Winding down

I actually managed to get a full night's sleep last night, with the result, of course, that I feel totally wiped out today. I know it's the body winding down before tomorrow's 117 miles, but it's still difficult not to be a little daunted by that prospect when you're feeling so tired. Following a decision by a client on Friday I needed to write a bit more code today to be ready for more testing on Monday, as well as some more bug-fixing, but it's been a little slow fitting that in between some necessary chores and time with the boys. It's been one of those days when you seem to be busy all day, but don't seem to have much to show for all the effort.

I was intending to go for a short ride with No.2 son this afternoon, but jet-lag got the better of him. He fell asleep after lunch and it was impossible for me to wake him up (oh, to be able to sleep that soundly!), and by the time I did I was feeling too tired myself to make the suggestion. But that's fine. I'm finding myself much more relaxed about this event than the Etape du Dales, which I'm sure is because I'm not really placing any great expectation upon myself. First and foremost, I simply want to enjoy a long day out on the bike on my very favourite roads.

There has been a lot of talk on the forums this week about Sportives not being races. I certainly don't regard them as such. The biggest factor is that we all start off at different times so it's actually not possible to race in the true sense of the word. You are racing against the clock, certainly, but that is a very different thing. Sportives can't be considered as time-trials either, because riding in groups and drafting is a big factor, and actually one of the major attractions. There is a lot of luck involved here too. I find that half the fun is to be had in the opportunities to hook up with ad hoc groups during the event, sharing, even if only fleetingly, a common bond of purpose. I always feel that I'm riding with and never against other riders in this context. I really think that's the key point. When I'm running a fell race I am definitely running against other people! I want to beat the other runners around me. When I'm riding a sportive I am riding with the other people. There is no sense of wanting to beat the people in a group that you are riding with, because the likelihood is that you all started at different times.

There is an ethic to the Sportive which I like to think is upheld by the vast majority. It's hard to imagine two people riding around together and then having a full-on sprint at the end to determine the winner. They are not races in the traditional sense of the word. For that reason I think it is perfectly sensible to prohibit the offering of prizes, but it seems a bit silly to stipulate that results should not be published in finishing order, because, if we're honest, that's how we all really want to see them presented. We're not children. I think that's an unnecessary artifice. I understand that it is vital for legal reasons that Sportives are never classified as races, and the bottom-line is that this really comes down to the riders being responsible and not treating them as such. I'd be happy to see the organisers disqualifying any rider who drops litter or rides recklessly. There is never any excuse for that. At the end of the day, we are all just enthusiastic hobbyists having a day out and a bit of fun. I would hate to have that jeopardised by a selfish few. Not sure how I suddenly found myself on the old soapbox there. It just kind of happened. Right, better get myself organised for tomorrow ...

The Traveller Returns

I wanted to get up early to catch the Earlybirds, or perhaps I'd better say Earlybird (sorry to miss you again Mark), because I think they've been a bit thin on the ground this week. But it wasn't to be. I got to bed a bit too late again, trying to finish off some new code so it would be ready for testing this morning. In the end, though, it took me until mid-afternoon to finish, but I got there eventually and I was pleased to have come up with an elegant solution to this multiple appointment issue that I've been struggling with.

The legs felt a little sore from the Chevin yesterday, and they still feel quite sore today. I guess I ran harder on the descent than I have for quite a while. I'm trusting that they'll be fine for Sunday and the White Rose Classic. I usually reckon that I'm recovered from most things in 3 days. The weather looks set to be fair, indeed quite perfect at the moment if there is no change to the prediction. I'm really looking forward to it, because I'm determined first and foremost to enjoy the day out, without the pressure of worrying about time. I think that's the true spirit of the Sportive. Things might change on the road, of course, but that's how I'm going into it. Nice and relaxed. It's actually a wonderful feeling to be fit enough to have no fear of the distance nor the climb, and to know that I'm going to have a blast!!

A fair bit of chat on the bikeradar forum about the demise of cyclosport.org, and a fell running friend of mine, Keith Parkinson, has very quickly put up a simple listing of events at http://www.sportivelinks.org.uk to fill the gap that had been left, only for the site to get resurrected this afternoon under a new banner. It's all distinctly odd and I'm hoping that Mark will provide his community with an explanation of the strange events of the last 48 hours. I discussed with Keith earlier today the merits of simple lists. It was E.F.Schumacher who coined the phrase "Small is Beautiful" from his book of that name, but I actually prefer "Simple is Beautiful". Not wanting to take anything away from the community aspect of cyclosport.org, Keith's single page list of events and links is actually a far more accessible and useful reference than anything we've had before. Simple is indeed beautiful. It's easy to forget that when the scope to create complexity is so great!

The highlight of the day was being re-united with No.2 son after his travels in Peru. He's had a hard time of it with stomach bugs and altitude sickness, but he's enjoyed an amazing experience nonetheless. The highlight for him was Machu Picchu and the climb up Wayna Picchu where he felt the urge to run up and overtake all the 'tourists' to get to the top before anyone else. He always had this urge when he was young, to run rather than walk up hills, but I feared it had been lost. But you can't deny your genetic heritage! It's good to know that he really is a chip off the old block!! Hopefully this can be a springboard from which we can now get some good riding in together.

A new home

I started the morning by blogging my entry for the Chevin Fell Race last night, only to find that the cyclosport.org server had gone down before I was able to save the post. After a few revisits, a message revealed that Mark Harding had pulled the entire site, quoting reasons of legalities and lack of support. If the site is down for good, then this is a very great shame indeed. Mark has put a huge amount of work into creating a community and I believe it had become the first port of call for thousands of cyclists wanting to get information on events. I did question for myself whether it was possible to make a living out of such a site, but it seems crazy that having built up such a large and loyal following, he has been compelled to leave the community high and dry, so to speak. I've developed these casual relationships with other bloggers that I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to rekindle.

I feel I owe Mark one for being the person responsible for getting me into this whole blogging experience in the first place, but I hope he has a good reason for pulling the plug. When you create a community I think you perhaps take on a certain responsibility towards that community and I would feel rather let down if this came down to petulance! For now, I'm sure there is enough speculation going on without me adding more. Mark, if you get to read this by some route, thank you for all the work you've put in, and your certainly significant role in promoting events and raising the standards. I hope you can find a way to get your venture back on track, perhaps, I would be so bold to suggest, as a paying hobby rather than a full-on career! I wish you luck.

As it happens, I've had another dormant blog account for some time now and I began last week to start archiving entries. Being 'in the business' I'm always a little paranoid about backing things up. A word of advice, if you don't have at least one copy of an electronic document, it may as well not exist. Copy everything of value. Again and again! You need the weight of many duplicates in order to lend some substantive quality to things that actually have an extremely intangible and ephemeral physical existence!! So, my blog has a new permanent home here courtesy of those nice people at google. Hopefully, I'll be around here for a while.

Otley Chevin Fell Race

It would have been a perfect day to have been out on the bike, but more crazy schedules and the whole afternoon spent at meetings in Seacroft meant that would never have been possible, even without the Chevin Fell Race looming in the evening. This race is one that I always look forward to, and usually run quite well in. It starts from near the town centre and heads pretty much straight up to the top of the Chevin, with a little loop around the summit ridge, before going back down, fortunately not quite as directly as the ascent, which goes up the formidable set of steps!

I always cycle the 6 miles over to the race to warm the muscles up and actually left a bit more time than I usually do to get changed into running gear. I arrived with a full forty minutes to spare as opposed to my usual fifteen! Warming up, the legs didn't feel very lively. I usually target this race a bit and ease off for 2 or 3 days beforehand. This year I decided to see how I would fare with the legs fairly full of bike miles. This began to feel like not such a good idea! The first section of the race is flat and I actually felt ok from the start, but as soon as the climb ramped up I realised that the legs were indeed as tired as I suspected they were. This is where I usually dig in and start overtaking people, but it was really all I could do to hold my place tonight. I took the steps fairly steadily, but still seemed to be in massive oxygen debt at the top. I felt like I was running much slower than normal but at least I wasn't being overtaken. I had a lead on DC, who I haven't beaten in quite a while, so my incentive was to try to stay ahead on the descent tonight - which I managed to do. Usually I have quite a few mates around to compete with but tonight I was actually happy to have a bit of a void both ahead and behind, enabling me to coast in to some extent. I finished 29th in 21.25 and first V50 (fortunately DA was on the organisational side tonight - although actually I would have rather relished the contest). M cycled over too and claimed first lady V50. The first of a few such doubles I hope!

I've dug out my times from the last few years, and I'm encouraged that I'm perhaps not declining into decrepitude as quickly as I sometimes think!

2005: 20.56 (3rd V40); 2006: 20.49 (1st V50); 2007: 21.05 (1st V50); 2008: 21.25 (1st V50)

Do I have the courage to dig a little deeper, into the old cardboard boxes, to see what times I did before results got posted on the web?

Missing the rain ... again

Worked at home today and it was actually a joy not to have to be anywhere and just work straight through. Redesigned and implemented a solution to a tricky little problem and I think I managed to get it all working before the end of the afternoon. Concentration was helped by the fact that it had rained all day. Although the forecast was for it to clear for the evening, it was taking its time and, feeling very jaded from not having moved from the computer all day, I began to wonder if I would have the resolve to go out in the damp with the Earlybirds. But I had made an arrangement with Superlight so I didn't really have any choice. It's good to have these commitments sometimes!

As it turned out the evening was beautiful. The bad weather disappeared away to leave a virtually windless evening, with the rain making everything feel very fresh and intensely green. It was a great social ride. We spun out to Cavendish and up the lovely climb from Skyreholme - which taken a little more steadily than I usually ride it on my own felt remarkably easy - before returning via Hartlington Rakes and Burnsall, a bit under 30 miles I would guesss. I still haven't sorted the computer out on the training bike, and I still keep forgetting the Garmin!

There was a sudden decision on the way back to take in the climb of Langbar, but time was getting on and I had only made a holding meal for No.1 son, so I decided to decline the last hill. I was wondering if I've ever done that before. Felt a bit wimpy, but then I am racing tomorrow night. Should probably try to conserve a little energy for that. Superlight kept me company on the return via Nesfield. It was good to be riding with him after a gap of many years. He's doing the White Rose on Sunday on pretty much pure memory. He wrote me this last week, "The WRC is looming and I have very little in the road miles current account, so I am anticipating going seriously overdrawn on the day and getting hit with some pretty hefty unauthorised borrowing charges". Judging by tonight he might get away without being stung too hard. The muscles do seem to remember ... to a point!

Caramel

Having missed quite a few Harrier's Monday evening rides of late, I was forced to miss another by having to stay late at the office for a meeting. It was a really beautiful evening too, but I did get in a much needed walk to clear the head before joining M to see Caramel at Pictureville. Another wonderful independent film, which more than made up for missing out on any exercise today. I told No.1 son later that it was an arabic film with subtitles, about the everyday lives of four women in Beirut and set in a hair salon. He wasn't complaining that I hadn't invited him along! The strange thing is that I know he would have enjoyed it - despite his cool 16-year-old self. Actually, I think I would defy anyone not to enjoy this beautiful film.

The Earlybird misses the rain ... almost

After working very late it was a massive struggle to get up early, especially as the forecast suggested rain. I was moving very slowly when young HT called for me. We had made an arrangement, but at only 16, and knowing how my own 16-year-old fares that early in the morning, I was actually rather surprised to see him. The lad is keen! I was the usual few minutes late but we were still in time to meet up with another six riders for a run out to Buckden. El Cid and Cacophony led the group out at a steady cadence but once past Bolton Abbey things started hotting up a bit. As the other strong men like Chills and Stafano got to the front, the pace went up a notch or two, and a real rhythm to the ride began to develop. We were riding into a bit of a northerly so it was good to know that there might be some assistance on the way home. We went around the triangle at Buckden and immediately felt the effect of that bit of help.

On the flat section back to Kettlewell we were shifting at close to 30 mph and there was a palpable buzz in the group. What a feeling this was, snaking at speed through the exquisite upper Wharfe valley, briefly interrupting the peace of a few walkers who were clearly in awe of such a colourful spectacle so early on a Sunday morning. This is where cycling as an activity has a big edge over running. This element of teamwork is unique. Sharing the work, looking after each other on the road, giving signals, moving as one. The whole definitely felt like it was greater than the sum of the parts. Actually, my part seemed to become rather minor as I felt the odd twinge of cramp and was having to work very hard to stay with the pace. Normally strong on the hills, every incline began to hurt and I found myself being shelled out the back. Fortunately, under the leadership of El Cid and Cacophony, there is a strong group ethic, which means that they eased off a bit to let me get back on again.

It was decided that we'd finish the ride going over Langbar. Normally I would relish the prospect but by this time I was in survival mode and was content to just twiddle my way up. Stafano was well up the road ahead of us all, but it was very impressive to see HT reach the top ahead of everybody else. How does he do that at just 16 years old!! I think the lad has some considerable talent! Myself and Gizzajob bring up the rear, somewhat ironically as we both reckon ourselves as natural climbers. I think we just had all the energy ridden out of our legs by the speed merchants! By this time the rain that had been threatening for some while was now upon us, but it was too late in the ride to dampen anything really. HT's computer gave us 54 miles in a shade over 3 hours for an average of 17.9 mph. A fantastic morning's work gentlemen - made all the more satisfying for the fact that the rain consequently set in for the whole day. I'd certainly had a hard ride. I needed to take a power nap before I could get back to work!