Friday. And tomorrow is the start of the International Tour of the Abberleys. Which means 3 days of fun. Three, count them, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The Sunday course has been changed to exclude one big nasty hill, Stamford Bank, but is overall more hilly. It omits the big loop through the edge of Worcester but includes 3 laps of the Woodbury Hill course, a lap up Abberly, down to Stamford Bridge, along to Martley then back past start, up Abberly and down to Eardiston then Stamford to finish up the hill towards Abberly. Torture ! Saturday is 3 laps of Astley, quite lumpy, Sunday is a convoluted course but not going up Stamford Bank, instead finishing up the hill that goes down to Stamford. Its not as steep, but long. Monday is laps of the usual Clows Top course, but finishing up a long steep (1 in 6) hill through Menithwood. Ugh. Looks pretty damn hard.
Tuesday I did 12 x 30 second sprints, Wednesday was supposed to be the bash, but after 2 laps is pissed down so we stopped. Yesterday I did 3 laps of Gay Hill circuit hard, at lunchtime. Then a steady 21 miles in the evening round Hopwood, Uplands, Finstall, Gambolds & Hopwood again. Cold, I really needed gloves !
Just donated �100 to the buy Hazel a new car fund. I hope she is sufficiently grateful. I doubt if I will get to see her next week.
Today in Leamington.

I do seem incapable of coherent thought, or more precisely, putting down my thoughts here in some sort of coherent form. How odd.
I lack the anger I felt early last year caused by the documents project at Horwich. I seem to be floating along in a haze of obscure thouhts. Maybe this is
why I just plod along at the back of races rather that attacking at the front ? One of the judges, one Polly remarked on Sunday, 'thats an odd way to attack, at the back'. Did he mean my do-or-die attack or the fact I spent most of the race lurking around the back of the bunch ? My ideas seem to sputter out in dribs and drabs like a dribby and drabby leak from a water pipe. I need another wild night in Manchester, not like the last one that consisted of me slumping asleep not long after midnight, no doubt down to the large amounts of Hoegaarden. Were those 1 litre or 1 pint glasses ? I suspect I knocked back 3 litres, no wonder I passed out.
I offered to help with paying the deposit for her car on Sunday, I don't think that was appreciated, did I sound patronising ?

This is becoming a very boring sort of diary, a simple record of my doings if you will.
So what are my thoughts, somewhat numbed after all that has happened over the company since last November, an the constant uncertainty is very wearying. How do I feel over Hazel and my life ? Very complex, Such good times with Hazel, and in Manchester too !
Oh fuck its raining, and cool, so this weekend may be good fun, three days of wet ! That might be good for me, I used to excel in the bad condidtions, lets see if I can re-create that toughness from the past !
As New Order sang, 'good times around the corner'....
I hope so.
Fillongley ! One of the destinations of my first club runs with the Birchfield, it looked different. There are lots of roads I have driven along recently that I had only ever cycled, how odd.
This isn't as much fun as working in Horwich where I could pick and choose a hotel, and enjoy the company of John and the other piss-artists util the early hours. Boy, I miss that. What I may do is spent a night there next week, except they charge �55 for a room, even though I asked for a cheaper room. Must have a llok on laterooms, to see if those apartments in Manchester are any cheaper.

Tuesday.
Aha, not Monday. Worked at home yesterday, so I went a very meandering drive to see Dad, that took in Knowle, the M42, the M6 to Corley services for a much needed Red Bull, past where Coventry Colliery was, Fillongley. Then off to Parkers via M6 and A5. Arrived home and finally did some work.

At the weekend I bought wine, Hoegaarden and crisps for Friday evening. Then raced on Sunday, a circuit race at Birmingham Business park. Flat circuit, not too scary corners but the first 20 mins had rain and hail. Plus a strong wind. Did a mad jump away with 2 laps to go but they caught me going into the wind, finished 12th. OK I suppose for a circuit race. Then bought lots of tins of beer and some Smirnoff Ice for the evening.
Got the International Tour of the Abberlys this weekend, no doubt as scary as last year with hills a go-go. Interval training for tonight, ho hum, hope it don't rain.