Feeling naked and the Christmas Pudding Mk11

It's been an exciting couple of weeks. Jo raced, and my mate Julio is now an Age Group World 24hr Champion!

Jo was riding like a demon at Twentyfour12 and was leading 2nd place by 40mins or so by about 11pm. She looked awesome, and was getting quicker. But her head wasn't right: Mayhem was only 5 weeks ago, and she put herself through it at Eastnor...

...She pulled in and decided she'd had enough. I persuaded her to do another lap, but she just wasn't up for it. She came again in and went for a sleep.

She got up 5hrs later (or so, it's a bit fuzzy)and started again. The interesting thing is that she unlapped herself a couple of times, and was lapping 20min quicker than anyone else in her solo class. She came 4th!

So I've spent the last week coming to terms with this, and using it as a learning experience: Your head needs to be straight for a 24. Period.

SITS is just around the corner and it's time to focus.

Since 24/12, my training has been good though. All remnants of "The Bug" have gone and my legs are going well too. The bikes are sorted and it's time to pack!

There is just the small problem of a blown turbo and needing a car to get us and all of our kit up to SITS this weekend.

All of my kit is laid aside, so I had to train this weekend without my team colours on. It's the first time I've done it in ages, and I felt naked.

Cwmcarn was busy...What's he lookin' at?

Got home, washed the bikes and gave them a quick once over. Done.

Time to relax and spin for a week.

So the time comes, again, where I prepare my chamois for the onslaught to come.

3 pairs of shorts and skins longs are hung up in my dressing room with a couple of tubs of chamois cream stood alongside. Each day, I pop my head in there and smear the pads in cream. It sucks it up over the next 24hrs and you end up with a silky smooth and shearproof pad within about 4 or 5 days.

The Christmas Pudding Chamois, Mk11.

It's rumblin' time, and I think I'm excited.

Wish me luck.