It was beautiful blue clear skies today after a crisp cold start. Well it had been all morning and was for the first 15-20mins of my lunchtime gravel ride. By the time I got half way I emerged from the woods to grey skies 
Well at least it had turned mild.
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I saw Garmin has one coming out and I know of at least one other that is already used in non-consumer form for pros. That price will come down.
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Winter is here. Rolled out after dawn at 8:15 and the temp was about 2C, but it would drop to 0 and -1 for long stretches, with a āfeel likeā that was lower. My toes were cold, which was weird since I wore my ādeep winterā socks that I use when the temps are 0 to -15C. I think the sudden drop in temp (ie winterās sudden appearance, no slow drop in temp) is the cause. There is snow on them thar hills. There was icy remanents of snow in parts of the highest reaches of my ride today.
I planned to do a TrainerRoad outdoor workout ā Palisade -1 threshold ā but after the first 12min climb to cover the first 9min interval, I couldnāt maintain threshold for the next go, which was admittedly about an hour later due to terrain (first climb got me up one hill to descend into a valley and then once down descending, I needed to transit through trails with technical terrain and potential walkers to get to the next viable start). So, I decided to make the ride an endurance ride, which my Garmin 830 was happy with since it (unusually) declared my ride āProductiveā and TRās AT also positively adapted me (is that how we say it?).
Hereās part of the transit mentioned above where pushing threshold really doesnāt work. Thatās icy frost in front of me, not snow.
Young Christmas trees in the foreground, snow-capped mountains in the background, and green fields and autumn trees in the mid-ground. There are often sheep grazing among these trees, but not today.
Enjoying some trail time getting closer to the highest point of the ride.
The view of Lake Zurich from a lookout at Gottschalkenberg (not the peak of the 'berg). Iāll be descending trails, some single track but mostly gravely āfire roadā / ājeep trackā to cross the river out of sight below, climb a short .25mi 13-18% very gravely (they literally laid fresh gravel last year) switch path that was so covered in leaves at one point that I took a left when I shouldāve gone right and ended at a field. Iāll cruise for a bit on the paved road (which is part of one of my quickie ā 75min ā road routes) before popping of onto trails, with some technical single track options, for the cruise home.
This was facing away from the platform above, sort of. If the platform is 12 oāclock, this is 5 oāclock (I came from 7 oāclock).
The cold took a lot out of me. The sun felt great, and it eventually warmed to 4C, but it was a lot of time in 0C today and I definitely feel like I need an introduction into that rather than spend 4+ hours in it.
Note: Iām assuming (hoping?) the HR max of 211 was a technical blip. It came at the end of the ride.
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I met some mates for our usual Saturday ride to Oundle by a spurious route and back to Peterborough. It was a lot stronger wind than I expected but to let me get kind of a work out I was happy to sit on the front all the way as I sensed it wasnāt going to be a fast one, and knew Id enjoy the company more.
As has become tradition we stopped in one of the local pubs about 8 miles from Peterborough for a pint or three 
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Friday was crisp clear and cold, Saturday was grey and mild and today (Sunday) I awoke to blue skies again but thankfully not cold.
I went out a bit early to meet my mates in Elton expecting the headwind from hell. I never got it at first until I was out of Peterborough so I ended up being way too early 
We then took gravel bike route along the banks of the River Nene to Yarwell Mil, Old Sulehay Forest, Bedford Purlieus, Kings Cliff, Buxton Wood to the Fineshade Woods mtb cafe. Thatās where most folks went home but me and two others headed to Wakerley Woods for a wee bit of exploring. After a bit we ended up at Nassington having went by Spanhoe Wood, Bulwick, Hostage Wood (not named after Terry Waite, probably showing my age there), Southwick and Fotheringhay. From there I went onto Wansford where I was going to come back by road but it had turned really warm for the time of year so I went for a wee bit more exploring.
I went through Yarwell Mill again stopping for a 2nd coffee and cake (living up to the nickname TuCake). This time I stayed a wee bit closer to the riverbank back to Elton. Lol, when I am on my own I get a little snap happy. I then took a spurious route back to Peterborough.
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Sunday solo mission
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Friday afternoon on the same old route, its a 20 mile loop in the country and every once in awhile there is a traffic jam.
Thankfully it didnāt interrupt my 2nd tempo interval 
Yesterday it was two hours endurance, starting to work my way back to the foothills of the Sierra mountains. 400 feet of āclimbingā woo hoo! 
it was early and I took awhile to warmup.
Nice view of the cooling towers at Rancho Seco nuclear power plant. A little too hazy for pics of the Sierras. But we still have locally grown pumpkins for sale!
Have a great Sunday everyone! Heading down to a Lodi appellation winery to pick up an order, sunset is coming quick today and we gained an hour of sleep last night!
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Sorry that thereās no pictures with this but I only took a couple and then both the weather and my mood changed.
Every October Stuart and Dee Wright organise an event in Mid-Wales. Well āeventā doesnāt really describe it, you are sent a GPX file of that yearās route about a week before the event date. 200km might not sound much but while some of it may be rideable thereāll usually be some not insignificant sections where you are pushing or even carrying your bike. Thereās mandatory kit (sleeping bag, bivy bag, lights), if anything goes wrong, itās up to you to fix it. No-oneās there to hold your hand and tell you that you are precious. Itās different.
Originally it was just a 200km route - thereās no āprizesā but get round in under 24hrs and you get a black badge, under 28hrs a blue badge and a green one for finishing in under 36hrs. With more people getting round in quick times, i.e. under 24hrs they added a 300km route but you could only enter that if you had done the 200 in under 24hrs. Entry numbers are limited mainly because of parking at the event centre. This year so many applied that they offered a second running in November when thereās even less daylight.
Having missed the cut for the first running of the BB2/300, I was in the middle of a field at the time, I jumped at the chance when Stu offered the second running. Once entry was confirmed I emailed Stu with āPlease put me down for the 300ā. In hindsight I could have left off the last three words.
I booked in at a hotel in the village for the night before.
Self made breakfast of couscous (itās quick) and a drive of, oh, 200 metres gets me to the community centre. Lots of people there and getting ready to go. Best make most use of daylight so Iām ready for the off by 0710. Itās quite warm but pretty windy so I start with a windshirt on. At the top of the first steep climb rain is coming in so I put my waterproof on the top of that. In the event I didnāt take these off for the entire ride. Ian B catches me then thereās a pleasant surprise - the boggy track leading down to the road is no more, the farmer has filled it in with stone so itās a fast blast.
Into Hafren (forest) and thereās some new sections to me including all the singletrack. Take it easy, donāt want to rip a tyre on the bedrock. Then itās a blast down into Llanidloes. A curious bit of BW follows then across the main road and on towards Bwlch y Sarnau. Someone had mentioned a steep push around here - they werenāt kidding! 400m of 30% gravel track. It was about this time that I got a curious blood sugar drop, no idea why as Iād been eating and drinking regularly. Things had picked up by the time I reached the next farm and I cracked on to ByS. Five hours to here.
Just a short stop in the cafĆ© then back into the wind for one of those silly loops that leave the road, do 5km of up and down to end back on the same road 1km from where you started. The climb up through Abbey woods was another push then the cramps started. I couldnāt believe it, so early in the ride. Then again I think Iāve only done one ride of 100km since the BB200 last year. I push on then thereās a ridiculously steep and soft descent out of the woods.
On the next bit of road Iām having to get off and walk to avoid cramping. It continues like this past the diversion and up onto the route of the Trans Cambrian Way. Iāve done this bit in reverse so had a good idea of what itās like. With the wind on my back I made as good a time as I could but Iād only five minutes or so of pedalling before Iād have to get off, vigorously thump the cramping area, walk a bit and ride again. I dropped off the TCW just as it was going dark. The next section to Bucknell was more of the same, ride a bit, thump legs, walk a bit. The problem was this was on the flat! Two lights appear from behind, slowly catching me up. One Polish and one English. I figured on getting a meal at the pub in Bucknell. First though there was a brilliant little descent down a curious gully through the woods, felt too narrow for an old cart track but whatever, a blast.
The pub in Bucknell looked far too posh to go in caked in sheep and cow poo. Apparently the other pub was about a mile down the road. I considered my options: I wasnāt going to make the Spar in Clun for 8pm when it closed (it was now 6:45). Iād do the 200 instead. So I loaded up the route and pushed up the next hill. At the top of this I got a low battery warning from my GPS, no problem, load the spares and carry on. Exceptā¦
The unit wouldnāt start. Big problem. As I was pondering what to do, two riders crossed the track about 100m ahead. I chased after them, it was the two lads from before Bucknell, theyād used a tap outside a house to fill their water bottles. My only plan now was to ride with them so I didnāt get lost. My hope was that they werenāt riding too fast for my cramp ridden legs, but there was no way I could let the elastic snap.
Iām behind the Polish lad when I look up and his lights have disappeared! Iām at a T-junction and Iāve no idea if heās gone left or right. I try right but the road drops quickly so I donāt want to lose too much height. Crap! Then the English lad appears, so all is well again. Thereās then a long, long push up a muddy, rocky, rutted track that seems to take ages. Down the other side and now I lose both their lights. I make a complete guess and head down a lane and find them again. The rain has stopped now and the stars are out. The wind is still strong there.
Then the Polish lad, actually I should call him Piotr since thatās his name, gets a puncture. Unfortunately heās lost his pump so I lend him mine but he canāt inflate the tube. Turns out the valve has broken. Iāve a spare tube and offer it but heās on 26" wheels and Iāve a 29er tube. Weāre by a barn so he decides to stop there hoping someone will pass with a tube.
We, Alex and I carry on, twisting in and out of lanes. The turnip field was a quagmire - they are stubble turnips for fattening lambs and the field was occupied - the bikes were completely caked in mud after just a couple of metres. More downs and ups (we have an unwritten agreement that weāll get off and walk when the going gets too steep - this happens a lot) and eventually we pull up onto the Kerry Ridgeway but donāt realise it. I donāt even realise it when I see a sign for āCoed Ceriā and voice ākerryā. We are now riding into the wind and itās hard going.
Alex is struggling with food, or lack of it. Heās a dehydrated meal but thereās no way to get a stove up and running out here in this wind. As we dropped off the ridgeway I see a barn to the side of the track, itās a covered sheep handling facility so we get inside out of the wind and get our stoves going. More couscous for me but Iām halfway through it when I feel very ill and have to step outside to throw up. Not sure what time it was, maybe 2am, but I donāt eat from here to the finish.
Iām now on more familiar territory but donāt realise it until a long road descent between Pentre and Mochdre. Then itās over another big hill to drop down to Llandinam. We use a water hose outside an engineering workshop to fill up. Weāve one big hill, but lots of small ones left. Then Alexās GPS freezes, fortunately he manages to reboot it. Once at Trefeglwys we are nearly home, just a (big) hill in the way.
Iād resigned myself to finishing in over 24hrs. āHow long have we got left?ā I ask Alex, āTwo hours tenā he replies. Phew, except he started twenty minutes after me. I go into head down TT mode to get some distance done before we will be forced to walk the climb out of Llawr y Glyn. Alex keeps falling behind, heās struggling to stay awake. We plod up the steep bit and only get on the bikes once we feel we can ride continuously. Alex is ahead and misses the turn into Esgair woods, heās actually ridden straight into the roadside bank having fallen asleep!
Weāve now 1hr40 to get back (1hr20 for me). We get to Pennant and Iāve forty minutes to do 5km so itās head down and twenty minutes later we roll into the centre just as Dee and Stu are opening up. Final time of 23:40 for me and 23:20 for Alex.
āBlack badge for youā says Stu. āAhā I explain whatās happened. āNot a problem, youāve ridden the courseā.
After breakfast (it stayed down) and copious amounts of tea I drove home. I needed a couple of stops to let the cramps ease plus a power nap at the motorway service.
Given how close I was to the 24hr time for the 200 thereās no way Iād have been able to do the 300 in the time limit even if my GPS had worked.
No idea on what the TSS for the whole route would be, Iāve not uploaded my partial route yet but itās likely to be double that.
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Thatās quite the ride report, @bobw. Wow. Good for you to keep on plugging away. Congratulations on the black badge, you earned it!
Day off work today so slipped out for a solo spin to get a coffee.
Couldnāt resist a little effort on the way. Bagged a couple of PRs for my 1-minute and 45s power (811w and 900w respectively).
Super happy with that given I still had sore legs from the weekend. 
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Some cowbell for your day (seen on the return leg of my 1hr pre-dawn roll on the trails this morning).
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I gotta have more cowbell!
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Itās not majestic mountains, but hereās the Mississippi River valley in Saint Paul.
Tuesday was a beautiful and calm autumn day.
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No ride this morning. If your browser is showing a white background, thatās what it looked like with lights this morning. It wasnāt snow but fog. As described earlier in this thread, fog is the number one reason I canāt do a pre-dawn ride, with heavy winds and too thick snow as lesser reasons. Iāll enjoy @chauganās pic in the meantime.
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Foggy this morning here, but I stayed inside and waited to ride this afternoon. Stayed close to home and just discovered that Strava can show your personal heatmap:
Nice to see all my typical routes on a map!
Caught the sunset:
While doing tempo repeats on the 3 mile stretch of new road that hasnāt opened yet.
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Late afternoon and there was a fog bank during my warmup:
Started my threshold intervals and into the fog:
Friday fog ride!
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Last pic, last ride for me for a long time to come. Long story short, a week ago today about 400m from home, at about walking speed had the most random fall that resulted in a broken femur (intratrochantar fracture) 
came home from hospital yesterday. Already looking forward to riding the trainer in a few months.
In the meantime, keep your pics coming for me 
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