Not getting any faster

With the Mawddach Goldrush looming on Sunday I’m now taking it easy for the second half of this week so that I’m fresh for it. I did however have to do some bike maintenance earlier this week and whilst at it did a wiper seal service on my forks and a rear shock air can service too.

So, yesterday I felt that the bike needed a bit of a shake down before Sunday so went for a ride around the Pendam Trail at Nant yr Arian. All felt fine with the bike, but I’m not getting any faster. Last time I did the Pendam Trail it took me 40 minutes and 42 seconds, which was pretty slow in comparison to my best ever of 37:22. Yesterday I was slower still at 41:05.

It was pretty windy out there which may not have helped, and I did go to circuits and swimfit the night before so wasn’t well rested. However, it doesn’t look like I will be breaking any records at the Mawddach Goldrush on Sunday!

Pendam Trail - March 3rd

After the first lap of the Pendam Trail I then went around the lake again and did some geocache maintenance on one of my Watery Wales 1 series of gecoaches before fiddling with the suspension settings on my bike and doing the Hippity Hop section again. A nice afternoon out in the hills, but I’m not as fast as I should be!

My quest to hit 40 knots on a windsurf board continues with the delivery of another new board last night.

Boardwise in Cannock did me a great deal on a brand spanking new Fanatic Falcon Speed and delivered it in person for me last night… Although it may have looked a bit dodgy on any CCTV in Machynlleth as we both pulled up on the main street in the middle of the night, shook hands, had a quick chat and then exchanged the board in its bubble wrap packaging, before heading our separate ways… Dodgy dealings on the streets of Machynlleth!

The board looks awesome and has just one thing in mind – Top end speed.

The first stage of the quest, equipment acquisition is almost complete – I just need a suitable 430 mast for the 6.3m sail and I’m ready to go. Then all we need is some wind, some time to get out there on the water and the nerve to hit 40 knots.

As well as signing up for the Dyfi Enduro 2010 yesterday I managed to get an entry for the Manx E2E, or to give it its full name the Isle of Man End 2 End Challenge.

It’s another Mountain Bike race, this time, as its name would suggest, from one end of the Isle of Man to the other. The course runs from the Point of Ayre at the northern tip of the Island to the Calf Sound at the Southernmost tip – about 75km in total. It isn’t until September so hopefully I’ll be a little fitter by then, but it should be a good day out on the bike. I won’t actually be racing of course, the idea for me is just to finish it and have a good time.

It’s also a good excuse for a long weekend on the Isle of Man.