First, an apology over yesterday’s post.  Lengthy rambling Lord of the Rings analogies?  By Odin’s Beard, I really shouldn’t post at one in the morning!  With that out of the way…

Went over the Chase again – it would have been criminal not to whilst we’re having a sunny spell!  Today’s run was a bit of a mixed bag – I pushed myself harder, and had shorter breaks (if any) between sections.  However, I didn’t ride as well yesterday – I made some really iffy line choices, catching my pedals and nearly losing control a couple of times.

I don’t know whether I was still a bit knackered from yesterday, or whether not giving myself as much time to recover between sections meant I was flagging too early.  I really struggled to get off the saddle and keep my head up…and I threw up after Ill Phil’s Hill.

On the plus side, even though today’s performance wasn’t as good as yesterday’s, I was still better than I was last week.  Plus I got up the fireroad hill.  Huzzah!

I had a moment of eye-rolling wonderment as I approached the exit of section 11.  A family were walking up the track, the wrong way, with the young children waving long branches around, pretending to sword fight.  I just don’t get it – they were passed by a number of bikers, travelling at speed.  There were a number of bikers on the fireroad, near the exit.  The family were very close to the exit, which suggests that they came onto the trail via the fireroad.  There’s a clear ‘No entry sign’, with an explanation that the enticing forest path is a mountain biking red route, and shouldn’t be used by walkers, horse riders or leisure cyclists.  It was an accident waiting to happen, and a completely avoidable one at that.

I slowed and informed them (politely!) that they were on a dedicated mountain biking trail, and told them to be careful as there were likely to be bikers coming down a lot faster than me.  They seemed a little put out, but hopefully they’ll have gotten off the trail and realised that it was meant for their benefit as much as anyone else’s.  I can’t imagine the collision between a five year old child and a 20-35lb bike carrying a fully grown adult would result in a pretty sight.

It makes me cross, but sometimes you have to give people the benefit of the doubt, and assume they’re on the track out of ignorance rather than because of wilful stupidity or spite.  I think a lot of bikers just try to ignore walkers on the track, instead of informing them of their mistake.  But if they’re not told, how will they ever know?  They’ll probably just assume that the mountain bikers are arseholes who run along the forest trails like complete lunatics. Which is probably a fair assessment, which is why we get our own segregated trails. 😉

Anyhoo, I wore my new shinies both rides this weekend.  The leggings are possibly a little on the large side, but are otherwise fine – they don’t bunch up too much, and they fit a lot better around the ankles.

The Dhb glasses are great – much better quality and looks than Mr Toast’s bloke’s equivalent from a year or so ago (they’ve got this psuedo-Oakley iPod feel), they fit on my head just dandy (even with the helmet on), and they don’t mist.  The only problem is that, due to my rather hamster-esque face, the bottom of the lenses sit on my cheeks, and are completely lifted off my ears when I smile.

Perhaps this by design, so that mountain bikers are forced to look cool and serious – without them, we’d be compelled to grin like idiots a good 90% of the time.

Mountain biking.  Serious business.

Ride: Cannock Chase

Trail: All of FtD, with the exception of sections 6, 7 and 16.

Highlights: Getting up the fireroad hill – I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t make it yesterday

Bad bits: Feeling a bit spaced out and out of control on the trail, making silly mistakes.  Plus being ill between sections 14 and 15 was pretty rough.

Post ride food snaffled: Bacon sandwich, and Heaven’s Own Cookie.  A smartie one this time, instead of triple choc fudge

Good dogs seen:  A daschund, with a dapper walk and proud buttocks.  Another schnauzer – it’s been a veritable schnauzer bonanza this weekend!  Good jack russells with pleasing head-to-body ratio.  Plus some sort of crazy sitcom-in-the-making comedy couple of a Westie and a greyhound, having a sit in the lake.  The moorhens looked unimpressed, however.

Another weekend, another pootle around Follow the Dog.  You know that bit in The Two Towers movie, where Theoden is released from Saruman’s spell – he goes from being all cobwebby and geriatric, to kick ass warrior king?  That’s a bit like me recovering from winter, that is.

Well, OK, to continue this quite frankly ridiculous Lord of the Rings analogy, I’m not quite chopping orcs yet.  Or I might be, I just need a good long rest and a biscuit between each kill.  But I definitely feel like I’m actually getting my confidence back on the trail – I just need the fitness to follow!  On the plus side, I rode most of Follow the Dog, and rode most of it fairly well (by my standards).

I did the boardwalk easily, no wobbles, rode the wooded sections after section 8 pretty fast, and sections 13 and 14 were awesome.  However, I felt really knackered on the climbs – I didn’t make it all the way up the fireroad hill in one go this time (but I didn’t get off to push!).  I don’t know if I was just having an off-day, or didn’t give myself enough time to recover before tackling the hill, or if the Rebas were bobbing a bit too much (which would be an issue with my weighting).  The sheer joy of trying to go as fast as possible quickly destroyed the memory of the nasty climbs though.

I even overtook people!  Admittedly, they were a family with young children (section 7), a couple who were obviously new to the Chase (section 12), and some poor sod who was obviously dragged there by his more experienced mates and was struggling a bit with the trail (sections 13 and 14).

I actually rode all of section 14 without my usual stop to ‘admire the scenery’ at the top if Ill Phil’s Hill.  I think this was actually the first time I’ve done this!  Unfortunately I paid the price at the start of 15, where I had to sit down for a bit until my eyesight returned to normal, and the compulsion to be violently sick passed.  Ah, the cobwebs of winter.  Damn you, Saruman.

Now I really hope that I do get a Meta 5.5.2, just because it’s white, and I can call it ‘Snowmane’.  Hopefully it won’t crush me to death…

Ride: Cannock Chase

Trail: All of FtD, with the exception of sections 6 and 16.

Highlights: Ill Phil’s Hill – fast replacing section 13 in my affections.

Bad bits: My chronic lack of fitness, and lengthy recovery periods.

Post ride food snaffled: Bacon sandwich, and Heaven’s Own Cookie

Good dogs seen: A schnauzer.  They are just unbelievably awesome!