Bike Radar and a return to form.

The new website design is up and running. The Blog is a little behind, but it will soon be back. It pays a certain level of homage to the pseudo superhero that is "Indiana Jones" and Lucas Films. It's also a fairly well concealed (ahem!) micky take of the dynamism I try and portray of myself by writing in a self promoting stylee. It's all show as I'm just like everyone else. I sometimes lack confidence, I get scared; but diffidence in others confuses me; procrastination sends me into orbit. You know what I mean.

Last time I wrote, I mentioned that I was taking 2 weeks off of training. Nothing, nada, nought, nil, zero...

..Except when I was bored in a hotel and felt the need to do a couple of little sessions on the cross trainer. I just couldn't stop totally, but it became apparent that I was ill as I couldn't even keep up with Jo on the bike: She was going at an easy pace and I was breathing out of my ears!! Time to have a talk with oneself.

In the meantime I did my interview at Bike Radar Live, with John Stevenson of Future Publishing. He's the big boss. The audience was small but it was well worth it as the hit rate on the site has gone up considerably since then. John was also the consumate professional, thanks.

Then, on Monday, I started light training again under Chris Eatough's guidance as usual. On my first ride I struggled to get my legs going, Jo was still waiting for me a bit as I was also suffering with a bit of bronchospasm and was coughing and phlegming again. I started to feel a little worried. But as the days progressed and I completed my 4th training ride of the week and was starting to have less and less coughing and feeling more human.

Saturday came and it was time for a quick 2.5hr ride at just under XC race pace (85% of max effort). So I rode with Jo down to Cwmcarn and was surprised to see that she was struggling to keep up. (Jo is riding really well at the moment, too.) It was then time for a couple of 85% efforts around the track with 10min at endurance pace for a "rest".

I'm amazed. I took nearly 4 mins off of my PB (which was a lungs on the bars type of ride) and I had a relatively easy few minutes as a rest. But I'll be the first to admit that I probably didn't do the resting phase properly, but hey?

It's time to work. Maybe I can make my PB a competitive one by the end of the year? Jo also beat her PB by about a minute, so tea and medals all round?