Kaboooom!

The BBAR, so many variables, it sometimes seems like riding your bike fast amounts to about 10% of the overall effort.  Entered a fast 100, 4 wks ago, all prepped, support sorted, accommodation sorted, no start sheet? Phoned to confirm, 'not received entry'! Hmm, not received or lost?? Big blow! As it turns out conditions were a little cruel on the day and it wasn't that fast, so not a complete loss.

Next biggy - Hampshire RC 50 (nr Portsmouth) - Entry received :-) Conditions great, build good, nutrition sorted, 26 miles in and flying, feel great, worst bit of the course done, average speed on for a PB, actually enjoying it.....27 miles, BANG, puncture, race over, 1.5 mile barefoot walk in skinsuit to Petersfield station, blagged a couple of phonecalls, taxi back to start (£12), drive home empty handed and pretty demoralised :-(

This BBAR malarkey isn't exactly plain sailing.

Focussed on the positives, looked forward not back, and excited about the next month of racing. 4 weekends, 4 races......let's av it!

Food update

In addition to my post 1st May 2013 i've reflected (and experimented) further with the campfood ideas.  Preparation remains the same but some slight changes to ingredients allowing for a veggie option:

(i've also included specific brands.  Sometimes not the 'budget' option but i've stated reasons why)

Dinner

- Uncle Bens boil in the bag 125g wholegrain rice - the bags are well designed with tabs and tear lines in the right places to avoid burn issues, plus the rice tastes better.

- Merchant Gourmet sun dried tomatoes - Great taste, slightly moist and still last well

- Pre cooked puy lentils (Merchant Gourmet or other brand) - Veggie option, taste, nutritional value

- Vegetable stock cube

- Smoked Cheese (optional)

- Merchant Gourmet Porcini mushrooms (optional) - Much better than dried due to cooking time although they have a powerful flavour.

Approx: Weight 330g, Cooking time 8 mins, Calories 650, size of a wayfarer, once opened lasts about 5 days

Breakfast

Same as before except substitute the sugar and coconut for custard power (thanks BeesBeans).  Easier to prepare pre trip and tastes great in the morning.

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!

 

 



Keswick mountain festival

Just spent a few days up in the lakes and for once didn't pack the walking boots.....

The reason we went. What a man and what a story, 'individual genius'

Top quality lavvu scran

An early start (4.30am) for a great cycle via Bassenthwaite

Vic made it up Kirkstone pass and Whinlatter for that matter

First BBAR test

Last Sunday was the first real test of the season, the Charlotteville CC 50, and unfortunately the weather gods didn't smile to favourably.  The sun was out but so to was the wind and on an out and back course a ferocious headwind on one leg seriously affects the times, and your sanity!  The build went well, nice campsite the night before, good warm up and equipment ticking over nicely but then the race........

Started well but after 20 miles slight hip pain, after 30 miles, severe hip pain, after 40 miles, my god i'm going to have to stop.....sod it you didn't travel all this way not to finish, last 10 miles serious 'col face' and then thankfully Vic was at the finish to help me into the back of the Berlingo and prise the bike from under me.  Couldn't entertain walking for 30 minutes, but after the ibuprofen kicked in some mobility returned and now 3 days later all's well.

Overall I felt good physiologically but need to have a positional re-think.  Managed a 1:53:21 (winner 1:50:29) which is the slowest i've done a 50 (conditions didn't merit quick times) but still got 6th which merited a whole £10.  Pretty chuffed considering there were 108 starters and that's the classiest field i've ever raced against.

Roll on the 100 in two weeks


A cold start but a good warm up, note the high quality technical hoodie.

I'd like to think it was because I was going so fast

Rice anyone?

Have been trying a flour and oat free diet for a while now.  Started it because I thought flour may aggravate my eczema (I have been tested a couple of times and both results showed a 'mild' allergy to wheat, oats, barley and rye) and then found I started feeling better for it, so have stuck with it.  Camp/expedition food needed some thought so I've come up with a couple of ideas, I admit, rice for breakfast is not everyones cup of tea, but it's not half bad.  Anyhow, my criteria was as follows:

- Flour & oat free (that's gluten free flour and wheat flour)
- High energy
- Light
- Small
- Easily packaged in freezer bags
- Easily prepared using jetboil or equivalent (8 mins cook time) & only one boil to include a drink
- Nutritious and tasty (hmm, the tasty bit is personal preference)
- Non perishable (ish) should last 3-5 days
- Easily purchased
- Fairly cheap

Not the easiest list to adhere to but here's a breakfast and dinner choice, try it, you might like it!

Breakfast - Approx 650 kcal, weight - 220g, Package size - half a wayfarer meal

Ingredients: 125g basmati rice bag (10 or 12 min cook time), dried mixed fruit, creamed coconut (approx. 40g), sugar

Boil approximately 700ml water (take about 300ml for a brew), add the rice bag and boil for about 7 mins, remove from heat and remove rice bag. Add fruit, coconut and sugar to water, stir until coconut is dissolved then open rice bag and add contents and stir.  Cover and leave for approx. 5 mins before eating.

Dinner (or tea if you're from up north!) - Approx 700 kcal, Package size - half a wayfarer meal

Ingredients: 125g basmati rice bag (10 or 12 min cook time), Chopped sun dried tomatoes, diced smoked sausage, some seasoning (smoked paprika, thyme & garlic works well) or veggie stock


Boil approximately 700ml water (take about 300ml for a brew), add the rice bag and boil for about 7 mins, remove from heat and remove rice bag. Add tomatoes, sausage and seasoning and stir, then open rice bag and add contents and stir.  Cover and leave for approx. 5 mins before eating.


I have tried and tested both recipes and am fairly chuffed with the results. If you try, let me know what you thought or if you have other ideas or variations let me know.

Review - Buffalo teclite cycle shirt

As an advocate of Buffalo clothing for summer and winter walking I was really looking forward to trying out the ‘one cycle shirt does all’ and was most keen to use it for cycle touring and commuting especially in the more inclement conditions from October – March (I was under no illusion that it would be too warm for the summer months)
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

Yes it keeps you warm in colder conditions (although I would recommend the DP system cycle shirt for very cold conditions) and when wet you remain warm as long as it’s worn next to the skin.  The yellow is extremely visible and the reflective piping does a good job in the dark, it’s the fit that lets it down, and lets it down badly! I'm 5'9" and opted for the small and still it’s far too long.  The rear pockets hold spares but have no rigidity meaning the tail often snags on the underside of the saddle and accessing anything from the pockets while moving is virtually impossible due to the flap.  The sleeves are long which can have the positive effect of covering glove cuffs in cold weather but also means there is far too much material flapping in the wind.  The main body of the garment flaps so much it feels like a sail, makes lots of noise and a potential safety concern I found was it proved difficult to ‘glance’ over my right shoulder to view oncoming traffic due to billowing shoulders (the only way to alleviate this is to wear a gilet over the top,  which hinders the wicking qualities of the garment).  In short, would I recommend this garment? The concept is great, the moisture moving qualities are excellent and it does keep you warm, but the fit is so bad that until these problems are addressed I would not recommend this purchase, unless you just want a top for ‘popping down the shops!’