The road to success

Pathway
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt

So I’ve had a bit of a long lay off, mostly because I’ve been resting my shin, but also because I’m lazy.. It was actually getting to the point where I was worried my sister was going to run rings around me on race day. Luckily though, I got out last night and managed 5.9 miles in 55 minutes. That equates to under and hour (just) for the 10km, which I think is my sister’s target time.. Now all I have to do is keep that in my legs til the event..

Night ride Wednesday

Sunset on the Quantocks
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt

It's that time of the week again, so a slow twiddle in on the Surly.. Looking forward to this evening though, I need a ride and a pint* to sort me out..


* Actual number of pints may be plural

Bit of a cross training weekend

Rafting
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt

Soo, Friday running and cross training.. Saturday Rafting (thanks Pete) and Sunday Kayaking (cheers Warwick). All this was topped off with a 70km ride on Monday (thanks to Mark & Mel) so a pretty good weekend for exercise and company all round..

Missed a run yesterday though as my legs felt dead. Hopefully this slightly longer break will get my shin a bit stronger for this weekend's running..

Hanging on

Scruff in flight
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt

Had a good run on Saturday, though my right shin was still complaining so I limited it to 3 miles. Same again last night sadly.. I feel more than happy with the distance, but don't want to push it until my shin is completely happy..

Good ride to work today though, looking forward to a nice spin along the ridge later..

Just a short one today

ASICS Running shoe in black and white
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt

3 Miles exactly. Newport Road, Colchester Ave, down to Marlborough road, funeral home, then Stacey road and home down Cecil street. 30 minutes and 1 second. Probably would have been 5 minutes quicker if it wasn't for waiting at traffic lights..

Felt fine, nice easy pace, though my right shin did start to twinge a bit..

Riding Sunday

Turning in
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt

This is actually I pic I shot on at the BUSA's at CwmCarn on Saturday. Due to the rain I didn't take a camera to Afan on Sunday. The new section of Whites level (NRG) was really nice. Good to get some jumping in between the hailstorms..

The running has started in earnest

ASICS Running shoe
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt

3 1/2 miles on Saturday, round the park and the lake. Didn't feel too bad, but my shin was twinging a bit by the end.. Still, should be on track for race day.

A night off

DSC_0568.jpg
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt

I had a good ride in today, but will not be going on the Wednesday night ride tonight. iding at CwmCarn on Friday I had an off on the bridge in the picture..basically a sidewind scuppered me mid flight, causing a slightly bikeless landing.. Oh well. Looks gloomy outside too..!

Training starts here

Airborne Blackbird
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt

So, after lots of huffing and puffing, I've finally kicked off my training program. Not quite the right photo as I actually went for a run, but I don't have any decent pictures of me running (apart from the Tough Guy, and they're too muddy).

This also marks the end of me using this blog as strictly a record of my rides to work, I've decided to use it more as a general training and photblog sorta thing.. Not that anyone actually reads this (hi Steve.. ) but just so you know.. ;-)

You what?

You what?
Originally uploaded by hairy_matt

Started on the long road of my multi-faceted training programme today. Got a run in april to train for, followed by an off-road coast to coast of wales, then a 12hr solo singlespeed MTB race and finally, the daftest MTB event in the world, the Mega-Avalanche.

So riding in this morning was a gentle way to start, but felt good nonetheless.

Wooo tired

Yesterday was hard. Singlespeed to work, then along the ridgeway to the Lewis, then little Garth, big Gart and Badger Avenue..

Another long gap...but I'm going to have to be more keen

Lovely cold and crisp ride in this morning, all good stuff. Been a while since I last rode in though, which won't do. I've entered the Bristol Bike Fest 12hr solo race, so I need to get in shape soon.. That and a week long coast to coast from north to south wales offroad in May..

Woohoo

We're up to twice a month for the ride in...stunning.

Nice morning actually, if it stays like this I might ride in Friday as well.. Nice.

Finally

Rode in yesterday, after a hell of a break.. Ride in ok, but home along the ridgeway was gopping! Thick claggy mud..

Roundabouts..

...when giving way to right, please include me in the equation.. Mind you, the look on the poor wee lassies face as I sounded my large vocal horn ("Ooiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!") an inch from her side window was almost worth being mown down for.....almost.

New job

...same organisation, but now in a shared office instead of my own little den.. I thought this would cause problems with riding in, but a new locker seems to have sorted most of the probs.. :-) Nice ride in after all..

2 inches

...from my elbow at about 60mph.. I honestly can only imagine these people have no concept of how scary it is to a cyclist.. and I forgot my lights, so I had to ride home before going out for the evening..bah.

Oooeee

That's been a while. Changing jobs soon which may make it tricky to ride in very often...though I hope not. Will have to make the most of my last few weeks.. Alright ride in today, though back hurting a bit. Must do more core exercises..

Bicycle race

Slow ride in this morning, on the big bike for this evenings ride, so wasn't going to break any records.. That is until I was overtaken on the way up the hill by a bloke in jeans on a rigid mountain bike.. He was pedalling away like fury, clearly trying to make a point to the guy in all the pro-looking kit...plus ca change. Anyway, usually I just draft behind such folk until they run out of puff and then casually overtake, perhaps commenting that it's a marathon not a sprint (if feeling overly smug)...this time however, I'd just overtaken him when a fast road bike came up the outside, not really standing a chance on my MTB against a skinny tyred bike, I was happy enough to be in the middle of three, but gave it a bit of welly to show I wasn't a pushover...until my chain fell off. By the time I stopped and rechained myself I was far at the back, and only managed to reel in the two riders ahead just as they both pulled off my route. Oh well, I should know better than to get into races on my commute. Most of the time my opponents are only riding a mile or two* so can afford to put in more energy than myself with 11 more miles to go..


* the exception to this being the guy I started to race on the way back to Cardiff once, who when we got chatting turned out to have ridden from Bristol..

A head wind..

...and dead legs. Although I've been keeping up a fair mileage recently, I always notice the difference a big tyres bikes makes.. It'll be fun this even when I get out on the trails on the way home, but on the road to work this morning it was a grind..