World Cycling Championships 26th - 30th March
do we fancy a group booking?

Duathlons in 2008
Parbold Sunday March 16th - 5 km run, 30 km cycle, 5 km run - also the NW champs
Lancaster Sunday March 30th - 3 km run, 15 km cycle, 3 km run - an easier one but on a run day
Preston Wednesday May 21st - 1.5, 7.5, 1.5, 7.5, 1.5 - a 4 transition one!!
Rivington Sunday May 25th - 5, 22, 5 - all on road, but could be hilly
Preston Wednesday May 25th/ June 23rd/ July 20th - as before
Oulton Tarporley Sunday October 12th - 4, 24, 4
Kendal Sunday October 26th

The Nantwich Triathlons are:
June 1st
September 21st

So, any interest???

Seasonal Calories - just in case you need a reason not to be tempted! The Christmas cake is leaves us with a scary amount of working off to do - thank goodness i did not ice mine!!!

Xmas Goodies	Calories	Mins cycling
Greek yoghurt [2 teaspoons]	85	14
4 satsumas	100	16
Fresh fruit salad [large portion]	120	20
4 squares filled mint chocolate	140	23
Brandy butter [heaped tsp]	140	23
Whipped double cream [3tsp]	160	27
1 deep filled mince pie	210	35
1 small slice fruit cake [no icing]	240	40
Christmas pudding [small portion]	300	50
6 chocolate covered brazil nuts	330	55
1 small slice fruit cake & icing	420	70

Party snacks	Calories	Mins cycling
Salsa (spicy tomato) dip	10	2
9 small, green or black, olives	30	5
1 bite sized pizza square	30	5
Creamy dip (per scoop)	40	7
1 small sausage roll (bite size)	60	10
5 tortilla chips	80	13
3 cocktail sausages	120	20
1 small chicken vol au vent	130	22
3 handfuls crisps	150	25
1 small handful salted peanuts	170	28

Norfolk 25th August - 1st September

Camping in Cromer.

The question is will Mike and Martine tell us their holiday destination next year? Yes if it means being able to off load the spoils of their last Christmas!

Pb's all round - Liz and Jo managed an hour and half canoe trip at Sutton Broad in the middle of a 40 mile cycle journey fuelled by local beer and baguettes. Julie got to ride in her big ring, out of the saddle and did drafting - many thanks to her personal coach MT. We also have the evidence of just how much she likes her whiskey but we are too polite to publish that!

Jude did a triathlon which involved baking a loaf of bread, driving from Levenshulme to Cromer in time to join the team popping out for a mere 60+ mile bike ride round Norfolk. Those rice cakes must be good. Meanwhile Dave over took yet another horse and cart without this time raising the heart rate of his fellow cyclists. Glynis produced a tray of the finest salmon and cream cheese oer d'horves to accompany one of the many rounds of gin and tonics.

And in the spirit of team work Jude, Dave and Glynis successfully paddled a two seater canoe on the broads whilst singing old Girl Guide songs. And Mike and Martine did us all proud with their BBQ ed fish and sweetcorn dishes and thanks to Mike for some expert navigation on and off the national cycle routes.

Here is the team at the seaside (minus Dave the photographer and Liz using her camper van as an office) following a picnic lunch courtesy of the very fine deli at Cley-next-the-sea.

What's next?

7 go to Norfolk! the sun is shining

Clarion Club ride to Blackpool - we would have headed on to Ireland but the sea was a bit choppy!

Another very useful mapping utility - shows your elevation and you can search for other folks rides but be specific - there is a Manchester in the USA too ...

www.mapmyride.com

Polka Dot Challenge - 17 June 07 - Gang of 3 tappin it awght up t'Winnats
We were not so much tappin as grinding ... Jude, Martine and Mike all rode the Polka Dot Challenge - a ride over all the major climbs of Derbyshire ..... The 100 mile route includes 8 major climbs – Cat & Fiddle (7 miles), Long Hill (3 miles), Chinley Head (1 ½ miles), Chunal Head (1 mile), Snake Pass (3 miles), Winnats Pass (1 mile at 25%), Axe Edge (2 ½ miles), Gun Hill (1 ½ miles) plus every little bump in the tarmac felt after the 90 mile mark! The stats read .......

• 0 x punctures
• 0 x walkers @ Winnats!
• 1 x bee sting
• 3 x duvet covers ... sorry t-shirts - only xtra large by the time we got back
• 2 x sore behinds (Mike claim his was in fine fettle)
  
• 12 x bananas (between 3)
• 7.16 x hrs in saddle
• 25 x percent gradient @ Winnats Pass
• 100 x miles on the clock (but our computers all said more)
• 2300 x metres of ascent (Snowdon x 2)
• 3300 x Kcal burnt by Martine (or so my heart rate monitor said!)
  

and the location for more pain!! www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/lei/temp_calendar.asp

Manchester 10K
Mike, Martine, Jude and Glynis (white wavers), with pink girls Julie, Jo - all did brilliantly in the M/c 10K(May 20th). Amazingly neither Jo nor Julie were escorted from the start for running in the "wrong wave" - despite massive anxiety by some! Pre race accommdoation was excellent - thanks of the city council!

There were PBs - Mike (running for only 9 mths came in at the head of the gang ... probably down to his smooth "go faster" legs since Mallorca), Martine did a minute under last yrs time (with a promise to herself she did not have to take another minute off next yr!), Jude was flying as usual; Glynis was 53 mins WITHOUT training and Julie, having been liberated from the pink wave managed a PB. Top prize goes to Jo who got round in style.

Liz and Dave supported the team and told us tales of lots of finishers throwing up on the finish line ...... none of us resorted to that!!! And Glynis provided fantastic soup in Chorlton to replenish our tired bodies ...

Hope you have all signed up for the email alert for 2008!

Mallorca!
We went, we saw, we "tapped it awht!


See the action here ..............
www.flickr.com/photos/heatonriders/

Just in case we girls were not sure how to go for a pee when out on the bike, my new shorts came with instructions!!

To be fair they do have a very natty rear exit zip system and i would recommend them highly if you like bib shorts but still want to go to the loo without stripping off! Just remember that when you have finished the ride and are cooling off, do not unzip all the way and wander in the local garage for a pint of milk ... unless you like to flash your arse in public! If you look closely at the second pic. she appears to be hitching a lift very droll!!

Edinburgh Cycles - £60.00 (xcept i got 20% as they had just opened - the shop not the shorts!)

Martine

Cycling Route Database
Check out this new routes database - covers the world but you can search easily for a location near you.

www.bikely.com

Manchester Evening News article about Liz and BikeRight - check it out!

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1002/1002912_liz_is_riding_to_success.html

Before and After!
Great weekend!

Coniston 14

Could the weather have been better ... not a chance .. the scores on the doors were:

Jude 01:51:22 468th
Michael 01:57:17 616th
Martine 02:02:47 743th
Julie 02:20:45 1096th
Glynis 02:23:34 1140th
Susan 02:29:17 1192th

There were 1400 runners overall and just to inspire you for next year ... a few stats:
Fastest (man) 01:15:10
Fastest woman 01:29:46
FV 35 01:35:08
FV 45 01:33:38
FV 50 01:32:52
Lantern rouge 3:38:12 slow but sure wins the race ..... the last man in (and it was a man ...) I think we were in the hot tub by then!

And remember - pain is just weakness leaving the body!

Clumber Park Duathlon, 10th March 2007
Had a great day out in the end and came 3rd in the sprint duathlon!! - 5km run, 20km cycle, 3km run. It all started in a bit of a panic when i realised 2 days before that registration was at 7.30am, followed by several militaristic procedures (it being a world and euro qualifying event). So i decided i needed to enjoy an M1 travel lodge the night before, then realised the road to get there closed at 8pm. So, arrived with wrong food, wrong clothes, dry cough, no friends! Warmed up with heavy legs, set off with lead trainers as everyone else sped passed me. Spent the first 3 minutes telling myself i would stop any second now and drive home. Then i picked up a little and decided i would only go home if the very obese guy passed me. Settled in, happy with transition (new elastics) and thoroughly enjoyed the bike ride (that had something to do with the olympic men all overtaking me, so the view was wonderful. Good 2nd transition, hawked by marshalls ensuring i didnt touch my helmet before my bike was racked. Short distance felt good and was determined that the woman i'd just passed was not overtaking me, infact i sprinted in with footsteps behind me, then turns out it was only a guy failing to catch me! So, i did do it. Hooray!!

Roddlesworth Roller
Mike and I had a good run this Sunday (11/3/07) - a pre Coniston outing and Mike's first running race. With spring like weather - a few daffs blowing the gentle breeze ....

Mike came in @ 48.07 and i managed 49.13 - both very pleased with our times - they defintely reflect the levels of discomfort on the home stretch!!

Here is Mike with his colleague Adam posing as medallion men - Adam managed was just under the hour - impressive considering his training!

Sunday 11th Feb 07 - Jude, Glynis, Mike and Martine managed a run on Sunday - three of us over the fells for an hour and Glynis enjoyed a walk- run -walk - run sequence on her own as her road back to fitness. Amazingly the sun shone (despite 2 inch of snow on Friday ...) and boy did we have a good lunch - homemade bread, gallons of soup (still some left......) followed by ginger cheese cake AND lemon drizzle cake ...

Pilates Anyone? Due to the spate of injuries and niggles many of us have suffering .. discussions have been had as to ways we might preserve our bodies ..... there is a one day 'Pilates & Body Tone' course on Saturday 23 June from 10.15am - 4.30pm @ Lancashire College in Chorley. The cost is £49 and this includes all tuition, lunch and refreshments. (I go there for my French course - it is a nice location and the food is good.)

The day offers the "6 power-packed Pilates Principles" and the following benefits:

· lengthened muscles
· improved posture
· improved flexibility
· enhanced energy & rejuvenation

More details and booking can be found at www.lancashirecollege.com/Learning%20Breaks.htm

One for the girls only! - a weeks fitness bootcamp! Spotted in the Guardian!

Women should check out The Camp (thecamp.co.uk, 0870 033 2375), a full-on seven-day residential fitness and weight-loss camp based in Scotland, run by ex-Special Forces fitness instructors, backed by clinical nutritionists and medical experts. The next course runs from February 17, with courses every month thereafter.