I have started to find that a good cup of coffee in the morning before a ride, race or day of work is very settling.
I always try to have this drink when sitting down. I don't like to stand in the kitchen and just dash it down my neck, but sip and look at it and drink it.

I've not really settled on a coffee though, which was annoying me, as soon as one bag was done I was buying another retaining little loyalty to a roaster.

Monmouth - Espresso blend
JaJu Beans - Honduros Roast
Paniagua - EPO blend
Lavazza - Espresso ground
Algerian Coffee - Espresso Beans
Square Mile - (ergh, the current taste of London, boring!)

I have also suddenly started to freshly grind the coffee from beans. I'm not sure it has an impact on flavour but the continuos almost rhythmical movement helps me wake up and bring myself round.
I've got three grinders. This wooden box thing that looks pretty on a shelf but seems to produce iron fillings.
A little handheld Hairo thing that ended up with me accidentally up punching myself in the mouth when using it - absolutely useless.

Then..

A secret Santa present turned up after Christmas. It was presented in a cute wicker basket and contained, another grinder and another bag of beans, orange and almond biscotti and chocolate coated beans.
The person that gave it to me couldn't really go wrong with that approach but what they didnt realise is that it has turned out to be one of the best presents I've had of late.

Grinder - Tiamo (love it)
Coffee - JaJu Beans, Brighton- House Blend Rich Roast (my taste for winter)

It works in both my Bireletti and in the espresso machine.

*presses save, starts grinding beans.*

2013 was the year Nikki Harris broke Helen Wymans firm grip on the white/red/blue jersey. The venue is a place I chose to ride my first national champs back in 2009, I always like to return to it.

The course has changed quite significantly since then, the organisers have taken out the stone step run up but added a much more technical off camber. They introduced one of the toughest and best descents I've ever ridden but in 2013 decided to smooth if back out. Resulting in far less crowd pleasing crashes. .

Balint Humvas took this photo. I like it because:
It is raw, he shot it on a compact camera and processed it (probably at Boots)
It is me on my favourite CX course
I always feel secure on the course and achieve my best results (10th Nat Champs 2013, 5th 2012 Nat trophy series, 5th 2011 Nat Trophy).
My kit is a beacon against the dark ever present mud of Bradford
It is the bottom of the wind beaten road section. It is here you say to yourself "I'm going to attack this, this lap, while everyone else is riding I'm attacking." Half way up, "Oh god, why did I put in so much effort at the bottom. Where is the top."
I look alone, pretty much how one is in most CX races in Britain. You are alone within the course tape but there is no silence.

Thank-you to everyone who supported me in the race.

Taken by (Balint) Cyclephotos.co.uk from stone Victorian bridge in Peel Park the location of the British National Championship.

http://cyclephotos.co.uk/2013/01/2013-british-nationals-bradford/

 There are two social groups in a National Trophy 'pit' and they are completely at odds with each other.
At one end we have the burly men with their dark clothing, all in one overalls, grey hair, portly stomachs and tough boots.

The other group is a pit WAG generally mothers of the under 23 riders and a few girlfriends who have been roped in to assist the burly men, they don't really understand what is happening & mainly focus on cheering. Easy to spot, amongst the dark waterproofs, they have light blue fleeced hats, colour matched wellies and usually a nice puffa jacket.
There is the occasional WAG, new to the pit, introgued at what Johnny talks about to Jason and begged to come along or most likely Jason couldn't 'be in the pit' so has dragged her along.
Typically they won't have been given a few helpful pointers about a pit and how everything you touch will spread mud, poor them, they turn up wearing white, shinning like a beacon that screams "my boyfriend missed out a few key points about the pits to try and get me to turn up." Naughty Johnny.

Vicious Velo are alittle different, we have Kev. He is first up in the Trophy race schedule, as a VET he's finished by 11.30.
He comes back into the pit during the senior race to run the VV pit and tell Delia and I what to do.
We are half way between the two groups, I was probably once more of a WAG a few seasons ago but have quickly learnt not to take anything I value into the pit.
We don't really conform to either group because most of the girls in the pit haven't race and finished in the top ten just a few hours before.
Secondly if you look like a sissy girl the burly men don't give you space in the pit box, you need to give yourself space to hand up the bike. They don't move out your way and they look at you with snide smiles.

Delia and I have worked out a system.

- walk into the pit, wear walking boots or a black pair of wellies, bonus points for carrying a mini tool box. My tool box has zip ties, an allen key and some lube but no one has to know that it could have a special fixing mallet for all they know.

- slap on a pair of surgical gloves, they do the same jobs as marigolds but people think you are messing about if you wear washing up gloves.

- put your pit pass on a lanyard you got from some other event (something logos like Le Tour, Festina, Tour of Britain) and tuck it into your jacket, so people know you have pit accreditation but also you know how to use it and don't need to dangle it about the place.

- when waiting for the riders to come back through the pits comment to your pit crew competitors how sparkly and clean their bike is, big up their ego on their bike washing ability.
The crew only has a few short minutes to wash all the mud from a bike and clean the drive train.

- know how to jet wash a bike and over order on the water. Last thing you need is to run out of water and start trying to clean the bike using a sponge and a bucket, your creditability will sink faster than the titanic. You messing around in the corner with a bucket in a National Trophy race, come on you need some kind of machine that reeks of petrol.


This has been working fine all season and previous seasons.

Kev mostly looks after the washing because it requires biceps to kick start the throttle on the jet wash, knowledge of the machine and getting the water to pump through.
Except at Shrewsbury there was no Kev, there was just two girls and madness hit. The jetwash stopped working, we had to get the buckets out. We had to stand in the pit gates with semi-clean bikes.
It was then the WAGs came to our rescue and helped us jet wash Paul's bike. Phew.

Credit: Cyclephotos.co.uk / Balint Humvas

Robinson leading the 2012 National Trophy Series

There is a curious thing in cyclocross or maybe its womens cyclocross is that pretty much if I wanted to race against the best people in the world, I could.
Not because I'm at their level, just because that is the way it works.

Most recently I've been pulling up to the start line and standing alongside Louise Robinson (Ian Cleverly has written a post on the Rapha site about her domination of Three Peaks).

Domestically this year, aged 46, she has been matching the other twenty somethings toe-to-toe. Twelve years  ago Louise Robinson took the silver medal at the World Cyclocross Championship in Sint Michielsgestel loosing out on the rainbow bands by a not so shabby 57 seconds to Hanka Kupfernagel.

Looking down some weird text only list based website built in 1998, I picked out that she managed four podiums in World Cup CX races in 2000/2001, Zolder, Oostmalle etc
She was 3rd in the Gloucester GP in the US in 2004 too.



I don't know what CX was like in 1995-2006 as I didn't do it, I played football but I think it was probably pretty niche with little support from BC.
Today there is much more coverage, it is more popular in Britiain though it seems there is still little support for womens CX from BC.
But to this day (though hopefully the form of Harris and Wyman look like it will change history) no other British CX female rider has climbed onto a World Championship podium. Louise Robinson is pretty unique and me and Delia get to line up against her formidable skill and fitness.

We often discuss Ms. Robinson, we've turned her into some sort of superhero and placed her on a pedestal. This is because we have little information, googling doesn't really turn up much, she's an enigma to us, to which we only have her results to relate to.

Our questions to each other on email, via text and at races are below:

Claire via email 15 Oct "Robinson is a hero. I like how she doesn't even bother warming up. She just turns up and does her thing.  Sidepoint - I need to practise my starts."

I just want to say that if you get the chance try and race in the Eastern League if you are a vet or female rider.
1. They always always have a good cake stall
2. They always get the results printed and on the board within the hour of the finish
3. Friendly
4. Gridding is accurate and based on past performance
5. Vet and women riders get their own race so there isn't a mass bundle
6. This is me after I managed to win an Eastern League - you can see I'm having fun.