Team Vita ride 5/11/11

Another great turnout for the Team ride today. 12 of us, including Jane Saunders, GB team member and bronze medallist at the ITU world triathlon championships in Beijing earlier this year, an Iron man competitor and a marathon runner, left the shop and headed out for a couple of loops around the lanes. Dave (the coach) was keen for us to keep in our pairs and keep the pace up, but try not to drop anyone. The weather was kind, although the roads were quite wet after the heavy rain last night, and there was a lot of mud and gravel washed over the quieter lanes. Jeff, Dan and me nearly lost it on a corner when Dave sent the group of on a sprint! The Paves were better than my bottle. It was a close one, but at least I was in the front group fighting for the imaginary line!!!
I had to head back to the shop before the end of the ride, as I had an appointment at another team that wears red and plays in Liverpool! Not the best outcome but good to be there.
On the way back to the shop we saw Chris Boardman out training for his sport relief challenge against Graeme Obree. He did have time to comment on Dave C's bike though (a Boardman!!!)
Tomorrow we are heading out to Wales for a long ride. There should be about 6 of us and the weather is looking good. I've not done a long ride with Dave before, so it will be interesting to see if I can keep the pace up for over 5 hours. I'm sure we will not be stopping at any Café's
The Lads at the shop have organised an unusual TT race in February. They have been able to close the Birkenhead tunnel, and the race will be through and back. Having ridden through there a few times, this is going to be a tough challenge. There are only 100 places so check out this link for details and get registered before its too late.
http://www.vitacycles.co.uk/pain_suffering_glory_a_new_year_challenge It promises to be a great event.

Today's ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/126686239

A new dimension to my dislike of hills!

Motivating myself to go out in the dark, with the threat of rain, and a wind gusting to 30kph, was not too hard tonight. I wont be able to get out again until Saturdays team ride, and then we have planned a big ride on Sunday. So go out I must!!
The wind was behind, or to the side of me on the way into West Kirby, which was ok, and I decided to go up my nemesis, Grange road, which is only half a mile long, and is 10% at its maximum, but one of my least favourite hills. The bottom wasn't too bad, and I thought I may have a good ride up it today, until I turned the corner half way up to be met with a head on wind, that almost pushed me back down the hill!!! It was definitely a grind to the top, but strangely satisfying to have done it. Definitely time to focus on the Diet, take the coach up on his offer of training at his studio, and possibly break out the speedo's to mix up the types of training if I'm ever going to climb hills easier, and have a realistic chance of racing next year!!!

Tonight's ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/126081489

First ride of Winter!

It sounded like a good Idea last night, to go for an early spin with Ken. When my alarm went off at 5.45 this morning it didn't seem so good and ended up not being as ready as I had hoped when Ken sent me a text to say he was leaving his house!!!! Even though the clocks had gone back, it was still dark when I left the house at 7, and needed to put the lights on! I met Ken in Birkenhead, and we headed out for a loop of the lanes back to Chez White for a brew. It was nice and quiet with only squirrels to dodge, there were hundreds of them today, shooting out from the hedgerows and darting across in front of us. One nearly became a spoke ornament for Ken!!

To mark the First ride of winter we were looking for a suitable photo location for the Kuota's and decided this was probably the only place on Wirral that was grand enough for such good looking bikes!!! (although the photo isn't that good, sorry)

To coin a phrase " Who lives in a house with gates like these!!"

I was on a 2 hour pass, seeing as I'd been out for quite a while yesterday, so as the clock ticked down, we had to raise the pace to fit in a blast down Telegraph Road from Thurstaston. My Confidence in the Vittoria's is growing. Even with very damp greasy roads, I hit 36.7 mph. 

At the bottom of the hill we had four minutes to get back to Greasby!! A quick sprint (I wish) up Montgomery hill and along Frankby road was a good way finish a great early morning ride, and I was only a couple of minutes late, phew!!

Today's ride details: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/125182580