No, not a dodgy bloke buying stolen goods, but three 6x6 foot panels which my current wife insists we spent the morning installing.... now normally removing some cold 3x6 foot ones and slotting in the larger versions would not take any time.... well that was the plan. However, the moron who put them in in the first place managed to put the uprights in half an inch too close! What a total pain it was trying to get the panel in a space which was half an inch too small for it!!!
Anyway, that over, I thought about going for a ride but instead: after cleaning the cow poo off the bike, I decided to go for a sleep. Sigh.... By the time I woke, it was getting dark so my exercise today was restricted to half an hour on the rollers at 12.7mph. Oh, 5 miles done.
Moving on, I have 271 miles to do to make it to 2000 miles this year (well since May). That works out (if you take the days out when I am in London or on Holiday) to be 19 miles a day....every day. Impossible I know but then, the impossible I do most mornings before breakfast!
Rollers done this month: 21.36 miles.
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Saturday, 5 December 2009
Yartley Bank revisited.....
for some reason, it wont let me post a link....which is disappointing
www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=27616
So I wrote it in....was it worth it? Well I thought so as, as rides go, it wasnt a bad one apart from the wetness of the roads; cow poo and the need to get home before the rain started...yes, it was dry when I sent out!!!!
So what was today's riding plan then...well, it was to climb the hill up to Midwich, a hill which I have never managed as I need to stop about 50m from the top as the hill ramps up to about 15%...at least. Did I make it.... no, as I didn't actually try....why not I can hear you say (hearing voices again.... they will lock me up if "they" find out!), because the "main" road towards Midwich was closed meaning that all the traffic took the back road I was planning to use. Don't fancy struggling up a hill at 10mph with cars of all shapes and sizes buzzing me. Nevermind eh, I will try again in a couple of weeks.
Instead, I did a silly tour down to Weston (no, didn't try to climb Weston Bank.... now that's a hill!) and then over to Stone Hockey Club and up Yartley Bank....
I can hear you shaking with fear at the mention of Yartley Bank.... (nurse, he is hearing things again!!!) well, actually its not that hard anymore. I didn't even use Granny, although I did go into the lowest front ring. Can't say I was breathless at the top of the hill, which is nice.
So, does that mean I am getting fitter???? I suppose it must but then again, the average speed of 11.7mph isnt that good.... thinking about it, there were a couple of spots where I was just freewheeling along at walking pace.... mostly past people walking dogs. I would run the little buggers over but it would take ages to clear the blood off the frame!
Moving on, I am trying to talk the current wife into letting me buy a new bike...why on earth do I need one...well, I wanted a Boardman Hybrid but at £500, they are out of my price range. Instead, I have found a Kona Dew Plus for about half that. What can it do that my Specialized can't???..... well it has disc brakes so should be better in the wet and can be used off road to a degree. Its descriped as a fast hybrid...and light....so sounds idea.
Talking about buying stuff, I have brought myself some overshoes to keep my feet warm (they almost froze the other day!) and some new winter gloves (ditto my hands!). Just to upset the neighbours (oh, the twat at number 4 almost backed into me yesterday lunchtime not looking when he pulled off his drive....that sounds a bit rude!). I have also brought a balaclava (sp?).... I'll look like a mugger with it on!
So, lets do the stats from today then: 24.71 miles. Todate: 60.70
Height Climbed: 704 feet. Total: 1561
Average speed... unimpressive 11.7mph.
www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=27616
So I wrote it in....was it worth it? Well I thought so as, as rides go, it wasnt a bad one apart from the wetness of the roads; cow poo and the need to get home before the rain started...yes, it was dry when I sent out!!!!
So what was today's riding plan then...well, it was to climb the hill up to Midwich, a hill which I have never managed as I need to stop about 50m from the top as the hill ramps up to about 15%...at least. Did I make it.... no, as I didn't actually try....why not I can hear you say (hearing voices again.... they will lock me up if "they" find out!), because the "main" road towards Midwich was closed meaning that all the traffic took the back road I was planning to use. Don't fancy struggling up a hill at 10mph with cars of all shapes and sizes buzzing me. Nevermind eh, I will try again in a couple of weeks.
Instead, I did a silly tour down to Weston (no, didn't try to climb Weston Bank.... now that's a hill!) and then over to Stone Hockey Club and up Yartley Bank....
I can hear you shaking with fear at the mention of Yartley Bank.... (nurse, he is hearing things again!!!) well, actually its not that hard anymore. I didn't even use Granny, although I did go into the lowest front ring. Can't say I was breathless at the top of the hill, which is nice.
So, does that mean I am getting fitter???? I suppose it must but then again, the average speed of 11.7mph isnt that good.... thinking about it, there were a couple of spots where I was just freewheeling along at walking pace.... mostly past people walking dogs. I would run the little buggers over but it would take ages to clear the blood off the frame!
Moving on, I am trying to talk the current wife into letting me buy a new bike...why on earth do I need one...well, I wanted a Boardman Hybrid but at £500, they are out of my price range. Instead, I have found a Kona Dew Plus for about half that. What can it do that my Specialized can't???..... well it has disc brakes so should be better in the wet and can be used off road to a degree. Its descriped as a fast hybrid...and light....so sounds idea.
Talking about buying stuff, I have brought myself some overshoes to keep my feet warm (they almost froze the other day!) and some new winter gloves (ditto my hands!). Just to upset the neighbours (oh, the twat at number 4 almost backed into me yesterday lunchtime not looking when he pulled off his drive....that sounds a bit rude!). I have also brought a balaclava (sp?).... I'll look like a mugger with it on!
So, lets do the stats from today then: 24.71 miles. Todate: 60.70
Height Climbed: 704 feet. Total: 1561
Average speed... unimpressive 11.7mph.
Friday, 4 December 2009
Rain...what's that??????
Well, well, well....at long last a day without rain, so what better to do than go out for a quick ride at lunchtime.
Okay, so there wasnt any rain or wind, but blimey was it cold out there! I think my feet were going to drop off with the cold and when I got back and stripped off to change (don't try to visualise that what ever you do. It could turn you blind!) every part of my body was cold to the touch. I guess I need better winter clothing!
Anyway the ride itself was quite good apart from the "climb" back towards Stafford which I never have been very good at. I sent myself the challenge of getting back before 14.30 and guess what, I managed it by 2 mins.
The route: www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=27556
Distance: 17.69. Done this month todate: 35.99miles
Height climbed: 438 feet. Total to date: 857 feet
Average speed 12.2mph (could do better)
On another subject.... I weighed myself this morning...251.8lb.... that's 17 stone 13.8lb!!!!! Wwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Pleased about that!
Okay, so there wasnt any rain or wind, but blimey was it cold out there! I think my feet were going to drop off with the cold and when I got back and stripped off to change (don't try to visualise that what ever you do. It could turn you blind!) every part of my body was cold to the touch. I guess I need better winter clothing!
Anyway the ride itself was quite good apart from the "climb" back towards Stafford which I never have been very good at. I sent myself the challenge of getting back before 14.30 and guess what, I managed it by 2 mins.
The route: www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=27556
Distance: 17.69. Done this month todate: 35.99miles
Height climbed: 438 feet. Total to date: 857 feet
Average speed 12.2mph (could do better)
On another subject.... I weighed myself this morning...251.8lb.... that's 17 stone 13.8lb!!!!! Wwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Pleased about that!
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Rain, rollers, rollers, rain....
Sigh. Yet another day when the forecast is for rain, rain and a little more rain. Sigh. I might have my DNA changed so I become a duck and then will love the rain.... hum, a duck on a bike... I have heard of a bird on a bike but never a duck (although, agreed a duck is a bird so I am going no where with this am I?)
So what do I do...do I watch the BBC Breakfast article on cycling again, or do I ignore it as, to be honest, its nothing I haven't heard 100 times before. It seems that all cyclists jump red lights; go the wrong way down one way streets and never have any lights on their bikes..... er, I never do the first two and I have some 1 watt lights on my bike so I should be "see-able" from a 100 yards away! Nothing about twats in cars left hooking cyclists and being in such a hurry that they can't wait 2 seconds to get past a cyclist. There is little worse than some twat cutting you up, only to have to stop 50 yards away at a stop line or traffic lights. Get a life....actually, this turned into a rant didn't it!
Anyway, back to the rain. Well, the need for exercise grabbed me this morning so off I went on my rollers...when I say off I do mean off as I didn't balance the back wheel properly and rolled backwards off the rollers whilst clipped in.... well I laughed after I managed to unclip and remove the seat from my soft bits....ouch.
I didn't really have any target in mind for the "ride" but did find it hard to get warmed up so the first two miles were a struggle but I managed 5 miles in the standard 30 mins (actually, just checked, it was 33mins). The average was a bit slow at 12.7mph but then, as I said I didnt really push myself.
Later the same day.....well the rain has gone but the wind has increased so instead of hitting the road, I went back into the gym and hit the rollers again.
I managed a bit better this time making a total distance of 5.81 miles in 30 mins with an average speed of 14.1mph. I topped out at 20.2mph......
And again later the same day...well after an afternoon at looking on line at cheap hybrids, I did another half an hour on the bike while the current wife was cooking a lethal curry for tea. Didn't feel quite a good at 5pm as I did at lunch time so only managed 5.5miles at an average of 13.5mph.
Today then: 5.00 + 5.81 + 5.50 = 16.31 miles..... Total for the month...16.31.
So what do I do...do I watch the BBC Breakfast article on cycling again, or do I ignore it as, to be honest, its nothing I haven't heard 100 times before. It seems that all cyclists jump red lights; go the wrong way down one way streets and never have any lights on their bikes..... er, I never do the first two and I have some 1 watt lights on my bike so I should be "see-able" from a 100 yards away! Nothing about twats in cars left hooking cyclists and being in such a hurry that they can't wait 2 seconds to get past a cyclist. There is little worse than some twat cutting you up, only to have to stop 50 yards away at a stop line or traffic lights. Get a life....actually, this turned into a rant didn't it!
Anyway, back to the rain. Well, the need for exercise grabbed me this morning so off I went on my rollers...when I say off I do mean off as I didn't balance the back wheel properly and rolled backwards off the rollers whilst clipped in.... well I laughed after I managed to unclip and remove the seat from my soft bits....ouch.
I didn't really have any target in mind for the "ride" but did find it hard to get warmed up so the first two miles were a struggle but I managed 5 miles in the standard 30 mins (actually, just checked, it was 33mins). The average was a bit slow at 12.7mph but then, as I said I didnt really push myself.
Later the same day.....well the rain has gone but the wind has increased so instead of hitting the road, I went back into the gym and hit the rollers again.
I managed a bit better this time making a total distance of 5.81 miles in 30 mins with an average speed of 14.1mph. I topped out at 20.2mph......
And again later the same day...well after an afternoon at looking on line at cheap hybrids, I did another half an hour on the bike while the current wife was cooking a lethal curry for tea. Didn't feel quite a good at 5pm as I did at lunch time so only managed 5.5miles at an average of 13.5mph.
Today then: 5.00 + 5.81 + 5.50 = 16.31 miles..... Total for the month...16.31.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Bell End.
It seems I am a "bell end." Whatever one of those is.
To explain...after a pretty busy morning, I received an email from my line manager saying he had had to go home so taking a chance, I headed out for a quick 20 miles or so as....are you sitting down...it didn't look like rain and the wind had dropped!!!!
So, off I went and an impressive 22 mins later I was in Penkridge! That's one of the fastest times I had done for that trip. I don't think it was anything to do with the fact that the current wife and the monster in ....sorry Mother in Law were going to Penkridge Market today and I wanted to beat them there??? Well, not sure if I beat them there, but an average of 13.3mph was achieved. Pleased about that!
As you know, Dear Reader (as if anyone reads this rubbish!) there is a backroad I like from Penkridge towards Cannock Hockey Club. Well off that way I went today only to find the roads to Heatherton closed. Not sure why but it ruined the distance I was planning to do. Nevermind eh, I got some nice speed up on the way back to Penkridge...well it is slightly downhill for a mile or so.
On the way back, instead of going via the quiet back roads, I tend to go via the chav streets of Penkridge and then along the semi main road to Acton Trussell.... that's when it happened and I became a "bell end."
It seems, you see, that when a chavet in her crap 51 reg lump of rust pulls out on me when I am less than 5 yards from her doing 15mph, I am not supposed to wag my finger at her and shake my head...no no no... Bad Man. I mean, I should just let the chavet: whose car is worth less than my cycling shoes, own the road. After all, she more than like might have insurance and perhaps even pays her VED.... perhaps.
Anyway...it seems I upset the poor chavet so she turned around and next thing I know I have the chavets latest slag hanging out the window asking me if I have a problem. I must admit I did laugh at them and came out with the priceless line..: "Sorry, I didn't realise I was stopping you from getting to the Job Centre to sign on.".....well I would have done so if I had thought of it at time, rather than half an hour later. No, all I said was my own problem was with him, as he was so funny. Well, I suppose he could have stopped the car and looked to see if I was hard enough to follow it up...now that would have been stupid as I would have d locked the twat...but as he had less balls than our three cats (none of which have all balls) they drove off. Twat.
The rest of the ride back was uneventful, although I did get up the last hill into town without much of a struggle... I am improving on that hill thankfully.
http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=27427
Distance done: 18.36 miles.
Height climbed: 419 feet.
Average speed. 13.2mph (pleased about that!)
Happily, I was back at my desk before anyone had noticed I was out!!!
Oh... a slight downer on what was an enjoyable ride (despite being a Bell End) is that my right knee is now hurting quite badly. Nevermind eh.
To explain...after a pretty busy morning, I received an email from my line manager saying he had had to go home so taking a chance, I headed out for a quick 20 miles or so as....are you sitting down...it didn't look like rain and the wind had dropped!!!!
So, off I went and an impressive 22 mins later I was in Penkridge! That's one of the fastest times I had done for that trip. I don't think it was anything to do with the fact that the current wife and the monster in ....sorry Mother in Law were going to Penkridge Market today and I wanted to beat them there??? Well, not sure if I beat them there, but an average of 13.3mph was achieved. Pleased about that!
As you know, Dear Reader (as if anyone reads this rubbish!) there is a backroad I like from Penkridge towards Cannock Hockey Club. Well off that way I went today only to find the roads to Heatherton closed. Not sure why but it ruined the distance I was planning to do. Nevermind eh, I got some nice speed up on the way back to Penkridge...well it is slightly downhill for a mile or so.
On the way back, instead of going via the quiet back roads, I tend to go via the chav streets of Penkridge and then along the semi main road to Acton Trussell.... that's when it happened and I became a "bell end."
It seems, you see, that when a chavet in her crap 51 reg lump of rust pulls out on me when I am less than 5 yards from her doing 15mph, I am not supposed to wag my finger at her and shake my head...no no no... Bad Man. I mean, I should just let the chavet: whose car is worth less than my cycling shoes, own the road. After all, she more than like might have insurance and perhaps even pays her VED.... perhaps.
Anyway...it seems I upset the poor chavet so she turned around and next thing I know I have the chavets latest slag hanging out the window asking me if I have a problem. I must admit I did laugh at them and came out with the priceless line..: "Sorry, I didn't realise I was stopping you from getting to the Job Centre to sign on.".....well I would have done so if I had thought of it at time, rather than half an hour later. No, all I said was my own problem was with him, as he was so funny. Well, I suppose he could have stopped the car and looked to see if I was hard enough to follow it up...now that would have been stupid as I would have d locked the twat...but as he had less balls than our three cats (none of which have all balls) they drove off. Twat.
The rest of the ride back was uneventful, although I did get up the last hill into town without much of a struggle... I am improving on that hill thankfully.
http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=27427
Distance done: 18.36 miles.
Height climbed: 419 feet.
Average speed. 13.2mph (pleased about that!)
Happily, I was back at my desk before anyone had noticed I was out!!!
Oh... a slight downer on what was an enjoyable ride (despite being a Bell End) is that my right knee is now hurting quite badly. Nevermind eh.
December Targets
I mean, is it really worth me trying to set any??? I don't have a hope in hull of making them as I haven't done so since I started writing this blog. Sigh.
Okay... lets try.
Distance:....well I have 361 miles to do to make 2000 this year (well at least from May) so I would like to do that.... my chances of doing so are very slim given that I am away for 9 days over Xmas and have been told in no uncertain terms that I am not taking my bike with me AND I wont be allowed to hire one when I am there.
Weight loss.. well I am now 254lb. A three pound loss would take me into the 17 stone something bracket, whilst 6lb or so would mean I have lost 50lb this year...shirley (and don't call me Surely) I can make one of those???
Height climbed....yes please. Some climbing would be nice...just some.
Not holding out great hopes for this month...just dont want to lose any fitness.
Okay... lets try.
Distance:....well I have 361 miles to do to make 2000 this year (well at least from May) so I would like to do that.... my chances of doing so are very slim given that I am away for 9 days over Xmas and have been told in no uncertain terms that I am not taking my bike with me AND I wont be allowed to hire one when I am there.
Weight loss.. well I am now 254lb. A three pound loss would take me into the 17 stone something bracket, whilst 6lb or so would mean I have lost 50lb this year...shirley (and don't call me Surely) I can make one of those???
Height climbed....yes please. Some climbing would be nice...just some.
Not holding out great hopes for this month...just dont want to lose any fitness.
November Targets revisited.
One word. Failed.
Nothing more to see here...failed the lot of them, not helped by some crap weather and a sore knee or two at the start of the month.
Disappointed yes; surprised, no.
Nothing more to see here...failed the lot of them, not helped by some crap weather and a sore knee or two at the start of the month.
Disappointed yes; surprised, no.
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