Clearly I inspire. It literally is the only phrase that one should learn.

Yes, I think its wise to assume that if a horse stamped in your arm pit or you were doing a bit of fencing and put your foot up a horses butt then yes, you'd need an instant heat pack.
I'm pleased the packaging outlines the causes of pain in diagram form, ideal if your not sure if a heat pack is required.

I did another double cross weekend. I hopped inside the Specialized Fun Bus and headed under the sea to Belgium to watch and cheer the Brits at Koksijde which is something I love. I might go to Zolden on Boxing Day. The crowd and atmosphere is pure Belg.

Sunday I again woke up at 5.45 and this time went off to Southampton. Hardly the centre for cross and I was that impressed with the course. But considering 24 hours before I'd stood with thousands of freezing fans surrounded by some serious sandy bergs of a cross course. Anything the UK had to offer was going to pale in comparison.

The ground was frozen when I walked the course through with Andy. Between the Vets and my race the ground had unfrozen and I needed alittle bit less pressure to cope with the slippy corners. I chose to run Challenge Griffo's rather than Dugast Rhino's. There wasn't much mud and the ground was still hard. I decided an extra 1mm of height found on the knobble of a Dugast would be a drag and on what was looking like it was going to be a fast race opted for a Griffo as I wa sure of the grip it could offer.

A Good start put me into 3rd making the first turn. Pressure onto the crank to accelerate and bang, the bike shifted into the little ring and the shock of the change also yanked my foot out. The momentary lapse meant 4 riders screamed past me going into the wooded section. I regained my composure by the time we'd got back to the grass and from here I worked away. Focusing on keeping the tempo high. Focusing on accelerating on the flats and climbs.
By the end of the race I had secured 5th place. I'm extremely pleased and my best result yet. Griffo's were perfect, no little sit downs.

I was 40 seconds off 4th place which I need to work on. I think that is too big. I need to work on my pro Belgium style too. I needed leg warmers, thats not cool.

A highlight of Sunday was being selected for drug control and sat for 2 hours, drinking a total of 2 litres of water. I wore four coats and two wolly hats shivering trying to warm up. It was a horrible feeling. Until I was sorted and I couldn't leave and I couldn't eat.

I think that contributed to the disgusting stinking cold I'm struggling with today.

RJ has hurt her knee from an imbalance in her left thigh muscle. Which, means she has spoilt running club.
So we went on a power walk & slow jog today off towards Crystal Palace park.
I've been going down the park ever since I was a baby, i did diving training as it used to have an olympic training status and I trained there for when I used to play football.
Anyways it's always fun to go jogging past the dinosaurs. A man at RJ's work said there was an app for the park.
Today was cool and crisp.




My sister is a div there is no app, it's an audio tour you can do on your smart phone and we did and learnt some new facts.
Go look at www.audiotrail.co.uk/dinosaurs and there is a downloadable worksheet. Fun times.

Prototype Specialized Terra Tubulars arrived. They must have known I'd puncture at Mallory Park, unless they planned it that way.
They look good.
The Big S doesn't do things by halfs, more on Andy's blog about why the dominance of Dugasts may be coming to an end re the announcement of 3 new tubulars.
More details are on Bike Radar from the US
I'll be gluing them later this week after Thursday's gala dinner

Well, I did alright at the National Trophy. Actually quite pleased with my result even though I punctured my Dugast front tub. Only that bloody wheelset I've been spending a load of time on in the last few weeks.

Original clincher wheel destruction - 1 hour
Wheel Build - 2 hours
Gluing - 3 hours
Sealing - an episode of X-factor (1 hour 30mins)

One must factor in drying time, you can't move onto the next stage without a day in between.

Drying - 48 hours

Total - 7 hours 30mins  ( incl dry time - 55 hours 30 mins )

I raced to precisely 23 minutes before I punctured at Mallory Park. Just as I was catching the series leader. I'd already smashed past the French lady and last rounds winner. I grabbed Emily's Kona and didn't give up, though I thought I was going to die (e.g. smash up into something) on her clinchers after riding about on those Rhinos.
A lap later I got my Condor back with a Griffo front and set about attacking the course.
When you get in the right mind set its amazing. I'm holding onto that feeling, big time.

And even though I only made the Rhino last 23 minutes, every bend was amazing and I loved racing every inch of the dreadful, bike destroying course.
I think it spurred me on in the final 2 laps.

Note: those nice people at the Big S, who help me out ALOT, are sending me something special. Should arrive in a jiffy bag today. Then I'm back to the glue.

This is a flickr story (slightly out of order) about the build and also a timelapse of the waterproofing. If you know about tubs and gluing then this is nothing new, but I wanted to document my first proper build. and I don't care if you've been riding Rhino's since you were 7.

Due to overwhelming and malicious pressure from members of the Ferrous Oxide Users Lobby [F.O.U.L.], we will welcome, albeit in limited numbers, Fibrephobes wishing to partake in training at Regents Park, usually at 6.30 pm on  Thursdays.

As you can imagine, this is a major compromise, neh, climbdown by the CarbonConsortium, one that has caused major rifts within its inner sanctum. We will have to stand firm against the imminent media ridicule, but rest assured we will be lowering our bars and raising our saddles in anticipation of future skirmishes up the cobbly road to Carbonisation.

All we ask of our new Skinny tubed cohorts is to observe 'gang etiquette, and doff  our caps as we wizz pass the massed ranks of Preraphaliteweights as they galantly fight their way up the drag to Camden in 39x29 while planning next season's assault on the Col d'Ighgate.

That's all for now, but remember we still have in stock limited numbers of "MY OTHER BIKE'S A CARBON" stickers.

CRUSH