All quiet on the Eastern front...

So, I'm rambling through my 'training plan' for early 2009. Hmmm.

I say, 'plan', but it changes almost weekly. I guess (importantly) getting out on the bike at all is better than nothing.

So only did 200 miles in Jan, when I wanted to hit more than that. Snow didn't help, but I've finally (since last week) cracked and started turbo training again. It's dull as anything, but again, is bettet than nothing and I've found a few training sets that make things a bit more interesting. Gonna use Turbo specifically to build strength.

Goal until end of April is to drop (some of) my fat gut and build a good base. Will see how that goes. Crying out for some longer rides though - that will be the next goal...assuming I'm not out drinking too much :)

Diet side is going fine. Hard as it is as times. Craving stuff during the day, but being good. Gotta be worth it long run. Feel better for it - but interesting how cutting back has affecting energy levels. So it's a balance. All that 'everthing in moderation' stuff is true.

So big '09 goal has to be the TransWales which I loved last year. Other than that, hope to do a few other things. See how it shapes up.

Need to get together with the guys for some riding. But we all have different levels of availability and flexibilty - so it works when it works. Plus I enjoy the riding alone. Much less complicated.

2008 ends with Dalby & Chips

2008 feels like a year of back-ache with bouts of decent riding; Alps in the summer, the new trails at Pines, the wet D2D, the epic 113 mile Lincoln plus ride - lots of solid memories.

To round the year off Bison and I ended up at Dalby on New Years Eve Eve and did the red route - quite challenging but plenty rideable. We finished the day at fish 'n chips shop in a nearby village.

It's been a strong December - with 327 miles of riding on my lap I feel like I've made use of the Christmas break and hope to come out of Winter with decent legs!

2009 for me is going to about properly sorting my back out (if I can) and lots of sub 3hr fast rides - with maybe the odd longer one thrown in. I also need to strip off some weight as my Wii fit is telling me I'm almost obese!

Frosty Flux

Here is my report of the new flux, tested over this weekend.

My first ride today (Sat) I rode some tarmac, some fire road and plenty of singletrack. The great news is it feels like a flux to me but with a crisper back-end. Pedalling without some form of compression on the previous model felt a little sluggish - but the DW is great even with no pro-pedal. I would also say it feels stiffer and rides quicker, carving great through the tight stuff. On the ups (where I think the Turners are amazing) - it oozes grip and you feel you have more power without the bounce that you could sometimes feel getting out of the saddle.

(It was quite shocking on the road how hard-tail like it felt!)

I've yet to dial the shocks in properly and try any real fast downhill stuff but this is a great start. Oh and the bike feels a little heavier than the old flux with similar build - but feels quicker in the saddle.

Here is the link to my thread over at MTBR - even Dave Turner makes an appearance.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?p=5157113#poststop

And here is stuff about the DW-link http://www.dw-link.com/home.html

TransWales 2008 follow up

Ah....languishing in post-event blues now as my body takes the time to heal and repair itself - but all the while I crave the endorphin hit of hard efforts!

It's all a bit of a blur now. Each days stage rolls into the next and I can recall, mud and climbing and stunning views and ace downhills and river after river after river crossing. Also, the people I met, were an ace bunch. It was a lovely crowd and everyone was out to help each other.

It was definitely the hardest thing I've done on a bike. There were many ups and downs and I cannot stress enough how tough it was. But if one digs in and says "not gonna be last and not dropping out" it's amazing how much you squeeze out of your legs. Naming it a 'challenge' really is apt, because it is a proper hard event. A fair few riders dropped out....admittedly some through serious mechanicals or injury...but some dropped out due to the weather conditions or because they were finding it too tough (some even took the odd rest day and carried on the following day...!).

The weather really was woeful at times. The campsites were waterlogged and very muddy. You ride most of the day (admittedly if I'd been faster, that would have helped...:)) often in the rain, and get to the next camp....often till raining....and then have to locate your kitbag. Get clean and then get the bike clean and then get fed and then rest. Some people even ducked out and stayed in hotels and B&Bs....losers :)

I'm glad I went for the option of using the organisers tents and getting them to set it up each day and break it down each morning. There were definitely some days, when it would have taken me an age to set up the tent (in the rain) on my return. The food was fine - good fuel. The shower were adequate...when they were warm:)

My bike and equipment held up very well. I expected loads of rain and took plenty enough stuff. My knees held out, which is very good news as it seems (touch wood) i've got rid of the problem that's been bugging me for ages. My back....well my back hurts....but not acute and it'll go away.Must get my chiropractor lady to work on it.

Towards the end of the event, being worn out and finding it tough, I picked up a chill and started to get manflu...this made the last day vry hard....but I got through. I'm still very tired. Been out once (monday - 8 days after finishing the event) on my old hardtail and felt tired - but was good to spin the legs. The full susser is in for some TLC and can't wait to get it back.

The TW has taught me alot. Not least about nutrition on longer rides (and esp on multi day stage events). And at times I found it brutal - but I loved it and am keen to do something similar in the future.

Thanks go to, Jules, The Lucans, Rone (for kit and sms support), South African Julie for dragging me around on the first 3 days and making m eat, to Spike and Clare for lemsips and endless anecdotes, to steve for being knocked off by Julie, to Phil for being fast, but probably slower than he should have been due to inury, to Howard for plugging away and getting there in the end, to the organisers for managing to run an event at all given the conditions, to the 'fast ones' for being impressive and an inspiration, to Charlie Eustace - for being fast and for good words on advice, to steve(?) and doc for an energy bar and more words of wisdom, to the Irish guys who always brought a smile, to the amazing two guys who dragged me and my bike out of a fast moving river that had me very worried for a wee second, to Vic and Chris for a good few laughs, and to everyone else with whom I shared a knowing smile (as in, "we're all mad") or chatted to during the event and everyone else who made it.

Right, (assuming I'm at least almost recovered) roll on D2D :)