Posted by Mark on December 25, 2008 under training | 
Got out for a nice spin on Christmas day. Whilst visiting the In Laws up North it was nice to take the opportunity to get some proper hills in.
A bit on the foggy side and rather chilly when I set out, I was above the clouds by the highest part on the ride – this set out a spectacular view over the rolling Yorkshire Dales, with low, bright orange sunshine in the distance and a couple of dark and moody clouds above the higher peaks around. And the roads mostly to myself. Smashing stuff!
Route…
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/1619578
Stats…
Posted by Mark on December 21, 2008 under training |
Good ride out today, nice weather, round about 11º. Just three of us out, but that was enough to keep us rolling ok on the flats.
Felt good, having eaten my own bodyweight in brown rice and sweet potato the night before. No wonder I had bags of energy today. Polished off a Torq bar, one slice of malt loaf, and a rock cake at Box Hill. One bottle of Torq energy drink, half a bottle of water.
New PB on Box Hill, 7:43, woot!
Route…
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/1578992
Stats…
Posted by Mark on December 15, 2008 under sport |
I used to love Formula One motor racing. I grew up watching every race with my father. But in the last seven or eight years I just haven’t bothered, unless I particlarly wanted a Sunday afternoon nap (guaranteed watching F1 racing these days). As a total petrolhead [and cyclist!] this is a tricky thing to swallow.
I remember passing through Monaco in a Mercedes [diesel, eugh!] hire car a handful of years back, on the way to Nice for my 30th birthday. As we passed Monaco I couldn’t resist doing a recce of the circuit that would be used for the F1 race. I had to beg the-now-Mrs-Phillips for a third bash at the circuit, and I distinctly remember the excitement of trundling around the crowded road for that third time.
For the last race of the F1 season I decided it was time to tune in and watch our boy Lewis Hamilton try, for a second time, to win the season. No one can deny what he’s achieved is spectacular – and having visited the McLaren factory [for an interview] last year, I can attest to what an incredible effort goes into that team, from apparently every angle.
But, given my various passions, I also could not – and did not – want for a more deserving BBC Sports Personality of the Year than Chris Hoy (ok, a tiny lie there – I think Nicole Cooke is the most deserving cycling champion out there today; I phoned up twice and voted for Hoy then her. EDIT: Matt Seaton has some good words on the topic). In every interview Hoy comes across as a great bloke – humble, intelligent and thoughtful; but at the same time not a marketing machine, as Hamilton is prone to come across as. I have hoped, for the latter part of this year, that Hoy actually gets it, and needlessly to say I was jumping with joy and shouting at the TV this evening when he won.
Is this a sign that the public is recognising cycling as a great sport? Is this a shift in mentality that might, might just, mean that soon riding on the streets won’t mean so much abuse and lackadaisical attention from car drivers? That the sports folks such as Hoy, Cooke, Wiggins, Cavendish, Pendleton, Pooley etc won’t have to slog their hearts out for little recognition – that they’re finally seen as the hard working sports personalities that they are? I do hope so.
Testament to that this evening was the team award going to the GB Olypmics Cycling Squad, and trainer of the year going to Dave Brailsford. And rightly so I think. You know cycling is a worthy – and hard – sport when footballers finish their professional days and take up cycling as a challenge to fulfill noble causes; Geoff Thomas and Alan Shearer.
Chris Hoy – and the rest of the GB Cycling Squad – a big hand to you folks, you totally deserve all the recognition you got this evening. Congratulations.
Posted by Mark on December 14, 2008 under training |
I didn’t get up this morning for the Sunday ride.
What a lazy git.
Posted by Mark on December 7, 2008 under training |
Managed to haul my lazy arse out of bed again today, amazingly – given that it was -2º out.
Met up with a few of the chap from the BikeRadar.com forum again, which was nice. On arriving at Richmond Park, the car said it was -2.5º – deep joy. Probably the coldest I’ve ever been out for a ride in.
Headed out of town the usual way, Kingston, Cobham, etc. The first quite country lane we hit though was covered in ice.
It was Mike who hit it first, shouting back how bad it was. He and Al managed to get over it just fine, but the landrover barrelling down the road like there was no tomorrow was too much for Wilf, and his attempt at keeping out of the way meant his front wheel went sideways under braking.
Rich piled into the back of him, and I just managed to keep it up right with some skillful ‘outrigging’ after unclipping mightily quickly.
Poor Rich – puncture last time we were out, and this time a bent derailleur hanger. He went down on his right side 
There was no way he should continue, so he didn’t – with Mike opting to head back home with him, fearful of the danger that might well lay ahead.
Al, Wilf and I continued on. Nothing to worry about – or so we thought.
We managed most of the route without incident, in all fairness. It was on the obligatory Box Hill challenge though were we discovered all the ice wasn’t yet gone. On the last hairpin before the summit Al went down – derailleur side, again. Luckily with no damage.
I got to the top, in 8:14 (shaved 41 seconds off my last time, so not all bad 
), and had just unclipped to turn into the cafe went I found another patch of ice. Down I went, almost in slow motion – derailleur side down The many faces, there happily supping their teas and coffees, turned to watch me clatter to a heap. Oh the shame.
Still, it was very slow motion, my left foot was already out, and I bruised nothing and did no damage. And, to top it all, a friendly chap gave me 9 out of 10 for my fall. I was pleased with that
Four hours, 83kms, a smattering of hills, a couple of clif bars and a three slices of malt loaf. Job done.
