Neighathlon - is that a thing?

The view from Taxal Edge

Well it's over a week since my last post so I thought an update was in order!

This week I have done quite well for mixing running and biking, with a 10k fell run on Tuesday, to test my new trail shoes, a short MTB Wednesday where I discovered my front brake wasn't working (oh the irony, one bikes brakes are too good, the others are knackered! - fortunately this time it didn't end in disaster as I realised very soon into my ride! Plus, my rear brakes are pretty much new, which helped) so I had to detour once again to The Bike Factory! Surely I'm their best customer by now!

Still a bit of snow on the tops

Thursday saw the "big ride" with Caz and Katie to build confidence on Ladybird (my road bike) which was eventful in a good way with cattle grids - yikes! - More braking problems (change the record Anna) and Friday was a proper multi-discipline day where I rode a horse, a bike and did a run - maybe a new event opportunity - neighathlon anyone?

This weekend, I managed a little tempo run after helping at Whaley Bridge junior parkrun, but I didn't feel up to much as I have a sore throat brewing again.

Here is the Amarok rocking my girls...

March has seen the arrival of a long -awaited VW Amarok, our new caravan tow car - we have been saving and researching and bought some new bike carriers as our old eBay ones were about fifteen quid each and have done thousands of miles so are totally knackered! 

We settled on the Thule 598 Proride, as they are really solid and have handy features such as matched locks for all 4 carriers.  We did learn something new too - Thule is pronounced Ta-Hoo-Ley - who knew?! Its like the Ikea advert all over again! 

Fab foot care range from Mavala

I have been really lucky to have been sent the Mavala foot care range, after I emailed asking about sports products, and shoe care.  I am really looking forward to trying the products - especially the tired leg gel, which I am hoping will ease my bruised leg (which is much better but still a bit lumpy), and the foot bath treatment.  Mavala is an established Swiss company who specialise in nailcare predominantly but have a great range of skincare for eyes, feet, face and hands.  

Not the best photo!

With flash!

Proviz - I have been living in my Reflect 360 outdoor jacket since it arrived in its beautifully wrapped packaging!  I love it. 


I have had loads of interest in it and think its a brilliant product.  I have done everything from the school run to a bike ride to the sailing club and it has performed really well!  

The fit is just right for me, it is fitted enough to be smart and look like a ladies jacket, but not so small that it is tight.  I went for a size 10 and find I can wear a vest top and thick jumper underneath it comfortably.  For running, I would wear a long sleeved base layer only underneath to stop overheating.  

The jacket isn't breathable but is very well vented with pockets and mesh lining.  It is exceptionally wind proof and waterproof with taped seams and zips and comfortable "zip garages" to stop them rubbing.  At night the jacket comes into its own, I think the white glow it takes on is actually a really cool look!  It is a great safety jacket for dog walking, going out to the pub or just about anything really!  

The run range from Proviz looks excellent too, with contoured panels and run-specific features.  I would recommend this jacket and the Proviz brand to anyone - the attention to detail is second to none in my opinion.  

Whey to go!

I mentioned in my last blog post that I have been sent the Diet whey from Natures Best - which I am yet to try (need to up the exertion levels first!) but I must mention another Aldi bargain which I have bought to go with it  - a pink shaker bottle complete with little metal shaker ball and mesh strainer top.  I think for £2.99 I will not hold my breath but I do love a bargain!

Very clean Rocites

I tested my new Inov-8 Roclite 280 (AW 15's) as I said above, by running the Whaley Waltz route in them - a varied terrain with a bit of everything, road, fell, trail and river (I didn't do that section funnily enough!).  I have been a fan of Inov-8 since getting some Mudclaws last Easter, and these don't disappoint either.  The upper seems much thinner in comparison to the Mudclaws which helps with the breathability and weight of the shoe - they are so light! but I'm not sure how long they will last, so time will tell.  As far as fit is concerned they are very roomy in the toe box, which caused a bit of a rub on my big toe, I will need a thick sock and vaseline in them until my feet get used to them.  I think they are much more cushioned on the harder surfaces but need to try an extended run along the canal or similar to really test them.  

Roclites and HH tights

I also bought the Inov-8 Base Elite top in black for the bargain price of £14.99 from sportshoes.com - I found the small is a size 8, so a bit snug for me but passable for an undergarment.  Both times I have worn it I have been really warm, the only downside being the cuffs are tight so I can't roll my sleeves up which is a bit annoying as I always roll my sleeves up in my Helly Hansen baselayer top.

My friend Caz (my running Oracle) supplies the Goyt Valley Striders Kit through her (and her husband Tony's) company- a&c workwear and she has been kind enough to give me a hoodie to wear - its gorgeous!  So soft and warm, I have had lots of non runners say they like it - another ploy to get people to start running - join the Striders and buy a hoodie! I am going to test out a new race vest for them and hopefully get some kit with my blog address on the back so anyone who sees me at races can see the race reviews from a midfield perspective!  Check out the a&c workwear facebook page for all your team embroidery needs!


Looking forward, this week will be all about doing whatever training I can, as we are going away for Easter so there's much to do and the children break up on Thursday so my week is thrown out of kilter.

Over the Easter weekend Team Aspinall will be competing in the Dee Sailing Club UKIDA GP1 Open meeting.  Mr A and I will be dusting off our drysuits and (with my current form - trying not to drown) battling it out on the Dee estuary to get a half decent result in the event.  I will report on our progress after our Easter holiday in the Lakes!

I'm planning on running up the Old Man of Coniston again, which I am looking forward to.

When we return home there will be a week left of school holidays so I am hoping to try a turbo trainer out.  I will update on progress with that on my return.

In the meantime, I hope everyone has a fabulously active Easter (to work off the eggs) and look forward to seeing what everyone has been up to!

Happy Easter and Happy Running!

Downtime, Diet and New Gear...

The thing about running is that it's great when its over.  Yes, you heard me correctly, because running is actually hard at times.  I regularly find myself running along thinking WTF am I doing? It's raining, I haven't done my housework and this is supposed to be fun for God's sake!

Retrospective enjoyment is the best part of running for me - especially racing.  During the race its all about the pain and the internal battle with my body Vs my brain telling me to stop! Seriously, the achievement felt afterwards, and the ability to go over the best bits in my head (and all those euphoric endorphins bombing around my body) makes all the pain totally worth it.  Lots of my friends completed the Grindleford Gallop today - a 21 mile epic fell/trail run - and I am sure they would whole-heartedly agree with me on this right now!

Not feeling the love at all during the Famous Grouse race Nov 2015!

Yes, granted - it sucks running up a massive hill in a force 10 gale with bucket loads of rain lashing your face for good measure (and maximum dermobrasion) but the after effects make it so worthwhile! That feeling of standing in a warm shower knowing there's a steaming mug of tea ready and waiting for you is amazing!  Knowing you can eat shit loads of food and best of all eat cake without feeling remorseful is another major positive (don't go crazy though unless you've run a marathon - then knock yourself out).  

My homemade bruise removal device

I've been feeling a bit sorry for myself this week.  9 days on from my crash and I am more bruised now than ever and my right knee is giving me gyp too.  I've been hobbling around with a heat pack (fashioned from a wheat bag tied on with a dressing gown belt) on my bad leg - trying to get my circulation pumping to clear the bruising away.

Love our girls MTB sessions!

I did get out on my MTB on Thursday with the girls, we had a lovely ride around the Goyt Valley which gave me a boost.  

The feeling of not being able to run is really gutting.  Any runner will tell you - it's like an addiction after a while, I now understand people who run everyday - which I never did before.  

I'm struggling to run and bike in the time I have at the moment.  In my ideal world my training plan would include a swim every week, 2 runs at least with one speed/hills and one distance, and 1 - 2 bike rides as well.  Reality means I have to make the most of 2 runs at best and one bike at the moment, but it does keep me ticking over and I love getting out on the MTB with the girls.  The road bike is now back and ready for action so I will be adding some confidence building sessions in with Caz as the weather permits. 

Turbo

Amanda is lending me her turbo trainer ( a device which turns your roadie into a spinning bike basically) to use in the evenings when Mr A is away so that will be a big fitness boost too hopefully.  

I read recently that another bloggers audience were asking about diet and it got me thinking that although I am by no means an expert, I have managed to keep my weight off since 2013.  How?  Well I lost my 3.5 stones in weight through joining my local Slimming World group.  It was amazing, I could eat loads and still lose weight.  I enjoyed staying to group each week and I really embraced the whole healthy eating lifestyle.  I still follow lots of the slimming world principles now, although I'm not as rigid as I was, and there are certain things that you just need when you start to exercise harder.  

I have been developing an interest in clean eating for sometime and have read about benefits of nut butters and protein shakes etc. in the world of fitness, but apart from the odd gel I haven't really tried any other sport specific foodstuffs.  

This week, I bought some Whole Foods 3 nut butter and tried it on a wholegrain crackerbread (slimming world Healthy Extra B) with slices of banana on top - OMG it was a taste sensation and my new go to snack after running!

I have also purchased some Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) to make a delicious sounding breakfast which I found on the POPSUGAR blog.

I have never really thought about protein shakes and the like - thinking they were more of a gym bunny thing, but when looking at the science of building and repairing muscle, I didn't fancy any calorie heavy shakes so I looked for a diet alternative and contacted my vitamin supplier - Natures Best, who do a range of sports supplements. They are sending me some of the Diet Whey in Chocolate for me to  review for them - I intend to use it as a recovery shake after very strenuous runs/ride and will keep you posted on progress!

New Proviz Jacket

Magic!

Another product I have been sent is the Proviz Reflect 360 Outdoor Jacket which I am really impressed with already.  I have worn it a couple of times and had positive comments about it - but I have yet to try it at night, which is where it will really impress. I will be writing a more detailed review on this when I have had chance to test it at night and on my bike.  

Cross top brake levers

In other (totally irrelevant) news, I have named my bikes, my MTB is called Pearl - owing to the iridescent white paintwork and my new roadie is now called Ladybird - again, the paintwork (its red, white and black) and my new cross top brakes look like the antenna on an insect (thanks once again to The Bike Factory in Whaley Bridge for looking after me!). I was referring to it as Deathtrap but it seemed a bit negative so Ladybird it is!  - You can tell I've had time on my hands without running!

I have also bought some Inov-8 Roclite 280 shoes as an early birthday present to use for longer distance fell/trail runs as I've been finding my Mudclaws a little too jarring on any hard surfaces I run on.  I will keep you updated on my progress with these!



Tip of the day - use Vaseline between your toes to stop rubbing/toe smashing on longer runs.  It has often saved my toes and is really cheap!

Hopefully next week I can get back on track with my training schedule, and bring you gear reviews of the Proviz jacket and the Inov-8 Base elite top.  Happy running! :-) 

What a week!

Wow.  When I started this blog I decided I would keep it private, blogs are for self-indulgent geeky types right? Who wants to hear me going on about my life anyway? Well I'm really glad I pressed that "public" button and shared on FB with you all because the response has blown me away!

Since sharing I've discovered that I've had friends who have had their gait assessed, started the Couch to 5k and my Auntie has done her first parkrun!  Others have said they feel like starting running again, which is all amazing and totally the response was hoping for!

Last week, I had an accident which, by now, everyone who knows me knows about, and it's made me realise that, although all this stuff is amazing and healthy, we are all mere mortals who need to look after ourselves!   - And hurting yourself is an absolute pain in the arse! (though not literally, I didn't actually hurt that!).

Obviously, when pushing yourself it is always going to hurt at times (no pain no gain) and there will be injuries and aches and pains - I am the first to have a week off when I get a cold or if I feel tired, I do tend to be good at listening to my body.  Last summer, I got a terrible throat infection - which is still plaguing me now, and I had weeks off with it.    

I was entered for the Langsett 10k trail (although sounded more fell) race last Sunday but I withdrew.  Although I had been out on my MTB as a confidence building exercise two days after my crash, I just felt that I wasn't up to it.  My leg is still bruised and swollen, and my back has started to ache (I wondered when that might happen as I thought I'd got away with it!). So Sunday was a down day, although I did manage a steady and careful 5k training run :-) (When you start running and enjoying it you will understand the need to get out, I promise!).

Looking forwards at my training schedule, I don't have any races until the 10th April when I will be competing in the Thomas Theyer Fell Race.  It's not a championship race or anything, but its a fab route and a great cause -  If you would like to sponsor me please follow this link.  

So now my aims are to get back out on my road bike, do some more confidence building MTB rides with my girl friends and up my running mileage gradually as my body recovers. I'd like to be getting 2-3 runs a week in but with 2 bikes I am going to have to pick and mix a bit!

Looking further forward I have enquired about getting some swim stroke lessons in preparation for my first triathlon in July, so that will be beneficial to my fitness too.

Very excitingly, I have managed to secure some products to test and tell you about, so look out for more details very soon! 

Just call me Jimmy...

I have debated about posting a blog on this incident but I think it highlights the fact that accidents do happen to the best of us, and they bloody hurt!

I have been very lucky in my lifetime to have only sustained minor injuries within the sports I have participated in.  I have ridden horses all my life including jumping, I have sailed on the International Dart 18 sailing circuit and I now run and bike to an average standard.  Don't get me wrong, I have fallen off, fallen in and fallen over but these things are often learning curves which make us or break us, or both but we generally repair!

At least I got some trophies! #stravawanker

Last year I fell off my MTB while out with Mr A - it was probably the worst I have ever injured myself, I was over confident in my ability to get down a rough track and my cleats got the better of me, I pulled my bike over on top of myself and endured a massive bruise to my thigh.  I also scraped my little finger and generally knocked the stuffing out of myself.  I remember seeing all white and wondering if I might faint.  After a gel and a sit down I got back on my bike and rode home.  I was, from then on, very wary of said cleats and actually changed them for downhill type pedal caged cleats which I can use if I'm being cautious down technical descents.  

During the Duathlon last month I came a cropper as I discussed in detail in my "Tri a Duathlon" post. Again, I badly bruised my leg but that time it was mainly my ego!

Straight after the fall

Yesterday, my new road bike disgraced itself by throwing me off down a hill.  I will explain because I'm sure lots of people who read this will have seen me out and about and wondered what the hell I have done to my face!  Its not a good look and it scares small children!

Basically, I had arranged to go out riding with Caz and Amanda.  The weather forecast was horrid and the reality was worse, pouring rain all morning.  The general consensus was - no roadies today!  However, by 1pm it was really drying up and even quite pleasant, the temperature had really warmed up to about 10 degrees. I decided I would have a quick loop over Eccles Pike - it was that or hill reps and my new bike won hands down!

I set off happily and beasted up Bings Road (a big hill) then onto Western Lane in Buxworth before I tackled the big incline up Back Eccles Lane over to Eccles Road. Having made the summit I was pleased with myself and decided I would use my drops to go down the other side. 

Nice selfie - not!

I don't really know what I did next, I think I pulled the brake lever hard by mistake instead of gripping the handles, whatever I did all I remember is catapulting over the handlebars and my back hurting a lot. I stood up and hopped a few paces, catching my breath.   I swore a few times then remembered my phone in my back pocket - phew it was in tact! 

 I knew I had landed on my face and decided to have a quick look - I used my camera's selfie mode to look at it and OMG it looked bad!  I glanced at the bike on the road and decided to leave it a minute (it was a very quiet lane , I don't like roads with traffic fortunately!) I tried to call Amanda but remembered she was running.  I realised I needed to collect my children from school and nursery soon so I came to the conclusion I would have to hurry up whatever I was doing!

I picked up my bike and prayed I hadn't wrecked it, it looked ok apart from a broken reflector, a scraped saddle (gutted) and then I noticed the handle bar grip was all turned in on the RH side.  I tried both brakes which seemed to be working and then tried the pedals - the chain had come off but once back on seemed ok.  I started to push the bike up the hill then realised I had been going downhill - I was a bit confused! 

Shoulder

Pushing was too slow so I got on and tried the brakes again - all ok.  I didn't clip into my pedals until I made it onto the flat of Eccles Road then I nursed it back to the Bike Factory where I was met by a surprised Rob who offered me tissue to hold on my face and suggested I go to A and E.  I didn't fancy 4 hours of waiting so I walked to the pharmacy where Raj the Pharmacist and an old colleague of mine, cleaned it for me.  He said it looked bad and to get it checked further - damn!

By this time my shoulder had started stinging and upon inspection I saw I had cut that too, and it was very swollen already.  I walked home and called Jac my friend.  I didn't know what else to do! I needed to tell someone, Mr A was working away and my parents were away too.  

Jac was a star and came round while I was in the shower, blasting the road rash off my poor face! Once undressed I found a number of lumps and bumps, one being a massive tennis ball swelling on my right calf and the other a cut to my elbow and scrape to my little finger.  Jesus I looked like I had been in a big fight, with a bus.  

Jac inspected the cuts and we dressed my shoulder.  I called my GP practice and arranged to go in and be seen by the triage nurse.  She gave me antibiotics for the cuts in case of dirt and said to take painkillers for 3 days.

My face was so swollen I looked like Jimmy Hill, my chin was going black and the cut was impossible to hide.  I even looked in the mirror and made myself jump!

On reflection I think I will be much more cautious downhill now, but it hasn't put me off.   It was my own rookie error and I will learn from it. I'm going to replace my helmet which was all scuffed.  I have even contemplated a big full face helmet so I can go around in a stig-like mystery.   Who is that girl? Lol.

Cankle

Mainly I just feel like a bit of a knob. But I guess I was lucky really.  I have promised to only go out with others until I am more competent and confident.  And that's that.  I hope by sharing this I can show people that, you have to take the rough with the smooth and there's no point not doing things because you might get hurt.  Yes you might.  But its fun when you don't.  
Note - It is 2 days since my crash and I have been out on my trusty MTB today, I felt fine, I'm dosed up with painkillers and antibiotics so I decided to get back in the saddle!  

I have been reading about Road Biking for beginners and I am happy to get back out there (just not on my own for a while).  My bike is still in the shop so I will get it back and try again next week - weather permitting!  But first I have to tackle Langsett 10k trail race on Sunday with bits of face falling off...

An Expected parkrun...

I'm coming for you!!!

Saturday 27th February 2016 was my first race of the Goyt Valley Striders Championships season.  

We had to complete Woodbank parkrun - in Stockport, in as fast a time possible.  The best time set in February would count and as I could only make one, today was the day!

I was feeling quite calm about it on Friday, and thinking I would just do my best and not worry too much as I haven't been doing any tempo (speed) training recently (except the York parkrun).  

This week, I have exercised  more than normal as I have got my new road bike, so as a result have done two bike sessions and two run sessions.  

Usually, I do suffer a bit from pre-race nerves and this morning I did the usual 10 trips to the loo before leaving then needing to go again on arrival!  I think it's the bodies way of getting everything out and letting the adrenaline take over!  I was really glad they had toilets!

The course was really unusual in that you start by running a full lap of the Stockport Harriers athletics track.  After the lap of the track, (which makes you feel like spontaneous sprinting!) you enter Woodbank Park and complete 2 laps of paths in Woodbank and Vernon Parks.  The course feels quite short to run, as the lap of the track is a bit of a novelty and the laps in the parks feel quite short.  

There is a quick downhill section with a sharp left turn which leads uphill to a cobbled area.  The hill is surprisingly steep and by the top I had "jelly legs" both times!  There were friendly marshals at key points and it was easy to find the way with all the clear signage.  

I paced myself at the start and was aiming for 4 minute 30 second kilometres.  My friend and fellow Strider Sally, ran with me and we were quite comfortable for the first kilometre or so. We stayed together most of the way with me leading for a while and Sally overtaking me at about the 4.5k mark (which seems to be a pattern!)

I had resigned myself to Sally beating me but the finish came quite quickly and in my usual trademark style I went for a good sprint finish, passing Sally and a man right at the end.  I was absolutely knackered at the end and had to sit down as I felt sick from the exertion!

Sprinting for home!

There was a photographer at the finish which turned out to be a very good thing as there was a big problem with the results and most positions from 30th onwards were incorrect. In the end, with help from everyone and the photos, they managed to get the results looking more accurate!  

The Legendary Ron Hill

I was pleased to be 3rd lady out of 58, and 36th out of 155 runners overall in a new PB time of 23:04.  I had hoped to crack the 22 minute barrier, and according to my Garmin I did, but officially I still have to wait another day for that acolade!

It was a good day for the Goyt valley Striders as we were out in force and came home with 1st and 3rd man and 1st and 3rd lady finisher titles!

In the GVS championships I got 59 points for second place, not a bad start to the season.  Next Sunday (6th March) is Langsett 10k - another of the Striders Championship races.  

After the run we were lucky enough to see Ron Hill finishing and we went over to say "Hi", how very inspiring to see a man in his late 70's still enjoying running everyday after all the years and years of training and racing he has achieved.  Another great advert for parkrun! 

Smiling because I've finished!

Thomas Theyer Fell Race Recce

A little while ago, a friend posted on Facebook about a fell race which was to be held in the local village of Combs in April 2016 - The Thomas Theyer Fell Race.  I instantly pricked my ears as I love running in that area and decided to look into the details.

The race is a 10k fell run from the Whitehall Centre, 







"The route goes out of Whitehall along the lane towards Whaley, until Wythenlache Farm, right down the lane/track to the end, turn left on to anther lane over ladder hill and left on to track past Tunstead Farm, left on to lane, left through Ladder Hill Woods re- joins the original route but then will turn right through Lower Thorny Lee Farm into Combs village then right through Rye Flatt and back up to Whitehall" 

(map and route summary from the Thomas Theyer Fell Race Facebook page)

The race is being held in memory of Thomas Theyer, an 18 year old fell runner from the Peak District who tragically lost his life while out running in 2013.  

On February 25th 2016 I went on a recce of the route with my friend Helen and her dog Summer.  I borrowed my running dog - Skye (who belongs to my friend Becca) and off we went.  What a beautiful day! Crisp and cold but sunny with a cloud inversion looking back at Whaley Bridge and beyond. 

We set off from the Beehive Pub in Combs village - a good starting point for the parking and a good finishing point for the food and drinks! - and headed towards the hill over to Dove Holes up Ridge Lane.  I had opted for full-on Fell Shoes and was wearing my Inov-8 Mudclaws as a precaution for the muddy sections.  


We soon turned right onto a farm track and headed for the second footpath sign to the right, which headed as the crow flies towards the Whitehall Centre.  Once over a stile we were into a boggy field where I was glad of my sensible footwear!  We crossed a couple of streams over footbridges then headed for the buildings at Broadlee Farm.  We kept the dogs on leads through these field sections as there were lots of preggo sheep around.  

The section through the farm then onto the footpath up to Whitehall was tricky to find and we ended up asking a lady at the farm - I assume this will be well marked for the race.  Basically, we headed towards the driveway of the farm then turned immediately left up a steep hill past the tree and followed the path through 2 gates.  This bit was quite steep and some people will probably walk this bit (I won't!)  We continued in the general direction we had been heading and eventually saw Whitehall, it was really easy going then as we turned right onto Old Road and headed for the cutting in the rocks. Heading through the cutting you can see Wythen Lache Farm and beautiful views of the Goyt Valley to the left as you drop down the hill.

At this point of our run I was wishing I had a pair of Roclites (more of a cushioned trail shoe) as my Mudclaws are a bit hard for the road and my toes were suffering slightly (even with vaselined toes).  We came to Wythen Lache and turned right following the bridleway NE to the gate then down the track to a spring.  This is an excellent track for mountain biking - a favourite route of mine.  We kept following the track to a bottom gate at Thorny Lee when the track turns into a tarmac road.  We followed the road steeply downhill then turned left and headed up another rocky track onto Ladder Hill.  

The views to the right of Combs reservoir are lovely but we had to dodge some massive puddles/fords so didn't spend long view-gazing!  The track continued to be relatively flat and then dropped down a rocky decent to Old Road.  Turning left,  we started the longish climb up the road (with the Goyt Valley now on our right hand side) where we eventually forked left up to the woods.  

Continuing uphill, we came to the top of the hill and descended

over and down through reeds to where the spring was located on the track earlier in the run.  Turning left we retraced our steps to the bottom gate at Thorny Lee and instead of continuing down the tarmac road, we turned right down to a farm and through a gateway (with a squeeze-past-able stone pillar to the left).  This field had a couple of horses in who didn't bother us as we descended down the muddy land towards the bottom gate. 

Once through the gate we turned right and followed the road onto Long Lane which brought us uphill back to the pub.  The route according to Strava was just over 10k and had taken us around an hour and a half max.  On race day I am hoping to do the route in as close to 1 hour as possible, so that will be my aim.

Because you know it's all about the Bike!

Looking forward to the Hathersage Hilly triathlon in July, I decided to have a tentative go on a road bike.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my mtb (mountain bike), and in the past have been known to hold a negative view of roadies - dangerous roads, bad drivers and all that Lycra!

Anyway, I had a change of heart when I realised that even if I put slicks (thinner, smoother tyres) on my mtb, I would still be at a disadvantage due to the weight and gearing in comparison to the road bikes.  Obviously I'm not setting out to win any prizes, but, and call me competitive, you wouldn't ride a shire horse round the Grand National against the thoroughbreds now would you?


Sticking with the horse analogy, I managed to be fortunate enough to borrow a friends road bike to try.  When sitting astride the light-as-a-feather bike, it felt like there was "nothing in front", a bit like riding a dainty show pony after coming off a traditional cob.  And then there were the drops! OMG the position of bum in the air, hunchback was not a great feeling to start with.  In fact, it was with a red face that I set off to the end of my cul-de-sac wobbling about like a wally before realising that the brakes were nowhere to be seen and the bloody thing didn't turn! Honestly it was actually quite scary - what the hell was I doing on this death trap! I had to "balance bike" like my three year old on my tip toes back to the house as it is on a slight downhill!

Fortunately, as with running, Caz came to my rescue and arrived to show me the ropes. Now, there is more to road biking than you would think - for instance, visors on helmets - are a no, backpacks - also no and V-brakes are still a thing! Who knew I was such a mtb type! (Note - since writing this post, Caz asked if the title referred to rule #4 of the Velominati "The Rules" - I had no clue what she meant until I read her link to "The Rules" and I now understand and can reference to said rules for the rest of this post!) Fwiw my title came to me to the tune of Meghan Trainors "All about the Bass".

Anyway, we set off tentatively up the hill from my house and Caz explained about the gears and the brakes, and the drops!  After about 3 laps of our estate I felt much more confident and was even using the drops. One thing I did notice though was my lower back beginning to ache a bit.  The best thing about it was going uphill, I noticed that I felt like I was really pulling away and getting some good speed up, not like the mtb where your legs just go ten to the dozen and you get nowhere fast.  

Hmm, had I started up a new obsession? I took the bike to The Bike Factory and asked the lads to see if it fit me properly, the answer was no, it was too big and probably why my back was hurting.  So I returned the bike to my friend and arranged to try another one from the shop.

Fred (the owner) was really kind and lent me a brand new Scott Speedster 60 in XS (49cm frame) size to try.  They kitted it out with spd pedals, which I use on my mtb, and off I went with some friends for a proper road bike ride. I noticed straight away that this bike did fit me better.  I still felt a little wobbly when I tried to signal, for example, or stand up to pedal, but I was soon feeling much more comfortable and we tackled some decent hills.  I felt like there was nowhere to go when in the easiest gear going up a particularly evil incline and wondered if that would be problematic on long rides with tired legs...

Another worrying thing was that I found the brake levers miles too far away for my fingers to reach, so that, when I was using the drops, I had to push my hand and thumb forward to stretch my fingers to the levers.  A bit disconcerting when flying bum high down a steep and narrow road! 

On my return to the shop Rob - the Manager, managed to adjust the brake levers so that they were much more reachable and it was with reluctance that I handed it back.  I enquired about the price of this bike and went off to have a think.  My plan was to buy a half decent second-hand bike, which Fred had offered to help source.  But the Scott was so lovely and shiny and obviously fit me well as I had no aches or pains whatsoever...eek!

I had a chat with Mr A about my birthday coming up (you know where I'm going with this right...) and he said if I liked it I could buy the Scott! Hurrah I was so excited! So I went back to see Fred the next day and discussed the bike. I asked about the gearing and one of the lads said I could have a bigger cog on the back thus making the gears easier up steeper hills - so I agreed that this would be a good idea.  I also needed a few accessories like a bottle and cage, a pump and a little seat post bag for a spare tube and a light (no need for a backpack see!).  

Here I am on my maiden voyage! Sporting a bargain Aldi Jersey (£4.99!)

The next day (today!) I have collected the bike.  It looks wonderful! I can't wait to ride it.  So watch this space for more adventures - of a roadie kind!

I think my mtb may be sulking at me so I am going to ride that next week - I feel less guilty since finding out about the N+1 rule (google it).

I'm now off to peruse the world of road biking - turbo trainers, jerseys, gilets, helmets... oh dear, what have I started!?