I'm bored... And also quite openly angry about the current weather! I'm really bored at home all day, so much so that I even played on the Playstation for a bit today... Everytime I think the rain is going to stop, it starts half an hour later even worse than before. Very demotivating for a ride; this being said, I thought I'd tackle the challenge I was set. See if you can guess which of these flipbooks is the one I made. It's a tough one I know.
Bike is all set up for TT practice whenever it decides to stop raining and there aren't 4 millions cars driving around the North West like lunatics (aka rush hour).
Having bailed on the Chelford TT last night, due to the poor weather, despite Laura Trott tweeting that she was going to make an appearance, I knew I'd have to make up for it today; I planned the route last night with a point to prove that where I live isn't completely flat. When I woke up this morning the weather forecast wasn't looking hopeful, but as punishment for pussying out last night I knew I had to get on the bike rain or shine. So I checked the status of my wiggle order and finally a little bit of luck. My new "Pocket Rocket" Rain Jacket was in transit and on it's way to me. Now all I had to do was wait for Mr Postie to turn up; this turned out to be 11am which was just in time to get out before lunch. So off I went and no more than 3km into my ride I spot, of all people, Laura Trott in all her Wiggle Honda attire, drafting a moped on the A50. It took some determination to not quickly turn round and draft her for the next 2hrs. I couldn't get bored of that view... So having missed the opportunity of a lifetime, I had to settle for the luxurious 10-15mph tailwind all the way to Macclesfield, ignorant that this clearly meant I would have to deal with the wind on the return 40km. I've never ridden the climb from Macc up to the Cat and Fiddle but overall it was alright. There was a bit of a mix of topography, with some 10-12% ramps that were mostly shaded and sheltered from the wind intermingled with sections of 4-5% open to the wind, and even some downhill parts where you could pick up some decent speed. Unfortunately due to the placing of the corners, this speed couldn't really be taken into any further ascents. I had a bit of a scare on one of these occasions when some muppet in a car overtook me as I was hurtling along at 30mph round a blind bend... I hear drivers in the Alps are more cautious around cyclists so that's something else to look forward to. Although it doesn't take much to be more courteous than some of the arrogant tossers you find on British roads.
About 2mins before I reached the peak at the Cat and Fiddle, I started to feel rain drops, and took a casual look back at where I'd just been. Oh crap! I couldn't even see the other side of the small dip I'd just ridden round. That tailwind had clearly been chasing me along and sneakily brought the monstrous cloud wall that was now biting at my back wheel. Time to deploy the Pocket Rocket; I don't want to jinx anything by praising it too early (I do not buy in to superstitious mumbo-jumbo), but this little diva could quite possibly be the single best item of kit I've ever bought. Not cheap at £63, but weighing in at a little over 100g you hardly notice it's there and it compacts down to almost nothing. The best part is that it actually does it's job. I had my fears, but the water just kept rolling off the outer skin and it did me proud in protecting me from the wind-chill. It was a bit of a sketchy descent on the A54 towards Congleton, thanks to a combination of the headwind, driving rain and the fact that I was actually in the clouds leading to less than desirable visibility. I say descent, but it felt like there was an equal amount of ascent on the way down, partly thanks to the headwind cancelling out any speed that could have been gained on the downhill sections. Needless to say the entire return journey into the vicious headwind was tough, but this didn't stop me pulling off a 28kph average on a route with 750m of climb (pretty proud since it was a solo effort). Next time I think I'll just draft Laura though.
So there you have it, Cheshire is NOT completely flat. I'll take in Mow Cop and skirt round The Cloud on a ride soon so showcase a few more rocky features.
(Disclaimer: as I came back at my furthest point, I did see a "Welcome to Cheshire" sign, so technically I think I left Cheshire for all of 1.5km of my ride...)
Thursday marked the end of exams and signaled the start of the last summer of freedom from responsibility. Admittedly this begs the question, “what are you going to do with your lazy arse over summer Tom?” The answer being, probably sit on it quite a bit; hopefully a large proportion of the time this will be a side effect of zipping through the Cheshire countryside on my bike, training for the Half Ironman I've entered in September.
The pasta party in the evening set a very positive tone for what was to be the longest and one of the best rides of my life the following morning.
We set off as 7 Bristol riders in full kit looking pretty damn swanky indeed, and by invitation only, Elsa from Liverpool as the only anomaly kit-wise; she sure held her own in the pack and on the hills though. Elsa took on the first 55km with us and then it was down to UOBCC to complete the full challenge.
The group feel was fantastic and I could quite easily imagine us in France settling into an Alpine climb as a unit at a nice even pace. It’s a real shame Michael and Mads can’t come… their loss. After stories of Tom’s driving, I’m now more terrified about surviving the 700 miles by car rather than the steep technical descents on the bike; at least I’ll sort of be in control on the bike. If only I had a car… (a boy can dream).
The 100 miles went a little like this:
9am meet, greet, wait for Gam… oh no he’s not that late! Henry makes Sam look good at 10mins late.
The first 10km involved navigating our way through Bristol avoiding the late/lazy commuters (what ever happened to 9 til 5?) and trying to not get caught out by the numerous traffic lights along the way. Once we were out onto the open North Bristol roads, it was bliss. The weather was almost perfect for such a ride; lightly overcast and warm with a slight breeze to tackle the humidity. We kept a nice even pace in pairs for most of the ride along predominantly car free country lanes.
I was thankful to have such a clear mind on the ride and not have to worry about navigating whatsoever; that burden was on Mads, and she did a cracking job albeit with a few GPS hiccups (designed entirely on purpose to lengthen the route to the full 100 miles).
My favourite part of the ride was the only categorised climb on the route, the Cat 4 Lampern Hill. It came at 100km and after previously getting it in the neck a bit from Georgie after pulling too hard on the front straight after a corner, now was the time to get back in her good books. I wish there was a picture of this because it wasn't what you see on an everyday ride. Mat and I between us pushed Georgie up the hill with one hand on the flat of her back and spinning like mad trying to keep an extra half a person going at your speed. It added a whole new level to the climb and my legs were in such good form that Georgie and I actually dropped Mat, Mads and Henry on our way to the top. Let's hope I haven't "peaked too early" for the Alps trip.
Lampern Hill, Cat 4 - 1.6km, avg 9.3%
We managed to keep it together as a group all the way back to Bristol and hit the second rush hour of the day. We'd been "workin' 9 til 5" as Sam put it. 8hrs 30mins start to finish with 6hrs 30mins of those actually riding. The ride concluded with 3 laps of the downs which of course got increasingly faster. I eventually felt like Georgie would hate me either whether I put in a big effort or just sat at the back, so naturally I fired up the old burners and let Mads draft her way to QOM on the downs Circular Road Sprint segment on strava. Not a bad effort as the last lap of a 100 mile ride.
A very memorable ride all round and something I'd very much like to repeat in the future. Bring on the Alps!
In Other News I lost my KOM on Marshfield Ln Climb by 20 seconds only 2 days after I set it. Better 2 days in the lead than none.
This little fella knows what he's talking about.
Mat is too lazy to unclip at one of the GPS stops... Took him a while to figure out how to get off the wall.
Mads: "You lookin' at me?"
The route back to Bristol had no more long hills and was generally slightly downhill so it turned in to a pacey run in with the light tail wind.
The rests we took whilst waiting for the GPS to regain signal were very welcome and probably lead to several us feeling surprisingly energetic towards the end of the ride. Our chip stop couldn't have come at a better time. 110km down and 50km left it was time to reward ourselves at a very smart bistro pub in the small village of Leighterton.
Strong performers on a great social ride for UOBCC
=============================== Thanks to Matthew Mew and Madeleine Iafrate for providing photos from the ride to spice up this post ===============================
Exams are over! They are all in the past. The final one went so badly, but now it's just another painful memory. Besides, this was my attitude as I entered, so it's my own flippin fault.
The lego dance movie is an inspiration. My music video idea will surely lift off now summer has finally cracked. The relaxing pasta party topped with gooey Ben & Jerrys was just what I needed. Shame I'm awful at conversations without saying something completely Non-Politically-Correct. Good for cheap laughs... until it gets old. Story of my life. Legs are gonna get burnt tomorrow! Bricking it. How far? How far? Legs are not impressed just thinking about it!
Stress is oozing from my body causing me to feel constantly sleepy. Definitely rewarding myself with a snooze now.
Over the last week it hasn't been uncommon to see me donning some sporting attire in and around Bristol as I've knocked off 3 runs and rides between 'revision' and Dexter sessions.
On Sunday I headed over to Blaise Castle with Duncan and John (both post sub-16min 5ks!!) on a particularly hilly and off road route! It's safe to say that revision was low on my priorities after arriving back in a sweaty, exhausted heap and struggling to stay awake for the rest of the day. Hills are Hard.
Yesterday was sport free, but only because I was waiting for the big one... Dun dun duh! Hold on to your horses 'cause you're in for a bumpy ride! At least that's what Mads could have told me before we set off on our Bath epic. Just take a look at the profile...
"Allez, Allez!"
So the day came. The sun rose over Bristol... waking Tom at 5am just for shits and giggles. The exam was merely a blip in an otherwise perfect day. With the sun beating down, the birds singing, a light breeze bristling in the air, it was time to go yonder and conquer the hills of Bath. Boy was it worth it! I nailed my first strava KOM on a hill, and it was pretty tough indeed (avg 6.4%). Previously I've only held records for running or flat bike sections. I got the encouragement I needed from Mads and zoomed off with form in the legs that Wiggo would be jealous of right now. All of a sudden it seems as though hills are not the formidable enemy they once were. (This may be redefined by some soul crushing climbs in the Alps).
We stopped for some soothing, ice cold drinks in Bath and I even had a "cured ham and mozarella panini"... I know! The pretentious 'snacky' lunch was to shortly bite be in the bum as we approached the next climb of the day, up to the University of Bath. "Allez, Allez!" I hear Mads shout, so off I sprint up the hill with panini and water sloshing around in my stomach. 30 seconds later, sort of out of sight of the my ever competitive ride partner, I developed a food stich and dropped it down as low as she goes and just spun all the way to the top. Maintaining some dignity by not actually being caught on the way up. In hind sight, I was daft to even think about sprinting up a 1.7km, 8.5% avg climb.
I hadn't realised quite how long a ride it would be and as the sun started to take its toll; I started dreaming of the crunchy grapes I'd bought earlier and the strawberries and ice cream awaiting my return. Life is good when you've got something to look forward to. As a bonus, I definitely enhanced my burn/tan lines so that now I have glove lines... shudder.
Home made chocolate chip cookies and Carte D'or Ice cream (not up to Mads' standards, but it tastes so much better when you've earnt it)
Now, every cloud has a silver lining, and since the lining has just been laid on a plate with the sun shining, I thought it was about time to bring out that great big ugly cloud for a change of scenery. "Digital EPO" - the mere idea is blasphemous! It's a desecration of Strava and all that it stands for. We will no longer be timing our efforts based on segments or pushing for those last 20 seconds at the end of a ride to beat your previous time... Oh no. Times are changing. Because why bother trying when you can just boost your speed by 10% in a few simple clicks. I'm disgusted by the idea and the principles behind it. If there was a march against Digital EPO I would join it (only if there are free cookies. I love the cookies.)
I can't end on a sour note, so here's a happy thought: It is only 36 hours until I finish my exams for my second year of University, AND there's a rumour that Mads is bringing Ben & Jerry's to the pasta party to celebrate and indulge ourselves before THE epic ride to finish the year.
There I was sleeping peacefully, for a change, and something jolts me from my sleep. Hmm. It's not a fire alarm. Nor is it anyone banging the front door. Oh... oh dear lord... NOT AGAIN! Yes indeed. Bashful the stallion is at it once more at 6 O'CLOCK in the morning! Right afterwards I heard a bunch of drunk students ambling past the house. That says a lot about what time it was. Unbe-bloody-lievable! That set the tone for revision really... not that I got lucky tearing my brain out at turbulent fluid flow down a rough pipe... But it was rather distracting having sex in the back of my mind right from the start... And the prospect of none for a very long time. Take note at how the male brain works: 'Food, Sleep, Sex, other'. A crude generalisation, but sometimes that's the way of life. With little revision actually accomplished the day/week/month took a huge turn for the better with a simple phone call. Sometimes phones are really under-rated. The whole situation that brought about the unfortunate tale of my unfiltered blabbings on the internet has been resolved. Things seem back to normal, and it feels fantastic. Better than before in fact due to a giddy after effect of all emotions catching up on me. Now I think I can deal with Bashful getting it any time of day, knowing that there's a sex-filled future. Phew for that. There was very little motivation to revise after the news, so Dexter made an appearance with 3 episodes interspersed with 15mins for a revision session (crikey that's almost 3hrs of blood spatter analysis and pre-meditated murder!). And the 8km Run at just after 9pm finished off what was a truly random day filled with happiness and a bit of everything else in between. To top it off, I've been invited on a run with two guys who post sub 16-min 5ks!! Frankly, I'm terrified, but also feeling dead chuffed to be asked along. Better get some recovery sleep so I'm all set in the morning. A real 'Loving Life' kind of day. Starting June how I mean to continue.
The hottest day of the year so far! Peaking at 22°C mid way through our 3 hour speedy ride to Cheddar. I was craving an ice cream when we stopped to top up water. The others were having none of it :( Probably for my own good though as we had yet to actually ascend the gorge. When I got home I definitely indulged, as can be seen below. I'm proud to say that the Cycling Tan Lines are back! Now if that's not hot then I don't know what is :P
Lots of good grub today, a quick snack of spicy, fried garlic prawns and onion. Followed by Pesto Salmon and Sweet Potato chips; topped off by a juicy ripe pineapple and some nommy carte d'or to make it a very very happy evening. Got a load of my chest to Robyn too which was lovely. Her room is so definitely the best in the house for a hang out in the evening. Bashful is at it again... Randy bugger! He is clearly not one of the 4 people who read my blog. How long can this go on? Robyn came in for a chuckle and listen before. Ironic how, now Bron has left, no one in the student house is getting any... Better get on it.
Today felt a bit like what I imagine a Grand Tour rest day feels like; you're looking forward to it for ages and to start with you feel relaxed and relieved. You then realise you can't just do nothing, so you send a few texts, do a few bits and bobs on the net, and before you know it it's time for dinner and bed; you're just left asking yourself where the day went and not feeling rested at all. I entered about 50 comps today, watched a few youtube vids, sorted my travel insurance and went to the library to pick up the last remaining copy of a Mechatronics textbook. Then it was time for dinner... Not sure if it was just bad time management, but hey ho. At 8pm I got my act together (about time). I saw it'd stopped raining so, being the obvious thing to do, I got on my bike and tootled out for potentially my first evening ride requiring lights. I tackled a few hills: Brockley, Backwell backwards and Belmont. Couldn't pull off PBs on the two main ones which I'm really disappointed with. I went full gas on both. I really feel like I've gone backwards this year. Great to know just before the Alps. Randomly, up by the airport I cycled alongside a taxiing plane, which surprisingly was going the same speed as me ~ 30kph (19mph). Slower than I'd imagined a plane would taxi.
A positive is that my light lasted the whole way! I had no faith in it, but it did good. The sunset was beautiful to the eye; unfortunately the camera on my phone didn't do it justice.
Surprising performance from the light.
It was a tad wet and muddy out on the roads this evening.
It isn't a fairytale or a storybook. And it doesn't always come easy.
Love is overcoming obstacles, facing challenges, Fighting to be together, holding on And never letting go.
It is a short word. Easy to spell, difficult to define, And impossible to live without.
Love is work, but most of all, Love is realizing that every hour, Every minute, And every second was worth it Because you did it together.
To Ben and Amy. Read by Jessica Hayes.
The manner in which Jess read 'Love' captivated all in attendance and expressed her Love for the happy couple. It was a very moving piece, and a magical part of the ceremony that will forever be preserved in my memory. I can't do it justice by just posting it here, but it was worth tracking the poem down to be able to share it with anyone who is fortunate enough to come across it.