...or, how I stopped worrying and learned to love the burn

[Mr. Cleetus]

Wow, those are awesome!

[bob_summers]

Cheers!

Sun 4/12
MTB-UGALDETXO-SORONDO-SUSPERREGI
55km 3h20
Kind of joyless, following a route I did a while back with the Renteria club, but added in a couple of wrong turns, two flats (both due to the tyre slipping and tearing the valve off) and a big chunk of tarmac after I ran out of light. It was also the first run out on my Yeti for a while, it's got a dry bushing in the rear linkage or something, as it creaked pretty much all the way around. Earning the good days, part one.

Tues 6/12
Aia loop via N-634
60km 2h5m
Earning the good days, part two. Headed out into the wind and rain, which did stop after a while but I'm just feeling flat at the moment. No power, and even a short ride like today leaves me feeling tired.
Shouldn't moan, since it was well into December before the weather turned lousy this year.

[quote]Some parts of the road were lying in the bottom of the valley!

[bob_summers]

I think we've just been lucky with the weather Al. Had a lousy July but it's been great since. The first winter I was here was horrendous though, it rained every day in November! So far that hasn't proved to be typical though.

So, where was I? I haven't been so great at keeping this updated recently, but I've noticed I've slackened off in general, bikewise. Not worried about it though... yet

Thurs 8/12
Stayed in bed. Woke up to go training but my pulse was about 10 over normal, so had another two hours sleep and pulse was back down a bit. Must have some low level virussy thing. Has to be said, though, that if my phone didn't have a HRM I would've gone out as normal, and probably have felt no different

Fri 9/12
2h55 @ 27kmh
AIA-ASTEASU via IGELDOx2
Took it easy. Out a little late, had a blinkie clipped to me which I forgot to turn on

Sun 11/12
2h50 90km
ZUMAIA-AIZARNAZABAL-AIZARNA via N634
Bought a new UST tyre for my singlespeed, but ended up leaving late again so had to settle for a flat 3hrs.
New year's resolution will be to get more organised!

Trying Endomondo for tracking workouts, not that there's much wrong with RidewithGPS, but EM seems slicker. Can't get the embedding thing going on though.

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/h30ESpm_Nk0

[Mr. Cleetus]

Endomondo looks good! It even seems to be friendly with my current Fedora setup.

I think you need to stop checking your HR.

[bob_summers]

yeah, and the funny thing is I never used to... it's just new toy syndrome!

All the workout tracker sites (or whatever you call them!) are infinitely more usable now that someone's ported the Garmin Communicator plug in to linux. Having to upload the files manually isn't the end of the world but is a PITA if you have a few to do.

[bob_summers]

Just a couple of midweekers to report. In other news, inscriptions for Quebrantahuesos have opened. Looks like it will be the usual draw - first 9,500 names pulled out of the hat (about 20k enter) so with odds at 50/50 I need to enter on a lucky day

Tues 13/12
Goizueta OnB
2h18

Usual, easy ride out , raced back to work. Feeling very slow and lethargic these days.


Thurs 15/12
Aia loop, Igeldo x 2
2h12

Laaaazy. Almost came to a stop on the last hill, woke myself up by spotting a rider in the distance and tried to catch him before the top. Managed, just.
Looks like a return to winter over the next few days, might have to finally break out the overshoes!

[Mr. Cleetus]

[quote="bob_summers"]yeah, and the funny thing is I never used to... it's just new toy syndrome!

All the workout tracker sites (or whatever you call them!) are infinitely more usable now that someone's ported the Garmin Communicator plug in to linux. Having to upload the files manually isn't the end of the world but is a PITA if you have a few to do.

[quote="bob_summers"] In other news, inscriptions for Quebrantahuesos have opened.

[bob_summers]

hehe well i guess you've got the best to come, whereas it's only gonna get worse here!

Talking of worse...

Fri 16/12
MTB SS, 50km
Andatza

Well this was fairly apocalyptic as far as rides go, I later read that the gusts were up to 150kmh
On the lee side of the mountain it was just a wet blustery day,however descending into the wind was an experience I'm in no hurry to repeat.
Amusingly, the bike, which had been caked in filth on the mountain, was powerwashed totally clean by the time I got home!


Sun 18/12
2h20
Aia Loop via N634

Limited time for this (off out for a christmas lunch now, the restaurant is knocking me up something vegano, and actually asked if I only ate raw vegan as they can do that too! A revelation in this town!). Forecast terrible but in the end the rain didn't come. Plenty wet from surface water.

[bob_summers]

Tues 20/12
Goizueta OnB
2h20+

Going thru the motions here. Well I headed out into some more shitty weather, although not so cold at 10º. Caught two of the guys quite early (normally I don't see them until the cafe stop) and it started to get really wet. Barely anyone riding today, felt somewhat like heroes in the cafe!
I split early to get to work, by this time it really was pouring down and I was riding right into a strong northerly. Quite a miserable experience, but hoping that I've banked some weather karma. Xmas day is forecast to be cold and sunny, so fingers crossed for that.

[bob_summers]

Thurs 22/12
Igeldo-Aia-Asteasu-Astigarraga
2h40
Another wet lazy splash around in the rain!

Well as we prepare to knock 2011 on the head, some monthly stats to show it could be worse!

Dec '10 - 18h30 / 375km
Dec '11 - 29h30 / 730km (so far)

Nov '10 - 13h45 / 320km
Nov '11 - 41h45 / 955km

I guess the times are more telling, as the KMs are low thanks to singlespeeding in the mountains! Hopefully the hours will come in handy once spring rears its head again...

[soniczip]

hey, i've been missing a lot of stuff here. merry xm

[bob_summers]

Haha kinda, been missing your posts though, good to see you! happy Yule!

Fri 23/12
Aizarnazal loop
2h40 @30kmh

Nice cold day for it, going along at a nice clip but traffic was a nightmare, a few close calls/passes, some really idiotic driving.
I wasn't in the best of moods as I came into Zarautz, and that got worse when I got pulled over and ticketed for jumping a red

Anyway the best thing about riding in a bad mood is the speed you can go uphill! A bit of stressbusting pedal mashing combined with clear blue skies are a good remedy for dickhead drivers and unseasonal cops

http://ridewithgps.com/trips/469783

[bob_summers]

Sun 25/12
Jaizkibel MTB
3h10
Plodded round this on a perfect Xmas day, clear skies and chilly, with dryish trails. Not a soul out, although in late afternoon there generally wouldn't be anyway. Some cloud drifted in which would've made a good sunset pic, but I had to get going as I hadn't packed lights.



Thurs 29/12
Aritxulegi - Lesaka - Irun
3h20
Few days in Bordeaux after xmas, then back here into crappy, more seasonal, weather. One or two other masochists out though, passed some going slow and chatting in Lesaka, they repassed me just in time for me to grab a wheel back down the valley into Irun. Was chatting away to one, an older fella, about the merits of Speedplays or something equally as intersting, and rode through a load of broken bottle shards on the shoulder. Promptly punctured, great fun in icy rain with frozen fingers, but glad I went out.