Rum head-winds

Two very windy days on the bike. Yesterday was just a block head-wind around Purcell's Cove. You know it's going to be bad when climbing the hills on the way out doesn't actually feel hard and you spend the time going out wondering exactly how hard it's going to be once you make the turnaround. Once Mac Grant and I did Sambro in the crazy windy and at one point on the back side of the loop we came around a corner and were stopped dead by the wind.

Today wasn't quite so bad, blustery and changeable, but still a net tail-wind on the way out and the corresponding head-wind home. To make matters worse I decided, pig-headedly to do it on 68" fixed. Maybe it's my way of cramming my miles in. They say you spend 30% of any ride free-wheeling. Fixed, obviously, changes this.

I will say this, I do find fixed quite useful in a head-wind or a climb. Instead of spending all your time and focus on hopping up and down the cassette trying to find that "magic" gear, you are left to concentrate your focus on getting the pedals up and down, around and around. Very Zen.

As long as your choice of gear was a judicious one. And you likely chose your gear last night in the shed!

I'm sure if I was a real, focused, goal-driven triathlete (or athlete of any description) I would have finished the ride off with my remaining Shot Bloks and for a treat used a little more powder in my post-ride protein-shake. Good job I'm not! I finished off at TIBS instead, where else. My heart, well stomach, was set on an almond croissant, but they were out, so I plumped (plumped being the operative word) for the proscuittio and cheese. Rounding out a 2500 cal ride (according to the Garmin) with a 2500 croissant is just good maths. No?

It was washed down with a cappuccino. Not normally my poison of choice, but a 'spro seemed to be a little "much" and an Americano would have been too much volume.

A big weekend this week with the Rum Runners Relay. Halifax Running Club A (HRC-A) is going for the barrel for a fourth consecutive year. no team has ever won four in a row, so statistically we're doomed. Lies, damned lies and statistics however, we have a good team going forward here. You take a list of winners (overall, age-group or both) from RNS events this year; Rami Bardessy, Denise Robson, Nick McBride, Greg Wieczorek, Ray Morehead, Shawn Deleu and Hugh McIssac and (God help you) me, and that's the core of the team.

We are in for a fight this year. Oxford At 8 have been gunning for us for a couple of years now and have made it clear we are in their sights. Of course, to be their sights, they have to be behind us! Oh well, perhaps HRC-Ladies can give them a run for their money.

I think they must be worried has they are claiming (apparently) we have recruited ringers for the team. I can go on record publicly and say that everyone in the team is a club member or has been running with the club for months. No-one has been included on the basis of "they ran with the club one Thursday evening on February, that makes 'em a club member". We've always been scrupulous with this.

The other unknown is the team from St Pierre et Michelon. For a tiny speak of nothing, these guys always bring a good team. The last time they were here was my first time on the winning team and they pushed us close. It looks as though the threat to us may come from without rather than within.

I got new shoes yesterday for the upcoming month of madness; a race every weekend I think for the next month, perhaps three if the 'cross starts on schedule. Mizuno Presicions. The same shoes I've been in for a couple of years. For some reason, the blue-and-white ones aren't around any more and so Dana at A1 sold me a pair in red-and-black.

As comfy as they may be, I'm never going to be able to match those with anything!

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