Learning from a Painful Personal Best

Up at 3am to go racing last Sunday. Had a stinker of a cold the previous week just to top off my gardening related self inflicted crippling. So - having not touched the bike for a fortnight I wasn't expecting great things, good job eh? My motivation for doing this was to put a mark down for the SCCU 50 @ the end of the month. I haven't ridden my bike that distance for a long time - would I make it round? Secretly I was hoping for a PB but not by much - want to hit form @ end of the month and who knows....

Things didn't get off too well, the timekeeper was late. When I'm late I get a late start penalty, I reckon we should all get 10 mins off our time to make up for this administrative shabbyness.....

I roll off in my customary casual stylee. The road surface was not up to much, lots of bumps and more than a few 'oles. As I began to push on I'm afraid I started to expel the remains of my cold - this unpleasantness continued the whole way round, eeewwwww. At the half way mark I wasn't feeling too bad, I hit that point @ 1 hour 11 mins, well ahead of where I was expecting. I should've bailed out here. The second lap just sapped me of everything. The final 13 miles was the most draining experience. I hit that mark at 1.45.37. I crawled back and even had to use the small ring for a short distance. The final kick up to the finish was just cruel (I survived this by thinking what must it be like to pull your finger nails out - more painful than this, surely).

I came home in 1.25.52, a PB by 45 seconds. Mission accomplished in a most forgettable style. Much better efforts from t'other fellow agreeables and ye Tri Sport news crew. Dave Palmer's shouts en route helped to keep me going (he could see how f***ed I was - we spoke after). Jim Burdett, 2.3.40 (PB), Dominic 2.8.39, Dave P 2.9.44, RRE 2.10.15

It's now Friday and I don't think I've managed a full nights sleep this week. Shoulder and back, chest in a lot of discomfort. Eases a bit through the day but not good at night. I've had to pull out of the Horsham 10 tomorrow. Going to take it as easy as I can in the desperate hope of being fit for the SCCU 50.

I'm learning that as I push myself, then my body pushes back.....hard. Hindsight's a wonderful thing but I'm sorry that I raced last weekend.

Publish & Be Damned!

Last week I wrote about a piece of "agony aunt" advice I offered up to The Independent newspaper. They only went and published it in yesterday's copy! Sent me a nice box of chocolates for my trouble too, who'd have thought it eh? Here's the link to the article.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/healthy-living/virginia-ironsides-dilemmas-847711.html

So, if you have any personal problems you've been wanting some common sense solutions too, why not drop me a line. Then again.......maybe not.

Snoop

How to be in Two Places at Once

I read this in the paper today:

"My mother died five years ago, and I have her ashes in a plastic bag in the attic. The time has come to scatter them, but my sister wants to scatter them in New York where she had a house - and I want to scatter them in Hyde Park, where my mother loved to walk. It seems awful to divide her in half. Can you suggest anything?"

In response, I've just emailed in the following "advice":

"On the one hand you think it would be awful to scatter your late Mum’s ashes in two places with which she had a strong connection, yet it’s OK to leave her tied up in a plastic bag in the attic for five years? Whilst alive most folk would love to be in two places at once. Now she’s passed away, you and your sister can make that a reality for your Mum. When my Gran died we saw to it that she went to as many places that she had loved as we could manage. These range from the River Dee to my vegetable patch and many more places in between. A permanent residence in New York and Hyde Park sounds rather grand – go for it!"

Whaddya think - can I cut it as an agony aunt?

Snoop

Super Toks Puts the Hammer Down

Hey is this guy cool or what? Fellow Agreeable and all round bloody nice bloke, Toks Adesanya waved the Addiscombe flag big time at the Smithfield Nocturne last Saturday. A storming effort from all the ACCers leanin' over the barriers shouting out his name. Toks didn't do too bad either. No time for tongues out - a great ride!

http://theademerckx2008racingfiles.blogspot.com/2008/06/smithfield-nocturne-support-race-234.html

What a great evening out. Loads of familiar faces out enjoying a warm early Summer evening. Tip top racing, tip top company, tip top food and a few bevvies thrown in for good measure.

I'd recommend this to anyone regardless of whether or not cycling is your bag. It was great fun - can't wait for Nocturne 2009.

Punk, Piano and Papayas

It's been a beautiful sunny morning with a light breeze. Perfect cycling weather. Looking back at my lawn laying exploits last Saturday and still feeling the pain I'm gazing out of the window feeling frustrated. I've been taking paracetamol and ibuprofen like smarties all week and I continue to hobble around. My fault, lesson learned.

So, instead of enjoying a hard 45 miles on the bike with the Addiscombe Cycling Club I've done the weekly shop. Woohoo that's exciting....you might think? Well I took my Ipod and wandered up and down the aisles in a blissful state, listening to an excellent random music mix including The Clash, Franz Ferdinand, Massive Attack, Groove Armada and the pianist Daniel Varsano. The fruit and veg has not looked so colourful and interesting in here for a long while. With a little twist I made a mundane activity so much more engaging. Going to make a delicious prawn & leek risotto for lunch.

Muscle-wise I hope things realign and knit back very soon otherwise the ESCA 50 mile time trial next weekend may be my first Did Not Start of the season. This is an important race in the build up to the SCCU 50 at the end of June, which will contribute to my season goal of completing the SCCU Best All Rounder competition and improving last year's average speed by at least 15%.

Hoping to make it up to the Smithfield Nocturne this evening, more ibuprofen anyone?

Take it easy - I intend to.

Snoop