SportsShoes Blog

JI have ust come back from a break off the bike and so I’m getting back into it again now. Went to the gym last Thursday and absoloutly died!! Apart from that I’m just doing easy riding at the moment as I don’t have any competitions for a while.  The weather’s pretty bad at the moment - typically it was lovely weather during my week off! I tried to go for a run to make the most of the weather but only managed 20 minutes and had aching joints for 4 days afterwards! I should be hearing pretty soon about whether I’ve got a place on the Olympic Academy Programme which I applied for at the end of August! Fingers crossed!

Just come back from my long weekend in Manchester. It was really good to see all the other riders again and speak to them after their success at Manchester World Cup! We did a group road ride on Monday morning for a couple of hours that included a steep cobbled hill..it was the moutain bikers that took us up there! In the afternoon it was time to go over to the track for a bit of an induction talk and to collect new kit! On Tuesday we were up at 6 and left at 7 to ride to the track for an 8am track session.  It was strange being back on the track but it was a good session.  The others did madison training and me and Jess Allen did some rotating stuff behind the motorbike.  After that it was back to the flats for a quick lunch and a cuppa before riding over to the EIS for a biomechanical analysis.  This involved being filmed from different angles on my bike either riding normally or doing a 30 second effort.  This data will then be checked to see that there’s nothing weird going on position-wise on the bike! After that it was time to head on back home! It was really good to spend time with the other academy riders but a bit of a pain having to be back for school on Wednesday morning!

I know they say that you can’t catch a cold by being out in bad weather but it’s spooky that after spending six and half hours in the driving wind and rain last Saturday I seem to have caught a cold!!

Anyway, this week I’ve held off hard training but using the training adage ‘if it’s in the head go ahead if it’s in the chest give it a rest’ I’ve continued to train all week.

After the OMM last weekend I had a rest Monday (although obvioulsy walked the dog twice). Tuesday I did a speed session (at slightly reduced effort) - it was so cold on the grass on Tuesday that after running through a soggy bit of the field, ice formed on the top of my spikes!!. Wednesday I did a 50 minute road run whilst my son Ben played footy and Thursday I went on a steady pack run with the Harriers (followed by a nice pint of medicinal Guinness). Friday I biked to work and back on my singlespeed and today (it feels like the peak of my cold) I’m probably going to limit my exercise to just a few hours of dog walking.

Haven’t decided on my next race yet but there’s a few coming up so it won’t be long before I’m on the start line again.

Watch this space……

My final position for the Langdale race last Saturday was 33rd in 2 hours 35 mins - I’m pretty pleased with my run and my position and it’s boosted my confidence for the OMM next week which will be accross very similar terrain.

Since Langdale I’ve done an hour on the road bike Sunday, a ride to work and back Monday a speed session on Tuesday (8 x 1min 50 sec laps), 50 mins on the road Wednesday, rest Thursday and ride to work and back today. I put a short loop in on the way home tonight up some big hills on the singlespeed - wow it’s tough. I’m going to stick with it through the winter to see if I can develop some biking leg strength.

Just come back from The National Media Museum where we were invited to the opening of the 50th Anniversary Blue Peter exhibition. My eldest son is a Blue Peter badge winner (how cool’s that!!) so he got us an invite - I met Biddy Baxter (editor of Blue Peter for 28 years). Max was interviewed and he’s just been on Look North and News at 10!!!!

Just 1 week to the OMM (Original Mountain Marathon) - can’t wait. Got the food this week - pot noodles, super noodles, cup-a-soups and snickers bars hmm nice!!

Finally I must say a big hello to my good buddy Ade in the Isle of Man - an avid reader of the blog - hope it’s inspiring you to get out and explore that fantastic island of yours.

Langdale Fell Race tomorrow - 14 miles and 4000 feet of climb - it’s a hard ‘A-Long’ lakeland race and it’s likely to be a tad damp on them there ‘ills….

This week I did a speed session on Tuesday - a tough ‘half pyramid’ where we did three laps - rest (jog recovery) - two laps - rest - one lap - rest - all at race pace. It sounds easy but the laps were about 2 min 45 secs in length so it was a real lung buster. I used my new Nike Zoom Air Waffle XC spikes - what a difference they make - the traction from those few tiny spikes is amazing compared to fell shoes.

Wednesday I went to work on my bike then dropped my wife’s car off at the garage and cycled home.

Thursday I did a very steady 45 min jog with 3 other pals who are racing at Langdale tomorrow.

Today I’ve been to work on my bike again - this time ’singlespeed’ after I converted my Kona during the week - my how the old legs were spinning!! -see earlier post.

Here’s the motley crew from Bingley Harriers (well most of them anyway). I’m number 42, there were 42 people who finished in front of me and 442 finsihers in total - 42 hmmm perhaps it really is the answer to life the universe and everyting (read The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy if you’re a bit lost).

Anyway, I’ve felt pretty good this week ‘post Ben’ - went out for a very steady 40 min trot with a few other Bingley Ben racers on Tuesday (got stung by a wasp - b%&*$£d thing) then did an hour+ on Thursday again at very low intensity (This was a pub run from Baildon so we had to make use of the amenities when we got back!!)

Need to try and get some bike miles in now for the 3 Peaks Cross which is only 2 weeks away. No idea how this is going to go this year as I’m running OK on the hills but haven’t ridden more than 20 miles in one ride all year. The 3PX is 36miles and very tough. I’ll be up against some very fit 100+ mile / per week roadies who’ll come storming past me on the tarmac but I can usually pull a bit back on the climbs / carrying sections and let my MTB skills help me on the descents.

It’s the Yorkshireman off-road marathon tomorrow from Haworth which I would like to have done (did it a few years back - nice race) but my good lady is out so I’m child and dog minding. If the weather’s half decent I think we’ll all go for a big walk over the moors.

Went to work on my bike today for a change.

It’s a great way to start the day - really wakes you up, saves on fuel and makes you feel like a green peace protester - fantastic!!

However, it tiddled down all afternoon and by the time I got home I had a rather wet ‘rear end’. Much as it pains me as a hardy mountain biker I’ve just been in the garage to fit a mudguard to my beloved Kona (if my mates see me they’ll call me a jessy for sure).

Might go on it again in the morn (but only if it’s raining!!)

Just had a look at the weather forecast for Saturday (Ben race) - heavy rain, clouds, sun and high wind - Perfect…..

Hi,

A disappointing result in the National 10 yesterday, I came 4th with a time of 23:00 to Katie Colclough (22:10) Corrine Hall (22:36) and Hannah Barnes (22:43) 
I had hoped to at least medal in this, so to come 4th was a huge disappointment, especially as it was a selection race for the European Time Trial. However, I simply wasn’t good enough on the day.

I’ve got a few days off my bike now, so I can enjoy doing normal things like shopping and going out and then come back off my break refreshed and ready to start putting the hours in again! 

My next race is a Womens National Series race early June and the next main target is the National Womens Circuit Race Champs on the 22nd…hopefully next time I’ll have some better news!

Hannah x