Should I venture out tomorrow, and brave the predicted -2 temperatures?  Or should I stay in, and gorge on videogames and exercise biking to episodes of Supernatural?  The idea of getting out really appeals to me, especially if there’s snow.  The idea of repeating last winter’s five month chest infection does not, and I’ve already got a bad cough.

Bah!

So, not updated in a while.  BAD MISSUS, BAD.  I didn’t go biking last week, was feeling a bit phlegmy and grim memories of the October ’09 to March ’10 chest infection kept rearing its ugly head.  I did go biking in the previous weeks though.

I’m chuffed to bits that I did the Chase Skills course – it brought up my speed quite a bit, I’m definitely more confident, taking corners better and not losing as much speed due to over-braking.  Plus I’m merrily manualling about!  I’m still too chicken to do the Werewolf though – I know I can do it, I know exactly how to do it… it’s just actually doing it that’s the problem.

Had a bit of a comedy mishap on the bridge at end of the Stegosaur the other week.  There were a couple of novice riders on the rocks pulled over to the side.  Mr Toast went straight past them, and I thought they’d let me pass too – but unfortunately one of them set off just as I caught them up.  She bottled it on the last couple of steps, so I waited for her to sort herself out then restarted on the bridge.  Started to pedal and somehow managed to propel the Professor off to the side – still not sure how it happened!   I think it was as my right foot moved the pedal down my bike slipped sideways, I toppled to the right but was still pedalling – I literally landed in the middle of the bridge and shot my bike off to the left.  Bizarre.  I managed to brush myself off and grumble at my wounded pride, lift my bike back on and carried on!

It was another fairly swift lap considering the conditions.  I mourned the loss of Evil Root Number Two – its face has finally been chewed through by many a spinning wheel.  Rumour has it it’s going to be replaced with a rock…

So, I’ve not updated for a while – the vast majority of my time has been spent slaving away in front of a hot computer, but I’ve managed to get some riding in over the past few weeks.  I’ve…

EXPLORED!  Armed only with the leisure trails map and a vague sense of direction, I went off the waymarked routes.  I got lost, discussed the merits of modern mountain bike suspension with an elderly chap, passed a group of 30 horse riders, found some MASSIVE toadstools and eventually managed to navigate my way back once I spotted the Wrekin.  I also decided that I either need to invest in a proper map, or a GPS – my phone GPS couldn’t get signal!

NEARLY DIED ON THE MONKEY!  Well, that’s a massive over-exaggeration, but I did the Monkey for the first time in nearly three months.  Met up with Jez and Ian about halfway around – Ian was riding his shiny new Pitch, and Jez was probably preparing to break his Trek.

Once again, I did this on a bowl of cornflakes, causing me to completely run out of energy.  AND I got cramp FOUR SODDING TIMES – right calf twice, left calf once and the muscle above the right knee.  Words cannot express how rough I felt at the end.  If you want a rough idea, look at a zombie from a Romero film.

BECAME AWESOME!  Again, slight over-exaggeration, but I’ve now completed the Chase Skills Level 2 course!  It was massively confidence building – it was nice to hear that my issues were more down to not commiting rather than technique (normally I struggle to commit because I’m worried my technique is rubbish).  And I actually managed to lift the front wheel for the first time ever!  On purpose!

Again, my lack of fitness and practice clobbered me a bit, after 7 hours I was a bit wobbly.  So I’m now embarking on an extensive Supernatural Exercise Biking regime!  Every night I have to exercise bike through an entire episode of Supernatural.  I’ve managed a week so far!

Went over the Dog yesterday – a bit abbreviated, as I completely missed section 8.  I thought it was completely closed off, so I went straight down and then up to 9.  I was quite pleased, went quite speedy, although I was occasionally a bit concerned sliding around in the mud.  Met up with Mr Toast around section 9 and we finished the lap together – I decided to go over the little log stumps down to the rollers this time.  I contemplated the Werewolf, but chickened out – it’s annoying as it’s not the slope that bothers me, it’s just the turn into it and the turn at the end.  I know how to ride it, but I just panic, especially in the mud.  One day, Werewolf, one day!

I need to invest in some better winter clothing – my knees were aching really badly from the cold, and it does make stuff a bit more of a struggle.  Unfortunately I’ve put on a lot of weight over summer, so I’ve got to go a size up. Q_Q

I’m pleased that I’m getting to bike a bit more regularly again – my fitness levels are working their way back to their previous best.  I was actually on course to beat my previous best lap time of just under an hour, and was partway through the Tackaroo section at the 40 minute mark.  I passed a chap fiddling with his bike, slowed and asked him if he was OK, he said he was fine it was just that his chain had come off.  So I carried on, and approached another rider – he asked if I’d seen the previous chap, so I stopped and explained he was a little further back having chain issues.  The rider said he’d pop back to help him, and I set off again.  At least, that was the plan, but I was struck by a quite frankly horrific case of cramp in my left calf – the sort of cramp where you momentarily wish you could cut off your leg.  I think I startled the poor chap by falling as if I’d been sniped from the grassy knoll, wailing like a cat and then thrashing on the ground like a fish out of water.  I managed to utter the word ‘Cramp’, at which point the rider became my hero and straightened out my leg.  I have to admit, it was one of my more surreal riding experiences – lying on the side of Follow the Dog with a complete stranger holding my leg straight in the air.  It was probably quite surreal for the passing riders too.

After a false start –

“I think it’s OK now”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, thanks….OH MY GOD THE HUMANITY!” *leg goes back in the air*

– the cramp eventually subsided and I managed to carry on, leaving the unnamed rider to return to his unfortunate chain-falling-off friend.  If he ever reads this – thanks, and it really wasn’t your fault!  I get cramp in my left calf every now and again (no idea why…), and I would have had to have stopped for the Werewolf Drop any way – probably better that it happened where it did rather than there!

Calf was still feeling a bit iffy (still doesn’t feel quite right now!), so I took the remainder of the trail to Birches Valley a bit easy and ended up with a lap time of 1 hour 5 minutes.  Better than the last couple of rides, and close to my best, so I’m quite pleased!  I’ve also seemed to have gotten over my Steg fear, so hopefully long may that continue.  If I can get my fitness back up I’ll start tackling the Monkey again (taking it easy on the fireroad, obviously). And after a year of so of threatening to do it, I’ve finally booked myself in on a proper skills course with Chase Skills.  Let’s hope that 6 hours of training will finally sort my Evil Root gremlins.  And cornering and steering gremlins.  And steep stuff gremlins…

Ride: Cannock Chase

Trail: Follow the Dog, followed by first 3 sections of Follow the Dog again.

Highlights:  Going at speed, not dying at the top of the fireroad, much better lap time.  Chatting to various people at Swinnertons and in the cafe.

Bad bits:  CRRRAAAAAAAMP!  Not even calling cramp ‘Charley Horse’ can make it endearing

Post ride food snaffled: 1/2 Choc-chip shortbread, Quavers and a cup of tea

Good dogs seen: A most excellent minature schnauzer – they’re definitely one of my favourite breeds, and I’m thoroughly jealous of people who own them. They’d probably be rubbish trail dogs though, but quite good at looking disapproving when you chicken out of tackling an obstacle.  There was also some sort of weird Jack Russel chihuahua cross – size and colouring of a large Jack Russel, but the facial proportions and ears of a chihuahua

Today’s ride was a good ride.  The sun was shining, the trail had actually dried out for the most part, I rode fast and I didn’t throw up.  That’s not to say that there wasn’t room for improvement – my fitness levels have definitely taken a turn for the worse, struggling more than usual up the fireroad hill and progressively more out of sorts after section 8.  My just under an hour laptime is now extended to just under an hour and quarter thanks the longer breaks I’m taking.  Still, nowt a couple of evenings a week on the exercise bike won’t help to fix – sadly biking into work is still a no-goer due to overtime.

I’ve recently developed a bit of a neurosis about the Stegosaur at the start of section 6.   I can’t quite explain it – I’ve always been a bit iffy about the last couple of rocks onto the bridge, but last week I completely bottled them.  Even though I’d been vaguely panicking about them on the way there, I forced myself to ride the entire thing and it was fine.  OK, sorry, that’s not exactly the most thrilling story, but it was… fine. In the past I’ve had a few shaky moments where I’ve nearly gone off the right hand side of the bridge, but today was no problem.  Took the rocks onto the boardwalk with my usual style and grace (plough into it full speed), also no problems. Bottled Evil Root Number One… and hell, might as well admit it now, Number Two as well.  It’s always easier taking the path of least resistance when you’re on your own – I was planning on riding with the Pearson Posse, but alas, we didn’t get to the Chase until 3-ish again.

On the plus side, from what people said it was a lot quieter than it had been in the morning.  Still managed to pass quite a few people though – in a minor miracle, I think I actually managed to overtake more people than overtook me for the first time.  I did feel very fast and confident on the trail, but unfortunately a bit wheezy between sections.  Still, no near fainting or passing out! \o/

Felt a bit guilty on the last section of FtD approaching Birches Valley.  As I approached the two drops I noticed a couple of riders edging around the start of them.  One guy had stopped right before them, and was off to the right hand of the trail.  I swear, I thought he’d pulled over for me, and I was thanking him as I’m rubbish as those drops unless I have a decent amount of momentum.  Unfortunately, I don’t think he knew I was there – literally, at the exact moment I started to pass and went over the first drop, he decided to start off himself. I startled him and he sort of fell sideways into the bracken. 🙁  I stopped and asked if he was OK, but he didn’t seem to answer.  I decided to leg it in case he decided to own me with some Bombers – I know I normally get a bit miffed if people aggressively overtake without giving me a chance to pull over.  Although in my defence, he was kind of pulled over and didn’t check to see if anyone was approaching before taking off again… still felt like an arse though.

I’m getting a bit itchy to explore more of the Chase – I know that there’s a lot more to it than FtD and The Monkey.  I’m a bit torn though –  I like riding a familiar trail, being able to see where my strengths and weakness are, and where I’m improving.  I also like not getting lost, or having to carry around and read a map, and knowing that I’m not going to plough through a breeding ground for adders surrounded by rare orchids that is off-limits due to a horrible world ending plant disease.  It’s also nice knowing that you’re allowed to ride what you’re riding, and that the chances of encountering ranty ramblers is at a minimum.  Still, I might invest in an OS map of the Chase and plot out a route on bridleways, just for a good long ride.  I’d love to visit the Milford Common area again – literally, the one and only time I’ve ever been there was on a school geography trip where we measured footpath erosion and the amount of litter around the area, to demonstrate the effect ‘honeypot’ tourist spots have on the environment.  There was a Wimpy there, and the woodland surrounding it was awesome.   It was also something like 17 years ago, so my memory might be better than the reality (even though I remember the Wimpy…).

Ride: Cannock Chase

Trail: Follow the Dog

Highlights:  Zooming around, feeling pretty confident

Bad bits:  Lack of fitness

Post ride food snaffled: Cherry shortbread and a cup of tea

Good dogs seen: Fairly bog standard today, although there was a small jack russell and what looked like a minature golden lassie.