Ask not what your country can du for you....

Training done, bags packed. Rimini here we come.

I was getting flashbacks this morning (aging hippy that I am... not) to when I first heard that the Worlds would be in Rimini. I was at the closing ceremony of the 2007 European Du Championships at Edinburgh. I recall seeing the flyers on the table and thinking how much I'd like to be part of it. Racing abroad (Scotland doesn't count) for GB, in the sunshine and then enjoying some time in Italy after. Can't believe its only a few days away now. Fingers crossed on the sunshine.

Training Flashbacks

• Getting up at 6am in the dark to do bike sessions on the turbo (static trainer) in the garage before going to work
• Run sessions in the evening after doing the turbo sessions mentioned above in the morning
• Going out in the sleet in February for a 3 hour ride and not really noticing it as I was that focussed on the prescribed session
• Lining up at Clumber Park hoping to vanquish the demons of my race there the previous year
• Notching up PB's - Run: 10Km, Bike: Local TT League & 25mile
• Going to weddings - And getting a training session in the following day - Hangover optional
• Running to the Brandenburg Gate on a stag do - Hangover mandatory
• Riding to work in the rain
• Riding home from work in the rain knowing that I had to take the scenic route to complete the prescribed session
• Riding to and from work in the rain....... You get the picture!

So now I'm left to wonder have I done enough? Am I coming off a peak of fitness or am I rested just enough to perform on race day? How much time will I concede on the first run? How much time can I clawback on the bike? How pi**ed will I get on the evening? What's Italian for "Can you swim"?

I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Mrs H: 2009 = one big race, no qualifiers, hopefully somewhere nice. Thanks for your support and patience this year

Full Circle not Grande Boucle

So the blog's over a year old with a readership of just one (not me) which is fair enough, I've written this for me not you. Cheers for reading anyway Drew.

The second ever post on this blog was about a ride in the Rabobank team car at the 2007 Tour of Britain. This year it was a far more sedate affair. Rabo had decided to give it a miss due to last years "Circus" stage and the long transfers between stages.

Rather than Piet and Walter I had Mrs H and Acky Binner for company. A mornings ride in the rain (Thursday training session) was followed up with "sea and land" at a Pickering chippy then onto the final climb of the day at Dalby Forest. My initial thoughts about the race in London was that it has been a procession. However, many of the "big names" who have attended have actually raced rather than just go through the motions as I anticipated. Danilo Di Luca has been very very active and Bo-Selecta from Columbia has been very impressive. Even the Chaudieres from Rock Racing were having a go yesterday.

After doing a Wednesdays training session in the evening it was time to sit down with dinner and watch the stage. Blimey, there was plenty going on and whilst it didn't impact the overall standing it was hugely entertaining. Mrs H hasn't been well and has even been sampling hospital food so training has been shuffled around. Something's are more important than mincing up and down Rimini sea front. Mrs H, get well soon.

Thanks to Mrs H and ABD for a good day out.

What's your favourite summer?

Donna Summer, Bernard Sumner (New Order) or Anne Summers?
Sure as eggs is eggs, it's not the British summer.

On a recent ride into work, getting soaked again it dawned on me that at 08:30 on an August morning in Britain I had my lights on, my feet were cold and the sky was a bruise. On a morning like that I began to wonder why bar staff (Kiwis and Aussies) come to the UK where everything is expensive and the weather is shit.

"What not to wear" - sounds like a programme fronted by Trinny & Susannah but is in fact a debate that takes place prior to each ride. Opt for short sleeves and armwarmers, expect monsoon. Go for a long sleeve jersey and kneewarners, expect something tropical.

With this in mind Mrs H and I headed north to a bike race last weekend. En route we passed other bikers with the ability to receive a lobotomy and then ride for 100 miles on their own up and down the A19....... In the sunshine. Their turning point on the road was about 5 miles before we got to the bit of road we were due to ride on. We arrived at the race HQ, collected our numbers and then proceeded to get soaked dashing back to the car. End result, the race was cancelled due to torrential rain. It wasn't safe to race with the spray generated by passing vehicles. So we headed home, back to the sunshine to replicate the race on a static trainer on the patio in the sunshine. WTF?

I'd always loved the fact that with bike races, the race goes on. No break for lunch, no rain stops play. Think of Bernard Hinault at the 1980 Liege Bastogne Liege race (pic left) when he had to be prized off his bike at the finish cos his hands were frozen to the bars. Snow stops play, bring out the covers, let's pause for lunch.... doesn't happen.

On to Sunday morning. Get up, look out of the window and it's throwing it down. Plan for today was 1 tough hour on the bike, a 10Km race (run) at Tholthorpe and then a steady ride home. Things always look better after breakfast. The sun came out, the run was a scorcher and the tan was topped up on the ride home.

At least you know where you are with British autumn.