Photo of the day - 31: Scary stuff in the time of coronavirus

Well, for Halloween if we wanted to hear scary stuff all we needed to do was switch on the TV today! After a full lock-down in the Spring of this year, and a very gradual re-opening of businesses and schools over the summer - including indulging in the restaurants doing "eat out to help out" things are now making a downturn again. 

There had been a lot of speculation as places in the Northwest and parts of the Midlands were undergoing a lock-down. So finally, rather than put up with kids turning up at our houses doing Trick or Treat, we had to suffer a worse fate of seeing Prime Minister Boris Johnson making his televised address to the nation. So as of next Thursday we will be in lockdown again. It won't be quite as strict as "Lockdown 1.0" since people will still be travelling to and from their place of work, schools will be open, and people like plumbers and electricians can still attend your home if need be. However, gyms, sport centres, beauty salons, bars, restaurants and all shops selling non-essential items will be closed, and we have been told to avoid non-essential travel. 

It wasn't quite the announcement that we were wanting. So instead of celebrating Halloween and Bonfire Night, which is around the corner we are looking forward to another period of staying at home, not seeing friends and family as a group. We can only meet with one other person in an outdoor setting and maintain a social distance. Apparently this lockdown will last until 2nd December, but people are sceptical and believe this period could be extended. We may not even be able to see family at Christmas at this rate. All this is leaving people scared and anxious. I was meant to do a cyclocross race today, but didn't go because I was not feeling on form to race. That's a shame now as I don't know when next there will be another one. Same for all other races and competitions, plus yoga classes. Personally, I have managed to keep busy and keep the cheques coming in to pay my bills. But it is very scary seeing what is happening to other businesses, and with all these extended closures there is a worry that some of my favourite places my end up going out of business. 

It would have been good to end the month on an upbeat tone, but with the news that was delivered this evening it does look like we are living in scary times. 

Photo of the day - 30: Flashback Friday post

The path back to Ings from the Garburn Pass

This is not a trip I did in October, but at the end of August, over the bank holiday weekend - something from which I have happy memories. This year may have been a little different due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but I have done as much as I can to maintain a near normal everyday life, and to find equally fun alternatives to the things which are currently off-limits. I had planned on going to France in the summer, but because I didn't fancy doing a 14-day quarantine on my return I decided not to do the trip. Every Thursday, the government makes an announcement about the latest countries to go on the quarantine list. The problem with that is that Boris Johnson and his government only give two days' notice before the new rules come into effect. This means that while you're on holiday, if the country you are in suddenly gets announced as being on the list you then have to make a mad dash home in order to avoid going into quarantine. I wouldn't want to have that Damoclean sword hanging over me while trying to enjoy my trip or after I have booked my travel plans. So to avoid those issues, I decided to take my summer break within the UK - like most other people. And it hasn't been bad at all. At the end of July I went to the Peak District, and a month later I went to the Lake District. This photo is from when I did a mountain bike ride from Ings, mid-way between Kendal and Windermere and rode over a trail known as the Garburn Pass to reach Kentmere village. Initially the trail was manageable, with lovely views of Lake Windermere, Kirkstone Pass, and peaks like Stony Cove Pike and Red Screes in the distance. The ride became a little bit tough as the path became strewn with lots of rocks and boulders. Being on my 20-year old hard-tail didn't really cut it so I spent a bit of time doing hike-a-bike, including on the descent. 

Eventually, the path became more manageable as I was on a very bumpy adrenaline-filled descent to the village of Kentmere. From there my ride then went over another undulating bridleway that went past heather covered pastures along single track and through fords. The area looked really pretty in the sunshine, and it seemed that this was quite a popular area with cyclists, as I bumped into quite a few - a couple of family rides as well as club mountain bikers. By the time I arrived back in Ings I had a big smile on my face, having enjoyed a really fun ride. 

Ings is quite a handy place. There are wild and wonderful areas to go walking, a popular country pub, and more importantly for me, a mountain bike shop, Bike Treks.

I definitely plan to return there again and ride it with a full suspension bike. Hopefully I will get up to near Ullswater. Or maybe I will just head over with the masses to Grizedale Forest. I don't know entirely where I will go, but as a certain famous pop star said, I promise it won't be boring.

Photo of the day - 29: As featured in Cycling Weekly magazine

Quelle surprise: My review feature in Cycling Weekly magazine

I regularly write articles for different cycling publications. Sometimes it's on-line, other times it's for print magazines. Some are feature interviews, some are short news pieces, long form stories about people or places, and then I review gear and bicycles. This was a review I did on the Boardman SLR 8.9 women's road bike. I saw it go to Cycling Weekly on-line shortly after I wrote the piece, and then I forgot about it and focussed on the next item I was writing. So it was a nice surprise to open the magazine today and see the review in the printed version of Cycling Weekly. Even though the magazine only has a week's longevity before folks go out and buy the next issue, I get more excited to see my article in the magazine, than I do when it is on-line. I think it's related to the fact that the magazine is available in WH Smiths and Tesco, where folks can go out and buy it. There's something quite satisfying about a piece of work that you did being on a shelf in a shop. And today it was even nicer to just suddenly see my words and my photo shining off the page back at me as I thumbed through Cycling Weekly. It's the sort of thing that makes my day! By the way, the Boardman SLR is a good ride and I definitely recommend it.

Photo of the day - 28: Countdown to my clarinet exam

I'll have this tune in my head right up to exam day!

I am still getting my act together to take my first clarinet exam in just under a month's time. It shouldn't be too hard, as this is just Grade 1. I am not a complete beginner, but I have never taken exams - just been self-taught, playing various tunes and working through my Klosé method book. But earlier this year I decided to formalise my skills as a clarinet player, and work through the grades. The above is one of the tunes I plan to play. Minuets are always quite fun. When playing, I picture couples in a room dressed in Baroque costumes, dancing a waltz and giving each other the eye like in the Dangerous Liaisons film. They probably won't want to dance to my playing, but I like to let my imagination wander! The reality is there won't be anyone dancing, but just an ever observant examiner to make sure I'm tonguing, slurring and fingering in the right place! And then I'll get on with some clarinet playing!

The other tunes on my list are Mama Paquita, and Cantilena.  My biggest challenge, aside from not getting too nervous when playing, is to have the CD player ready at the right place. In the absence of a live pianist to play along with me, the London College of Music board allow us to use backing tapes for songs. Hopefully everything will come together on the day. So I will sign off here and get back to my practicing - both in playing the songs and in pressing the play button!

   

Photo of the day - 27: Hospitals in the time of coronavirus

King's College Hospital

At a time when coronavirus is still ravaging our every day lives there is a concern that people are not getting the treatments they need due to overcapacity in hospitals. A few appointments I had booked for earlier this year were postponed due to Covid-19 and the need to keep social distancing. Thankfully now, things are getting back to the usual service, albeit with many appointments being done over the phone. Today, I was actually able to have my appointment at my local hospital. It was five months late, but I still feel fortunate that the appointment was able to take place. I do feel sorry that some people who required appointments or treatment for serious conditions like cancer, or who needed surgery have had their interventions postponed. The need for different members of staff to self-isolate after making contact with a coronavirus person has led to hospitals being short-staffed. Getting rid of the back-log of appointments has meant that hospital staff are working 12+hour-days. It must be so overwhelming. I just hope that the back log can be cleared soon, and thank the NHS workers for their tireless work.

Photo of the day - 26: Still buzzing from the hill climbs

Grit and determination on Streatley Hill [photo: Tim Phillips]

Still feeling on a high after the National Hill Climb Championships, I was keen to look at the different websites and see how much coverage the championships got. Considering that it was just an 800m cycle race there was a lot of coverage. I am not sure if this is the usual amount of coverage the event gets, or if the media had gone to town because this was one of only a handful of races that could take place under the current circumstances. Whatever the reason, I'm not complaining. There were also a lot of photographers out and about, and for the first time in a ages I have seen various photos of myself in racing action on different social media feeds. I particularly like this one because it shows my sheer determination, and how I was just focussed on the hill ahead of me.

I have now joined the Hill Climb group on facebook, so I can hear more about hill climb events and such related things. Funnily enough, there is already talk of where the championships will be held next year. The rumour seems to be Winnats Pass, in the Peak District. If the championships really are happening there I will need to start training now. Winnats is the toughest climb I have managed to ride up, and is right on the limit of my capabilities. I don't now how many riders are capable of riding up at race pace and out of the saddle. I definitely among those who can't! Neverthless, I have developed a taste for this, and I look forward to doing more climbs including the Forest Bowland, the Magnificent 7 on the outskirts of Sheffield, and Winnats Pass.

Photo of the day - 25: National Hill Climb Championships - over (the hill) and out!

National Hill Climb Champs souvenir - There was a brownie too, but that disappeared quickly!

Who would have thought I'd be doing a National Championships cycling race, let alone this year! Yes, I did the National Hill Climb Championships on Streatley Hill, near Reading today. With the year being as it's been I was just keen to make the most of any racing that was going on, as I realise that there's nothing that beats pinning a number on and getting into the thick of a competition - even if you're not in contention to win. There is still an adrenaline rush as you try to be the best you can be and chase down your nearest rivals. In these Covid times of social distancing, time trialling is probably the most socially distanced sort of cycle racing you can do. So that has been taking place, albeit with a reduced calendar. So I did one or two of those, and then I signed up for some hill climbs not too far from home. I did a couple around the South Downs - up Steyning Bostal, Firle Beacon, and Mill Hill. I also went further afield to Bank Road in Matlock. I had hoped to do the really excruciating Riber Castle on that same day, but that was full - what a shame!

The National Hill Climbing Championships take place in various parts of the country - from down towards Cornwall and Devon, to up in Northumberland. Having them in the South-East of England was comparatively local for me, so it would have been rude not to go! I actually missed the deadline for entry and had to contact the organisers to see if they could let me in under the wire. Luckily that was possible, so I was able to line up with around 100 other women. This year's competition was noteworthy for the number of female competitors. A campaign had taken place to get 100 women to sign up, and it seems that many people answered the call. That is great to see. For me, I guess The campaign did not necessarily influence my decision to take part, but I guess it meant that I would be less likely to come last given that I have been no stranger to doing races where I was one of only around 5 or 6 women, and I was the weakest link! 

My aim today was just to execute my race as I had predicted in my rough analysis. Based on my results I should finish between 2 minutes 30s and 3 minutes behind the winning woman. Streatley Hill is half a mile long with an average gradient of 13% and a short stretch at 25%. It is less steep in the first 50 metres. Then from there on, it becomes very steep on a bend, then moderately steep, and then after another bend it becomes even steeper before flattening off at the end. The profile was similar to Bank Road, which I had done the previous week, though longer and marginally less savage. I also did a very quick recon of the climb en route to the road race I did yesterday in Abingdon On the basis of my analysis I thought I would do around 5 mins 30. I decided that even if that meant I would come last I wouldn't mind as long as I did the race as I had planned it. I kept focused, did what I had planned and managed 5 minutes 27s, finishing in 90th place out of 93 competitors. The winner, Bithja Jones, did 2 mins 47. That was a record as previous results had shown winners (including when she raced it a month ago) having done 3 mins 5s. 

I was pleased with my result as I gave my best and really left it along with dribbling, snot and sweat on the road. It was a good event, with all the fan fare of a National Championships, compared with other events where the HQ was sometimes just the boot of someone's car in a remote car park. It was great to bump into other competitors that I had seen at other races. There were no airs and graces between the fastest and the slowest. Even though spectators weren't allowed, there were enough marshals, officials and photographers on the hill to shout encouragement and ring cow bells at us. Sadly, I couldn't acknowledge them or say anything back, given that I was otherwise occupied! It was painful at the time, but when I look back at the event I am glad I did it, and have definitely got the bug for this sort of thing.

So, that's the hill climbing season over. Thanks to Christina Gustafson and her team at Reading Cycling Club for putting on this great race. Also thanks to all the other organisers plus the Cycling Times Trials association for putting on the races particularly during this testing (pardon the pun) season. Looking forward to next season!