lukestermokes

S**t cyclists say...

2012-01-25T17:13:00.000Z

We all know it's true. My score was 5.

Yours?

Better start training....

2012-01-20T20:33:00.001Z

Dear Moseley LUKE,

You have already pre-registered for the CCC® race.
The draw has taken place and we have the pleasure of confirming your registration for the CCC® race!

You must finalise your registration as from 20/01/2012 and before 30/01/2012.

Here is the procedure to follow :
- Go to your runner’s file, and click on the bubble "my registration 2012".
- In the frame, "state of your registration" will appear the text "Draw"
- Click on the button "Finalise my registration" ; you will access the payment page for your registration.
- chose the options which interest you
- you may now add a donation, amount of you choice, to the charity "Les Amis de Children’s Home", a charity which helps children in Nepal (more info., click here). In advance a big thank-you on their behalf!
- the system shows you the total to be paid
- click on "Bank card" and undertake the online payment with your bank card (system of safe payment)
- you will receive a confirmation of your registration by email, with, as an attachment, the 2012 medical certificate which you must use

Due to the large number of people who have not been lucky in the draw, and to be as fair as possible, we are being very vigilant concerning the application of the rules. In particular, we would like to remind you that your registration will not be definitive until your qualifying races are verified. In the case of an incorrect declaration of qualifying races, non-conformity of the regulations or falsification, the organisation reserves the right to cancel your registration without reimbursement according the rights of engagement.

We wish you an excellent start to the season !

Les Trailers du Mont-Blanc

Canada for President...

2012-01-13T14:21:00.000Z

or Prime Minister! I'm pretty sure they could do better than the Eton-Westminster private school coalition love-in we've got at the moment.

Thanks to http://www.weightymatters.ca for the link.

Thanks Warwick

2012-01-08T13:06:00.001Z

For the video link.

You think you could get insurance for a race like this in the UK...?

Junkyard Cross Race from Erik Silverson on Vimeo.

Unlikely!

He dresses smarter than I do to go to work...

2012-01-06T08:46:00.000Z

... while he climbs Half-Dome without any protection.

I cannot wait!

2011-12-23T15:20:00.000Z

ITEN - The Town of RED Dust Teaser Trailer from Erik O'Neill on Vimeo.

Looks awesome :)

We all know the message...

2011-12-15T18:16:00.000Z

... but sometimes it can be put across so brilliantly that you have to listen, and think, again.

What do you do when you meet up with old friends?

2011-12-09T14:45:00.000Z

Pub? Club? Meal out?

We don't. We run!

From jimmy and gooders and charlie run dec 2011

Found it!

2011-12-07T20:09:00.000Z

Don't panic though, I'm entering the shorter, 60 mile, version. Entries via a draw. Fingers crossed!

Boys week because...

2011-12-05T17:25:00.000Z

... Paula was away on a course/exam in Stockport (nice!). As a result C and I found time to do all the important things like watch lots of top gear, go on mini-adventures to the swings, swim, have hot chocolates and wear wellies to bed (but not to sleep!).

From Camera roll

And we also sent mum some good vibes.

From Camera roll

General tidiness was relegated to Friday, but mission 'clean up and wear matching socks' was accomplished in plenty of time :)

Small adventures...

2011-11-21T14:19:00.000Z

Are stepping stones to bigger adventures. Who can remember those first rides; rolling out of their street with their friends to go on bike rides, only to return covered in mud, jam sandwiches eaten, dizzy with exhaustion and full of smiles?

This is the first step on that path...

Failure is rarely fun...

2011-11-08T21:07:00.001Z

And this wasn't. I aimed for 1:15 at Cardiff half marathon and was on pace till 6 miles. I struggled to 8 miles, blew and 10 and died at 11.

See the pain first hand below...

Winter's on it's way

2011-11-07T18:37:00.001Z

So time for meeting up with Grandpa Malcolm for tea and plays in a rainy park.

From malcolm charlie november 2011

And time to wrap up warm in Dad's down jacket to keep the cold out when I'm on the bike.

From malcolm charlie november 2011

It's Cross season, I'm not partaking, which after watching this is a good thing...

2011-09-28T23:19:00.000+01:00

Do you think Joey's ok? I don't.

We rule the world?

2011-09-25T21:54:00.000+01:00

We (the UK) have got:

The #1 ranked female triathlete in the world (Helen Jenkins)
the #1 and #2 ranked male triathletes in the world (messers Browlee)
The male world road race champion (Mark Cavendish)
The silver medalist in the mens TT at the worlds (Wiggins)
The female bronze medalist in the TT at the worlds (Emma Pooley, last years World Champ)
The U23 mens bronze medalist in the road race
The Junior womens world champion in the road race

All in the past 3 weeks.

Who cares is the economy is in the pan!

Did I say coming soon?

2011-09-14T21:11:00.000+01:00

I did say holiday photos and stories would be coming soon. But that's not true, and there comes a point where posting tales of holidays is so late it's no longer news.

Therefore perhaps it's worth taking the easy way out and linking to an eye-popping video.

2011 Whitewater Grand Prix from Tribe Rider on Vimeo.

Holiday news coming soon...

2011-09-02T19:45:00.001+01:00

In the meantime after an evening swimming in the river Wye (dont panic safety conscientious readers, we took turns and Charlie alternated between chasing sheep and trying to eat sheep poo (looks like raisins)).

The upshot is we're lucky to live where we do!

No photos of swiM, cant yet figure out how to Blog and attach photos from phone.....

Posted with BloghuB for Windows Phone 7

Mullet powered, pink bike riding, seagull shooting, what more do you need?

2011-08-30T21:48:00.001+01:00

Need some more mullet in your life?

Joe Barnes Patriot Testing Day from Joe Barnes on Vimeo.

Camping is very British...

2011-08-09T21:48:00.000+01:00

and so is inclement weather. Nevertheless the Moseley-Liddington-Wills-Atkinson clan braved the elements and camped like never before.

Charlie's at a great age, lots of giggles and keen to help with everything. Sometimes his assistance is not very helpful though, like when I'm of putting up the tent.

From Camera roll

Or trying to organise things on the beach...

From Camera roll

Or trying to make it back to the tent & keep warm before it started to rain...

From Camera roll

The undisputed highlight of the week for Mr C was Becca's stomp rocket. After sitting and carefully watching Buster, Milo and Keir playing with it he wondered over and decided it was time to launch it himself...

I'm not that keen....

2011-08-07T19:51:00.002+01:00

on training for another IM. The 6 hr bikes, 3 hr runs and basic removal from real life put me off.

But if I did, I'd do the Norseman.

The holidays are here...

2011-08-01T22:21:00.000+01:00

Which obviously means it's time for a photo of Charlie with a bucket on his head.

From Starred Photos

We're blessed with wonderful grandparents (at last Charlie is!) and with their help we've been away for a week sans Mr C. It's never easy to leave him behind but he's not a fan of 5 hour bike rides, 40 degree heat or long days travelling. He is a fan of attention though, and so 7 days being spoilt by Grannie Annie and Grandma Mo was a treat for him!

So we spent a lovely week here. Having been to lots of training camps, both organised and DIY style, I can honestly say Idlebreaks is as good as the very best. Peaceful, great pool, excellent riding, quiet roads (eerily quiet, like one car an hour quiet, where was everyone??!?), big climbs and fantastic hosts. Everything you need for a perfect break.

From Starred Photos

Huge thanks to Andy and Tracy for being so welcoming and looking after us so well. We're planning our next visit already.

Tractors are more interesting than playgrounds!

2011-07-06T18:48:00.001+01:00

Charlie loves tractors, even more than playgrounds. We rode to the best playground in Hereford and Mr c spent 30 min watching the tractor mow the grass :-)
Oh to be 18 months old!

posted from Bloggeroid

Need an mtb fix...

2011-07-03T23:05:00.001+01:00

Nowdays my mtb rides are all in my mind. That's not so bad as I'm happy doing what I'm doing, but it's always nice to have the memories jogged with a nice filim...

Find -The Mountain Bike Film from ResetFilms.co.uk on Vimeo.

You've got to be both right and angry to spend you time making a video....

2011-06-10T22:26:00.001+01:00

and this bloke clearly is both!

video credit to Beth :)

A Dolly Parton soundtrack, random nudeiness & cross bikes...

2011-06-04T13:56:00.002+01:00

What more could you ask for?

The Cotic X - Late for work from Joe Bowman on Vimeo.

We've been....

2011-06-03T10:56:00.000+01:00

to Stellenbosh, and run in the mountains up there. Not quite as fast as the Don though...

Homemade...

2011-05-25T23:41:00.000+01:00

is the new shop-bought. Nothing beats homemade playdough when you're stuck for ideas, Charlie is hugging your legs and emitting ultra-high pitched noises and there's stuff to be done.

A quick Google, a trip to the stores (for the missing ingredients - industrial quantities of salt and colouring) and we're there. Result = 45 minutes of fascination... sorted.

Another thing to add to the shopping list...

2011-05-22T15:25:00.000+01:00

www.simonwhitfield.com - "Yeah but can Cavendish do this?" (@markcavendish) from swhitfield on Vimeo.

The bouncy castle... not the bike (although if you have one knocking around?)

The end must be coming...

2011-05-17T22:34:00.000+01:00

when I read this on the BBC website.

"... nearly one fifth of parents of children aged 0-4 years have bought a television for their baby's bedroom."

Surely that is a joke. Surely.... please? Someone?

We missed Charlie...

2011-05-12T20:23:00.000+01:00

But had a good time :)

8 days in Majorca over Easter was just what we needed. We were a worried that we'd miss Mr C too much (but not worried at all that he'd miss us, he had his Grannies looking after him and would be too tired to miss us!). In the end all worked perfectly.

I peed red but didn't set a PB...

2011-04-16T14:51:00.000+01:00

The jury is still out on beetroot juice. Well, we're all in agreement that it tastes minging, it makes you feel sick and it turns your excretions red. We're just not convinced as to whether it makes you go faster.

The TT went ok. I suffered and felt like a dog. I also broke a spoke after 3 miles on the 1080 which was a bit of a pisser (expensive to repair and it rubbed for the remaining 7 miles... you'd think the remaining 19 spokes would be able to keep it in true!).

Back to the point. My PB for the Leo course is 21:50 with an average power of 340 W (quarters of 350, 350, 340, 330). I went 22:50 with an average power of 330 W (360, 340, 320, 310). Easy to see that I need to pace it better! I wonder if the juice made the first 5 min of 360 feel so easy, did it lull me into a false sense of 'Cancellara-ness'???

A couple of weeks off (Majorca bound!) then back on it.

I feel sick....

2011-04-14T16:50:00.001+01:00

but it might be worth it.

http://sweatscience.com/the-beet-goes-on-nitrates-improve-cycling-time-trial-performance/

Will report back after tonight's 10 mile TT at Leominster.

Nothing like an n=1 study with no double blind to really make you feel confident about the efficacy of something.

The big question is, will a coffee push me over the edge and actually make me sick?

[Edited 17:11 - after sitting on the loo for the last 30 minutes and doing endless masssive sicky burps I've just checked the date of the post and the linked scientific paper. It's not April 1st, thank goodness. The quest goes on!]

Close but no cigar...

2011-04-13T17:25:00.000+01:00

Thanks to everyone who voted for me (here)

I came second :( Just close enough to smell the £3000, but not close enough to actually spend it!

I did, however, have the most online votes so a huge thanks to everyone who took the time to vote!

Fame and fortune will have to wait!

Feeling comfortable?

2011-04-05T21:24:00.000+01:00

So was I.

This is how other people win.

Justin Bieber...

2011-04-01T17:43:00.001+01:00

Discovered fame, fortune and eternal happiness (well, at least 2 of those) via You Tube. I'm setting my targets a little lower with just £3000 up for grabs (and £7000 for school) if I win this competition.

So, please vote for me and pass on to your friends/family.

Thanks in advance :)

ps - All done in 1 take - so all the blame goes to me for talking to the wrong camera and Greg and Scott. the production gurus are blameless for all mistakes and creditworthy for all merits.

The belly flop to beat all belly flops...

2011-03-18T16:37:00.001Z

I esp. love his "I feel glorious"! Ron Burgundy would be proud.

It's hard to remember that...

2011-03-17T22:29:00.000Z

eating was ever hard work. We all have to learn sometime though. Now it's nicer weather being able to put Charlie outside as he masters the finer points of yoghurt consumption makes cleaning up much easier :)

It's also warm enough to mean the start of the racing season. We all got our new bikes out in the sun...

From charlie with mo, Peopleton

And P and I got our proper race faces on for the first time this year...

From charlie with mo, Peopleton

It's pretty obvious that P didn't marry me for my ability to combine racing with any kind of fashion sense.

Lucky lucky...

2011-03-10T21:08:00.002Z

Been down...

2011-03-06T22:49:00.000Z

in the morass of humanity that includes anyone who has a non-specific weakness/illness. It's not a fun place to be. Fortunately P wasn't struck with the same weakness so was able to take Charlie while I lolled around in bed hating being tired. Then she was. Which was pretty dull for all concerned.

Both out the other side now, I know this because watching this makes me think "I should do more core stuff", rather than "More lemsip please..."

at times we are absolutely ridiculous from swhitfield on Vimeo.

Christchuch...

2011-02-23T19:42:00.000Z

Has been really hit. I've spent some wonderful time there, it's where P and I got married and we have some great friends (and followers of this blog) in and around the city.

We're too far away to offer any real help but we've dontated to the NZ Red Cross and hope that it makes a tiny difference. (here if you want to help too).

Paula and I are thinking of everyone there and hoping all our friends are safe and well.

I've got blisters.

2011-02-20T23:48:00.003Z

but at least I haven't got a splinter like this bloke....

wouldn't let me embed :(

It takes two...

2011-02-20T21:38:00.000Z

At least it did for me today. Bobby and I hit a half-marathon today with the aim of getting sub 1:15.

We didn't quite make it. Bobby dragged me round, set the pace, shielded me from the wind and bigged me up when I was grunting. Even then I cracked first and slowed us down to a 1:16.

Had a great time though :)

From move

New toy alert!

2011-02-12T21:25:00.002Z

Locked in a Vegas Hotel Room with a Phantom Flex from Tom Guilmette on Vimeo.

Cheese eating surrender monkeys... or rock hard but bonkers divers...

2011-02-10T19:40:00.002Z

you be the judge....

There are many many things that scare me a great deal. Diving in freezing water under the ice has got to be near the top of those that would make me lose control of my bladder....

First ascents are always a huge achievement...

2011-02-04T13:38:00.002Z

Especially when they are your first ascent of anything, ever!

Recovery...

2011-01-29T21:22:00.000Z

All athletes know recovery is a vital part of training. Charlie is following this to the T.

From Downloads

You may have trouble defining irony....

2011-01-22T22:33:00.000Z

... I certainly do (notwithstanding these fine efforts A, B and C ). But it can't be far off the mark if I'm blogging about my agreement with this article on the negative effects of social networking. FB? Twitter? No thanks.

On the other hand the web is pretty useful....

From charlie new shoes and cobcc annual dinner 2010

Charlieman has his first set of 'real' shoes and has embarked on his wobbly way to being a biped. Place all objects of value above one metre, you have been warned...

C's first birthday and male bonding...

2011-01-10T21:19:00.001Z

Charlie is now 1 and a bit and we celebrated with a walk and picnic. He didn't seem that bothered though.... lots of sleeping :)

Charlie and I also did some man-socialising.... Goodie came over from Oxford and Uncle Bobby down from Mansfield. Coffee was drunk, cakes were eaten and miles were run.

From Drop Box

From Downloads

Christmas has been and gone...

2011-01-09T19:57:00.000Z

and all is good in the world.

We were lucky enough to have a great Christmas, Paulas family came over and I managed to pull off dinner with zero dramas, which was surprising.

From christmas 2010

It was as cold as I've ever known it, the river froze over and bogies froze in my nose! With so much family support (from both P's and my family) we were able to get out and enjoy the best of the beautiful weather.

From christmas 2010

But the main point was Charlie's first Christmas. With all the attention he loved it, although the presents largely passed him by he'll appreciate them over the next few months as we bring them out one by one (rationing style). He did love being Chief Elf though!

From christmas 2010

But essentially all is good in the world. Hope yours was as good as ours.... Happy New Year!

From phone dump jan 2010

I am weak....

2010-12-21T12:56:00.000Z

I had a story to post where I was going to make fun of how tough it is training in the snow and cold. We've done some good hours in the snow and cold and the garage. I was pretty pleased with myself and also a bit down for being a bit sub-par with a cold/cough.

The I saw this....

How tough was your day?

Tis the season for new things...

2010-12-17T13:11:00.000Z

Charlie's got a new bike... (pls excuse 'dad speak'!)

The house has got new solar panels...

From charlie giggling being tickled by P and solar panels

And all is good in the world...

From charlie giggling being tickled by P and solar panels

It's not all about going faster...

2010-12-12T21:06:00.001Z

We all know that a more expensive bike is rarely faster than a cheaper one, and now the power of science has shown that to be true (I especially like the conclusion!).

But that's missing the point. Riding my bike fulfils many different needs in my daily life and I can say with some certainty that riding a shitty bike would reduce the pleasure that I get every single time I roll out of the garage.

People of the world, shake off the shackles of crap bikes... unite under the banner of reliablity and shininess that is the modern bicycle. Embrace gears that work and brakes that stop you. Throw away your EverReady 'lights' and buy something that actually illuminates the street. Spend now and you won't regret it!

First long ride...

2010-12-12T19:12:00.001Z

... in ages. Me and Rivers, 50 miles. 3 hours. 1 banana. 1 energy bar. 2 bottles. 1 squirrel.

From Downloads

Fortunalty Rivers survived the incident... the squirrel didn't.

Ring true?

2010-12-09T21:50:00.002Z

I was pissing myself.

Thanks to Bobhead for the link.

Save money, get faster...

2010-12-09T21:38:00.002Z

How? Don't pop the pills!

http://sweatscience.com/antioxidants-block-gains-from-endurance-training/

The current focus...

2010-12-01T19:33:00.000Z

is to get faster in the water. It's no surprise that I'm not the only one and I need to take (steal?) inspiration from any and everyone. If that person is Olympic gold medallist and seemingly really nice bloke then so much the better :)

the andrews TRAILER from swhitfield on Vimeo.

I've been to Amazon, I've got the u/w camera, I'm in the game!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2010-11-30T22:13:00.000Z

From becca buster hettie winter frost running

And, as long it as it continues to be freezing but dry I'm all for winter...

From becca buster hettie winter frost running

Our current plan of long family runs on Saturday mornings is a winner - although we're a lot more tired than Mr C afterwards!

There is no end to his powers....

2010-11-21T20:30:00.001Z

In with the new...

Or do you prefer the old????

Leaves are falling for a reason...

2010-11-13T21:04:00.001Z

... and it's because they're knackered after a hard summers growing.

The Moseley household (at least the senior members) feel the same, a hard summer watching & helping Charlie grow has taken it's toll! We're both hanging a bit and need to take a bit of time to chill and recharge. Our hopes for hitting the cross season have evaporated a bit and we've cut our plans back to just keeping C happy and healthy, getting work done and sleeping a lot.

This is a work in progress but Mr C seems to be enjoying himself (no change there then). He's even been improving his oral hygiene and support Uncle Bobby at the National XC (running) champs... go Bobby go!

From rob and gills weekend nov 2010 charlie eating

ps it's our local Cross tomorrow - Deadly has pulled out all the stops to organise a cracker so get your cross on and get down to Foxely Estate, Mansell Lacy. Under 8's and under 10's start at 10.30. Under 12's at 10.45, youth at 11.15 and Senior/ladies/junior/vet's all start together at 12.15.

Long runs and no-C days...

2010-10-31T21:52:00.000Z

The big lap went well. Much better than expected in fact.

30 miles off road. 4 hr 26 mins. No blisters. Smiles for the first 20 miles. Some serious developments in my 'find the ultimate pain face' quest. 1st place! Happy days.

Great also to catch up with old friends on the start line (my old University tutor no less - I like the small world).

Big thanks to Deadly and Bex Potter who braved the rain to cheer and of course P and Mr C who found a bit of sunshine during the day.

From 30 mile black mtns challenge and holiday in rhayder

By the end I was more than a little shattered and was suffering from both severe leg soreness and a bad case of head-band-itis. Apologies to any followers of fashion!

From 30 mile black mtns challenge and holiday in rhayder

In the following week we've had a new, and odd, treat. My mum and P's mum joined forces to look after Mr C and we had 4 much needed nights in a Welsh B&B. We slept in till 8 am (for the first time in 10 months) and read a lot or newspapers. We did, of course, manage to sneek in a couple of mtb rides, a couple of mtn runs and a nice long walk.

From 30 mile black mtns challenge and holiday in rhayder

It's odd to feel almost normal again... odd, but nice.

On a different track, Mr C has been practising for Halloween...

From 30 mile black mtns challenge and holiday in rhayder

BOO!

And... massive congrats to Freya - a follower of this blog - for passing her driving test! Zoom zoom!

Changing my mind..?

2010-10-31T21:39:00.000Z

As someone whose degree was totally state funded and who received a not insubstantial grant from the public purse I used to be surprisingly flippant about the introduction of tuition fees. The recent huge cuts to the University budgets and this article have made me think again...

But should 'everyone' have to pay for an individuals choice to pursue a more financially viable career? Let's face it, most of the bankers who were responsible of the current disastrous state of the national finances got a free university education courtesy of the taxpayer.

And shouldn't all students have a responsibility to pay for their own fake moustaches & wigs??

From cycling peaks screenshot

This can only mean one thing...

2010-10-23T05:51:00.000+01:00

It's the morning of the lap.

From charlie walking

I've never run 30 miles before. More porridge needed.

Sometimes you eat the bear...

2010-10-12T21:11:00.001+01:00

and sometimes it eats you. Shameless direct steal from Slowtwitch.com but originally from The Dude. I've been ignoring the bike a bit of late as I prep for 30 mile mtn marathon. I've never run 30 miles before, and it being off road might make it a bit trickier, but I felt like it was time to mix things up again and push out beyond the comfort zone. It's worked, I've struggled a bit but it's meant a forced change in habits and made me get out to places I would have missed out on...

From charlie in the bath and Crickhowell Cross

It's a week on Saturday... we will see who eats whom :)

Of course that's not the big news. Warwick's visit was brilliant and saw some trails ridden and beers drunk (7 bottles of Stella no less, more in 4 days than in the entire preceding 12 months). We were really lucky with the weather and hit Afan in perfect condition on Monday. Empty and perfect.

From charlie in the bath and Crickhowell Cross

Charlie continues to be the most wonderful thing in the world, and no I don't have a problem with being an out and out 'happy dad'. He eats like me...

From charlie in the bath and Crickhowell Cross

and smiles like Paula...

From charlie in the bath and Crickhowell Cross

What of P? Well she's been doing the Cross I should have been fitting into the running (it'll come, don't panic). Clive has come up trups with two matching Euro-white Cube cross bikes. Ultegra'd up and speedy speed speed!

From charlie in the bath and Crickhowell Cross

What are you doing this weekend...?

6 year cycle....

2010-10-03T23:53:00.001+01:00

Every six years or so Warwick and I catch up. In 1996/7 it was Timaru (NZ), in 2003/4 it was NZ again & W stepped up to be my best man. 2010 see's Warwicks first UK trip... so we did what had to be done & went riding.

From warwick and charlie crawling and risca cross

All NZ residents please note the rear Crudcatcher mudguard. W almost died of shame when I pulled his loaner bike out of the garage with a 'mudguard' on. I think the fact that his brakes were on back to front took his mind off the humiliation!

From warwick and charlie crawling and risca cross

Guard your ankles...

2010-10-03T23:09:00.000+01:00

and please excuse the 'Dad-speak', it's got the the point where I don't even know I' doing it. Want Charlie to do something... best to speak in a stupid voice!

Cocktails...

2010-09-18T12:24:00.000+01:00

can go either way. Take ingredients you like, mix them together and the result can be more than the sum of the parts, or a foul mixture.

In this case take a little bit of getting up early, some cold morning, 12 miles of running and some wet feet (the last ingredient isn't totally vital). Mix vigorously and you get...

From run morning off road steve john tetly andy taylor

Result.

Timetrials are...

2010-09-06T18:33:00.000+01:00

painful, boring, frustrating, difficult, un-fakable and addictive (in a weird sort of way).

Yesterday was the National TT champs and P and I rocked up. I wimped out and raced Masters (30 to 35) and P raced Senior Women.

It was good to have C there to keep our feet on the ground as Bradly Wiggins and Emma Pooley rode past.

From bttc national tt champs 2010 + walk with charlie

P had a strong day and was 12th of 25.

From bttc national tt champs 2010 + walk with charlie

I was a bit weak and was 9th out of 13... more training (or resting, not sure yet!) needed.

Other weekend news is... early morning Saturday walks are working to blow away the been-awake-with-a-grumpy-Charlie cobwebs.

From bttc national tt champs 2010 + walk with charlie

The next step....

2010-09-04T18:55:00.000+01:00

in advertising is often the most surprising. This is genius!

Catching up...

2010-09-03T21:58:00.000+01:00

I guess it it inevitable that posts become less and less frequent, but hopefully quality is inversely proportional to quantity... basically I'll try and make this a good'un.

6 weeks have flown by and the following have occurred:
We have a new bathroom, which despite being done by a plumber seemed to take me lots of time!
I have spent lots more time with Charlie (the telling sign being that I can recite his routine without having to rack my brain or worry about looking foolish - feel free to test me).
We spent a great 2ish weeks in France and I am the proud wearer of the Gingermans-tan (i.e. a slightly off white)
I've done no racing, other than the COBCC hill climb in which I finished jnt 2nd, good enough for me, esp as I managed not to vomit. Result.

These photos hopefully sum up the summer with notes to help explain the significance...

From france holiday summer 2010

Steve joined P, me and Mr C in Provence and got much, much better. He even enjoyed climbing huge mtns, not bad for a big guy. This is the top of the Ventoux, after we'd stopped feeling awful.

From france holiday summer 2010

C was obviously the center of attention and it was great to spend lots of time with him. A big reminder (as though we needed one!) that life as 3 is harder than life as 2. Training camps used to be ride-eat-rest-swim-rest-eat-run-rest repeat. Now it's C-ride-C-C-C-C-C-C-eat-C-C-C-run-C-C-sleep. Funnily enough you don't get as much training in, or recover as quickly. It is more fun though :)

From france holiday summer 2010

Esp. doing things like driving upto the top of the Ventoux with pizzas for photos and a sun set.

From france holiday summer 2010

Did I mention Steve was motoring? Here he is smashing the final meters of the Bedoin route. His first words, "Once I got into it I loved the last 10km..."

From france holiday summer 2010

Of course, since C is my son he carries the mighty ginger gene. Thus when all the local kids are splashing about au-naturel C has to be encased in a lycra swim-suit and matching silly hat. Oh well, best he gets used to it now, the rest of his life will be spent looking for shady spots or wearing t-shirts on the beach, unlucky!

From france holiday summer 2010

Although he did get out and about for some good runs and rides - the Chariot was awesome, if you have a nipper and you want to be active you must get one of these. He's not quite old enough to shout 'faster faster' but it won't be long!

Charlie did get ready for his swimming debut with lots of dry-ish land kick work...

Progressing fast...

2010-07-30T22:04:00.003+01:00

That's both him and us.

He's now sitting up, most of the time...

And getting really good at eating solids...

From charlie first time sitting up

And making himself dirty...

From charlie first time sitting up

We are managing to get a few mountainbike rides in. I'd forgotten how much fun it is, and didn't realise how much I'd missed it. We're lucky to have so many great things to be able to do, but there's something about riding dry singletrack that takes your mind somewhere peaceful in a way that nothing else can. You should try it.

The logistics of it haven't got easier though!

From charlie first time sitting up

Monthly update....

2010-07-18T20:34:00.002+01:00

Enjoy some photos... words below.

Smiles are worth a million dollars - and you hope you'll never forget them, so you take a lot (!) of photos :)

From charlie cwm carn july 2010

Not done this in a while (12 months to be honest). Had forgotten how much fun (and how hard it it is!!)

From charlie cwm carn july 2010

We were both down to do a 25 mile TT but I was feeling weak so enjoyed being team support with C. P is warming up here, with C watching carefully. P went really well - 58:39. Zoom zoom. Must be my coaching ;)

From Charlie June, Pat, top barn tri and 2010 sixth form leavers dinner

Mum and Tim came to visit - always nice :)

From Charlie June, Pat, top barn tri and 2010 sixth form leavers dinner

C is ever growing, finally filling out this excellent b-grow (a gift from Graeme and Vernice in Saudi, thanks guys!).

From Charlie June, Pat, top barn tri and 2010 sixth form leavers dinner

Save the best till last :)

From Charlie June, Pat, top barn tri and 2010 sixth form leavers dinner

Majorca's

2010-06-21T21:21:00.002+01:00

... got to be the most significant thing of the past month or so. We had a fantastic time, once our bags arrived! Travelling with the C-man does add a certain layer of complexity to the whole process but we were super lucky to have Steve helping out and being calm. Even C's best efforts to make things tricky by deploying a nappy-busting poo the instant we boarded the plane wasn't going to knock us off track!

To cut a long holiday short the weather, the riding and the company were all great. We had sun and sea for swimming...

From May 2010 and Majorca

Sun and good roads for riding...

From May 2010 and Majorca

And lots of Charlie-time too...

From May 2010 and Majorca

The nanny/babysitter we found was great (I would be happy to recommend Susan if anyone is thinking of following in our footsteps and combining a small one with a training holiday) and, allowed us to get important us time. He even upped his game in the face of a new person to impress and started to put both his feet in this mouth at the same time AND roll over. Is there no end to his talents :) ?

If you are planning such a trip I would also recommend taking along two friends who have a similar outlook on life to you in terms of immaturity level (low most of time, high when needed), attitude to food and training (more is better) and who are super flexible around the C-man's whims. Thanks Bobhead & Steve :)

From May 2010 and Majorca

Sorry!

2010-06-19T19:26:00.002+01:00

Lots to post, but posting is one of the things that slips down the 'to do' list pretty quickly. So, thanks if you are still checking for updates, there will be more soon.

In the meantime - you might enjoy...

Thanks to Slayer (once again) for the link.

Lucky days...

2010-05-19T22:12:00.003+01:00

Are when you feel good and other riders seem happy to let you go. Big thanks to the other COBCC riders for blocking at the crucial time.

Photo credit - Deadly Nedlys Smartphone (which he actually knows how to use!)

Sometimes it just feels right...

2010-05-10T20:32:00.002+01:00

and swimming just happens. I'm well overdue for a good day in the pool so I made sure I really enjoyed today. It just felt easy to swim the times that I've been struggling with for ages, almost effortless :)

Must be all the open water/race training I've been doing... you can learn a lot from You Tube...

Thanks to Clare S for the link!

Sports geeks only...

2010-05-06T22:01:00.002+01:00

With the new bike set-up almost sorted (just the Zipp 808 to come) things are looking ok on the TT front.

From Screen Captures

Certainly the nicest bit by far are the SRM/Sram Red cranks - having ridden with power for about 6 years now it's great to finally get some real race data. Both P and I have ridden with our Powertap wheels on the road in C grade TT's and road races but it's not quite the same... you know you're disadvantaged and somehow that just seeps in. So tonight's 25 mile TT was the first proper race data.

From Screen Captures

The plan was to ride between 330 and 300W (I estimated that my threshold was about 320W on the TT bike), trying to pace it... holding back on the climbs and pour it on for the downs.

That basically happened but I overcooked it on the first quarter (ave power 332W) and suffered on the last quarter (ave power 315W) so there's still learning to be done there. I also had to have words with myself as my cadence kept dropping (98 rpm ave in 1st quarter, 90 ave in final quarter). As fatigue set in developing power felt easier at lower cadences, despite the power not being as high... and as a result my quads are in pieces.

The end result is ave power of ~320W (so my guess of TT FTP was spot on) which, on a flat course should give me a ~55 min 25 mile. The question is could I, with better pacing & a bit of race training, get 335W? That'll give me 54 min. Got to be possible...

Oh - almost forgot obligatory Mr C photo. Note touch of ginger :) The meek may inherit the earth but we all know that the Gingers really hold the balance of power in the Universe.

From Screen Captures

I want two, one for Mr C and one for me!

2010-05-01T22:31:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Slayer for the link :)

11 and 39

2010-04-26T20:59:00.002+01:00

I am totally off the pace with this. But with Mr C now sleeping through (11 pm to 6.30 am) it's possible to resurrect the weekly commute. The first of this year was a pleasure, perfect windless sunny spring morning. I saw 5 cars on the whole 15 miles.

And as an added bonus it was Zen-Field time...

From april 2010 & charlie

As an aside we marshalled the Hereford Duathlon on Sunday (giving us a warm glow).

From april 2010 & charlie

And even spotted one of these! A point if you can name what it is (I'm quite proud of the out of focus shot, looks like a hurried snap of an Alien from Area 51).

From april 2010 & charlie

Hearing the first giggle...

2010-04-26T20:56:00.001+01:00

Priceless...

From april 2010 & charlie

Not really a political blog but doing the survey made me think...

2010-04-19T20:43:00.002+01:00

It's easy to feel powerless in today's society. But if a General Election doesn't give you a feeling a power then you need to review your history. If voting doesn't inspire you, imagine not having a vote.

But if you've got one you've then got to decide what to do with it. Not so easy. You probably have a political leaning one way or another, and are likely to be one of the ~80% of people who vote the same way in every election. But if you're not then you matter. You may be a classic floating voter, ready to give your slice of power to whoever you feel is listening to you. Or you may be a tactical voter, as I find myself, looking to maximise the likelihood of your preferred outcome (an irritating twist of our 'first past the post' system). Either way, it's not a bad thing to question what really matters to you and compare that to who you 'will' vote for. I did...

Take the Who Should You Vote For? UK General Election quiz

Green		39
Liberal Democrat		35
Labour		20
Conservative	-4
UK Independence	-13

You expected: LIB

Your recommendation: Green

Click here for more details about these results

It did...

2010-04-08T23:07:00.003+01:00

hurt. Last post was the night before the 3-up. We did well, both in the 'having confusingly named team mates" category (me, Griffer and Giffer - makes it easy for me to shout motivation!) and in the overall (we won). Happy days.

From april 2010 3 up tt and 25 mile TT

P, Deadly Nedly and Grimer also acquitted themselves admirably, esp once they'd actually warmed up rather than hide in the back of the car drinking coffee!

From april 2010 3 up tt and 25 mile TT

The following week was the first proper TT of the year, the local open 25. New bikes, borrowed fast wheels (thanks Clive @ COB and Simo) and dialled (hopefully) positions. Needless to say Charlie-man was up for it in his white 'Eurostyle' skinsuit & retro cloth cap.

From april 2010 3 up tt and 25 mile TT

And no, I don't have a problem with sad Dad photos of my son in contrived poses... just so you know.

I also don't have a problem of photos of me looking like an idiot... like when I tried on the full skinsuit - pointy hat setup (note cycling slippers - a soon to be hit for cyclists everywhere who like to combine 'fast' with 'relaxed at home').

From april 2010 3 up tt and 25 mile TT

Morris was in attendance (and huge thanks to Katy Morris for Charlie-minding for a bit!) so we had a bit of reunion.

From april 2010 3 up tt and 25 mile TT

The fact that he was off 2 mins behind me was motivation enough to work hard enough to coat the sleeves of my new skinsuit in snot... nice. Time was all good, just under the hour on a sporting course and more to come, hopefully!

Spring is sprunging...

2010-03-27T21:43:00.002Z

And life is normal, at least, as normal as life is in that Charlie-man continues to be pretty cool.

From charlie 10 weeks

And we even managed to squeeze a smile-for-the-camera out of his (although this involved a lot of raspberry blowing by P!).

From charlie 10 weeks

It's also normal that I am hanging out for the end of term (in this case Easter). With only 4 work days to go every morning when the alarm going off it's a clear 'one less' type moment.

I've struggled to cope with an increase in training intensity as we've put in some proper suffering in the lead up to some races. This is definitely the hardest part of training yourself, balancing the desire to suffer more (i.e. to get quicker faster) and the need to take things slowly. History clearly tells me that I don't respond very well to high intensity work... but that without it I can't go fast. It's a quandary...

At the moment pain is coming from Tuesday turbos and Wednesday track sessions - everything else is steady away. I do day dream about the runs/rides I'd like to do but there is no way to make it happen at the moment.

Tomorrow is a 3-up TTT... the word on the street is Griffer is going well. Hmmmmmmmm, this might hurt.

Chemical Warfare...

2010-03-16T23:00:00.002Z

is illegal under the rules of war (as I understand them, although I haven't recently read that particular clause).

Why then should my son be employing this tactic?

From charlie week 10

Although it's pretty clear he's not too fussed about resorting to cruel and unusual punishments as he's been using a little bit of noise torture too!

From charlie week 10

Only manic rocking in his baby thing would placate the little monster :) Having said that he's now sleeping/planning his next attack so it's quiet time. Happy days.

I do think, though, that he appreciated Steve's effort to make his race bike child friendly...

From charlie week 10

It certainly seemed to pay off as Steve went 10% quicker and rocketed himself from 31st last year to 11th this year. Hard work = less time racing. P and I reminded ourselves that racing hurt and both finished 4th. All good (although still need to tweak the TT positions a little - ouch!)

Clocks Change Soon...

2010-03-07T22:54:00.003Z

but not soon enough. Spring is in the process of sprunging but I'm hanging out for a bit more sunshine in my day.

Took the C-man out for my first proper outing with the jogging buggy. Without meaning to I'm in danger of becoming someone who moans endlessly about poor quality pavements and inconsiderate people. How hard is it to walk in single file when you see someone with a buggy coming towards you (esp when they are wearing an 800 lumen headlight??).

From march 2010 charlie dance

On a positive note I finally made it to Herefords strech of smooth cycleway and was bashing past a group of cider drinking yoofs at 8pm on a Friday night. I was expecting a bit of heckling... but not the "That's F***king cool" I got :) Who would have thought it? No buggy and I'm a lycra wearing T**t, push a buggy and I'm elevated to cool! Charlie wasn't that bothered though...

From march 2010 charlie dance

Firsts...

2010-02-28T22:47:00.002Z

Charlies first race today! A guaranteed PB. Given the wintry conditions he wisely wore his bear suit and slept the whole way round.

From feb 2010

With a 48 min 10 km under his belt he's got his medal and t-shirt.

From feb 2010

My race plan went slightly aray, looking to do sub 35 min. Ran the first km in 3 min, not wise. Didn't do sub 35 min... did have a great time :)

We're still waiting to get out of the most wintry winter I can remember. This is normal conditions for morning rides.

From feb 2010

P's battle to regain her fitness continues with long rides in the wet and cold and it doesn't pay to be second wheel in weather like this :) but no one has ever got fast without eating some grit.

From feb 2010

OMG...

2010-02-23T23:07:00.002Z

Just set the benchmark for this seasons fitness with the first 2x20 on the turbo.

Hit 330W for the first one and then died a thousand deaths on the second for 310W. The hardest session in at least the last 6 months.

What did you do today?

Half term break...

2010-02-19T23:20:00.002Z

Was much needed. Some serious chilling/coffee drinking and Mr C's first road trip went down as planned and all is good.

Returned to Norwich for first time in over a year. It seems to get better the longer I haven't lived there. Not for me the nice 50m pool, not for me the lovely relaxed cafe culture or the cycling friendly bike lanes and the company of hoards of cyclists. Oh no, those things appear once I've left to pastures new :( Having got over that we spent time enjoying some family time and the help of Grannie-Annie. Including getting my annual culture inoculation with a trip to the Sainsbury Centre.

From charlie 6 wk

We also spent time scoffing mini-gingerbread-us's... (sad as it is we couldn't bring ourselves to eat mini-gingerbread-Charlie, although I'm not too happy with the idea of it mouldering away either)

From charlie 6 wk

Plus we've been testing out the Chariot. How cool is this? Best purchase in ages.

From charlie 6 wk

We've done a couple of little runs with it (inc a track session) in jogger mode and a short ride towing it behind the cross bike. So far so brilliant. Charlie seems to be unfazed by it and tends to just fall asleep, his natural reaction to anything outside our house.

He has, however, been spotted with his eyes open, this is a step forward.

From charlie 6 wk

Although spontaneous non-fart-related smiling has not been achieved at this time (baby books don't fart-related smiles 'proper' smiles. However, since he's a boy, and boys find farts funny, I think it is a proper smile).

We've also found what we hope to be a great childminder just round the corner. We dropped him off for his first hang out with her this afternoon and got out to ride together for the first time in ages. We'd forgotten how hard and cold it is!

From charlie 6 wk

Itchy Eyes...

2010-02-09T20:17:00.002Z

Are my key indicator or sleep status. Scratchy eyes used to mean 'go to sleep'. Now they mean 'you are awake'.

Funny thing is I wouldn't change it for he world :) As P and I find our routine again all is good.

From charlie week 3

Need bringing down to earth?

2010-01-29T22:33:00.002Z

Try this...

He's banned for 2 yrs for doping... his wife is jealous of all the attention so she has a go on the juice too! How depressing.

Limiting factors...

2010-01-22T23:35:00.004Z

I'm a scientist at heart. I like logic and plans. I like measuring things and data. However, as time moves on and my 'pure' scientific training fades further and further into history I'm finding that I depend more on a few concepts that I picked up then but which seem to work now.

One of these is the idea of limiting factors. Whatever direction or field you want to make progress in there are always limiting factors slowing you down. It makes sense to me to identify as many of these as possible and then examine them in terms of a) the magnitude of their effect and b) the time and effort you'll need to expend to change them.

Right now, and for as far ahead as I can see, the limiting factor in my life is sleep. 15 days in it's really starting to hit me (and I'm getting a lot more of the big S than Paula is) and so is the realisation that it normal now.

My previous mechanisms for coping with lack of sleep (promising myself a lie in at some time in the future, getting a early night or even a power-nap (the young persons forty winks)) are all useless now. The only strategy is...

Thanks to Elias for the link, and apologies to anyone of a puritanical disposition.

Magic

2010-01-14T14:06:00.002Z

Being a father is just that, magic! We're trying to get into a pattern where I give him the last feed of the day and chill with him till midnight so P can get some sleep. It's something I am loving doing, spending a quiet hour together chatting (he's not very chatty yet though), staring at each other, nappy changing (that's not so great) and feeding. He seems to wake up more in the evening so we spend a bit of time staring at each other... at least I stare at him, he gazes in unfocused black and white at the circle that is my face.

Back to work on Monday, this is not something I am looking forward to. In fact it's enough to make me buy a lotto ticket.

From charlie day 8 and hereford in snow

Dreaming...

2010-01-13T23:34:00.002Z

We've just done what may turn out to be an stupid decision (or an inspired one, time will tell).

We've booked flights to Majorca for the end of May. Charlie is going on this first cycling holiday! The bike trailer is ordered and this is what we're dreaming of...

10 and 40

2010-01-12T17:39:00.002Z

I's so far behind schedule now that it's not even funny. I squeezed in half a commute today (but i'm counting it as a full'un for the 50 challenge) as I needed to get in and write my reports.

From charlie day 6 and ride ot work in snow

Until...

2010-01-10T23:09:00.004Z

life reaches it's new balance, and when that'll happen I have no idea, I'll mainly be blogging about Charlie rather than cycling/running/swimming.

I've never been one for really getting into small children, they seemed boring and non-interactive. When the small child in question is yours however, it all changes. Amazing.

From charlie day 3

W - O - W!

2010-01-06T13:32:00.003Z

Charlie has landed! The most amazing couple of days have totally changed our lives.

From Charlie Birth - Jan 2010 - New Years Day 10 km

He popped out at 6.15 am on Tuesday the 5th after 12 hours of labour. P was an absolute hero and worked so hard to be a great mum while managing somehow to try and be thoughtful for all the staff who were caring for her (she didn't even swear!!!!!!!!!!!!). She also made what seemed to me to be the wisest decision in the world and had an epidural - what she was going through requires me to recalibrate my pain-scale. It's not patronising to say how incredibly proud I am of her, it brought tears to my eyes to see her working so hard and to think of how difficult the last 37 weeks (and esp the last 3 weeks) have been. I think an easy(ish!) birth is the least she deserves after a tough pregnancy.

From Charlie Birth - Jan 2010 - New Years Day 10 km

(Charlie 5 mins old)

We are fantastically lucky to have had such amazing doctors, midwives and healthcare assistants looking after P and Charlie. Not only was the quality of care second to none, but the amount of support offered blew us away. The consultant stayed late to check on P and break her waters, and then called in the middle of the night to check all was ok. All the midwives were wonderful and for the 12 hours of P's labour we had 1-to-1 care and attention. When Charlie was struggling to breath when he was first born he was whisked to the SCBU and not only looked after with supreme efficiency and care but time and energy was put into making sure I knew what was going on and could be with him all the time (even typing this makes my eyes go a bit moist - must be something in them!). We honestly couldn't thank them all enough, they made a huge difference to the whole process.

From Charlie Birth - Jan 2010 - New Years Day 10 km

P had another night in hosp to just recover a bit and get her head round caring for a nipper and to try boob-feeding. I picked them both up this morning and drove them home though the snow - a beautiful first day outside.

We even took him out for his first walk, on a front holder thingy and wrapped up in my puffer - brilliant.

From Charlie Day2

ETA is tomorrow...

2010-01-02T18:42:00.004Z

This has been a tough couple of weeks. Charlie now has a definite ETA, the consultant, after reviewing Paula's notes, suggested inducing her at 37 wks + 2 days... i.e. this Sunday. Although it's what we wanted there was still a noticeable sense of 'Argh' in the air.

That gave 5 days to prepare our heads (although when would anyone's head be ready for this sort of thing?), attend Paul's funeral and finish tiling the Kitchen. Not much then.

On verge of total meltdown.

Charlie -1 days... prepare the landing zone!

Needing some quiet time....

2009-12-27T18:20:00.001Z

The person in our lives who is at the beginning of the life cycle isn't being very considerate given the current challenges and keeps trying to throw a spanner in the works. So far this week we've visited H-ford hosp twice, once for an abortive effort by Charlie to appear 4 weeks early and once for Paula's 2nd intestinal obstruction. I would quite like all this business to end to be honest and to have a nice healthy Paula & Charlie... so please cross fingers. Each visit to the hospital leaves me grateful to live close to such a good hospital and to have the resources of the NHS to hand (Hannan you couldn't be more wrong)... and amazed how it can be right to charge £3 p.h. parking at a hospital.

Of course, the impending arrival of a baby gives people carte blanche to shop for incredibly cute clothes. Cue Bob's & Gills present for Charlie...

From Christmas at Rob and Gills 2009

Here's to a peaceful New Year. My mantra this week is 'spread the love' - do as you will.

Tough times...

2009-12-27T17:26:00.006Z

I naively thought the end of the school year would bring a time of relaxation and reflection. I was only half right and instead of relaxing I've learnt that exposure to the opposing ends of the life cycle brings out not only the most sadness but also the best in people.

Sadness as Paula's father, Paul, took his own life on the 21st. He'd struggled with severe depression for much of this decade and this wasn't his first attempt at ending his life. His sense of isolation was always worse in the winter and perhaps this was one year too many. He certainly didn't suffer from lack of love or family support... although when someone's under the power of depression it is hard for them to realise this.

Such terrible news brings home how hard life can be and how often unconditional love isn't enough to help people see the best and the good in life. However, despite the difficult years Paul's legacy will be his three wonderful daughters. All are highly successful and happy women who have a positive impact on society every day through their work. That doesn't happen by accident, it takes hard work by two committed and loving parents and Paul will certainly be remembered by Paula as a loving and hard working father.

I asked Paula whether she would mind if I was clear about how Paul died. People seem troubled by suicide but I think it's very important to directly address the stigma associated with mental illness and depression. Depression has touched me in many different ways and since it works so hard to suck the love and light out of people it's the hardest of all diseases to fight. Having watched how Paul struggled with his illness, and what an effect it had on his daughters, I don't want to belittle his efforts and the efforts of his family by not talking about how he died. He wasn't a coward or weak, he was just someone who felt, wrongly in my opinion, that he was alone and that life was simply too hard to endure.

Paul will be remembered by us at his best, as a loving and committed father.

From paulas family, cross and track

You know it's cold when...

2009-12-21T00:07:00.002Z

you are wearing not just glove, but winter gloves, on the turbo.

From turbo cold

But whatever the temperature it's good to be doing something again... having been struck down with an evil virus for the past week doing something, anything, it a bonus. Somewhat frustratingly one of my bodies pre-programmed immue defensive mechanisms is to consume my body weight in chocolate every day. I am pretty sure this is a vital fuel for my leukocytes but it doesn't help the 'body is a temple' plan!

Ever organised a race?

2009-12-08T22:56:00.001Z

Yes? Then this will make you smile. No, marshalled? This will make you smile. Never been involved? Then skip it.

Vidcredit - Slayer. Thanks.