycletta will get people cycling, is the hair remedy center really a good idea?
Got to say all well fended off, no stuttering or erring and umming.
She handled the last question by turning it back on the feminist blogger and revealed she'd been asked to cut her long brown locks to save time on the track. But for her she "likes to look good and that will make her feel good. Getting dressed up and looking good while she performs and getting pampered for photoshoots is a nice thing. Its all motivating.
Lots of females don't take sport to the next level because they fear they'll lose a level of feminity, well, you don't have too. A hair remedy center at the end of cycletta isn't up everyone's street but for some people it will be and show you won't lose your feminity."
Excellently handled Vic. I would put myself firmly with her opinion. I have finished a cross race with a muddy face and wild mud speccled hair. I've had to stand looking like a right idiot and mis-shapen for a podium photo. Do I ever print those photos or keep them. Er no. I'd rather not be reminded I look like a little boy while I recieve my winnings and perhaps a bottle of fizz.
If only there were hair rememdy centers at the Nationals, thats the reason I always just miss the podium places. I might make that suggestion at the next committee meeting.

Ok so she took a hammering with some tough questions about the real point of Cycletta. I thought I'd give her time to take a breather and let her brain have a rest from dodging loaded questions.

Victoria, I cycle my bike with the sole aim to ride to a cafe so I can eat some cake. Have you ever done that? Do you even eat cake and whats you favourite?
Now I'm biased so I reckon I think she liked my question the most but she perked right up.
"ooohh I love cake" she started "my mum makes French Cake, well that is what she calls it." Pendleton then launched into a grand description of her mum's cake.
"You make it with fat free sponge, a layer of apricot jam, more sponge then splash Gran Maneria all over it. Its like a posh Jaffa cake."
Pause
"well its not because it has apricot jam and no chocolate"
Pause
"yeh a grand Jaffa Cake."
I said thanks but before someone else could pipe up she was onto a list of cakes she liked "Chocolate Cake is on the list, yeh and I like lemon drizzle, carrot cake."
pause
"yeh I really like Lemon Drizzle".

Sounds like when she retires, I might need to school her in the art of Tour de Cake or perhaps she needs to propose a cake stand at the finish of Cycletta. I pretty sure that would go down well.

The conversation turned back to the Olympics and Victoria revealed how after the Beijing games there was mention of her moving into road racing. But it was never really something she wanted to do competitively. Why change and do something, when your really good at winning medals riding around in a circle?

The questions turned to her road cycling in her training down time and how she avoids busy traffic routes. The critics snatched upon her, questioning why she would deliberately avoid busy roads and why she would potentially lose out on a cycling road if it meant a busy road.
I'm really not sure thats what she meant, I think it means she goes out at 11am rather than rush out. I think it means she doesn't want to get run over and basically end her 2012 Olympics campaign. I'm pretty sure if I was her, I would be commuting to London at 8am everyday.

The interview was soon over. And with that I wasn't able to ask some of my other pressing questions.
Do you ever get bored of riding a black carbon bike. Have you ever ask for a bit of gold to be splashed all over it.
Do you ever get restless legs after training. because I do and its annoying.
Do you ever nip around to the shops to get your Hovis? (think we know the answer, is no, because she doesn't want to risk getting run over.)

My conclusion to it all. We couldnt have a better ambassador for getting new cyclists into the sport of cycling. (gush gush, I've been PR'd to the max it seems)

Its better for us all really because it means with a growing population of cyclists, us enthuasiasts benefit for increased cycling coverage in the newspapers, on the prime time tv slots. Fat car drivers stop driving into us as there are less of them about (maybe just wishful thinking).

Ok so the event seems a bit old hat to those of us who have ridden an etape, a fred whitton, raced cyclo cross or simply been out on Saturday for a club run but its a whole new concept to Sharon Popodopolis who spends her Sunday mornings wandering around TopShop, Croydon.

I'm not sure I can identify with Victoria and nor can Sharon but its a start. Its better than the lack of effort Nicole Cook is putting in.
If Vic was able to join forces with Lizzie Armistead the general public could even be fooled into thinking they were a pop act rather than medal winning cycling champions.

Cycletta is at this link here

Talking to Victoria Pendleton (The Background to the chat)

2011-05-21T12:23:00.000+01:00

I spoke to Victoria Pendleton yesterday, (just my usual day....)
Her Royal Trackness was bubbly as ever and fended off some serious questions from journalists at Road.cc and bloggers who view feminity, long hair, GQ/FHM photoshoots and heels on women cyclists with feminist contempt.

So what was she talking about?
Gatorade - No
Track - No
Olympic 2012 - No
Sky Ride - Nearly but still No
Hovis - No
Oakley - No
EDF energy - No
A change of Sky skinsuit design - No

Cycletta - Yes

What is Cycletta you say... Well if you're a regular cyclist and not a women you'll probably wont know because it is not aimed at you. The event focuses on attracting new cyclists to try the sport and more specifically the sport of sportives.
Victoria is championing a campaign called Cycletta, which has managed to get Grazia (women's fashion mag) as a media partner. Not bad.

So there are 2 rides. The first is 40km at a zoo and the second is 40km at another zoo. The entry price tag initial glance looks super high £25 per event, or £45 for both.
But it cost £75 to enter the London Triathlon and those walk or run for cancer events it £35. Unless your pitching a high price your firstly not going to able to make it worth the Olympic medallists while and secondly it won't command the attention of women who have never tried cycling. They'll pass of the event as being micky mouse if you stick a £10 Audax price tag on it.

And too be fair you get to ride alongside a woman that has nearly as much gold to her name as the queen (maybe not), there is a helmet hair remedy center, a massage, 2 magazines for free and other celebrities taking part ie. Miranda Hart who I find very entertaining. Plus my friend Dynamite / Campbell's Snoop saw her cycling up the big hill in Richmond Park once.

Ok so thats probably explains why I'm sat in my chair with my phone to my ear at 11.45am, Friday morning talking to Victoria Pendleton.

Kindle at the Race

2011-05-21T09:38:00.001+01:00

Calm yourself down with a good read of a Kindle befor the race. Maybe it was tactics.

Catastrophe Theory

2011-04-27T11:57:00.001+01:00

Looking at twitter posts in the lead up to the first Palace (Tues 27th) it was clear several people were showing signs of compeititive anxiety.
Competitive anxiety is necessarily a bad thing... its you getting psyched up / ready for something, and last night it was racing.
One person tweeted - 'got alittle bit of vomit in my mouth' >> this is somatic or physcial form of the anxiety. Where as Ben in my office was in high spirits and beaming ear to ear >> cognitive or mental form of anxiety and the smiling is somatic.

In the end Ben finished 4th in his race so he controlled his anxiety to his competitive advantage.
Where as I was just eating some Rocky Road cake, moping about the place, couldn't really be bothered. When I got the race, I was alittle bit more excited. But riding the course made me feel tired and weak.
I clearly wasn't controlling my anxiety to use it to my advantage.

I remember when I rode my first National cross champs (2008). After the first lap it sort of hit me I was racing with some big hitters and I'm in 7th. All sorts of things when through my head about being last, falling off, looking silly. Then I sort of got this nervous feeling and I couldn't really control my legs and it felt like I couldn't turn the pedals. So I slowed right down to try and deal with it.
This is a result of anxiety not being managed and the stress of the event negatively affecting performance.

All this bad riding last night at Palace and my can't be bothered attitude got be thinking about motivation and anxiety. Particularily the ol' Catastrophe Theory. How I can use my brain to get better.
Its the one hypothesis of how competitive anxiety influences performance. I used in some studies while I was at Uni. There are other theories (Inverted U, Drive, Multi-dimensional) but I reckon Catastrophe is the best.

Inverted U says that you'll become better as anxiety increases and then it will drop off slowly. Well I'm sure we've all had it when suddenly the game changes and we're just rubbish in the snap of a second. Inverted U doesn't consider that.

Drive theory is the worse theory ever. Mr Hull whocame up with it says as anxiety increases you just keep getting better and better. Well, you don't! Too much anxiety means you just don't go well and mess up (but Drive theory was invented in the forties so they weren't 100% on top of science back then).

Basically Catastrophe Theory says you can improve performance by increasing anxiety but it has to be controlled, if you over work yourself you could physical tire yourself (loads of confidence go for a break or get muscle tension and cramp) or mentally get overwhelmed (start to panic). Either way the theory says a catastrophe will happen and performance will plumet.
Yesterday none of the graphs applied because I didn't manage to even get near half way up the line.

All we have to do is get the anxiety to the right level and control it. Simple?
But I haven't quite worked that out just yet.....

Footnote
You can measure how anxious you get in competition here (http://www.brianmac.co.uk/scat.htm)
I've simplified theories and not considered personality type, motivation, behaviour and Optimum Arousal Theory (having an optimum zone of functioning)

Letter from the Vetran

2011-04-20T16:45:00.000+01:00

I don't really understand when Julian has time to write this but I like his wit.

I have been wondering if I should be so bold as to propose a "King Alf Day". It is obvious that one or two of you are a little younger than myself, and may be at pains to appreciate the majesty and single mindedness of the fastest Englishman ever on a proper bike. Most of my knowledge of the King has been learned from my father, snippets from "Cycling" magazine and people lucky and bad enuff to have raced with the great man. I think one of his most awe inspiring traits, was the way he "stuck it up" the jacksees of that biggoted bunch of feckless old farts who would have seen crown green bowling as a criminal activity, the R.T.T.C. suffered their bans and wingeing, and still performed heroically, week after week.

The King wasn't a big man, not in height or build anyway,( see the backround of the middle till) but he routinely pulled off astounding rides using his trademark astoundingly huge gears, by the way.....his total gear selection was 58x13-15. That made his "easiest" gear the equivelant of 50x13 ! even at his speeds, he was definately no spinner. In the late 60s, that's sometime last century, just after the great war, the King rode an awe inspiring 51 minutes dead for 25 miles. This time broke his own record set a few years before. He very rarely got beaten, and he very rarely competed at any other distance, but he dominated short distance time-trialling for one and a half decades. He would often be in a near unconcious state after a race, having the knack of going to his absolute limit, and bikey legend has it that he could often be spotted pulling on a reefer to help contain the pain, usually in a nearby field.

During his racing career, as opposed to his job as a night-time baker, he was to break both of his knees, a possibly awkward affliction for a big gear merchant, one would surmise. Not for the King, oh no, matron, Alf just had plastic knee-caps fitted, "simples". Apparently, these would make a loud Click with every pedal stroke, I suppose 3 times a minute on a downhill section !Alf's spikey relationship with the affore-mentioned Timetrials association, R.T.T.C. was routinely aggravated by jealous rivals "grassing him up" for mostly fictitious "drafting" with traffic. Race observers and marshalls alike would often mistake the King's ability to ride as fast as the traffic with drafting, I think he probably used traffic as much as the next rider, I know that I did it when I could, and I was still crap.

I know that most of you youngsters appreciate good equipment, and Alf's was absolute top draw, Columbus Pista tubing, strictly for the track, yeah, right! Everything either drilled, thinned of flattened, 3 ounce silk tubs, again, strictly for the track! No one could out pimp the King's bike, only the King himself, look at the photo, you could hardly get a gnat's pube between tubular and seat tube !.........Here's the rub,

There are three people who's skill, speed, determination, results and longevity can reduce me to tears of awe, Eddy Merckx, Beryl Burton and the King, Alfred Engers. The King is still rocking, Beryl , bless her is dead, and Eddy is fat.....Love them all, they helped make the sport that we make a living from.
Julian Cunnington

Following the Team

2011-04-19T16:18:00.001+01:00

Sometimes with the RCS team I feel like such a gumby, super fan. Especially wearing my RCS t shirt throughout the race.
But it was needed to get behind the scenes and as a result of Andy Waterman's video says it all and we're so pleased with the team's performance and effort to take Zak to the line and the win.

Thanks to the team and Brigga for putting up with us and thanks to Brigga for doing the little interview at the start. I never saw that guy leave the front of the race.

Dean told me today at 30km there was a crash and his cleat got twisted and he had to ride one footed for alittle bit before dropping back to the team car to find a shoe. And that's why they all ride the same pedals!

We all learnt loads. Thanks also to Phips and you can see his images of the pre ride and race here : http://www.flickr.com/photos/markdphillips/sets/72157626402499845
Here is the video:

Tesco Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic 2011 from Andy Waterman on Vimeo.

In numbers

2011-04-11T10:28:00.001+01:00

20 degrees
3450 calories
5 hour 7 minutes
50 euro gite
8 segments of orange
1 mule bar
2 litres of water
bib 7
1st start group
25 miles got dropped

16.6 mph avg.
158 bpm avg. HR
0 punctures
0 offs
1 glove line
20 french jelly sweets

30.4 mph max speed

14 sectors
207 bpm HR max
5 egg omlette

FYI I'd do it again next year.

In photos

2011-04-11T10:27:00.000+01:00

The Roller Disco

2011-04-05T12:43:00.001+01:00

I'm going to get back onto the rollers and turbo this evening 30minutes of skills honing, then 40minutes of intervals.
I kinda forget to upload music because most of the time I can't be bothered. So I got loads of my recently purchased music (last six months) and skillfully chose some tunes to keep me entertained and the heart rate high (though its no yet been proven in the field of Sport and Exercise Science that music is related to an improved physical performance.)

My ipod is broken and my iphone was stolen last Thurs. So I'm back to the old faithful £30, hideous green (because its the sprinters jersey colour), no screen, shuffle, enscription "Zabel is my leader."

The Shoes (Musical instruments and that with voices)

Cut // Copy (Drums and dancy like France dance)

Jaguar Skills (think Vol 1 is a fairly old CD. Think DJ Yoda in music terms)

You can get various free mixes after registering on the site.

Also crammed in is SoulWax - 2Many DJ's, Kitsune: Parisien and a mix by The Rub and a Roni Size Rapresent as a cool down song.

Lucky number 7

2011-04-01T12:34:00.000+01:00

Got my bib number for the Paris Rouabix "race".
They've given me 7. Lucky for some and me because that means I am getting right in at the front pen. JACKPOT, no nutters for fall off on the cobbles in front of me and slow me down.

Bib no 1 is Sean Kelly.

Trigon RCC613

2011-04-01T10:16:00.000+01:00

I didn't realise how good Trigon bikes were.
Review here http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2011/04/trigon-rcc613-bike-review/

He's a boy

2011-03-31T17:53:00.000+01:00

1955 National Road Race Champion
Graham Vines
I found this picture today whilst searching for something else. It was taken in 1958 that fellow looks rather sharp.

Paris-Roubaix Intervals

2011-03-28T11:05:00.005+01:00

North, East, South, West. Not necessarily in that order. In my long ride base training after cross for Paris Roubaix I've ridden out to Essex (bad times), North London (muddy good times) and on Sunday I rode South to Kent (hilly sunny times).

So next is the chocolate cake ride to Windsor (hmmm) and then I'll be done. All points covered.

Cobbled Theory
From memory the cobbles are 2-5 minute sections where by high effort is needed and greater power. When you hit the cobbles it feels like your fighting against someone dragging you back.
The cadence you're spinning instantly drops. It feels like 85rpm down to 60rpm.

So.... with that in mind I decided to do intervals. There are two weeks to go until PR, doing intervals on my next 5 rides would be the final tune up.
Start the interval in a bigger gear than normal. Only by 1 or 2 cogs. This would mean that the spin up to greater speed and heart rate would be against a resistance.

In theory like entering the cobbles and trying to maintain speed before one gets a feel for effort needed and shifts to accomodate without too much loss of momentum.

In Practice

Every 20-30 minutes I rode for 5 minutes in Zone 5 . Heart rate was roughly 185 - 191.

The 20-30 minutes was is a wide band of time because the Kent route was fairly hilly so one had to just judge the land so not to begin an internal on the approach to a descent.

I perhaps shouldn't have chosen a hilly route as mid way through I ran out of puff and so just rode at tempo. To get through so of the little troughs and I wasn't sure how hard the big final climb would be.

I've highlighted the intervals in green.

Note:
I followed the Hell of the Ashdown route down to Cowden and then turning right onto a lane that bisects the loop. Rejoining the route just south of a place called Chiddingstone Hoath. Then I followed the route back to the a place called Knockholt Pound inside the M25.

The other tablet

2011-03-25T21:21:00.001Z

iPad 2 being used on the train headed south of the river. 67.23% chance you will get attacked.

London Eye

2011-03-25T09:55:00.002Z

Went on the London eye last night at sunset. It was good. I've been before, a couple of years ago but it's always nice to take in the views of London and check out the new landmarks that have arisen.

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Analogue Kindle

2011-03-21T18:54:00.002Z

You can't fault it

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Blind Faith

2011-03-21T18:48:00.001Z

I've never attempted to use a Garmin 705 (the one with maps) properly. Usually I know the route or I have a map but know most of the route. So I merely record my speed, HR the usual stats (an Edge 500 is better for this).
So I decided that I should use it the way Garmin intended - to navigate. I exported my ride data from the 2010 Rapha Hell of the North to the unit as a course (simple function within Garmin Connect website).
I chose HOTN because it's north London and I never ride there plus there are off road sectors and you need a Garmin to tell you where to go at bridlepath forks and when to turn off from the normal country lanes.

On Sunday we all met at Condor. No one else on the ride had ridden the route previously and no one had a map. All riders were south/west London based and thus usually ride in Kent, Sussex and Surrey. So there was complete blind faith in the Garmin getting us around a 50 mile loop.

So....
We made it! 75 miles all in all. That's from my home in south London around the loop. Back to Look Mum No Hands for a late lunch and coffee before home.

There are a few times when we were chatting or our heads were down and we missed a turn off for a sector of 'pave' but otherwise couldn't fault it. 3hrs 20min for the HOTN loop which is 13mins off my 2010 time. So the Garmin didn't cause a huge drop in speed.

It was a beautiful day and quite a tough ride. Sammy broke a spoke and I just got a bit tired at the end (read overtired like a toddler).
We sat in Look Mum, starring at our muddy shins and dirty bikes content, we'd made it and the navigation wasn't even an issue. I'm flipping surprised.

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When you are the moon

2011-03-18T12:44:00.003Z

When you are the moon...
"And he got munched down like an kitkat"
"grate off a portion of me head and it tasted like baby sick"
"as he came past, i licked his back, he don't know i licked his back, all on his yellow suit"
"buzz alrin walking on my face"
"when you look at the moon you go mad, patrick moore he's been looking at me for years. and the other day I saw him do a shit on a salad"

A day with 49cm RCS

2011-03-18T08:19:00.001Z

On Tuesday I spent the day with Deano and Brigga. Johnny Boy Herety and people from a mag.
We chatted about 2011 season then we went riding. I ran in the morning for about 40mins before getting ready for the appointment.
It was clear that the lads from the mag didn't want to give RCS an easy ride.

As we completed the loop it was clear a sprint for a sign was coming.

I saw D&B make some silent telepathic contact about where to be and what they were going to do.

Blammo - the sprint started and two black silhouettes shot out. Deano getting rolled by Brigga.
Good ride, I was complaining but I needed a fast boy pace, a sprint and hills.
I also absorbed as much of D&B's ready for racing motivation as I could. They never stop. We had tapas.

One thing B did say to me which makes him a ledge was
"'ere Claire, how many cakes, you had in a day?"
"I dunno maybe like four different types."
"yeh me too."

We're on the same page

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Literally Out of Control

2011-03-17T09:34:00.000Z

Adidas Original by Jeremy Scott - The Panada Bear Sneaker.

Those days of hate

2011-03-14T15:54:00.001Z

Oh my goodness.
What did I say in my blogpost before I went ski-boarding. Oh yeh, I'll get right on that cycling stuff. So I did and it was one of my most miserable rides ever.
I don't consider myself to be a novice and yet on Sunday so much stuff just went wrong, I shouldn't be allowed to get on a road bike.

So went out for a '50 miler' around Essex. Met at Condor for 9am.
Its dry and there is a mild amount of sun. I'm wearing a long sleeve baselayer with long sleeve jersey. Roubaix 3/4. Overshoes, defeet socks, windstopper gloves. (Basically not enough clothes if its rains).

I was thinking on the way out to the meeting point, hmmm, rather alot of clothing.

Wrong. Soon as we got into the lanes. Rain and then the rain kept going. I was cold and I stayed cold.

Then someone fell off on a greasy bit of wet road. (Not me)
Then we stood in the rain just recovering.
Then we rode quite slowly because my muscles wouldn't work and Sammy's hip was bleeding a bit
Then we stood in the rain to change a tube.

I opened my 'in date' energy bar to find it had weird furry mould on it. The boys advised me not to eat it.
I opened another to find the same thing.

Then we stood in the rain to change another tube. (Sammy had hands like a chimney sweep after)

Then we arrived back in Walthamstow.

Sam and I headed straight for the train to London town.
I ate a Mars Bar so fast, I might have also eaten the wrapper.

The garmin read 120km. and 5 hours and something.
I didn't factor in the 16 miles from home to Walthamstow (via Condor) and the return.

My feet were numb and cold and I couldn't clip in because I couldn't feel the pedals. This happened in the last 2 hours of the ride.

I put my bike in a garage, made an angry face but I thanked it for its mud-guards.
Climbed into the slanket at 4pm and watch 2 episodes of Murder She Wrote.

There are few days that your on the bike and hating it. This was one of them. Pity it was my first proper after my break from cycling.

Next weekend I'm riding the Rapha Hell of the North route from last year.
Note to self - open energy bars before leaving house to check they are not moudly.
Note to self - OVERDRESS

Wrinting about Riding

2011-02-24T16:12:00.001Z

I haven't been writing about riding, because I've had a month away. I couldn't face proper racing or even really be motivated to do a proper race. I kinda didn't really care about it either. I started doing running and I even ran home from work the other day.

So now, I've had a rest, I'm due for my annual trip to the snow for a bit of ski-boarding this weekend. When I get back I shall return to the wonders of cycling.

I have four pave / grave based rides planned. I have some ViCiOUS Velo kit on the way to me, a new (but old) boutiful training bike in the wings, where once the bottom of Dean Downing has sat.

My white Condor shall be cleaned up all nice and the race wheels slipped in.
I'm going to get some rollers, make my Look carbon / cast lug frame into a town fixie.
KERBLOOM. With mud still in my hair, cheeks full of Mule Bar Cherry Bomb and Frites. The season of cycling shall begin.

I'm quite looking forward to it.
Riding fast. Sweat dripping off my nose. Face hot. Restless legs tired when I want to sleep. Watery eyes on the descents. Legs hurting before lungs.

I go in search of pounding dub-step music and podcasts to feed into my ear holes for when I'm on the rollers or turbo. Then the turbo gets too hard and the music and everything irritates me and I pull the ear phones out and ride with only the sound of my blood thumping in my ear. Ever had that?....

By the way - the bee gees have started riding bikes. 

Kindle

2011-02-22T16:52:00.001Z

Another train/tube kindle user. And I blatantly took a picture of her, because she's a kindle user and therefore technically beneath me. So i can be that rude.

Even though she looks to be a well rounded person. It seemed my journey would be dull then blammo. She brought out the kindle, she even had a pink leather type case for it. So she's committed to it as well...

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Subtle

2011-02-15T18:06:00.001Z

There are three things that amuse me about today's train journey to a my Roller race.

One - I'm taking the train
Two - a man actually purchased a Kindle and is using it.
Three - he dares to whip it out in public, defying the social norm.
He's basically silently saying F-OFF Apple.

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THERE ARE NO WORDS

2011-02-10T13:31:00.000Z

i'm writing a catalogue its due next week and i've flipping run out of words and I've got flipping 32 pages to go.

HELP ME.....

Ben - use more pictures

Anyways - dropping soon........

repetitive stress / carpal tunnel syndrome.

2011-02-08T14:41:00.000Z

I'm riding Paris-Roubaix this year.
I rode it 2-3 years ago. It is nothing like anything I've ridden before or since. Literally by the final sector I could barely hold my bars. True I was riding with boys and Ian Cleverly who were trying to smash each other. I got to the velodrome and thought I was going to cry because every 1km was 1 to many.
I only wanted to eat savoury food.
I remember I drank a red liquid a feed station and shook it up on the next cobble section and puked up red sick.

The day after I couldn't change gear in my car for the pain in my wrists.
Anyways I'm going again. Its epic. I have to go.

So I'm going to smash about on some cobbles in preparation. I'm also going to ride the Ronde van Oost Lancashire invented by CrossJunkie. It will be the final preparation before the Hell of the North.
LINK IS HERE
I got the top pic from Dave Haygarth's blog

The Hills Are Dead

2011-02-01T09:25:00.003Z

27th January 17:22

From: Julian Cunnington
To: All Staff
Subject:

I'm giving up racing because lets be honest I'm just not good enough anymore.

i try and kick

i try and sneak

but i just simply get dropped

my old age has caught up with me and i'm finally realizing it

i'm crushed

Monday 30th January 21:40

I will be training tuesday evening after work, South London hilly route. Probably make 3 or 4 runs up Low cross wood ( the hill climb ascent), bring your road bike, crampons and a tincture of finest ale for afters.

See you there.

P.S. Do not accept fraudulent E-mails written in my name. I am neither finished, worried about the coming season, washed out, crippled, training for a triathlon, contacting sportivos online, accepting praise from no-lucks, no-hopers or no-marks, courting cantilevers or re-greasing my Red b/bracket.

I'm off to watch Rastamouse on CBBs

love
Julian Cunnington
Sales Associate

30th January 22:14
I didn't realise it may have been an infiltration in the system. and silly me having contacted British Cycling and cancelling your racing Licence and signing you up for the new Saga Holidays Vet team.
G

--------------

Footnote

1st Feb 09:23

P.P.S - JC is planning a covert, renegade, undercover hill climb challenge up Low Cross Wood. Early March. That is all I could translate from his wire to Ben. Will update when I know more.