Long time no blog...

Well its been a while since I had enough time on the internet to actually add anything to this. But finally, no thanks to certain satellite TV providers, we are connected at home and able to update. Boy is there lots to update!

Chris and I are well settled into our little cottage now and have almost everything we need to live (dining table and chairs to arrive soon!). We have managed just about to sort out a routine of working, eating, training and sleeping. But have also not let ourselves off with the easy option and have done quite a bit of gardening and some racing!

I have been putting my aero helmet on quite a bit recently (well not mine, but you get the idea!). Firstly there was the student 3-up TT champs about three weeks back. This was quite an experience. I have done two 3-ups in the past and neither has been a total success. The first was years ago when I was just a newby on a bike and was towed around a 50km course by an already pretty fast Emma Pooley, and one two years ago where our third rider was late to the start and we didn't finish together - not great precedent really. I was hoping this year would be better! I was riding in a team with another two girls from Cambridge, both mostly triathletes and with varying experience. In our practice we had worked out that one girl was likely to be the weakest and she was very gracious in acknowledging she might need a bit of helping around. We actually had a very good ride until, about two-thirds round the second lap of the course I managed to clip the wheel of the lass behind me, who had overlapped, and took her out. She was amazing, jumping straight back on the bike and finishing the race despite quite a bit of bleeding. We finished as a team, and managed to win the student event so not a completely smooth ride but a good team effort none-the-less. Thanks to Willow and Hannah for that one!

Last weekend was the student 25mile TT champs. Much less fun than a TTT but I was defending champion so was persuaded to enter. I went pretty well and I managed to win again somehow. Although I renewed my dislike of TTs, getting incredibly saddle sore on the second lap of the two lap course. I was super glad of the hills which meant I pushed harder on the pedals and raised myself out of the saddle a bit!

The weekend inbetween these two excursions to the dark-side was much more fun! Chris and I raced the Enduro 6 as a mixed pair. This was a really great event again, great competitors in general and the weather turned out amazingly well. We were both feeling like we had good legs, were motivated and really enjoyed the course (even if it had been sanitised a bit through the beautiful bluebell woods!). Anyway I'm sure Chris will have more to say about this one, but we finished in second place just over 5 minutes behind the winners.

My other outing on the MTB recently has not been quite so successful however. We went up to Dalby forest near Scarborough this weekend for the second round of the National Points Series. Having done a slightly silly thing fitting my new bottom bracket I had to make a visit to lovely Jerry Turner at his shop in Ely on Friday and we ended up going via there again on the Saturday. We therefore arrived in Dalby later than originally intended all-be-it both with working bikes! After a cup of tea with the Buick's in their camper we headed out on the course to take a look. There had been some scare stories about drops so I was, I have to admit a little nervous. The first bit of the course was great fun, fast and rolling, with some steps in the descents and one rock slab-type drop. I thought that if that was it, everything would be fine. I thought too soon!

We soon came upon a bigger drop - Worry Gill - and there was a big group of people checking it out even at gone 6pm on the night before the course. Chris took a little while to ride it but was fine, but I hung around watching and tried a few times, but couldn't quite get up the nerve. Everyone was very encouraging, but I know when my mind has got the better of me and had wasted quite a bit of time, so decided I needed to carry on. We rode up a quite steep and switchbacky climb and then came across the next techy section - a rooty, run-down with a few little drops here and ther. It definitely looked nasty. Stu Bowers was there and gave Chris some great advice which saw him clean it first time. I stalled couple of times but on the same instructions eventually took the plunge and made it over the top. Unfortunately this is where it all went wrong! At some point further down, my back wheel lifted up and I braked more with my front brake - biggest mistake. I flew straight over the bars and landed chest first on a tree-stump. Ow!

Anyway to cut a long story short lovely Chris had to dust me off and walk me back up the hill since I was convinced my wrist was broken - again. He then packed up the tent and drove me to Scarborough A & E. Here we were very surprised to see Carla, who I had been riding round with, and her parents. Apparently she also took a tumble on the same descent and had speared herself on a root. We hung out in the waiting room for what seemed like hours, with some slightly nutty people (although not too many drunks for a Saturday night!). I was eventually x-rayed and found not to have broken my wrist - thank god! But I have broken my finger and bruised my ribs, so a few days off the bike at least :( Chris was an angel and after we got out after midnight and had nowhere to stay and little chance of me getting into a tent drove all the way back to Cambridge. I owe him big-time especially since he lost his chance of being able to race on what was a great course because of it all. Thanks Chris!

So what to take away from all this? Well my considered advice based on the last few weeks has to be do not use the front brakes when going down steep descents! Oh and TTing is quite painful in a completely different way....