12/7/09 AAARRGGHH!! Manchester-Blackpool 'experience'

the day started well!
camped overnight in Ruby close to Joddrel Bank (allways wondered where it was!)
motored up to Old Trafford nice & early. Certainly alot of people about - this was a big one - number wise.
Met up with Darren (from L2P 07) and Phil (fellow LEJOGGER) - apparently there are 26 of us signed up!
The early part of the ride was rather urban & busy with dodgy wobbly part time 'cyclists'. Not far in we saw a rider being stretechered off after a fall. I remember a stop at Leigh Hall & the dark windy wet muddy exit road with silly barriers to slow us down (and knock one poor chap off)
Next thing I remember is........waking up in casualty (Blackpool) A doctor was asking me who the Prime Minister was "Thatcher!" I replied.....you are a bit confused Sir maybe we should do a brain scan! I agreed.

Anyway scan clear & I was rescued by my wife & driven home...the 'fog' slowly lifting as the 'whiplash' neck pain increased & stiffened.
Apparently I'd got to within 200y of the finish..the crowds were chearing us on - I briefly raised my hands Lance Armstrong style - a gust of wind & down I went with a heavy thump. Not knocked out I tried to get back on...but fortunately the ambulance crew got me on their ambulance. As yet I remember nothing of the last 20-30miles!
Grateful thanks to Phil & Darren who looked after me, and also my bike/garmin etc - which could easily have been lost in the melee.
I've woken today with a clearer head, some stiffness in upper back muscles, grazed knees/R upper thigh & the tips of a couple of fingers scraped away. Fortunately my helmet took the full force & distributed the energy so my skull didn't fracture - A real demonstration of their value - I rarely have, & will not now EVER ride without one.
I know the risk is multiplied if their is another knock so have cancelled plans for the ESSEX CASTLE and LONDON-SOUTHEND rides this weekend. It's a shame but the correct decision..I'll do alot of static trainer miles instead.

I've been lucky, and will continue to ride cautiously in the future..and on LEJOG

10/7/09 bad neck...

Been suffering this week with neck/shoulder pains

gave cycling a rest the week

Plan to do a short loosener tomorrow (Sat)

Then travel up to Manchester - camp in Ruby - and meet up with Phil_24 (doing LEJOG) and Darren (L2P2007) for the Manchester-Blackpool run - should be good

5/7/09 Southern Sportive..wantage A tough one!

For the previous 48 hours I had been suffering with some muscular neck pains, but awoke at 0530 & set off anyway for this challenging ride. Warm & dry with a threat of showers I set off with several hundred others westard towards Swindon. Beautiful countryside and much evidence of the local activities, namely gallops & stables of the famous Lambourn trainers.
Within 4 miles two riders had collided coming down a fast stretch. Fortunately no broken bones but shortly after I hit a pot hole hard...PPPFFFFFFFSSSSSSS..... flat back tyre!
Managed to get wheel/tyre off & spare tube in.......but this was goung down slowly.... so quite a few miles on a soft tyre eventually I called for help & one of the support team brought a new one. I learned some good tips about how to efficiently do the job.
From then on tyre was OK but I'd been left behind the pack. South of Swindon we climbed up & up, then up a muscle busting 17% section. Spectacular views and then a tail wind spurred us onwardsthrough some pretty villages. I was riding with 2 fellas from London & a tubby chap from cardiff who said he was trying to get down to his ideal weight!! (No I didnt ask him)
Psychologically this felt hard. Technical problems & feeling 'behind' can sap motivation & make the legs feel worse. My neck/upper back felt sore & I contemplated short cutting home. In the event I continued, although did cut off a loop at the end.
This ride was hot hilly & a good test for me. In the end I finished (alive!) with some power in the old legs remaining - the free cup of tea (in exchange for the timing 'chip') was most welcome...and I found £10 in the road on the way. All in all an amazing ride in some spectacular terrain - it was open & spacious like say Salisbury Plain, but with sweeping hills & fields of stiff wheat & shimmering Lavender.
Think I've earned a day or two rest then build up to the short(?) 67 mile Manchester-Blackpool next Sunday.
Near the end I passed through the 1000miles on the new bike
76.9m 5h15m at 14.6mph (fastest speed 43.35mph!!!)

2/7/09 a busy week....several fast short ones!

Plan this week is to do 5 daily rides Sun-Thu totalling 90-100 miles
Faster & shorter - then rest Fri/Sat ready for the 86 mile SouthernSportive on Sunday

28/6/09 Round Corby again. Lovely cool still misty part of the day - before the sun burnt through. Solid ride all around Corby
34.9m 2h6m at 16.1mph

29/6/09 Pylon. Legs heavy took it easy but still posted 2nd quickest ever time!!
12.2m 42m40 at 17.2mph

30/6/09 Rothwell-Farpoint Route. Another warm sunny muggy 'buggy!' evening. Kept the old legs turning despite some tiredness. Loved doing farpoint in reverse - shot through Loddington & down the hil at great pace
15.7m 54m26 at 17mph

1/7/09 93 years since.... Did Rothwell/pylon lost of irritating bugs but georgious summer evening..England at it's best! Legs heavy still respectable time. Total for week 79m - maybe just pylon tomorrow. As I sailed through the countryside I thought of all those young lives lost on the Somme all those years ago.
16.6m 58m52s at 16.9mph

2/7/09 a short one.. Very hot day - legs/neck bit stiff but dragged myself out on a short 'loosener' ride. Just circumnavigated Kettering. Will rest up ready for the 86m 4800ft of climb ride at Wantage on Sunday.
7.3m 26m21s at 16.1 mph

not bad 5 days ride total 86.25m 5h8m at a fast 16.8mph!

will do some longer slower ones next week leading up to Manchester->Blackpool on Sunday week (12th)

Training going well but looks like rain on Sunday....maybe 'September' conditions like the Norwich 100...

28th June 2009

900 miles+ on new bike in 3 months....

This morning repeated the trip of around Corby. The air was cool & still & I did the ride without any bother in the cool before the heat of the day
35m 2h6m at 16.2mph

This week will get on & get entered for LEJOG. Will send deposit + organise travel there (LE) & back (Inverness) as well as the Hotel

I will continue 2-3 shorter rides in the week with longer ones at the weekend

Plans:-

Sunday 5th July - Wantage Southern Sportive 86m
Sunday 12th July - Manchester to Blackpool 60m
Saturday 18th July - Essex castle, Colchester 75m
Sunday 19th July - London to Southend 59m
Sunday 9th August - Suffolk Coast 60m
Sunday 16th August - Woodcote Southern Sportive 75m

Tue 1 - Sat 12th September LEJOG!!!

more details see http://www.bike-events.com/
http://www.southernsportive.com/

22nd June 2009 'pylon' record

18/6/09 tried out a diffent route. Out through Rothwell & Hannington back via 'far-point' Really pushed the legs from the start.
15.4m 55m at 16.8mph

22/6/09 On the morning of Mum's funeral I had a fantastic 'blow-out round the pylon shattering the previous record (44m) I pushed hard from the start, harder up the hills and if the lights had been green at the end would've been sub 40mins (20min tree 18-18 40min spot in 31-30!) What a ride!
12.22m 40m10s at 18.3mph

14th June 2009 St Edmunds Wheel

Really nice sunny ride - quite tough heading west but once up & Right at T nice eastward run. Passed through Ixworth & skirted my Mum's village at Pakenham. Quite emotional as I cycled along Mums favourite winding road along past the watermill. In conversation with @David Duval' lookalike fella from Colarado. he pulled me along slightly quicker than my usual pace - thanks.
47.7m 2h53m at 16.2mph