Author Archives: Jay Trotman

The training of the shrew.

S made the supreme sacrifice, ditched the Burnham run and took me out for a ride this morning.  We set off at 8.00am, in a southerly direction, on the basis that it’s better to go out into the wind and to come back with it behind you!  And it sure was windy… And frequently damp.

The route is a little hazy in my mind, and S didn’t tell me where we were going either.  Lots of wiggly country roads, the odd hill, some windswept levels…I just follow him.  Usually literally, since apparently as team leader, it’s ok for him to do all the leading…  Before the title goes to his head, I reckon that makes him more of a domestique *grin*.

I can tell you we ended up at the Canal Centre at North Newton (near North Petherton), shortly after yet another downpour, where the nice folk opened up for us and provided coffee.   Thus fortified, we took a slightly more direct route back as we were running just a little late.  However, with a much appreciated tail wind, and a sense of urgency in the legs, we actually got back into the Square about 10 minutes early, which was pretty impressive.

Cycling time: 3:19:00
Distance: 54.5 miles
Avs: 16.4 mph
ODO: 149.6 miles

I was surprised when S said how far we’d been, though I suppose I should have figured considering how long we’d been out.  I’d like to say I was much faster because I’m improving dramatically…but it’s got more to do with the new bike, and keeping up with S.  Though I have made myself a new rule – don’t catch up with S.  If you do – he just gets faster! *grin*.  It was a good ride, it’s always nice to do new routes, and new stops.  Even S seemed surprised by our average speed, which was quite nice.  I get to feel a bit less of a handicap, which is good for the ego.

The downside of no computer of my own (as yet) is that I don’t/can’t keep track.  If I’d known how far we were going to go, or had been, etc., then I’d have been more careful to eat and drink properly.  As it was, I only drank a bit, plus the coffee, and didn’t eat at all.  I didn’t have time to take my Recovery and only grabbed a bar thing for lunch…which probably explains why I came over all faint in Bristol this afternoon…  Proper hot/cold sweaty shakey need to sit down before I fall down faint…  A lesson to be learnt methinks.

Now that I’m back home after this afternoon,  I really should be cleaning the bike..but I think I’ll plead fatigure and do it tomorrow instead.  I will.  Honest 😉

Raindrops keep falling…

I woke up, looked out the window, saw the wind and the drizzle, and REALLY didn’t want to go out in it.  I texted G, but she didn’t reply.  I kitted up, and did the school run, and still didn’t see her, so there was no getting out of it, that was that…and shortly afterwards she arrived on the doorstep, all ready to go out.  Sometimes  you just have to give in to the inevitable I guess!

My main concession to the elements?  To take the old bike.  Well, it’s used to not being cleaned.  Such treatment could come as a nasty shock to my new one *grin*.  Besides which I’ve not yet got the hang of going downhill on my new baby in the dry, let alone the wet!

G’s standard solution to lousy weather, as I believe I’ve mentioned before, is to do hills.  Something to do with going slower so getting less water in your face…  Or avoiding the wind…  Or something.  I’m not convinced.  Hills are not nice.  How can wet hills be better?

Ah well.  We went from Winscombe to Shipham, through Rowberrow down to Churchill, around Wrington and up Goblin Coombe (there’s that Coombe word again), and then up Burrington Coombe (what have I told you about Coombes?), past Charterhouse and down Shipham Hill to home.  All of this in the constant rain, with coldish wind, and up on the top, a total lack of visiblity of any sort.  That’s what happens when what you’re actually cycling through is a cloud…

Cycling time: 2:16:00
Distance: 29.893 miles
Avs: 13.2 mph
ODO: 9745.5 miles

I should have used the proper yellow waterproof rather than my new one, which isn’t quiet designed for that.  I got proper wet, and I hadn’t realised how cold I was until I got home – it took ever such a long time to warm up and my feet have only just come back on-line.  I’m glad I went out though – it was better in reality than in anticipation, and I do have to get the miles in.  I also felt the hills went ok – I even managed to pretty much maintain a conversation with G up Burrington Coombe, which would, not so long ago, have been out of the question!  So, not the world’s best ride, but by no means the worst either 🙂

Speed machine

The ACG were out again this morning.  There were four of us today – a pretty evenly matched group – my Dad and I, K and G.  Four is a good number to manage – you can cycle 2 * 2 abreast in the quiet bits and chat, and as a line of four, you don’t p*ss the other road users off too much.

K had suggested we head out to Brean Down, and I knocked up a route on bikely for that.   We set off at 9:30am and took a pretty direct route there – through Cross, up the Bleadon Hill, across the A38 over the flats to the café there, where we had a nice cup of coffee sitting outside in the sun overlooking the beach.

We came back in slightly more circuitous fashion – through Berrow, to Brent Knoll, Mark, Chapel Allerton, Wedmore and home again.  I’m still devoid of cycling computer so am relying on my Dad’s computer for the following:

Cycling time: 2:10:00 approx
Distance: 34.1 miles
Avs: 15.9 mph
ODO: 95.1 miles

The weather was glorious.  Very little wind, plenty of sunshine.  My new bike felt really good – very smooth.  I’ve pretty much got the hang of the new gears, though I still make daft errors from time to time.  As we were, for the most part, avoiding hills, I didn’t get to practice downhill braking, but I did get to stand up a couple of times.  Having narrower handlebars means you have less leverage to pull with your arms and push down with your legs – it’s a much smaller tighter maneuvre somehow.  Whether it works as well remains to be seen!  Has to be said, I’m loving the new bike more and more though 🙂

We made really good time – as you can see – and it was a lovely ride.  The roads were full of other brightly coloured lyrcra clad folk who were making the most of it just like us.  Shame there had to be quite so many folk enjoying the roads on four wheels! 😉

Fame

I forgot to link to it, but I made it into last week’s Cheddar Valley Gazette, with a really nice little piece written by someone who’s clearly been all over this website to get the details 🙂  Apparently I’m a “seasoned cyclist”.  I like that *grin*.  And they very kindly listed all my sponsors too – ‘rah!  Read it here.

I’m supposed to be riding today, but the extreme wind and the rain are currently proving somewhat of a deterrent – I’m going to review the situation this afternoon.  I’ve only been out once this week, and am going out on Sunday with the ACG, but I guess the week after an event I shouldn’t feel too bad about taking it a little bit easier.  Well, not that much easier, as I’ve been going to the gym instead! 😉

Is it fast enough so you can fly away?

OK, so I have the shiny new bike.  I do not as yet have a computer for it – there’s one on order – so I’m having to approximate stats here.  First off, I went out on it for 16 miles or so, taking it easy (it was pre-event!), on Saturday morning with M. Today  I did a 35 mile loop with G, which took about 2:25 elapsed time, and therefore averaged around 14.5 mph ish…

New bike stats so far:
ODO: 61 miles..

It’s hard to say whether or not it’s set up right as yet, because it all feels different.  Nothing is the same – from how it works, to how I sit, to how I hold the bars!  Changing gears is proving to be easier than I’d though, whereas braking is harder.  Changing position, between the drops, the tops, etc., is something I need to work on.  The one time I stood to go up a hill, it was all so wobbly that I sat down again – clearly more work required there too.  I got my middle of the back shoulder pain earlier than expected so A may be right and we may need to change the handlebar stem to adjust the reach length…or maybe it’s something I have to get used to?  After all, the “old” bike was much longer…and if getting shorter causes pain, will even shorter be worse?  As for my right ankle…

On the positive side – apart from being VERY pretty – it seems to be a much smoother ride.  Although A thought I might need a carbon seat post, I don’t think that’s going to be an issue.  The gears seem, if anything, to be a little lower than on the other bike, which is nice.

On balance I think it’s going to be grand…I just need to practice more 🙂  So, feast your eyes on my new baby – I’ll add photos from the other side another time!

Forest of Dean Spring Classic

OK, event review coming up – it’ll be a long one, so hang in there! :

Event two of the season saw me up and out of bed at 5am yesterday.  G & S collected me a bit before 6am and we headed off towards Wales.  The weather looked initially ominous but we passed through the rain on the motorway and could see the sun shining on the hills across the River Severn which was cheering.  It took less than an hour and a half to get to Monmouth, during which we chatted, and I ate my breakfast.  When we got there, the event was well sign-posted and there was plenty of free parking right there too.

Signing on was a breeze, with the added unexpected bonus of a free water bottle with gel and bar…very nice.  A queue for the portable loos, and then there was the usual period of putting bikes together, sorting kit, deciding to second guess the weather and choose which layers to wear, and also being slightly silly (nerves you know).  It was sunny, but chilly, which to be fair, is pretty much how it stayed all day.  Back to the portable loos.  Queue again.  Pick up the bikes.  Queue at the start…get your ticket stamped and…

…we set off at about 8:15am.  About 2 minutes later G and S headed off into the hills, never to be seen again, which, before it sounds like I’m complaining, is just the way I like it – I can’t keep up with them and trying to just depresses me!

So, what to say about the ride?  There were 14 hills, counted down on the route so you knew how many you had left to do.   Which makes you wonder what the definition of a hill is.  A couple of them I barely noticed.  Then there were several times I was definitely and distinctly going up…but those weren’t “hills” at all!  14 hills in 85 miles probably doesn’t sound like a lot.  Believe me it is.  Long slow drags for miles.  3 miles in one case I believe.  Which actually, if I’m going to have to go up hill, is the kind of hill I prefer.

Due to the hilly nature of the course – you were either going up, or down.  Very little flat.  On the ups you got too hot, on the downs it was pretty chilly.  Luckily I’d judged my layering right – sleeveless jersey, long sleeve jersey, and gilet.  The long sleeve came off at the first food stop at about 30 miles and that left me set for the rest of the day – with the zips going up and down as required. The food stops were frankly useless – just bits of orange and banana – 1st time around the flapjacks had run out when I got there, and 2nd time around fruit cake held no interest for me.  I did take some water at the first, drinks only, stop, used my little Torq single measure cannister, and made up a bottle.  Having suffered from this before I’d packed my own ham roll for lunch which I duly ate at the 48 mile stop – it adds structure to the day, and made a change from the Torq bars – I’m a lady who lunches you know *grin*.  I pottered ’round the entire thing on my own, at my own pace, with my mp3 as ever.  The odd “hellos” were exchanged, and I met the “famous one” too 😉 I had a bit of a flat patch around 5 hours or so in, but that didn’t last too long.

The biggest, and also the last, hill of the day was Symonds Yat.  Having read about it beforehand, I think I’d been dreading it the entire way ’round.  I couldn’t decide whether to take a gel beforehand or not, and opted not to, as I’d been consistent with my eating and drinking all the way ’round.  And I made it to the top!  I had to talk to myself.  And zig zag.  And stand up.  And sit down again.  And stand up.  And other various mental tricks…but I made it!  With a little whoop at the top which luckily there was no-one around to hear *grin*.  I was on a real high after that, and the last stretch home was a blast, my legs could sense “home”…not to mention the fac that the last 4 miles or so were properly downhill – the best way to end any event!  I got in after around 6 and a half hours of trip time at 3:15pm ish, and met up with G & S who had of course been in for a good 90 minutes…but that’s why they’re gold folk, and I’m not.  We sat in the sun and drank coffee and, in my case, Torq recovery.  I’m trying to be good about my nutrition you see 🙂

Stats for you:

Cycling time: 6:30:26
Distance: 85.335 miles
Avs: 13.1 mph
ODO: 9715.6 miles

Food consumed : 2 Torq bars, 2 *750ml Torq Energy, 1 wholemeal Ham roll, and some Torq Recovery afterwards.

I don’t know my official time, which is irritating.  There was a backlog – probably since they insisted on writing out a certificate for everyone – which is all very well, but I just wanted to know how I’d done.  Clearly my average speed was abysmal, but that’s hardly surprising with all those “hills” 🙂

Conclusion?  Well, it was a really good event in some respects.  Lovely route – gorgeous scenery, bluebells everywhere and so on.  The locals seemed friendly – there were various families and residents clapping as I cycled by, which gave me a little lift every time.  There were enough riders – around 800 I think – so there was always someone ahead or behind, so I never felt panicked that I was lost or had missed a sign.  It was also quite a tough route I think, but clearly achievable, cos I made it 🙂  I’d even go so far as to say I enjoyed it…

Organisationally speaking, not so good.  Useless foodstops.  I never got my free coffee and flapjack – the queue was huge, and apparently it was only tea that side anyway.  I never got my time.  And I never got any sense of the people running it either – it was all a bit functional as opposed to friendly.

We came home via a lovely pint of Perroni in Tintern, and food at the New Inn in Cross.  I was feeling pretty good afterwards, but when I got tired at the end of the evening, it was a bit like being hit with a sledgehammer.  I got out of the bath, went to bed…and was asleep instantly.  Today I feel pretty good.  My legs are fine – a little achey walking up Ebbor Gorge – but nothing to complain about.  So – result!

UPDATE:
OFFICIAL TIME: 6:50
Which puts me around 508th in a field of 651…no surprise there then!   The results have some very very fast times, I wonder if there was a shorter route?   Can it really be done in 3:38?!  Not by me! *grin*

Here I am, before and after, in my shiny new bespoke team of one kit 🙂  (thanks for playing photographer S!)

I love it when a plan comes together

G, in helpful mode, had decided we were doing a long run today…about 60 miles.  Since the Forest of Dean is this weekend, I wasn’t sure that this was a good idea, but still, go with the flow etc…  However, fate clearly agreed with me, and when she turned up this morning it turned out that her childcare had gone minorly to pot and we were going to have to be back earlier than planned.  Having paused briefly to admire my new kit, which met with approval, we headed off into the slightly chilly sunshine.

Cycling time: 3:13:45
Distance: 47.826 miles
Avs: 14.8 mph
ODO: 9630.31 miles

As you can see, we still went quite a long way…albeit without the lunchstop we would have had otherwise.  I’m not entirely sure where we went – once past Wells we headed off around Shepton Mallet and the like.  Since hills hold no fear for G she tends to forget about them, and threw in a couple of corkers accidentally.  Well, she claims she didn’t do it on purpose…I’m not convinced! *grin*  At least we came home down the Gorge…

The new kit wore well, and the shorts are actually more comfortable than my plain ones.  The warm-up jacket came off after about 30 minutes and stayed off until we were back in the Square having coffee, having served its purpose.  All working out well so far.   Now all I have to do is get the new bike sorted 🙂

Lucky me

It’s here!  There is a large cardboard box blocking the hallway, full of lovely shiny new bike goodness.  Which is about all I know for the moment, until I take it over to see Andrew on Friday to have him build it up and make it fit me.  Oh, the suspense… But it’s here! 🙂

As is my new kit – which I am ridiculously pleased with.  It’s turned out even better than I’d hoped.  Ok, so there are no go-faster stripes *grin* … but it’s fantastic!  I even look vaguely presentable in it – black is so slimming 😉  Not sure what effect the purple flames have though… 😛  I’ll try and get some photos to post soon.

I plan on testing out some of the kit tomorrow on a ride with G, and I should be able to wear it for the Forest of Dean Spring Classic on Sunday.  The bike will need trying out a bit before I do an event on it though.  Halfway through an 85 mile ride is not the time to discover that you haven’t got it set up properly! *grin*

Cheddar Ales Beer Festival

And now a word from my sponsor:

The weekend of June 12th – 14th will see the first ever beer festival at Cheddar Ales brewery, at Winchester Farm, Draycott Road, Cheddar.  It will be a beer lover’s paradise that will bring together 40 award-winning beers from around Britain to create one of the finest selections of beers ever seen in one venue, all served in amongst the weird and wonderful vessels of a working brewery.  There will also be music, games and a barbecue.  No ticket is required, just turn up and pay on the door.  £5 entry includes a souvenir pint glass and your first pint. CAMRA members with a valid membership card will get a free pint on entry.
Opening Hours

  • Friday 12th June: 8.00pm – 11.30pm
  • Saturday 13th June: Midday – 11.30pm
  • Sunday 14th June: Midday – 5.00pm

For more information see www.cheddarales.co.uk or call the brewery on 01934 744193 🙂