new bike

I have been needing to buy a new bike for about 18 months. I use one for work and getting around town and daily life so couldn't make up my mind about what sort; courier, hybrid, trail, mountain, cargo or what? However I was realising I wanted to be able to ride off road and that probably meant a 29" wheel MTB would tick most boxes and Glentress were selling off ex-hire bikes at bargain prices. I am now wondering why I waited so long.

Mary was kind enough to run me to Glentress on Friday. It was absolutely Baltic and quite spectacular on the journey. She looked around the Alpine Bikes shop while I tried a couple of bikes in different sizes. I was pretty sure I wanted a Genesis Mantle and it felt great riding it 100yrds up and down the road. They sell them after 40 hires, replacing chains and rear cassettes and doing a thorough service, as well as giving you a 3 month parts warranty and free service after that time. (You can get this in their Edinburgh shop - they don't make you return to Glentress.)

regular readers will notice the sun dog, left of the sun, the slight rainbowing effect

Today, Mary was planning a 10miler from Gullane and knowing I was keen to go for a cycle dropped me off there. My plan was to bike along to N Berwick and pick up the John Muir Way doing the 19 mile loop round and back to NB. The first 4 miles with a very light breeze to my back were super fast - buzzing along at an average of 20mph. I was measuring this on the Garmin as I haven't fitted a speedo yet to the bike. There's something you never see when running: sub 3 minute miles (over 20mph.) Many moons ago a friend of mine who knows a lot about bikes reckoned 29" wheels were the next big thing, back when Gary Fisher was just about the only person producing them. It has taken me a while to get there, but so far I am delighted with the bike - a slightly different aesthetic to standard mtb 26" wheels but they are rolling very well.

The weather was nearly perfect today. If a bit on the cold side. But the lack of wind made it possible to ride without a jacket till the sun went down. There is quite a difference from running to biking - much less of a work out so you don't stay as warm, or even sweat. Or rather, a lot of the trails I was riding were so wet and muddy I was going slowly in order not to shower myself in glaur. After those initial tarmac miles I slowed down to the sort of pace I could run at. My heart sank every time I had to take this lovely machine through ankle deep mud and I wondered was this the first and last day all the mechanical stuff would work perfectly. I don't mind running over very wet and muddy trails - you can throw everything in the washing machine after scraping the muck off, but it's much more of a pain to strip and regrease bearings etc. The first mile of JMW was along the side of a field and I stopped after it to run a stick along the sidewalls of the tyres which had picked up an inch of gloop on either side and were threatening to drop it onto the disk brakes. However it didn't really get much worse and some of the trails were dry and a pleasure to fly along (by comparison to the usual jog.)

Now this image I really like as you can just about make out the tiny silhouettes of 2 ponies on the far distant skyline of Traprain Law to the left (and above) of the left chimney.

too much of this sort of thing

This is me blatantly copying Hilary R's great idea of using a vertical panorama shot to capture the length of a tree. (I told you I would Hilary!)

The trees were particularly fab over in Binning Woods - my dad resides here. Normally I stick to the smaller trails through the woods but they were so soft today I went down to the main road, and nodded a hello to Alastair.

Best dead thing today, although I would rather it wasn't.

These growing tubes, glowing and backlit, were an excellent art installation.

The light today was spectacular. I was realising this is because the sun is so low it's a bit like a sunset all day - the orange light streaming through the trees. The down side is that by the time I got to the beach it, the light, was blocked by the dunes. As was I. I didn't want to fill my gears with sand and so stayed off the beach. I also went along by the holiday homes (the Harvest Moon folk who put up the private and keep-off-our-land signs), which was silly as I missed the lovely well drained trails near the estuary and St Baldrid's Cradle etc. Oh well, best not have an epic first day out. I managed to get onto the concrete paving near Seacliff then follow the road up and along to NB. Normally this is a chore to run along. Today was a pleasure to zip along at 2 to 3 times the normal speed.

I have never till today noticed the fog horn(?) at 2 o'clock on the rock. (Actually it was taken at 2.30ish)

My first thought when I popped my head over the dune was oh dear I'll have to photoshop out all the people littering the beach. 

classy drinks bottle

moon came up

sun went down

An older American gent saw the bike on the train and said "you've been enjoying yourself!"

It was too cold to stop and eat so I quickly shoved down a couple of sports bars and saved my sandwich till the train. Cycling does not make you as warm as running and I could feel ears, toes and fingers suffering in the cold air more than if I had been running. If it had been all tarmac it might have been different although the faster speed makes for chillier extremities. It's too long since I have done regular recreational cycling and I hope to get back into it and get up to speed with equipment and clothes, but it won't be replacing running. For one, I need to burn off the christmas tummy I seem to be sporting. But excellent to be back on a properly working bike. I got back around 5pm and spent half an hour or more washing the filth off the bike in the back green. 

promathon

I woke to the sound of the wind lashing rain down the window. Happy new year! I flicked through an excuse book of reasons not to go to the Promathon but no dogs had licked my hand lately and there was nothing for it but to climb out of a lovely warm bed and see if the corner shop was open to sell me a can of Red Bull. They weren't but it was mild which didn't quite make up for the rain and wind but was ok. 

Mary took her waterproof camera along - if ever there was a day for it then this was it. I have nicked quite a few of her photos including the above - which was taken from inside the car and gives a good idea of how horrible it was. On the drive to Porty we saw Fergus running along and gave him a lift. I think he must have been overdoing the celebrations last night as he was behind me the whole race.

Bob and Lesley, out taking photos here and later at the Triathlon in Holyrood.

someone's car having an oil change in the car park

cruise ship survivors?

photo Mary

So after a good bit of a warm up and saying happy new year to loads of runners, we eventually got set off. The wind was swirling about but mostly behind us in the first and last mile with the 2 middle miles fighting against it. I tried not to spend myself in that first mile and settled by the first turn. A few folk I would have hoped to be near went past, while others failed to materialise at all. John B returned the v50 trophy but made no attempt to retain it and Colin F another v50 who beat me last year also failed to show. So I was first v50 until shortly before the turn at Joppa when Stuart H came past. I hoped to catch him once the wind was to our backs again but as we headed back towards the start it became apparent that wouldn't be happening. I felt I was going at a reasonable pace so just stuck in and tried not to squander too many places.

photo: Roly

photo: Bob.

Rest of the set here

excellent photo of cheery Willie M and John F

Richard was first in.

Gav was right in there.

I just managed to stay ahead of the first lady. It was 33 secs slower than last year but the weather made things tougher. I was pleased enough, really just pleased to be finished the torture. I haven't been doing enough short fast stuff and so it hurts. Shortly after the race I shouted on folk to proceed to the shore for a dook. Last year I did this on my own but this year there has been quite a bit of chat about immersions, following on from Mary's submergathon, and with JoTho organising an unofficial mass dook for after the Promathon. I wasn't about to hang around getting cold and got a fair amount of Porties and Dunbars down to the shore. Mary took photos and I shot some film. It was unusual to be surrounded by so many swimmers. It (the water)  felt much warmer than when we were in on the 29th but whether this is actual or perceived it is difficult to say. It definitely helps to get your heart rate up and warm up with a bit of a run first, and so the 4 mile sprint made it very easy to get into the chilly sea. We have a plan to get a thermometer to measure the temperatures as they descend all the way to April. I would like a thermometer on top of a swim hat in the shape of a lighthouse. Possibly resembling a Blue Peter appeal. I might have to make one like this. 

photo Stuart H

The man himself! See how the act of dooking makes people really cheery!

Johnny celebrating his 40th birthday.

Greta and Ian

After the immersion I walked barefoot to the car, got my kit and made my way to the showers. I had noticed they were open before the race. I thought Alex Jackson had responded to my email asking if we could have them open - particularly with the dook in mind. However he said it wasn't anything to do with him that they were open. Just luck. It certainly made getting dressed and going to the pub much easier without socks full of sand. On the way to the Espy we saw Ian McM - out with the Porty Dads - a local cult that do a little running. They were planning on lighting a bonfire and having a dook themselves though it seemed a bit haphazard and we went to the pub before they found the firelighters.

Best pint of the day.

After a couple of pints we headed off to Tesco's to pick up the makings of dinner. The shop was nearly empty (after being mobbed 24hrs before, for no discernible reason,) and well stocked. We buy all the ingredients for a magical dinner and their last 2 bottles of Spanish Red as it's only £2.99 and tastes so much better than many £8~£12 bottles I've had. Although this is exactly the sort of thing I should be cutting back on rather than filling the house with. I think the animal screams of drunk Leithers last night was encouraging an immersion in a different liquid. When I was looking up my blog from last year I see I spent Hogmany exactly the same way: reading a book and getting an early night without excessive drink. At least this year the google icon thing is a great improvement from last year's.

So, a good start to the year. Well the race was so-so but the fun and games before and after were good. The weather might get a bit better at the weekend but without Michael G's enthusiasm (due to illness and injury) I won't be going to the Greenmantle Dash tomorrow. I'm only 4 races away from the big 100 on SHR website but that will have to wait. Some folk are talking about a recce of the dreadful C5. WTF! It's bad enough racing it without actually doing it just for fun. Especially in bad weather. There are a million nicer runs in the Pentlands or Lammermuirs. Maybe I will go and buy a bike instead. 

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