2010 has been a good year. I’ve been telling myself this quite a lot recently. While the level of success since the Trans Cambrian ride has taken a nosedive – SITS (Aargh), Kielder 100 (garrrgh), 3 Peaks Cyclocross (Oouch) , Dusk Till Dawn (owwww) – I’ve been able to drag a great deal of positive vibes out of every race (well maybe not SITS..erm not really Dusk Till Dawn either…oh dear). But still, you quickly get used to the big happy endings I suppose.

In the context of the entire year though, it’s been pretty bloody good up to now for a late-30s full time employed father of 3 😉

Three podium finishes since the Strathpuffer in January, including one win, a new record set on a recognised long-distance route and the arrival of some superb support from more brilliant (and recently, I imagine, quite patient) sponsors are perhaps more than I would have ever dared to expect at the start of the year – it’d just have been nicer for the kickass results and general awesomeness to carry on for a bit longer.

Right. I’ll ignore all that spilt milk and Crack The F**k On With It.

The last ‘big’ race of the year is this weekend. I’ll be going up to Fort William for Relentless 24. Not surprisingly it’s a 24 hour race that apparently uses the ‘man-made’ World Cup XC trails up there so hopefully no bike/eye-eating mud.

More than ever I’m hoping for a respectable finish to this one, it’d be great to finish the season on a high note and whilst there’s a lot that needs to go well before a ‘respectable finish’ and despite the frustrations of the last few races, I’m as confident as ever.

Preparation this week has been a couple of easy rides, including a rare-but-we-should-do-it-more-regularly ride with Andrew and Neil on local trails. I crashed, despite riding a bike with one of them suspension fork things (rather a large suspension fork too).

Surveying the Dusk Till Dawn damage to the race bikes and replacing parts last night took a while longer than I thought it would too – 4 sets of pads, 2 sets of jockey wheels and a chainring replaced (removal of the old one required the use of the hacksaw) plus a shedload of grease pumped into various nooks and crannies. They’re ready and so am I.

For the final time this year (well, until I get around to some cyclocross racing anyway)…Here we go again.