Ah ****.. The final 2 races of Beastway tomorrow & Saturday and MSG on Sunday and…

…I’ve woken up with a bad cold. Blocked nose, stream nose & eyes, headache…

If only it had waited one more week!

I’m interested to see how much of a time penalty the B line around the ruddy massive rock garden will be, I don’t even fancy trying to mince down that!

Use a dropper?

In an out of the doldrums / no good at XCO kinda thing, I rode my way round to 9th overall at Mountain Mayhem in the Solo category in rather grippy muddy conditions, 19 laps, 213.5km & 6200m of climbing

I now have my first cold of the year and a whacking great Coldstream on my top lip, bloody hard work this 24 hours solo stuff.

Nice work Steve. I’m currently prepping for my own – 3rd – solo attempt at the Bonty at the end of July.

oh god, I just went for a pootle with Mrs K on the school run, as a pretext to tomorrows race with no intensity due to my cold.

I’m aching all over, this isn’t going to go well is it?

🙁

My racing plans have been ruined this year, the southern enduro series which I had pre-entered all rounds + a handful of local dh races.
Damaged knee at bpw at the beginning of may. Waiting for a date for the op still.
Additionally my 1st ever morzine trip in july has had to be cancelled also.

Use a dropper

Unless he has one that’s quite an expense for one section of one race, and it’s not that likely to revolutionise his riding of said section!

I’ve still not done a proper XC race this year, which means I have no points, which I think means I lose my expert licence. No great loss – not like I’m racing anyway! Bit shit though. That’s my last memento of the times when I won races. **sigh**

Well, the new plastic bike has arrived, and Lemsip Cold & Flu max is in full effect.

So for the sake of a) my new shiny bike and b) me do I race/pootle my first ride on it in wet muddy conditions?

*drums fingers*

a) I would, but
b) trumps it – give it a miss and get better. Nothing good comes of racing with colds/aches.

Njee – you were right about Pippingford. Great venue with lots of elevation. But it was muddy – proper muddy. Running up hills muddy. Still enjoyed it though and definitely rate it as a good venue. Just needs some dry weather – none of this ‘month-of-rain-in-a-day’ business the day before.

Njee, I thought that you kept your expert licence regardless of what points you get. I know elites can get demoted back down to expert.

You’re right about the dropper as well, I definitely think my next race bike will have a dropper (will probably be full suss as well) but for now I don’t want to put a dropper on my hardtail, it really doesn’t help that I’ve got no provision for internal routing and that all the 27.2 droppers look terrible! (Gravity dropper I’m looking at you)

Unless he has one that’s quite an expense for one section of one race, and it’s not that likely to revolutionise his riding of said section![/I]

True and tbh I’ve not done any XC-racing since leaving the SE and the Gorricks but I did the GT7 last month and had a dropper on the HT. It meant I could keep up with folk far more skilled than me on the descents, especially the steep gulley that many walked down, probably was worth 30 seconds. Also meant I could ride the drop-off bombhole which was worth about 5 places compared to the chicken-run.

This one, my HT is 27.2 and I just use the underseat lever – it just works, not as ergonomic as a remote, but no cables so easy to swap etc.

https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/xfusion_hilo_dropper_seat_post-ID_66449?gclid=CKTH8ZeMzc0CFUwq0wodyHAK9Q&gclsrc=aw.ds

Or get some coaching I guess.

Or get some coaching I guess.

I was strongly considering this but I just haven’t got the cash!

Well, the new plastic bike has arrived, and Lemsip Cold & Flu max is in full effect.

So for the sake of a) my new shiny bike and b) me do I race/pootle my first ride on it in wet muddy conditions?

*drums fingers*

Unless it’s going to lose you a series podium the honest answer is don’t bother. You’ll get wet, cold and make yourself ill.

I’m not going – torrential rain, mudbath 130mile round trip blah blah

My Epic remains unridden………..

I’m still tempted as its on 18miles round trip for me looky looky

[url=https://flic.kr/p/JvDa7V]image[/url]

Very nice – looks like you need flat bars or stem slammage.

Ill is ill regardless of new bike………

Don’t ride. The longer you can put off finding out that buying a new bike had made no difference, the happier you will be.

Lol!

I am aware. But I NEED the latest geometry 😉

Well I’m still alive, and faster on that ^^. I’m amazed by how much more spritely and better handling it is over the Anthem, excellent. Surprisingly comfy too.

ADSH, it was amazingly dry – a couple of puddles that was it. Took me 5 min to spray down the bike & re-lube.

Kryton, did I miss a new bike thread? What you got?

Thinking of pulling the plug on my racing season here, which is pretty galling given the winters efforts. It was all going well in March. Just didn’t race enough early season and then lost about a month to illness then immediately after lost a couple of more weeks of proper training to a holiday (which should have been a nice mid season break.) Just nowhere near to where I should be right now. Balls 🙁

Not sure I have the motivation to crack on with the racing for probable mediocre results. Maybe time to think about some winter cross 😕

Kryton, sorry, I should have looked at the previous page! Nice.

Know the feeling – similar here but luckily no holiday. I’m trying to be positive and target late season events.

My first Z4 session after a month off showed I’ve not lost much if any power but need to build some more aerobic fitness. As for skill…

One thing I’ll say – going into events with no expectations and a gameplan just to utterly beast yourself or conversely enjoy yourself can give surprising results.

luckily no holiday

Was actually a really good holiday, and I did get to do a lot of riding, too hot for decent training though (35+ degrees each day.) Would have been a nicely timed easing off had May and June gone to plan. Unfortunately given what actually happened it ended up being very inconveniently timed.

One thing I’ll say – going into events with no expectations and a gameplan just to utterly beast yourself or conversely enjoy yourself can give surprising results.

I think that’s true for some events but not for testing. It’s not called the race of truth for nothing! Lost a big chunk of mid season, not nearly enough racing, gained a couple of kilos, down on power, and crucially about 6 weeks mid season of not riding the TT bike. It’s not going to to end well 🙁

I’m trying to be positive and target late season events.

Can’t really do much else 😉

Trying to work out if I’m still not 100% since being ill 2 months ago.

Did this on Sunday after a week’s rest from a tough 3 week block. It was a pretty hard effort (40minutes over threshold)possibly verging on race pace

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Kmk2NH]Ivinghoe[/url] by [/url], on Flickr

Rested a couple of days then some Z2 yesterday which was surprisingly tough and ended up feeling a bit nauseous and now really tired.

Just a bit much and effect of heat or something more underlying? I have this nagging feeling I’m more susceptible to fatigue

I’d go with age, its affecting your memory as well (bike pics) 😉

@adsh
Don’t know whose zones you are using to end up with 6, but i’m seeing a 6.5hr ride with 40mins well over LT power and 2hrs of Tempo/Sweetspot. It would be pretty normal to need a full week to recover fully from a ride like that. 40mins of z6 is a fairly tough workout that should take a couple of easy days to recover from all by itself.

Bvggar! after not having raced since early June and having got some decent training in, feeling pretty good and last xc races lined up Sunday and the week after, I now have a stomach bug/food poisoning 🙁

In bed with a bottle of high five zero for medicine. Gutted – in many ways literally 🙁

Pffft, back in the doldrums 🙁

How so?

My shoulder feels like someone kicked the shit out of it, luckily August for me is “rest” month coinciding with Summer term and the family hols – although I have a 10m & 25m TT and the Torque 12 solo scheduled 🙂

I have a session with my physio tonight but I am expecting a “stay off the bike” diagnosis so will be firmly back in here if that happens.

Ah just a bit of “disappointing not to plan season” grumpiness. Partly compounded by team mates doing well just hammering home that I’m not where I want to be right now. Crap ride last night too, evenings getting colder and darker. Am getting quicker now as I’m getting back on track with racing but not really as quick as I’d hoped to be going at the start of the season. Also a bit of family and work pressure on time. Wondering if it’s time to just stop and re-think 😕

Edit… I’ve also had to finished up with the coach i’ve been working with for training plans (mostly pressure from Mrs B on the amount of money spent.) I’ve got enough experience to probably do most of it myself now but I’m already building my plan around other commitments rather than being given a plan and then working out how to make that work given the commitments I have… if that makes sense! It’s quite a significant difference and I do suspect my training will not be at the same level as it was last winter.

although I have a 10m & 25m TT and the Torque 12 solo scheduled

Sounds very restful 🙂 Where’s your 10 and 25?

The course is F1B/25 on 14th – Finsbury Park CC. The course profile suits me (mostly flat) so I’m hoping it won’t be a complete disaster. If I can get under 1:15 I’d be happy.

Conversely I feel pleased with myself. Two huge “training camp” weeks culminating in a 7day TSS of just under 1,300. Final ride was 6hrs of tempo intervals (20hill ride)which required as much mental strength as racing to complete. Beyond pain was gain.

I hope to recover, taper with some fun but intense XC/Strava hunting and be ready for a busy racing August..

Two huge “training camp” weeks culminating in a 7day TSS of just under 1,300.

Good effort there!

Conversely I feel pleased with myself.

adsh, you have no business posting on this thread, please take your smugness elsewhere 😉

Rewind a month and I was the main contributor! Still haven’t raced yet mind….

Adsh, what’s the racing? XC? CX?

I am officially banned for rides over 6h of any kind for 12 months. Its all to do with duration & vibration. The release of my knotted shoulder muscle (using dry needling) was so powerful my shoulder involuntarily leapt off the physio table – thats a muscle under tension alright. Naturally it hurt – a lot.

Oh well, focusing on XCO and TT only now then for a bit, and try to move/cancel/sell my two 12hr solo entries for this year.

12hrs on a unicycle? No vibration reaching shoulder that way 🙂

XC for me. May also try to do an ITT in September.

Now I’ve got a patellar compression injury 😥 350 hours training for TIYS and I’m going to have to withdraw. 2017 – the season where racing never happened. Think I may make 2018 the season where training doesn’t happen in the hope I might actually do some racing.

adsh, that sucks. What’s the prognosis?

the season where racing never happened

Feel much the same about this season. A couple of results I’m reasonably pleased with but really not enough racing for the work put in. Can’t even be arsed with what’s left of this season’s racing now, just want to crack on with winter plans and get to the next season 😕

Are you living in a parallel future universe?

Bad luck though, what happened? expected healing time?