Thoroughbred Mules untouched by Godolphin Scandal

On the eve of the first Classics of the season, racing was rocked last night by one of the biggest doping scandals of modern times when the British Horseracing Authority announced that 11 horses, all trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni under Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin banner in Newmarket, have tested positive for steroids.
The immediate consequence is that the 11 horses have been banned from running and one, Certify, the unbeaten filly who is vying for favouritism for the 1,000 Guineas, will miss the fillies’ Classic at Newmarket.
The long-term the implications for Al Zarooni are serious. While Godolphin might one day just recover from the taint this brings to Sheikh Mohammed’s organisation, Al Zarooni is facing a long or possibly lifetime ban from the sport after admitting administering prohibited substances to his horses. His employment prospects within Godolphin must be under threat.

This is a clear indication that even the wealthiest of stables can not always produce the goods!!!!!!

HP News caught up with Race Trainer Paddy Shrimpton who heads the more modest 'Mules Stable' in Houston, Texas.
'Some of these big racing teams bring too much pressure on themselves. There is an expectation from the owners, Sponsors and anyone else that buys into such regimes'

The Mules are a million Miles away from such stables as Newmarket, Sky, and Orica Green Pastures but they feel they have got it right.

Paddy Shrimpton again.
'Our stables are empty on events day with all taking part in various events around the globe.
Somebody has to come first and somebody last but participation is equally important.
Without an event there are no positions to be gained'.
The only stimulus our entries get are Gatorade and Mule Bars 

Paddy a colourful character speaks modestly as recent results show that this approach has its merits.
Within the Mules Stable there is actually some real class.

Meridith Bunkers a young promising Filly is new to the Mule stable but has already shown off the Mules colours in the winners enclosure - competing and winning the Houston Grand Criterium
Cat 3 is surely within reach now

Meridith on the Top Podium Step in full Mule Livery -
'We are so proud' Paddy Shrimpton

Paul Wakefield has been racing for sometime in the highly competitive men's Crit racing and has a handful of podium finishes.

Paddy has the last word:-

I don't want to comment on dolphins they belong in the sea not stables.

I just want to talk about my Mules.

All of our stable are special, we are like a big family.

If one wins we all win

Baah Humbug

In the lead up to Christmas I seemed to Metamorphosis into a new being - a cross between Mr Scrooge and Victor Meldrew.
Impatience, frustration and temperance now hung from me like a well tailored suit.
Usually such characteristics are watered down by my cycling activity, but with a combination of severe 'Man Flu' and Storm force gales my cycling opportunities have been restricted.

As well as being battered by the elements , the country had a bad head. It was still hungover from a prolonged visit to 'The Public sector Arms'.
Mr Cameron may have provided some paracetamol, but everybody knows they don't work.
To make matters worse the saloon bar was still open and 'the hair of the dog' beckoned.

For my part frugality had already changed from a sub conscious notion, to a way of life.
Bike instead of Car, Jumper instead of Central heating, Water instead of Wine.......(Apart from special days) you get the idea.
In the same vein I had tentatively agreed to a Christmas present embargo.
This was not entirely by choice but by necessity - I was flat broke.
My children laughed when I told them to expect no more than a hug and a Clementine.
However their sense of humour diminished somewhat when I placed some spherical shaped presents under my tree substitute.

My weekly visit to the local outdoor market usually a pleasant experience was toilsome.
The stalls I usually visited to buy fresh fruit and vegetables were replaced by ones selling mobile phone covers. The fish stall was replaced by another selling other items that often find themselves on the seabed
RUBBISH !!!!!!
With my evening meal compromised I now contemplated the alternatives.
'I Pod Covers in an Ambre Solaire Sauce' .................... maybe not.

People close by to me smiled and engaged with one another.
'Have you got it all done yet?' seemed to be the most common phrase, where the act of Christmas shopping seemed to be treated with the same gravity as some 12th Century Church restoration.
Although I took no offence at this festive foreplay, I had questions.
Why should it be done in the middle of an over populated market walkway, directly in front of my path, and with the offending persons usually larger than your average Christmas Tree.

When I got home my twin brother Paddy called from Houston and he too was full of Christmas Cheer!!!

I tried to appear interested as he told me about the US Mules taking part in a jingle ride. Apparently they hold an organised ride around parts of Houston where they decorate their bikes. They then ride in an illuminated procession, singing carols, and spreading goodwill. Nice.

Usually I would have embraced such a venture and would have been excited for him, but I was as flat as a deflated tyre on the homeward stretch.
Sensing my ambivalent attitude he asked me how I was? This is not always the smartest question to ask. I grant you that most people say 'I'm fine' or 'Great thank you' even if their world is falling apart. But very occasionally somebody answers truthfully.

I started with the Clementine story and an hour later finished with ................'And the weather has been so rubbish my pedals have not turned once!!!!' I think my long suffering brother was finally pleased to put the phone down.

Later that day I received an E Mail from him. It read 'I loved the Clementine story so much that I want you to be able to buy some more' I have cabled you a surprise.

Although the weather was still rubbish, and my man flu went on and on and on........the Christmas present embargo was called off and the clementines were returned to the fruit bowl.

When I wrote to Santa earlier in the year I asked that the letter be directed to Rapha

with the hope of getting some new cycling apparel.

For those of you who have never heard of Rapha sending my wish list to them is the equivalent of sending a whiskey connoisseur to Scotland.

You can get Scotch anywhere but if you want quality there is only ever one place.

Happy New Year

The Hills

This time last year I was out in Texas training for the Annual MS 150 Houston to Austin Ride.

I was out with the Mules and we were cantering around the plains close to Zube Park.

Paddy (Who by his own admittance was not in great shape for cycling at that time) became quite disconsolate about me 'Racing up the hills'. He insisted that if I had to approach such terrain in that cavalier way, that I should maybe 'slow up at the top'.

I was slightly disgruntled at the time as my speed had not changed and the slight incline that he described as a hill (under 4%) would be flattered to have been regarded as such.

Yesterday I cycled up to Scarborough via Dalby Forrest and Hackness and introduced myself to many hills.

For those of you that know Hackness there is a 'hill' that goes up to Silpho which is about a mile long with an average of 15% gradient. It is an absolute beast and not at all polite, trying to trip you up at every opportunity.

I was with Simon and Bob who see hills in the same way as I see cream cakes.

Upon viewing the ascent, they lick their lips with eager anticipation then devour them.

I however struggle with the forces of gravity, my legs pumping hard, the rest of my body wanting to go down hill.

Although I always enjoy such challenges 'Silpho hill' engages both the masochistic and macho sides of my personality - at the same time.

Not wanting to spoil my other Mulees fun I told them to wait for me at the top.

(Constitution Hill - Swansea featured in Tour of Britain)

The question that is raised from my two experiences is what actually constitutes a hill?

The official definition is vague A hill is a land form that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit (e.g. Box Hill).

Ok so when does a hill become an actual Mountain?

The actual distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is generally somewhat lower and less steep than a mountain.

In the United Kingdom geographers historically regarded mountains as hills greater than 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level, which formed the basis of the plot of the 1995 film The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain.

In contrast, hillwalkers have tended to regard mountains as peaks 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level: the Oxford English Dictionary also suggests a limit of 2,000 feet (610 m).

This has led to Cavanal Hill in Poteau, Oklahoma, receive billing as the "World's Tallest Hill" due to its height of 1,999 feet (609 m).

Mountains in Scotland are frequently referred to as "hills" no matter what their height, as reflected in names such as the Cuillin Hills and the Torridon Hills.

In Wales, the distinction is more a term of land use and appearance and has nothing to do with height. A hillock is a small hill.

One thing that most people agree on is that cycling up hills (or mountains) is the hardest part of cycling when you are just starting out. (great article from www.road-bike.co.uk)

Ignoring problems of speed, most new cyclists can manage to go along a flat road for a reasonable distance without any terrible difficulties. But what happens when a hill turns up? Even a small hill can be a big challenge if you don't know what to expect and haven't prepared.

To put the record straight first - hills never get easy.

They get easier with experience, but then you go faster. However casual that cyclist might look as he races past you on the hill, be assured that he is also suffering.

Suffering faster, it is true, but suffering all the same. Hills hurt. Hills for me, are still the greatest pleasure of cycling. They are the best time to really push yourself to the limit, and the pleasure of going 'fast' up a hill that you know you would barely have got up at all a couple of years earlier is very real.

Once you have recognised that hills are and always will be difficult, how should you approach them? Getting Started Find a positive attitude and a hill.

(Not this One 'Mow Cop' on Cheshire cat left me traumatised for three months)

Ideally your cycling practice will start with a hill 2-3 kilometres long and rising about 30-50m per kilometre, but we all have to take what is near us. Choose a nice relaxing gear, at which you can pedal up your hill at 65-80 rpm, keeping a consistent speed, and try to go up steadily.

At first, you don't need to worry about racing up, just focus on maintaining a constant speed. You should be able to speak if necessary, but singing should be beyond you. Depending on your fitness even a small hill can be very difficult at first.

Remember: it is better to start out too gently and have some energy left for a last minute surge than to start cycling up the hill too fast and then completely run out of steam half way up. Over-exertion for the first part of a climb is very common, especially when you are unfamiliar with the hill. Try not to look at the top of the hill until it is quite close.

I always stare at the road immediately ahead, or the side of the road, or an intermediate point on the road. The goal is to avoid panicking about the hill, but to just take it one section after another. For the time being try and do all this while remaining seated on the saddle.

Focus on breathing out regularly. Don't worry about breathing in, that will happen naturally when you breathe out!

Most hills have several sections, try and think about finishing the section you are on, rather than worrying about the whole hill.

If you can look down, and concentrate on your breathing and the rhythm of your pedalling, the hill will pass in no time. Initially the goal is simply to reach the top

- nothing is more demotivating than failing to reach the end of the hill, so first worry about finishing the hill, then later about improving speed.

Getting better

The next step is to slowly improve your cycling speed. After a few weeks of the above, you will find that hills are becoming slightly easier, that your speed (and more importantly your confidence) improves, and you can use slightly harder gears.

Now would be the time to start setting goals. Find a hill that you are familiar with, and two or three times a week do the same hill, noting which gear you are in and what average speed you can do. Try and do it a little faster by using a harder gear. Sooner or later you will reach the point where your willpower and new found abilities takes over, and you WANT to go and beat that hill.

You will know what speed you can keep going at, and be able to judge for yourself if you can go faster. The hill is no longer a scary place, it's where you want to be! Getting even better At this point you can think about interval training on the hill. More or less, this means cycling up the hill for perhaps 10 minutes, then going back down gently and doing it again. Perhaps three times. This stretches your legs to the limit, because just as they finish recovering from one exertion along comes the next.

Standing up cycling

Sometimes it is necessary to stand up

(cycling, not pushing!) for the steepest parts of a hill, but this uses more energy and raises your heart rate, so it should be saved for occasional use only. Having said that, when I restarted cycling after several years away from the sport, I found I couldn't cycle more than about 50 metres up-hill standing-up. If this is the case, you should practice this skill also. Probably your hill has one or two shorter, steeper parts. If you change to standing position for those sections, it uses different muscles and gives the others a brief moment of welcome rest. But ultimately, standing-up is more demanding than sitting down. Change to a harder gear when you are about to stand up, and an easier gear when you are about to sit down again. Try and maintain the same cadence (number of turns of the pedals per minute) whether standing or seated. Pull up on the handlebars as you push down with your pedal. After a few tiles, try and use a harder gear. Soon you will be able to burst up short sharp sections of hill on your bike. Standing-up cycling is also commonly used for short-sharp hills, especially when you can maintain the gear you are already using. Instead of changing to an easier gear for the short climb, stand-up and keep using the same gear. Keep pedalling until you are over the top of the hill.

Many cyclists stop the effort a few metres before the top, and 'cruise' over the brow. You lose valuable seconds doing this, and also lose important speed for the following section.

Overall With regular practice, the shallower hills that you once struggled up will start to seem like flat sections of road, and big hills will get much easier. If you really have no hills at all near you, there is one way that you can still practice. Wait for a windy day, and go and cycle straight into the wind. Almost as much fun as a mountain.

I got this book for Christmas and its now my in bucket list to complete all 100

Happy cycling

Hotter than Hell 2010 - Part 2

If H G Wells was in Wichita Falls at 7am on Saturday morning he may have been smiling.

He once stated 'Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the human race'

As a science fiction writer he often looked to the future seemingly with a degree of disillusionment as was illustrated in his most famous novel 'The War of the worlds'.

In his novel the earth is over run by Martians with superior intelligence and technology who try to destroy man.

Just before they succeed they are struck down by a simple cold virus reminding us about both the fragility and simplicity of life.

Even back in 1898 Wells was concerned with the pace of Human evolution. He believed that there an ever increasing trend to rely on intelligence and technology to the detriment of our physical being and natural senses.

With obesity levels soaring globally, often running parallel with a sedentary lifestyle; Mr Wells may have used one of his own time machines to take a peek into the 21st Century.

His concerns were well founded

He seemingly saw the bicycle as a technological advancement that could embrace both the spiritual and physical aspects of human life.

I am not sure how many of the 13,000 + people assembled for the Hotter than Hell have read any H.G. Wells, but I am sure that most would please him if he were alive now.

With the cannon sounding and the sun up wheels steadily rolled over the start line in a multi- coloured sea of Lycra. The morning temperature was a pleasant 70f and aided by a favourable tail wind The Mules soon found a comfortable rhythm maintaining a speed of 20mph.

Jason 'The Kiwi Sherpa' led the pace line with such efficiency that there were no shortage of riders looking to add themselves to our ever growing tail.

Because of the requirement to keep hydrated, everybody was drinking at regular intervals, which is easy to do for the experienced rider. For some, this was seemingly not the case, as our main hazard to riding was the water bottle slalom course that had been laid out in front of us.

I must have counted at least 100!!! They were posh bottles too, the ones that keep the contents cool for a greater duration.

Of course once dropped you might as well say goodbye to such a vessel unless you want to wait around the roadside for hours.

One guy close to me dropped his keys right in the middle of the road, imagine it!

You might have spent months training, new bike, new clothes and a fortune spent in the exhibition centre and you drop your keys. By the time you are able to retrieve them, that's considering you actually find them; Hells Gate would surely be closed and the inflatable monster as deflated as you might feel.

As the sun got higher so did the temperature and of course the amount of stray bottles.
We all had three bottles each with an intention to get to Hells gate as soon as possible.
This is a strategic point on the ride at 53 miles where the Century riders have to reach in a given time.

This is usually by 12.30 pm which gives you plenty of time, but that time can be brought forward during the ride if the weather gets too hot. This is purely done in the interests of rider safety.
For sustenance we had our pockets stuffed with Mule Fuel 'MuleBars' . We gave these out to other riders joining our pace line who were greedy for more!!!!!
Unfortunately they were not in a position to write down the website whilst cycling at 20 mph so here is a quick reminder.

www.mulebar.com

For the record we are not sponsored by Mulebar we just think their products are great!!!!! try them out.

We got to Hells Gate in good time where we stopped to fill up our bottles. As we were doing so we were approached by a spectator who had read the blog posts and was looking out for us. It was a great feeling.

The second part of the ride became more testing. The sun was now directly overhead and the temperature was soaring. The wind was now in our faces and increasing by the hour gusting up to 20mph. The feeling of a pleasant ride dwindled into a challenge as the heat sucked at your energy reserves. I was now taking a drink every ten minutes to replace the rivers of sweat running off me. We decided to reduce the pace slightly something that appeared to be mirrored on the course as our momentum remained the same.

With just under 6 hours riding time on the clock we crossed the line all together and all smiling.

Paddy 'Le Patron' provided champagne to start off the re-hydration which was followed by some Boddingtons Beer (and a bit of water to be sensible)

All in all it was a great ride.

Shortly I will be leaving the USA, back to England where I take part in The Manchester 100 mile ride next Sunday with some more Anglo Mules.

Paddy and the US contingent will be doing Tour de Cure and Tour de Pink.

If you see us on the road.......say Hi.

Happy Riding

Hotter than Hell, I agree - Mules in Training

After arriving in Texas on Friday night my 'Super domestique' duties were soon required.

Saturday morning to be precise at 5am. It was like getting up for work at home.

The most significant difference occurred as soon as I stepped outside.
Rather than indignantly starring up to the skies as I slipped on my coat, I was wiping copious amounts of heat induced sweat from my brow.

It was 85f even before the sun had come up, with a level of humidity that could poach even the hardiest of ostrich eggs.

The weather man seem to be in a joyous mood obviously realising that he had a pale pasty Brit as one of his audience.

Hot conditions will continue today as an upper level ridge of
high pressure remains parked over southeast Texas.
Daytime high temperatures are expected to reach 98 to 104 degrees
inland... mid 90s along the coast.
The combination of the heat and high humidity will result in maximum heat index values of 105 to 109 degrees this afternoon.

The next bit was even more interesting !!!!!!!!

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

If you plan to be outside... avoid prolonged exposure or strenuous
physical activity.
Your body can lose up to a gallon of water an hour through perspiration.
Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
Alcoholic and caffeinated beverages can increase the rate of water loss in your body... increasing the risk of heat exhaustion or stroke.
Wear lightweight... light-colored... loose-fitting clothing.
Wear a hat to shield yourself from the sun and use a sunscreen to reduce possible sunburn.

Thank you Mr Weather man.

WE rode 55 miles Saturday and 43 Miles Sunday and the weather lived up to expectations.
I am used to having water dripping off my helmet from heavily laden rain clouds that have raced across the Pennines to great me on my morning rides.
The quantity of liquid did not change but was replaced by sweat. I felt as though somebody had introduced a high pressure hose into my seat post and that all the pores on my body had created a human sprinkler system.

It was great to meet up with the American Mules and to ride as part of a team again.
My intense training since the start of the Year did not go unnoticed which also enabled me to act as a super domestique for Paddy (Le Patron) who is still playing catch up after his recent training set backs.

With a good stock of MuleBars and plenty of fluid we all rode well and things look good for next weekend.

Mules in Training

Mule Bars

It is now less than a week to go before I depart to Houston and I have finally placed my suitcase on the bed the spare bedroom. The packing ritual is about to begin

Doing an event like the Hotter than Hell Endurance ride is not really like preparing for any other cycle ride.

With temperature promised to be in the 100 f and legendary winds ripping across the North Texas plains, the 100 mile distance is only a secondary consideration.

Food and Hydration is essential to ensure that you have a smile on your face when you cross the finishing line.

Despite the fact there are hundreds of sports gels and bars on the market I have usually gone for natural food products.
Bananas, Dried fruit, dates etc but carrying them has often caused problems.
The lovely yellow banana that I placed in the rear of my shirt often turns black by the time I come to peel it leaving a mushy pulp to eat.
With the other items I place them in sealed bags but they eventually all stick together.

Trying to separate my dates was never a problem in my misspent youth.
But with the nutrition type, trying to separate them whilst climbing or descending a 25% gradient can often lead to a departure from the road or prompt curses from the rider following my wheel.
I needed something that was natural, nutritious and portable and tried a whole range of products.
Then I discovered MuleBars.




They were on display in my brothers shop - Cycle Heaven (York).Andy my brother does not believe in gimmicks when it comes to cycling and that applies to food too.
He is also as green as they come.
When I enquired about this product I got a massive thumbs up from both him and his staff (all cyclists) The question they came back with was 'Why would we sell something that we did not believe in ? I agree.

The founders of Mule bar take up the story

'It all started on Cerro Aconcagua in the Andes, pretty high up at about 6200m where we had a lot of problems with our stomachs, were unable to find food you can eat and digest easily when you’re really out there. This is the mule and gaucho which inspired our the name of the bars and the icon silhouette we use.

...That was in 2002. We got back to the sunny Wiltshire-Hampshire border in the New Forest, back to our makeshift office, the “Loveshack” and QMFC kitchen, and we got started on cooking up some ideas we’d had on the Andes expedition. The first bars were all over the place and wouldn’t fuel much, let alone an adventure, but they did spur us on. We kept at it most Friday afternoons, skiving off the day job mostly and finally started getting somewhere in about late 2004. Guinea pigs are easy to find when food’s involved with bikers and climbers and so we kept trying out the bars on mates who we were out riding with and after about ten times of turning up to races and being told our bars were better than the ones on sale we thought we’d better do something about it. We formed Fuel for Adventure, because that’s exactly what it is, and started designing wrappers, getting key nutritional help from our now partner Matt Lovell who just happens to be the England RFU nutritional advisor and took the bars off to a great mountain bike race all round Scotland. The bars went down a storm. Since then we’ve been out there spending long hours cooking up prototype after prototype and getting the bars better and better and tastier and tastier and delivering more and more energy. MuleBar has summited Everest, has ridden and now sponsors the incredible Absa Cape Epic mountain bike stage race across South Africa, is the Official Energy Bar of The 2009 Tour of Britain and the list goes on and on. The key thing is it’s Fuel for Adventure, for everybody’s personal adventure.

There is a large void in my suitcase reserved for these pieces of edible energy.

They come in two sizes the MuleBar 65g and MegaBites 30g each with an assortment of different flavours including :-Chocolate Fig Fiesta, Strudel, Liquorice, Summer Pudding, Mango tango, Hunza Nut and Pinacolada.They also
do a great ReFuel recovery bar- choc & banana and choc & date, which are
naturally high in 20% protein.


You don't have to believe me check them out yourself

You can order on line at http://www.mulebar.com/

Being part of the Travels with my Mule cycling Team we call them 'MuleFuel'.

If you come find us after the Hotter than Hell we can tell you more about them and if your lucky I may have a few left in my Jersey.

Embrace the inner loser in you

About a month ago I was returning home from work on my bike.
It was Friday evening and there was a large group of teenagers gathered on street corner next to some traffic lights I had stopped at.
They were smoking, drinking and the males were jostling for position of 'Alpha status' in front of their female counterparts.
With the lights remaining at red for some time their attention seemed to be distracted to myself.
A 50 year old overweight male dressed in Lycra on a road bike.
With my Head phones covering my ears they may have mistakenly believed that their conversions may not have been registered with me.
Why would they think otherwise in their eyes my age may have also determined that I was also deaf!
One of them turned to his girlfriend and sniggered saying look at that 'fat bastard on the bike', this caused them all to laugh, some instinctively, some through peer pressure.

I am not that sensitive to be effected by the immature posturing of a teenager, but if it had not effected me in some way I would not find myself typing about this incident now. I guess I was a bit hurt.

Yes I do struggle with my weight. In the Winter I am FAT, this winter I got very FAT.
But by the start of the summer I slim down to ensure that I can hold my own in the sportives that I enter.
This year I have given myself a new goal. To trim down, get very, very fit and to maintain that throughout the winter.

So what of these kids.......well my retort was simple.
I removed my sunglasses and fixed the gaze of the offending Neanderthal, and spoke.
My voice was calm and monotone
'When you have finished your fag and supped your cherryade would you like to race me up to the top of Westwood (A local climb) I am happy to wait, maybe your buddies might like to join in too.........(I was now on a roll)
In fact if you want an even chance maybe you could form a relay team, because looking at you, I expect you will be blowing out of your arse after about a hundred yards.

The girls laughed, not at me but at him and their potential suitors.......needless to say nobody took up the challenge.
Last night and 16 lbs lighter i pulled up at the lights again and there was the same group.
They all put up there hands with an appreciative greeting, all apart from the previous 'rude boy' who still looked as sheepish as he did when I last saw him.

Over the next few months I have two major bike rides.
Flat out in the Fens 112 mile sportive on 27th of June In the fenland's of Lincolnshire, and Norfolk.
And Hotter than Hell in Witchita Falls, Texas at the End of August.
The latter is the ride that I will try and peak for, and between now and then I will continue to get fitter and faster and hopefully thinner.
There maybe days I don't want to train and days that I want to depart from my healthy eating schedule.
But as long as I move forward it does not matter.

As Theodore Roosevelt stated 'In the Arena'

It is not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly;
who errs,
comes up short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds;
who knows the great enthusiasms,
the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows in the end
the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst, if he fails,
at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those
cold and timid souls
who neither know victory nor defeat.

Hotter than Hell 2009 (L to R :- Me, Paddy).

Tour de Mule Day One

At 7 am we set off from Houston to Natchez to start our next ride 'The Natchez Trace' to Nashville, still stiff from our past two days riding. Our Mule team consisted of Myself, Paddy, Ted Hicks (our Team manager), Adam Miller and Kenny Rhame (see below).
Never a more motley group I have seen, Phil

Paddy

Ted

Adam

Kenny

Our hire van was suitably liveried to create an air of both importance and professionalism, something we would never achieve with our cycling prowess.

It took about 8 hours to get to Natchez passing through Louisiana swampland and over the great Mississippi into Natchez. I am lead to believe that the film deliverance was filmed close by and I certainly had no inclination to purchase a canoe.

When we got to Natchez we quickly got changed, got on our bikes and completed 18 miles to lossen off our legs.

My first impressions of this cycle route was very favourable. The road surface is as smooth as a pool table and the gradients were certainly cycle friendly. The road was generally quiet with beautiful and often breathtaking views.

After our cycle ride was completed we stopped at a local street side Crawfish eatery.

It was my first real experience in this local delight and this was a place used by locals which is a good sign.

After a crash course in the extraction of crawfish meat, I was surprised how something so big could produce something so little. Although I like the taste and the local preparation, the cloud of spice filled steam could compete against any Icelandic volcano in bringing airports to a standstill.

My lips felt like I had snogged an illuminated light bulb.

As the crawfish experience was just an aperitif, we left to find a local restaurant nestled on the banks of the Mississippi, and right next to an old paddle steamer

We were all tucked up in bed by 9.30 pm ready for some real cycling. Prior to lights out, I caught Kenny doing some secret training in the corridor.
Oh heady days