WET WEATHER,LONG CLIMBS, TURBO TRAINERS, ILLNESS AND LASAGNE WE ALL LOVE DECEMBER

ok, so im sat here nearing death in my pit of disease.... or i'm sat in the lounge with mild tonsilitis but my first description is what it feels like. I havent touched my bike for 5 days now, I'm contemplating going on the turbo just to turn the legs over and make my mind feel better if nothing else, but, its pouring down outside and its at least a 5 yard walk from the back door to the garage............ i dont know, i will probably just spend the rest of the day thinking about it until its bed time and i cant (thats what i did yesterday)

I've had better weeks, but theres nothing i can do about it so may as well stop moaning, its not fair though, some one who

would appreciate an excuse for a few days deserves it. Never mind.

Other than this things have been going pretty well i would say, Training for the last month has consisted of 12-14 hours a week on the bike, nothing more, mostly consisting of 2 longer rides on a weekend, 1 quite lumpy and one 'flatter' the word flat is not actually possible to use around here, i live at the bottom of a valley i suppose and have a choice of three , 2 mile plus (steep(all hitting 20/25% at one point at least) or i can ride down the river for a mile and take a pick of another 3 similair choices, anyway i digress.

15 mins into my ride and 14 mins 40 seconds of climbing done...... nice views though much better than the one i have during the week at the moment (below)

Then during the week its three sessions on the turbo trainer: tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday, or if i am lucky a longer ride on the road on Wednesday. Generally i have been doing alot of on the bike strength work in the hills and other 'stuff' to prepare for the physical demands that 2010 will bring :0.... a few gyme and swim sessions as well to 'mix things up'

As far as work is concerned i finish on friday for 19 days for xmas so im hoping to take advantage of this and let

the turbo gather some dust whilst im out on the road. Then i dont have long after xmas before i finish all together, i was considering a training camp somewhere warm in the new year but im not quite sure if its necassary so haven't decided yet.

The cooking coming on as well and i am now king of making lasagne

justa lika mama used to make it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No other news that i know of, just want the start of next season to come around now, can't wait. oh and for these bloody tonsils to get there act together and stop causing me pain and discomfort.

Think i'll do that turbo session after all...... happy riding over X-MAS, have a good un.

The winter has started

Right then, just a few updates and more information on the team for next year. Since my last post i have been in contact with the club president a fair bit. He has since informed me that the club will be taking care of our living arrangements, kit, travel and coaching which is all pretty cool so, all we basically have to worry about is riding our bikes and eating ( im working on the eating bit, or the cooking bit anyway thanks to my mams recipes and lessons) Licence applications etc have also been received, sorted and returned!!

We???? i hear you ask, well yes, i am going to be joined at Velo sport du Scaerois this season by fellow cyclist/Englshman/Northern/north eastern..................... Richard meadows. Rich is the same age as me give or take a few months and has experience racing on the continent with a couple of stints in Belgium over the last couple of years so, all is good!

Im hoping the presence of an English team mate to live with will prevent the insanity that may have occured other wise.

oh and this is the team kit, red again!!!!




















Training has also started to get underway as well now with no problems as of yet and the half decent weather is helping, or it was until the rain came :-(. everything is pretty steady at the moment in terms of volume ( it is only November).

Ii am going to be spending a fair few evenings staring at this amazing view until i finish work after christmas though:

it wont upload for some reason (its basically a wall, with a shoe hanging on it. why?? i dont know.

Jealous ??? I'm getting sick of it already, but needs must and all that. I may turn the turbo trainer around so I'm looking at the other wall for a bit of variety!!!

In other news i received my new Mavic shoes the other day, bright yellow,amazing !! and have just ordered my new custom radars so the style front is covered for the time been, just need some good racing legs now, the French is coming on OK as well, no doubt i will be useless at it when i first get out there though.

Oh and it appears i have grown an inch taller since February, yes still growing at 20......this probably explains why i felt so tired at times in the summer and managed to get dropped by mam in morrisons and eventually got the knock in the frozen foods isle.... bad times!!!!!













club website/blog if anyone is interested: www.vss.blogspirit.com

Turbo time now, oh how i love it.
T - raaaaaaaaaaaa

Right then, first post, i wonder if anyone will ever read it....... i don't care, I'm going to type anyway.

So, im 20 years old, i ride a bike every now and then and i have some free tim, the logical thing to do would probably be to earn some money and go enjoy myself traveling the world getting drunk on different beers in different countries!!! oh but no, i have instead chosen to spend the winter working and training, having about as much of a social life as ........ (my old man made me remove this part, it was amusing though), but basically no social life, then spending my spring and summer breathing out of my ears 2 or 3 teams a week in France and the rest of the time recovering from the efforts and asking myself why ???

For the 2010 season i am going to be racing with VS Scaer, a DN2 team based near Quimper in North West France, i will be heading out there around February time and be taking part in some top races in Brittany. This is largely thanks to local racing HERO and seller of all things road bike (www.velo29.co.uk) Dan Smith, so cheers for helping sort that out Dan, i owe you!!!!

This will be my first experience racing abroad after been a stooooodent and i am both excited and nervous, i have been told how different the racing is out there and look forward to the challenge.

At the moment i am working 40 hours a week on the early morning shift at Whitby Seafoods, its not the most glamorous job in the world but it has its upsides:
its pretty easy
Its over every day by 2 and i arent even awake until halfway thru the shift at 10 o clock
Weekends off and paid holidays...... i have used all mine to book wednesday off to train
Discount Scampi and fish cakes, wooooooh!!!!! good times

The down sides been:
1. its boring as hell although i manage to pass time as i am pretty good at day dreaming
2 you finish everyday stinking of fish
3. the smell in there when hung over is enough to make you sick your guts up as i have previously found out.

At the moment i have one problem, I'm saving money to feed myself whilst I'm out in France BUT, i am currently lacking one vital piece of the jigsaw and it is pretty important...................... A race bike!!!!!!!! believe it or not i think i will struggle to race with out a bike. Im trying to get the money together but if anyone knows of any business's or companies who may be able / willing to help me out a bit financially for my equipment i would indeed kiss the ground they walk on and of course plug their business as much as i can (it wont be sky sports 1 ads but a nice internet link on this site etc...). if anyone is interested i will be happy to answer any questions if you contact me at saleadley@live.co.uk

cheeky i know but worth a try ;-).

And thats about it for now i think, i wont be updating the blog a great deal through the winter apart from any team news and training updates but will try to do so regularly during the season.

cheers for reading and please come again, I'm off to try and improve my french