The coaching is worth it, and I know I am very privileged to be able to afford it....but I think I would struggle to justify £700 in accommodation! Blimy 
Sunday - Cwmcarn
Had another brilliant day down at Cwmcarn on Sunday with a great group of riders. The sun was out and the trails cold, but fast. The recent changes to the lower jumpy section was still claiming victims, with two riders out with broken bones before lunch. It's frustrating to have to moderate speed coming into the big table, but the face is now so difficult to handle it's become a necessity for us less pro-like beings! Conversely, Some changes have been very positive, with the addition of a nice transition to the jump after the large berm and the huge jump under the bridge which lets you fly for ages with very little effort.
Still spent the day throwing myself down the chicken run and not off the road drop. It's even less tempting now the chicken run is as fast! If I'm honest, I had psychologically decided not to do it before we even left home in the morning as otherwise the time would be spent thinking about the drop and not the rest of the trails. Overall, trail riding was going pretty well again. In fact, comparing one of the videos from Sunday to an older one, I've made up 15 seconds in time to just before the rock garden (after that the track, and my line choice, changes too significantly to make a comparison in time worthwhile). Flat out fast sections have never posed too much problem, so the time gain to that point on the track has been pretty much all from footwork improvement. More importantly,everything feels under control....well, just!
So - video from Sunday (not particularly great footage wise, we could have done with setting the camera up better)
and the one from about a year back...
Good stuff, eh?
Oh, and finally got to have a nosey down the black and the lovely flowing singletrack that branches off the red. I'll be riding the black from now on, once I know it, it's going to save a whole load of pedalling and mean reducing the disadvantage of being light and having to pedal the big bike so hard to try and keep up with the guys.
Monday - Gym
47.5 kg for 5x5 - DONE! Definitely coming to the end of this 5x5 cycle now - I will fight all the way to get another two weeks out and thus 5x5 with 52.5 kg (about as near as dammit to current bodyweight). Shoulder was still sore to start, but eased off once I had warmed up.
Squats
Bar 10
Free 10, 10
Bar 10
30 kg: 5
40 kg: 5
47.5 kg: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 - felt like I was beginning to tip forward on occasion. Must focus on keeping my core strong now the weight is starting to feel heavy
Pull-ups
Warm up rows then
3, (woot!), 2, 2, 1, 1
Lat pulls
4 block: 10
6 block: 10, 10 (shoulder too sore for these)
Abs
Press-ups 15, 14, 12 (shoulder felt fine)
Tuesday - 6 mile Nightride
Test ride for Fenella, goog's new mmmbop, and a test ride for a Minion-Hiroller 2.35 60a tyre combo for me. This is, without a doubt (no arguing now!!) the BEST all round xc tyre combo in the world.....FACT! They corner like a dream, pedal way better than expected and generally feel, hmm, (for want of a better word) 'stable' at speed and over the rocks. Dumbfoundingly good.
Have to make sure you don't put too much pressure on your shoulder as don't want to make it worse. It'll heal up in its own time. Keep it moving, but don't rush it. Hope it gets back to normal soon.
