Wet weather, another heavy cold and an offroad run

23^rd January 2018

Last Friday was the last time I was able to get out and do a few miles on the bike, since then  the rain hasn’t stopped! Saturday was a brief respite in the afternoon, so I was able to dash out and do 6 miles round town just as it was getting dusk, one of the down sides of these late afternoon runs is that my route takes me past the local reservoir, which I sometimes run round [no dogs allowed!!] and late afternoon is when all the dog walkers come out with the stupid extending leads that means by the time the dog has lunged for you its too late to pull it back in, I do try to give all dog walkers a wide berth, risking life and limb sometimes by running on the road !! not to mention those that don’t pick up the mess, so you have to keep an eye where you are putting your feet. Anyway, Saturday was quite mild, but damp, I found the 6 miles hard work once again, my PF in my foot reminding me every so often that it was there!! But! At least I got out.

Sunday was a very wet day , heavy rain all day so no outdoor activities, which I find hard to stay in all day, however, I could have gone out in the rain and got soaked, which brings me onto the next point, my heavy cold has returned with vengeance, I had a sore throat on Sunday, Monday [yesterday] I was sneezing all day, and felt dreadful, I was hoping to get out and ride or run, but! My mind wouldn’t let me, so another wasted day.

 views from Neroche  looking over Taunton Vale towards the Quantock hills, showing how low the cloud was

Tuesday [today] we had another viewing on our house, another timewaster we think! So had to make ourselves scarce, Mrs B had the hairdressers so after a wet start to the day  and the weather had cleared up I forced myself to get out and run , the cloud was low and it seemed at times as though it would rain again, but it held off whilst I did a 6 mile route over Neroche once again, it was very,very muddy and my feet were soon wet! I decided to take it very steady as I was suffering from my cold, I was alright until about 4.5 miles then realised that my legs had no energy, and I was feeling quite ill! I struggled on back to the car, feeling I had overdone it!!!! But pleased I had a 6 mile off road run in the bag, I just don’t see how I will be able to run 10 miles in a months’ time or 19 miles on March the 18^th!!! My PF was also giving me some pain, so am looking forward to the miracle cure of my expensive orthotic insole.

On another point the ‘spine’ race has just ended where the runners do the Pennine way in winter, I really don’t know how they do it, non-stop, the weather was atrocious, but the still manage it in about 6 days, that’s over 250 miles, huge respect for them!!!

I would settle just to get rid on my cold once and for all [ the third this winter] and build up my running and cycling, I am way behind last years miles for both and this time last year I was running 12 miles over the Quantocks, this year I would be lucky to walk it! I must stay optimistic, the days are very grey and wet at the moment, we could do with some bright sunny dry days.

Its wobble day tomorrow, the weather forecast once again is for heavy rain, I think at this rate I will have to get the paint out for a bit of DIY to tidy up the house as it doesn’t seem to be attracting buyers!

Not a very positive post, I must make an effort to be positive ! all this negativity is not good.

feast and famine week for running and cycling

19th January

After a really good week of running 21 miles and cycling 58 miles I was feeling I was getting into a good regime to build up to the Grizzly. Sadly it didnt last and this week including today I have not run for a week and I have only cycled 32 miles [today]. The weather has been very poor last week end, and a visit to Gloucester for eldest 39th birth day on Sunday  put paid to any weekend miles. Monday wasa complete wash out again with heavy rain and winds and also a trip to the podietrist!!!

I must say muddy roads along with hedge cuttings made the going heavy and the head wind didnt help. I renewed the chain, cassette, rear deraillur and the chainrings as well as rear brake blocks. I was shocked how badly worn the whole transmission was. I fitted stronglight chainrings instead of Campagnolo as they were much cheaper, but! as with all Campag I had to make a little alteration to make them fit! it all seems to work ok, the indexing is a little out and I think I need to shorten my chain by a link or so. I am pleased this is done, except today, the muddy wet roads have made it all a mess once again!!! I am also getting through brake blocks! riding in groups means you are always braking, especially down steep long hills. I also changed the rear tyre as it was looking decidedly worn, I had a partly worn one so was able to save a few pounds! so over £100 worth of kit fitted! hope thats the last for a while, alhough the winter roads are taking their toll.

Monday we also had a call to look after grandchildren as one of them was sick , so we drove up to Gloucester on Tuesday morning at 5:30 am for an early start. we then had two nights camped in 'Briersfield' campsite after looking after the twins in the day. the first night was chilly, but lovely and warm in the van, the heater being very effective, My new TV ariel also seems to work very well we can now get all channels not just 3 !!!! the second night was galeforce winds, a bit of van rocking, but nothing to worry about. the van was very comfortable and warm, we were very pleased with it over the two days.

My trip to the Podietrist was an expensive do! as it was suggested I have orthotic shoe insoles as she suggested this would correct the issue, I was also told to continue with my exercises. I was a little disappointed as she didnt tell me more and encourage me to run etc, she just said I could carry on running and the orthotic inserts would help, so I now await the arrival of my £325 insoles [£250 + scan consultancy etc]

So now we are back I hope to create a routine once again cycle 3 times a week between 60 and a 100 miles and run 3 times a week two times 7 miles and a longer 10 -12 miler by the end of the month.

I will only continue to look to do my Exmoor run on the 4th March and the Grizzly on the 18th if my PF improves and I can get the miles in, I am over 100 miles down on cycling for January last year and 60 + miles down on running, I am not sure why, except for weather!

One final point! spring is coming I saw my first snowdrop today! a solitary one in a hedge bottom on my cycle ride over the levels , wonderful to see!!!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year !

Since my last post of 2017 I have finally got rid of the nasty bug I picked up before Christmas.  I started the year well  with 19 miles run and 90 miles cycled, including a lovely ride over to Ottery St Mary, visiting Branscombe and Honiton on the way round, 40 miles covered and some big hills both up and down , a good lunch in the ‘peek a boo’ café in Honiton, weather was good for a change with bright sunshine.

I also did the Seaton Park run last Saturday with my daughter who achieved a PB with 31 minutes. My Planter Faciitis is still niggling in the background and is somewhat painful after the event. I have now decided to visit a podiatrist in Axminster who may be able to advise me on the best course of action to address it, or at least sort me out some orthotics, I fear however that the advice will be to stop running again, I have now entered the 10 mile ‘Exmoor Run’ in early March a good off road run round Symondsbath two weeks before the Grizzly. 

I do need to order some new road running shoes as my new ones are clearly too big, so hope to pass to my son, they just don’t feel right, but can I justify new shoes after having to spend over a hundred pounds on my bike! I have also signed up for the Trail Running Magazine #1000 which you challenge to run 1000 miles over the year, I did enter last year but the several months off in the middle for France and my injury meant I only covered less than 600 miles, but! I hope this year if more successful !!

The weather continues to be changeable warm then freezing with the roads now being very wet, muddy and full of pot holes. After cleaning my bike last weekend I was shocked at the state of the transmission, I have now ordered a new rear derailleur, cassette, chain and two new chain rings, all badly worn and likely to let me down, I also had to change the rear tyre as it was in a poor state, the winter this year is taking a toll on my equipment as its wet each time I go out, roll on spring!!

We have managed a couple of visits to the coast for coffee in the van over the past couple of weeks, keeping the van aired and running, I am looking forward to getting out for a few days sometime.

We have not had any more viewings on our house, up for sale since October last, we hope the spring will bring more interest.

Finally , I start my fifth year of my blog, going since 2014, last year I only managed less than 50 posts unlike my first year when I did 69! many thanks to anyone who reads this, I don't have any followers but notice I have views from all over the world. I still see this as a personal diary, and it is nice to check back previous years what I did when, what the weather was like and how I was going in my training etc.