Put on a good face.
2016’s tick-off list:
Hill and Moorland qualification,
6,000 on the bikes,
Kintail munro loop,
Drop a kilo, Christmas food indulgence means a bit of weight gain. I want to get under 13st 12 by the end of January.
‘
I rode CX Jake, with MapMyRide+! Distance: 19.27mi, time: 01:37:13, pace: 5:03min/mi, speed: 11.89mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1292530459
energy is up, that means recovery. It’s satisfying getting covered in mud, perhaps it’s a boy thing. I do need a way to prevent mud going all over my bum and up my back.
Warm and wet stormy winter continues.
2015 was a noteworthy year:
4,500 miles cycled, 1,000 each on the fixed hear and the cyclocross bikes.
Multi-day hike, (done),
Bivvy (first night),
Bothy night, (done),
Now is time to zero the odometers on all four bikes.
Paddy wagon, Jake clocks,
Arrow and Racelite.
Milage:
Arrow: 2,918.1
Jake: 975
Racelite: 532.1
Paddy: 953.5
Total about =5,378.7
That’s still 450 lower than last year. Repeated illnesses and long hiking trips away from home in the summer are to blame.
9°C, strong SW, clear morning with high cloud building.
I rode the Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 16.56mi, time: 01:38:29, pace: 5:57min/mi, speed: 10.09mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1290897703
The flooding has gone, but the mud is still deep on this saturated ground.
Everyone seems to have a heavy cold. It’s coming my way, which is why I rode so slowly today . I ache and can’t find much energy, except enough to ride at a steady pace.
Is it possible that this year’s wet weather has led to more frequent colds this autumn for me?
Today is a lazy recovery day. A day to read Hillwalking, the PyB book that I am working through for my HML qualification. There’s the link to this photo:
Photo from Idwal Cottage. I may be at home, but my mind is in the hills.
Film, Hanna, 2011
Hanna, brought up to be an assassin, leads in this road movie. Most of the introduction you need has been said elsewhere. This film has been out for years so you can find reviews out there.
Saorise Ronan’s performance was superb, (as it was in Atonement). This film is payable as- watchable to good, but left me feeling slightly let down. The film has that dated quality of art-house cinema from the 1980s, films like Diva, or Peter Greenaway’s lesser films. There were self-consciously arty scenes and fight scenes that would fit in a manga story. But, it’s not a 80s film.
For me, it lacked that personal involvement in the lead character’s plight. However, acting was good enough, and in Ronan’s case- faultless. I blame the director for my minor misgivings.
Ronan is one to watch, perhaps a new Tilda Swinton for the future.
14°C, strong SW but dry with clear summits.
Two mile walk around this familiar lake. We found a dry and surprisingly green landscape.
The lip of this corrie whipped up the wind that funneled up the Nant Ffrancen. Though grey, clouds were easily clear of the summits. I could only imagine what conditions were like on the tops. You could probably double the windspeed up there. Apart from that, it’s a good day for walkers. Rocks are dry and low level temperatures above 12°C; no ice on the ridge.
I rode Kona Jake CX with MapMyRide+! Distance: 14.50mi, time: 01:18:12, pace: 5:24min/mi, speed: 11.13mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1288144687
Not a hard ride, more for the fun of visiting this flooded landscape. Most of the water stood in fields. Where water overlapped roads, that’s where problems were. It shifted sandy mud and rotten vegetation onto the tarmac and hid any potholes. I didn’t hit any holes. My feet got wet in the deeper road-ponds but never got cold.
11°C, endless heavy rain, moderate SW wind.
Certain flooding near here today. This is the third day of heavy rain. Fortunately, the place I am staying in is on a hill.
That red patch is directly overhead. It’s the Met Office grading for ‘danger to life’. Not far from here is low lying flat land that is barely above sea level. Should be able to go out and explore at the end of this afternoon.
14°C, strong SW (surprise!), cloud building, a front is soon to arrive.
I rode CX Kona Jake with MapMyRide+! Distance: 14.63mi, time: 01:37:00, pace: 6:38min/mi, speed: 9.05mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1285052127
Met another cyclocross rider coming the opposite way. Another first.
Pity the cafes were shut, I hoped for lunch.
Mud is now very soft and deep. The bike often scoots sideways but it stayed upright. 11 months on, and still no falls. In getting more confident and relaxed doing this. Last winter I was so tense that I occasionally got stiff muscles. The persistence has removed the difficulty and left the fun.
Here is (possibly) the Shaggy Inkcap from last Sunday. This soggy example that has survived the mower. This stretch of verge gets cut fairly ruthlessly, but not this time of year.
After some discussion on a forum, this may be a close relative of the inkcap:
These look like Coprinus Atramentaria, not Comatus. Good edible but it’s poisonous when mixed with alcohol, so take care.
I like the idea of a poison that is only active when a person has drunk alcohol. Some might appreciate a bit of help with their New Year’s resolutions.
8°C, clear sky with building light cloud. The usual SW breeze,
I hiked with MapMyRide+! Distance: 4.64mi, time: 01:14:11, pace: 15:59min/mi, speed: 3.75mi/h.
http://mapmyride.com/workout/1284668245
Thick, slippery mud was impossible to escape.
Both Ford crossings were impassible too, the water was just too deep. Since I’m ultra smart, I prepared an alternative route that crossed footbridges instead.
Night walk selfie
Micycle 