Nothing as exciting as last week to tell you this week I'm affraid. Good news though, my cold from last week didn't hang about long and I'm right back into my second block of training now. Wasn't it beautiful out there today, four hours in the rain is not fun. Well it's ok if somehow you can keep your body temperature up, this is something I'm going to have to work on I think! I was really warm for the first part of the ride, before it really started raining, but after about 90mins of rain my upper half of clothing had become too damp to really keep me warm. So it came down to a bit of a survival mission to get home without getting too cold!
Still, I suppose it is December now so what can I expect. It was certainly pretty chilly yesterday morning, there were still puddles frozen in Richmond park at gone 11am! There was a bright blue sky to behold though, it's not all bad...
This was White Lodge in the heart of the park yesterday morning, not bad for the back of the house is it!
I came across this little gem the other day, just by clicking the next tab at the top of the page, which directs you to another random blog. I assume by Talent, the author means ''form'', either way I thought its pretty clever...
"Talent must be a fanatical mistress. She's beautiful; when you're with her, people watch you, they notice. But she bangs on you door at odd hours, and she disappears for long stretches, and she has no patience for the rest of your existence: your wife, your children, your friends. She is the most thrilling evening of your week, but some day she will leave you for good. One night after she's gone for years, you will see her on the arm of a younger man, and she will pretend not to recognize you." From the book CITY OF THIEVES by David Benioff
Ok, so last time in my recapping of 2009, I just finished the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, a couple of weeks later was a local favourite: The Les Ingman Memorial on the super tough Bletchingly circuit. This race has been won by the likes of Cervelo pro Dan Lloyd before, so has a reasonable amount of prestige attached. I was looking for a top ride, as the form was good, and the race is also organised by a local club, Norwood Paragon, with which I have a few connections.
Eventually I made the winning break along with a few London Dynamo's and Steve Calland, and later Alex Higham and Dan Felstead. The race was over 130km long, and I spent 80 of those in a break off the front, it was a tough day! It was also pretty warm for April, my face was covered in salt by the finish, mmm. So eventually, the break having nearly been caught on the penultimate lap, came to the last few miles as a group of 7. I knew I had worked hard in this race, but I was fairly confident I had a shot at the win.
Tom Hemmant from Dynamo attacked solo with about 2 miles to go, he had to, Dynamo had 3 riders in a break of 7. Unfortunately for me I was at the front at this point, me swinging off was no use, there was an obvious reluctance by the non-Dynamo riders to take it up. Tom was not getting away though, and eventually with less than a mile to go, Steve Calland made his move on the final drag before the finish. I was perfectly placed to react and go with him, and the bridge said go, however the engine room would not respond. I was in pure pain until I crossed the line in the second half of the group to claim 5th. I was pretty pleased to do well, but I felt maybe I could have won the race in different circumstances. But if's and but's are of course no use to anyone. It would not be the last time Steve Calland showed his class either. Next time, my Premier Calendar debut... haha!
Ok, as promised coming up are a few snaps from the past weekend. But first, after winter started warm and wet, the cold has arrived... in a big way! Unfortunately all that blue is headed this way, well I say headed, its bloody cold already, and as of this afternoon there is already 2cm of snow outside my house. Apparently, theres more to come... oh good. Best find me a mountain bike!
So as previously shown, a slightly better photo of our house, with Jay and I waiting to get riding!
Josh soon turned into Phil O'Connor and was snapping away happily, a typical Vlaamse lane here.
Just before the coffee was brewed at the Centrum de Ronde Van Vlaanderen in Oudenaarde there was just time for the obligatory posing by the old Molteni team car, mmm a brown 70's Volvo... nice!
Amazingly, the sun came out after that, but fortunately the standard grey Belgian sky remained for this one!
Waregem is apparently a big horse racing town, I guess demonstrated by the massive equine statue above... home from home then.
