Oh yes, weight, health and over-indulgence. This is the first time I have trained, apart from little plods, for over a week. And not just drank the odd bottle of wine, but also eat far too many packets of black pepper crisps, cheese, chocolate and other such rubbish. So back on a healthier diet as from Monday.

Wednesday.
Did training last night. A set of 12 by 30 seconds at 120 rpm in 53x15 with 30 sec rest. They were hard, was getting HR up to 164 on the last couple.
On the turbo so sweated buckets. Weight slowly going down. Was 78.2 on Sunday, now 77.2.
And thats it. Today supposed to do a 90-120 minutes at level 3, which will be difficult, if I arrive home at 18.15 and get out for 18.40, thats gives me 80 minutes until it is too dark at 20.00. Hmmm. Should have worked at home todayt to fit that in.

Tuesday.
Did nothing yesterday, apart from work. Very lazy, was scheduled to do some rapid sprinting intervals but felt just to done-in after spending a day in the office. Now I have another day in the office. Oh joy.
Thinking about my season, it has been really crap. On the road anyway. I seemed to struggle in all the races I rode, looking back at last year I was attacking, finishing well and getting up in the first 10 mostly every week. Now I just have a second place in a piddling 5 mile time trial.
But on the track, which at this time last year was just a thought deep in my head, I have surprised myself ! Even winning a sprint ! The 800M, and second, third and a couple of fourth places. So that has meant the difference between a total failure of a season and a decent season. I would still like to win on the road, but I'm not riding any more road races so that won't happen. I have three more track sessions, a possible race on a tandem at Manchester, and 2 or three more time trials.

Oh dear.
Monday, 1 September and summers over, as are my 2 weeks of holiday and here I am back in the office.
Fuck.
All I can remember is;
The week before the holiday, two hard training sessions, Tuesday was riding up a hill that took > 4 mins to ride up, hard. So went to the road to the top of Beacon Hill from the Bromsgrove side. Rode hard up the Clock house hill as part of my warm-up, so just did 5 rides. Which was more than enough, jeez they were hard. And it was hot, 33C or so. Then on Wednesday did 30 mins at L2, 20 at L3, 10 at L4, 5 at L5. Urgh.
Thursday evening left the office early and drove up to Manchester for a session to get accreditation to ride the velodrome. Wow ! The first time I tried to go up the bankings I flunked it and had to stop. Then I went for it, it was brilliant ! After that met Hazel. Went to the apartments, the lift didn't work so couldn't park underneath. So had to lug my bike into the room (right at the top of the building !) And park in a multi storey.
Went to Bar Centro didn't stop as they don't do Hoegaarden anymore, went into the Jazz club just down the street, excellent ! And Hazel enjoyed herself too. She got chatting to the boss, he gave me a free cocktail. So I was fairly pissed. Then back to the apartment, broke open a lock from a door at the top of a flight of stairs in our rooms, and it went onto the roof. Woke up sitting in the chair at 0400 ! The room was stifflingly hot. Then got the car, parked just round the corner, carried stuff down and bllimey, got a parking ticket ! It would have been towed away soon. Thats another �20 on top of the �15 parking fee. Anyway, back to the office.
Rode the track but felt a little bit jaded, so did nothing.

Weekend, a short spin on Saturday. Raced at Walton in Leicestershire on Sunday, gears jumping and it felt so hard. Well it would as my brake was rubbing. Stopped and adjusted it, went OK then but had a lap out. Lots to drink in the evening !

Monday and so on;
worked on rubbing down, cleaning, then painting the external woodwork.
Did a 40 mile ride on Wednesday, did a short spin Thursday morning then rode the Midland RT '5, was 2nd with 11.45. Peter won with 11.15.
So he was 30 seconds faster on a low-pro carbon monoque framr with a solid carbon rear disk wheel, 3-spoke carbon front and aero helmet. If I had all that would I have gone faster ?
Friday the track, got 4th in 800M h/cap sprint, and 4th in the points race then pulled out the devil 1st.
Saturday/Sunday nothing much. Sunday was setting off to ride the Midland '16, Jayne said 'I thought you weren't racing anymore' ? Which clouded my day, started but turned back after a mile and pretended I had a puncture.
Monday;
went to Blists Hill, Tuesday painting,
Wednesday painting and a bike ride, 40 miles again.
Thursday to Hatton country world. Bought some more lamps for the garden.
Friday took David to Weston. Not too bad, cool at first, sunny bits but a strong Northerly wind.
Saturday did a 40 miler, then drank 2 bottles of red ! Sunday lazed about, and had some beer.