End of Term Report

Having completed my last sportive of the year two weeks ago I find myself in a reflective mood.
So reflective that my bike has become curious by its lack of activity and is staring to believe that it might be time for a grease up,blanket and into the shed for winter........Surely Not ????????
I remember when I was at boarding school that the first two weeks of my Summer holidays were idyllic and care free.
After those initial two weeks I knew that there would be the immanent arrival of my annual school report in the post.
If the report was good, the rest of my holidays were good.
If it were bad they were not.
My school report would be the barometer for my Summer vacation.
Now I am older there are no School reports, however through my reflections I have decided to provide myself with one nevertheless to ensure that my adult education process is still developing.
We are never too old to learn or change.

Philips Annual Report
Maths.
Philip has used his Garmin effectively to record all of his mileage, however this can only be used accurately when it is switched on and off at the appropriate times.
He may like to believe he cycled at 75 miles per hour but that was the Garmin recording the car speed.
English.
Philip has used his blog to catalogue his experiences and illustrate his understanding of various issues with cycling. However I believe there should be more emphasis on various related topics rather than him. His grammar and punctuation appear to depend on wine consumption, alcohol should not be consumed during these periods.
He has now developed a new blog writing blog called The Lost Muse to assist with his writing. He is now serialising a book that he wrote called The Last Siren, I have read it and its a great bodice ripping Yarn.
French
Despite the great french traditions of Cycling Philip has struggled to embrace either the language or culture, his only contribution being bad words and the heavy consumption of Garlic
Art
Philips riding style has become far more fluid, and at times he could be mistaken for a proper cyclist, there is still a long way to go in this area. He still uses his bigger gears too much and must learn to pedal faster.
He has recorded a number of interesting and artistic pictures which have been admired on his blog........well done.
Geography
Philip has travelled far and wide on his bicycle and experienced new regions and cultures and terrains. This process can on assist in his development.
Drama
He has excelled in this area so much so that it is now difficult to distinguish between himself and the many cycling characters he tries to portray. I particularly like his recent depiction of Lance Armstrong 'Bonking', he seemed to capture the full essence of pain and those tears were so lifelike.
Diet
If Philip wants to move from being and average competent cyclist to compete in the veterans next year he will have to loose 30 lbs. He can be as fit as he likes but it wont matter.
Carrying the equivalent of a sack of potatoes on your back when cycling will always slow you down.
Aptitude
Philip has a great attitude to training , he has certainly put in the miles this year.
Although his ability is increasing so is his perceived ability which always appears to be slightly greater he should endeavour to recognise this. His stamina and enthusiasm are never in question. To progress he needs to train more effectively mixing up his routines and working on his core strength and speed. He needs to get out of his comfort zone and set himself much greater challenges.

After stamping my feet for ten minutes and weeping I realised that on the whole my report was true and if I wanted to move forward I would have to change.
The first question was did I want to? There was nothing wrong with what I had been doing.
That question did not really need asking.
Although I have not been on my bike this week (And may not for a while still)

I have gone to the Gym.
I have been spinning, running, rowing and been doing selected weights.
I have also decided that I have to be strict about what I eat.
I also need to set myself goals that are slightly out of my reach.
In that way that the change in style, speed, diet etc will HAVE TO become a requirement rather than a desire, or a wish.
With that in mind I have decided that my first goal next year will be to complete The Cheshire Cat (102 Miles) without getting off my bike at Mow Cop or any of the other F***ing killer ascents.
I also want to do other similar arduous sportives.
I want to do a 24 hr challenge, to see how many miles I can do in 24 Hours
Finally I want to do one super challenging event with The Mules
What really caught my imagination was The Triple By Pass in the Colorado Rockies.
It looks and incredible ride with 3,500 people on 10th July 2010.
I know that to complete the 120 miles, I would have to be really, really fit and light.

Its a great dream who knows the registration is not till January.
Anyway Mules and other prospective Mules Check out the Video below it might capture your imagination.