Blog & Latest News
Here you can find my regular blog, which I hope you will find interesting and original. My aim is to keep you all up to date with my latest thoughts, plans and adventures.
Wild MTB - End to End off-road
Feb 07, 2012
Our project to cycle from one end of Britain to the other unsupported and off-road is now well and truly underway.
It’s extremely exciting to have a big, bold challenge lined up. Although we’ve both been involved in smaller projects and races over the past six months, I can’t wait to get stuck in to this muddy and energy sapping journey that will provide a real challenge and an opportunity to learn a new skill.
When we initially discussed doing a challenge this summer, Andy and I were seriously considering running from John O’Groats to Land’s End. The problem, aside from having very sore feet, was the timing. As we both work fulltime it wouldn’t have been possible to take the time away from the office to complete the challenge, so in true weekend warrior style we elected to attempt something we could complete using our annual leave...
...and our mountain bike adventure was born.
Neither of us have ever done any bike touring, let alone any real long-distance mountain biking, and according to those in the know our aim of riding 150 miles a day for eight days cross-country through Scotland, the Lake District and Dartmoor is ambitious to say the least...
That said, our training has started in earnest and we are confident that after the next five months of intense preparation and learning to ride our brand new shiny Cube bikes we will be in a strong position to mash out the daily mileage required, recover effectively, and get up the next day to do it all again.
At this stage there is a lot to learn, notably mountain biking technique and bike maintenance, but there are lots of other skills to refresh as we progress.
Please follow our journey here and on the Wild MTB blog as we prepare for an exciting and wild mountain biking adventure.
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Runners Need G3 Race Series: Race 2
Feb 05, 2012
The second race in the Runners Need G3 series certainly lived up to its reputation as a tough cross country race. Dragging myself out of bed early on a bitterly cold Saturday morning to cycle across to the frost covered hills around Newlands Corner was hard, and ensured that my hands, feet and head were anaesthetised before the race had even started.
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Any feelings or thoughts of the cold were soon dispelled however, as the first of the many climbs ensued. The route, as ever, was challenging and enjoyable as 300+ competitors raced through the trails of the Surrey Hills, however this race had one key difference from a lot of the other races I have done in the area...
At around the 6km mark what only can be described as a monster of a hill came in to view. This hill was incredibly steep and I would guess that over 95% of the entrants (myself definitely included) were reduced to walking, stumbling or crawling up it - I don't think I've ever seen so many people walk in a cross country race before.
Once at the top the rest of the race seemed to be relatively 'easy' in comparison, but the burn in my legs did not go away...
As always the Runners Need G3 was extremely well organised and great fun. Next G3 race 3 March 2012.
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My new beauty…
Jan 19, 2012
Ahead of my mountain bike tour planned for this summer (blog and details coming soon), I have just bought a new and exciting toy...
The Cube LTD Pro 29 is a sporty, fast hardtail with all the advantages of the larger 29er wheels combined with the agility of a 26-inch bike and is the perfect machine for mountain biking marathons and long-distance touring.
The first piece of the jigsaw is in place...all I need to do now is learn how to ride a mountain bike!
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Runners Need G3 Race Series: Race 1
Jan 15, 2012
The first of the Runners Need G3 race series 2012, touted to be the easiest of the three, supplied a punishing mix of draining climbs and fast descents, which on a crisp January morning was an enjoyable yet challenging first race outing of the year.
The picturesque Surrey Hills, covered in a heavy frost (I even replaced my trusty vest with a longsleeved shirt) provided the backdrop for the 10km cross country route (apparently the actual route was closer to 11km, and after the final long climb of the day it certainly felt longer than 10km).
Despite the race being extremely well organised, with friendly volunteers, a great atmosphere...and even homemade cakes at the finish line, I was quite disappointed with my performance. The race highlighted that there is a lot of work to be done to get to the fitness level I desire and need to be at given the schedule of challenges and races that lie ahead this year. I am early in to a new training programme which I hope will be effective and over the next few months see some tangible improvements.
I will be sharing details of my new training plan soon...
The three races series, all starting and finishing at the same venue (Newlands Corner, Guildford), offers three individual, hilly cross country routes (c. 10km) to negotiate, open to seasoned club runners and novices alike.
Next Races:
Runners Need G3 10km 04 February 2012 - 08:30
Runners Need G3 10km 03 March 2012 - 08:30
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Latest News
- Wild MTB - End to End off-road
- Runners Need G3 Race Series: Race 2
- My new beauty…
- Runners Need G3 Race Series: Race 1
- Epic Every Day
- Tough Guy 2012
- Yorkshire 3 Peaks - 28 December 2011
- Summary of 2011
- Running London Underground
- Book review - TMB Guide
Future Challenges
- MTB Tour (pairs) - John O’Groats to Land’s End
Adventures - Running London Underground
Mini Challenges - Runners Need G3 Series 2012
Mini Challenges
