The weather forecast was almost right. It didn’t rain on Saturday and dry on Sunday. It rained on Sunday too. Well, it rained when I was getting ready for a lap anyway. Under the horrendous circumstances, we did quite well. The results haven’t appeared yet but we think we were 15th in the mixed teams, and interestingly, 6th in the vets sub category. Not bad for a team with 3 riders in their 30’s.

I took the singlespeed as I knew it was going to be muddy. At times it was really really bad, easily as bad as it was in 2006 with the clay mixed with grass adding at least 20 pounds to the weight of the bike, overwhelming the tyres. I ran my second lap, getting round in about 1 hour 15 – not bad really. Whilst I was running with the bike I was passing loads of riders and shouting “on your left” in an ironic fashion. How we laughed. My third lap, again preceeded by a huge downpour, was the low point of a difficult weekend. I returned to the camp in a foul mood, claiming that I was going home (sorry guys). A few hours later I borrowed Budge’s geared and full suspension carbon Scott Spark and scorched around the course in about 51 minutes. I needed that – the only redeeming feature of the weekend that will mark the last time I race at Catton Park.

In some ways I can’t really complain. Hit the North was a mud fest so I know what it’s like when an event that you’ve worked hard to organise is spoiled by bad weather. I’m pretty sure that the mud around here isn’t as bad as that Catton Park stuff though. Or maybe it is. Maybe someone who did both can enlighten me.

Our team alone suffered 2 broken bikes (mech hangers) and probably at least a couple of broken washing machines.

Shortish, 30 mile road ride, “moderate” pace (recovery pace, even) apart from the bit where I was drafting a car through Radcliffe. It was nice despite the rain. Sleepless in the Saddle this weekend so I suppose I should get used to being wet. The forecast is heavy rain Saturday, sunshine on Sunday. A race of two halves then…

…wasn’t a ride. It had been raining all day and it was still cats n dogs so I went for a run instead. Running in the rain is good fun, however cycling in the rain gets on my wick. I’ll ride in the morning instead so hopefully the sun will come out or something wacky like that.

Whilst running I didn’t get chased by the pesky dog for a change. Normally when I’m out on the bike past this farm the dog comes running out onto the bridleway and barks and tries getting a mouthful of cyclist. I often swing an unclipped leg at it and it’s become a bit of a tradition. The last time this routine happened the other night I accelerated as usual, unclipped my right foot, shouted the usual profanity and swung the leg in the dog’s direction. As usual. This time though I caught it with the brass cleat on the bottom of the shoe. I’m not pootling along here so it’s had a proper one right across the gob. Oops.

After a brief pause, it started barking again. But it had stopped running. I’ll have to have a ride up there soon with a couple of Bonios.

CX bike, up the road to Ramsbottom, along the usual route to the Steep Carry Up The Hill Of Doom, did that 3 times then along the sheep tracks to Redisher then a bonkers sprint back down the road to home.

It was a gorgeous evening, which makes it even more of a shame that the rest of the week is supposed to be pants, weather-wise.