I haven't blogged since the 1st of October. When I started doing this, that would be unheard of. However when I started doing this my cycling world revolved around C&D Cycles CC and specifically club rides on the road. C&D are still a massive part of my life but things also change and it's got a lot bigger than that. So much so, that my time to blog is reduced. Since the last blog I've: started my cycling coaching journey, done an off road club ride, a road club ride, raced cyclocross, discovered some excellent cyclocross training, got a parkrun PB (I'm sorry okay the lure of running keeps tugging at me,) broken some bikes and somehow not broken myself.
I've been going to a cyclocross training session on Wednesday nights (the last four Wednesdays so it's now part of my routine,) known as "Dean's Muddy Marvels." It's flipping brilliant! Dean Barnett of Welland Valley CC runs these free sessions for WVCC and he let's us, as their good neighbours join in! We provide the KCC cyclones floodlights to assist the session but that's the least we can do! As one of the riders commented to me: "You'd happily pay for this wouldn't you?" Yes. Yes I would. It's a really good work out and a chance to improve those technical skills. It's an all age session which is also nice because we get to ride alongside the kids that we coach on Monday nights. They also very much like showing us how much better they are than the old codgers! During the session, Dean often refers to his Dad for advice. Now I really don't know local racing or who anyone is really due to the fact I've come into all of this in my 40s so I need to do a bit more research, all I know at this stage is that this is one awesome result for Dean's Dad!!!
Forgive me Eddy Merckx for I have sinned! Yeah I did another parkrun. I've been doing a bit of running again just lately. Sam asked me to help him get fit and we've been doing some morning runs to supplement our cycling. I've also put a punch bag up for him to whack hell out of and predictably when the plastic rawplugs failed I paid a trip to Wickes for some heavy duty wall bolts. Anyway that bit of training made me determined to see if I could beat my first parkrun time. Yes apparently!
My time was really okay for me and a lot of runners there would be happy with my 25.24 and 81st in a field of 338 runners, 16th in my category. It's a lot better than my Cyclocross results! However I'm never happy and plans to break 24 minutes are now being hatched. It's time for the Bridget Jones's Diary bit again...yes I still need to get my weight down!!!
At the run I bumped into my good friend Matthew. He "sauntered," around for his usual sub 20 run and then ran home to Desborough as his cool down, the warm up had been to run there from Desborough at a speed us mere mortals can only dream of! Matthew has been all over the world this year and has done at least a 5k run every single day. I'm hoping he writes some sort of book at the end of it because it's quite the adventure!
The next day I joined Andy Pendred, his uncle Bob and one other for an off road ride in very soggy conditions. I took my CX bike and that was a silly mistake because I'm fairly sure that's where I got a lot of muck in my brake cables and wrecked them. It was horrible weather and that put a lot of people off. For us hardy fools it was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. By the end I was shattered but also basking in that warm glow of satisfaction you get after a tough ride. Cheers to Andy for the pictures!
Lievden New Bield
Soggy as...
Look what you did to our lovely clean bikes!!!
On the weekend of 20/21st October I started my Level 2 British Cycling Coaching Course. It was an excellent weekend and I learned a great deal both from the coaches and my course mates.
On the course there were people who make a living from cycling, some seriously good riders and a lot of experience. Everyone approached the days with a positive and co-operative attitude. On day one I managed to gash my schwalbe MTB tyre. I'd been warned that these were not the most durable. With no spare to save the day (schoolboy error,) I ended up borrowing the bike of whoever was having a coaching practice at the time.
At the end of the day I paid a flying visit to Evans (it was an emergency purchase, I prefer to support C&D cycles as my LBS,) at the MK snowdome and got a Maxxis replacement. It fitted really easy, looks way more durable and 3 weeks later is holding the same pressure I put in it when it was fitted. I like my schwalbe durano road clincher tyres... as for their tubeless range...no more!!! I have maxxis on my cx and hutchinson on my road bike. They work really well and I remain convinced that tubeless is the future!!!
On the second day we had our first assessed coaching session. As a group we really worked well together and six sessions later we all knew a lot more about coaching than we did at the start of the morning. The trainers, Louise and Ruth were also very good. I now have to plan and deliver six sessions with the cyclones along with written plans, evaluations and risk assessments. There's also online training to complete. It's a lot of work on top of the day job but well worth it.
On Sunday the 28th of October, Sam and I turned up at Misterton Hall, Lutterworth for another round of the Leicestershire Cyclocross League. We joined our team mates from KCC Cyclones and also friends from the Wednesday night muddy marvels. On a stunning autumnal day, in a beautiful stately setting, the course was once again laid out by Dean Barnett. Some great racing took place but Sam and I had a collective mare!
Sam started well and was very determined but as they came round for the first lap he was nowhere in sight. His chain had fallen off again and he'd also fallen off the bike. I was proud of him for battling through it all.
A couple of hours later it was my turn. As I ended a warm up lap disaster struck. My freehub broke, or at least I thought it did. Not a terminal issue though as Sam's bike is the same size so I swiftly raised the seat and was ready to go on his bike instead. It took me half a lap to realise that something was also wrong with Sam's bike. The gears were all over the place and I couldn't put any power through the pedals...so I abandoned and we trudged off home in a sulk!
When I got home I realised the freehub wasn't broken it had just come loose. However when I tried to fit the wheel it wouldn't tighten properly in the rear forks. Then I spotted it....one tiny bolt was missing and this had caused the whole issue.
So then I decided to tackle Sam's gears. No matter what I did I couldn't get them to stop jumping and then I spotted that too! One of his chain links was broken. How the whole chain hadn't snapped is a mystery to me and as Sam had been losing his chain for weeks...it had probably been like that for a while! I didn't know whether to feel like a bad Dad, Coach or Cyclist. It was an uncomfortable guilty feeling!!!
So on Monday morning both bikes headed to C&D to see Andy! With the usual fantastic service everything got sorted out that day and Sam was back on his bike with a new chain and shiny new rear cogs at Cyclones that evening. From now on I will check the bikes very thoroughly before we race.
This Saturday I made it out for a road ride with C&DCyclesCC for the first time in a few weeks. The route suited my needs as I didn't want a long ride. Rather than go into K town I joined the ride in Rushton and left it there again as we looped back round.
I haven't really ridden much road lately and certainly not much in the way of hills. So Neville Holt (chosen by KCC for their Hill Climb championship,) possibly wasn't the gentle reintroduction I needed. Even worse was Ashley Hill with a strong wind in our faces. Never the less, it was great to be out with good cycling mates and the Welland Valley looked stunning in it's Autumn colours! It would have been the ideal day to have the virb on the bike for good pictures...of course I left it at home!!!
Yesterday it was back to cyclocross action and round 8 of the central league at Whispnade Zoo! Okay we only parked at the zoo, the race itself was over the road on Whispnade common. Thanks to Icknield for setting up a nice course. Thankfully, given that this area has some very steep slopes it wasn't too hilly. However the big news of the day was that the grassy surface was like riding on energy sapping sponge!
Sam, on a bike with gears that worked gave his absolute all and I've never seen him so tired before. There was a very good turnout of Cyclones at the event which is a credit both to the youngsters and parents because it's a three hour round trip from Kettering.
Sam assists the youngsters with strength training...thanks to Molli for the picture, she captures a unique perspective. It's well worth checking the whole gallery out.
Of course it's not all abut them is it? Well okay, yes it is but...as ever the Dad's race in the vet 40s was a huge field. It was quickly apparent why the youngsters had suffered so much. This surface had very little roll, it was like 40 minutes on a turbo trainer with added twists and turns. I kept up with the fellow KCC Dad's until the first set of hurdles but then dropped back. I just don't have the pace. I'm also still a total wetty on downhill corners and have been ever since I broke my wrist. From the sidlelines the very experienced Stuart Walters advised me to trust my tyres. I do Stuart...it's the fat lad on the saddle I need to grow some confidence in. However I knew I wouldn't be a contender, my aim was that no KCC Dad's lapped me and I achieved that one. I did however get lapped by the ultrafit race leaders just 20 minutes into the race. I'm sure it's cheating to be that skinny.
All around the track there was maximum encouragement from spectators. I loved the Velobants crew on the finish straight with their cowbells and their reaction to my shameless high five ride by. If you want an entertaining blog to read try them here: https://velobants.club/round-6-7-hempers-the-buzz/
Sam and I had to rush off after my race to get to my parents for the best Sunday lunch in Northamptonshire, possibly the world. Dad's home brew craft recovery cider was very welcome too! Big thanks to Molly Ann Carter for chasing our car across the car park with my abandoned hoodie!
The conclusion to all that is that I still love cycling and as ever I want to be fitter and faster! However just being on a bike is really all the buzz I need!
The last word of the day is going to KCC Cyclone Josh Brown. We're all very proud of this young man for becoming the Juvenille winner of the 2018 National Hill Climb Championship.
I think that's enough...happy pedalling.
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