Ok... so its been a while.

This is mainly because I have been twittering away like a numpty instead of updating the blog! Well, perhaps now I have something profound to say... or maybe not.

Basically at the moment we (the royal we) are in winter training mode... this basically means lots of long-ish slow-ish miles trying to build up my base fitness. What I found last year was that I was burning out on races over 50 miles. So this will hopefully rectify the issue!

Even so... it's hard not to want to put the boot in and give it a lash every now and then!

I've also recently been testing out a saddle from the Kiron me2 range of saddles and I have to say its pretty damn excellent. I would say I've put close to 50 hour solid sitting on it now and it really is very comfortable and fits my arse nicely! I would recommend anyone picking up one of these. The only possible complaint I could have is that if it were a race saddle it could be a bit lighter.

No news on the gardening front... except that the veggie patch has been replaced by a shed. I just didn't have time to maintain it this year so it has become a new shed with my bikes and training kit in it. :-)

Puddles Posing II

Puddles Posing, originally uploaded by Voodoo2.

The cat in flowers again.... can't do anything in the back garden!

Puddles Posing

Puddles Posing, originally uploaded by Voodoo2.

well it's the cat. trying to be dead sophisticated and not looking at the camera and stuff. however, she's still a fluffy monster.

want.

these:


awesome looking cycling shoes. bloody dear though.

preparing for the weekend

So it's Thursday evening.... and the weekends racing (first of the season) is almost upon me. This week has been interesting. I was happy to get round the Phoenix CC reliability last Sunday without and damn mechanical issues... but it was hard work.

Monday, I did a bit of a recovery ride.
Tuesday, I started to come down with man-flu.
Wednesday, spent all day in bed (more or less).
Thursday, back to work and on the bike... did a turbo session of 90 second intervals.
Friday, working from home as the Sky man is coming to fit a new Sky+HD box.
Saturday, Annaclone GP
Sunday, Phoenix GP

The man-flu is more or less shifted, but nose is still fairly congested... I'm hoping a good nights sleep will sort it out.

Yep... kinda planning to do both races. This is more or less in prep for the Armagh-Downpatrick St. Patricks Day classic... but yes... I am going to be body-bagged if I manage to do both.

Bring it on..... ( I say in pretend arrogance and true idiocy...)

ranting.

Today seems to be a ranting day.

In that spirit, let me tell you how much I hate IVR systems. They just don't work with Irish accents. Ever. Never mind telling you what date my holiday is on... let me use the keypad. Or talk to someone!! What happened to press one for payments etc??

Muppets.

mechanical difficulties

I am not having a good start to the pre-racing season. Its just not good... firstly I turn up at the Dave Kane reliability and go with the a-run, little did I know that it was full of first cats who wanted to ride at 30mph on shitty roads round the ards peninsula. And with me being a bundle of nerves at getting back into riding into a fast pack. Joy. I got shelled after about 30 miles and had no intention of finishing it then... too windy by yourself. Feck that.

Next... a training run doing some hill repeats on Stormont on the canyon bike with tubular tyres... all good, hard work (but we like that)... until warming down and I hit a pothole on the newtownards road. I think I may have been the first person ever to pinch flat a tub. Argh. Ok.. so need to get that off and get it repaired to save buying a new one at 40 sheets.

Next... Maryland reliability... going well... had got over initial nervousness and starting to settle in nicely for some hard work... going uphill.. pop. Argh. Chain has popped the missing link used to join it. And thats me stranded in Katesbridge somewhere.... phone Mrs Henderson for a lift him. Doh. It would seem the bike shop put the wrong missing link in for that chain. The difference is a whole 0.2mm.

Next... training run home yesterday.... finishing off with a spin up Castlehill road to warm down. Oh whats that? A crater? Yep. Did I see it? No. What happened? Flatted two tyres and had to walk home. Only half a mile but even so.

Its not going well!