Just had a steady plod to Adlington, Chorley, Coppul, Standish, Wigan, Blackrod. A veritable tour of mid Lancashire, by 'eck.
Took it easy, low gears, kept it aroud 18-20 mph, did'nt push it, nice and steady to clear the lactic crap out of my legs and keep 'em turning. Did some stretching and yoga before sleep. Won't ride today as I'm driving home down the sodding M6 motorway, but must do 1 hour steady, 15-20 miles tomorrow to keep myself supple and keep my condidtion. Then, oh dear, the fun starts on Saturday afternoon.
Then a spot to eat, a visit to Asda, a drive round Wigan, phone call off H. then bed. What a thrill.
I've just remembered, afer Asda, I went to MVC and saw album by 'You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead'. I heard a bit of this on the Peel show on Tuesday night and liked what I heard so bought the CD. 1st 2 tracks sound good. Then while I was driving round Wigan I realised that all the tracks were just US trash metal and I did'nt like the singer much. Oh well, my daugher might like it. I bought some other trash US band CD last year, which I had to give to my daughter, it was crap and I can't even remember who it was. Heard the much heralded Datsuns on the Peel show last night. Good guitar playing, though not up to the buzzing strumming of say, Idlewild, but what an irritating screechy lead vocal ! No doubt an excellent singer, but more like early Rolling Stones. John Peel enthused over this group, saying 'What other radio station can give you this ?' and 'Remember where you heard them first, they will be big'. Hmm, possibly but thats something I don't go with King John there. Well, we did hear the Strokes first on the peel show, and I think the Hives ? But I dodn't like the Datsuns. There. I've said it, they may turn out to be the next big thing, but I still like Oasis, liked 'em when I first heard them in the early 90s. (Not on the Peel show, in a club, PJs ? in Dudley that played Nirvana and James and other such stuff).
Talking of Oasis I might just buy Hindu Times, and is there a new album out ? I think there is a Strokes album out now or soon.

Set off yesterday evening to meet the training bash. I left the hotel in bright, slightly overcast, not too cold weather. I had a good look around at the sky, looked set fair so no gloves or overshoes. Oh dear.
Just arrived at the corner and spits of rain began to fall, as the guys assembled (including Mr. Elite cat) the rain really hammered down. My hands grew colder and colder. Off we went after ensuring we hung around long enough for my hands to get really cold. Rain continued, so the roads were soaking so my feet got colder. At the back of my head was the thought I could bail out and go back to the hotel. My hands were so cold I could'nt hold the bars too well, and changing gears & braking was a bind. Swung onto the A6 and started working, well, lets see if the effort warms up my hands. Through Adlington, where were we going ? Turned and back towards the Rivington circuit. my hand got OK. 3 laps of the circuit. Only me and the elite cat. worked all the time. A youngster came through now and again as did the guy from Reading. Some other guy just hung on the back, and we left a couple that joined en route for dead. Well I really gave myself a bashing last night. What is the point of joining a training bash and just sitting in ? The whole point of training has to be specific for something, in my case it is speed, so pushing through to the front improves speed. Sitting on the back just improves the ability to grovel on the back of a group, which is'nt how to win races.
When we finished the last lap and eased off I got steadily colder, going up the slight hill on the A6 I felt pretty whacked. Into my room, my socks were black, so I washed 'em, my bottoms were sodden so I washed the mud and grime out. Having to do this almost at the beginning of May ! Then I stood in the shower with pins and needles in my hands and feet as they warmed up. Stood a few minutes putting a streeam of hot water on my feet and knees. Began to get warm. But the rest of the ev evening felt a bit stiff and tired, riding hard in the cold and wet was'nt a good idea, but I needed a good long thrash, I can ease off now and do active recuperation by a steady ride this evening. I took a couple of paracetamol when I could'nt sleep last night.

As the most exciting thing I did last night was fall asleep it hardly seems worth the effort of posting owt up today.
Here goes anyway. Got to the hotel, got ready, it was raining and blowing a gale. It looked to be blowing over so off I went, forgetting my drink and not bothering with overshoes. Big mistake. I sat in my car putting my shoes on, and the rain got really heavy. Waited a few minutes and it seemed to blow over and the raods were'nt too wet. Off I went. Thought something was up with my bike, but it was riding into the wind ! Swung onto the road and with the wind behind me fairly whizzed along. But, the rain continued and the roads got very wet. In 10 minutes my feet were cold. Going up the hill from Bolton towards Belmont I felt miserable my feet were so cold. Never mind, this is supposed to be a tempo ride, pushing hard on the hills and steadily hard in the flat. Over the hill, and the flat had a gusty wind on my left shoulder and could barely creep along at 18.5 mph at 140-150 HR. Going up the hill through Belmont village I passed some guy, HR was 162, kept it up over the moors, swung to go through Wheelton, the wind got me, up the hill, down to the main rood through Chorley, got the wind on my back and happy days all the way to getting my poor feet and knees into a warm shower. Bliss. Well, I managed to do an average 18.1 mph over the 30 hilly, wet cold and windy miles. That does'nt seem good, but after the weather and terrain, I feel OK. Now for some speed work tonight.

Just been and reviewed some other blogs. Are they all so much better than my blogs ? Should I put more effort into design, wording and so on and so forth ? Amd spelling, punctuation as well ? Do I just have nothing to say or is everyone else, no matter what they do,,, living a more exiciting life that me ? What should I do ? Buy a little red boat and go over the sea to Skye ? Put wacky colours all over as a background ? As I am indeed an IT person I should have a geeky looking page rather than the insipid thing that is prety well the standard blog template.
I missed South Park last week as I was otherwise engaged at the time it was shown, this week I should be asleep, so I will miss it again.
All of the Simpsons I have watched have been repeats, of repeats, of very old shows. Where are all the recent series shows on terrestrial tv ? Will I have to get cable to get the latest shows ? Is broadband worth getting ? Questions, questions.
Will I get any text messages or calls this evening/week ?
Off to do some work I go, unwillingly.

Monday. Oh Monday.
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Soon Tuesday.
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Oh yes, I must get lots of early nights and no alcohol or crisps this week. After the enormous effort I will have to make to finish the 3 days of racing I really will deserve some r & r. If I don't make it, I will not be too despondent. Just a little bit.