Recent events....

100 mile TT - Not for the feint hearted. 3:50:13, 2nd, £50 richer :-) Very little hip pain (well at least I could get off the bike almost unaided) Advice: Train hard and smart, get as aero as you can sustain for that time, don't be afraid to get out of the saddle on slower uphills to stretch your legs which helps clear pooling lactate, have a calculated pacing strategy, practice food drops and get your nutrition right and have a wonderfully patient, considerate and all round top support crew - couldn't have done it without Vic, so massive thanks there (I can think of better things to do than sit at the side of a busy duel carriageway for 4 hours passing the odd bottle, and passing them really quite well I may add - not as easy as it sounds)

 

 

Pic du Midi - Family jaunt to Toulouse and the Pyrenees for a belated 70th birthday present for my mother. Pic du Midi houses a large observatory and small number of rooms at 2,788m. Drive to La Mongie ski resort get the cable car up and be entertained with food, lectures (all in French) and then get to stay up all night using their state of the art telescopes to watch the stars followed by a majestic sunrise over the Pyrenees.......well that was the plan. Drive, cable car, food - check! Star gazing and sunrise would have been mind blowing if it wasn't for the zero viz for our whole stay.  The max range was about 20 metres, and that's being generous. Oh well, still a great experience.

 

They get a bit of snow up there:

 

 

If the earth was flat and this telescope was pointed at London it could read the time off Big Ben, that's approximately 600 miles! (notice my niece bottom right, at least she could understand what was said)

 

 

South Wales - Managed to bag a little work last week taking students to Langorse in order for them to complete an Outdoor and Adventurous Activities module towards their Btec Diploma.  Good week had by all (mostly).  Weather was varied, as were the students, but got some walking in and a great bivvy by the lake, thanks to all concerned. Now to prepare for next weeks 100!