How Hill

Discovered the delights today of How Hill with some old college friends. It was a real find. Will be going back.

Rode the Route Yesterday

Yesterday I "rode the route" that the pro's will ride as stage 3 of this years Tour of Britain cycle ride on 12th September. I rode with David Davies, also of VC Norwich, over this 104 mile hilly route from Worcester Race course through the Malverns to the Wolverhampton velodrome. The event was organised as a sportive and of the 113 finishers we finished 59th and 60th having taken 6hours 39minutes to complete the course. The fastest rider had taken 5hours 19 whilst the slowest 8hours 22minutes. We were really impressed with the organisation of the event and the goodie bags. We were surprised at how few riders had participated, but then again, the publicity for the event had been sparse and at only very little notice. Hopefully there will be an 'Etape du ToB next year with a bigger turn out.
The 104 miles helped to take my cycling miles total for the year to date through the 5,000mile mark.

Full report now on Tri-Anglia website.

My first Time Trial

Did my first ever cycling time trial this evening the Billingsford 10mile organised by Diss CC. The conditions were damp and windy and the course undulating. I arrived moments before the cut off time, paid my pound and was given number 13. Wasn't at all sure about the held start so opted for my own standing start, and missed my pedal at the first attempt, but was soon spinning up the hill at 21mph and 135rpm (cadence). Having been adviced to save something for the home bound leg I tried to keep it steady. With the cross wind I decided to try riding on the drops rather than aerobars. Big mistakes, I went into a steering judder, not sure if it was the wind, more likely the slightly loose headset I'd noticed seconds before the off. My first throughts were that I was going to come off. Once back on the hoods, slowed down and directionaly stable again I was confinced I would have to withdraw with mechanical difficulties - but decided to push on anyway. Riding on the hoods seemed okay. I then went onto the aerobars and they seemed okay though I was now nervous. I continued to ride alternating between hoods and aerobars. The wind and occasional passing lorry was rather unsettling. After the roundabout half way point I tried the drops again, but again the judder was there - think I need to get the bike looked at. Got to finish and whilst satisfied to have my first TT under the belt I was reluctant to see what my time was. I thought I should just discretly slip away. But my time was actually quite a passable 26:37 (m:s) which works out to an average of 22.5mph. So for a first outing, with no experience, poor conditions, no warm up and some mechanical difficulties that's not bad. Whilst 4mins off the winner, I wasn't the slowest.

Ironman UK

Congratulations to my fellow Tri-Anglia Members Martin Stacey and Louis Holding-Parsons. They both successfully completed the 2007 UK Ironman in 12:31:04 and 12:33:03 respectively.
Martin always puts in a strong run even if suffering with an injury. Both put in a negative split on the run and Louis gets the club swim record with a time of 55:42.

Lowestoft Pier to Pier Swim Postponed

Still - cycling there and back was good mileage. Got a fish and chip lunch with my Mum too.
Swim postponed to Sunday 2nd September.

Fortunate Encounters

Went out for an easy ride at lunchtime today. Was fearing that the weather might catch me out. Not only did it stay nice having been tipping it down an hour earlier, but I bumped into my neighbour and cycling friend Dean. I altered by route to ride with him for abit. Covered 23miles.
Went for a run this evening fearing the worst. Monday's run had been very hard work and today's was 1mile warm up, drills, 5x2min efforts with a minutes rest, drills and a mile warm down. It was part of the schedule that Robert Kilbourn and I are following for the Amsterdam Half. I felt great. (route)
Then to round the evening off - a meal out then The Simpsons movie at the cinema with Dean, Rob, Helen and Fee.

A week of luxury

Rode into work last week on the Monday. Got to the office and realised I'd forgotten my socks.
Tried to get away with no socks in my work shoes - lasted half an hour. Bought a multipack of cotton rich socks from Bonds (John Lewis). It was lovely - brand new socks every day for a week.

Suffolk Coast Ride + Mileage Year to Date

Rode the Suffolk Coast Bike ride today with Nick Askew of CoNAC. It's a charity ride organised by Bike Events with the beneficey on this occasion being the Anthony Nolan Trust.
The ride was 60miles and the conditions were great - shame Nick forgot his cycling shoes and rode in sandals. Also on the ride where James Tully who rode with me to London a week ago and Graham Brown of Norwich Rowing Club.

These miles meant that I got in 204 miles for the week and takes my total training miles to 5,259.5 for the year to date. If you were to fly that far in one go from Norwich it would get you past India onto the Island of Sri Lanka.