Saturday I did 48 miles in the Surrey Hills with Big G. He hasn't been training much recently and has dropped out of the Etape even though he has the best number of any of the Guildford Peloton this year. We stopped at the tea shop at box hill to catch up on life, the universe and everything.
I cycled to St Albans on Sunday. I don't know why but the 33 miles was like cycling in treacle. I used my granny cog on numerous occasions and there was only 300 metres of climbing. It took me 2 hours 20 minutes even though I was on the A41 dual carriageway (it was like riding on the M1) some of the way
I don't know if it was the 20 miles turbo spinning Thursday followed by three reps of 5 X 1.5 minutes flat out in a heavy gear total 20 miles turbo Friday, followed by 47 miles and 1100 metres climbing Saturday afternoon in the Surrey Hills (surely all that would not make my legs tired?); or just that there was a raging headwind from the North against me the whole way.
Monday I had a well deserved rest day.
Tuesday I was back in the garage on the threshing machine doing reps again which meant this evening when I managed to get home early enough from work to get to Richmond Park my legs were tired and the four laps were done at a steady pace.
Who has gravelled the road in Richmond Park? It is appalling. Loose gravel all over the road meaning that the surface isn't good to ride, you need to be careful not to slip, and the dust as cars go by is like riding in a dust storm. I hope this is only temporary. I bet a few cars are getting damaged with the stones being thrown up.
With all these short rides I am going to be really good for the first 25 miles of the Etape, the the rest will be a horrible mess.
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Weekend June 13th 2010 Turbo, Scouts Fair and Surrey Hills
My brother is out in Pau training over the Etape course with Pyrenean Mountainsports. He has trained with them before and really likes their friendly atmosphere. They are planning to ride the whole course in one day.
My mate M has just had a new baby (well, his wife has) and so he has been a bit tied up recently, others of the Guildford Peloton are on various training camps, races / sportives or looking after their own new offspring (I thought cycling was supposed to reduce male fertility, however, four of the Guildford Peloton have had new babies recently, obviously whilst the cyclist has been out training the milkman has been busy).
This weekend was going to be difficult for me to train as I had the 1st Old Malden Scouts Summer Fair on Saturday. With this in mind I settled myself in the garage Fiday night for a two hour turbo.
Having decided at last that I ought to start my training for the 2010 Etape I have recently been spending quality time in the garage with my 1990 threshing machine (turbo trainer). During those dark hours alone (when even the mice are leaving the area from the noise) the mind goes to strange places (seeing as I don't have a DVD player and numerous series of Jail Break like some Guildford Peloton members to keep me amused).
By the time I had finished my session at 10:00 pm The Wife was off to bed leaving me alone to get my dinner and cool down before getting some sleep.
Saturday morning I was on the village green from 7:15 am and got home at 6:15 pm shattered after loading and unloading vans, setting up running and taking down stalls and then loading and unloading vans again. The weather was good and the fair was well attended. Initial indications are that we did ok.
Sunday morning I was still shattered, a bit of a zombie. I did jobs around the house until lunchtime. Then my wife and son were off to the farm with his cousins and I was released to go cycling. After a slow start I managed 58 miles and 1100 metres of climbing in the Surrey Hills.
My wife got me a new Garmin 705 for my birthday last week. Very nice it is too and I have heard so much about what they can do. This was the first time I have used it. It is not quite as user friendly as the Polar CS600 I usually use. I think I shall be asking some mates for help as I can't work out how to get the data off so it can be viewed.
My mate M has just had a new baby (well, his wife has) and so he has been a bit tied up recently, others of the Guildford Peloton are on various training camps, races / sportives or looking after their own new offspring (I thought cycling was supposed to reduce male fertility, however, four of the Guildford Peloton have had new babies recently, obviously whilst the cyclist has been out training the milkman has been busy).
This weekend was going to be difficult for me to train as I had the 1st Old Malden Scouts Summer Fair on Saturday. With this in mind I settled myself in the garage Fiday night for a two hour turbo.
Having decided at last that I ought to start my training for the 2010 Etape I have recently been spending quality time in the garage with my 1990 threshing machine (turbo trainer). During those dark hours alone (when even the mice are leaving the area from the noise) the mind goes to strange places (seeing as I don't have a DVD player and numerous series of Jail Break like some Guildford Peloton members to keep me amused).
By the time I had finished my session at 10:00 pm The Wife was off to bed leaving me alone to get my dinner and cool down before getting some sleep.
Saturday morning I was on the village green from 7:15 am and got home at 6:15 pm shattered after loading and unloading vans, setting up running and taking down stalls and then loading and unloading vans again. The weather was good and the fair was well attended. Initial indications are that we did ok.
Sunday morning I was still shattered, a bit of a zombie. I did jobs around the house until lunchtime. Then my wife and son were off to the farm with his cousins and I was released to go cycling. After a slow start I managed 58 miles and 1100 metres of climbing in the Surrey Hills.
My wife got me a new Garmin 705 for my birthday last week. Very nice it is too and I have heard so much about what they can do. This was the first time I have used it. It is not quite as user friendly as the Polar CS600 I usually use. I think I shall be asking some mates for help as I can't work out how to get the data off so it can be viewed.
Weekend June 6th 2010
I rode to Bognor from Home on Saturday and stayed in Bognor with the family Saturday night. The trip down wasn't too bad and I covered the 58 miles in just under 4 hours without the shattered feeling I had the previous week.
I rode back from Bognor Sunday.
As I wasn't leaving until 4:15 pm Sunday afternoon and it takes 4 hours I didn't have time to ride all the way home. I knew my wife and son were leaving at 5:00 pm so I said to her that I would go ahead and when she caught me I would get into the car the rest of the way home.
There was a great tailwind which really helped me to spin the pedals and she didn't catch me for 28.8 miles (a couple of miles short of Ockley). I had averaged over 18 mph for that 28.8 miles (including climbing up the hill at Arundel).
It was nice knowing that she was behind me and really gave me confidence to push on to try to get as far as possible and knowing that I woud only be doing 20 to 30 miles. As I got nearer to Ockley I was getting worried that I would get to Ockley before she caught me then I would have to go up to Coldhabour and at that point I might as well ride all the way home.
When she caught me she said "How did you get so far, I have been looking out for you for the last 15 miles and I thought I had missed you".
I rode back from Bognor Sunday.
As I wasn't leaving until 4:15 pm Sunday afternoon and it takes 4 hours I didn't have time to ride all the way home. I knew my wife and son were leaving at 5:00 pm so I said to her that I would go ahead and when she caught me I would get into the car the rest of the way home.
There was a great tailwind which really helped me to spin the pedals and she didn't catch me for 28.8 miles (a couple of miles short of Ockley). I had averaged over 18 mph for that 28.8 miles (including climbing up the hill at Arundel).
It was nice knowing that she was behind me and really gave me confidence to push on to try to get as far as possible and knowing that I woud only be doing 20 to 30 miles. As I got nearer to Ockley I was getting worried that I would get to Ockley before she caught me then I would have to go up to Coldhabour and at that point I might as well ride all the way home.
When she caught me she said "How did you get so far, I have been looking out for you for the last 15 miles and I thought I had missed you".
May 31st Bank Holiday Weekend
The Etape training isn't getting priority
Saturday I was busy with football trials at WSLL in the morning (we have 200 boys aged 10 and 11 who we have to fit into teams) and the 1st Old Malden 60th aniversary Scout camp in the afternoon and evening, along with a child who was very contrary. He is feeling the pressure of upcoming exams.
Sunday morning I cycled to Bognor (I am definitely not as fit as I have been in previous years and it took more out of me than it should have). I arrived just after lunch in time to collapse in front of the TV for the start of the Grand Prix. In the evening we went out to dinner at local pub where I had a big mixed grill with steak, gammon, fried egg etc (part of my specially controlled diet).
Bank Holiday Monday we went walking on the South Downs in the morning then we drove home to Worcester Park drop my wife off. I then drove up to MK to drop my son off at my parents (he is doing a football course at the MK Dons this week), had dinner there then stopped at my brothers in St Albans on the way home getting home at 11:00 pm.
Saturday I was busy with football trials at WSLL in the morning (we have 200 boys aged 10 and 11 who we have to fit into teams) and the 1st Old Malden 60th aniversary Scout camp in the afternoon and evening, along with a child who was very contrary. He is feeling the pressure of upcoming exams.
Sunday morning I cycled to Bognor (I am definitely not as fit as I have been in previous years and it took more out of me than it should have). I arrived just after lunch in time to collapse in front of the TV for the start of the Grand Prix. In the evening we went out to dinner at local pub where I had a big mixed grill with steak, gammon, fried egg etc (part of my specially controlled diet).
Bank Holiday Monday we went walking on the South Downs in the morning then we drove home to Worcester Park drop my wife off. I then drove up to MK to drop my son off at my parents (he is doing a football course at the MK Dons this week), had dinner there then stopped at my brothers in St Albans on the way home getting home at 11:00 pm.
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Etape Caledonia May 16th 2010
Etape Caledonia - Really good. I had been looking forward to itand after the disappointment of a mechanical in the Hampshire Hilly Hundred last week I really wanted it to be good.
We (myself, my brother, and four other Guildford Pelotoners) stayed in an activity cente in Aberfeldy which was about 15 miles from Pitlochry at the end of the Etape route.
We flew up Saturday morning toEdinburgh, hiring a car then driving up arriving at Aberfeldy at lunchtime. We checked in then assembled the bikes and rode the 15 miles to Pitlochry to register. We had lunch there then cycled the 15 miles back to Aberfeldy for cream teas.
In the evening we had dinner at the accomodation (Lasagne or Pasta Carbonara), went for a walk and turned in at 9:00 pm. The accomodation was one small room with three sets of bunk beds and a small en-suite. There were six of us in the room. Despite that, we all had a good nights sleep. Amazing
The following morning we were all up at 5:00 am, breakfasted and headed off in the cars with the bikes to the start line. The weather was supposed to be bad with heavy showers at lunchtime but it was cold but bright at that time.
The start was chaos but we got away at 7:30 am. The weather just got better as we went on. The sun came out and it warmed up (not a lot but a bit). It was a very scenic route with good roads (roads were closed to traffic during the race). The race was advertised as 81 miles with 2000 metres of climbing. It was wrong, there was only 1000 metres of climbing. My brother and three of my mates all managed between 4:01 hours and 4:05. I came in at 4:31 which isn't too bad considering my fitness. Another Pelotoner was nursing his brother, brother in law and mate around (not cyclists) and finished in 5:23 (he was capable of a faster time than me).
It was a really nice ride. Anyone could have finished it in those conditions.
Lunchtime we were back at the accomodation early afternoon packing away the bikes and listening to the Grand Prix when we heard on the news about the problems with the flights. We managed to talk to the car hire companies and change the drop off from Edinburgh Airport to Luton Airport (at extortionarte cost) and proceeded to drive back south past Hadrians Wall and to civilisation.
We got to Luton just after 10:00 pm and I got home to Surreyat 11:30 pm.
Good weekend. I will probably tempt fate and do it again next year
We (myself, my brother, and four other Guildford Pelotoners) stayed in an activity cente in Aberfeldy which was about 15 miles from Pitlochry at the end of the Etape route.
We flew up Saturday morning toEdinburgh, hiring a car then driving up arriving at Aberfeldy at lunchtime. We checked in then assembled the bikes and rode the 15 miles to Pitlochry to register. We had lunch there then cycled the 15 miles back to Aberfeldy for cream teas.
In the evening we had dinner at the accomodation (Lasagne or Pasta Carbonara), went for a walk and turned in at 9:00 pm. The accomodation was one small room with three sets of bunk beds and a small en-suite. There were six of us in the room. Despite that, we all had a good nights sleep. Amazing
The following morning we were all up at 5:00 am, breakfasted and headed off in the cars with the bikes to the start line. The weather was supposed to be bad with heavy showers at lunchtime but it was cold but bright at that time.
The start was chaos but we got away at 7:30 am. The weather just got better as we went on. The sun came out and it warmed up (not a lot but a bit). It was a very scenic route with good roads (roads were closed to traffic during the race). The race was advertised as 81 miles with 2000 metres of climbing. It was wrong, there was only 1000 metres of climbing. My brother and three of my mates all managed between 4:01 hours and 4:05. I came in at 4:31 which isn't too bad considering my fitness. Another Pelotoner was nursing his brother, brother in law and mate around (not cyclists) and finished in 5:23 (he was capable of a faster time than me).
It was a really nice ride. Anyone could have finished it in those conditions.
Lunchtime we were back at the accomodation early afternoon packing away the bikes and listening to the Grand Prix when we heard on the news about the problems with the flights. We managed to talk to the car hire companies and change the drop off from Edinburgh Airport to Luton Airport (at extortionarte cost) and proceeded to drive back south past Hadrians Wall and to civilisation.
We got to Luton just after 10:00 pm and I got home to Surreyat 11:30 pm.
Good weekend. I will probably tempt fate and do it again next year
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
December 6th 2009 Wet Weekend
The weekends are quite busy this year. This past weekend for example:
Friday I had an exam that was a real stinker. I managed to write for the whole three hours but it was a load of garbage. I recognised the concepts required to answer the questions but didn't manage to get the answers down on paper very coherently or in a structured manner. It was so bad that I came out of the exam straight to the pub on my own as I needed a drink and some time to think.
My son had had exams the previous Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday at school but he didn't have the option of going to the pub. Hopefully his exams went better than mine.
Saturday morning I had to get the Christmas decorations out of the loft then my son and I had football, a cup match. The weather held off and we won 5-0 (I say "we" because I am team assistant manager and I had to referee the second half). Hopefully that puts us through to the next round (initial stages of the cup are on league basis, only the latter stages are knockout). Of course we cycled there and back (two miles each way) on the recently acquired tandem.
Saturday PM was my usual weekly trip to the supermarket. Our weekly shop seems to be increasing dramatically in price all the time despite the fact we are being told there is deflation in the UK. I then had to get the ladder out to put up the external Christmas lights and clear out the guttering which has been overflowing for a few weeks and which my wife was complaining was wakiung her in the night. Our house is two storey and I was quite nervous up the ladder as two friends have fallen off ladders in the last month, one died leaving a wife and two daughters and the other was in hospital for a few days with a broken arm and concussion.
My son and my wife put up the decorations in the house including the tree (come December 1st my son insists we have the tree up)
Putting up decorations only serves to remind me to get started on the Christmas cards. Those of you who are used to getting Christmas cards from me early December are probably wondering where the cards are this year, well, time, work, exams, etc have defeated me so far but the writing of cards is on my to-do list. Please bear with me.
As for buying Christmas presents, there a couple of weeks yet before I have to start that. The longer you wait the less choice there is in the stores and so the easier it is to buy. That's my logic anyway. Actually the last couple of years my daughter has come out with me but I don't think that is going to happen this year.
I was supposed to go cycling with my mate Big G on Sunday but it was raining first thing so I took my son to the cinema with his cousin to see "Nativity" followed by a trip to Burger King. It is a good film. Made by the guys from "The Office" and very amusing and watchable.
After I got home I got permission from my wife and went out cycling on my own at 3:00 PM. I only went a total mileage of 27 miles but as I got to the furthest point, Box Hill, it got dark and it poured with rain. The tea shop was just shutting so I tempted fate and didn't stop. I didn't have any lights and it was a bit dangerous especially on the busy A217 dual carriageway but even though I was soaking and nervous of the traffic in the dark I was enjoying my first ride for a month. Got home for a quick shower then off to the evening service at the local church.
I couldn't have fitted anything else in if I had tried.
Friday I had an exam that was a real stinker. I managed to write for the whole three hours but it was a load of garbage. I recognised the concepts required to answer the questions but didn't manage to get the answers down on paper very coherently or in a structured manner. It was so bad that I came out of the exam straight to the pub on my own as I needed a drink and some time to think.
My son had had exams the previous Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday at school but he didn't have the option of going to the pub. Hopefully his exams went better than mine.
Saturday morning I had to get the Christmas decorations out of the loft then my son and I had football, a cup match. The weather held off and we won 5-0 (I say "we" because I am team assistant manager and I had to referee the second half). Hopefully that puts us through to the next round (initial stages of the cup are on league basis, only the latter stages are knockout). Of course we cycled there and back (two miles each way) on the recently acquired tandem.
Saturday PM was my usual weekly trip to the supermarket. Our weekly shop seems to be increasing dramatically in price all the time despite the fact we are being told there is deflation in the UK. I then had to get the ladder out to put up the external Christmas lights and clear out the guttering which has been overflowing for a few weeks and which my wife was complaining was wakiung her in the night. Our house is two storey and I was quite nervous up the ladder as two friends have fallen off ladders in the last month, one died leaving a wife and two daughters and the other was in hospital for a few days with a broken arm and concussion.
My son and my wife put up the decorations in the house including the tree (come December 1st my son insists we have the tree up)
Putting up decorations only serves to remind me to get started on the Christmas cards. Those of you who are used to getting Christmas cards from me early December are probably wondering where the cards are this year, well, time, work, exams, etc have defeated me so far but the writing of cards is on my to-do list. Please bear with me.
As for buying Christmas presents, there a couple of weeks yet before I have to start that. The longer you wait the less choice there is in the stores and so the easier it is to buy. That's my logic anyway. Actually the last couple of years my daughter has come out with me but I don't think that is going to happen this year.
I was supposed to go cycling with my mate Big G on Sunday but it was raining first thing so I took my son to the cinema with his cousin to see "Nativity" followed by a trip to Burger King. It is a good film. Made by the guys from "The Office" and very amusing and watchable.
After I got home I got permission from my wife and went out cycling on my own at 3:00 PM. I only went a total mileage of 27 miles but as I got to the furthest point, Box Hill, it got dark and it poured with rain. The tea shop was just shutting so I tempted fate and didn't stop. I didn't have any lights and it was a bit dangerous especially on the busy A217 dual carriageway but even though I was soaking and nervous of the traffic in the dark I was enjoying my first ride for a month. Got home for a quick shower then off to the evening service at the local church.
I couldn't have fitted anything else in if I had tried.
November 2009
The formation and registration of the Guildford Peloton has been moving forward. Perhaps not at a pace which we would have liked, but it has been progressing. The thing that has moved on most is the website. It is still being hosted on our member developers personal site as we have still to register the official site but please do take a look and give us feedback.
http://www.zarpix.com/GP/index.htm .
We are still awaiting the final designs of the shirts, the registration of the site and registration with British Cycling but those will come.
News from afar. The Guildford Pelotoners Australian associate has emailed me today to announce that despite being over the half century in age he has just won a Category D race. His wife believes that his success should not be broadcast as he was racing against kids (teenagers and girls) but he maintains there was a good cross section in the race with a number of veterans, some older than him. He is over the moon as he says "this is the only time my his life I have won anything" and to crown it he won a AUD $30.00 prize. You can see his picture and winning margin here
http://www.randwickbotanycc.com/Results%202009/5%20Dec%202009/results_5_Dec_2009.htm
In the West Sutton Little League (WSLL) (football) this season my son got selected for the "Hunters". At the first match the team manager asked the parents for a volunteer to be his assistant manager. As usual muggins here was duly elected. When I accepted I assumed (wrongly) that the assistant manager just organised on the weeks the manager can't make it. No sooner had I accepted the post than I was informed that I was now on the executive committee and needed to attend the executive meetings, and that I had to go through a CRB (Criminal Records Board check or as it is commonly known "Peado" check). Fortunately I came out clear on that as I did when the Scouts Association appointed me on to the local group executive committee.
The Tandem has come in handy for the football, the pitches being two miles from home with a lack of parking. My son and I have been cycling up and back on the tandem. I'm on the front, he is the stoker. There is a constant barrage of noise coming from behind me as we cycle. Fortunately I can't hear a word of it and just continue oblivious as to whether he is complaining or conversing (the former I suspect from the tone). Big G has agreed to do a proper road test with me in the Surrey Hills when we get the weather and can coordinate our diaries. We will have the discussion as to who goes on front and who is the stoker on the day.
Anyway, football, the Hunters started the season badly loosing a few games and starting the season at the bottom of the table. Since then we have been improving with some draws and some good wins (last 4 games have been 4-0, 5-0, 2-2, 5-0) and have clawed our way back up to the middle of the table as we have begun to gel and gain in confidence. These results haven't been without a lot of effort by Damien our manager and lots of frustration as we usually get possession for 90% of the game but seem to lack the ability to convert possession or corners into goals or even score easy goals.
My contribution has been a lot of warming the boys up with skills practice before each match, shouting during the matches, and refereeing the matches (some one from each team referees one half of the game) not to mention a near nervous breakdown each week.
There are two games left this season (the season stops at Christmas and a new season starts in January) and a couple of wins will leave us in third place in the league and in the semi finals of the cup. We can't quite catch the two top teams who started the season well but they have found it more difficult each week to keep up their winning ways. If we keep improving it certainly looks good for us in the second half of the season which starts after Christmas and the league starts afresh.
Talking of football. After finishing her degree at Leicester De Montford University (achieving a 2.1 in English and getting a prize for her dissertation) my daughter has been working at Leicester City Football Club. She has been working on the gate, with the youngsters that go on the pitch with the team, organising the half time youngsters penalty competitions and leading a "FanZone" initiative. She seems to be enjoying it notwithstanding that she is paid by the hour at the minimum wage so Dad has had still to help with the rent. She is now quite an expert on The Championship as well as Formula One.
Cycling really has taken a back seat for a number of reasons. Work has got in the way, the weather has been dreadful, I can't get out Saturday mornings because of football, and my training partner M has had a medical condition preventing him from training. Big G has committed to doing the Etape next year and he and I have tried to coordinate our diaries but thus far whilst we have done the odd ride we have not been able to get out together on a regular basis (more my fault than his, he has managed to ride most weekends).
Whilst I still have not got an entry to the Etape next year a good number of the Pelotoners have through various means (Etape.org, Cyclomundo, Sports Tours to name but a few). We will probably have more members doing the race next year than any previous years (and if we had club vests we are still not big enough to be noticed over clubs like London Dynamo, Devere and Addiscombe).
Pootle on everyone
http://www.zarpix.com/GP/index.htm .
We are still awaiting the final designs of the shirts, the registration of the site and registration with British Cycling but those will come.
News from afar. The Guildford Pelotoners Australian associate has emailed me today to announce that despite being over the half century in age he has just won a Category D race. His wife believes that his success should not be broadcast as he was racing against kids (teenagers and girls) but he maintains there was a good cross section in the race with a number of veterans, some older than him. He is over the moon as he says "this is the only time my his life I have won anything" and to crown it he won a AUD $30.00 prize. You can see his picture and winning margin here
http://www.randwickbotanycc.com/Results%202009/5%20Dec%202009/results_5_Dec_2009.htm
In the West Sutton Little League (WSLL) (football) this season my son got selected for the "Hunters". At the first match the team manager asked the parents for a volunteer to be his assistant manager. As usual muggins here was duly elected. When I accepted I assumed (wrongly) that the assistant manager just organised on the weeks the manager can't make it. No sooner had I accepted the post than I was informed that I was now on the executive committee and needed to attend the executive meetings, and that I had to go through a CRB (Criminal Records Board check or as it is commonly known "Peado" check). Fortunately I came out clear on that as I did when the Scouts Association appointed me on to the local group executive committee.
The Tandem has come in handy for the football, the pitches being two miles from home with a lack of parking. My son and I have been cycling up and back on the tandem. I'm on the front, he is the stoker. There is a constant barrage of noise coming from behind me as we cycle. Fortunately I can't hear a word of it and just continue oblivious as to whether he is complaining or conversing (the former I suspect from the tone). Big G has agreed to do a proper road test with me in the Surrey Hills when we get the weather and can coordinate our diaries. We will have the discussion as to who goes on front and who is the stoker on the day.
Anyway, football, the Hunters started the season badly loosing a few games and starting the season at the bottom of the table. Since then we have been improving with some draws and some good wins (last 4 games have been 4-0, 5-0, 2-2, 5-0) and have clawed our way back up to the middle of the table as we have begun to gel and gain in confidence. These results haven't been without a lot of effort by Damien our manager and lots of frustration as we usually get possession for 90% of the game but seem to lack the ability to convert possession or corners into goals or even score easy goals.
My contribution has been a lot of warming the boys up with skills practice before each match, shouting during the matches, and refereeing the matches (some one from each team referees one half of the game) not to mention a near nervous breakdown each week.
There are two games left this season (the season stops at Christmas and a new season starts in January) and a couple of wins will leave us in third place in the league and in the semi finals of the cup. We can't quite catch the two top teams who started the season well but they have found it more difficult each week to keep up their winning ways. If we keep improving it certainly looks good for us in the second half of the season which starts after Christmas and the league starts afresh.
Talking of football. After finishing her degree at Leicester De Montford University (achieving a 2.1 in English and getting a prize for her dissertation) my daughter has been working at Leicester City Football Club. She has been working on the gate, with the youngsters that go on the pitch with the team, organising the half time youngsters penalty competitions and leading a "FanZone" initiative. She seems to be enjoying it notwithstanding that she is paid by the hour at the minimum wage so Dad has had still to help with the rent. She is now quite an expert on The Championship as well as Formula One.
Cycling really has taken a back seat for a number of reasons. Work has got in the way, the weather has been dreadful, I can't get out Saturday mornings because of football, and my training partner M has had a medical condition preventing him from training. Big G has committed to doing the Etape next year and he and I have tried to coordinate our diaries but thus far whilst we have done the odd ride we have not been able to get out together on a regular basis (more my fault than his, he has managed to ride most weekends).
Whilst I still have not got an entry to the Etape next year a good number of the Pelotoners have through various means (Etape.org, Cyclomundo, Sports Tours to name but a few). We will probably have more members doing the race next year than any previous years (and if we had club vests we are still not big enough to be noticed over clubs like London Dynamo, Devere and Addiscombe).
Pootle on everyone
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