dat is dat

rides 30 (March 2007 10, March 2006 13)
miles 493 (March 2007 333, March 2006 359)
hours 1d22h10m (March 2007 1d0h07m, March 2006 0d21h22m)

road 4
mtb 16
rollaz 10
commutes 0

rides with friends 3
rides where i've seen deer 3

what i've learned
* i heart cycling
* nowhere near as tough as i'd thought it'd be
* i've become too hung up on commuting as my source of cycling miles
* i have some great trails right from my front door
* exploring rocks
* i rider faster on rollers with the lights off and a dvd on - and faster during scottish films compared to french ones
* bribing myself with my own beer works
* rest days? pfft!
* taking a different photo every day for 30 was harder than the cycling
* don't get too excited about a wee dry spell early in the year
* when checking a tyre for glass/thorns always wear gloves
* riding every day generates a lot of laundry

thanks to susan for being putting up with me and the rest of the 30from30ers for doing/documenting it.

day 30

done.

30from30 rounded off with a fine ride in the borders with adrian, dave and jon. started with rocky (sloppy) horror and the old dh trails before heading round the traquair xc. nothing in legs at all - as soon as the trail went upwards, i went backwards. absolutely broken by plora craig which made the last few sections a bit sketchy.

day29

a road ride today. burntisland-crossgates-kelty-kinross-round loch leven-the coalfield shitholes of fife-cowdenbeath-home.

realised at the far end that i hadn't got there superquick due to increased fitness, but with the aid of a healthy tailwind. like a golfer chucking wee pinches of grass up, cyclists should keep an eye on where their snot rockets get blown...

theboyhoy

congratulations to chris hoy on winning the world sprint championships. two teary nights in a row. come on the keirin.

i'll be gunning for him at the bike week challenge this year. raar!

day28

rollers tonight. la haine on the dvd.

hot and sweaty in the banlieue.

i cried at aye

su and i headed west tonight to meet trina and jon at "aye - an affirmation of martyn bennett" a concert celebrating the life and work of martyn bennett. martyn was a richly talented scottish musician who was taken from us in his prime, following a long struggle with cancer.

some lovely music and very glad to hear it played live by mr mcfalls chamber with the help of fraser fifield, tom bancroft and james mackintosh. fiddles and pipes rock! as do violas, cellos, pianos, basses and twin percussionists. i shed a few tears in martyn's memory.

check out some of the media and downloads on the martyn bennett website. those new to his music might to try move first - a flash video for a track from his stunning final album, grit.

day27

off to a gig in glasgow tonight straight from work, so up early and onto the rollers. one hour and fifteen seconds on tired legs, yawns and rapidly awakening bowel. just made it.

weather for tomorrow and saturday looks grim, so i'd better look out some dvds. hopefully round off 30from30 in the great non-indoors on sunday.

day26

buff be gone. the unwelcome return of rain to the south fife coast tonight after a couple of pretty dry weeks. paths returning to mush as i type. pish.

off along the coastal path to have a wee scout round downans plantation by aberdour. bit disappointing, no sign of anything particularly interesting and a bit mangled by recent tree thinning work.

heading out towards braefoot and i catch a bit of movement just on the edge of my headlight. a commotion off to my right and a blur as a red deer hind passes about six feet in front of me. more crashing about to my right - there's more in the bushes. close my eyes and hope for the best. fortunately the others decide not to follow through me.

wobble on to the point to watch a tanker pull up to the terminal and a gentle pootle round. then home into a cold, rainy headwind.

day25

a classic west edinburgh ride with jac and chris this evening. stoorie brae-edge of the hood-river almond-cammo-edge of the hood-davie mains park-hairy bumskins.

trails are in amazing condition for march - positively buff / barely any mud - just like summer, but with a lack of stingy and buzzy things. the river was in top-top shape - super smooth and fastfastfast all the way to the bridge at the end of the runway.

buttered ginger loaf as a post ride treat. magic.

day24

cracking ride today showing city slickers round some local trails. up the binn and along via the haughs to braefoot for a play. sun, wind and bit of snow.

realised that i've spent nearly a day and half in the saddle so far during 30from30. neat-o.