Monday 25 May 2009

Thank you to the extention lead inventor

Last Thursday I went to Skaterham, and was pretty bummed about my riding. I was told to stop being so impatient and that I can't improve every time I go, that sometimes you get to a level and stay at it before you take the next step. I know this. I just don't like it.
I convinced my boyfriend Ed to do a race in Hove Park last Friday because I was visiting my cousin at Brighton uni so I thought it would be good. But it pissed it down with rain, Ed finished looking like he'd just done a cyclo-cross race and nearly got blown off the path, and my cousin was cold, wet and unhappy. I felt quite guilty. But I got us all some wine (that Ed doesn't drink) and felt better about it. I then chose not to do track on Saturday morning because it would probably rain and it was far more fun to stay at cousin Alex's. The next day was beautifully sunny, so I felt bad again. We rode 3 miles into Brighton for the town festival and got given free cream teas at a nice cafe.
When I got home I was told that no-one went to track because it had been raining North of the Downs. Nice one :-)

I can't remember much else about my week. I was doing cycle training at some schools, 3 sessions a day, plus the extra session I always have in my head when I fall asleep because my brain has become so repetative. The best part was when I saw a year 7 girl that I taught at the end of her last lesson cycling home EXACTLY how she'd been taught. It was awesome!

Then my article in surf girl mag came out, written and photographed by Kate Czuczman. She's really talented. I was so excited to see it, right there, a full page spread on page number 24! Raising money for the RNLI by doing something amazingly fun and cool- cycle surfing! www.justgiving.com/cyclesurfing

Saurday I did track, but was a bit ill so I only did about 10 laps. I hung around and chatted to people though, which was very nice.
Sunday was a funny sort-of day, I can't decide if I loved it or hated it. At the beginning I loved it because I fell in love with the person who invented the extenstion lead. It meant that I could sew in the sun and I suddenly didn't hate sewing anymore. Then I got in the car, which took all my mental strength on such a hot day, only to find that someone had stolen my petrol whist I had slept!! I was on my way to bicycle ballet in Woking. Yes, that's rights BICYCLE BALLET! I didn't know what it's all about, and I still don't know what it's all about, because I got there to be told that I had the wrong day and that it's next week.
So I drove an hour home (still in the sun) jumped on my bike and gunned it the Herne Hill for the London Fixed Gear and Single Speed race day. It sounded so fun and I really wanted to get there, I was snarling at all the red lights. I got there 3 and a half hours late and was told that I couldn't ride. Bum bums. So I was given a beer, and watched the last couple of races. We all went to the pub after and I met some lovely people who talked about bikes, and just generally doing stuff. I like people who do stuff. I was flattered to cause a bit of a stir with my bike part Brierley jewellery and SPD high-heels. I gave out a few cards and went home to bed. Sad that I hadn't done any proper riding all weekend, but happy that I hadn't really noticed.

Thursday 14 May 2009

Legs like a little boys

This has been a great riding week so far, I'm going back to my roots!
At Herne Hill on Saturday I had a good training ride, I stayed riding for about an hr and a half but packed it in before the races started. It was particularly exciting this week because Sam Hart, a London fixie rider, came down to take portrait photographs for Cooler Magazine. I also had a stall set up. The sun didn't exactly shine, but it was warm and pleasant enough. There were a good few girls riding, and a very friendly gang they were indeed.
And if I hadn't had enough, I got on my BMX and headed over to the rollapaluza photoshoot that evening. I raced against the legendary Estelle, who is immensley strong and probably unbeatable. I was well happy with my first ride where I did 23.98 seconds, albeit accompanied by yelping noises that I couldn't control. For those of you who aren't aware of Rollapaluza visit www.rollapaluza.com. They hold races on static bikes that are rigged up to a timer, 2 people race at a time, side by side. A crowd gathers around and scream at you to ride faster and harder until you think you are going to die. It is without doubt the most painful thing I have ever done. Its wicked! See the "making of" pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/creativeexposures/sets/72157617858194081/
At the back of the studio I got chatting to lots of cool people, who were all bike fanatics. We practised tricks on the fixed wheels and BMX's lying around, and I still have a beautiful bruise on my knee from it.

When playing badminton in the garden on Sunday it was pointed out to me that I have legs like a little boys, with their fading yellow bruises, giant new purple bruises and cuts and scratches.

For the rest of the week I have been working from home. Spending countless hours on the internet and making phonecalls. Which reminds me, I need to call the dentist. To keep me sane and to clear my head I went out for a BMX ride on Tuesday. I think that there is a bug (no, not swine flu) going around, and I barely had eaten anything when I went out. My mate Deke and I explored the local area, now that we can't go to our local skatepark because people, Deke included, keep getting attacked by a gang with knives. We found some halfpipes dotted around the place and a run down dirt-jump place in the woods. I decided to try and clear a small gap jump, it really was tiny, but the gap on the other side although it wasn't wide was very deep, you could almost call it a void. I reckon. So I amped myself up and gunned it down the start slope, pulling up massively in a panic. I landed on my back wheel, which rolled out from beneath me and I dropped cartoon-style onto my bum and coxix. I nearly cried, but was too winded to get the tears out. After that, combined with not having eaten, I got very shakey and we decided to call it a day and head to Deke's mums house, who brought us tea, buscuits, sweets and breadpudding.

I headed to Crystal Palace in the evening to watch my big bro and my Dad race. I also wanted to talk the girls there into doing the Smithfield Nocturne. Rebecca Charlton and I came to a "if you will, I will" arrangement, and have managed to convice a few others to give it a go. It will be my first race in 8 years! I should get some training in, and stop just messing around trying to do tricks.

Although Thursday night is BMX night at Skaterham, so I suppose I'll have to start training another day.