Singlespeed

So I rode for 3hrs 40ish on Sunday morning through the wind and dodging showers with Rob. I rode my brand new-to-me singlespeed cross bike. It will be my tool for bringing on the oomph and bringing on the force (May it be with me). Tomorrow I am using it to do some hill power sessions. Hopefully Rob can sort me out with some aggressive American rock to get me going!

Now I'll let you into a little secret. Next time someone you overtake says 'it's alright for you, you've got gears', remember this - singlspeeding isn't actually any harder than gears. In fact, my heart rate was averagely lower over the course of the ride. There are the odd moment when your legs are twiddling helplessly because you're on the flat or down hill slightly and you don't have the bite (and the odd hill where you wish you had a few extra lbs of muscle to push down) but on the whole there was not much difference. My heart rate was smoother, my pedalling felt normal and overall it was actually less work, I think.

PS. The sheep. I forgot to mention the sheep. These 2 little lambs had us melting with cutitude. They were the sweetiest little things ever.

Recovery week

This week has been all about my assignment. I can now see the light of my reading - a month of pretty intensive study. On Monday I start to write. I can't wait. I have reams of notes and hundreds of book and paper reviews to summarise into a piddly 7500 words so that'll be the hard bit.

So it has been just as well that this is a recovery week. On Monday I had a 2hr blast on the road (during which I was King of the Mountains I felt so fast). Tuesday was a recovery ride, Wednesday a day off and this morning just an hour on the mtb in the mud. Unlike last week I enjoyed my slip-sliding around Leigh Woods today. I was calm and steady and just re-rode anything I didn't clean. Having done a cross country race now, I know that it is technical riding around here and great practice. I'll be doing this every week from now on. Just an hour and concentrating on smoothness and clean lines.

Other news? I had my hair massacred by a pre-menstrual hairdresser and Rob got some great new glasses. Fact.

The practice lap

Make me a 'real' mountain biker.

Today I rode my first Gorrick mtb race. I RACED my first cross-country race. It was fast, furious, tough, heart-popping, lung-bursting effort.

But bleedin' good fun.

Rob came and cheered me on and told me what was what - the rules, the etiquette, the warm ups and cool downs, the nutrition, the tactics on the practice lap - and the hugs. And Johnny Russell came amd added a touch of style to the Masters race. 5th after a 10-15 year break from mtb racing. That's class!

It was a fun day catching up with various friends from the mtb scene. I enjoyed the vibe, the weater was beautiful, the course was technical and really fun...

... and I won my category, which was the icing on the cake! (And Rob says I'm a 'real' mountain biker now because I've gritted my teeth through an xc race!)
Picture: A smiling tired but happy racer!

Today was an unparalleled disaster. I rode like a muppet and slipped on everything. But be strong Fi and get with it. I'll have to put it behind me and just look forward to Sunday's race. Onwards...

This was my arse after I slid down the muddy slope.

It's nice to be home and dry now and ready for work. Took me forever to clean my bike!

The calm after the storm

It... has... stopped... raining.

It seems like I have had wet socks and soggy gloves for months but I reckon it's more like a few weeks. It has not stopped raining. Although I've generally been lucky with my rides I have, like everyone, reached the point of saturation (excusing the pun) with the rain. The curtains were never open in the flat - there was no light to let in - and the clatter of rain against the windows and doors was most offputting.

Today the sun is out and it is cold and fresh and bright. I had a perfect start to the day - Rob and I whizzed down the hill and zipped between the grumpy looking car drivers to overtake them and dive up Belmont Hill into the woods, through Ashton Court and back down through the village to Mud Dock for a hot frothy coffee. It was beautiful and I felt so overwhelmingly glad to be there it was incredible. The sunrise was stunning and the air was fresh and cool.

This is us - riding bikes through the air, chatting and laughing and looking ever forwards to more and more experiences.

Today I am working hard at my assignment, reading all sorts of incomprehensible stuff about class and critical realism and obesity. I love it. Tonight I am working at the running shop and then later will curl up for an early night with my book, ready for another early ride.

Life... is... sweet.

IronHorse Extreme Rules...

James Leavesley has just won the Strathpuffer 24hr mtb race in Inverness. He lapped the whole field twice or more and won with style and class. It was brilliant speaking to Rob every few hours to get updates - I really feel like part of a team. Our sponsor - Martin - was there too and delighted, sending pictures of James to his boss at IronHorse Towers (or wherever!) Rob is over the moon, despite not racing himself and we are all hopping up and down with excitement at our first win of the season and the first win under the new IronHorse flag.

It's particularly exciting because although James is one of the best and most experienced 24hr soloists in the UK, he has never won a race. He's come second a host of times but never got that top spot. This was his moment I hope he enjoyed every second. He's off to Alaska to do the Iditarod Invitational in a few months and I have good feelings about that too (as long as he learns how to use a compass before then...)

One day I hope to have that feeling that James is experiencing right now. That elation, pride, exhaustion and gratitude all mixed into one and so intense it overwhelms you and knocks the wind out of you.

We really do have the best team in the world and I am so so pleased to be part of it. It's magical.