My entry into the 3 Peaks Cyclocross has been accepted. So has Simon’s. As I’m a first-timer, I had to include my race history from the last couple of years. So I did. There’s quite a lot of it, in fact. There’s even a triathlon relay win.

Anyway, I’m already including “running up a muddy hill with a ‘cross bike on my shoulder” sessions in my schedule so I reckon I’ll be right on the day.  

I had a fast training ride (yep, another one) the other night over to Horwich and up and over Winter Hill. The weather was absolutely glorious, although the ride to Winter Hill included a fair amount of mud and water so by the time I steamed into Horwich I was caked in shite. Let’s hope this nice weather hangs around for a bit though.

This has got to be one of the cheekiest cheeky rides I know. There must be a dozen great big signs on the road on the way up Winter Hill saying “NO UNATHORISED ACCESS”, “REPORT TO RECEPTION ON ARRIVAL” and my personal favourite “NO CYCLING”. The more of these signs that I passed and ignored, the more I felt like a helicopter was going to arrive and drive me back down to Horwich. It didn’t come and it’s a good job, because the view from the top and the downhill to Belmont road made all the sweating and lawbreaking worth it.

“San Marino” as its known locally is one peach of a trail – fast, rocky and with just enough scary bits to make it (almost) worth the 16 mile ride from my house.

I returned mainly on the road and some more little cheekies that I know. 35 miles in total.