fancy a new (push) bike

[Bush Tucker Man]

Ran up to 'Small-Childs' school on Monday & Wednesday afternoons (meeting wife there), the first part of the route was the same (to Stanley Ferry), then along Ferry Lane & Aberford Road.
Both days runs took the scintillating time of.............. 32 minutes 
Wish I hadn't worn the thermal bib-tights though (as seen in the picture a couple of posts above) & a windproof/shower-proof top.
I was feeing like a 'boil-in-the-bag' dinner when I got to the school on both days :roll: :roll:

I ran up today too, but wore 'more appropriate clothing'; shorts & a t-shirt (well, lycra bib-shorts, as seen in the image in the previous posting)

It was damned warm, & humid

I reckon by my watch (not counting the stopping to speak to one of our Charge-Nurses, whom I bumped into on Ferry Lane) I did it in 31 minutes
(so not bad at all!?)



First Cyclo-Cross of the season tomorrow evening :pale: :pale: :pale:

[Bush Tucker Man]

Well...........

I've done it.

The start was a bit of a fiasco.
Straight across the middle of a games field, with a right-hand turn, then into a 'funnel' on the banking.
Two riders collided, the leaders got away whilst the main field was waiting for 'their turn' to get through the 'funnel' 

I think I managed to claw back about 8 (or 9) places on the first lap, then managed to gain 2, or 3, each lap :dance:

I reckon I was going pretty well, as it took an ex-England Cross-team rider till the last lap to pass (lap) me!!  :shock:

There was a few boggy bits, where we all ended with totally encrusted socks!!

Still, it was a good race, I think I enjoyed it.

Didn't call for the Pizza I 'promised' myself though on the way home  :doh:


Results will be posted, as soon as they're known!

[Bush Tucker Man]

Ran up to 'Small-Childs' school on Monday & Wednesday afternoons (meeting wife there), the first part of the route was the same (to Stanley Ferry), then along Ferry Lane & Aberford Road.
Both days runs took the scintillating time of.............. 32 minutes 
Wish I hadn't worn the thermal bib-tights though (as seen in the picture a couple of posts above) & a windproof/shower-proof top.
I was feeing like a 'boil-in-the-bag' dinner when I got to the school on both days :roll: :roll:

I ran up today too, but wore 'more appropriate clothing'; shorts & a t-shirt (well, lycra bib-shorts, as seen in the image in the previous posting)

It was damned warm, & humid

I reckon by my watch (not counting the stopping to speak to one of our Charge-Nurses, whom I bumped into on Ferry Lane) I did it in 31 minutes
(so not bad at all!?)

Ran up there again on Tuesday & Wednesday, via same route.

Tuesday was 31 minutes. Again
Wednesday was 30 minutes :dance: :dance:

Wonder how long it'll take me to get down to 25minutes :-k

[Bush Tucker Man]

Ran up to 'Small-Childs' school on Monday & Wednesday afternoons (meeting wife there), the first part of the route was the same (to Stanley Ferry), then along Ferry Lane & Aberford Road.
Both days runs took the scintillating time of.............. 32 minutes 
Wish I hadn't worn the thermal bib-tights though (as seen in the picture a couple of posts above) & a windproof/shower-proof top.
I was feeing like a 'boil-in-the-bag' dinner when I got to the school on both days :roll: :roll:

I ran up today too, but wore 'more appropriate clothing'; shorts & a t-shirt (well, lycra bib-shorts, as seen in the image in the previous posting)

It was damned warm, & humid

I reckon by my watch (not counting the stopping to speak to one of our Charge-Nurses, whom I bumped into on Ferry Lane) I did it in 31 minutes
(so not bad at all!?)

Ran up there again on Tuesday & Wednesday, via same route.

Tuesday was 31 minutes. Again
Wednesday was 30 minutes :dance: :dance:

Wonder how long it'll take me to get down to 25minutes :-k

On Friday, I bought some 'proper' running shorts & a couple of new 'stay-dry' tops, & decided to take them to work this morning.
Come shift-changeover, I got rapidly changed into (the scary!) running shorts .
Left the 110 parked alongside the department, & stuffed my uniform into my locker.

I walked out of the doors at 14:00, set off running, & managed to make it home for 14:28  :clap: :shock:

28 minutes!!!

I'm more than happy with that time :clap:

(having said that, it was down the 1-in-12 by the Hospital instead of up it!, & my watch turned over to :29, as I walked in the door - but going in the gate is my datum-point)


However.....
It does mean that I've got to either run, or ride, there tomorrow afternoon (for a 14:00 start)

But.....
One of the guys in the Transport Department is wanting to buy my Trek MTB, as I'm selling it due to lack of use, so I could combine a viewing for him with riding there.
It'd live on the Consultants offices corridor until home-time, then stuff it in the back of the 110

[Bush Tucker Man]

However.....
It does mean that I've got to either run, or ride, there tomorrow afternoon (for a 14:00 start)

But.....
One of the guys in the Transport Department is wanting to buy my Trek MTB, as I'm selling it due to lack of use, so I could combine a viewing for him with riding there.
It'd live on the Consultants offices corridor until home-time, then stuff it in the back of the 110

I rode there, Monday 19th, & just pottered through the woods.

He came, had a look/ride, but has since decided my asking price was too much for what he wanted to pay for a bike :(
So, it was transported back home in the 110 that evening.


The following day, (Tuesday 20th) I took my uniform there whilst doing the school-run (just over the road from our grounds)
Ran there, in 29minutes :clap:
Staggered into the department & collapsed on the floor........................... no I didn't, but it was tempting


SWMBO dropped me a pair of 'longs' off, & a showerproof jacket , when she did the pick-up school-run.
Come hometime I was changed & out of the door.
Same route home, through the woods. My little LED torch working to a certain extent
I opened the gate, part-boiled - shouldn't have bothered with the extra clothing!
At 22:17, I opened the gate; 33minutes

[Bush Tucker Man]

I've been week-off since Tuesday 20th, & have had some good rides and equally surprisingly some decent runs :shock: :shock: :shock:

I've knocked the running up by a reasonable distance/time (in my eyes anyway)

Back to work shortly though :'( :'(

My next Cyclo-Cross on Wednesday 4th June, at Huddersfield......

So, it's 'hands on deck', 'shoulder to the grindstone', etc......., as I want a better finishing position than the last one

29th/50 Finishers
9th/15 Age-Group
I still put it down to the crash on the first lap making me stop, but that's life, I can't change it.

C'est LaVie!

[Bush Tucker Man]

My next Cyclo-Cross on Wednesday 4th June, at Huddersfield......

It was quick, mainly on playing fields, with 60 starters in my event!

Results will probably be on-line by the weekend


It was all rideable, bar one short bank that even had a couple of ex-National squad members shouldering bikes up it


Also, it was a good excuse for picking up a Pizza (16" Asian meat Feast) on the way home  :dance:

[Eeyore]

Sounds like it's all coming together, dude! Top stuff!

Definately counts as playing in the mud in my book! 

[Bush Tucker Man]

My next Cyclo-Cross on Wednesday 4th June, at Huddersfield......

It was quick, mainly on playing fields, with 60 starters in my event!

Results will probably be on-line by the weekend


Also, it was a good excuse for picking up a Pizza (16" Asian meat Feast) on the way home  :dance:

Quite surprisingly the results are up already :o

YCCA Round 3 results


31st/58 finishers, and 8th/16 in age-group
Once more, I thought I'd placed a bit higher than I apparantly did

But... if you look at the link, there's a lot of riders not catagorised by age,as they didn't mark it down

Oh, & the Pizza was great!
I found out that a 16" pizza serves 1 :lol:

Sounds like it's all coming together, dude! Top stuff!

Definately counts as playing in the mud in my book! 

Thanks, I'll have to try harder next time (Wednesday 18th June @ Halifax)

[Bush Tucker Man]

"Hurrah, Number 1. At last!!!"

[GREENI]

Yayy, well done Richard  :clap:

[Bush Tucker Man]

Yayy, well done Richard  :clap:

Thanks Steve, it's all the better coming from someone who's probably done Cross before, or at the very least knows how hard it can be.

The 'ex-National squad members who were riding were Steve Barnes (ex Ace Racing Team/Peugeot) & Richard Thackray (Bradford Olympic/Pace Racing Cycles)

It took Richard till the last lap to pass me, Steve went past with 3(?) laps to go.

[GREENI]

You gotta be fit then !
But you have to step it up a whole new level to catch Steve..
MORE MILES !!!!!

[Bush Tucker Man]

You gotta be fit then !

I wish!, I need to be fitter
I blame my running to work that morning (at 05:15). working 7 hours, then running home (half-hour each way) for the evenings lack-lustre performance :-k

But you have to step it up a whole new level to catch Steve..

Yes, I remember seeing him in his Ace Racing Team days (circa 1989), it was when Baker & Gould were still riding for Peugeot (before it went all fancy black/goemetric orange coloured kit)
He was a nice friendly guy even back then

Chris Young (ex British champion) was there too, he's a nice chap to talk to as well (I know his brother Mick better though) but not riding, just spectating

MORE MILES !!!!!

And faster ones at that :lol:

[Bush Tucker Man]

Hurrah!!

The 08/09 season calendar is partially up!, now I can start to swap shifts/arrange days-off & leave to enable me to plan my season

Yorkshire region Cyclo-Cross calendar

[Bush Tucker Man]

I quite fancy also replacing my Dyna-Tech (road-bike) with something a bit newer, like a Trek Madone

I have now!!!!  :thumbup: ;)

Co-incidentally a flyer/entry-form dropped through the letter-box on Tuesday for a 5miler at Darrington (which is to the south-east of Pontefract), so I might enter that.

I'll have to try & find out where the actual route is, so I can go & ride around it.

http://www.darrington.org.uk/funrun.htm



It's still got to be run in the Club colours through

(as seen in the 'jersey' avatar in my signature, but I think I'lljust wear my bib-shorts, & get a t-shirt printed with the Club name on it)


That's next Saturday now :? 8-[
I think I'm starting to get a bit nervous, but might have one of the 'school-mums' joining me (who's also a Matron at the NHS Trust I work for, & a half/full marathon participant)
We were at her house yesterday, & Joanne mentioned it.

[Bush Tucker Man]

I did the  4th round of the 'Summer Series Cyclo-Cross' at Greetland (Halifax) earlier this evening.


Yes, after all that rain.

And it 'precipitated it down' for the first half of the race too.
The rain cheers everyone up no end, & they all want to race. Not!
It was a bit damp to say the least.

Very heavy going, with lots of short sharp climbs, some rideable, some not - but I managed them on later laps (cold evening, slow to warm up properly) :dance:

Once home, I clogged the shower up  :oops:
(& quite possibly the washer will go the same way :oops:)

[Bush Tucker Man]

Co-incidentally a flyer/entry-form dropped through the letter-box on Tuesday for a 5miler at Darrington (which is to the south-east of Pontefract), so I might enter that.

I'll have to try & find out where the actual route is, so I can go & ride around it.

http://www.darrington.org.uk/funrun.htm


It's still got to be run in the Club colours through

(as seen in the 'jersey' avatar in my signature, but I think I'lljust wear my bib-shorts, & get a t-shirt printed with the Club name on it)


That's next Saturday now :? 8-[
I think I'm starting to get a bit nervous, but might have one of the 'school-mums' joining me (who's also a Matron at the NHS Trust I work for, & a half/full marathon participant)
We were at her house yesterday, & Joanne mentioned it.

I was there this afternoon. Run it. Done it, Finished it

It was damp, drizzling & fairly cool.
The 'unofficial' time was 35minutes (no results around yet) :dance:

I'm reasonably happy with that, given that the course record is apparantly 26:35, & the holder is a multiple marathon winner


Click on pic to enlarge (5 images)



The wife asked me if I'll do another race, or (alleged!!) 'Fun-Run'

I'm not sure yet...................  :-k



Oh, and before I forget.......


Whilst running to work on Thursday, I was passed by one of the other staff who is a veteran marathon runner (I think he's done about 25 - 30?)

He later told me that he thought I;
"Ran like a Gazzelle....."




"A Gazzelle with 2 broken legs"

"Oh thanks David, that's nice to know"


But later he did admit he was joking............ much later

[Bush Tucker Man]

I was there this afternoon. Run it. Done it, Finished it

It was damp, drizzling & fairly cool.
The 'unofficial' time was 35minutes (no results around yet) :dance:

I'm reasonably happy with that, given that the course record is apparantly 26:35, & the holder is a multiple marathon winner

At last, after a short wait, the 'fun-run' results are online.

http://www.darrington.org.uk/funrun.htm

The winning time was 28:47


I placed at 30th in 36:53




There were 136 timed finishers, so I think  I did okay!

[Bush Tucker Man]

I rode the Cyclo-Cross at Kippax on Wednesday 2nd July


I was happy to have finished this, as I'm still sure I caught something/was really 'under the weather' after the Darrington 5-Miler (last 2 miles in heavy rain), as I don't think I was able to breath properly during the event.
I think it was a bit of a Chest-Infection, or a touch of Bronchitis?

I certainly know that I was having to breath harder than at the last event (Greetland), plus I'd not raced on the Kippax course before, so didn't quite know what to expect (until I'd ridden it a couple of times on warm-up laps)

There were some 'nasties' in it; a 40 foot long-jump sand-pit, a set of steps (sadly, wrongly spaced to ride up, & tightly taped so as to not allow riders to get up the sides) & a very sharp banking about 20foot high!! (not far after the sand-pit!!!)
I managed to ride through the sand-pit on every lap though :dance:


Later on, I did tire a bit, as I fell off twice, whilst traversing side-slopes;
Once, due to catching a pedal, the other was simply 'running out of steam' on the hill  :oops:



After about 3 laps, I did get my own personal spectator though ;D
Marc ('iluvmud'), from various LR forums, including here, I think??) came to watch, & encourage me.

I had challenged him on 'Northern Bog-Hoppers' to enter & join me on the starting line.
I think he was glad that he didn't after watching us  :lol: :roll:

He said he was tired just watching :lol:



The final results were;
24th/47 overall
10th/17 age-group

Click on the picture of 'me' in the signature block, for the full results & links


I also scored a good result on 2 other matters :lol:
1. One of the other riders, who used to ride for 'Featherstone', sold me a bunch of practically new Club clothing (no good to him, as he's in another Club now)
Long-Sleeve training tops
Short-sleeve racing jerseys
Gilet (sleeveless 'vest')
Bib-shorts
All at £10/item.
Each item costs between £40 & £45 , if bought via the Club. A bargain :clap:


2. Pizza on the way home, ordered as I left
Once again, I proved that a 16" 'Asian Style Meat-Feast' serves one :lol: :lol:

[Bush Tucker Man]

Steve

Is this a circular route??
It doesn't appear to say



http://www.cftrust.org.uk/help/events/catandfiddle

[GREENI]

Steve

Is this a circular route??
It doesn't appear to say



http://www.cftrust.org.uk/help/events/catandfiddle

HI Richard, the route is a circular, starting and finishing at our shop...LAST YEAR WE RAISED 50,000 QUID !!!
I'm sure there will be much talk of it on EUROSPORT, we get loads of mentions on the TDF coverage, and we were even talked about on the Moto GP the other week !!!
Please come and join in, come say HI too, and i'll introduce you to Sean Kelly !!

[Bush Tucker Man]

HI Richard, the route is a circular, starting and finishing at our shop...LAST YEAR WE RAISED 50,000 QUID !!!
I'm sure there will be much talk of it on EUROSPORT, we get loads of mentions on the TDF coverage, and we were even talked about on the Moto GP the other week !!!
Please come and join in, come say HI too, and i'll introduce you to Sean Kelly !!

Thanks Steve, I'll consult my calendar & see how it works out.
It's a long time since I've ridden up, or down' the 'Cat & Fiddle'

By the way, I saw it advertised in last weeks 'comic'



For Those Of You
Who don't know the area, this is a pictorial guide to the 'C & F'
http://www.derekmobbs.com/CatAndFiddle/index.asp

It's the A537 between Buxton (Derbyshire) & Macclesfield (Staffordshire)

[GREENI]

Shhhhh but, Macclesfield's in Cheshire last time I looked  ;)

[Bush Tucker Man]

Shhhhh but, Macclesfield's in Cheshire last time I looked  ;)

So it is, my mistake :oops: :oops:

If it's outside Yorkshire, I'm not 'on top of it' :lol:

[Bush Tucker Man]

I ran to work yesterday, my first time on foot for almost 10 days (due to being off all last week, the weather & using bike to get there at weekend)

Going wasn't too bad, my time was an easy 32minutes*, but it was at a steadier pace than normal, in order to compensate for the time out of the running shoes

Coming home was a different matter :?
I was late away, it was 22:05 as I came out, so I had a bit less 'daylight'.
Passing through the woods was going to be problematic (it was cloudy too, so less ambient light)

I'd managed to get along the banks of the River Calder okay & down into the woods.
200 yards in, & onto the off-camber section, feet from under me.
"Wallop!", straight down 
Pick myself up.

Another 100yards. Down again on a corner. Full length on my side in a mixture of mud, water & whatever else was diluted in it :-k

Oh well, it's the first time in all my passges through it that I've fallen.

Got home & got shouted at for not having the phone (in case I fell & broke my ankle, etc....), obviously the fact that I'd have dropped it in the undergrowth & lost it was not a consideration :roll:
 

I had intended to go on the bike today, but..............  :oops:

I slept in
It was 05;35 before I got kicked awake ::), so the 110 went there for a change

Hey-Ho!

It'll be a bike-ride tomorrow, as the shoes are still sodden, as I had to rinse them in the water-butt & scrub them (semi) clean




PLus
It's back to Greetland on Wednesday evening :D

I think SWMBO is coming too, along with 'Small-Child', so there might be a few pictures  :shock: :-k
She's driving me there as well!

What!, put the cross-bike in the XKR? :doh:

Nope!, we're borrowing her dads Mondeo estate; a rather nice '08' plated (140BHP) TDCi/6-speed 'Zetec'

It'll be the bike, & kit, in the back & I can relax, as she knows most of the way there (bar the last 2 miles up in the hills above Sowerby Bridge)

It does mean, however, that I might have to share my poat-race Pizza! :doh:

[Bush Tucker Man]

This event has been suggested to me as a 'follow-up' for the Darrington 5-Miler (see above)

Sandal Castle 10K


The problem is, it's the same day as the Drighlington BC Cyclo-Cross at Oakwell Hall

So.......
1. Do I run the 10K in the morning, as it starts at 10:00
2. Drive (or be driven?) to Birstall?
3. Ride the Cross in the afternoon, as the Seniors start @ 13:00??


Suggestions please!
(not rude ones!!!)

[GREENI]

Cycle to the run, cycle to Birstall, do the 'cross...

It's what Steve Farrell would do, if you've heard of him.

[Bush Tucker Man]

Cycle to the run, cycle to Birstall, do the 'cross...

It's what Steve Farrell would do, if you've heard of him.

The road-racer from the mid 90's?
(wasn't he one of Rourkeys 'lads'?)

[Bush Tucker Man]

I'd managed to get along the banks of the River Calder okay & down into the woods.
200 yards in, & onto the off-camber section, feet from under me.
"Wallop!", straight down 
Pick myself up.


It'll be a bike-ride tomorrow, as the shoes are still sodden, as I had to rinse them in the water-butt & scrub them (semi) clean

The shoes were dumped in the butt & were been out 'air-drying' all yesterday evening, & from 15:00 today.
Now they're on top of the hot water boiler, just chasing the last wet spots out of them.

And yes, it was a ride in this morning.
Tomorrow will probably be a run-day, as a 'warm-up' for the evenings Cross
(I finish at 13:00 tomorrow)