Author: fionnghal

by

Going Loopy

Woah! Steady on there! That’s two days this week when the sun has been shining, and… it looks set to continue for a week. Bloody hell! So, to take advantage of this phenomenon which, let’s face it, doesn’t usually happen even in the summer, I decided to try out my new route – the full Lochwinnoch loop. The route is Home to Kilbirnie on the NCS Route 7 cycle track then back on the public roads – first the A760 then the A737. Doing it that way around avoids going up a number of hills but as it was the first real ride after a lay-off and a flu-type bug I thought that was fair. I’ll do it that way a couple more times to get to know the route then I’ll go for the reverse just for the challenge. I had planned this using information on the Kelloggs site which charts it as 30miles which would have been a nice distance, but the Garmin recorded it at 23, which is more what I would have said it was from knowing the track fairly well. (I shoud have used the Sustrans Routes2Ride website as it is considerably more accurate.) I made good progress down to Lochwinnoch – mostly as there were few non-cyclist other users on the track and those pedestrians and doggie walkers whom I encountered were all very well trained. As it was a decent day I took a photo stop at Lochwinnoch as there were rather nice winter sun images of Castle Semple Loch to be had. Progress on to Kilbirnie was uneventful apart from being uncertain where to exit the track to get on to the road. As it was, I overshot and carried on to the end of the track, which was probably a good idea as it added a mile to the total. Brief Gatorade stop at the point where I should have come of the track originally, then onwards on the A760. Now the plan was to have no further stops on the way back, if only just to keep the momentum going otherwise I might putter to a halt. However, Fate had other ideas and had decided that an impromptu stop outside Howwood was an absolute necessity in this cycle learner’s experience as it was obviously time I learned how to deal with psychopathic kerbs that leap on to the road to attack you. Ot at least that’s what I’ll be telling people! As it was the reason for arser no 2 in my cycling career was sheer lack of vigilance. The A737 is a bastard of a road for volume of traffic though I have to say on the few times I’ve cycled it, the motorists have been reasonably well-behaved. There is however a right turn junction I need to make in order to come up through Howwood rather than go on to Kilbarchan. I was so busy trying to monitor traffic movement behind to allow me to go out into the turn box that I didn’t realise I’d drifted far too close to the kerb. Both wheels just caught it sideways and over I went – arse over tit completewith doppler effect yell. I landed on the grass verge so neither I nor the bike was damaged. (Actually I discovered later when I got into the shower that I’d grazed my left knee and a bit of thigh. Hardly life-threatening) What a daft cow! I gave the motorists a laugh, but next time I think I’ll stay on the A737 until Kilbarchan where the exit is on my side of the road. It was a decent enough run and I seem to be managing better cadence (today’s average was 77 and I am keeping up a regular 80+) and speed (average today 13.4 but I noticed I was doing about 15 or 16 for the most part). Still needs work but at least there is progress.

The serious bit now: I have not been having a good time recently because of the employment situation and the resultant concerns about the future, money and all that stuff. If the truth be told, I am a bit ambivalent in my attitude to it all. I get despondent at times not because of the lack of jobs but because of the merry round of knockbacks which do inevitably lead you to question your own self-worth. But on the other hand being out on the bike and seeing some real progress counters this. While cliches about it being the only time I feel alive are just a tad over the top, there is an element of truth in it. The other element of truth is that on many occasions I haven’t felt so bad about being jobless as it has allowed me to get out during the week when in normal circumstances I would be stuck until the weekend. Appropriate cliches? Silver linings or swings and roundabouts methinks. And I am still losing inches.

Castle Semple Loch on a bright winter's day

by

Braveheartbabe of the most bodacious kind

A certain bicycling bonsai buddy of mine gave me the heads up on a pic that appeared on a website after the Braveheart ride gala dinner which I didn’t go to, or at least I didn’t think I’d gone to. Now there are certain aspects of this pic transaction that concern me. First because the said website has a section entitled Daily Distractions which is in effect the equivalent of Page Three of The Sun, featuring as it does pictures of dolly birds submitted by a load of dirty old (and probably also dirty young) men. My boncycling buddy quite clearly must have been grubbing about in this section which I have now christened Lechers’ Lane. The second aspect is of course that it is just a tad sad that in this day and age that sports still are so misogynistic that they feel it necessary to have testosterone fuel in the form of glamour pusses. Some years ago this whole thing would have bothered me almpst to the point of staging a protest. Nowadays I take a broader approach to it and I was glad to see that at least of half of the pics provided were of women who were obviously cyclists. They also for the most part it must be said looked bloody good in cycle wear, thus dispelling the myth that we are all a bunch of lesbians with more balls than a pawnbroker’s sign. So I am not enraged but still ahve a desire to submit a couple of pics of some male cycling tottie just to even thngs up. After all, why shouldn’t I be allowed a daily distraction? Now then. I wonder how much of a sense of humour the lovely Mishan who takes my Tuesday spin class has?

Anyway. here is the aforementioned pic, and also another version which appeared later and has given me to question my memory of the dinner event. Dunno how my buddy failed to notice the significance.

The babes


the REAL braveheart babe

by

Oh God – Has it been THAT long?

12.34 mi in 51:28:00 hours at 0.24 mi/h on Dolan Mythos. I had a couple of my private pupils to see this morning so headed off on the bike. Normally I do my teaching at night and take the car, but as the yellow thing had snuck back into the sky for the first time since mid-November I thought it was time to get back in harness as it were. Not the best of rides but was good enough to get myself back in the saddle after a week’s flu-type illness plus a load of crap weather. Thank goodness for the spin classes I’ve been to – don’t think I’d have kept a decent fitness level up otherwise. Speed etc was OK but that’s as far as it goes today. Forgot to switch back on at Linwood so missing a couple of miles off the reading. My story and I’m sticking to it

by

Willowbog TreeWheelers

I headed off down to Willowbog Bonsai Nursery last night to participate in a workshop led by the rather splendid Marc Noelanders. I’m a bit uncertain of workshop attendance these days as I don’t generally get what I need just now in terms of teaching and learning experiences. However, Peter and Jean Snart have been good to me over the past few years and I do like to support them in their ventures. Also, there’s a very special atmosphere at Willowbog which makes me go down as often as I can. It’s very similar to that prevalent at Burrs last weekend (I’ve just realised, I forgot to post anything about the bonsai side of that. Bugger!) and is best described as camaraderie to the point of feeling like family.

Today’s workshop was more routine than Burrs and I took down my achilles heel tree – a San Jose Juniper I got from Dan Barton about four years ago and which has caused me endless grief ever since. It simply won’t do what I want it to do and I have spent an eternity wiring and rewiring it. (If God had wanted us to spend our time in this way, the lines in the Karate Kid would be “wire on, wire off” and nothing to do with wax!) Branches have died, fallen off or generally been a pain. And it just keeps growing which you’d think would be a good thing. But the new growth is like very small javelin – each one of them aimed at my fingers, eyes and any other body parts which get in the way. I’m tellin’ ya – the tree got attitude!

I did my best with the tree – extended a couple of sharis and so on – but at the end of the workshop I was so fed up with it, I traded it in against a nice shohin Korean Hornbeam. Nicer tree, easier to maintain and a helluva lot easier to carry! I came away satisfied.

Cycling-wise, I had taken the MTB so an early morning cobweb run from Willowbog Bonsai nursery was effected. Jean had suggested the route she uses for her 10K runs, so I set off down the road. I did quite well although on wetter sections I was somewhat wary after last week’s tumble. A lack of ability to read a road sign led me to taking the wrong road – instead of heading back through Stonehaugh I ended up in Wark. No matter – just makes the route 10 miles longer! Nae borra! Sort of. All in all a nice route with plenty undulations of all shapes, sizes and forms – some gentle 1%,2% and 3%, a number of 4-7% and then some challenging 8-12s. There is a long (c. 1 mile) stretch on the single track road up over Willowbog that is an 11%. A combination of too much traffic that was not interested in leaving room for cyclists, a slippery surface where leaves had fallen and a colossal amount of knackeration caused me to call it quits and get off and push for a while, which kind of put paid to any chance of a decent average speed reading. The knackeration was mostly (I believe) the result of not having had anything substantial to eat for over 24 hours – i.e. a real proper meal instead of chocolate and crisps. That’s something I’ll need to bear in mind in future. Next time I’m down, I shall make it my challenge to ride the entire route, but I think I’d probably take the Dolan instead of the MTB as it felt just a tad heavy today. The Dolan would have laughed at the bulk of the hills and would certainly have made lighter work of the grade 11 stretch. Next time!

San Jose Juniper

The OWB - first two stand for Obnoxious Wee

by

Cobwebs and Dog Hairs

Took advantage of the wee bit of sunshine that poked its head above the rain parapet today to brush off a few cobwebs (or were they dog hairs?) by going out on the Dolan. This was the first time in the saddle since my arser last Saturday and I am happy to report there was no action replay of the event. As it happens, I would probably have bounced anyway as I had on 4 upper layers – baselayer (short sleeve), GoreTex baselayer (long sleeves), GoreTex windcheater (long sleeves with a natty way of wheeching off the sleeves to make it short sleeved) and my Hi-Vis vest. The latter was solely because I was planning on riding on public main roads for at least half the ride.   As a result I looked like a cross between Chris Hoy and a binman. Went down to Lochwinnoch on the Beith Road then the A737 where the motorists were surprisingly good despite it being so busy. Then back home along the cycle track where the dog owners were equally surprisingly well-behaved despite my momentary anxiety on seeing an extending lead with owner on one side of the track and Fido on the other.  He very kindly gathered the pooch in at the right time and we exchanged top of the morning pleasantries before I scudded off into the distance.

Overall it was a good enough ride, though I did feel a tad sluggish at times. I managed all the inclines reasonably well but did wonder if this was as much (if not more) to do with the spin classes I go to rather than getting more used to cycling again. I do feel that it’s a use it or lose it situation – if I don’t cycle more regularly I run the risk of not making the same degree of progress as I have done in the past two and a half months. Is it reasonable to expect to make that level of progress still?  I reckon so: I am still far from cycle fit and my speeds are not constant enough.  At best I am reaching an average speed of 12-13mph, and I need that up to 15 soon as – certainly before Etape Caledonia if I go ahead and do it. If I am still in the area after the end of the month, I will probably join the Kilmaurs club who operate out of Walkers Cycles.  They have the reputation of being a friendly and active club, with good mechanisms for helping novices like me along. Sounds good to me.    Walkers Cycles? Isn’t that an oxymoron?

DSCF0722

Now, are those Gor Blimey trousers?

DSCF0720
Was test driving the new Rapha bunnet under my helmet.
by

Gotcha!

Apropos bugger all to do with bicycles or bonsai, I have to report that I got a call from the Polis this evening. No, they haven’t just caught up with that window I broke in 1968 – this was as a result of a break-in we had in early June. In fact, The Dibble had been effective at their job and got the wee gobshite (hereafter referred to as the WG) who did the deed and this was them ringing to tell us.

There were several factors to the story which, when I look back, are either quite alarming or just plain bloody hilarious. Factor 1: the WG broke in at 7am knowing full well there was likely to be someone home. I heard the noise of something which on reflection must have been the back door being kicked in but thought it was the dog roaming around. Factor 2: I distinctly saw a shadow reflected in our bedroom wardrobe mirror doors but again thought it was the dog. Turns out it was the WG leaning into the room to nick a wallet and a mobile phone – us in bed not but a yard away. Factor 3: the same dog that I thought was making the noise must have escorted the WG all through the house, no doubt pointing out items of possible interest ( should never have given him that antiques guide for his birthday). Some feckin’ guard dog is our Buddy! Actually, had the WG shut him in a room, Buddy would have barked his head off. Sod’s Law!

But Factor 4 is the best twist of all: I struggled out from beneath the dooffie at about 7.10 and staggered towards the loo. In the scud. Completely! Only to see a figure in the kitchen trying to get our (unknown to him) quirkily faulty back door open. After the initial surprise, I hurtled across the kitchen questioning his parentage very loudly as I went, at which point sheer terror took him up to the half landing and head first out the window on to our bins. God, I so hope that hurt him or that at the very least there was something particularly unpleasant and smelly therein!

So, the Rozzers now have a traumatised tea-leaf in custody awaiting a trip to His- or Heronour. I was pleased when they told me he claimed he didn’t notice I had no clothes on.

I was less pleased when they told me he said he just thought I was wearing something that needed a damn good iron!

by

Burrs, bicycles and bumps

Ah well.  It just had to happen sooner or later.  After an uneventful two and a half months back in a saddle, I took a tumble yesterday while on the MTB.  I haven’t hit the deck quite as spectacularly ever in my cycling career, but if I’m entirely honest that’s probably because I’ve never  really pushed  it enough to have it happen.  Let’s face it, I’ve not exactly been Evel Knievel when it came to derring do on the MTB. No, rows of parked buses were always quite safe from my attentions.  Even the juddering emergency stops I’ve had to effect on the cycle tracks because of dozy pedestrians/ dogs/dozy pedestrians with dogs – delete as appropriate, have never resulted in anything other than a minor hop and skip as I hastily reclaimed my balance.  I’ve put the bike down a couple of times but always remained upright myself.  This was an entirely new experience yesterday, and one which, hopefully, I won’t be repeating in too much of a hurry.  Again, to be honest it was maybe a bit daft going out in the rain.  But it wasn’t that heavy and I was on a mountain bike for goodness sake.  (Wouldn’t have gone out on the road bike in it though)   I had negotiated round the canal path at Burrs Country Park and was in transit along a flagstone path to another part of the riverside track.  I came over a bridge and had to make a sharpish right turn. A combination of the wet flagstones, leaves and the angle the bike was at as I turned all conspired to make the rear wheel just slide from under me. Right down – land on right knee, elbow and butt.  It happened so quickly I didn’t have time to panic or do anything in fact. This was possibly a good thing as I suspect I’d have stuck out a hand and ended up with a broken wrist if I had.  On the negative side – the bike is a bit clanky and I’ll need to investigate why. Additionally, it of course happened on the only bit of the path where I could be seen (typical).   On the plus side, my feet came out the pedals without any bother (I don’t actually remember making any release movement so it must have happened automatically).  And of course, equally on the plus side,  I can say with all integrity and honesty that I do now know my arse from my elbow – my elbow hurts more just now!  Joking apart, maybe I was a bit lucky this time, but it has taken the fear of falling away now that it has happened.  I had a horse-riding pal who once said he was getting more and more anxious every time he went riding because he hadn’t had a fall in 20 years, which meant the likelihood of having one was getting greater all the time.  Not sure if that’s statistically accurate but it sounds about right to me.  So my completer arser was maybe a good thing after all.  I’ll be out tomorrow if it’s at all decent. Not on the MTB though!

by

Braveheart Ride 31 October 2009

My first real proper road cycling event! Not a race as there were no official times or prizes, but essentially a charity ride on behalf of the Braveheart Fund. There were two route options:20 miles or 44, and since I haven’t actually done more than about 30 miles in a session, I opted for the 20 miles. I had already done a practice run to get myself familiar with the route (and to see if I could cope in a decent time) and was feeling OK about it. On the morning, however, I woke up feeling shitty, mostly because it had been so crappy weather the day before and it was looking not a lot better at 7am. Went back to sleep and by the time I surfaced at 8.15 the rain had stopped, the wind had dropped and the sky was not so ominously black. By the time I got to the start point at St Joseph’s school in Kilmarnock there was actually blue sky. As I drew into the car park, I couldn’t help notice that it was full of very serious looking cyclists and goodness knows how much money must have been tied up in the array of bikes, clothing and other sundries on display. At this point I felt a complete fraud and could easily have turned round. That was until I saw the fat lad with “Wide Load” on the back of his cycle jersey across his more than ample posterior. Ah well. If he can do it, so can I.

In an attempt to make sure I didn’t come in last, I tagged alongside what I thought would be slow riders – some giggly girls and a young lad of about 9 and his mum. While I had played the right hunch about the giggly lassies, how wrong I was about Cameron the 9-year old! He rocketed away from the start line and left us standing before we were even out of the school gates. By the time we got on to the road, he was nowhere to be seen. Mum Teresa just told me to go ahead which I did.

And so out on to the route itself. Not overly challenging – undulating rather than hilly but with a couple of “interesting” bits around the village of Waterside, where I am pleased (well OK I’m immensely smug) to report that I overtook some blokes – on a hill too. The good thing about the route was the bulk of the “up” was on the outward leg which should have meant that the return would be a doddle. Not quite. A strong headwind actually gave me a slower return leg time than on the practice run, but I had bettered the outward leg by a good few minutes. Back at the event base, I met back up with Cameron who had all the resigned attitude a 9-year-old has about the fact that his mum was conspicuous by her absence. “Don’t worry” he said. “I’m used to waiting for her”. A cup of tea (what’s that? No, nothing with it. Well OK a small piece of caramel shortcake), a wander round the sales area and a bit of an oggle at Philippe Gilbert, and it was time to head back off home.

And overall I was pleased with how it felt. Inclines I’d struggled up on the practice ride were significantly less bothersome. The overall time was as I thought pretty similar to the practice run, and I’m sticking with the headwind excuse! I’m well chuffed! Next year it’ll be the 44 miler.

Islay cyclists

My cycling friends from Islay

DSCF3310

The serious riders arrive

DSCF3320

Proof that I've been certified?

Coy me

looking coy. And also a bit sweaty

brian and Sean

Brian from Islay shares a joke with Irish legend Sean Kelly

DSCF3338

My next bike? Bet you don't get BOGOF deals on these!

by

And so it all begins…

So here we go: this is the very first post on my blog. Actually it’s not, because when I started off on this venture I had it on a completely different site altogether which didn’t have the versatility of this one. So it’s the first post on the new site. Well actually it isn’t even that as when you sign on here you automatically get a little “welcome” post. Personally, I’d rather they’d given me a bottle of fine wine or a nice box of Belgian choccies but hey ho, beggars can’t be choosers! It’s a freebie site after all! I’ve always found Life, especially the techy one, is full of little learning curves like this. And anyway, I worked out how to delete it. Can’t have my blog starting with me talking to myself now can I!